Updated, August 15, 2025:
This quirky restaurant in Sai Ying Pun is the brainchild of chef Gavin Chin, who was recently featured in Red Hot Chef, Hong Kong’s answer to the hit Netflix series Culinary Class Wars. Apart from a bar countertop with chairs and some music playing, there’s nothing much to indicate what lies behind their doors, but the muted apricot and cave-like interiors of House of Culture are a welcome surprise – as is their menu. Their community-focused concept brings chefs into the wet markets of Sai Ying Pun for fresh, seasonal, local ingredients where possible, which means their food offerings can change at the drop of a hat.
You never quite know what you’re going to get with their omakase-style Chaos Menu ($598 for five courses and $728 for seven courses), but rest assured that they’re house signatures of comforting dishes with Asian inflections, plus exclusive items only available through this menu. Otherwise, there’s also a good selection of à la carte dishes – good for first-timers who want to get a feel of what to expect first. We particularly enjoyed their moreish onion tart with choi po pickled radish and parsnip purée, the butter dashi udon, a Hong Kong-style bibimbap with goose cured sausage, and the fennel-glazed pork chop with homemade black apple jam.
Definitely sip your way through some cocktails, many of which are also inspired by Asian flavour profiles and ingredients, and sustainably make use of kitchen waste. We’d order their take on a Bloody Mary again and again, if only the rest of the cocktail menu didn’t also look appealing. If you like innovative modern cooking that isn’t tied down to any particular country but still shines through with distinctly pan-Asian flavours, head to House of Culture.
Here’s what our star ratings mean:
★: Not recommended
★★: A disappointing experience
★★★: A good experience
★★★★: A very good to great experience
★★★★★: An outstanding experience
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