APTLY KNOWN AS Hong Kong's Back Garden, Sai Kung is the perfect escape from the concrete jungle. Lush vegetation, fresh air and clear water make it the ideal destination for outdoor adventures. But what's also worth exploring is its growing and diverse culinary scene.
Restaurateur Datta Susanta came to Hong Kong in 1993 after studying European cuisine in India. He opened Italiano six years ago, but his latest venture, the three-month-old Vietnamese-Malaysian restaurant, the Village, fills a niche. 'We have too many Thai, European and Chinese seafood restaurants [in the area] already, but not one Vietnamese or Malaysian, that's why I opened the Village,' he says. 'The name reflects the laid-back lifestyle we enjoy here. There's no need to worry about dress code. You can just bring your dogs and sit outside, grab a bite and have a beer.'
Susanta says he plans to update the menu with healthy Southeast Asian cuisine. Soft shell crab rolls, grilled lamb chops with Malaysian herbs, chicken rendang and roasted fish in banana leaf are some of his signature dishes. Dinner costs about $150 per person. 'In Sai Kung, pricing is very competitive,' he says. 'People who come here don't expect to pay much after a day of hiking.'
Susanta has lived in Sai Kung since 1995, back when Pepperonis was the only Italian restaurant, and the only other eateries were Susanna Steakhouse and several small Chinese fast-food places. The opening of Thai and European cafes started a culinary shift in 2000, and more changes came in 2004, when media reports about possible new resorts in Sai Kung caught the attention of restaurateurs. 'People started thinking Sai Kung would become the next big leisure playground and decided to move in before it got too expensive,' Susanta says. 'This raised rentals, but it never happened.'
The reports caught the eye of chef proprietor Welly Wong Chun-wai who says he's always looking for a challenge. He opened Chef Welly's Kitchen last September. 'I get bored if there's nothing more to learn at a work place. Every day becomes a stifling pattern. My personality certainly has contributed to my taking thirtysomething jobs in 10 years.'
Wong likes to integrate unusual ingredients into western-style creations. Chinese buffalo chicken wings, roasted strawberry barbecue pork ribs, and Shaoxing and honey-roasted spring chicken are listed next to more traditional dishes such as New Zealand mussels in white wine and raw tuna salad.