• Tatler Asia presents annual Tattler Dining Awards 2022 celebrating some of The Forks and Spoons’ finest restaurants and talents of Hong Kong

    The Forks & Spoons extends its sincerest congratulations to the winners of this year’s The Tatler Dining Awards 2022, with a special mention given to the following awardees:

     

    • Chef of the Year: Manav Tuli of One Michelin-starred CHAAT

    At CHAAT, Chef de Cuisine Manav Tuli re-imagines his favourite traditional street snacks from his childhood growing up in central India, which includes his hearty homemade Paneer Cheese and Pav Bhaji.

    Chef Manav Tuli draws from a wealth of experience over the past 18 years in some of the finest kitchens of London and India to create a menu of bold, inspiring renditions of much-loved Indian favourites. Manav began his culinary career in the southwestern coastal state of Kerala, after which he embarked upon an exciting opportunity with luxury hotel group Oberois in the princely state of Rajasthan. After moving to London, Manav opened modern Indian restaurant Tamarind in 2019, where he achieved the first MICHELIN star for an Indian restaurant in the UK.

     

    • Restaurateur of the Year: Yenn Wong of JIA Group

    JIA Group is a Hong Kong based hospitality firm that is internationally praised and recognized for executing spaces and experiences rooted in style and substance. Founded in 2004 by Singapore entrepreneur Yenn Wong, JIA Group has established a reputation internationally as an award-winning trendsetter in the hospitality industry. The current portfolio includes 13 venues in Hong Kong, full list of the restaurants and bars could be found on JIA’s website here. JIA Group is listed on the GEM board on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. JIA Group’s latest restaurant openings in 2021 includes Estro, Between Coffee with more exciting openings coming in 2022.

     

    • Best Pastry Chef: Joanna Yuen of One Michelin-starred Andō

    Launched in partnership with JIA group, Andō is Chef Agustin Ferrando Balbi’s first restaurant in Hong Kong. Defying labels and bending genres, Andō’s modern tasting menus are a translation of Agustin’s own unorthodox journey onto the plate, one that nods at his ancestral roots in Italy and Spain, while gazing at the lands that shaped his craft – Japan.

    Realising her passion for refined pastry-making after a brief stint in advertising, Head Pastry Chef Joanna Yuen kickstarted her career as a professional pâtissier at the age of 27. Joanna honed her skills at award-winning establishments such as MO Bar, Amber, The Ocean by Olivier Bellin, and Nobu at The Intercontinental Hong Kong. Now at Andō and under the mentorship of Chef Owner Agustin Balbi, Joanna works closely with the team to produce creative seasonal desserts for the Spanish x Japanese menu.

     

    • Rising Star Chef: Aven Lau of Bâtard

    As Chef de Cuisine of Bâtard, the French wine restaurant took Hong Kong by storm since its opening in June 2020, Aven Lau dishes out elevated French dishes that pair wonderfully with the world’s finest wines. The simple yet flavourful dishes highlight exceptional ingredients and seasonality, a reflection of Chef Aven’s modern cooking style and philosophy.

    Prior to joining Batard, Chef Aven honed his skills during formative stints at innovative French Le Pan, neo-Parisian one-MICHELIN-starred bistro Belon, and served as part of the opening team of three-MICHELIN-starred Odette (no. 1, Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2019) in Singapore for four years.

     

    • Impact Award: Black Sheep Restaurants

    Niche, thought-provoking and story-driven, Black Sheep Restaurants is a Hong Kong-based hospitality team founded in 2012 by Syed Asim Hussain and Christopher Mark. Together they share decades of experience in hospitality, along with a zest for travel and discovering dining subcultures. Black Sheep Restaurants curates distinct dining experiences that tell a story about a particular time, place, culture or cuisine while celebrating the bounty of premium ingredients available both locally and from abroad. Always pushing boundaries, the team continues to expand rapidly within Hong Kong and beyond. In December 2018, Syed Asim Hussain became the world’s youngest restaurateur to hold two MICHELIN Stars when BELON and New Punjab Club were honoured with one MICHELIN Star each. New Punjab Club is the world’s only Punjabi restaurant to be awarded a MICHELIN Star. In 2020, Black Sheep Restaurants shared its COVID-19 Playbook in support of the hospitality industry devastated by the global pandemic. It has been shared from Argentina to Australia, picked up by businesses and governments beyond the hospitality world, and translated into five languages.

     

    The Best 20 Restaurants in Hong Kong and Macau 2022

    The Forks & Spoons would like to further recognise its restaurant clients that were listed in this year’s Tatler Dining Awards Top 20 Restaurants of Hong Kong and Macau 2022. The distinguished list celebrates the restaurants that have contributed something truly exceptional to the local dining scene, and feature stalwart favourites including below:

     

    • One Michelin-starred ANDO by Agustin Balbi
    • Batard by Aven Lau and Natalie Eng
    • One Michelin-starred and Green-starred Roganicby British Chef Simon Rogan
    • One Michelin-starred CHAATby Chef Manav Tuli
    • Two Michelin-starred TATE Dining Roomby Chef-patron Vicky Lau.