1. Deep fried black chicken with 10,000 Sichuan chillis, Shui Hui Ju
You’d never know that under all the bright white feathers of these birds there’s a pitch-black skin. Tender? Not really. Moist? Well… Meaty? Skinny actually. But that’s not the point. The draw is that it hides underneath 10,000 chilli pods and flower pepper s. The triple smattering of chillis sticks well to the meat and gives otherwise fairly bland chicken pieces lots of flavour and death-spice. Though deep fried, there’s no oily finish and the topping of garlic chips finishes it off perfectly. $188. G/F, 68 Peel St, Soho, 2869 6927.

2. Spicy beef soup, “Grandma’s Korean Kitchen” Joon Ko Restaurant
Grandma ain’t playin’. She doesn’t care who you are; if you’re coming to her restaurant, then you’re going to have what she wants you to eat. She’s been here 28+ years and she serves up a mean spicy beef soup. The stone pot carries succulent slabs of beef brisket happily swimming in fiery red chillis, bean sprout ,and egg soup. More intimidating than it looks, the sweet brisket somehow holds its flavour among the sea of red. $90. G/F, 209 Jaffe Rd, Wan Chai, 2827 9287.

3. Liang Mian, Sijie Sichuan
Never would you think such a nondescript platter of cold instant noodles could hurt so much. This dish is for the brave; not macho brave, but death-by-spice brave. The slippery, slurpy noodles are dressed in chilli oil, chillis, and peppercorns. Then they sit awaiting their unsuspecting victim. As you’ll discover, there’s a reason for the box of Kleenex on the table. $50. Unit 289, 2/F, Kowa Bldg, 285-291 Lockhart Rd, Wan Chai, 2802 2250.

4. Chilled sago cream with mango and pomelo, Fan Hau Dessert
Victoria Seafood and Spring Moon may claim to have the best “city” versions of this dessert (yeung chi gum lo in Chinese) but people are flocking all the way to Yuen Long for a humble shop's creation. Fan Hau Dessert is across from a very famous neighbour, B Tsai Leung Fun (also known for its fruity desserts), but the use of copious amounts of fresh mangoes makes this classic chilled Chinese sweet classic a standout. $23. 59C Yau san Street, Yuen Long, 2470 2376.

5. Red velvet cupcake, Sift 
As the cupcake craze has swept the globe (thanks Sex and the City) so many people get it wrong with dry, cloying, and leaden examples. Thankfully, none of these adjectives describe the cupcakes at Sift. Their red velvet cakes use a light Valrhona cocoa base with a hint of Madagascar bourbon vanilla. It's then dyed red and topped with a Madagascar bourbon vanilla cream cheese frosting. It’s happiness in four bites. $20. G/F, Dominion Center, 49 -53 Queen's Road East, Wan Chai, 2528 0084.

6. Pecan Pudding with toffee Cream Sauce, Lucy’s Stanley
Southside residents trying to avoid the waterfront crush of Stanley have been visiting Lucy’s for seasonal cooking for years. Those looking for dessert nirvana haven’t been far behind. Lucy’s pecan pudding offers wonderful contrasts in tastes and textures: an outer layer studded with pecans leads to a warm rich toffee center. It is so moist the sauce served with it is almost unnecessary, but we’re not complaining. $70. G/F, 64 Stanley Main St, Stanley, 2813 9055.

7. Honey Crunch Chiffon Cake, Starbucks
Dare we say that this mass-produced sponge cake is better than all the other honey crunch cakes in town? Yeah, in fact we'll put money on it. $28 per slice. Citywide.

8. Veggie meal, Gitone Fine Arts
The assortment of crunchy, braised, marinated, poached, or fried appetisers here alone could fill you up. Think marinated cucumbers, soy braised eggplant rings, crunchy cold dip veggies, and ‘vegetarian’ duck to name but a few. And that’s only the starters. A lovely superior-stock-braised, enoki-mushroom-stuffed bamboo shoot is among our favourites from the mains. All this is served inside a Zen-like pottery and painting studio. $380pp. G/F, 27-28 Lei King Wan, 45 Tai Hong St, Sai Wan Ho, 2527 3448.

9. Crab with dried chillis, Chilli Fargaro 
Your eyes will cry, your nose will run, and your throat will tickle, but it’s all a part of the experience. A 1kg US crab is broken up into bite-sized pieces then placed on a bed of Sichuan chillis and garlic chips. Under the Bridge, eat your heart out. $600. 51A Graham St, Soho, 2869 3330.

10. Taro dumplings at Din Tai Fung
Din Tai Fung may be best known for their Taiwanese xiao long bao, but these six dumplings made us cry with joy. The soft doughy ball filled with creamy taro will satisfy even those who don’t normally like desserts. The not-too-sweet filling and almost al dente texture of the wrapper makes this a must-try for foodies looking for something out of the ordinary. Six dumplings for $33. 3/F, Silvercord, 20 Canton Rd, Tsim Sha Tsui, 2730 6928.

11. Congee hot pot, Sun Gau Kee Chosen by Amy Ma, food writer
“Three words: congee hot pot. Unlike a traditional hot pot, here every item cooks gently until just tender and is coated with a gleaming layer of congee seasoned with scallions and pickled cabbage. The pork meatballs with salted fish are freshly made daily, as are the fish balls, which have preserved tangerine skin in them. My friends brought their own seafood – peeled shrimps and scallops. Cold drinks. A few packets of tissue. Amen.” $40 for initial pot of congee, prices vary depending on dishes order. You can also bring in your own seafood for the hotpot. 9 Tai Wan Tong St, Wan Chai, 2865 2827.

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Angels & Demons
The Bored Tongue
Weird & Wonderful
Around the World Comforts