Michelin unveils 2024 list of starred restaurants in Hong Kong, Macau

MICHELIN announced its annual list of starred restaurants for Hong Kong and Macau, with one restaurant losing its three-star status.

The Eight, a Chinese restaurant located in Macau’s Grand Lisboa, was cut to two stars at the Michelin event in the former Portuguese colony on Thursday (Mar 14). Italian restaurant Noi, based in Hong Kong’s Four Seasons, climbed to two stars (“excellent cuisine; worth a detour”), as did The Huaiyang Garden in Macau.

The total number of starred restaurants in the two cities remained the same from last year, at 95. Hong Kong has 79, and Macau has 16. Among the new one-star outlets (“high quality; worth a stop”) the big winner was Mora, whose chef Choi Ming Fai also won Michelin’s young chef award. The restaurant additionally has Michelin’s eco-friendly Green Star. Soybeans are the focus of the dining spot located near Hollywood Road, with mapo tofu listed as a highlight.

“It’s a bit rough at the moment [in terms of the economy],” said Vicky Lau, Mora’s chef-owner, at the event. “So, we want to look forward and do better to attract more tourists. And I think a lot of tourists [are] also looking for this kind of uniqueness within the city, the authenticity and the sourcing of the ingredients. So the sustainability part is definitely part of it.”

Feuille, which offers fine French dining in Central, was also awarded one star. The restaurant is chef David Toutain’s first offering outside of France and has an eco-friendly focus, according to Michelin. Cristal Room by Anne-Sophie Pic is another new French one-star dining room in Hong Kong; Pic is the world’s most Michelin-starred female chef.

Restaurants have faced a tough few years in Hong Kong, as pandemic restrictions, an exodus of well-heeled expats and an economic slowdown weighed on spending. Cantonese restaurant DHK shut down just before it was awarded one star last year, while two-starred French restaurant Écriture closed suddenly last fall.

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The government doled out HK$100 (S$17) dining vouchers to residents in December and January to encourage eating out in the evenings. During the pandemic, restaurants faced various curbs, including stopping in-house dining after 6 pm. Officials have also stepped up efforts to attract tourists to the city amid concerns the city is losing its uniqueness.

Michelin, which started publishing the Hong Kong and Macau guide in 2009, earlier this month revealed its Bib Gourmand list of value-for-money eateries. Hong Kong has 67, with seven new spots including Cantonese restaurant Man Yuen and pizzeria Little Napoli. Macau has 10 in total. BLOOMBERG