Sabor Private Kitchen — Restaurant in Hong Kong Island

💸 HKD$1,000 per head for Tapas and roast chicken? Cramped seating, underwhelming food — there are much better picks in Sheung Wan.

Visited a private kitchen-style restaurant in Sheung Wan that specializes in roast chicken and tapas. The price wasn’t cheap — around HKD$1,000 per person. Based on the mostly glowing reviews on OpenRice, we went in with high expectations... but sadly, it turned out to be a big disappointment. “The higher the expectations, the greater the letdown.” Honestly, for the food quality and portion size, a total bill of $3,000 was just not worth it. No wonder so many mid-to-high-end restaurants in Hong Kong are closing down.

🪑 Ambience & Seating We knew something was off the moment we stepped in. The tables were packed in tightly, like a local diner. The three of us were squeezed into a two-person table with an extra chair squeezed in — it felt like we were sharing a table with strangers. At this price point, being uncomfortable right from the start was a major letdown.

🧑🏻‍🍳 Service Took roughly 5 minutes after being seated before anyone came over to greet us. We ordered a bottle of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc ($550). The sommelier described it as floral and complex, but when we tasted it, it was very average tasted just like a typical house wine.

🍽️ The Food – Tasting Menu (7 courses) We went for the 7-course tasting menu , which included 4 tapas, a roast chicken, crispy chicken skin rice, and dessert. The tapas portions were small and meant to be shared among the three of us. Presentation looked more like something from a budget tapas shop — nothing felt elevated.

Chicken Liver Pâté with Bread – Smooth texture, rich flavour, good pairing. One of the better dishes of the night (7/10)

Padrón Peppers – Fried green peppers with grated parmesan. Not spicy and pretty bland overall (5/10)

Grilled Squid with Garlic Foam – Squid was fresh; garlic foam had a nice mild kick from raw garlic. Quite tasty (7/10)

Garlic Prawns – Prawns were fresh, came with crispy garlic slices, but overall lacking seasoning and flavour depth (7/10)

Apricot Flower Roast Chicken – They served the whole chicken before the starters for you to take “Instagram shots” while they did a flashy flame show. Then they took it back to the kitchen to debone and portion. Chicken skin was crispy, meat was juicy — pretty much the only highlight of the night (8/10)

Crispy Chicken Skin Rice – Skin was indeed crispy, but the rice was sticky, a bit wet, and lacking that chicken oil taste (6/10)

Catalan Cream (Dessert) – Major letdown. Completely failed to set — watery pudding. Ended the meal on a very disappointing note (4/10)

💬 Final Thoughts: The cramped environment, not memorable food made this a very underwhelming experience — especially for HKD$800–1,000 per head. Other than the roast chicken, which had some merit, everything else was mediocre at best. Honestly, at this price point, you’ll find countless better options in Sheung Wan.

⭐ Recommendation Score: 5/10 🔁 Return Visit...

The Spanish private kitchen in Sheung Wan has become quite popular, creatively reinterpreting Chinese- style chicken. The chef, trained by a Michelin-starred Spanish chef, combines the Xinghua chicken from Shaoguan with flaming whiskey and pinewood smoking techniques to create their signature Chicken Box! The Xinghua chicken is presented in three dishes.

😬Chicken Liver Pâté
As an appetizer, the high-concentration chicken liver pâté is truly unbeatable. The fresh Xinghua chicken liver pâté paired with sweet wine onions is delicious. The pâté is not bitter at all and is enhanced with Angel Face, giving it a rich flavor. Served with Spanish Crystal Bread.

😬Tapas, Cuttlefish
This is my favorite! It’s incredibly refreshing. Each piece is bouncy. It's served with a homemade sauce that has a texture like soft ice cream and a hint of wasabi flavor. It’s a perfect combination, innovative, and very tasty. I would say it’s the best cuttlefish I’ve had in recent years.

😬Oven Baked Chicken
Whiskey Pinewood Smoked Chicken
Using the Xinghua chicken from Shaoguan, one of the top three famous chickens in Guangdong, they first infuse whiskey into every inch of the chicken skin. The cooking method involves smoking with pine cones, creating a subtle wood aroma. Paired with lime salt and Himalayan salt, it enhances the chicken's natural flavor. I recommend starting with the chicken breast, then the wings and drumsticks, and finishing with the thigh. It’s surprising how smooth the chicken breast can be!

😬Chicken-skin Oil Rice
This dish is truly surprising and unique to Asia. After resting, it’s fried again, taking about half an hour to prepare. The chicken skin is baked until it’s golden and crispy, and tender chicken meat is used to cook fragrant rice in a clay pot with chicken oil, resulting in distinct grains. Mixed with their homemade sauce, along with the soy sauce and aromatic fried rice, create a delightful combination that makes you want...

Heard the Almond Blossom Chicken here might even beat the legendary "Central Four Chickens" — had to check it out.

Finally caught up with an old friend after way too long, and we picked Sabor, a spot known for its Signature Chicken Box. They use a rare type of chicken from Fengkai, Guangdong, famous for its thin skin and juicy, tender bite. Plus, the chef trained under a Michelin-starred master in Spain. Expectations were high.

🐓 Sabor Signature Chicken Box $780 One chicken, 3 styles:

Chicken Liver Pâté Toast Smooth pâté on house-baked crystal bread. Crunchy shell, soft middle. Rich flavor that had us reaching for more 🥖

Oven Baked, Acorn Wood Smoked Chicken First, whisky is poured over the chicken and set on fire tableside (yes, real flames 🔥). Then it’s gently smoked with acorn wood. Smoky and juicy, packed with flavor without needing anything extra.

Chicken Skin Oil Rice Thai jasmine rice cooked in chicken fat, with small bits of skin and meat. Slightly crisp at the edges, rich without feeling heavy.

🦑 Grilled Cuttlefish with Alloil $280 Baby cuttlefish, tender and cut into perfect bites, served with an airy garlic foam 🐙 Light, clean, and seriously good.

🍮 Catalonia Cream with Homemade Ice Cream $80 A Spanish twist on crème brûlée, with hints of lemon and cinnamon. Thin crackly top, silky inside, paired with their house-made mango ice cream 🍋 Fresh and just sweet enough to end on a high note.

Noticed the next table ordering Sangria made with four types of wine and five kinds of fruit, soaked for two days 🍷👀 You’ll need to pre-order it — definitely planning to try...