DINING LOCALES

International

Many of Hong Kong’s ‘international’ restaurants and bars cluster together in pockets. The most famous of these is probably Lan Kwai Fong in Central, closely followed by the Soho/Mid-Levels escalator area. The restaurants in these two locales are generally pricey, although there are cheaper options. Restaurants open and close all the time in this neighbourhood, so it’s well worth checking these areas on a regular basis to keep abreast of new arrivals.

Knutsford Terrace (TST) and Cleveland Street (Fashion Walk) in Causeway Bay are two smaller pedestrianized areas that play host to a variety of bars and restaurants.

The Lockhart Road/Luard Road area in Wanchai is cheaper, on average, and includes Thai, Mexican, Balinese, pub grub and kebabs.

The restaurant with arguably the best view of Hong Kong’s breathtaking skyline is Café Deco on the Peak. Other stunning views can be had at Felix (38/F, The Peninsula), Aqua (29–30/F, 1 Peking Road) and Tott’s Bar and Grill (34/F, The Excelsior).

Al fresco restaurants that allow diners to enjoy views and/or a sea breeze include the restaurants on the Stanley waterfront, Harbour Plaza Resort City (18 Tin Yan Road, Tin Shui Wai), Spices at The Repulse Bay, The Viceroy in the Sun Hung Kai Centre and The Peak Café on the Peak.

Many restaurants, including Bombay Dreams (Wyndham Street), the Fringe Club and Bamboo (4/F, The Plaza, 21 D’Aguilar Street), have private rooms/roof terraces that can be booked for larger groups.

Cheaper eats

There are many mini-dining zones where you can pick up a tasty Western/Asian fusion meal for less than you’d pay at equivalent restaurants in TST or Causeway Bay. Wing Lok Street, outside Sheung Wan MTR, and Sanlitun, on the elevated walkway between the Sun Hung Kai Centre and the Harbour Centre in Wanchai, represent good value for money.

‘Korea Street’

Kimberley Street and Kimberley Road in TST are pleasant backwaters just off the main drag and home to a string of Korean food supermarkets, cooked food shops and restaurants serving up genuine Korean food at an affordable price.

Little Japan

Causeway Bay is sometimes dubbed ‘Little Japan’ for its mix of teppanyaki and sashimi restaurants, Japanese curry houses and snack bars. Other places to get good Japanese food include the Hung Hom area – try Katiga (37 Shung Kit Street; tel. 2764 6436) – and ‘Ramen Alley’, six ramen stalls serving their own style noodles, at 517 Jaffe Road, Wanchai.

Lei King Wan/Island East

Further along the north Hong Kong Island shoreline to the east, a cluster of al fresco restaurants line Tai Hong Street in Lei King Wan serving a mix of reasonably priced seafood, Japanese, Thai and Brazilian style cuisine. It’s very popular with those living in the Sai Wan Ho/Taikoo Shing neighbourhoods.

Seafood heaven

Lei Yue Mun is reputed to be the place for seafood in Hong Kong, but it is expensive and awkward to get to. Take a taxi from Kowloon side, or a ferry from Sai Wan Ho.

Lamma Island’s Sok Ku Wan is noted for its strip of seafood restaurants, the most famous being the Rainbow Seafood Restaurant, which provides a free ferry shuttling customers between the restaurant and Queen’s Pier (opposite City Hall).

The Sai Kung waterfront, not far from the minibus terminal, is also home to a number of excellent seafood restaurants, including the popular Chuen Yee Seafood Restaurant. You can pick out your own fish or prawns and take them home to cook, or give them to the kitchen to cook. Relaxed al fresco dining with friends on chilli salt prawns, bamboo clams, steamed garoupa and Qingdao beer is one of the most pleasurable ways to spend an evening in Hong Kong. Buses to Sai Kung connect with Kwun Tong, Hang Hau and Choi Hung MTR stations, amongst others. At the end of Clearwater Bay Road, near the Clearwater Bay Golf and Country Club, Po Toi O village has a few seafood restaurants – but it’s quite a way to go for your prawns.

Prices are significantly lower on Cheung Chau – try Hong Kee, where my aunt and uncle go regularly for their boiled prawns, lobsters, crab and scallops with broccoli.

Oyster restaurants are also popular in Hong Kong – The Oyster and Wine Bar at the Sheraton Hotel, Kowloon, is one of the best and most romantic. Another popular venue is Oyster Talks Seafood & Wine Bar (13 King Kwong Street, Happy Valley).

Kids’ favourites

The most popular restaurants with children and teens include Fat Angelo’s (1/F, Elizabeth House, 250 Gloucester Road; 49A–C Elgin Street; Metro City Plaza II Tseung Kwan O; Panda Hotel, Tsuen Wan, etc.) and Amaroni’s Little Italy (LG132 Festival Walk, Kowloon Tong), which are Italian-American style family restaurants serving up big portions. Other child-friendly restaurants include:

• Dan Ryan’s Chicago Grill (Pacific Place, Ocean Terminal and Festival Walk);
• TGI Friday (26 Nathan Road);
• Shooters 52 (G–1 The Peak Galleria and Times Square);
• California Pizza Kitchen (Level 3, Ocean Terminal; 13/F Food Forum, Times Square);
• Ruby Tuesday’s (Cityplaza 1; Ocean Terminal; New Town Plaza Shatin);
• Jaspa’s (Sai Kung and Staunton Street, Central); and
• Pepperoni’s (Sai Kung and Stanley).

Younger kids like Trendy Toon Town (Shop B101, Basement 1, 1 Peking Rd, TST), a scaled down version of Disneyland complete with popular Disney characters.

Private dining restaurants

Private dining restaurants are small-scale, privately run restaurants located unobtrusively in residential or commercial blocks. They usually have one or two sittings each evening and places need to be booked in advance. There’s no a la carte menu; either you get what the owners have prepared or you’re offered a choice before you come. The selling points are that they provide a more private experience and authentic, home-cooking cuisine. You can probably get recommendations from Cantonese colleagues in the know (a Chinese language book listing these restaurants is also available at bookshops). Better-known ones include Yellow Door Kitchen (www.yellowdoorkitchen.com.hk; 5 and 6/F, 37 Cochrane Street, Central, tel. 2858 6555), Mum Chau’s Sichuan Kitchen (5B, 37 D’Aguilar Street, Central, tel. 8108 8550) and Helen Chiang’s Kitchen (1/F, 26 Leighton Rd, Causeway Bay, tel. 2805 7533). Expect to pay about $200–400 per person without wine.

TAKE-AWAY/HOME DELIVERY

Many restaurants around Hong Kong now belong to a delivery co-operative. Large delivery companies include:

• www.foodbyweb.com.hk, which has a very comprehensive listing of restaurants;
• Food by Fone (www.foodbyfone.net; 2868 6969), which delivers food from restaurants in the Lan Kwai Fong, Sai Ying Pun, Wanchai Happy Valley areas; and
• Dial A Dinner (www.dialadinner.com.hk; 2598 1718), which also covers the south of Hong Kong Island and Kowloon;
• Soho Delivery (www.sohodelivery.com.hk; 2526 2029).

Order food from one or several restaurants by phone or via the Internet and your meal will be whisked to you within an hour. Companies will also cater for large parties.

Other take-away/delivery services are offered by Wildfire pizza (2/F, Murray House, Stanley and 13 Bonham Road, Mid-Levels; www.igors.com) and Pepperoni’s (www.pepperonis.com; tel. 2869 1766).

HALAL/KOSHER RESTAURANTS

Habibi’s (116 Wellington Street, Central; tel. 2544 9298) is an Egyptian Halal restaurant; Islam Food (1 Lung Kong Road, Kowloon City) serves Chinese Muslim and Shanghai food. Kosher restaurants include Shalom Grill (2/F, Fortune House, 61 Connaught Road; tel. 2851 6300).

VEGETARIAN AND VEGAN RESTAURANTS

There is a good selection of Chinese vegetarian restaurants and a few Western ones if you know where to look. Many of the Chinese vegetarian restaurants have Buddhist connections – traditionally, Hong Kong Chinese eat vegetarian food on the first and the fifteenth of the Lunar calendar months, especially the first meal of the first month of the Lunar New Year.

Chinese vegetarian restaurants that come recommended include Bo Kong Vegetarian (12/F, Times Square Food Forum; tel. 2506 3377) and Kung Tak Lam (G/F, Block B, Lok Sing Centre, 31 Yee Wo Street, Causeway Bay; tel. 2890 3127 and 7/F, 1 Peking Road, TST; tel. 2312 7800).

Good non-Chinese vegetarian restaurants include The Bookworm Café on Main Street, Lamma Island, the owner of which is also behind Life on Shelley Street, Central, and Woodlands Indian restaurant at 61 Mody Road, TST; tel. 2369 3718. The Fringe Club in Central offers a vegetarian buffet Monday to Friday. A list of vegan and vegetarian restaurants can be found on the website of the HK Vegan Society (www.ivu.org/hkvegan).

Vegans do not seem to find it particularly difficult to find suitable food in Hong Kong. As the Chinese traditionally are not heavy consumers of dairy products, there are plenty of tofu-based foods available in supermarkets as well as vegetarian restaurants.

For information on food and wine shops and supermarkets, please refer to Chapter Seven, ‘Shopping’.