Hong Kong's finest late-night nosh

Software developer John Chapman regularly eats dinner after midnight, courtesy of a job with unusual hours, one that requires testing software on real-time financial market data overseas.

Sometimes he's in his Central office from 4pm to 3am. A career-long night owl who has worked in major cities around the world, the Chicagoan has become something of a nocturnal dining connoisseur by default. "You can always get high-quality ramen [in Tokyo] no matter what the hour, especially in Roppongi," says Chapman. In New York, the possibilities are endless. "There are areas dedicated to 24-hour dining, like Koreatown, where I go for pho at Pho 32, a franchise found all over New York," he says. Pizza is another favourite pre-dawn meal as a fine slice can be had at any time in Manhattan.

But when asked about top twilight eats in Hong Kong, Chapman's mind draws a blank. With so few kitchens open all night in Central, his choices have narrowed to eating for sustenance alone: kebabs at small outlets such as Beirut or Ebeneezers, or omelettes at round-the-clock breakfast diner The Flying Pan. "Hong Kong is a bit limited when it comes to late-night foods because it's such a small place," says Chapman.

While Hong Kong's dining landscape boasts a dizzying diversity in cuisine, most gourmet opportunities vanish by midnight, leaving late-night diners with a dispiriting choice. It is one area in which the city fails to measure up against other international culinary capitals.

But the selection is improving with a few game-changers opening recently, such as Loyal Dining - a restaurant by entertainment mogul Steven Lo Kit-sing's food and beverage arm, BMA Catering Management.

The company's marketing and public relations director Joan Law is familiar with the menu limitations in the area. "Most options at night are cha chaan teng, so the selection is narrow and in environments that are not always clean or comfortable," says Law.