Call to book a table, and you might be told the earliest availability is 2027 — this isn't marketing hyperbole, it's the actual state of affairs at Happy Chefs Happy Friends right now. This Cantonese private kitchen in Hung Hom seats just four tables, helmed by chef Matthew Hung with his wife Fiona Leung running the front of house. It's moved locations three times, and the sheer difficulty of booking has, ironically, become its most honest calling card.
The reason private kitchens exist in Hong Kong is simple: rent is too expensive. Decades ago, chefs began moving their restaurants into residential buildings and industrial buildings, tucked out of sight from street-level storefronts — a move that also let them sidestep the regulations and costs tied to restaurant licensing. That logic still holds today, which is how you end up having a formal dinner in an industrial unit, a private flat, or even an old air-raid shelter.
Foreign Flavors in Industrial Buildings
On the 4th floor of an unassuming building on Sun Wui Road in Causeway Bay sits Le Chefeteria, run by Indonesian chef Azmi Arialda, who describes his cooking as "fusion without confusion" — French brasserie dishes stripped of heavy cream and reworked with the colors and aromas of Southeast Asia. Set lunch starts at HKD238, dinner at HKD568, with a menu that changes often. Pomegranate, tucked inside an industrial building in Wong Chuk Hang, has an entirely different vibe: chef Maria Bizri has been catering Middle Eastern, North African, and Mediterranean fare since 2011. The outdoor terrace is great for starting the evening, while the indoor dining area leans more refined — sharing menus for groups of 10 or more start at HKD598, with organic salmon fillet with pomegranate gremolata and za'atar chicken as staples on the menu. Muchachos, in an industrial building in Kennedy Town, goes full Argentine — start with the signature empanadas, then choose a mains of the ribeye, sirloin, and picanha steak trio for HKD750, or a full vegetarian set for HKD600.
A dim, mysterious old air-raid shelter in Sheung Wan is now home to Spanish private kitchen Sabor — probably the most dramatic setting on this list. The HKD700 tasting menu opens with a round of tapas, with the option to add the soup of the day for HKD60. Upgrading the main course to a whole roast suckling pig for two costs an extra HKD200 — and don't forget to order a glass of sangria. Pak Loh Chiu Chow Private Kitchen in Central takes a different approach — opened in 2024, it focuses on preserving traditional Chiu Chow cooking techniques. The "Chiu Chow Treasures" set, for six or more, starts at HKD680, and diners can mix and match dishes to build their own custom banquet. Signature dim sum innovations like abalone siu mai and smoked salmon spring rolls set the kitchen apart.
