Favourite Hong Kong restaurants of PR director Kevin Lam, from a snake soup joint to deep fried Japanese and shochu

A fan of Cantonese cuisine, including baked lobster, Sinclair Communications director also likes deep-fried Japanese food, European chargrilled meat and seafood; his weekend favourite is a decadent dessert with a coffee

Hong Kong dining & recommendations

Kylie Knott

Published: 12:47pm, 20 Nov 2017

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food, as in life, I love exploring the road less travelled. I love going to new restaurants and always try to select the most interesting dishes. Hong Kong is such a commercial city, the rent is high, the cost of produce is high, and so I appreciate the bravery of chefs and restaurant owners who create dishes, even if they’re not profitable, that showcase their passion for food.

I love supporting local brands and that you can find just about any cuisine in Hong Kong, but I still believe the must-try cuisine is local food. Chuk Yuen Seafood Restaurant (3 Connaught Road West, Sheung Wan, tel: 2668 9638) has a 40-year history, and offers an authentic taste of Hong Kong. The owner says he was the first in Hong Kong to serve baked lobster with cheese sauce – I’m not sure how true this is, but I am sure that it’s one of the best in town.

Sensory Zero’s in-house coffee roasting machines.

Dining with friends is lovely, but when I need some me time, you’ll find me having an orange liqueur chocolate ganache with my coffee at Sensory Zero (Shop G014 Eslite Spectrum, Cityplaza, 18 Taikoo Shing Road, Tai Koo, tel: 3419 1133) at the weekend. This local brand has an unique interpretation of coffee, and is the perfect way to enjoy time on my own.

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I’m not usually a fan of deep-fried foods, but one Japanese deep fried restaurant in Causeway Bay has managed to change my mind. Hidden (Room D, 3/F Prosperous Commercial Building, 54 Jardine’s Bazaar, Causeway Bay, tel: 2504 1511) basically serves deep-fried foods only, in a typical Japanese style. The Japanese restaurant owner also has a wide selection of shochu, and every time I’m there I ask him to pick a glass of something for me to pair with my deep-fried dishes. Oishii!

The Optimist (239 Hennessy Road, Wan Chai, tel: 2433 3324) is one of my most frequently visited restaurants. I love everything on the menu, but its signature chargrilled meat and seafood dishes are my favourites. For me, dining is not only enjoying the food, but also a way to connect with friends.

Sometimes I find myself drinking more than eating – and soup is my favourite “drink”. The soup at Ser Wong Fun (30 Cochrane Street, Central, tel: 2543 1032) – known for its snake recipes – is my cup of tea, and it’s not far from my office, meaning I can quickly recharge my batteries between meetings.

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