From slurping noodles at gutterside cha cha tengs to nibbling
haute cuisine at chandelier be-decked fine dining establishments, if there’s
one thing Hong Kong diners have in common, it’s that they’re serious about
their food. You may think that feeding the rumbling stomachs of seven million
foodies would be enough of a challenge for Hong Kong’s restaurants, but that’s
just the half of it. In a city that burns the candle at both ends and then sets
fire to the middle too, hungry Hong Kongers expect to be able to sate their
appetite wherever, whenever and however they choose. Add to that the fact that
approximately a seventh of the population are expats, which makes for an awful
lot of homesick tummies to comfort with dishes from their multitude of home
countries.
It’s safe to say that trying to pick the top ten places to
eat in the city is a near impossible task (but one that nevertheless, every
Hong Konger has a strong opinion on). So, while we may not be able to promise
that our top ten nosh spots cover all of the very best places to eat in the
city, we can guarantee that a meal at any one of these will be a stellar
addition to your culinary itinerary.
Tim Ho Wan
If Michelin-starred restaurants put you in mind of
penguin-suited waiters and starched white tablecloths, reset your expectations
before you visit Tim Ho Wan. To say that the cheapest Michelin-starred restaurant
in the world looks unassuming is a bit of an understatement. Set in a neighbourhood
more known for hardware stores and oil-streaked garages, you may only notice
you’ve reached your destination when you spot the queue snaking round the
block. Come well before hunger strikes, as a wait of an hour or more is pretty
much guaranteed, but dim sum of this caliber is more than worth the wait. Once
inside, expect to be seated elbow to elbow with local pensioners, lunchbreaking
construction workers and perhaps a tourist or two (Tim Ho Wan’s reputation has
always preceded it, but its Michelin accolade has taken things stratospheric). Décor
is basic, service is surly and the menu’s a green piece of paper that you score
your selections on, just be sure that one of those selections is the iconic Cha
Sui Bao. Buttery golden, flaky baked buns that melt in your mouth to give way
to a generous splodge of sticky, sweet BBQ pork – little parcels of heaven.
Tim
Ho Wan, G/F, 9-11 Fuk Wing Street, Sham Shui Po.
Amber
At the opposite end of the scale is Amber. Set your
Michelin-starred expectations back to fine wines, foams and emulsions, this
two-starred temple to French haute cuisine flawlessly executes multi-course
menus of culinary art. Interiors are
modern and understated in warm walnut and bronze; an elegant backdrop against
which the food plays the starring role. Culinary Director, Richard Ekkebus
describes his menu as classic French cooking kept light and fresh with an
inventive twist. The sort of food that dazzles and amazes, yet allows you to
“get up from the table and still be able to dance”. And dancing’s exactly what
you’ll want to do as you sample course after course of unspeakable
deliciousness from the amuse bouche foie gras lollipops (an Amber signature
dish) right through to petit fours almost too beautiful to eat. We said almost…
Amber, 7/F, The
Landmark Mandarin Oriental, 15 Queen’s Road Central.
Yardbird
Perched at the edge of Soho, this laidback no-reservations
Izakaya is the ideal spot for a low key dinner and a couple of seriously strong
cocktails. Yardbird’s USP is nose-to-tail chicken yakatori which means that along
with the familiar breast and thigh cuts, you can sample more adventurous
skewers from tail and knee to heart and gizzard. Polished concrete floors and a
stainless steel bartop lend the perma-buzzy space an industrial feel, while the
very knowledgeable, uber-cool staff are always happy to have a chat while they
shake up a mean Shochu cocktail.
Yardbird, 33-35
Bridges Street, Sheung Wan.
Carbone
The New York outpost of American-Italian restaurant, Carbone,
is an A-list favourite with the likes of Lady Gaga and Beyonce shimmying to
Greenwich Village for a bowl of Carbone’s legendary meatballs and a slice of the
pizza-sized veal parm. So it’s hardly a surprise that since it’s opening late
last summer, Carbone has been the hottest table in town. With Godfather-esque
interiors and a fleet of attentive Captains decked out in maroon velvet
tuxedos, the New York export manages to make even a casual lunch feel like a
special occasion. Come hungry as portions are generous, and be sure not to skip
dessert – the banana flambé, which is cooked up tableside, is not only a culinary
spectacle but also quite possibly the most deliciously naughty dessert in the
city.
Carbone, 9th
Floor, 33 Wyndham Street, Central.
Sushi Shin
For the best sushi outside of Tokyo, nab yourself a
reservation at Sushi Shin. Sit at the counter and order Omakase - Japanese for
“I’ll leave you to it” and the key to the trio of white uniformed counter-front
sushi chefs whipping you up a feast of dishes you’d never know to order. While
the décor is standard issue sushi joint - all zen, blonde woods and overly
bright lighting – it’s the sublime, ocean-fresh fish and the precision skill of
the chefs that the droves of sushi aficionadas flock for.
Sushi Shin, Shop 1-2
Ground Floor Wing Hing Court, 110-114 Tung Lo Wan Road, Tai Hang.
Chachawan
Some like it hot? Chachawan serves it hotter. Wander past
the antique stores and temples of Hollywood Road until you reach a giant pair
of emerald green sliding doors, behind which is Hong Kong’s hippest Thai
restaurant and home of the city’s most fiery, chili-spiked cooking. Chachawan
works a strict no reservations policy, but propping up the bar with a cocktail
or a Singah Beer is hardly a hardship and gives the chance to take in the
restaurants décor – a riot of beautiful Thai murals, vintage floor tiles and a
giant poster of a dinosaur cleaning his teeth. Don’t expect Pad Thai and creamy
curries though. Chachawan draws on the cuisine of the North-Eastern Issan
region of Thailand with a menu focused on charcoal-grilled meats and seafood,
as well as plenty of colourful, fragrant salads with that all important spicy
kick.
The Chinnery
In lieu of a time machine to whisk you back to colonial Hong
Kong, a dinner at the Chinnery, preceded by a gin & tonic in the Captain’s
Bar downstairs, is the next best thing. With a clubby atmosphere and one of the
world’s most extensive whiskey libraries (we’re talking a collection of over
100 single malts), little has changed since the days when the Union Jack flew
over the harbour and the only method of transport up and down the Peak was a rickshaw.
The menu features a host of staunch British favourites from Pork Pies to Arctic
Roll with an array of comfort food and the city’s best curries in between.
121 BC
It’s hard to imagine a better start to an evening than
sitting perched at the low-lit bar of this petite Soho gem sipping on a Negroni
while perusing the array of scrumptiousness chalked on the blackboard menu
hanging on the wall – think gnocchi with braised beef cheeks and crispy sage
leaves, and ravioli fritti stuffed with homemade buffalo ricotta.
Dishes change weekly to make the very most of the best produce available and
many breads, pastas and cheeses are made in-house. The menu is fresh, inventive
and served in tapas-like portions ideal for sharing. Service is charming and the
cheerful staff are always on hand to help pair your food with one of 121 BC’s
impressive selection of Italian biodynamic wines.
121 BC, 42-44 Peel Street,
Central.
Limewood
Sitting in the fading rays of a sun-soaked day, cucumber and
jalepeno margarita in hand, curled up in the cushion be-decked aquamarine snug
of Limewood, you’d be forgiven for thinking you were in Tulum or the Caribbean
or at the very least, Sydney. The menu draws influence from a melting pot of
cuisines with a focus on fresh, bold flavours and barbequed meats. The spicy
tiger prawn roll and charred corn fritters are the perfect snacks to help soak
up those eye-wateringly awesome margaritas, before moving on to BBQ lamb rack
with peanut coconut sauce or ginger, orange and pineapple-glazed Hawaiian
roasted baby pig leg. Leave a corner of room for dessert though, you haven’t
lived until you’ve devoured every last crumb of the house-made churros with
salted caramel dipping sauce and coconut ice-cream.
Limewood, Shop 103
& 104, Ground Floor, The Pulse, 28 Beach Road, Repulse Bay.
Yung Kee
No culinary tour of Hong Kong is complete without a
Cantonese feast of epic proportions served up in a brightly lit dining room to
a soundtrack of the clatter of dishes and high-decibel chatter. Safe in the
knowledge that Yung Kee has been sating Hong Kongers’ appetites for almost
eighty years, you can settle in around your Lazy Susan and let the Cantonese
fare flow. The glossy, bronzed roast gooses strung up in the restaurant’s
streetside windows, gives diners a preview of the evening’s main event before
they’ve even crossed Yung Kee’s threshold. Just one bite of the juicy, succulent
bird encased in crisp, honey-glazed, smoky skin and we’ll wager you’ll be
booking a return trip back to the city before you’ve pushed your chopsticks
together in satisfied defeat.
32-40 Wellington Street, Central, Hong Kong.
