‘You’ll miss the food,’ they said when I left Hong Kong. They were right – Asian food is easy to find in the UK, but it’s not the same

Chinese takeaway food in the UK still tastes nothing like favourite Hong Kong dishes. And what passes for Asian fare in rural England doesn’t bear mentioning
But the quality of produce, from freshly caught fish to locally farmed meat, is good. So when Cliff Buddle craves Chinese food, he asks his son to cook char siu

Cliff Buddle

Published: 2:15pm, 17 Jun 2023

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One of the last Hong Kong restaurants I visited before moving to England was also one of the first I’d frequented.

The seafood restaurant in Mui Wo, with its fresh fish, delightful view across the bay and constant chatter from the television, was a lifesaver in my early days in the city in the 1990s. I ate there several times a week.

It is just one among a dazzling array of places to eat, from Michelin-star restaurants to dai pai dong open-air stalls, that make Hong Kong a gourmet haven. No wonder people told me, on my departure, “You will miss the food!”

Asian food is not difficult to find in Britain. In London, queues form outside trendy noodle bars and Instagrammable restaurants.

People queue up outside a Chinese restaurant in London’s Chinatown. Photo: Getty Images

Chinese takeaways are an institution. But don’t expect their food to taste anything like your favourite Hong Kong dishes. The staples I remember on menus in the 1970s and ’80s are still there.

Big, greasy spring rolls. Sweet and sour pork balls are served with the requisite pot of near-luminous orange sauce. There is “special” fried rice and chop suey. Or you could play it safe, and order omelette and chips.

At Chinese restaurants in the UK, sweet and sour pork balls tend to come served in a bright orange sauce. Photo: Getty Images

All this stirs memories of my first childhood encounters with what passed for Chinese cuisine. Does it remind me of Hong Kong? Not at all!

Chinese takeaways in Britain have survived by adapting to local tastes, a little like Hong Kong’s traditional cha chaan teng cafes. Fresh immigrants from the city might be horrified, but the takeaways have their place. Some are broadening their horizons, as British tastes change. Dim sum and Thai curry are now on offer.

My family’s first taste of Asian food after returning to Britain was a disaster. We knew it was a risk to order “Thai green curry” in a country pub, but we live in hope.

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The dish that arrived was a sad, bland dollop of overcooked vegetables on rice. It was served with dry nan bread! This cost £15 (HK$147). Lesson learned.

Tastes in the countryside, where I live, are quite conservative.

There is not much variety. My local pub is excellent, serving mostly British favourites: roast dinners, pie and mash, and fish and chips. It does them well and is popular.

English pubs can serve good local food, but don’t expect authentic takes on Asian favourites. Photo: Getty Images

A van serving pizza plies its trade in the village on Wednesdays. I will head into London if seeking something more exotic.

Most food I eat is cooked at home. The fresh produce, from market and farm shops, is impressive. It includes fish from the boats in nearby Rye, meat from local farms, wild game and seasonal vegetables.

But I miss my Mui Wo restaurant. If I want Chinese food, I ask my son to cook char siu. At least it tastes authentic.