Golden Gip, the fourth outpost from Censu Crew visionary Shun Sato, opened its doors on Wellington Street in Central in January 2025, following a four-month pop-up called Prelude in Sai Wan Ho. This lively spot channels an elevated dai pai dong vibe, blending Asian cuisines with bold Korean twists in a wabi-sabi space, alive with neon signs, collaborative art and a “gip” (Korean for home) atmosphere that draws crowds for shareable plates.

Sato hails from Sendai in northern Japan and was born into a family of izakaya owners. He founded Censu Crew in Hong Kong in 2021 – after stints at spots like Fukuro – celebrating his philosophy of engaging the five senses, community and the beauty of wabi-sabi imperfection. At Golden Gip, head chef Nigel Kim executes Sato’s flavour-forward vision of Japanese-Korean cuisine: think kimchi cheung fun or grilled pork neck with doenjang.

On the dinner à la carte menu, the Fxxcking Peace Out Mapo Tofu has lured diners with its cheeky name and social media snaps since day one. Often paired with white rice, veggie bibimbap or highballs, it’s a signature that nods to Cantonese mapo tofu while weaving in Japanese, Korean and local Hong Kong flair.

Executive chef Shun Sato explains the build: “Egg is beaten till smooth and steamed with tteokbokki – this serves as the base. Minced pork and tofu are tossed in a Chinese wok with crab miso, crab dashi, gochujang and different aromatics. It is [then] placed on top of the steamed egg and tteokbokki combo. Layered on top is crabmeat and local whole flower crab, garnished with a generous dose of spring onion.” Key players include Hokkaido crabmeat, local whole flower crab from Thailand’s crab miso, plus chilli, Sichuan peppercorn, garlic and spring onion for the essential wok hei.

Crab claws are playfully presented, pulled apart in a “peace sign” – hence the name. Sato says, “In Censu Crew, we take cooking seriously, but we still want to bring fun into the concept and the food. Why so serious all the time? You can say we add fun, lighthearted harmless humour to something that is very serious and close to my heart.”

Born from Sato’s nostalgia for Japanese mapo tofu, which is milder than Cantonese versions, the dish is amped up with Hong Kong’s seafood obsession. “I’ve seen how locals go crazy for hairy crab during its short season. Since hairy crab isn’t available year-round, we decided to use high-quality local crab instead,” Sato explains. Korean tteokbokki adds chew, while steamed egg (chawanmushi, gyeranjjim or Cantonese-style) brings silkiness, contrasting against the tofu’s smoothness, and gochujang seals the fusion.

“It’s a flavour and texture bomb,” Sato describes. “Flavour-wise, you get the [tingly sensation] and spice from the chilli, gochujang and Sichuan peppercorn. Then you get umami from the crab, crab miso, dashi and pork, as well as freshness and a cleansing sensation from the spring onion. Texture-wise, there are different levels of silkiness, softness … and chewiness.”