Hong Kong bartender Jason Yu shares his favourite local dining spots
Jason Yu, head bartender at Carna by Dario Cecchini, recommends L'Atlantis for casual steaks and pasta and Chi Shing Restaurant for authentic Cantonese food. He values balance and craft in dishes, influenced by his grandmother's cooking. He prefers home-cooked meals on days off but enjoys these spots for their hospitality and quality.
Jason Yu, who leads the bar program at Carna by Dario Cecchini inside the Mondrian Hong Kong hotel in Tsim Sha Tsui, draws direct inspiration from his grandmother's kitchen techniques. Her methods included blending dried mandarin peels of varying ages for tea and crafting a sweet-sour plum wine infused with family history, approaches that now inform his cocktail-making philosophy centered on balance and handcrafted elements.
His two recommended eateries serve distinct purposes. L'Atlantis, located on Golden Beach in Tuen Mun, offers a casual seaside atmosphere with straightforward grilled meats and pasta, appealing to Yu on his days off when he seeks escape from the city. Chi Shing Restaurant in Tsim Sha Tsui, helmed by a chef formerly of the acclaimed Forum Restaurant, provides unpretentious Cantonese cooking that Yu considers emblematic of genuine Hong Kong dining.
Yu's recommendations may subtly shape dining patterns among Hong Kong's hospitality professionals and food enthusiasts who follow industry figures. His emphasis on humble, sincere establishments over trend-driven venues could encourage readers to seek out authentic local experiences rather than Instagram-worthy spots. This perspective may also reinforce the value of traditional Cantonese cooking techniques and family-influenced culinary traditions, potentially supporting smaller restaurants competing against larger chains and celebrity chef establishments in a crowded market.