As with a few other restaurants and bars around the city, there’s a story behind the restaurant: Fang Fang is a Shanghai opera singer who left her career behind to travel throughout Asia and bring a variety of flavors to Hong Kong. This new contemporary Asian restaurant serves up an array of unique dishes by highly acclaimed Executive Chef Kent Lee Chin Heng, former Executive Chef of Hakkasan Mumbai, along with an impressive cocktail menu crafted by the talented bar manager Gagan Gurung.

Vibe at Fang Fang

You’ll be greeted by Fang Fang’s sleek bar upon walking in – stop for a drink here before moving to the restaurant. The dining area is bright and modern, and uses Chinese symbols throughout for decor (like dragon scales/Samurai armor). There are two private dining rooms in the restaurant while the rest of the seating remains quite open. Fang Fang is a great spot for date night (though the lights could be a bit dimmer) or a group dinner or any occasion, really.

Cocktails

The menu, created by bar manager Gagan Gurung, is divided into the five elements, each with two unique Asian-inspired cocktails. Having seen this cute cocktail plastered around social media, I just had to order the Trái Đất (HK$110). Made with turmeric gin, coconut milk, pineapple, lemon, and ginger, this drink was light and refreshing – a perfect choice to start your night off. I was curious about the Komorebi (HK$110) with an ingredient list consisting of gin, chartreuse, lemon, Chinese almond, coriander, fennel, and chickpea. There were a few ingredients I love (gin, chickpeas – yesss) and a few I really didn’t like (fennel – nooo), but was easily convinced by Gagan to give it a shot. The texture was part creamy part grain and there was a slightly sour after taste. I enjoyed the drink more and more with each sip.

Starters

I think soft shell crab may be growing on me because I typically don’t like it, but Fang Fang’s Soft Shell Crab (HK$125) with curry leaves was undoubtedly delicious. This dish was so full of flavor and had a variety of textures that it was hard to put my fork down. The Fang Fang Style Paneer (HK$125) was unexpected, but since I love paneer I wanted to try it. Although it may not look like much, this ended up being one of my favorite dishes I had at Fang Fang – the cheese cubes were smooth and coated in the perfect amount of slightly sweet sauce.

Mains

The Jasmine Tea Smoked Ribs (HK$125) were encased in a glass covering as it came to our table and was opened to let the smoke out. The meat easily came off the bone and was full of flavor, with a subtle hint of Jasmine tea. The most impressive dish of the evening was the Fang Fang Roasted Duck (HK$495), which was presented to our table whole. After the photo shoot with our roast duck was done, our server took it away to cut up. The skin was served with a fair amount of meat (which more local palates may not be in favor of) and was so good I didn’t even need to dip it in the accompanying sauce.

Dessert

Dessert at Fang Fang is not to be missed. The Green Tea Ice Cream (HK$75) tasted natural and had a smooth texture, unlike the more grainy artificial kinds. The presentation was also lovely, especially the edible chocolate butterflies. I loved the strong presence of ginger in the Ginger Creme Brulee (HK$85) without it overpowering the more subtle flavors of the natural custard.

Verdict

If you’re looking for a new restaurant to check out in Hong Kong that won’t disappoint, visit Fang Fang. The menu has a fantastic variety of pan-Asian cuisine at reasonable prices. Cocktails at Fang Fang are unique, full of flavor, and very photogenic. I’ll definitely be heading back to Fang Fang to try some of their other dishes and to tick off a few more cocktails on their menu soon.

Fang Fang
8/F, LKF Tower
33 Wyndham Street
Central

Tel: 2983 9083