One of the things I absolutely love about HK is the amazing array of food options. AMAZING. I lived in Tokyo and ate at some of Tokyo's top restaurants and really, truly, Tokyo has nothing on HK. The thing about Tokyo is that while it is really, really good at Japanese food and high end French food, it's just not that good at other stuff. But HK - it is a glorious, international eater's paradise. So here is my personal guide to spending 24 hours eating through HK - and I caveat this with noting that I am really only covering a teeny tiny part of HK - that is, the area on HK island between Sheung Wan and Causeway Bay.
Breakfast: cappuccino and almond croissant at Agnes B. cafe on Gough Street. Spend an hour perusing the cute and funky shops on Gough Street, one of HK's cutest hipsterish areas. Refuel with another cappuccino at Oolaa on Bridges Street and if you need more sustenance, order a plate of perfect eggs benedict. If you feel like something sweet, try the mango & passion fruit "mess" - basically a deconstructed pavlova that is lip-smackingly delicious. Or for a Cantonese breakfast, rub elbows with the locals at Star Seafood in Sheung Wan on the corner of Des Voeux Road West and Centre Street and order the hom sui gok, barbecue pork rice rolls and har giao.
Coffee break: so many great options - Fuel Espresso inside the Landmark or IFC serves amazing coffee and the richest, creamiest masala chai. Or stop by for a proper cup of tea and a fresh baked scone with clotted cream and rose petal jam at the Cake Shop inside the Mandarin Oriental. Another favorite for coffee or tea is Cafe Grey Deluxe, on the top floor of the Upper House hotel - delicious, perfectly brewed cappuccinos and a fantastic afternoon tea with creative petit fours and the richest, butteriest scone ever.
Lunch: for a quick, simple, cheap and delicious Vietnamese meal, stop by Nha Trang on Wellington Street. My personal recommendations are the Vietnamese ravioli, filet of sole summer rolls, pomelo salad, smoky eggplant with shrimp appetizer and any of the vermicelli dishes. If it's a Wednesday, you MUST order the lemongrass spareribs - even if you are a vegetarian, make an exception for these. For one of the cheapest yet most delicious meals around, head to Simply Life inside Citibank Plaza on Garden Road and order the black vinegar pork, mapo tofu and dry-fried green beans with minced pork. Or do the barbecue meats lunch - I personally like the soy chicken and barbecue pork with half a salted egg. If you have a very high spice tolerance, head to Chilli Fagara on Graham Street for the spiciest meal you'll eat in your life - and be prepared to sweat. Their hot & sour soup is amazing - and I don't even like hot & sour soup. The fried fish slices in chili sauce, Chilli Fagara chicken, ginger tang beef, mapo tofu are all amazing. So what if they add MSG to their food when it's this delicious! If you have time for a long, leisurely lunch, the absolute best lunch in Central is at Gold, on the 2nd floor of Hotel LKF. Start with the freshest salad bar in the city - you can make unlimited trips and the salad bar includes a daily selection of prepared salads (the Thai pomelo one is especially good), antipasti, and excellent quality smoked salmon and shrimp cocktail. That's just your first course - the selection of mains is always rotating, but I've never been disappointed by the salmon at Gold, no matter how it's been prepared (although my favorite is the slow-poached method). The meal also comes with dessert and coffee. To mingle with HK's ladies who lunch, head to Cafe Landmark, on the mezzanine floor of the Landmark. Don't even bother looking at the menu, just do as I say and order the lobster bisque and the lobster linguini. Between the two, you'll consume about 3/4 of an entire lobster. Their lobster linguini is the best lobster-based pasta I've ever had.
Snack: do like the locals do and head to Tsui Wah for an order of the condensed milk "pork buns." There's no pork in these buns, I have no idea why they are named that. It's a white bread roll cut in half and toasted with butter then drizzled with condensed milk. It's simple but freaking delicious, especially with a cup of Tsui Wah's strong and creamy milk tea. Or for a more substantial "snack," head to Lily & Bloom, on the 5th and 6th floors of Hotel LKF. Their Lily Cheeseburger, topped with bacon, gruyere cheese and heavenly truffle mayonnaise is worth every artery-clogging calorie. Wash it down with any of their signature cocktails, which the bartenders prepare with the utmost care (they even chip their own ice from a huge block of ice). Do pork dumplings count as a snack? They should - so head to Crystal Jade for an order of xia long bao, tiny succulent dumplings filled with pork and broth. While you're there you might as well order the stir-fried Shanghai style noodles, green beans with minced pork, and sweet & sour fried fish slices. If you have a sweet tooth, circle back to Agnes B. (in addition to the charming one on Gough Street, you can also find one inside the Agnes B. store in IFC, or on Hollywood Road, or inside Times Square in Causeway Bay) and order the lemon tart. BEST LEMON TART EVER. Seriously - the first time I had it, I daydreamed about it for 3 days straight. I'm sure their other cakes and pastries are delicious, but I wouldn't know personally because I always get the lemon tart, it's just that good. Or, head to Yo Mama in IFC or on Star Street for healthy froyo. I like to get half original and half green tea with blueberries, BUT if they are offering the caramel flavor, then JUST get that because it is the best frozen yogurt you will ever eat in your life. Especially if you like caramel - theirs tastes like a frozen, soft, creamy version of fleur de sel caramels.
Dinner: for an impeccable Cantonese dinner, head to Summer Palace inside the Island Shangri-la hotel and order the Peking duck two ways and the crab sauteed with ginger and scallions. Probably the best Peking duck I've had other than Dadong restaurant in Beijing. For fresh, creative yet true-to-Japanese cuisine sushi, head to Sushi Kuu on Wellington Street - I have never, ever had a bad meal here. The sashimi salad and grilled black pork salad are great starters, all the sushi is jet-fresh and everything on the menu is good. If the weather is nice, reserve a table on the roof of Fofo by El Willy, on the top floor of the same building as Sushi Kuu. The food is authentic Spanish tapas - ok, so not the BEST tapas in the world (which are only in Spain), but pretty darn good considering you are in HK. The cozy rooftop al fresco dining makes it a great dining experience. The best tapas in HK, in my opinion, are actually at Estudio Iberico, a tiny tapas bar inside the basement grocery store in Pacific Place. If you can just ignore the people grocery shopping around you, you could almost believe you were in Barcelona - the flavors are that authentic. For a most unique and most delicious meal, head to Yardbird on Bridges Street for modern Japanese fusion with a focus on yakitori. Yardbird's specialty is everything chicken and they pretty much never get anything wrong. Start with the KFC (Korean fried cauliflower - breaded, fried and coated with spicy Korean sauce just like fried chicken in Korea), scotch eggs, any of their salads (I like their eggplant salad and their very Japanese take on the Caesar salad) and a few yakitori (the meatball one is my favorite). Always end the meal with their chicken & egg rice - served in a piping hot cast-iron pan, the rice is studded with amazingly fresh baby sweet peas and topped with a soft-poached egg and generous pieces of crispy fried chicken skin - seriously creative, seriously delicious.
Dessert: Sift on Graham Street is a dessert bar that serves unique, creative and delicious desserts for those not on the Atkins, Dukan, 4-hour body or any similar diet. If you like to drink your dessert in cocktail form, then head back to Lily for their delicious cocktails, many of them made with their housemade "moonshine" liquor.
Breakfast: cappuccino and almond croissant at Agnes B. cafe on Gough Street. Spend an hour perusing the cute and funky shops on Gough Street, one of HK's cutest hipsterish areas. Refuel with another cappuccino at Oolaa on Bridges Street and if you need more sustenance, order a plate of perfect eggs benedict. If you feel like something sweet, try the mango & passion fruit "mess" - basically a deconstructed pavlova that is lip-smackingly delicious. Or for a Cantonese breakfast, rub elbows with the locals at Star Seafood in Sheung Wan on the corner of Des Voeux Road West and Centre Street and order the hom sui gok, barbecue pork rice rolls and har giao.
Coffee break: so many great options - Fuel Espresso inside the Landmark or IFC serves amazing coffee and the richest, creamiest masala chai. Or stop by for a proper cup of tea and a fresh baked scone with clotted cream and rose petal jam at the Cake Shop inside the Mandarin Oriental. Another favorite for coffee or tea is Cafe Grey Deluxe, on the top floor of the Upper House hotel - delicious, perfectly brewed cappuccinos and a fantastic afternoon tea with creative petit fours and the richest, butteriest scone ever.
Lunch: for a quick, simple, cheap and delicious Vietnamese meal, stop by Nha Trang on Wellington Street. My personal recommendations are the Vietnamese ravioli, filet of sole summer rolls, pomelo salad, smoky eggplant with shrimp appetizer and any of the vermicelli dishes. If it's a Wednesday, you MUST order the lemongrass spareribs - even if you are a vegetarian, make an exception for these. For one of the cheapest yet most delicious meals around, head to Simply Life inside Citibank Plaza on Garden Road and order the black vinegar pork, mapo tofu and dry-fried green beans with minced pork. Or do the barbecue meats lunch - I personally like the soy chicken and barbecue pork with half a salted egg. If you have a very high spice tolerance, head to Chilli Fagara on Graham Street for the spiciest meal you'll eat in your life - and be prepared to sweat. Their hot & sour soup is amazing - and I don't even like hot & sour soup. The fried fish slices in chili sauce, Chilli Fagara chicken, ginger tang beef, mapo tofu are all amazing. So what if they add MSG to their food when it's this delicious! If you have time for a long, leisurely lunch, the absolute best lunch in Central is at Gold, on the 2nd floor of Hotel LKF. Start with the freshest salad bar in the city - you can make unlimited trips and the salad bar includes a daily selection of prepared salads (the Thai pomelo one is especially good), antipasti, and excellent quality smoked salmon and shrimp cocktail. That's just your first course - the selection of mains is always rotating, but I've never been disappointed by the salmon at Gold, no matter how it's been prepared (although my favorite is the slow-poached method). The meal also comes with dessert and coffee. To mingle with HK's ladies who lunch, head to Cafe Landmark, on the mezzanine floor of the Landmark. Don't even bother looking at the menu, just do as I say and order the lobster bisque and the lobster linguini. Between the two, you'll consume about 3/4 of an entire lobster. Their lobster linguini is the best lobster-based pasta I've ever had.
Snack: do like the locals do and head to Tsui Wah for an order of the condensed milk "pork buns." There's no pork in these buns, I have no idea why they are named that. It's a white bread roll cut in half and toasted with butter then drizzled with condensed milk. It's simple but freaking delicious, especially with a cup of Tsui Wah's strong and creamy milk tea. Or for a more substantial "snack," head to Lily & Bloom, on the 5th and 6th floors of Hotel LKF. Their Lily Cheeseburger, topped with bacon, gruyere cheese and heavenly truffle mayonnaise is worth every artery-clogging calorie. Wash it down with any of their signature cocktails, which the bartenders prepare with the utmost care (they even chip their own ice from a huge block of ice). Do pork dumplings count as a snack? They should - so head to Crystal Jade for an order of xia long bao, tiny succulent dumplings filled with pork and broth. While you're there you might as well order the stir-fried Shanghai style noodles, green beans with minced pork, and sweet & sour fried fish slices. If you have a sweet tooth, circle back to Agnes B. (in addition to the charming one on Gough Street, you can also find one inside the Agnes B. store in IFC, or on Hollywood Road, or inside Times Square in Causeway Bay) and order the lemon tart. BEST LEMON TART EVER. Seriously - the first time I had it, I daydreamed about it for 3 days straight. I'm sure their other cakes and pastries are delicious, but I wouldn't know personally because I always get the lemon tart, it's just that good. Or, head to Yo Mama in IFC or on Star Street for healthy froyo. I like to get half original and half green tea with blueberries, BUT if they are offering the caramel flavor, then JUST get that because it is the best frozen yogurt you will ever eat in your life. Especially if you like caramel - theirs tastes like a frozen, soft, creamy version of fleur de sel caramels.
Dinner: for an impeccable Cantonese dinner, head to Summer Palace inside the Island Shangri-la hotel and order the Peking duck two ways and the crab sauteed with ginger and scallions. Probably the best Peking duck I've had other than Dadong restaurant in Beijing. For fresh, creative yet true-to-Japanese cuisine sushi, head to Sushi Kuu on Wellington Street - I have never, ever had a bad meal here. The sashimi salad and grilled black pork salad are great starters, all the sushi is jet-fresh and everything on the menu is good. If the weather is nice, reserve a table on the roof of Fofo by El Willy, on the top floor of the same building as Sushi Kuu. The food is authentic Spanish tapas - ok, so not the BEST tapas in the world (which are only in Spain), but pretty darn good considering you are in HK. The cozy rooftop al fresco dining makes it a great dining experience. The best tapas in HK, in my opinion, are actually at Estudio Iberico, a tiny tapas bar inside the basement grocery store in Pacific Place. If you can just ignore the people grocery shopping around you, you could almost believe you were in Barcelona - the flavors are that authentic. For a most unique and most delicious meal, head to Yardbird on Bridges Street for modern Japanese fusion with a focus on yakitori. Yardbird's specialty is everything chicken and they pretty much never get anything wrong. Start with the KFC (Korean fried cauliflower - breaded, fried and coated with spicy Korean sauce just like fried chicken in Korea), scotch eggs, any of their salads (I like their eggplant salad and their very Japanese take on the Caesar salad) and a few yakitori (the meatball one is my favorite). Always end the meal with their chicken & egg rice - served in a piping hot cast-iron pan, the rice is studded with amazingly fresh baby sweet peas and topped with a soft-poached egg and generous pieces of crispy fried chicken skin - seriously creative, seriously delicious.
Dessert: Sift on Graham Street is a dessert bar that serves unique, creative and delicious desserts for those not on the Atkins, Dukan, 4-hour body or any similar diet. If you like to drink your dessert in cocktail form, then head back to Lily for their delicious cocktails, many of them made with their housemade "moonshine" liquor.
1 comment:
Good grief I cannot wait. -m
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