Where a golfer would take Tiger Woods to eat in Hong Kong, and the best meat pie in Sydney

American Vance Lee is an avid golfer, a bassoonist with the Hong Kong Philharmonic, and a big fan of his neighbourhood restaurants in Quarry Bay

He loves Tulsi Indian Restaurant for great comfort food and Shugetsu for its delicious noodles, and for a post-concert meal finds Wooloomooloo’s steaks perfect

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Butter chicken at Tulsi Indian Restaurant in Quarry Bay, a neighbourhood favourite of Vance Lee, a professional musician and keen amateur golfer in Hong Kong. Photo: Paul Yeung

Published: 3:15pm, 14 Oct 2020Updated: 7:22pm, 15 Oct 2020

Born and raised in the United States, Vance Lee has been the assistant principal bassoonist at the Hong Kong Philharmonic since 2000. The orchestra has restarted performing again, including this weekend (October 16 and 17) as part of its Beethoven Festival.

I play music. And I play golf. What do these two passions of mine have in common? I get hungry playing both.

With the recent social distancing rules in Hong Kong, I’ve tried to support restaurants in my neighbourhood – Quarry Bay. The palak paneer, baingan bharta and black dal at Tulsi Indian Restaurant (Hoi Kwong Court, 13-15 Hoi Kwong Street, Quarry Bay, tel: 2561 2968) are my usual orders and qualify as the most comforting comfort food.

The spring onion ramen at Shugetsu (30 Hoi Kwong Street, Quarry Bay, tel: 2336 7888) is my favourite bowl of noodles in town. The combination of firm noodles, tasty soup, gooey egg yolk and a ridiculous heap of spring onions is perfect from first bite to last pick-up-the-bowl-and-slurp drop. These two restaurants have other locations around town, but the staff in Quarry Bay know I’m a neighbour.

His bassoon tucked into his golf bag, Vance Lee is ready for a round - and a post-golf meal. LIke orchestral playing, it always makes him hungry, he says. Photo: courtesy Vance Lee

Ramen from Shugetsu restaurant. Photo: SCMP

If Tiger Woods visits Hong Kong, I’d take him to Honjo (1/F, 77-91 Queen’s Road West, Sheung Wan, tel: 2663 3772). We would sit at the ostrich skin tables in front of the sushi bar, start with a white negroni and wagyu tataki and hope we have enough stomach space to try everything else on the menu.