On any given Friday or Saturday, Lan Kwai Fong is carpeted with drinkers, the smarter among them eating something pre-pint, while others turn to a midnight snack. Bread is unscientifically recommended as a way of soaking up any alcohol that hasn't already made it into the bloodstream, and in answer to that call, LKF's burger scene has long flourished.
The rolling turnover of burger joints that includes the recent demise of Atomic Burger has left two worthy of mention: Sidewalk, on Wing Wah Lane, and Gourmet Burger Union, below Hotel LKF by Rhombus on Wyndham Street.
To get to Sidewalk, formerly known as Cul de Sac, run the gauntlet of the restaurant touts waving menus, one of whom will be the infamous Elvis, who has been working this lane, shaking hands and flashing his infectious smile, since 2000. He has gone into business with Cul de Sac owner Canadian Neil Norman and Benjamin Fernandes, the previous manager of Indochine 1929, to run the renamed joint.
Sidewalk serves up the Philly cheese steaks and poutine (a French-Canadian dish of fries, gravy and cheese curds) for which Cul de Sac was long renowned. Its burger menu is a simple list of beef, lamb, chicken, fish or veggie for a rather hefty HK$78 each. The service is prompt and friendly, and the beef burger I order arrives looking as if it might justify the price tag. Served in a basket lined with paper, the burger's layers of lettuce, red onion, tomato and two large strips of gherkin are topped with the New Zealand beef patty, which is thin but fills the sesame-sprinkled, mild mustard coated bun. It doesn't have that home-made feel, but it's hot and tasty, and there's ketchup and spicy sauce on the table. Watch out for the watery juice that drips out as you eat - perhaps from well-washed, but not so well-drained, lettuce?
The poutine is served in a plastic dish, forks sticking up out of the gloop. This is extreme comfort food, even if you're not from Canada, and the curdy cheese turns to challenging strings as you lift a gravy-covered chip. The gravy tastes a bit as if it comes from the British packet mix Bisto, but the combination hits the spot.
What sets Sidewalk apart is its location. The small outlet has bar seating for those who want to eat inside, where a few lonely disco lights play on the ceiling. But outside, the high tables in the lane are perfect for people-watching. As the night wears on, its fun to watch increasingly inebriated punters walk up the hill from D'Aguilar Street. Our recommendation - sit on the uphill side of the tables, and not too close to the Middle Eastern restaurant next door, as there's something of a cacophonous play-off going on between the two restaurant's tunes.
Gourmet Burger Union doesn't have the luxury of outside seating, but perhaps that's not a bad thing, given the weekend chaos on Wyndham Street. Its high wooden tables and high stools may challenge those customers who are a little unsteady on their feet, and although the interior feels rather confining, it's appealingly rustic. The service is friendly but a tad offhand; the young waiting staff seem to know their stuff.