IN FAST-CHANGING Hong Kong there always seems to be an up-and-coming dining hot spot. This year, the happening place just might be Sai Wan Ho, otherwise known as SoHo East. Restaurants are the main attraction in the area, where 20 eateries line Tai Hong Street, bordered by Lei King Road and the harbour.
Unlike its namesake, SoHo, in Central, SoHo East is primarily a residential area. In the past 30 years, private housing estates have replaced the squatter villages that used to dominate the streets. These estates provide a quieter, more laidback dining experience compared to the trendy eateries of SoHo.
The area feels more like Stanley, but without the tourist shops. A walk around Sai Wan Ho reveals a school, playground, video rental store, dry cleaning shop and health centre. There's also the Hong Kong Film Archive on Lei King Road.
Because of their surroundings, the restaurants on Tai Hong Street retain a neighbourhood feel, but there's enough variety to attract visitors from around Hong Kong. 'Customers come from all over because there are so many restaurants here with so many different kinds of food,' says a waitress at Cafe Dido.
Arif Kan is the manager of Beira Dos Namorados, also known as BDN. Kan was born in Hong Kong but grew up in Macau and his restaurant offers the Portuguese food with a Chinese influence he ate as a child. He's been working with BDN's Macanese chef for 10 years since they met in Macau. Their signature dishes revolve around large plates of roasted meats and seafood. Kan points to the 'sword Ali Baba lamb skewers' and the 'flaming seafood combo' as popular choices for large parties. Like most of the restaurants in the area, BDN has an open-air feel, with large glass windows overlooking the harbour.
Kan says more people are discovering the area, attracted to the seaside setting. 'Before, we had just dinner business, that's all. Now, people come for lunch, especially with the shuttle buses coming from Taikoo Place.' He laughs at the mention of the area's catchy name, SoHo East. 'It works,' he says, 'but I don't really care about it.' Kan's restaurant was one of the first on Tai Hong Street. 'We replaced a kindergarten,' he says, laughing with a hint of guilt. 'The area has changed a lot.'
Kan has two places, next door to each other. He opened Beira Rio six years ago and a year later, started Beira Dos Namorados. Beira Rio, which means 'riverside', offers more of a fusion cuisine compared to its neighbour. The menu includes king crab, honey-glazed ribs, pumpkin risotto with sun-dried tomatoes and walnuts, roasted salmon steak with miso cream sauce and spaghetti with Portuguese sausage, garlic and chilli.