Vea.

VEA

At VEA, dinner opens on a salted-fish and bok choy doughnut that Vicky Cheng took from the Chinese love song he used when he proposed.

Why go

Vicky Cheng was born in Hong Kong and cooked for nearly two decades in Canada and the United States. At 21 he joined Daniel Boulud's Daniel in New York.1 He opened VEA in 2015 on the 30th floor of The Wellington. The name stands for Vicky et Antonio, after Cheng and the bartender Antonio Lai.12 The house calls the cooking Chinese x French. French technique supplies the sauces and the structure while Chinese ingredients such as fish maw, abalone and sea cucumber carry the flavor.61 The MICHELIN inspectors say each course tells a story about Hong Kong's food culture and his childhood memories.5 In 2021 Cheng opened Wing, his Chinese restaurant, on the floor below. He has described VEA as the place where his French background shows most.1

Matthias Ruhl of Travels for Stars points out that Chinese kitchens usually serve sea cucumber gelatinous, a bit of an acquired taste. He ate VEA's in February 2025, when the restaurant sent a free glass of champagne and an extra course. Its outside was crunchy: This preparation was a revelation for me.2 Epicurus, who writes the Hong Kong restaurant blog Epicurus's List, paid for dinner in September 2026 and had the same dish. The kitchen soaks the sea cucumber for several days and stuffs it with tiger-prawn mousseline. A server mists it with Chinese yellow wine at the table, and mini mantou (steamed buns) come on the side for the crustacean sauce.1

Ruhl found in 2025 that the paid upgrades on the last two savory courses could easily double the cost of the dinner.2 Epicurus took both in 2026 and paid HK$8,500 for two. For the aged fish maw (a fish's air bladder), the kitchen made the sauce at the table with caviar, chives and toasted quinoa. Epicurus found that it added flavour to a rich, gelatinous ingredient without overwhelming it. The abalone and sweetbread Wellington was the only miss of the night. After a meal at Wing, Epicurus preferred this room: Wing is the stronger expression of modern Chinese cooking, but VEA gave me the more memorable evening.1

Order this / avoid

• On the menu: the sea cucumber. Tatler's May 2026 listing found it rich yet surprisingly delicate.3
• On the menu: the aged fish maw supplement (Epicurus, 2026).1
• On the menu: the Noirmoutier potatoes, as chips and whole, with a sauce of 20-year aged Chinese turnip, black truffle and chicken jus. Epicurus in 2026: I did not expect to like it as much as I did.1
• On the menu: the last dessert, a French crêpe around coconut ice cream and crystal sugar, after a Hong Kong street snack. Epicurus in 2026: Absolutely delicious.1
• Avoid: the abalone and sweetbread Wellington supplement. Epicurus's companion in September 2026 found the abalone tough and lacking in flavour. Tatler's listing that May praised the same pastry's perfectly burnished crust.13
• Drink: the wine pairing, with the Chinese bottles. Tatler's 2026 tip is to ask the sommelier about them, since they offer some of the most interesting matches with Cheng's cuisine. In 2025 Ruhl preferred the cocktail pairing to the wine pairing, whose wines he found very acidic.32

What locals & experts say

• South China Morning Post, 100 Top Tables (2026): The counter seating is divisive, but a small number of tables are available if you can get one. Wherever you land, the kitchen rarely misses.4
• Travels for Stars (2025): Matthias Ruhl's summary: Everything was enjoyable, and a few dishes were excellent.2
• Alain Ducasse (2018): Here, I am a fan of Ho Lee Fook and VEA.7
• Award: MICHELIN one star. Tatler Best 20 Restaurants Hong Kong, 2026.53

Good to know

• Price: six courses HK$1,880, eight courses HK$2,280 (SCMP, 2026). Corkage is HK$750.42
• Timing: dinner only.5
• Booking: online through SevenRooms. The following month's tables open at midnight Hong Kong time. For the private room, call +852 2711 8639 or WhatsApp +852 9317 7866.6
• The room: 25 seats along the open kitchen, a few tables for up to four and a private room for eight. Ruhl noted in 2025 that the 30th floor has no view.12
• Vegetarians: order the vegetarian menu in advance (SCMP, 2026).4
• Where: 30/F, The Wellington, 198 Wellington Street, Central. Wing, on the floor below, is Cheng's other restaurant.51

Verdict

should-visit — Book VEA for Vicky Cheng's French handling of Chinese luxury ingredients, and above all for the sea cucumber, crunchy outside and misted with aged Shaoxing at the table. Six or eight courses cost HK$1,880 or HK$2,280, and the supplements can double the bill.