In the northwest New Territories lie the alluvial plains of Yuen Long, once a self-contained agricultural centre used for growing rice and vegetables, and raising livestock. In the 1970s, the area's attraction as a market town was lost to mass urban development and a subsequent boom in population.
The district comprises six rural areas dotted with 154 villages. The busiest part of the township is off Castle Peak Road where the modern residential high-rises line Hong Lok, Tai Tong and Fung Lin roads. But despite these eyesores, low-rise establishments that hark back to more modest times are still scattered throughout the area.
This township might only be a speck on the map, but it's loaded with dining choices. There are more than 600 small to mid-size eateries in this area, from dai pai dong and family-run congee stores to dessert houses and restaurants.
The famed Tai Wing Wah Restaurant is the only restaurant in Yuen Long that offers rural wai tsuen choi (walled village cuisine) dishes. Unlike Hakka food, village cuisine relies on seafood and vegetables. In operation since 1998, the 450-seat restaurant is owned and operated by award-winning celebrity chef, Hugo Leung Man-to. The simple interior is littered with media clippings of the portly Leung, who weighs in at 127kg. His reputation means there's always a long queue for dinner.
'Value for money is the rule of the game,' says Leung with a smile. 'I don't sell expensive food, and our portions are large. My menu features 120 dishes, each costs only HK$52 and I change 20 menu items on a monthly basis based on freshness and seasonal picks.
'The cuisine requires intensive use of homemade sauces and careful preparation - this explains why we have 12 chefs. There is a sense of belonging at this restaurant. Whenever I'm here, I can usually be found socialising in the dining room.'
The restaurant's signature dish is chicken in five flavours that requires the poultry to be soaked in virgin (first pressed) soya sauce for 15 minutes, before mixing it with Sichuan pepper, nutmeg, aniseed, cinnamon and tangerine peel. In winter, lamb is also a popular pick and it's available stir-fried or braised with red wine. Don't miss the spicy duck cooked with preserved bean sauce, then steamed and stir-fried before serving.
