A century-old heritage compound in Mei Foo has quietly become one of Hong Kong's most atmospheric places for a set lunch. Backyard Bistro has opened inside Jao Tsung-I Academy (驆宗顜文化飊), pairing a cottage-garden setting with a Western bistro menu built on seasonal, local ingredients.
In This Guide
The setting and the concept
Jao Tsung-I Academy is a Grade 3 heritage compound in Mei Foo with a layered past — it has served as a customs post, a quarantine station and Lai Chi Kok Hospital across more than a century, before being restored and reopened as a cultural venue named after the late scholar Jao Tsung-I. Its garden-courtyard blocks now house galleries, guesthouse rooms and, as of this year, Backyard Bistro, tucked into Block H in the Middle Zone.
The bistro is run by the team behind Nan Kok, the cosy Kowloon City café known for its own quiet, homely style. Backyard Bistro carries that same instinct into a "cottage" setting — think exposed brick, garden views and an all-day tasting-menu format rather than an a la carte rush. You can browse the academy's own galleries and heritage displays via Jao Tsung-I Academy's official site before or after your meal.
What's on the menu?
Backyard Bistro's three-course, all-day tasting menu starts from HK$128 per person and leans on Western cooking techniques applied to seasonal, largely local ingredients. Signature dishes include fettuccine with fermented bean curd and pan-fried scallop and grilled Sichuan pesto chicken — both examples of the kitchen's habit of folding Cantonese and Sichuanese pantry staples into a European bistro format.
The format keeps things simple: one tasting menu, served across the day rather than split into separate lunch and dinner sittings, which suits the relaxed, garden-facing setting.
Address, prices and how to get there
Backyard Bistro
Opening hours were not published on official channels at the time of writing — message the restaurant on WhatsApp or check its Instagram before visiting, and note that Jao Tsung-I Academy's own galleries keep separate visiting hours (see the academy's visitor information). MTR access details are cross-checked against the MTR system map.
Frequently Asked Questions
Insider tip
Combine your visit with a wander through Jao Tsung-I Academy's heritage galleries and garden courtyards — they keep their own visiting hours separate from the bistro, so check both before you go, and consider the free shuttle bus from Mei Foo Station on a hot day rather than the uphill walk.