The Michelin Guide delivered good news to restaurants in Hong Kong and Macao in its most recent guide.

There’s a brand new three-star restaurant, Amber in the Landmark Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong from chef Richard Ekkebus. His sustainably-minded menu features dishes like Bluenose sea bass with juniper, fermented cabbage and Kintoa bacon with vegetarian alternatives and starts at HK $2,058 ($265). Amber was promoted from two stars; it also has a Michelin green star, an eco-minded award.

There’s now a total of nine 3-star restaurants: seven in Hong Kong and two in Macao. It’s the same number as last year. (One of last year’s winners, l’Atelier de Joel Robuchon in Hong Kong is currently closed for renovations.)

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And in good two-star news, Chef Tam’s Seasons in the Wynn Macau was upgraded from one star. The restaurant specializes in modern, elegant Cantonese dishes. There are now a total of 17 two-star dining spots between China’s two special administrative regions.

In fact, it was a good night for Macao’s restaurants in casino properties. Besides the freshly minted two-star Chef Tam’s Seasons, new one stars included Aji at the MGM Cotai with a Japanese-accented menu; Sushi Kissho by Miyakawa at Raffles at the Galaxy Macau casino; and Zuicho in the Grand Lisboa Palace Resort. The guest of honor was Daisy Ho, co-chairman and executive director of SJM Holdings, and daughter of the late Macao casino billionaire Stanley Ho.

"Macao is more than just a gambling center, it has lifestyle, it has its own magic," said Adam Pang from Pang's Kitchen, a one-star winner, which has a location in Galaxy Macau. “It's a bit overwhelming, and I am pleasantly surprised after being in Hong Kong for so many years,” said Richard Ekkebus, chef of Amber, who won three-star this year. “This year we celebrate so many different types of cuisines, that's the beauty of the Michelin guide.”

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There’s now a total of 69 one-star restaurants between Hong Kong and Macao and 95 starred restaurants in total; 76 in Hong Kong and 19 in Macao. It’s the same total number of starred places as last year, but in 2024, Hong Kong had 79 starred spots and Macao had 16.

The event took place in Macao in the grand hall of the Grand Lisboa Palace Resort Macau, announcements were in both English and Cantonese. The giant room was packed with chefs and attendees holding glasses of Champagne and cheering when prompted.

Michelin also handed out some dedicated awards in categories like Service, which was given to Winnie Zhang at the ornate Wing Lei restaurant in the Wynn, which retained its two-star ranking.

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Last week, Michelin announced its Bib Gourmands, or cheap eats. There are now 77 spots, including 10 new ones. Among the newly selected places in Hong Kong are Hung's Delicacies, where the specialty is Chiuchow cuisine and there’s a focus on meats and offal. Another new lace is Lulu Baobao, well-pleated xiao long bao and a good assortment of noodle dishes.