Kowloon City's grid of seven skyscraper-less streets is packed with tempting restaurants, groceries and delicatessens, making it a foodies' paradise.
In the era of Kai Tak International Airport, the district was better known for its Chiu Chow and Thai restaurants. As the area has become slightly more gentrified, the flavour has become more international.
Typically global is Manner Club de Gourmet (63 Fuk Lo Tsun Road, tel: 2383 8370). Enjoy the wine and Franche-Comte, Munster and Camembert cheeses, and foie gras from France or Italian truffle p?te and oils. How about Spain?
The shop's speciality is its Iberian ham, shoulders of which dangle in an overhead can-can. 'The 48-month ham usually sells for HK$9,000, and the 36-month version for HK$7,500,' the salesman says, pointing upwards perhaps in an ironic salute to the high prices.
In Hong Kong, Himalayan rock salt is a rarity outside high-end steakhouses. Here it comes in 'mini-boulders' - the idea is to place these on the dinner table with a small grater, so diners can help themselves (HK$298). About 20 doors down is Manner Fresh (81 Fuk Lo Tsun Road, tel: 2383 7711), an upscale restaurant by the same owner. The menu reads well, but the prices are in the same league as the hams.
At just three months old, the Sun Fine Food Company (shop 2, Fook Chi Building, 59-61 Nam Kok Road, tel: 3689 0745; sffc.com.hk ) is one of the newest arrivals to the district. The shop caters to Kowloon City's sophisticated palates; like many outlets here, it is stocked with upmarket items. Specialities include scallops, prawns and crab and prime cuts of meat such as sirloin, bacon, ham, prosciutto and salami. Local customers clearly know their food.