Update: The Michelin Guide Hong Kong and Macao 2020 has been released! Click here to learn about the newest restaurants to gain Michelin-star status.

Macao’s City of Dreams recently hosted the announcement for the 2019 Michelin Guide Hong Kong and Macao, and one of the night’s biggest winners was Caprice at the Four Seasons Hong Kong. Now under the helm of chef Guillaume Galliot, the French restaurant has regained three Michelin stars – and given the Four Seasons a world record for most Michelin stars under one roof.

Caprice made a big impression not only on Michelin judges, but also on Cathay Pacific’s Marco Polo Club members, who voted it Hong Kong’s best restaurant in the Marco Polo Club Members’ Choice awards this autumn. Many of the other Michelin winners have been on our radar and featured in our regularly updated coverage of Hong Kong’s hottest restaurants.

French cuisine dominated among the new entrants to the two- and three-star categories, including Macao’s Alain Ducasse at Morpheus which, remarkably, only debuted in June. The one-star category, however, includes some less conventional choices for Michelin, like New Punjab Club, a hip tandoor grill that claimed one star.

New Punjab Club and Belon, which also just received its first Michelin star, are part of the Black Sheep Restaurant Group. That’s good news for Marco Polo Club members, who can take advantage of priority booking at any of Black Sheep’s 19 establishments.

Read on for all 12 newly minted Michelin stars in Hong Kong and Macao.

Three Michelin Stars: ‘exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey’

Caprice

The Four Seasons’ Caprice, represents truly premium dining 2018-style: it has the relaxed energy of a brasserie and, on the menu itself, a precision, inventiveness and wit that’s charmed both diners and the Michelin judges. There’s daring wine pairing, too (steak tartare and sauvignon blanc? Tasting is believing). While Caprice has become a top people-watching spot, the views outside aren’t that bad either.

Jade Dragon

Among the 20-plus restaurants within Macao’s City of Dreams complex, Jade Dragon stands out for elevated Cantonese dishes and equally lavish decor – incorporating ebony, crystal, gold and traditional Chinese motifs. In awarding this year’s additional third star, the Michelin Guide Hong Kong and Macao highlighted specialities such as the Iberico pork barbecued over lychee wood and double-boiled tonic soups.

Two Michelin Stars: ‘excellent cuisine, worth a detour’

Alain Ducasse at Morpheus (Macao)

The superstar French chef, no stranger to Michelin stars and world’s best restaurant lists, picks up another two stars with his fine-dining restaurant in the Zaha Hadid-designed Morpheus hotel. Expect an impressive standard of contemporary French cooking and wow-factor interiors. (For a more casual but equally superlative experience, head next door to sister restaurant, Voyages by Alain Ducasse.)

Ecriture

Indulge in a high-end, French take on Japanese ingredients at the new H Queen’s tower in Central. Ecriture’s seasonal menu satisfies all palates, but the real delights are in its tasting menu called Library of Flavours, which keeps every course a surprise, only offering clues like ‘scallop’ and ‘strawberry’. Meanwhile, the artful interior design reflects the building’s focus as a home for galleries.

Sushi Saito

This three-Michelin-starred restaurant in Tokyo has finally opened at Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong, offering sushi in the century-old Edomae style. Chef Takashi Saito hand-picks the ingredients every morning at Tokyo’s venerable seafood markets and has them flown to the Hong Kong branch on the same day – all to be enjoyed at Sushi Saito’s counter crafted with wood from 400-year-old Japanese cypresses.

Ying Jee Club

You can’t go wrong with executive chef Siu Hin-chi, a legend within the Chinese cuisine industry who’s 18 Michelin stars earned over a decade has just grown with Ying Jee Club’s graduation from one to two stars. Here, you can sample traditional Chinese cuisine and sip from a 300-bottle wine list in a serene setting, with an emerald green backdrop and wood panel floors.

One Michelin Star: ‘high-quality cooking, worth a stop’

Arbor

Arbor honours nature and seasonality at the gleaming new H Queen’s tower in Central. The menu incorporates Japanese ingredients into its French dishes, with an earthy touch. The chic pink space houses the owner’s wine collection, which can only be accessed with the fingerprints of both the restaurant manager and sommelier.

Belon

Behind the striking wooden facade of this French bistro on Soho’s Elgin Street, diners are enticed with creative dishes like grilled Hokkaido scallops with shio kombu (dried, seasoned kelp), but the star dishes are rustic and classically French – whole roasted chicken with petits pois, for instance – all made with local produce.

Guo Fu Lou

This Cantonese restaurant moved from its Wan Chai location to The Murray hotel in Central, where it continues to serve signatures like suckling pig, steamed crab claw and enormous sesame balls lit up from the inside. The new location offers two storeys of seating, including outdoor tables with an old tree towering overhead.

New Punjab Club

Located in Central, this spot specialises in the cuisine of Punjab, the northern Indian state bordering Pakistan. Try the signature keema pau (spiced mutton on milk buns). The stylish decor, inspired by the liberated era of post-colonial Punjab, makes a visit extra worthwhile.

Octavium

Umberto Bombana, the talent behind Hong Kong’s revered Italian fine-dining spot Otto e Mezzo Bombana, launched a new project this year: Octavium. The intimate 32-seater spot in Central focuses on more creative, playful dishes (a la carte or from a set menu). It makes a big impression, whether you’re here for a power lunch or dinner with friends.

Xin Rong Ji

Seafood is the star at this Wan Chai newcomer, an offshoot of the original Shanghai location (which also bears one Michelin star). Wild-caught yellow croaker sourced from the East China Sea and deep-fried conger eel are highlights, along with braised radish chips. Xin Rong Ji’s refined dining room is accented by bonsai plants and framed calligraphy.

Here’s the full directory of Michelin-starred restaurants in Hong Kong and Macao