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South China Morning Post

Cream of the crop: 100 Top Tables celebrated the finest restaurants and bars in Hong Kong and Macau

With awards in 10 categories, 100 Top Tables is dedicated to celebrating the exceptional restaurants, bars and individuals that make Hong Kong and Macau's F&B scenes world-class. Here are this year's outstanding winners. Best Chef – Tam Kwok-fung Chef Tam Kwok-fung founder of Chef Tam's Seasons. Photo: Handout Seasonality is an admirable concept. The idea of using the freshest ingredients at the peak of their flavour is one all restaurants should aspire to. In fact, an increasing number do – to the point where it has become something of a cliché to hear chefs labour the point, as if they were doing something novel. Advertisement One chef who truly stands apart by actually doing something original is Tam Kwok-fung. At his eponymous restaurant Chef Tam's Seasons, Tam builds menus based on the 24 solar terms of Chinese traditional belief rather than the more typical four seasons. This means Tam crafts new dishes nearly every two weeks throughout the year. This cycle of continuous reinvention is a monumental undertaking, especially to deliver to the high standards that guests expect of Tam. No other chef in Macau or Hong Kong is this dedicated to the concept of seasonality, and chef Tam should be applauded for his work. Best New Restaurant – Jee Chicken wing stuffed with sea whelk at Jee. Photo: Nicholas Wong There are many questionable phrases used to promote new restaurants in Hong Kong and Macau. Guff about 'reinventing' a particular cuisine is one; a term as tired and dirty as an old dish cloth. But while many restaurants preach how they're reimagining the classics, Jee actually does so – and to spectacular effect. A collaboration between Siu Hin-chi, of the award-winning Ying Jee Club, and up-and-coming chef Oliver Li, Jee is a true cross-generational partnership. It is in Jee's kitchens above Central that Li works with Siu's recipes and refines them with the French techniques he learned at lauded restaurants such as L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon and L'Envol. Some tweaks are subtle, such as the sea cucumber dipped in a squid ink batter before being fried, and others more significant, like the switch from prawn toast to crabmeat toast with XO sauce. But, whether changes are major or minor, the adjustments are always purposeful and enliven dishes in delightful ways. If only all four-hands collaborations could be this brilliant and permanent. Rising Star – Zinc Leung