Favourite Hong Kong restaurants of health drinks start-up founder Mia Williams, a mother of two

The American founder of Tizzy Shots tells us her top places for burger and pizza fixes, Sichuan and Thai, why Yardbird is such fun, where to impress visitors and treat yourself, and reveals her secret Wan Chai hideaway

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Axel Adriel Gonzalez mixes a Vesper at Upstairs at Belon in SoHo. His cocktails are fantastic, Mia Williams says. Photo: Xiaomei Chen

Published: 1:15pm, 5 Sep 2017Updated: 1:15pm, 5 Sep 2017

[I’m] an American, so burgers and pizzas are top on my list of things to eat, but I genuinely enjoy my fair share of kale and smoothies fortified with matcha powder.

With two small kids, I try to make my nights out count, so I look for bizarre locations, unusual menu items or a particularly jolly maitre’d. Belon (41 Elgin Street, SoHo, tel: 2152 2872) always exceeds my expectations. Chef Daniel’s pigeon pithivier and Axel’s cocktails are fantastic.

Samsen make simple Thai dishes taste wonderfully complex, Mia Williams says. Photo: Samsen

For a more casual night in, we love ordering from Thai On Nine By Kea (Galway Court, 9 Cross Street, Wan Chai, tel: 6077 5964), a tiny place in the Wan Chai wet market with only five seats. They offer red rice, vegetarian options and very zippy curries. My Thai obsession continues at Samsen (68 Stone Nullah Lane, Wan Chai, tel: 2234 0001), where exceptionally fresh ingredients make simple dishes, like their pad thai, taste wonderfully complex. They also serve my favourite brew: Beer Lao.

“Sake samurai” Elliot Faber’s Sunday’s Sake at Yardbird.

Yardbird (33-35 Bridges Street, Sheung Wan, tel: 2547 9273) is the epitome of fun. The liver mousse pate and garlic Brussels sprouts call to me in my sleep. I’ll wash it down with a cleansing sake curated by the sake samurai, Elliot Faber.

As Wan Chai residents, we have a standing reservation at Yu Chuan Club (Shop B, 1/F, Hundred City Centre, 7-17 Amoy Street, Wan Chai, tel: 2838 5233)), run by a family from Sichuan. It’s unpretentious and their la zi ji, mouth-numbing dry-fried chicken, is the best in town. Deng G (2/F Weswick Commercial Building, 147-149 Queen’s Road East, Wan Chai, tel: 2609 2328) is just a stone’s throw away. The ambience is much more upscale, which distracts you from their very dangerous Baijiu Bar.

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