Being a traveler in Hong Kong means having unforgettable experiences on a daily basis. And if one is a "foodie", then this city is certainly a bucket list destination. We ate all kinds of dishes, including dim sum, Nepalese, Thai, French, Brazilian, Italian, Korean, Vietnamese, and probably others I cannot remember. And we were lucky enough to be staying near the heart of the Central district, which is known for its restaurants and bars. There were so many options, in fact, that it is difficult to decide my favorites. But I will make an attempt to describe restaurants and food that I will remember fondly.
I have already posted about Mott 32, a great restaurant with a luxurious setting and creative food. Several others stand out, including two Italian restaurants. Pici is an Italian restaurant with an extremely lively atmosphere. This place had a wait both times that we ate there, and it was filled with locals and tourists. Some of our favorite dishes included mussels with pasta and the best lasagna that either of us had ever eaten. In addition to the great food, Pici had taped music which was generally a mix of British and American 70's and 80's music. The music was "comfort music" to me. Another Italian eatery that stood out was called Linguini. This place had a pleasant outside setting and great cocktails. The pasta dishes were tasty - Rich particularly enjoyed his sausage and orecchiette pasta, and the food was reasonably priced.
Although Italian food in Hong Kong ranked high on our list, we also experienced great meals in Asian restaurants. Thai food is popular in Hong Kong, and we really liked several places. One was an inexpensive but reliable place simply called "Thai Food". I especially liked the beef curry there. The other Thai place was named Chachawan. This was a Northern Thai place near us that had very different food than we have previously eaten in Thai restaurants. Rich had a delicious baked chicken dish. My favorite there was actually a dessert that was recommended by the guy sitting at the table next to us. It was a dessert with small custard filled doughy buns with a cinnamon/coconut sauce - very yummy! This place was a very popular spot with locals and tourists.
Another spot that we enjoyed on both this visit and our previous visit is a place interestingly named Ho Lee Fook. This is a fusion Cantonese/Chinese restaurant that was the "in" restaurant 4 years ago and remains so now. It is never quick to get a seat in this place, and they do not allow reservations for two people. So, you go and put your name on the list, grab a drink at a nearby bar, and wait for a text for when your seat is available. Fortunately, Ho Lee Fook has consistently great food and and is a top people watching spot, so it is worth the hassle. We had several delicious dishes, including garlic Asian noodles and goose, the specialty of the house.
We also ate at an amazing variety of less expensive places, as well as enjoying good seafood and desserts. Since there were so many, I have listed some other favorite eating establishments in Hong Kong under different categories:
Best seafood: Grouper for lunch at a place on Lamma Island - This was a delicious surprise for both of us - beautifully prepared in Asian style spices.
For Rich: Mackerel in Kowloon - Rich had a very good piece of mackerel on a trip to the Temple Street Night Market in Kowloon. It was cooked perfectly and very fresh. Unfortunately, I did not get a meal that night except for a little cabbage, beer, and a piece of coconut cake at Starbucks. But I am glad that Rich had a great meal. Next time, I will order the mackerel!
Best breakfast: for me: Oolaa - I loved this place; Rich liked it but was not quite as enthusiastic. This place was very busy, and had a great selection of typical western breakfast egg dishes and pastries. I love the scrambled eggs with asparagus, cheese, and mushrooms, cooked to perfection. And, of course, Earl Grey tea!
Best takeout food: La Rotisserie - A French takeout food establishment and reasonably priced. We had food here twice, once being for lunch on my birthday - my request. The roasted chicken was to die for, and the potato salad and roasted potatoes are as good as any I have had!
Biggest surprise: Seoul Bros - Korean- This was a great discovery, very close to us. Quick service fast food. We had chicken and fries, as well as chicken wings and a corn dish. The fries were the best I had in Hong Kong. Cheap and good!
To Elaine, Fred, Brenda, Gloria, and any other Chapel Hill grad that was there in the early 70's - this place was as fast as the Carolina Grill!
Best dessert: This is an important category for me, since I make a lot of them. Rich really enjoyed the excellent black forest cake that we got from a bakery on Des Voeux St. I do not remember the name, unfortunately. (This was on my birthday, and since I turned 67, I don't remember much). As for me, I loved the lemon tart from a bakery called Levain, in the PMQ (Police married quarters), not far from our apartment. The lemon tart was simply delicious! This place was the best bakery overall that we experienced, and also had delicious bread. I made numerous trips there just to get bread (yeah, right!)
Honorable mentions: Chocolate lava cake special from Starbucks on Christmas, and the Haagen-Dazs matcha ice cream (stronger flavor than in the USA).
Best Bar: There were certainly many great bars in Hong Kong, particularly in the Central district. But hands down, our favorite place was Globe. I had written about this place on our last visit to Hong Kong. It is an English pub, with what Rich says is the biggest selection of beers that he has ever seen. Although the beers were not necessarily the quality of our Asheville beers, they were still good, and this place is comfortable, friendly, and always crowded with Chinese and English locals as well as tourists. Globe was very close to our place, which also made it very convenient. It was like our little touch of "Cheers"!
Best Cheap Restaurant: There are so many good, reasonably priced places to eat in Hong Kong, that these are just a couple to consider. Rich really enjoyed a place called Bep, a little Vietnamese place, as well as a place called Pho Woo. Pho Woo had plenty of noodle dishes, which Rich lives for, and good Vietnamese fare as well. We came here twice, including our last night in Hong Kong for a quick, great comfort food meal.
My personal favorite was a place where we ate our very first meal in Hong Kong, called Souper Authenic. This place is known for its creative, cheap soups, but there were plenty of other foods to choose from as well. This is a no frills place with quick service and satisfying food. After 25+ hours of traveling and settling in, I wanted something filling and quick. We were actually looking for another place, but happened upon Souper Authenic, which was a 5 minute walk from our house. I ordered the beef noodles, Hong Kong style. They were fresh and delicious, and exactly fit the bill for what I was craving. We went back a second time and talked with the owner about how much we enjoyed the place. He then proceeded to bring us various samples from the menu for us to try. We couldn't believe his kindness, and later realized that this kindness is what we would routinely experience from the people of Hong Kong. But that is a story for another day!
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