Favourite Hong Kong restaurants of Skip Moy, veteran musician who eats out a lot day and night
SoHo’s Santorini Greek Restaurant, Sun Fung Kee Noodle Shop in Wan Chai and Metropolitain in Sai Ying Pun are Moy’s three go-to places; he also knows where to find a good kebab and unhurried dim sum
I used to eat everything. From junk to healthy food, I didn’t care. But as I get older, I do look for more healthy choices. Once in a while I cheat. As a musician, I eat out a lot. Sometimes I get to eat at great restaurants after playing gigs there, but I am all about food quality. It’s an overall lifestyle approach and finding foods that are right for my body.
There are basically three places that I like and go to all the time. Santorini Greek Restaurant (51 Elgin Street, SoHo, tel: 2810 6106) is excellent. It’s authentic, healthy Mediterranean and they import Greek wine and other items. They also take pride in making sure that the food taste and presentation are right. The owners greet you, it has a nice warm feel and vibe, and even the furnishings are from Greece – a nice touch.
Metropolitain (46 High Street, Sai Ying Pun, tel: 6271 6102) offers great everyday French food with a relaxed decor. The chef takes pride in the food quality, preparation and presentation. Their staff are friendly and professional. The atmosphere is casual and relaxed.
For more late nights, I enjoy Sun Fung Kee Noodle Shop (149 Johnston Road, Wan Chai, tel: 2574 4328) which is open all night. It’s good food at reasonable prices. This local cha chaan teng works when you have the late night munchies, like at 3.30am. It’s local to the max.
In Central, I like 27 Kebab House (27 Hollywood Road, Central, tel: 2795 2727). The guy imports the meats from Europe and I can tell the difference. They are right across from the bar Gecko where I often play.
If you’re taking visitors up to the Peak, you might as well as eat at The Peak Lookout (121 Peak Road, The Peak, tel: 2849 1000). It’s nice and relaxed and the vibe is good. In Sheung Wan, try Dim Sum Square (Fu Fai Commercial Centre, 27 Hillier Street, Sheung Wan, tel: 2851 8088). The food is fun and cheap but go after 2pm to avoid the rush.
For food and music, the best place is the Foreign Correspondents’ Club (2 Lower Albert Road, Central, tel: 2521 1511), but you need a membership or go with someone who is a member. The food quality is excellent and you can’t beat the price. Allen Youngblood is the music director so the tunes are always top notch. It’s a good place to hang out.
I also go to Grappa’s Cellar (Jardine House, Basement 1, 1 Connaught Place, Central, tel: 2521 2322) to perform and do audio gigs. The food is OK. It’s a fun place. And Gecko (LG/F, Au’s Building, Ezra’s Lane, 15-19 Hollywood Road, Central, tel: 2660 0889) is fun. Go for the Wednesday night jam with friends. They brought back the old gang like bassist Paul Candelaria and pianist Jason Cheng, and upgraded the bar so now the wine is pretty good.
