Hong Kong’s culinary identity is built on contrasts: old and new, East and West, street food and fine dining, tradition and reinvention. This October, those layers come together at Regent Hong Kong as Little Bao takes over The Lobby Lounge for a month-long culinary residency from October 2 to 31, 2026.
Founded by chef May Chow, Little Bao has become known for turning the humble bao into a canvas for Hong Kong’s multicultural food culture. At Regent Hong Kong, Chow joins Executive Chef Calvin Choi for a collaboration that brings that playful spirit into a more polished setting, pairing contemporary interpretations of familiar local flavours with cocktails and Dom Pérignon Vintage 2015.
The result is less about recreating traditional Hong Kong dishes than capturing the memories and flavours behind them.
The menu moves across the city’s culinary landscape, drawing inspiration from Chiu Chow noodle shops, dai pai dong seafood stalls, cha chaan teng comfort food, dim sum and the sweet treats found on Hong Kong’s streets. Familiar flavours are transformed through different textures, formats and combinations, giving the experience a distinctly modern personality while keeping its connection to the city intact.
Among the more playful creations are the Chiu Chow Seaweed Poppers, inspired by the hand-pounded cuttlefish balls associated with Chiu Chow cooking. The “Beef Noodle” Fries take the wok-fired character of gon chow ngau ho and turn it into a snack, while the Salt & Pepper Kuruma Prawn Bao channels the unmistakable energy of a Hong Kong dai pai dong.
The Satay Beef Short Rib Bao looks to the familiar flavours of cha chaan teng satay beef noodles, translating them into the format that has become Little Bao’s signature. There is also a plant-based “Char Siu” Bao, offering a meat-free interpretation of one of Cantonese cuisine’s most recognisable flavours.
Dessert takes an equally nostalgic turn with the “Put Chai Ko” Ice Cream Bao, inspired by the traditional Hong Kong pudding of the same name. It provides a playful final chapter to a menu that repeatedly moves between childhood memories and contemporary culinary technique.
The pairing with Dom Pérignon Vintage 2015 adds another dimension to the experience. The menu was developed through extensive tastings between Chow, Choi and the Champagne house’s team, with each dish considered around the vintage’s balance of richness, precision and freshness.
Rather than treating Champagne simply as an accompaniment, the collaboration uses it to highlight the contrasts within the food from crisp and savoury bites to richer meats, aromatic seafood and nostalgic desserts.
The setting also matters. Overlooking Victoria Harbour, The Lobby Lounge gives the residency a distinctly Hong Kong backdrop, allowing the city itself to become part of the experience. The combination of harbour views, bao-inspired dishes, Champagne and cocktails creates something that sits comfortably between a casual Hong Kong gathering and a more refined evening out.
For Regent Hong Kong, the month-long residency offers another way to explore the city through food, while for Little Bao, it brings May Chow’s interpretation of Hong Kong into a new environment without losing the irreverent character that made the concept distinctive.
From street-side classics to contemporary bao, the collaboration ultimately tells a simple story about Hong Kong: a city where culinary traditions are rarely static, and where some of its most familiar flavours can still surprise you.
Little Bao at Regent Hong Kong runs from October 2 to 31, 2026, at The Lobby Lounge, with the menu accompanied by bespoke cocktails and Dom Pérignon Vintage 2015.