(Last updated: October 10, 2026)
I first visited 8 in 2014 as part of Trip Report III. That also happened to be the first year the restaurant received three Michelin stars, an honour it would hold for the next decade, before losing one in 2024. I hadn’t been back since well before Covid, making this meal long overdue.
Originally we planned to order the Lunch Set ($598 per person), only to discover after sitting down that it has to be reserved in advance. A shame, because it looked excellent, but we happily settled for dim sum instead.
Lunch began with two complimentary bites: an organic cherry tomato with honeydew and braised abalone with XO sauce. The tomato burst with juice, the honeydew softened some of the sour notes, and the abalone disappeared in about two bites. An excellent way to start.
Since I’d already worked my way through most of 8’s famous dim sum over the years, I decided to dig a little deeper into the menu this time. If these are the B-sides, the substitutes, the stand-ins, you can only imagine how good the headliners are.
The Spinach Infused Lobster Dumpling with Superior Sauce ($120) turned out to be my least favourite. It arrived absolutely piping hot, making it difficult to taste much of anything at first. Even after it cooled down, I still wanted more flavour from the lobster. One of 8’s signature dishes, I wouldn’t order it again. 3.5 stars
The Yellow Croaker Dumpling with Lily Bulb in Rice Broth ($108) was the exact opposite. The dumpling itself was fairly traditional, but the congee underneath completely stole the show. I could happily have eaten a whole bowl of it on its own, and I normally don’t touch the stuff. Maybe this is what great congee actually tastes like? 5 stars
The Beef Ball Stuffed with Porcini Mushrooms ($90) was another easy 5 stars. The texture was superb. Soft enough to bite through easily, but still with plenty of body. The first bite sent juice everywhere, yet somehow they never felt greasy. The porcini mushrooms did their part splendidly, keeping the dish from becoming too heavy.
I’ve eaten plenty of Rice Noodle Rolls with Char Siu around Macau, but almost none have been this good. The Kurobuta pork was excellent, but it was actually the young ginger that made the dish, adding little bursts of crunch and freshness that stopped everything becoming too rich. It’s the sort of ingredient a lot of restaurants would probably leave out, and they’d be making a mistake. Weekend only, by the way. 5 stars
The famous Swan-shaped Crispy Pastry ($40 each) is completely handmade, right down to the hundreds of fine strands that make up the feathers. I honestly can’t imagine how long one of these takes to make. The presentation is probably even better than the taste, although that’s more a reflection of this style of dim sum than the execution itself. Puff pastries are usually a little sweeter than I’d like, regardless of who’s making them. 4 stars
After five baskets of dim sum between two people, we were already close to full. I honestly can’t remember another time dim sum filled us up this quickly. Usually we don’t start slowing down until we’ve ordered seven or eight different kinds. Whether 8 simply makes bigger dim sum, uses more filling, or both, I honestly don’t know. Whatever the reason, you’ll probably be tapping out a lot earlier than you planned to.
Because we’d originally wanted the lunch set but couldn’t have it, the kitchen later sent over a complimentary serving of Roasted Goose with Wild Mushrooms. It’s something they didn’t have to do at all. No one complained and we certainly hadn’t asked for anything. They simply wanted us to leave happy. The goose itself was excellent too: juicy, tender and another reminder why living in Southern China rocks.
Even though we really didn’t need it, we somehow found room for dessert. The Chilled Mango Sago Cream with Pomelo and Passion Fruit ($70) is something I’ve started seeing all over Macau recently, so perhaps it’s become something of a modern Cantonese staple. Whatever the case, 8 nailed it. Instead of ending on something rich and sugary, lunch finished with something light, fresh and dangerously easy to finish. Â 5 stars
All told, our lunch for two came to just under $980, including dessert and a pot of tea that somehow cost $188. Expensive tea for sure, but after a lunch like this who really cares?
I’ve somehow made it this far without mentioning the service. A week earlier we’d eaten at Zi Yat Heen, and thought the staff was excellent. Then we went to 8 and stepped into another world. From the moment you walk through the door until the moment you leave, they somehow make you feel like your table is the most important one in the restaurant. Even the plates themselves are part of the show, and I don’t talk about tableware often.
Looking back at my first review, I haven’t changed my mind one bit. If anything, I appreciate 8 even more now than I did twelve years ago. It remains one of the very few 5-star restaurants on this website, and today it genuinely feels like a restaurant doing everything it can to reclaim its third Michelin star.
I’d hand it back tomorrow.
If you want to experience Cantonese cuisine at its absolute best, this is where I’d start.
