Favourite Hong Kong restaurants of fashion designer Enoch Ho

Founder of Berayah focuses on the food, not the decor or presentation, and likes it simple such as char siu in Wan Chai, tsukemen noodles in Sham Shui Po, and sushi handroll from a shop in Tsim Sha Tsui

Hong Kong dining & recommendations

Andrew Sun

Published: 8:03am, 31 Oct 2017

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I’m a foodie to the bone, but not for fancy food,more down-to-earth. I believe you need to exercise a bit of imagination to fully experience food, and I value authenticity and the food itself over environment and presentation.

Joy Hing Roasted Meat in Wan Chai. Photo: Dawson Wan

One of the things Hong Kong does better than anyone else is roasted meats and Joy Hing (265-267 Hennessy Road, Wan Chai, tel: 2519 6639) definitely serves one of the town’s best char siu.

Exterior of Kam Fung Cafe at Wan Chai. Photo: Felix Wong

Speaking of local foods, Hong Kong milk tea is a classic and I was fortunate to grow up drinking it at Kam Fung Restaurant (41 Spring Garden Lane, Wan Chai, tel: 2572 0526). They refrigerate their milk tea rather than simply adding ice, and it retains the rich creaminess without diluting it. Their pineapple buns – with butter, always with butter – are also incredible.

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My parents took me to Central Restaurant (Tung Lo Court, 140 Tai Po Road, Sham Shui Po, tel: 2777 6888) as a kid. The place has been around for half a century. Located in a residential building, it has served fantastic Cantonese dishes for decades. It’s a favourite with locals, especially the elderly. The salted chicken is the best.

Exterior of Islam food in Kowloon City. Photo: Sam Tsang

Among the incredible restaurants – mostly southeast Asian in Kowloon City, the beef patties of Islam Food (1 Lung Kong Road, Kowloon City, tel: 2382 2822) are incredibly flavourful, and the juices explode out of the thin crust.

Black tsukemen (dipping noodles) at Kakurega Ramen Factory in Sham Shui Po. Photo: Sam Tsang

The Kakurega Ramen Factory (Room 7083, 7/F, Dragon Centre, 37 Yen Chow Street, Sham Shui Po, tel: 3487 0989) was one of the first to serve tsukemen noodles in Hong Kong, long before everyone else. They’re tucked behind an Apple mall, yet still consistently have queues every night.

Many Koreans tell me the best Korean food is at Won Pung Won (Valiant Commercial Building, 22-24 Prat Avenue, Tsim Sha Tsui, tel: 2721 8730). They have authentic dishes most places don’t, such as kongguksu (noodles in chilled soy milk) and gamjatang (spicy pork bone stew). I once tried to order a doenjang jigae (fermented soybean stew) and the staff advised against it because I’m not Korean. They said I wouldn’t like it.

Mac and cheese with yolk and black truffle from Stone Nullah Tavern.

Another favourite is Stone Nullah Tavern (69 Stone Nullah Lane, Wan Chai, tel: 3182 0128) for superb fried chicken and mac & cheese.

For snacks, I like street-side siu mai at Mong Kok Road and Tung Choi Street for HK$3 (US$0.38) a skewer.

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Kung Wo Dou Bun Chong (118 Pei Ho Street, Sham Shui Po, tel: 2386 6871) has probably the best tofu fa dessert and soy milk. I often stop by when visiting fabric shops in Sham Shui Po.

There’s a Japanese shop with no English name at Shop 21B, New Mandarin Plaza, 14 Science Museum Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, tel: 3489 7027. It’s a sushi handroll shop that sells out of a window, perfect for a nightcap.

Lastly, the hot dog from Wing Lok Yuen (19 Chiu Lung Street, Central, tel: 2522 0965) is simple and brilliant. I always opt for two sausages.

Ho, designer of Berayah and BY Berayah, has a pop-up store at Kapok in PMQ until November 12

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