Would a trendy area really be a trendy area without a hype coffee shop serving good coffee, yummy toasts and yogurt bowls? APT., opened in March, serves all this in a cool Scandinavian atmosphere and also offers a cute little terrace on Moon Street. 
 
Shop A&B, G/F, 2-12 Moon Street 
 
 
 
2. Artemis & Apollo

Another recent addition to the neighborhood, but a seriously pornfood one. Can anyone ever have too much tzatziki, hummus and souvlaki? 
 
REDISCOVER OUR REVIEW OF THE RESTAURANT HERE
 
G/F, 9-11 Moon Street 
 
 
 
3. Artisense

A creative fragrance studio where you can discover the subtle art of perfumery but also have your very own fragrance created just for you after meeting one of their consultant or even join a workshop to imagine your personalized perfume. 
 
Shop C, G/F, 2-12 Moon Street 
 
 
 
4. BASAO Tea

A haven for the tea-lovers out there. Opened end of 2018, BASAO Tea is the teahouse of tea brand BASAO offering Asian single-origin clean-grown teas. Teas are to be enjoy on-site, in the beautiful and quite minimalistic space run by in-house tea-master Katherine, or are also available for take-away. 
 
17 Moon Street 
 
 
 
5. Edgar

A bulk grocery store storing natural goods and organic grocery sourced from all over Europe. 0 waste definitely is trendy. 
 
5 Moon Street
 
 
 
6. Francis

I am not the kind of girl to say no to Middle-Eastern flavors, serious wines, non-serious prices and great atmosphere. Francis is the shortest and easiest way to go to Tel Aviv from Hong Kong. 
 
REDISCOVER OUR REVIEW OF MR BROWN, THE HOTTEST GRILL IN TOWN AND FRANCIS’ SISTER RESTAURANT, RIGHT HERE
 
4-6 St. Francis Street 
 
 
 
7. Honbo

One of my fav neighborhoods in town definitely had to have a good burger joint and burgers at Honbo are not just good, they are seriously good. Nothing surprising knowing that they only work with local farmers and have everything delivered fresh to their doorstep every day.
 
 
G/F, New Sun House, 6-7 Sun Street 
 
 
 
8. Kapok

One of the best lifestyle and fashion concept-stores in town. I am absolutely obsessed with everything they store: candles, beauty products, fashion accessories, clothes, coffee-table books … 
 
REDISCOVER OUR INTERVIEW OF KAPOK’S FOUNDER, ARNAULT, HERE
 
8 Sun Street 
Kapok’s sister shops in the area: O.N.S (3 Sun Street) / Pop-up on 5 St Francis Yard
 
 
 
9.  La Petite Maison XXII
EDIT: This concept-store is now closed

A beautiful lifestyle and food concept-store, inspired by Provence and dedicated to bringing the essence of European living to Hong Kong through a unique selection of hand-picked importer products.  
 
REDISCOVER OUR VISIT TO LA PETITE MAISON XXII HERE
 
15 St. Francis Street 
 
 
 
10. Le Garcon Saigon

A cute modern brasserie serving vibrant and flavorful Saigonese cuisine. I love the beautiful mural, created by French illustrator Merakilya (who also designed our logo) and Le Petit Saigon next door serving dope Banh-Mi. 
 
12 Wing Fung Street 
 
 
 
11. Le Labo

Inspired by Grasse but first opened in New-York, Le Labo is a niche perfume and candle brands featuring 15 handcrafted unisex perfume. Beautiful packaging’s and highly addictive scents. 
 
G/F, 2F Star Street 
 
 
 
 
12. Monocle

A space true to the essence of the iconic city-guide and where you can pick-up the latest issue of Monocle’s magazine but also discover limited-edition lifestyle collaborations. 
 
1 St. Francis Yard 
 


13.Pici

Freshly made pasta … Do I really need to add anything? Well, if you really want to know, my favs are the Orechiette Picante. 
 
G/F, 16 St. Francis Yard 
 
 
 
14. Roots

A cute French Canto bistro with laidback atmosphere but seriously good food. And yes, French Canto food is a thing. Just give it a go, you’ll love it. 
 
REDISCOVER OUR REVIEW OF ROOTS HERE
 
7 Sun Street, Wan Chai 
 
 
 
15. Spa L’Occitane

Newly renovated Spa L’Occitane is looking better than ever and is a perfect quiet haven in the heart of busy Wan Chai. Offer yourself a well-deserved break in Provence! 
 
Shop 3, Star Crest, 9 Star Street 






 

by Aude Camus 
 
Calling all the FRANCIS lovers out there … the team behind the award-winning Middle Eastern restaurant recently opened a new venue and it’s damn hot! Tonight guys, I’m taking you out on Ship Street. Hope you came hungry! 
 
Loving the lively atmosphere of the restaurant. And because it’s only two of us tonight, we get to be seated at the bar (10 seats) and enjoy the vibrant vibes of the open kitchen. That Argentinian grill with adjustable cooking surfaces is massive. I just love being able to spy on people while they are cooking my food. It makes me wanna dig in so badly! Plus, loving the smoky scent of the meat being grilled a few meters from me. But don’t hesitate to come with a larger group, the other tables are pretty nice too. Plus, the menu is designed to be shared so the more the merrier! 
 
Shall we order a bit of everything? Yes, we shall! 
 

The Whipped Smoked Mackerel (HKD 80), with ikura (salmon roe) and celery, sets the tone. It’s yummy! A tasty smoky mackerel cream in which you greedily dig-in with the homemade pretzel bread. Then comes the house signature: the Iberico Pork Muffin (HKD 70/piece) which you’ll see all over Instagram. The epitome of pornfood. God this is like … very very pronfood. One last starter to share maybe? I’m voting for the Empanada (HKD 100), filled with a non-dry at all beef stuffing and served with a spicy avocado salsa that will have you lick your fingers. Well, pretty smashing mise-en-bouche I must say! 
 
Let’s move on to the main dishes. The Half Duck (HKD 250) served with pomegranate and homemade barbecue sauce is surprising with its quite strong, smoky taste. Very different from your usual duck. But my heart goes to the 12 hrs Smoked Brisket (HKD 210) with pickled onion. 
 

This thing is so good! Slow-cooked to perfection, it just elevates the taste of barbecue to something very much addictive. As for the sides, the Ember Baked Potato (HKD 70) with dill and garlic sour cream is as pornfood as expected but the Grilled Cabbage (HKD 80) with sesame, horseradish and parmesan was definitely an unexpected winner.
 

We paired it all with a nice bottle of red wine but could also have gone for cocktails crafted to reflect elements of smoke and fire. 
 

I definitely don’t need dessert, but I mean, would be rude not to give them a go, right? The Smoked Apple Cigars (HKD 80) are definitely surprising but maybe too smoky for me. 
 
But the Cheesecake (HKD 90) with its airy texture is everything I love in a proper old New York style cheesecake (not those like compact cheesecakes you find everywhere today). 
 
God am so full! A smoking feast I must say! 
 


Mr Brown
G/F, 9 Ship Street – Wan Chai 


 

This write-up is based on a complementary media tasting hosted by Mr Brown (no monetary compensation)  

 

 

July 2022 edit: Roots on Sun Street is now definitely closed and you can follow chef Stephanie Wong on Instagram (@stephanieknwong) for updates on her next culinary adventures. 



by Aude Camus 
 
There is a word which I am not a big fan of when it comes to the FnB industry, it’s the F word: Fusion. Mainly because I very seldomly find fusion cuisine to be a success. It is me or is fusion cuisine more of a marketing concept rather than something truly meaningful? But you know what they say, rules are meant to be broken and there are of course some places which totally succeed in creating a meaningful and tasteful marriage between two cuisines. Roots is one of those. 
 
Let me take you out for dinner at this recently opened small eatery on Sun Street. I absolutely love the vibes of the Sun Street/Moon Street/Star Street neighborhood and Roots definitely does blend in perfectly well with its hip yet friendly atmosphere. 

 

But before ordering some food, allow me to share a bit more about Chef Stephanie Wong.  Each and every dish we will try tonight takes roots in Stephanie’s background. “Stephanie's passion for food and cooking roots from memories of dinners at home with her late grandmother as a kid. Food was love and happiness, extended from grandma's table full of classic Cantonese dishes. The dishes were simple, but they were never prepared short of heart and soul. And this became the basis of Stephanie's cooking philosophy.” But it took a few years for the Chef to follow her passion as she first worked as a corporate banker for a decade before moving to France to train at Chef Alain Ducasse’s cooking school. She then worked at Michelin starred restaurants and finally recently opened her own place. I was lucky to get a chance to chat a bit with Stephanie and loved her personality.   
 
If we were to describe the menu in a nutshell? A seasonal short menu on which every dish is infused with both Cantonese and French flavors making them resonate with both locals and French people. How intriguing, right? 
 
Ok, let’s dig in, shall we?
Kicking off with 2 Spring specials: 

Fine de Claire Oysters, Hong Kong and French styles (HKD 198/4 pieces), super fresh. Had the French style one and was expecting something very classic like vinaigrette but was presented with a sweet and unexpected take on the oyster, loved it. 

And the Baked Local Wiskered Velvet Shrimp with Herbal Butter (HKD 168), such a pornfood little thing! Local shrimps with very French herbal butter (you know that super yummy think in which we cook escargots) … a super yummy encounter between Hong Kong and France. 
 
Well, after those mouth-watering snacks we had to order starters, right? 

Had three of them (please don’t judge): the Roasted Heirloom Root Vegetable Salad (HKD 98), a surprising hot salad, the Spicy Creamy Local Clams with Black Bean Chive Oil (HKD 158) in which I greedily dip many pieces of bread, and last but not least the Beef Tartare Yu Kwan Yick Style (HKD 158). 

Yu Kwan Yick? A famous local chili sauce originated from Sai Ying Pun. I loved loved loved this dish. 
 
But watch out, the masterpiece is about to hit the table.

Say hello to the Signature Roasted French Spring Chicken with Glutinous Rice Stuffing (HKD 308). That chicken is so tender and flavorful! Took me back to Sunday roast in France …. 

Also love that it comes in a cocotte. Doesn’t it make you wanna dig-in? And the glutinous rice stuffing is a really nice twist. Remember I was telling you Chef Stephanie wants her dishes to resonate both with local and French people … well, my opinion is that this one is a total hit. 
 
Not that we need any more food at this point of time, but I still haven’t finished my glass of Chinese Chardonnay and I’m enjoying myself way too much to leave without first ordering something sweet. You are looking for something fresh? Order the Ginger Creme Brulee (HKD 58). And if you are just like and looking for ultimate decadence, I’d recommend going for the Pistachio Cardamon Financier, Black Sesame Ice Cream (HKD 68). 
 
I’ll be back very soon! 
 

Roots
7 Sun Street – Wan Chai 

 

This write-up is based on a complementary dinner offered by Roots (no monetary compensation).