The buzz: Island Restaurant—the Chinese eatery at the long-gone Furama Hotel—is back, with a new name, and a swanky new look courtesy of Sir David Tang.

The buzz: No foodie building worth its salt would be caught dead without a Japanese restaurant. Makoto takes pride of place at J Senses in Wan Chai.

The buzz: From the owners of Duke’s Burger comes this, Hong Kong’s first real New Yawk deli—those others don’t count, says this New Yorker.

The buzz: The latest offering from the Press Room group, this small wine and cheese shop offers fresh artisan mozzarella from Italy as well as a selection of other cheeses from their Sheung Wan fromagerie.

The buzz: The brainchild of Peter Lowe, a baker with more than 35 years of experience, The Real Bread Company has a café under the escalator and a bakery on Aberdeen Street. Opened in July, it already supplies the Cricket Club, Golf Club and numerous SoHo restaurants.

The buzz: The more formal dining outlet in the new W hotel.
The décor: Designed by supercool design group Glamorous, the room is filled with old-school banquettes. There’s also an über-private room that is hidden in the back and has its own entrance—to throw off the paparazzi, of course.

The buzz: Celebrity food writer Walter Kei is the mastermind behind this new French-fusion private kitchen.

The buzz: La Qube is the new Milanese restaurant opened by the Qube group and is in the same location as the old Qube+.

The buzz: Towngas Avenue’s revamped store features a whole new restaurant celebrating the art of gas cookery.

The buzz: In any other hotel, Kitchen would be known as the coffee shop. In the achingly cool W Hotel however, it’s the informal dining area where they serve comfort food with a twist.