EDITOR’S NOTE

A taste of what to expect from T.Dining 2019

There comes a moment in every food writer’s career where they think “This is it. I cannot keep doing this.” Perhaps it comes after a particularly nasty bout of bowl time, no thanks to that seemingly innocent looking oyster. Maybe you catch yourself saying things like, “gosh, it’s nice to have a bit of pilsner after all that champagne, isn’t it?” and are immediately forced to confront your priorities in life. Or, sometimes, it hits you when you find yourself devolving into a rotation of stretchy trousers and stain-proof smocks as a reasonable substitute for any sartorial sense. It’s an exaggeration, of course, but not without the tiniest rice grain of truth.

The reality is, I love what we do. Our T.Dining universe allows us to wax lyrical about the things that nourish our soul— in both senses of the word—and connect with incredibly inspiring talents who humble us with their vision and dedication to their craft every day. There’s excitement and awe every time we are truly blown away by a meal—tasting a food or wine so ambrosial that it erases all memory of dud dishes past. We have had many of those moments during the compilation of this edition of T.Dining Best Restaurants. Each time, it’s a reminder that it is our privilege to experience these highs—and even the lows—after which we are able to tell you, our readers, our humble opinions on what’s been on our plates.

Most of all, I’m always excited to unveil our picks for the year’s Top 20 Best Restaurants and the recipients of our annual dining awards—gongs that serve to highlight those working at the very top of their game in Hong Kong and Macau, who have contributed to the rich tapestry of their respective dining scenes. The decisions are not taken lightly— we spend hours, even days, discussing and mulling the nominees over and over—and we stand behind them all. This year, we’ve also introduced the Chef Of The Year award to highlight the individual whose efforts have paid off for us all, as well as a new category for Best New Bar. Turn to page 54 to see the full set of winners.

In the rest of this magazine, you will discover course after course of delightful gastronomic narratives by the region’s leading food writers— our Dining Editor Wilson Fok will take you back to the building blocks of Cantonese cuisine with his exploration of pantry basics, while Janice

Leung Hayes pens an ode to char siu—Hong

Kong’s most iconic porcine product. Chris Dwyer meets three young chefs whose cuisines have been deeply influenced by the late Paul Bocuse and Joël Robuchon, and Asia’s youngest Master of Wine, Sarah Heller, shares her latest art project dedicated to the mysterious language of wine. This is in addition to our 200-plus updated restaurant and bar reviews that are designed to inspire you to go out there and explore our most vibrant culinary destinations. So, I guess this isn’t it—after all, we’ve still got an appetite for the feast.