(Hong Kong, 28 October 2025) Vicky Lau, Owner-Cheffe of two-Michelin-starred TATE Dining Room and one-Michelin-starred MORA, debuts JIJA by Vicky Lau, a Chinese bistro inspired by the region of Yunnan. Discreetly located in the lobby of the new Kimpton hotel in Tsim Sha Tsui, JIJA celebrates the fresh ingredients, robust dishes and warm hospitality of southwest China.
(Hong Kong, 28 October 2025) Vicky Lau, Owner-Cheffe of two-Michelin-starred TATE Dining Room and one-Michelin-starred MORA, debuts JIJA by Vicky Lau, a Chinese bistro inspired by the region of Yunnan. Discreetly located in the lobby of the new Kimpton hotel in Tsim Sha Tsui, JIJA celebrates the fresh ingredients, robust dishes and warm hospitality of southwest China.
JIJA is an independently operated restaurant, created and developed by hospitality group Leading Nation, the team behind an award-winning collection of dining concepts, including one-Michelin-star Cristal Room by Anne-Sophie Pic, WAGYUMAFIA, Michelin-recommended The Merchants and more.
The name JIJA comes from a colloquial Hong Kong term (Zhī zī chā zhā 吱吱喳喳) for the cheerful chatter that happens when people come together. “It’s about connection,” says Cheffe Vicky. “You come here to share meals, drink, and bond. It’s less about perfection and more about positive energy, flavour and joy.”
The buzzing restaurant channels the convivial spirit of a modern teahouse and relaxed bistro, marking the trailblazing chef’s shift from fine dining to embrace the rustic, lively cooking inspired by Yunnan and Guizhou. “This is the kind of food I want to cook at home, comforting dishes to share with friends and family,” says Cheffe Vicky. “It’s food that satisfies cravings for something wholesome and delicious.”
Inspired by her own travels to Yunnan province, Cheffe Vicky has crafted a menu that highlights the region’s extraordinary produce, from wild mushrooms and cured meats to cheeses and fruits. “The area is blessed with such a diverse landscape and an incredible variety of produce. You can’t help but fall in love with its lush fields, fragrant herbs and vibrant markets,” she says. “Even as a Hongkonger who grew up eating Chinese food, I discovered vegetables I’d never seen before – it was a revelation.”
At JIJA, Cheffe Vicky draws on her fine-dining expertise without sacrificing taste and character. Meats and seafood are lightly cooked, with less oil than is traditional, and no MSG is used.
Guided by Cheffe Vicky, JIJA’s kitchen will be helmed by Head Chef Sean Yuen. The recipient of SCMP 100 Top Tables Rising Star Award in 2024, Chef Sean earned his stripes at the likes of 3-Michelin-star Caprice, Dolos and Hue Dining Room. “The flavours of southwest China are bold, sour, spicy, and slightly numbing,” explains Chef Sean. “Together, they form a tapestry of freshness, intensity, and balance – rustic yet refined, deeply rooted in place but open to reinterpretation.”
At JIJA, mushrooms take centre stage, with Yunnan home to more wild edible mushroom species than anywhere else in China. One signature dish, the Seasonal Mushroom Salad, features a mix of seasonal and pickled mushrooms, including prized matsutake and morels. Tossed in a lightly spicy dressing with ginger and garlic, it’s a celebration of the region’s most famous harvest.
Meanwhile, Pu’er Tea-Smoked Three Yellow Chicken is gently smoked over pu’er tea leaves, resulting in succulent meat infused with a delicate smokiness that hails from Yunnan’s famed tea. More than a humble staple, Yunnan Pork Fat Fried Rice embodies the province’s resourcefulness and love of savoury flavours. Fragrant Yeungzhi rice is stir-fried with rendered pork fat, then elevated with wild onion, ginger, and soy sauce in a homely dish that exemplifies comfort food at its best.
The beauty of simple ingredients shines through again in Stir-Fried Seasonal Vegetables, which spotlight high-quality local produce like gourd stems and wild rice shoots. Seared with yāncài gāo, a salty fermented vegetable paste sometimes compared to fish sauce, these vegetables gain a deep umami richness, while a variation with dried shrimp, squid and peppers adds briny depth and smoky heat. Both styles are rooted in Yunnan’s rich culinary traditions.
JIJA will also offer a selection of creative desserts influenced by both Chinese and French pastry traditions, such as a Chocolate Souffle Tart with sichuan pepper ganache and a “Paris-Yunnan” Choux pastry with peanut cream and roasted peanuts, created by Pastry Chef Victor Hung (L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon, Salisterra). Starting soon, an Afternoon Tea Set composed of miniature servings of JIJA’s full complement of desserts will be available alongside a Chinese tea pairing.
Yunnan is the spiritual home of tea, a tradition that dates back thousands of years. At JIJA, that legacy takes centre stage with a custom tea station that highlights the importance of the region’s carefully sourced teas. “Just like grape varietals are harvested, crushed, and aged for wine, tea is picked, fermented, and aged. Depending on how it’s handled and brewed, the flavours will evolve differently,” explains Cheffe Vicky. A tea selection will complement the dishes, and pots of tea will be sold like wine, offering a full sensory experience.
For wine lovers, JIJA offers a curated list that includes selections from China’s premier wine regions, and Yunnan itself, adding a unique cultural perspective to the beverage program. The list of over 150 labels will also include French and international regions that pair well with Southwestern Chinese cuisine.
With only 50 seats, including a cosy private dining room for 6, JIJA is intimate and lively, with warm lighting, great music and a fun atmosphere. The space was designed to evoke the colourful region of Yunnan and mimic the warm hospitality that the tribes of the region are famed for. Features such as oversized picture windows flood the restaurant with natural light by day and offer unexpected yet stunning views of the sea, city and Hong Kong’s iconic Lion Rock. JIJA’s interiors blend Chinese craftsmanship and modernity, featuring dark woods, silvers, and elements inspired by Yunnan’s mountains. The design draws heavily from the Miao weaving tradition, incorporating tribal embroidery and natural colours such as spring green, golden yellow and tie-dye blues throughout. Thoughtful details such as a striking tea lantern anchors the room, while a colourful pickle wall showcases house-fermented vegetables.
JIJA by Vicky Lau is accepting reservations now and will be open to the public from 18 November.
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For more information, please contact COMPANION
Alex@companioncommunications.com
Dominique@companioncommunications.com
Address
15/F, Kimpton Hotel, 11 Middle Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong
Opening Hours
Sun - Thur:
Lunch: 12 - 3PM (Last order 2:30PM)
Dinner: 6PM - Onwards (Last order 9PM)
Fri - Sat:
Lunch: 12 - 3PM (Last order 2:30PM)
Dinner: 6PM - Onwards (Last order 9:30PM)
Website : www.jijarestaurant.com
Instagram: @jijabyvickylau
Tel: +852 3501 8555
Mail: hello@jijarestaurant.com
About JIJA
Discreetly located in the lobby of the new Kimpton hotel in Tsim Sha Tsui, JIJA by Vicky Lau celebrates the fresh ingredients, robust dishes and warm hospitality of southwest China. The buzzing restaurant channels the convivial spirit of a modern teahouse and relaxed bistro, marking the trailblazing chef’s shift from fine dining to embrace the rustic, lively cooking of Yunnan, Guizhou, Guilin, and Sichuan. Dishes at JIJA reflect these influences, with Vicky drawing on her fine-dining expertise without sacrificing taste and character. There is also a comprehensive tea program inspired by Yunan’s extensive tea legacy. With only 50 seats, JIJA is intimate and lively, with warm lighting, great music and a fun atmosphere.
About Chef Vicky Lau
Vicky Lau is a culinary pioneer, awarded Asia’s Best Female Chef by the 50 Best academy in 2015. She is the first female cheffe-proprietor in Asia to be awarded two Michelin stars for her fine dining flagship Tate Dining Room, a distinction the restaurant retains. Her second restaurant, Mora, which celebrates soy, holds both a Michelin star and Michelin green star for sustainability. The former graphic designer and Le Cordon Bleu-trained chef started her culinary career in 2011, opened her first restaurant, Tate Dining Room & Bar, in 2012, and won its first Michelin star a year later in 2013. Beyond the kitchen, Vicky is dedicated to promoting social and environmental responsibility in the food industry, advocating for sustainable practices and supporting local producers and communities.
About Leading Nation
Leading Nation Hospitality, a Hong Kong–based group founded in 2016 by entrepreneurs Gerald Li and Kevin Poon, who brings creativity and strategic vision to the city’s culinary scene. Today, the group boasts a diverse portfolio of over 18 innovative restaurant and bar concepts across more than 30 locations in Hong Kong and other key Asian markets. Highlights include acclaimed destinations like The Diplomat (Top 50 Best Bars), Cristal Room by Anne-Sophie Pic (Michelin-starred), The Merchants (Michelin-recommended), Cardinal Point (Cathay Pacific’s Member’s Choice for the Hippest New Nightlife Spot), La Rambla, Morty’s, Elephant Grounds, WAGYUMAFIA, Mashi No Mashi, Sushi Mamoru, and the newly opened Torikaze, each reflecting the team’s commitment to quality, design, and hospitality excellence.
