17 Happy Paradise

MODERN CANTONESE

Fun and flair go hand in hand at May Chow’s tribute to Cantonese cooking, where dishes take references from tradition and go running at full speed in a wildly different direction—and it works every time. Where else in the city can you order a feast that includes shiitake tacos with garam masala and soy glaze, mapo tofu dip with ginger scallion pancakes, and pan-fried pig’s brain with burnt pear vinaigrette, all in a neon-lit square of a space that, aesthetically speaking, is one part karaoke dive bar and one part video game arcade? It’s living proof that we’re dining in a time where the rules of fine dining are being shattered—minus the tablecloths, besuited staff and flurry of amuse-bouches and petits fours, Chow’s food is right up there with the best.

UG/F, 52-56 Staunton Street, Central, Hong Kong

The Paradise City May Chow’s spin on sweet-and-sour pork sees a thick-cut chop served with mixed berries and pickled onion