Where a Singaporean chef in Hong Kong satisfies his cravings for home comforts and eats like the locals

I’m from Singapore and started cooking at a young age – never been to any cooking school. My mother was actually not a fantastic cook. She worked two jobs and had a limited cooking repertoire. I understood her hardship so I decided, let me do it myself and mess around in the kitchen – and it became a career.

Singaporean chef Edward Voon talks about how he went from waiter to cooking for Hong Kong billionaire

I’m a simple eater. Company is more important than the food. I have a group of friends in Hong Kong and we get together for hotpot. Actually, we end up drinking more than we eat.

Sometimes I crave Singaporean foods, so I go to Toast Box (various branches including Shop B215, B2, Times Square, 1 Matheson Street, Causeway Bay, tel: 2114 0889). I usually go with my children and we order everything. Singaporean food in Hong Kong is not very authentic, but the preparation here is close to the original. I can live with it.

The other place I will take people is Tung Po (2/F Java Road Municipal Services Building, 99 Java Road, North Point, tel: 2880 5224). I think it represents the culture of Hong Kong. It’s noisy, you drink beer, and there’s the energy. Everybody is happy. First time I was there, I nearly freaked out, it was so loud. I thought people were getting into a fight, but they were all happy and relaxed.

If it’s a visiting chef, then I would take them to Caprice (Podium 6, Four Seasons Hotel, 8 Finance Street, Central, tel: 3196 8860). It’s a beautiful restaurant.