Is there any better city in which to be a foodie than Hong Kong? Not only can we claim a local cuisine that ranks among the best in the world and countless international restaurants representing almost every nation on Earth, but we also have the wonders of practically every regional Chinese cooking style right on our doorstep. We asked four of the city’s most noted connoisseurs to choose their favourite foods from the Motherland, and tell us where they go to get their fix close to home – plus our picks of the best of the rest. By Angie Wong, Leeza Mangaldas and Kawai Wong. Portraits by Calvin Sit

Sichuan

 

Walter Kei Hong Kong’s favourite foodie has his signature smile plastered practically everywhere in Hong Kong, from the MTR to the Great Food Hall, in his quest to promote the dining culture here. He tells us about his favourite spots to burn his tongue on Sichuan delights.

San Xi Lou (三希樓)
“I like their dishes and their hot pot. My favourites are the fried chilli chicken and beef cooked in hot pot.” 7/F, Coda Plaza, 51 Garden Rd, Mid-Levels, 2838 8811.

Golden Valley (駿景軒)
“They are famous for their super spicy hot pot and superstar clients such as Aaron Kwok.” 1/F, The Emperor Hotel, 1 Wang Tak St, Happy Valley, 2961 3330.

BaShe Peasts The Entire Fish (巴蜀烤全魚)
“The cheapest and the best in my opinion. They keep it simple – grilled fish, rice, noodles. That’s all. With Sichuan food, it’s the sauces that matter and they do it right here. Recommended dish: ‘Mouthwatering chicken’ with cumin seed powder.” G/F, 65-67 Woo Shung St, Yau Ma Tei, 2388 6867.

Luen Kei Chuen Wong Noodles (聯記川王涼粉)
“Small and most authentic in Hong Kong. If you want the real taste of Sichuan, This is the place to go.” G/F, 1 Whampoa St, Hung Hom, 2127 7559.

Little Chilli (小辣椒)
“They serve noodles and casual meals here. The owner is from Sichuan province and he was repeatedly sued by his neighbors for the strong smells coming out of his restaurant. But he refused to change his recipes or compromise his flavours, so he moved to another location.” 33 North Point Rd, North Point, 2571 9822.

Hunan

Like Sichuan, Hunanese cuisine is famous for its tongue-singeing spiciness. Here are Time Out’s recommendations for Hunan spots that should light your fire.

Hunan Garden (洞庭樓)
For those whose taste buds are looking for a fiery chili ride, Hunan Garden serves authentic dishes such as Hunan deep-fried prawns in chili sauce, fish fillets with fried mince bean, as well as new hot casseroles. The taro-azuki bean parcel is a fine way to wrap things up. 3/F, The Forum, Exchange Sq, Central, 2868 2880.
 
Fat Boy Hunan (肥仔湘川菜)
Expect homemade cooking here, just like you’re Hunanese mother used to make . The sweet and sour noodles with pork intestine or tofu packs a punch that’s not for the faint-hearted, and don’t miss the bamboo shoots with fried preserved meat. Not much English spoken here. G/F, 81 Woosung St, Jordan, 2736 6603.

Fresh Noodles (鮮粉人家)
The hot and sour noodles are a steal here at $12, while the thin potato noodles come in a dark chilli broth garnished with minced pork, coriander and peanuts. G/F, Unit A57, San Po Kong Plaza, 33 Shung Ling St, San Po Kong, no phone.

Lou Wai Lou (樓外樓)
Mouth-watering chicken, hot chili frogs, water-broth fish... you name it, this place has got it. Shop 23 Glorious Garden, Lung Mun Road, Tuen Mun, 2453 9393.

China Land Restaurant (湘川滬)
Fresh water fish is the focus at this Hunan-Sichuan restaurant. Try the steamed perch with mashed soy beans or the bandit crab, stir fried with chili and ginger. 7/F, Grand Century Place, 193 Prince Edward R. West, Mong Kok, 2397 7829

Chiu Chow

Chef Margaret Xu, owner of Yin Yang restaurant in Ship Street, Wan Chai, is sometimes called the Alice Waters of Chinese cooking. She pioneered organic cooking here long before it was in vogue and has taught Hong Kong diners to slow down and chew their food. She tells us her top five Chiu Chow places.

Pak Loh Chiu Chow Restaurant (百樂潮州酒樓)
“I went there with my parents when I was a little girl. This was my first delicious Chiu Chow experience. The best preserved olive relish that I’ve ever had. Fantastic traditional fried spinach with dried sole and cold crab.” 23-25 Hysan Avenue, Causeway Bay, 2576 8886.

Chong Fat (創發潮州飯店)
“It is one of the oldest Chiu Chow restaurants in Kowloon, and the food is very authentic. Must haves are the cold fish platter, which is the real deal because it includes delicious bony fish that other restaurants shy away from; bitter gourd and soy bean soup with pork ribs; Chiu Chow dim sum – more translucent than Cantonese dim sum with cases made from rice paste and tapioca and filled with vegetables; and fish balls made from all kinds of fish.” G/F, 60-62 South Wall Rd, Kowloon City, 2383 3114.

Shun Kee Chiu Chow Restaurant (順記潮州飯店)
“Another older restaurant in Kowloon City, Shun Kee has lots of interesting Chiu Chow ‘tapas’, such as baby fish coated in plum wine glaze.” G/F, 41 Nam Kok Rd, Kowloon City, 2718 7737.

Chiu Mei Ku (潮味居)
“This place has a very good chef that comes over from a nearby Chiu Chow restaurant. Great craft in the flavours.” Shop D & E, 2-16A Bowrington Rd, Bowring Building, Wan Chai, 2834 6669.

Shung Hing Chiu Chow Restaurant (尚興潮州飯店)
“I like it because it’s got the most traditional seasonal flavours, such as fried baby mussels with basil, that you don’t get in other Chiu Chow restaurants.” G/F, 29 Queen’s Rd West, Sheung Wan, 2854 4557.

Hakka

Closely associated with Guangdong, like Chiu Chow, Hakka is another cuisine that is well represented in Hong Kong. Here are Time Out’s picks of the bunch.

Hakka YeYe (客家爺爺)
A sleek modern take on authentic Hakka cuisine, improbably situated on Wyndham Street, this elegant eatery hits all the classic notes. They fry up the usual smoky chicken wings, crispy pork nuggets, and braised pork belly with preserved vegetables, but all the dishes here are handled with care. Try the golden pumpkin coated with salted egg yolk – exquisite. 2/F, Parekh House, 63 Wyndham St, Central, 2537 7030.

Siu Shun Village Cuisine (肇順名匯河鮮專門店)
The only trouble with this authentic eatery is that you might fall in love with the mammoth sea creatures lazing around the tanks before you eat them; Siu Shun Village kills their wild seafood to order. Best known for their sea turtles, they also prepare an impressive variety of rare fish. We recommend the house special, crocodile turtle two-ways. Just be sure to give the kitchen four to five hours advance notice, as it takes hours to prepare the first course of turtle shell and claw soup. Shop 6, 7/F, MegaBox, 38 Wang Chiu Rd, Kowloon Bay, 2798 9738.

Chuen Cheung Kui (泉章居)
A Hong Kong institution for more than 60 years, expect to find a noisy, elbow-bumping atmosphere, very reasonable prices and unbearably good chicken at each of Chuen Cheung Kui’s outlets. The service has a less than stellar rep, but the salted Hakka chicken and ginger scallion chicken more than make up for that. 7-8/F, Phase 1, Causeway Bay Plaza I, 489 Hennessy Rd, Causeway Bay, 2577 3833; Shop E, 2/F & G/F, Lisa House, 33 Nelson St, Mong Kok, 2396 0672.

Hakka Delicious (客家好廚)
The approach here is bare bones, both in décor and on the plate. Don’t expect niceties; just grab a table and order up some salted chicken or braised pork belly once you can catch a waitress’s attention. Best for a cheap, meaty lunch on the go. Shop 102, Tin Tsz Shopping Centre, Tin Tsz Estate, Tin Shui Wai, 3401 9228.

Hak Ka Hut (客家好棧)
A great option for the bold and budget-minded. Aside from mouth-watering dishes such as baked chicken with puff pastry, deep fried pig’s intestine, and steamed pork belly with preserved vegetable, the prices here are very reasonable. The Trend Plaza, 1 Tuen Lung St, Tuen Mun, 2618 7008.

Peking

KC Gourmet is the restaurant reviewer everyone trusts. He was once a banker by day, secret restaurant sleuth by night, keeping his identity under wraps. But now that he’s quit his day job, he’s set to get a whole lot more visible. He picks his top spots for Peking cuisine.

Peking Garden (北京樓)
“Their noodles are made fresh, each day. This is wonderful to watch, and they’re delicious. The best in Hong Kong.” Shop B1, 1/F, Alexandra House, 16-20 Chater Rd, Central, 2526 6456.

Cheung Kee (祥記)
“Good Peking duck. I prefer it prepared in the old-style, in thin slivers, with the perfect balance of crispy skin, tender meat and melt-in-your-mouth fat.” G/F, 75 Lockhart Rd, Wan Chai, 2529 0707.

Spring Deer (鹿鳴春)
“The pig’s windpipe with coriander here is out of this world. The texture of windpipe is rubber-like, so it is softened with soda water. It is essential that windpipe is cut properly so that it’s not too chewy. It’s cut and prepared very delicately, so that when served it looks almost like beautiful pink flower petals.” 1/F, 42 Mody Rd, Tsim Sha Tsui, 2366 4012.

Tai Fung Lau (泰豐廔)
“Good lamb hot pot. They use a traditional charcoal stove which keeps the temperature of the stock constant so you don’t have to wait for it to reboil. The meat is cooked by lightly dipping it in boiling water repeatedly.” 29-31 Chatham Rd, Windsor Mansion, Tsim Sha Tsui, 2366 2494.
 
American Restaurant (美利堅京菜)
“Their cold dishes are authentic: strong in taste and big in portion. I like the marinated beef shanks, smoked soy-sheet rolls and also the hand-shredded chicken that comes with a dressing made of sweet soy bean sauce, chopped garlic and ginger. They are one of the few places that know to cut the duck in the traditional (and correct) way that lets you taste the crispy duck fat and the tenderness of the meat in each mouthful. The fried lamb and gong-pao shrimp are also not to be missed. Last but not least, don’t miss their scallion pancakes, just like those you can find in the market street stalls in Beijing.” G/F, 20 Lockhart Rd, Wan Chai, 2527 1000.

Yunnan

Yunnan province, in the southwest, borders on Myanmar, Vietnam and Laos, and is noted for the wide variety within its cuisine. Here are Time Out’s picks for a helping of Yunnan in Hong Kong.

Tam’s Shop (譚仔雲南米線)
Generously portioned authentic Yunnan rice noodles are the staple of this place. Choose spicy or clear soup to accompany the chewy noodles. A serving – chunky enough to feed two – comes with belly pork, fish balls, tofu, beef, soy skin and pickles, plus a mince meat condiment on the side. Pork loin slices with seasoned garlic is another must-eat item. G/F, 36 Jordan Rd, Jordan, 2302 0982.

Yunnan Rainbow (彩雲南)
Mushrooms are an important ingredient in Yunnanese cusine, and this place serves many rare varieties. Try the stir-fried Yunnan ham with porcini. Many restaurants have forsaken the central vent steam pot and the matsutake mushroom broth in making steam pot chicken, but not here. Wash the meal down with the house’s special – glutinous rice Pu’er tea. G/F, 18, Shelter Street, Causeway Bay, 2881 8992.

Yunnan Style (雲南風味過橋小鍋米線)
The food should more than distract you from the slightly tatty decor at this popular spot. There’s an enormous noodle menu, and you can mix and match toppings and soup to create your own favourite. Alternatively, try the $60 steam claypot-chicken. The essence of the dish lies in the cloud ear fungus beneath the chicken, which soaks up the chicken stock and the ginger onion marinade. The thickly battered deep fried chicken wings should ruin KFC for you forever. 134 Camp St, Sham Shui Po, 2361 5002.

Luk Kee (陸記正宗桂林米粉)
The triple pork rice – featuring roast crispy pork, braised smoky pork neck in sweet soy sauce and juicy minced pork – is a must-try here. If you’re all about the Yunnan noodles, make sure you ask for more peanuts and deep fried onion toppings, and if you’ve still got room, order up a brain-freezingly cold melt-in-the-mouth transparent grass jelly with condensed milk. Shop 2, G/F, 27-29 Yau San St, Yuen Long, 2479 8819.

Yunnan Guizhou & Sichuan Noodle (雲貴川風味)
Order your noodles then choose from the numerous toppings on the menu, such as hot chili marinated belly pork, master stock pork intestines or chicken wing tips. Expect a queue. G/F, 14 Sze Pei Square, Tsuen Wan, 2611 9769.

Shanghainese

Jason Bon Vivant has achieved the rank of “Pro Gourmet” on Openrice.com for all the critiques he has written on local restaurants. He also reviews restaurants for Time Out Hong Kong. Here are his picks for the best Shanghainese spots in town.

Kiangsu Chekiang and Shanghai Residents (HK) Association (香港蘇浙同鄉會餐廳)
“It’s quite unfortunate that this place is members only, but it is well known for its food quality. They offer some simple home dishes. Maybe it’s because it is a private establishment that the quality can be consistent.” 3/F & 4/F, Manning House, 38-48 Queen’s Rd, Central, 2526 3251.

Hong Kong Lao Shang Hai Restaurant (老上海飯店)
“One of the few remaining old school Shanghainese restaurants in Hong Kong that serves dishes the traditional way (relatively speaking of course). One of my favourites is the fried sweet sticky rice (煎八寶飯), which is a usually-flat and non-greasy pan-fried rice cake.” UG1, Novotel Hong Kong Century, 238 Jaffe Rd, Wan Chai, 2827 9339.

Ye Shanghai (夜上海)
“I like this place for its decor and the atmosphere. Upscale it may be but one would find the experience a pleasant one. The fried sweet sticky rice (煎八寶飯) is pretty good, not as dark in colour as other places but with strong aroma, and the sprinkled sugar is pink!  The xiao long bao can be quite good at times.” 6/F, Marco Polo Hongkong Hotel, 3 Canton Rd, Tsim Sha Tsui, 2376 3322.

Liu Yuan Pavilion (留園雅敘)
“At Liu Yuan Pavilion, one of my favourites would have to be the tea smoked eggs (燻蛋) with a perfectly soft-boiled yolk and great aroma.
The Golden Salty Egg Crispy Rice (鹹蛋黃窩巴) is another notable item worth trying.” 3/F, The Broadway, 54-62 Lockhart Rd, Wan Chai,
2804 2000.

Taiwanese

Whatever your views on Taiwanese independence, the cuisine is one of the best-represented in Hong Kong, hence its inclusion here. These are five of Time Out’s favourites.

Shilin Taiwan Shop (士林台灣麵)
Tender beef brisket is the star of this compact restaurant. The beef comes with noodles in a rich soup, boiled with the freshest beef bone and meat for 16 hours, and simmered for three days before serving.  The noodles (smooth, al dente) are sourced from Taiwan, and best served as dry noodles tossed in a clear chicken soup. G/F, 9 Fu Shing Building, Sai Ching St, Yuen Long, 2477 9775.

Seam Eett Taiwan Noodles (西門町台灣麵食)
Hidden behind the Ladies Market is this small home-style joint featuring traditional and innovative Taiwanese dishes including deep-fried squid balls, braised pork ribs, and rice with minced meat. G/F, Unit 2N, Hung Kwong Bldg, 2 Tung Choi St, Mong Kok, 2332 4673.

Big Wife Noodle (大婆牛肉麵)
The salty chicken rice is the dish to go for here; the skin is well-seasoned and the meat is good-quality. The beef tendon noodles in beef broth may not be the most authentically Taiwanese version you’ll ever taste, but are worth a mention. Set meals are available from $40. G/F, 5-9 Fuk Lo Tsun Rd, Kowloon City, 2718 2889.

Wah Tat Taiwan Snack (華達台灣小食)
Try the juicy and mince-laced ‘Shark Ball’ and the pork intestine in clear noodle soup at this neighbourhood joint. Shop 32, G/F, Fullview Garden Shopping Centre, 18 Siu Sai Wan Rd, Chai Wan, 2505 6789.

Din Tai Fung (鼎泰豐)
This Taiwanese institution is so confident of their xiao long bao that you can watch the chefs at work through a glass window. Xiao long bao may be Shanghainese in origin, but this place is close to claiming the dish for Taiwan with their consistently perfect servings. The spring onion stirred noodles are also worth a try. Shop 130, 3/F, Silvercord, 30 Canton Rd, Tsim Sha Tsui, 2730 6928.