http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/30/travel/a-hong-kong-street-switches-from-ships-to-michelin-stars.html 2014-11-25 22:22:50 A Hong Kong Street Switches From Ships to (Michelin) Stars A stretch of Wanchai, where ships once docked for repairs, is home to trendy dining spots and big-name chefs. === As rentals escalate in neighboring districts, the once nondescript Ship Street in Wanchai, Hong Kong — which sits on reclaimed land where ships once docked for repairs — is fast becoming the site du jour for trendy dining outposts headlined by a coterie of big-name chefs lining the narrow side street. Perhaps most telling of its gentrification is 18 Ship Street, where the street’s only preserved tong lau (pre-1960s Chinese shophouse) has been home to a private kitchen, Yin Yang, a Ship Street stalwart, since 2008. Yin Yang has recently relocated. Opened last December, this trendy blue-and-white-tiles-clad bar owned by Jason Atherton proffers a rustic menu bookended by Spanish tapas and more than 50 types of sherry. Try the mixed board of Spanish hams or the slow-cooked egg tossed with smoked bacon, breadcrumbs and grapes, chased down with a glass of sherry. No reservations. 1-7 Ship Street, 852-2555-0628; Tucked on the second story of a building next to the neighborhood’s only tong lau, this tasting-menu-only dining spot from the three-Michelin-starred Alvin Leung (nicknamed the “demon chef” for his “X-Treme” Chinese cuisine) has been dishing up avant-garde Cantonese cuisine since 2008. Expect surprisingly tasty treats created with inventive cooking techniques like the “molecular xiao long bao” and the unlikely marriage of ingredients — think of ox tongue coated with chocolate and bak kut teh (pork rib soup). 60 Johnston Road; 852-2850-8371; This no-reservations space also from Jason Atherton has been luring the hipster crowd since October 2012 with its spread of pocket-friendly small plates like Iberico pork burger with foie gras as well as a jamón “toastie” layered with Manchego cheese and black truffle. The executive chef Nathan Green frequently refreshes the menu to reflect more contemporary creations like sesame-oil-marinated hamachi wrapped in jasmine tea jelly. 22 Ship Street, 852-2555-0722; Last year, the TV executive-turned-celebrity baker and cookbook author May Fung planted an outpost of her hugely popular Kowloon flagship in the heart of Wanchai to feed Hong Kong Island’s baked-goods-hungry crowd. Don’t miss the Crunch Cake, Ms. Fung’s all-time signature. G/F, 136B Queen’s Road East (junction of Ship Street); 852-8229-1111; For the past year, the two-Michelin-starred Parisian chef Benallal Akrame has brought his seafood-focused haute French cuisine to this contemporary 30-seat spot, with a choice of tasting menus that may include plump oysters from Prat-ar-Coum, France, on a bed of risotto. The Michelin Hong Kong and Macau 2015 guide recently gave it a one-star rating. Shop B, G/F, 9 Ship Street, 852-2528-5068;