Yin Yang
When Chef Margaret Xi moved her eight-seater organic Chinese private kitchen out of a little village in Yuen Long and brought it into the big city, it was anyone’s guess as to whether or not it would do well. Amid the bright lights of Wan Chai, Xi stuck to her village roots by opening in a renovated four-storey walk up Chinese building. She commissioned a custom terracotta Chinese urn in her kitchen just to fire up her crispy on the outside/moist on the inside baby pig and roast chicken, and recently she’s been experimenting with Yunnan ham and baby goat in the “oven”, which can climb to temperatures of up to 400oC. But the real draw – and the reason Yin Yang is our favourite restaurant of the last 12 months – is the heart that goes into each and every dish here. The chef likes to make everything herself, from the sauces offered for each course to the plum wine which sits in large vats around the restaurant. You’ll need to round up a group of six to try the dinner set menu, and plan to spend about three hours to enjoy this hugely inventive, irresistibly charming, yet humbly traditional Chinese menu. G/F, 18 Ship St, Wan Chai, 2866 0868.

Runner-up: Bo Innovation
We hate that Chef Alvin Leung is such an egomaniac. We hate that his newly minted Michelin-two-starred restaurant gives him more to boast about. But we have to agree that the owner/chef of Bo Innovation’s cockiness is well-founded. The creative madman takes traditional Chinese dishes such as Xiao Long Bao and turns them on their heads by using his trickery with molecular gadgets. Most “courses” are just one-bite wonders, but after 15 of these you’ll feel like you need to be rolled out of there on a stretcher. We must congratulate Alvin (one of our “Time Out Hong Kong Heroes”) and his team for putting Wan Chai on the international culinary map. And we’re very much looking forward to Alvin letting loose his experimental Hong Kong menu in London next year when he opens Bo Innovation II. 2/F, 60 Johnston Rd, Wan Chai, 2850 8371.

Second runner-up: Mandarin Grill
For consistency; for service; for the play on traditions; for the love of Pop Rocks – these are all good reasons why we voted Mandarin Grill number three on our best of 2008 list. Executive chef Uwe Opocensky knows he needs to appease his starched collar, polished shoes core, but you can’t keep a creative mind at bay, even if you are manning a hotel kitchen. So instead, he plays with the elements that matter to all people, suited or not. Uwe’s (pronounced 'oh Vey') dishes throw up happy memories of childhood: Sunday carvery with Yorkshire pudding with the family, or a chocolate bomb that explodes in little crackles of Pop Rocks. Ever seen a grown man cry? Serve him bread and butter pudding with butter ice cream and see what happens. Mandarin Oriental, 5 Connaught Rd, Central, 2522 0111.

Honourable mentions:

Lung King Heen
We couldn’t not mention Hong Kong’s only Michelin three-starred eatery. 4/F, Four Seasons Hong Kong, 8 Finance St, Central, 3196 8888.

Classified
We’re on our knees bowing to the guys who brought café culture (and orgasmic hot cocoa) to Hong Kong. And their pasta dishes are not bad either. 108 Hollywood Rd, Central, 2525 3454.

Man Wah
How this Hong Kong institution got overlooked by the Michelin judges is anyone’s guess. The Über-intimate dining room is perfect for popping the question and the food and service are consistently perfect. 25/F, Mandarin Oriental, 5 Connaught Rd, Central, 2511 0111.

Readers Choice: Zuma
Sushi and robotayaki in a zen-stylish setting is what you said rocked your culinary world this year. We’re not arguing. 5/F, The Landmark, 11 Pedder St, Central, 3657 6388.