Beyond steak: how to dry-age fish, lamb and poultry, according to 3 Hong Kong chefs

Walk into any serious steakhouse in Hong Kong today and you’ll find dry-aged beef on the menu, often for double the price of regular steak. What was an age-old practice has, in the past decade, made a comeback as chefs seek to unlock a deeper dimension of flavour. But here’s what most diners don’t realise: the technique has moved beyond beef. Across the city, chefs are dry-ageing fish, lamb, chicken and pigeon. Can the same process that transforms a slab of beef do the same for other proteins? The answer, as it turns out, is yes. And no, dry-ageing is not the same as serving “spoiled meat”. Done right, it is a precise science of temperature, humidity and airflow. Here, three Hong Kong pioneers – Jaime Ortolá of Fireside, Clement Wong of Kyanbasu by Mt. Yotei, and Justin Fu of Tori Jukusei – walk us through their work with fish, lamb and poultry, and share tips for home cooks. Fish at Fireside Fireside recently reached No 18 in the World’s Best Steak Restaurants 2026 list, but steak isn’t the only thing it’s known for. “We treat beef with such reverence,” says Jaime Ortolá. “Why not do the same with fish?” The question did not come from nowhere. In 2016, Australian chef Josh Niland proved that fish could be dry-aged – whole, on the bone, for days or even weeks – and the results could surpass the fresh original. Since Fireside opened in 2021, Ortolá has been dry-ageing local Ma Yao for four to seven days, then grilling it over open fire. More recently, he has added 14-day aged bone-in yellowfin tuna. The results, he says, are exceptional. “Ironically, when dry-aged properly, the fish smell disappears,” Ortolá explains. Moisture leaves the flesh, and enzymes begin breaking down the muscle. The final texture is silky but firm, while the flavour develops nutty, complex notes that a fresh catch simply cannot achieve. The fish remains remarkably juicy – not from water, but from concentrated natural oils. Ortolá prefers dry-ageing for the grill. A dry-aged fish develops a pellicle – a dry, tacky surface layer. When that hits an open flame, the skin transforms. “It crisps up almost instantly, giving you a crackling texture that fresh fish just can’t reach,” he says. “Because there’s less moisture, you get a clean sear without the fish steaming on the bars.” Japan has long understood the value of ageing fish. Edomae-style sushi, developed nearly 200 years ago, aged fish out of necessity before refrigeration. Today, top sushi masters still age their catch. But traditional Japanese ageing uses kombu or paper towels to wick moisture slowly. Dry-ageing relies on a precisely controlled, low-humidity chamber with fans – a faster, more aggressive concentration of flavour. The biggest misconception, Ortolá says, is that fresh is always best. “Most people in Hong Kong assume fish is a ticking clock and must be eaten the day it is caught,” he explains. “Top sushi restaurants have aged their fish for a long time. We think this can also be done for the grill.” For home cooks, he suggests starting with a firm, oily fish like Ma Yao, aged no more than three days – one or two is the sweet spot. “If using your home fridge, best not to keep opening the doors,” he says. “Make sure you have a fan inside for air circulation.” At the restaurant, a block of sea salt sits inside the dry-ageing chamber to help draw out moisture – a trick worth trying at home. Lamb at Kyanbasu by Mt. Yotei Clement Wong remembers exactly where his love for lamb came from. He was on a ski holiday in Hokkaido when he stumbled into a restaurant serving Jingisukan (or Genghis Khan) – the region’s famous grilled lamb dish – and he loved it. Back in Hong Kong, he realised no one was doing it. And certainly no one was dry-ageing lamb for it. “Globally, dry-ageing lamb is a pretty new concept,” Wong says. He made multiple research trips to Sapporo, one time visiting each of the top 30 Tabelog-rated Jingisukan restaurants in just five days. He found that while they aged their meats, none were dry-aged. That sent him down a rabbit hole of research, sourcing from six countries and eight farms – Japan, New Zealand, Spain, Australia, France and Wales. Each farm’s lamb behaves differently depending on feed and methodology. Not every cut works equally well. Wong favours shoulder rack, neck fillet, picanha and T-bone, and is experimenting with tongue and brisket. Tenderloin becomes too small after trimming. The best results come from cuts with more fat. The sweet spot is 18 to 21 days, varying by cut: 18 days for neck fillet, picanha 21, shoulder rack 18, T-bone 10. French suckling lamb chop is not suitable at all. A common misconception is that dry-ageing tames lamb’s gamey flavour, but Wong says that is not quite right: “The main factor [influencing lamb’s gaminess] is the farm. Dry-ageing will not get rid of it.” Instead, the process adds nutty and cheesy undertones while tenderising the meat. “Less moisture means more meaty flavour and added bite,” he explains. Getting people to order it, however, is another battle. “The price is almost double,” Wong admits. The shrinkage is brutal too – he trims away 40 to 50 per cent of the original volume. Factor in the necessary labour and electricity bills, and the maths becomes clear. “People do not see the value at first. But once they try it, they love it,” he says. For home cooks, his advice is blunt: buy a separate fridge, because “if you mix lamb with other things, you will contaminate it easily”. He recommends a small dry-ager unit. “Be patient,” he finally encourages. “You will have losses and failures. If you see mould, throw the whole batch away.” Poultry at Tori Jukusei Justin Fu started with a simple question: if dry-ageing works for Wagyu and pork, why not chicken? He dry-ages whole chickens for a precise 24 to 36 hours, then portions them for grilling. “Fresh chicken is clean and light,” he says. “Dry-aged chicken is rich and intense.” In the first few hours, the meat discharges lactic acid. After around 24 hours, moisture evaporates, the flesh firms up, and any gamey smell fades. By 36 hours, the flavour turns concentrated and savoury with a faint nuttiness. The texture becomes bouncy and elastic – never mushy. For yakitori, crispy skin is non-negotiable, and dry-ageing helps enormously. “The skin loses just the right amount of moisture,” he explains. “The fat concentrates. You get perfect crispiness on the grill without the skin drying out.” Not every cut benefits equally. Wings, thigh, tail, neck and tsukune (Japanese meatballs) perform beautifully. “Tsukune has high moisture content and normally burns or dries out on the grill,” Fu says. “After dry-ageing, it becomes more tender and smooth.” Offal like liver and heart are not suitable as their flavours become overpowering and spoil easily. Fu installed a dedicated cabinet at 0-2°C with humidity at 65-75 per cent – slightly drier than Japanese or Western set-ups – to combat Hong Kong’s climate. Constant airflow keeps the birds dry. Dry-aged chicken is not traditional in Japanese yakitori, Fu notes. Most shops in Japan process their birds the same day – but a handful of top artisans use short ageing to deepen flavour. “What I do is rooted in that tradition,” Fu says, “but I have adapted it for Hong Kong.” As for the misconception that aged meat must be tough? “When done correctly, short-term dry-aged chicken is far more tender and much richer in flavour,” Fu says. Fu also applies the technique to pigeon. Fresh pigeon is tender and juicy, but carries a gamey note. At 48 hours, the umami deepens and the meat develops a deep, gamey flavour, while the unpleasant smell disappears. The cooking method changes too: low heat first to draw out the aroma and lock in all the juices, then a high-heat blast to crisp the skin. For home cooks, Fu’s warning is stern. “Without professional equipment, leaving poultry at room temperature is dangerous,” he says. “Instead, use the coldest fridge shelf, a wire rack for airflow, and paper towels to absorb moisture. Change the towels daily. A 24- to 36-hour age – that is the safest and most stable way to try it at home.”

Beyond steak: how to dry-age fish, lamb and poultry, according to 3 Hong Kong chefs

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Dry-ageing isn’t reserved for beef only – chefs from Fireside, Kyanbasu by Mt. Yotei and Tori Jukusei offer techniques for home cooks

.css-1mniedq{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;}Fish at Fireside

Dry-ageing isn’t reserved for beef only – chefs from Fireside, Kyanbasu by Mt. Yotei and Tori Jukusei offer techniques for home cooks

Fish at Fireside