Favourite Hong Kong restaurants of Elsie Fung, art consultant

I eat most things but I can’t take spicy very well and I like my food served hot. I am picky when it comes to the quality of the ingredients but I don’t care whether restaurants are Michelin rated or not.

I am a big fan of Shanghainese. I normally go to Ning Po restaurant (401-405 Yip Fung Building, 2-18 D’Aguilar Street, Central, tel: 2523 0648) but you need to be a member to dine there.

I also like Japanese and Middle Eastern cuisine as it’s quite light. I go to Olive (32 Elgin Street, Central, tel: 2521 1608) for Middle Eastern. It’s close to the gallery. The fried calamari is very fresh and the Moroccan seven vegetable tagine with couscous is excellent. Ending the meal with a good pot of fresh peppermint tea or Arabic coffee and baklava is perfect.

I have recently started going to The Globe (Garley Building, 45-53 Graham Street, Central, tel: 2543 1941) as I miss my British food. The fish pie is lovely and their sticky toffee pudding is a great comfort food, too. I feel like I am in Britain when I am there.

I also dim sum with my family. I would take guests to Regal Palace Restaurant (3/F Regal Hongkong Hotel, 88 Yee Wo Street, Causeway Bay, tel: 2837 1773). They serve authentic dim sum, with lots of variety. I particularly like the plain cheung fun (rice roll) with soy sauce and the Cantonese sponge cake and hot almond dessert. For dinner, the tea-smoked chicken is excellent.

I would also take guests to Tim’s Kitchen (84-90 Bonham Strand, Sheung Wan, tel: 2543 5919) for dinner. The service is great.

I love Mak’s Noodle (77 Wellington Street, Central, tel: 2854 3810) for lunch. It’s close to where I work, with top-quality wonton noodles and the portion is just right for me.

For a weekend snack I go to Fleur de Sel (shop 2J, Po Foo Building, 1 Foo Ming Street, Causeway Bay, tel: 2805 6678). They have authentic crêpes and I usually order one with something simple, like butter and sugar and have it with a cup of hot chocolate. Otherwise, I try to be healthy and avoid late-night munchies.

I am not sure if it is a hidden secret but I love Panino Giusto (shop 3077, IFC Mall, 1 Harbour View Street, Central, tel: 2564 7000). It’s away from the hustle and bustle in the main area of the shopping mall. The panini and salads are great. My favourite is tartufo panini, and I finish the meal with affogato. That’s my guilty pleasure.

To splurge, I would highly recommend M Cuisine (flat B, 17/F Derrick Industrial Building, 49 Wong Chuk Hang Road, Wong Chuk Hang, tel: 2558 8664) for a lovely Mediterranean or Middle Eastern fine dining experience. It’s a hidden gem – a private kitchen, cosy, and the produce is always fresh. One of my favourites is blue lobster speciality seafood paella. I also love the chestnut chocolate ganache layer cake and red wine pear.

As told to Andrew Sun