South China Morning Post

A gourmet food importer’s favourite restaurant picks

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Austrian Stefan Gross is the managing director of Blue Danube Gourmet, which imports food and wine from his homeland.

I’m lucky to have grown up in Austria, a country with a lot of local agricultur­al produce, so we don’t depend on imports. We always had quality comfort food such as schinkenfl­eckerl, Austria’s answer to macaroni and cheese.

I went to hotel school and worked in Vienna and Switzerlan­d. I got bored with Europe and went to New York. I also lived in Malta, Edinburgh, the Caribbean and eventually settled in Hong Kong.

I eat at Chef’s Cuts (Shop G01G03, Central Market, 93 Queen’s Road, Central. Tel: 9574 4254) two or three times a week. I love the vibe. The seafood and bone marrow are good. The pork knuckle is also authentica­lly made.

You might also see me at Soho

Banh Mi (Shop 2D, 1/F, The Center, 99 Queen’s Road Central. Tel: 5498 4236). The bread is the crispiest in town. I love the pâté made from locally sourced pork liver. The bun (rice noodle) salad is great in summer.

Before a night of drinking, I love having the city’s best fish and chips at Hooked (86-88 Caine Road, Mid-Levels. Tel: 2915 1118). I love the blue cod.

For local food, Chuan Yue Lou

(7/F, Coda Plaza, 51 Garden Road, Mid-Levels. Tel: 2838 2828) is my dim sum place. It’s Sichuan and Cantonese. If you can get a table by the window, the view is great.

Another favourite is Sister Wah

(13A Electric Road, Tin Hau. Tel: 2807 0181). It is Michelinre­commended. The beef brisket resembles tafelspitz, Viennese boiled beef and tripe.

For visitors, I might take them to Shanghai Lane (three locations including 35-37 Gough Street, Central. Tel: 2850 7788). Often, you can see them making the dumplings. It’s real comfort food. Outside the city, I go to

Rainbow Seafood Restaurant (2327 First Street, Sok Kwu Wan, Lamma Island. Tel; 2982 8100) a few times a year but it can be pricey. In the New Territorie­s, I like Fu Kee Restaurant (56 Shan Tseng Village, 41-63 Castle Peak Road, Sham Tseng. Tel: 2491 8002) for roast goose after a hike. Dragon Inn Seafood Restaurant (12 Tsing Ha Lane, Castle Peak Bay, Castle Peak Road, Tuen Mun. Tel: 2450 6366) is a good option if you are in the Gold Coast area.

As told to Andrew Sun

 ?? ?? Austrian schinkenfl­eckerl; a dish from Chef’s Cuts.
Austrian schinkenfl­eckerl; a dish from Chef’s Cuts.
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