Editor's note: Kappo Rin will remain open as The Landmark Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong is closed through 2025 for renovations.
As the sister restaurant of celebrated Sushi Shikon just next door, Kappo Rin promises a casual, versatile kappo (meaning “cut and cook”) dining experience. Though often overshadowed by more formal kaiseki cuisine or ubiquitous sushi joints, kappo establishments are more laid-back and flexible, providing a convivial place where diners can get to know the chefs and enjoy a wide range of modern Japanese dishes, from complex soups to charcoal-grilled wagyu, fried fish and sashimi.
At Kappo Rin — which feels like a well-kept secret thanks to its discreet location on the seventh floor of The Landmark Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong — you’ll be transported to Japan as soon as you walk through the cream-colored noren curtain. Inside, an enormous hinoki (Japanese cypress) wood counter slices through the center of the room, while bamboo ceilings and earthen walls envelop you in nature. With just eight spots and three seatings daily, this is one of the most intimate dining destinations in Hong Kong — and it’s one you will never forget.
- Serving eight people at a time, Kappo Rin offers an exclusive yet more relaxed dining experience that’s indisputably authentic.
- The dining room operates under the meticulous eye of executive chef Masanori Hayashi, a celebrated veteran in the Japanese culinary world.
- Open for lunch and dinner, the Hong Kong restaurant serves a 10-course set menu of traditional Japanese dishes determined by the season, with ingredients flown in from Japan each morning.
- Unlike sushi restaurants, kappo-style dining traverses many Japanese culinary styles, including sashimi, savory broths, soba noodles, smoked eel and deep-fried tilefish — all well-executed and beautifully presented.
- A chance to interact with the chefs is an important part of the experience. The team at Kappo Rin is personable and approachable, explaining each dish in as much or as little detail as you would like.
- Unsurprisingly, booking in advance is highly recommended if you want to secure a seat. Call at least a week ahead.
- Watching the masterful skills of chef Hayashi and his protégé is half the fun, so don’t be shy. The team encourages questions, feedback, photos and videos — whatever helps make your dining experience more memorable.
- Kappo Rin serves a set menu every day and while there is some wiggle room for dietary restrictions, it would be challenging to eat here if you are a vegan or vegetarian due to the protein-heavy menu.
- While the dress code for Kappo Rin is considerably more low-key than sister restaurant Sushi Shikon, we’d still recommend wearing a button-up and trousers for men and casual-chic attire for women or you might feel underdressed.
- There are just three seatings a day — one for lunch beginning at 12:30 p.m., and two for dinner at 6 and 8:30 p.m. — so plan accordingly.
- Since the set menu varies by season, it’s unlikely you’ll have the same experience twice. Depending on when you visit, you could dig into steamed egg custard with codfish milt, snow crab with bonito soup, black-truffle-topped wagyu, rockfish with mochi rice, or baby snow crab with caviar and vinegar jelly.
- The 10-course modern Japanese menu has been artfully designed to ebb and flow throughout the meal, featuring a wide array of culinary techniques that will keep your palate guessing.
- While preparing each course, the chefs are just inches from your seat so you can watch their every pain-staking movement, from painting a light layer of soy sauce on a piece of red snapper sashimi to placing tiny chrysanthemum petals atop snow crab.
- The various broths served throughout the meal are particularly versatile and complex, sometimes incorporating half a dozen ingredients and taking hours to prepare.
- A sommelier is eager to recommend the best sake to accompany your meal, choosing from a selection of more than 50 varieties.
- Designed using ancient artisanal traditions, Kappo Rin’s nature-oriented interiors feature thatched bamboo ceilings and latticework.
- Esteemed artisan Syuhei Hasado has given the room an extra-authentic atmosphere with traditional tsuchikabe earthen walls made from a mix of natural soil and hay.
- Anchoring the neutral-toned room is a captivating woodwork screen by Japanese master Nobuo Tanihata, depicting an intricate sylvan scene that adds another level of serenity.
- The homage to nature continues at the eight-seat wooden counter (which was flown in from Japan) where small maple leaf inlays look as though they’re floating down a river of wood grains.
- The tableware was carefully considered with no expenses spared. Kappo Rin sourced centuries-old antique ceramics, with some dating back as far as the 1800s during a time when Japanese craftsmen took inspiration from Ming Dynasty-style Chinese pottery. On the table, you’ll also find handmade crystal sake glasses and beautiful clay teaware — all from Japan.
Dinner
Lunch
Private dining
Reservations recommended 
Self-parking
