Category: City: Hong Kong

A popular dim sum place in Sheung Wan: Dim Sum Square

Warning: “popular” used in the title does not necessarily mean good. It just means that this is a place that is usually crowded. There are even people queuing on weekends, but I personally do not get it. I ended up at Dim Sum Square a couple of times mostly because I did not have much time before going to the airport.

The visit

Contrary to what you may find on some websites, the entrance is not on Hiller Street (perhaps the official address), but on Jervois street.

Even on a weekend during the protests of 2019, the place was pretty crowded. But no line. I could see a lot of tourists in the crowd.

Ordering was pretty easy thanks to a bilingual menu.

I had their siu mai with crab roe. It was just ok. It did not taste particularly fresh even if it was supposed to be steamed on order (and do not get me wrong, I am sure it was, just the result was not remarkable).

The rice rolls with mixed vegetables were ok.

I tried something different, a osmanthus flower coconut milk cake. It was basically a jelly cake. It was interesting.

The “lava buns” with creamy custard were difficult to eat, with the filling that was too hot.

The check

I spent 100 HKD (12.75 USD). Tea, as usual, was included, but there was a small cover charge (4 HKD). For what I got, it was actually not cheap.

The dishes were not bad, but just regular. I think a random cafeteria could do the same. I really do not understand all the rave reviews, unless they are coming from clueless tourists. I do not know, maybe I was put off by the touristy environment. but I found this place just average.

Places like Sun Hing or Three Minus One Restaurant are way better and less expensive. No reason for me to go back.

Where in Hong Kong:
G/F, 88 Jervois Street, Sheung Wan.

Sun Hing, classic Hong Kong dim sum

Dim Sum in Hong Kong can range from modern refined luxurious venues with waiters in white gloves and where people speak softly for no apparent reason to noisy diners where you will most likely end up sharing the table with strangers and where you will need to compete with other guests to grab the latest dishes flying out from the kitchen. Sun Hing falls into the latter category. An authentic experience that was recommended to me by a local friend.

The visit

Sun Hing is located in the Western district. It is the store with the pinkish sign in the photo above. It is a couple of blocks down Kennedy Town metro station and further down do not miss the view of the harbor. As most of these traditional dim sum joints, it is open from the early morning to just after lunch time (in this case, to be precise, from 3am to 4pm). At peak lunch time (noon to one) a queue is quite normal.

I arrived before noon and I did not have to wait long. I was seated in a table near the entrance that I would soon share with two unrelated senior citizens. The staff helped me to wash the bowl and cutlery with hot tea, a tradition in Hong Kong and Guangzhou.

They have a bilingual menu, but only on the wall… it can be a good idea to take a picture and use it to point what you want to order, just in case your Cantonese is rusty.

Honestly I am not sure how I got my dishes… it was mix of pointing, nodding, and smiling. The best is to just look at what is coming out from the kitchen and go for the freshest dishes available. A number of dim sum baskets are always available in a corner of the cramped and lively dining room.

My first dish was a selection of their fried dim sum. They were delicious. The best was the fried milk dim sum, absolutely sensational.

I had to have a second one.

The classic suo mai was solid.

The other classic, the shrimp dumplings (har gar) were rich and almost transparent, which is a good sign.

The big dumplings with minced meat were one of the signature dim sum dishes of the store. If not mistaken I had one with pork meat.

The check

It is just a pity that I could not taste more dishes. But what I had was filling, fresh, and tasty. I did not mind the noisy surrounding. The staff was friendly and compassionate with the only foreigner in the shop. A very nice experience.

The mysterious check indicated just around 10 USD. A steal.

For a more relaxed experience you can also consider my other favorite old school dim sum in Hong Kong, Three Minus One Restaurant. However Sun Hing should not be missed.

Where in Hong Kong:
Shop C, G/F, 8 Smithfield Road, Kennedy Town, Western District.

Hong Kong’s own luxury izakaya: Ronin

From the same founder of Yardbird, Ronin brings a high-end izakaya experience to Hong Kong with researched and innovative dishes based on Japanese ingredients.

I have been a couple of times and I liked the atmosphere. Here’s a write-up of my most recent visit in September 2019.

The visit

Ronin is located behind an unmarked black door in a non-descript building in Soho. It might be a bit difficult to find for first-timers. It is a long and narrow dining venue (similar to Okra Kitchen).

I had a reservation made on their website for the first turn and I showed up right at the opening at 6pm. There were already a few customers waiting outside. By the time I left the place was full (see picture above).

The best seats are at the counter and once again I was assigned seat number 1 at the end of the counter. As usual staff was friendly and very keen to discuss the dishes and make recommendations. The menu is divided in three parts: raw (sashimi), smaller (kind of appetizers), and bigger (dishes suitable for sharing among two people). While the menu is one-pager, there is enough choice to keep you pondering. I initially ordered one item from each category and then added an additional dish from the “smaller” dishes (the crabs).

I was offered a small appetizer with wakame (a type of edible seaweed) and dashi stock before starting with my dishes.

My first dish was two portions of sashimi. aji and kanpachi. The kanpachi came with a very nice sauce made out of Japanese long onion (negi). In general, all of their sashimi was carefully paired with sauces and dressings.

Then I tried their monaka burger. Monaka (a kind of Japanese wafer) is very popular in high-end restaurants nowadays, but this was the first time I saw it used as a burger bun. Meat was from Kagoshima.

My main dish was their quail deep-fried with sansho pepper and orange. This was an exquisite piece of meat.

Finally I tried their Sawagami crabs. This is a small freshwater crab from Japan, quite rare outside their homeland. Their were deep fried, but I expected them to be more tender. They were crunchy, but also very hard. The dish was less pleasant than expected.

The check

The check was 790 HKD, exactly 100 USD and a few dimes. Overall it was a pleasant experience, service was good and the ingredients top-shelf. There were some touches of creativity that made the menu unique (like the monaka burger).

As I mentioned for Okra, unfortunately the value proposition of these luxury restaurants in Hong Kong is problematic, even if I have to admit that it has its own original vibe.

Where in Hong Kong:
8 on Wo Lane (the black door!).
Website: https://roninhk.com/.

Late night dinner at Okra, Hong Kong

I ended up at Okra because I needed a kitchen open till late that could feed me after participating to an event. Okra staff answered my inquiry on their Facebook page and reassured me that the kitchen would be open until 11pm on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. That was a good beginning.

Okra Kitchen is a modern izakaya offering Japanese food with innovative elements. The Hong Kong restaurant I visited is a spin-off of Okra 1949 in Beijing and is headed by an American chef. They also have a room for omakase upstairs operating under called Okra Bar (but I rarely consider sushi omakase outside Japan).

The visit

I arrived at around 10pm and I was seated at the counter. The chair was reasonably comfortable. They have a delicious menu, a one-pager with few items, but more than simple snack food. There was more than enough for a good late dinner. They also had an impressive sake menu, but not something I am into.

My first dish was the eel and foie gras. On the plate the house made fresh water eel, honey miso duck liver and sanbaizu vinegar were all nicely arranged. It was nice, but also a very small portion.

Then I had their yellowtail sashimi with tofu skin (yuba), garlic oil and ponzu. I appreciated the pairing between sashimi and tofu.

Then I had their “pollo loco”. Wow, this was an incredibly good sandwich. It included a whole marinated thigh and leg (boneless) on Okinawan purple sweet potato toast with fresh cabbage & Crystal sauce. It was just perfect. A great homage to the art of the Japanese sandwich (sando).

Finally I had their Koji rice pudding with aged tangerine peel condensed hon mirin and seasonal fruit. Honestly I did not like this dessert.

The check

The check was 646 HKD (82.5 USD). That was expensive, especially considered that only one dish really stood out. Unfortunately the price point of this kind of restaurants in Hong Kong is problematic. It is natural to compare these izakaya with Ronin, they seem to cater to the same public, in the same area of Hong Kong, and in a fairly similar venue. I liked the service at Ronin more; at the cost of sounding a jerk I will mention that one of the staff members at Okra was almost oppressive, asking me if everything was good several times. Ronin perhaps has a bit more choices and is more focused on seafood, but the two venues are comparable.

Where in Hong Kong:
110 Queen’s Road West, G/f.
Website: http://www.okra.kitchen/.

A “Neighborhood” restaurant in Soho (Hong Kong)

Lured by its inclusion in the list of Asia’s 50 best restaurants (2019), during my September 2019 trip to Hong Kong I made a reservation at Neighborhood, a bistro hidden in Soho. It is listed on some websites as a “French” restaurant, but the chef-owner, David Lai, plays also with Italian and Spanish recipes and ingredients.

The visit

I established contact with the restaurant on their Facebook page, then they asked for my mobile and we exchanged a couple of text messages to pinpoint a reservation. I was warned that I would get a bar chair, that was fine since I was alone.

The restaurant has an unassuming front in an alley.

The restaurant technically is located on Hollywood road, but you won’t find it there… rather you have to look for the nearby Man Hing Lane (shown above).

I was initially seated at the bar as expected. After 10 minutes one of my leg was numb… it was really an uncomfortable chair and luckily after some begging I was moved to a normal table.

I already knew that the menu changes frequently. I was a bit disappointed that the menu I was handed was remarkably shorter than others I saw online. The most interesting dish would have required a pre-order. Yet, there were some attracting dishes and the ingredients seemed to be handpicked.

My first order was an appetizer, Spanish salami that came with a fantastic ciabatta bread (apparently they buy the bread from a nearby award-winning French restaurant, Belon).

My first dish was a delicious beef tartar with salmon roe. The addition of salty fish eggs gave a nice touch to the overall flavor.

Meantime I was offered a complimentary dish: some grilled bell-peppers. Very nice.

My last dish was handmade garganelli (a type of pasta) with an interesting combination of spicy scallop skirts and beef tripe. It was quite spicy (I would say Korean style), but very good.

With the check, I was offered a complimentary French pastry.

The check

The final check was 610 HKD (78 USD) for three courses. Not outrageous and the food in the end was good. This was a luxury casual restaurant. If I was living in Soho and I was a millionaire, I would make it my kitchen. At the same time I feel I missed something since I could have planned my dinner in a more effective way if I had seen the menu beforehand. If you go, ask them to send you the menu, when available.

Where in Hong Kong:
G/F, 61-63 Hollywood Road, Soho, Central.
(But look for Man Hing Lane.)

Kakigori experience in Hong Kong with Shari Shari

Kakigori is the Japanese shaved ice dessert. Like its Korean and Taiwanese counterparts, it comes with various toppings. Hong Kong now has its own Kakigori house, opened by a Japanese gentleman that is importing even the ice blocks from Japan to ensure authenticity. I visited the original shop in Soho on a quiet September 2019 afternoon.

The visit

The original shop is on a lively street in Soho, easy to reach using the Central-Mid Levels Escalator.

It is a small place, but tastefully decorated and with a few seats. I heard of queues… but at the time of my visit (just after opening time, 1.30pm) I was the only customer. Weekend protests may have played a role.

I ordered the strawberry kakigori with a topping of Mikan oranges. Other flavors included pineapple and coconut milk, honey lemon, pink guava, mango lassi, Japanese tofu. The menu indicated green tea, strawberry with panna cotta, and earl gray milk tea as the store’s best sellers. There was also a list of extra toppings could also be added at a cost to customize your kakigori.

On the menu, they also had some other Japanese sweets such as a yuzu cheesecake, wagashi, and Hokkaido chocolate and cheese souffles. Some tea seats were also available.

The ice was fluffy and there was enough syrup trickling down the ice. They did not provide any extra syrup in a separate cup as it is often the case in these establishments. Yes, it was very authentic!

The check

The kakigori I ordered was 85 HKD (10.85 USD). It is a pretty standard price for a kakigori that could be shared between two people. The kakigori on the menu ranged from 85 to 100 HKD. It is, however, impressive to see the price increase from 2016 reading this other review.

It was a pleasant experience.

Where in Hong Kong:
G/F, 47 Staunton Street, Soho, Central.
In Chinese: 中環蘇豪士丹頓街47號地舗.
There is another branch in 14 Haven Street, Causeway Bay (in case you do not like the idea to climb up to Soho).

Tasting delicious fusion dishes at Man Mo Dim Sum

Man Mo Dim Sum is the brainchild of Swiss-born restaurateur Nicolas Elalouf who wanted to create a fusion menu reflecting the multiplicity of Eastern and Western influences blending in Hong Kong. Dim Sum dishes were chosen as the target for this experimentation and the menu was created with the help of chefs boasting Robuchon and Ding Tai Fung pedigrees. The result is a charming bistro located in Upper Lascar Row (also known as Cat Street) behind the stalls of a curio market. It has been operating since 2014.


The visit

I had a chance to try the restaurant with three friends from Hong Kong on a quiet weekday in September. We arrived quite late, but it is an all day dining venue, so it was not an issue.

The restaurant offers different types of seating: bar chairs on the left, normal chairs/bench on the right, and a couple of armchairs and sofas on the front. Service was very friendly and they went above and beyond finding for us the right seating arrangement.

The set lunch menu attracted our attention. It was perfect to get an introduction to the restaurant.

The hot dish of the day was a delicious rice with chicken.

The bao (Chinese burger) was snack-size, filled with meat, and came with Thousand Island sauce that could be injected inside the bun with the dispenser.

Then we all chose different dim sum dishes to experience the menu. The first was a crispy wonton with shrimp. Quite good, it was the most traditionally-crafted piece of dim sum of the meal.

The ratatouille dumplings were quite interesting. Definitely good, but I would have expected more flavor coming from the ratatouille.

Then there was a very tasty dumpling with goat cheese.

Finally, included in the set menu, there was a chicken dumpling I did not taste.

We also added the foie gras xiao long bao. It was universally appreciated around the table and the foie gras flavor was distinct. I need to note that the skin of this dumpling was thicker than usual xiao long bao.

The set menu also included a dessert. Two of us chose a Nutella ball, resembling a local dish, but with a heart of Italian spread.

Other desserts tried by the group were Bun Tatin and Hong Kong style lemon tart.

The check

The final check was 865 HKD (110 USD) that included the extra foie gras xiao long bao. The individual cost for the set menu was 156 HKD (around 20 USD). All reasonable in the comfort of a nice environment.

Dim sum is everywhere in Hong Kong. This restaurant offers a nice variation on the theme and left me the desire to go back to text more dishes.

Where in Hong Kong:
Wah Koon Building, 40 Upper Lascar Row, Sheung Wan.
Website: manmodimsum.com.

A new Hong Kong’s favorite: Feather and Bone

Feather and Bone is a chain of butcheries cum groceries cum steakhouses that has become a new favorite for Hongkongers. All the times I have passed by a branch at dinner time I have always seen it jam-packed. In June 2019 finally I tried their Sai Ying Pun location.

The visit

I got one of the last tables available in the busy dining room part of the shop. They have burgers and a few other large plates such a linguine bolognese and chicken schnitzel, but the main attraction is the meat from the butcher counter. You can either choose the meat you want and pay by weight or go for their “butcher’s choice” or the more expensive “prime choice” for a selection put together by the chef.

The selection included chorizo, pork sausage, lamb chop, and a good portion of rib-eye steak. Now, if you look at the pictures above you will see a lot of meat… well… there was a mistake and they brought me meat for two people but only charged for my single order. Sadly I could not finish everything. This kind of situation happens only once in a lifetime.

The meat was good, not extraordinary, but good. Perhaps only the sausages were not on par with the rest.

I also had a burrata that was very fresh.

A side dish and a sauce was included. I had mashed potatoes. If you are there for a small splurge, you may try their truffle mac & cheese.

Meat on display at the butcher’s counter.

They also have a selection of cheese.

And a section with more grocery and household goods.

The check

The butcher’s choice was 352 HKD per person. The more expensive fine choice was 572 HKD. Appetizers and other plates were quite expensive. My total check was 514.80 HKD (66 USD) that of course was a steal for the double ration. For a regular portion was still an acceptable price point. I can see why it is so popular.

Where in Hong Kong:
See their website for un updated list of locations and online reservation: https://featherandbone.com.hk/pages/our-locations.

Western gourmet dishes in a Hong Kong food center

Similarly to hawker centers in Singapore, food centers in Hong Kong aggregate several vendors under one roof that serve cooked food. The food is usually local, but the Queen Street Cooked Food Centre in Sheung Wan offers a variety of international cuisines.

One of the stall is called ABC Kitchen (for “a better cooking”) and lore has it that it was started by a group of employees of the famous French restaurant M at the Fringe after its closure (incidentally, there is a M on Bund in Shanghai still open started by the same owner of the other M restaurant).

The visit

I went to the Food Center for lunch and it was pretty packed.

I found a spot at a table in front of the ABC Kitchen stall and the staff took the order at the table.

For lunch a tea or coffee is included and they have a number of specials, including a soup of the day.

The full menu was also available.

I took a plate of linguine pasta with duck breast and tomato sauce. It was quite good, the duck meat was very tender.

I added a fish pie. This dish was less interesting than expected. Bits of fish were mixed with potatoes mash and other ingredients.

Finally I had a chocolate parfait that turned out to be a slice of chocolate mousse with some fruit. On the menu they also had the pavlova, that is a signature of M restaurants.

Other restaurants in the center include a Thai, an Indian, a Pizzeria cum Kebab, and a few Chinese eateries.

The check

In the end I spent 204 HKD (26 USD) for this three course meal. There was no service charge for lunch, I believe there might be a service charge on evenings. For a food center this is quite expensive, but it was fun to have this kind of Western food in this casual setting. Some of the dishes on the menu can be quite pricey and I am not sure that I would dine there for dinner.

Where in Hong Kong:
Shop CF7, Food Market, 1 Queen St, Sheung Wan.
Website: www.abckitchen.com.hk.

Michelin-starred goose in Hong Kong: Yat Lok

Street food with Michelin stars always draws queues. Yat Lok is one of those places in Central. But if you go at odd hours, like at 10.30am or at 3pm, you might get a table in the small shop without too much wait. That’s what I did.

This is what the 2019 Hong Kong Michelin Guide has to say:

The signature roast geese glistening behind the window are marinated with a secret recipe and go through over 20 preparatory steps before being chargrilled to perfection. Char siu pork uses pork shoulder from Brazil for melty tenderness. Roast pork belly and soy-marinated chicken are also recommended. Expect to share a table with others. It’s been run by the Chus since 1957 and in this location since 2011.

The visit

Not much to say. I went for the classic, a quarter of goose with drumstick and some sweet iced tea.

The sauce was distinctly sweet, but in a good way. It was indeed quite unique, even if I am not sure that is something to deserve a long wait in line.

They also have other roasted meats, like pork and chicken.

On the menu they also sports some combination platters.

The check

I spent 185 HKD for the goose quarter and 19 for the iced tea, that’s 204 HKD or 26 USD. Whether it is worth or not, I leave it to your judgment.

Where in Hong Kong:
34-38 Stanley St, Central.
Tip: a Venchi ice cream shop is just in front of the restaurant.