Let's do set lunch
It is certainly not just ladies who lunch in Hong Kong. From noon onwards, the territory's restaurants are full of business people, tourists, families, lovers and friends; for many, they go to the same restaurant day after day often choosing to dine on the value-packed set lunch.
Perennially popular, set lunches allow a varied meal at excellent value.
In some of the smarter restaurants, it is the perfect way to sample the kitchen without hitting the wallet too hard.
In Tsim Sha Tsui East, the Kowloon Shangri-La's Japanese restaurant Nadaman has set lunches of meat and fish with vegetables, salad and rice or noodles, starting at $120 rising to the deluxe at $350.
Its Californian restaurant, Napa, offers stunning harbour views, a starter, set main dish such as grilled chicken with goat cheese and eggplant compote, and a choice of dessert. One course costs $110 and the price rises to $168 for three.
Downstairs at the classic French restaurant Margaux, one course, such as supreme of guinea fowl with truffle juice and mashed potato, is $130, two courses $170 and three $220.
Across the road at The Royal Garden Hotel's Italian restaurant, Sabatini, you have three choices of starter, a range of 10 pasta dishes, dessert and coffee for $130. For $210, you can choose from main courses.
At the swanky Regent Hotel's Steak House Bar and Grill, the main dish changes daily so if it's deep-fried soft shell crab, it must be Monday.
Set lunch is $265 and includes a select-your-own-salad or a soup plus the main dish. For the apocryphal ladies who lunch there is a fruit lunch of freshly squeezed juices, low-fat yoghurt drink or vegetable soup followed by steamed vegetables or salad and fresh fruits which will lighten your wallet by $220.
At the world class Lai Ching Heen, a set Chinese lunch of seven courses starts at $650 rising to $1,050 for a blow-out of lobster, shark's fin and abalone.
Still in Tsim Sha Tsui, the Holiday Inn Golden Mile's Cafe Vienna offers a daily choice of two starters such as onion quiche or lobster bisque, two main course choices such as corn tortillas or pork loin, and a dessert for $98.
Over on Hong Kong Island and starting East in Quarry Bay, Q Restaurant's set-lunch menu changes weekly; two courses, such as char-grilled calamari with chilli and lemon oil and sole fillet with snow peas, almond and basil hollandaise is $145 rising to $165 with a glass of wine or three courses without wine.
In Causeway Bay, look no further than The Excelsior for an Italian set lunch at Cammino or Chinese at Yee Tung Heen. Cammino offers a choice of two starters such as tomato and mozzarella cheese or soup and a choice of two main courses, such as pasta or roasted rack of lamb, and coffee for $150.
If a group of more than four want a fast Chinese lunch, there's a dim sum platter, soup, barbecued combination, mandarin fish plus a selection of main dishes, such as steamed minced pork with salt fish, for $150 per person.
In Wan Chai at the Grand Hyatt, the set lunch at Japanese restaurant Kaetsu consists of appetiser, egg custard, tempura, sashimi, miso soup and dessert for $200 rising to a more substantial meat and fish and sashimi lunch of $330.
A three-course set lunch at the popular Grissini is $225. The menu changes daily with a choice of starter or cold and hot antipasto buffet, a choice of two main courses such as pan-fried duck breast or grilled swordfish, dessert, coffee and a chocolate grissini.
On Lockhart Road, BB's daily set lunch of two courses, such as cream of asparagus soup and chicken and black mushroom risotto costs $89. In Admiralty, the Conrad International's outlets, Brasserie on the Eighth and the Italian venue Nicholini's, both offer set lunches.
The Brasserie has a choice of two starters, two mains such as veal or salmon escalope, dessert and coffee or tea for $208. At Nicholini's, it is $218 for three courses.
In Central, you can feast on classic French cuisine with a harbour view at the Mandarin Oriental's Pierrot restaurant.
Enjoy fresh shellfish soup with Pernod and dill garnished with bay scallops or sauteed veal kidneys served with potato spinach rostii and green peppercorn for $435 for two courses or three courses at $445 In Lan Kwai Fong, Va Bene's set lunch includes a choice of two starters, main course and coffee for $158.
At Papillon in Wo On Lane, one course with a side salad and glass of wine and coffee is $138, rising to $258 for five courses.
You will need time to choose; it has the largest selection of dishes for a set lunch I could find - nine starters plus three soups and 14 main courses.
