Edition

In this city, when a trend starts to take shape, we certainly all know about it. If you’ve noticed the multiple “Korean” restaurants that are appearing around town (Moyo, TaKorea and U-Hang for example), you might have noticed that there’s a bit of a pattern going on; they aren’t just your typical Korean restaurant, but all feature influences from another culture. The latest to join the throng is Edition, a Korean-American “gastropub” on Peel Street.

Edition is a cosy little spot where you can expect to learn a lot more than you need to know about the people on the table next to you. The décor is simple and unassuming, with industrial-style stone walls and red and black metal stools.

Neither Katrina nor Chris, the two owners, are Korean, yet they both love Korean cuisine and, at the time they hatched the idea, Korean “fusion” food was not such a big thing in Hong Kong. Having grown up in LA and enjoyed the Korean food available there, Katrina made a trip to Korea to learn more about it.

As well as serving serious Korean-American comfort food, Edition also specialises in soju-based cocktails; in fact the name ‘Edition’ stems from the fact that this is the first (or ‘first edition’) specialist soju-based cocktail bar in Hong Kong. To make these, they infuse their own soju with a range of fresh fruit. I tried the Chilli Mango cocktail, which was light and refreshing with a satisfying kick.

edition hong kong
The first dish to appear before us was the pork belly lollipops, served on a bed of molten cheese above a gas burner. Give me anything with molten cheese and I’ll be happy, especially if it’s tender, buttery pork belly. Once we’d finished the pork, I managed to scrape out some bubbling cheese to eat on its own – just make sure you eat it before the cheese sticks to the pan.

edition hong kong
The spicy kimchi fries were ridiculously moreish and had just the right balance of fluffy, crispy fries, sweet kimchi and gooey mozzarella, all smothered in Edition’s house spicy sauce. Having initially thought this platter of chips far too large for two people, we managed to get through them all!

edition hong kongI was also seriously impressed by the spicy fried chicken wings, which had beautifully crispy skin and were packed full of flavour, aided by a sweet, sticky and spicy sauce that I couldn’t resist. Again, we managed to get through the entire basket of wings between us.

edition hong kongThe crispy beef Asian slaw looked the least exciting dish of all, but it was actually very enjoyable. Thin slivers of crispy beef were served on a bed of cabbage, carrots, green apple and pine nuts, tossed in a delicious yuzu dressing. It probably could have done with a few more pieces of beef, since there was quite a lot of salad, but it was good nonetheless.

edition hong kongFinally, after we were already pretty stuffed, we tucked into Edition’s signature bibim steak sandwich. This is basically a bibimbap, but on a slice of white bread instead of rice. The flavours were all spot on, the beef lovely and tender, but I found the bread a little soggy and hard to eat.

Much to my disappointment (even though I definitely didn’t need any more food!), Edition currently doesn’t have any desserts, as they are still working out their final menu.

Prices are pretty reasonable, with most dishes under $80 and affordable drinks too. Out of the Korean “fusion” restaurants I’ve tried in Hong Kong so far, I’d say Edition is easily my favourite. It’s down to earth, fun and a great place to go for simple, delicious Korean-style comfort food.