tim ho wan
|

Tim Ho Wan (Hong Kong)

Tim Ho Wan might be the most famous Michelin-starred restaurant in Hong Kong. The “hole in a wall” dim sum restaurant gained a star in the 2010 guide, launching it to fame as the world’s cheapest Michelin star restaurant (I’m not sure if it still is, particularly after dining at Ho Hung Kee). The restaurant has leveraged its success for expansion throughout Asia in recent years with outposts currently in Singapore, the Philippines, Australia, Indonesia, Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia and Thailand. This location, at Olympian City, is one of the three Tim Ho Wans that currently hold a Michelin star in Hong Kong.

maine lobster spaghetti
|

Robuchon au Dome (Macau)

While spending a couple of days in Macau, my parents and I decided to stop by three Michelin-starred Robuchon au Dome at the Grand Lisboa Hotel for lunch. The Robuchon name was certainly a draw, but so was the opportunity to dine in the dome atop the hotel, which happens to be the tallest building in Macau.

Much of the restaurant’s 14,000+ bottle wine list is on display at the entrance in a hallway of wines, before taking an elevator up to the dome and restaurant. The elevator opened up to a piano and grand chandelier, surrounded by seating with 360 degree views of Macau. Given some really dense fog on this day though, the view wasn’t quite as spectacular as expected.

wonton @ ho hung kee
|

Ho Hung Kee (Hong Kong)

While staying in the Causeway Bay neighborhood of Hong Kong, we were looking for casual restaurants to try on our first night in town. My dad stumbled upon this wonton shop just a few blocks from the hotel – a Michelin-starred wonton shop! With so many wonton noodle shops around town it was hard to narrow down options. I’m not exactly sure how Michelin inspectors rate these type of places, but we felt this spot was worth a try.

The price was right – the restaurant’s wonton noodles was USD $7 (for the large size). People like to call Hong Kong’s dim sum spot Tim Ho Wan the cheapest Michelin-starred restaurant, but this has to be pretty darn close.

Waku Ghin (Singapore)
|

Waku Ghin (Singapore)

Waku Ghin, in Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands, is regarded as one of the top restaurants in the city. Tetsuya Wakuda is the chef, a Japanese-born chef who established himself working in kitchens in Australia. His restaurant in Sydney, Tetsuya’s, is one of the most highly-acclaimed in Australia for its Japanese cuisine with French accents. He opened this sister restaurant in 2010. It was ranked #70 in the 2015 world’s best restaurants list and one of the top in Asia. When Singapore’s first Michelin guide comes out later this year, Waku Ghin is expected to garner a star, perhaps multiple.

kam's roast goose
|

Kam’s Roast Goose (Hong Kong)

There are many foods Hong Kong is known for – dim sum, wonton noodles, and Chinese BBQ meats are just a few. Roast goose falls into that latter category, somewhat unique outside of America. I’ve come across roasted (Peking) duck many times but don’t think I’ve had roast goose.

Located in the Causeway Bay neighborhood, Kam’s is one of the most notable roast goose shops in town. It looks like a pretty typical Chinese BBQ meat shop, but it did garner a star in the latest Michelin guide.

singapore chicken @ sky on 57
|

Sky on 57 (Singapore)

Sky on 57 is located on the 57th floor (duh) of Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands. The food is from Singapore’s own Justin Quek, who has cooked at restaurants around Asian and France, but came home to open this restaurant atop the hotel resort. My dad had wanted to come to the top of the building to check out the views; a ticket up to the observation deck costs S$23, but lunch here is S$50 minimum per person so we figured we might as well make a meal out of it.