Favourite Hong Kong restaurants of Peter Wood, author and photographer

Writer who lives in Kennedy Town picks his favourite haunts in the up-and-coming area and tells us where he takes clients he wants to impress, where to spoil yourself and spend a leisurely Sunday

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Published: 4:01pm, 20 Jun 2016Updated: 4:06pm, 22 Jun 2016

I’m a bit of a homebody these days. Home being Kennedy Town. It’s not surprising, really, when you look around at what has happened in the area of late. There are some really good places to eat and chill. And I just love the neighbourhood – full of families and a smattering of expats.

If I have a few hours to while away on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon, I like to go to Shoreditch (18 Catchick Street, Kennedy Town, tel: 2242 3777). The space is airy and designed like a gastropub, although I hate that term. They have an excellent pork belly with crispy skin, but one of my favourites is their cullen skink. This is a thick Scottish soup using smoked haddock and it is surprisingly good. I guess my Scottish roots are beginning to show.

Staying in Kennedy Town, I recommend The Butcher & Baker (On Fat Building, 55 Cadogan Street, tel: 2591 0328).It is a bit of London’s Notting Hill in Kennedy Town. I just love the atmosphere and the decor – they have a great butcher on one side run by a couple of knowledgeable expat butchers who smoke their own bacon, make their own sausages and are surprisingly affordable. The bakery is OK and perhaps could offer a few more breads, but they have a cut flower shop at the entrance which completes the whole feel.

Exterior view of Picnic on Forbes in Kennedy Town. Photo: Edward Wong

I was surprised that they had a few different things on their menu – my favourite being the crushed avocado bruschetta. One small complaint is the portions. I’m not keen on American supersizes and find the mains can be overwhelming. Butcher & Baker is BYO which helps the wallet. They also have an ice cream bar which is popular with the kids.