Brunch in Melbourne, beef in San Sebastian, the best sourdough in London: an entrepreneur’s favourite food places around the world

Karen Ng, co-founder of a collective clothing brand and an e-commerce platform, can’t get enough of the ‘Nando’s of Sydney’ and its garlic sauce
In Hong Kong she recommends a sashimi shop in Kowloon City with no English name that attracts famous actors and pop stars

Hong Kong dining & recommendations

Andrew Sun

Published: 4:45pm, 20 Jan 2021

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Karen Ng is the co-founder of collective clothing brand Carnaby Fair and co-founder of greenrice.store, a start-up e-commerce platform hoping to make health-oriented CBD products available in Hong Kong.

I’m a millennial and I want to bring new ideas to Hong Kong. To do that, I love to explore countries like a local and going to local places.

I would love to revisit the town of San Sebastian in Spain. The bars are great, the people are passionate. My happiest memories are the beaches, the tapas and food. There is so much creativity and culinary skill. I like a restaurant called Atari (Calle Mayor 18, 20003 San Sebastian, Spain, tel: +34 943 44 07 92). They do this really good foie gras and white chocolate dish that combines sweet and savoury. The price range is decent as well.

I don’t eat beef now, but when I still ate it, another favourite was a pintxos (small snacks) place called La Cuchara de San Telmo (Calle 31 de Agosto, 28, San Sebastian, tel: +1 617 953 3735) for the ox cheeks and the creamy duck risotto.

The Hardware Société’s pork belly works as a brunch dish.

Order the garlic sauce when you’re at the chicken chain El Jannah. Photo: Facebook/El Jannah

I also miss Australia. They do the best brunch and coffee, especially in Melbourne. The Hardware Société (123 Hardware Street, and 10 Katherine Place, Melbourne, VIC 3000, tel: +61 03 9621 2100) has a full-on pork belly dish you wouldn’t normally think of for brunch – but it works.

Another favourite from Sydney is the chicken chain El Jannah (various locations). Ask any local and they’ll know it – it’s basically the Nando’s of Sydney. The garlic sauce is so good. The first time I went, I had to take away five orders.

Ng’s favourite kebab is in Paris at Urfa Durum. Photo: Facebook/Urfa Durum

The menu changes weekly at Flor in London. Photo: Instagram/flor.london

I also love the West-meets-East aspect and the hustle of the bazaars of Istanbul. The lamb is good anywhere you try there but I have to confess my favourite kebab is actually in Paris in France. All the kids go to this place called Urfa Durum (58 Rue du Faubourg Saint Denis, Paris 95010, tel: +33 1 48 24 12 84). It’s so good. The sauce isn’t like the kind you get on normal greasy kebabs and it’s a relatively thin wrap with lots of vegetables. I could eat 10 of them.

My second home is London, Britain. Near Borough Market, there is a small bistro called Flor (1 Bedale Street, London SE1 9AL, tel: +44 20 3319 8144) which serves the freshest seafood from the market. They make it like tapas style, with a twist. The menu changes weekly so you always get what is in season.

Another one I like is Pophams Bakery (19 Prebend Street, Islington, London N1 8PF, tel: +44 20 8525 1416). It’s definitely a local favourite. They make the best sourdough and the best flaky croissant.

On Lee Noodle is famous for quality fish balls and noodles.

In terms of Hong Kong, I like On Lee Noodle (22 Shau Kei Wan Main Street East, Shau Kei Wan, tel: 2513 8398). It is famous for quality fish balls and noodles. I also really like Wing Lok Yuen (19 Chiu Lung Street, Central, tel: 2522 0965), which is famous for hot dogs.

There’s a sashimi shop in Kowloon City, which has no English name (11-13 Hau Wong Road, Kowloon City, tel: 2718 3988). The owner is so passionate, he makes every customer feel like a family friend. Lots of famous actors and pop stars have been, but he treats everyone the same. You can’t miss him. He’s really outgoing – and just a bit tipsy!

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