Yong Fu Hong Kong: Michelin-Starred Precision in Ningbo Cuisine

Words: Pasuta Phongam Photos: Pasuta Phongam and Yong Fu

Yong Fu’s Hong Kong outpost unfolds with a sense of quiet theatre. Wave-like crystal chandeliers ripple overhead, while suspended glass fish catch the light—an understated nod to the restaurant’s seafood-led identity.

The Shanghai-born institution, founded in 2011, has long been synonymous with refined Ningbo cuisine—one of Jiangnan’s more nuanced culinary traditions. Here, that ethos is translated with precision: fish is sourced daily from the East China Sea, paired with carefully selected local produce, and treated with a clarity that allows each ingredient to speak. Since opening in Hong Kong in 2019, the restaurant has quickly secured its Michelin star status, bringing with it many of the original signatures, including some of the kitchen’s most intricate and technically demanding dishes.

The kitchen is led by Executive Chef Liu Zhen (劉震), a long-time collaborator of founder Weng Yongjun (翁擁軍), ensuring continuity between the Hong Kong outpost and its Shanghai origin.

尊式十八斩 Mud Crab with Mashed Ginger and Coriander An exercise in precision and restraint. The crab is meticulously segmented to preserve both flesh and roe, each bite lifted by the sharp warmth of ginger and the herbal brightness of coriander—briny, clean, and quietly opulent.

白切清水鹅 Poached Salted Goose A study in purity. Gently poached to retain its natural succulence, the goose reveals a delicate salinity and silken texture, its flavour unfolding with understated depth.

鱼子酱鳗鱼盏 Caviar Tart with Wind-cured Eel A composed bite of layered indulgence—smoky, wind-cured eel meets the saline pop of caviar, set against a crisp tart shell. Rich yet balanced, with a lingering marine elegance.

雪菜烧春笋 Braised Spring Bamboo Shoots with Preserved Vegetables Spring distilled into form. Tender bamboo shoots absorb the gentle tang of preserved greens, delivering a nuanced interplay of sweetness, acidity, and earth.

春菜花胶黄鱼羹 Fish Maw and Yellow Croaker Soup with Spring Greens Silken and restorative. The gelatinous richness of fish maw melds seamlessly with the delicate sweetness of yellow croaker, lifted by verdant spring greens in a broth of remarkable clarity.

脆皮鮟鱇鱼肝米汉堡 Crispy Monkfish Liver Rice Burger Decadence reimagined. Crisped rice encases a lush, foie gras-like monkfish liver—textural contrast meets deep, oceanic richness in a quietly indulgent composition.

三葱油浸鲭鱼 Oil-poached Spanish Mackerel with Three Kind of Onions A lesson in balance. The mackerel is gently poached in oil to achieve a supple, almost buttery texture, layered with the aromatic sweetness of three onions in varying forms.

花雕汁肉饼炖蛋 Steamed Minced Pork Patty and Egg in Huadiao Wine Sauce Comfort elevated. A tender pork patty rests beneath a custard-like egg, both infused with the warm, fragrant notes of Huadiao wine—deeply savoury, quietly nostalgic.

砂锅雪菜煸山苏 Claypot Stir-fried ShanShu Vegetable with Salted Fish Sauce Earthy and robust. Mountain greens are wok-tossed to retain their bite, enriched by the umami depth of salted fish and the gentle acidity of preserved vegetables.

手工荠菜水饺 Homemade Dumplings with Shepherd’s Purse and Minced Pork Delicacy in detail. The wrappers—thin, supple, almost translucent—offer a gentle chew, encasing a fragrant filling that balances herbaceous brightness with savoury depth.

宁波汤圆 Ningbo Style Sesame Glutinous Rice Dumplings A refined conclusion. Pillowy-soft glutinous skins give way to a molten black sesame centre—nutty, aromatic, and luxuriously smooth, lingering long after the final spoonful.

Yong Fu extends its sense of quiet refinement into a series of approximately seven private dining rooms, each conceived as an intimate enclave. Designed for discretion and comfort, these spaces balance understated luxury with a residential warmth—ideal for hosting, yet never overstated, in keeping with the restaurant’s composed and considered aesthetic.

More than a faithful extension, Yong Fu Hong Kong presents a composed interpretation of regional Chinese cuisine—where technique, provenance and restraint converge in a quietly confident expression of Jiangnan dining. Yong Fu Hong Kong Hours: Daily, 12:00 PM - 15:00 PM, 18:00 - 23:00 PM Contact: (852) 5573 0202 Reserve: (852) 2881 7899 Location: 香港灣仔駱克道20-24號, 金星大廈地下2號舖及1樓

Shop 2 at GF & 1F, Golden Star Building, 20-24 Lockhart Road, Hong Kong Socials: https://www.instagram.com/yongfuhk/ https://www.facebook.com/YongFuHK/