Instagrammer offers guide to HK hot spots
My parents always taught me to be open-minded with food.
“You should always try something to know whether you like it or not,” they said.
I have always kept that attitude. Now, I appreciate good ingredients, just as my mom, who’s a great cook, does.
Apart from Chinese, I love that Hong Kong has a range of very high quality restaurants serving different cuisines.
An example is Mono (5/F, 18 On Lan Street, Central). Chef Ricardo Chaneton serves Latin American, French influenced food with interesting flavors and execution.
A recently found treasure is Murasaki (Sino Plaza, 255 Gloucester Road, Causeway Bay), a kappo omakase experience to enjoy sushi with seasonal otsumami (side dishes). I really enjoyed their mapo tofu rice with Impossible meat. You don’t feel as heavy even after 15 courses.
If I am not meeting friends, I prefer simple eats for lunch, like a bowl of noodle soup. My favorite spot is Sun Cheong Ming (22 Yik Yam Street, Happy Valley) where I go for a bowl of cuttlefish ball rice noodles with curry beef brisket and tendons, plus extra scallions and ice lemon tea. Do add a scoop of their house-made chilli sauce.
Flower Drum (Linway Court, 69-71 Stone Nullah Lane, Wan Chai) is another option for a casual noodle or rice set, with a nice bowl of long boiled soup called “Sir Tang soup.” It’s honeydew melon, chicken and conch.
The soup was created by the chef’s father in homage to philanthropist Sir Tang Shiu Kin’s kindness saving the life of a restaurant staff member.
I love this place, as the chef and owner, Nansen Lai, has extensive knowledge and is meticulous about ingredients.
I also enjoy Ando’s (Somptueux Central, 52 Wellington Street, Central) Japanese-influenced Spanish food.
It’s a Michelin-star restaurant but doesn’t feel pretentious, as chef Agustin Balbi always has a warm smile.
I also love Testina (Lyndhurst Terrace, Central) for casual, authentic Italian. The chicken offal pasta is fantastic. Neighborhood (61-63 Hollywood Road, SoHo) is another favorite for dinner.
I don’t mind late suppers so often I try Vivant (8-10 Lyndhurst Terrace, Central) around 9 p.m. for a bite and a few glasses of wine. You may still need to wait a bit, as this is a small restaurant.
I would take visitors to Genuine Lamma Hilton Fishing Village Restaurant (Lot 584, Sok Kwu Wan, Lamma Island) for seafood, where they can have a brisk walk around, then chill out at the restaurant and eat the local seafood.
You can enjoy your food and wine at the seaside with the sea breeze for the whole afternoon.
Overseas, I highly recommend Asador Etxebarri (San Juan Plaza, 1, 48291 Axpe Achondo, San Sebastian, Spain).
It’s destination dining, as the experience includes driving all the way up the mountain. It’s nothing fancy, but I was really impressed how they take barbecue to another level. It’s a heaven for wine lovers as well. You will end up eating and drinking till dawn.
“Apart from Chinese, I love that Hong Kong has a range of very high quality restaurants serving different cuisines. ”