Founder and Executive Chef Vicky Lau of the two Michelin-starred TATE Dining Room and Date by TATE, along with co-founder Romain Hertebreau and Head Chef Percy Ho, has unveiled her latest restaurant, MORA (摩), an intimate 28-seater modern Chinese restaurant this mid-January.
Where is MORA?
Located in the historic street of Upper Lascar Row (摩羅上街), Sheung Wan, this famous location connects MORA with Hong Kong’s intriguing past, and the Chinese character, which represents “texture”, will be the common thread of the texture-inspired cuisine, which is steeped in one of Hong Kong’s oldest culinary traditions: SOY FOOD.
What is MORA?
The restaurant honors the culinary value of the modest and adaptable soybean, an ingredient revered as a pillar of Asian cuisines and cultures.
Soy is not only significant in Asian diets, but it is also a driving force for heritage, culture, and awareness. Its delicateness in cuisine can withstand time and temperature while remaining ephemeral and nuanced. When combined with other ingredients in the kitchen, the possibilities for soy meals are as surprising as they are plentiful.
The numerous healthy varieties of soy that exist in cuisine cultures across Asia are remarkable and significant, and Chef Vicky has set out to break all boundaries with an all-soy dinner.
The majority of soy food items on the menu are produced at MORA’s own plant, which employs a revolutionary method for extracting soy milk with a thicker texture and more powerful flavors.
MORA’s meals are inspired by Chef Vicky Lau’s French x Chinese cooking traditions and aim to introduce while preserving the historical and cultural relevance of soy-based delicacies. Soy, with its ability to take on an infinite number of shapes, flavors, scents, and textures, opens up a world of possibilities. MORA, far from being a plant-based, vegetarian, or vegan restaurant, aims to modernize how we approach and consume soy – as a delicious, nutritious, and elevated alternative to other, less-sustainable products and cooking methods.
Insider’s Tip:
Mora’s set menus will be accessible for lunch and dinner beginning January 15th, 2022, and the full a la carte menu will be available beginning March 1st, 2022, with items categorized by textures on the menu.
Stay tuned for MORA’s official opening news via website or via its official Instagram page @mora_hongkong.
“Tofu, beancurd and other foods derived from soy have always been such an integral part of my diet and upbringing. As a chef, the more I learn about soy, the more I seem to fall in love with it. My exploration of soy began at TATE Dining Room from our lunch menu, Ode to Tofu back in June 2020, when I was able to forge relationships with some of Hong Kong’s most skilled local artisans and crafters of soy food products. At MORA, I aim to create an entirely new genre of soy-based dishes from all my learnings in and out of the kitchen, bridging emotions and memories with bistro-inspired cooking techniques.” says Chef Vicky Lau.
Who is Vicky Lau?
Vicky Lau, the chef-owner, is a woman of few words, yet she reveals her deepest feelings, curiosity, and wildest imagination via her cooking. From an artistic background, she pursued a career in gastronomy, realizing that the plate might serve as a canvas for her artistic instincts. Driven by a desire for perfection in all parts of her work, she is constantly on the lookout for and reimagining new flavors and textures that result in gustatory revelation.
Vicky established herself as a leading figure in the industry in a short period of time, most notably winning Asia’s Best Female Chef 2015 as voted by World’s 50 Best Restaurants, maintaining one Michelin star since opening in 2012, and rising to two Michelin stars in 2021, while also being a member of the Relais & Châteaux properties and board member of Feeding Hong Kong.
This year, she received the Harper’s Bazaar Hong Kong Visionary Women Award 2021, the Prestige Hong Kong Women of Power 2021, and the Hong Kong Tatler Asia’s Most Influential List.
MORA
Address: 40 Upper Lascar Row, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong (Taxi drop-off on 201 Hollywood Road)
Tel: +852 9583 8590
Email: info@mora.com.hk
Website: www.mora.com.hk
Instagram: @mora_hongkong
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