Gnocchi that mesmerise, tempting tempura, artful glutinous rice – favourite foods of a Hong Kong CEO and where she eats them

Kowloon Dairy CEO Charmaine Li became a convert to gnocchi thanks to chef Shane Osborn, and loves baked tagliolini at Cipriani. As for tempura, Ippoh’s is best

Islam Food in Kowloon City is worth a trip for the beef pastry and lamb curry, and further afield, braised cow’s stomach from a Florence food cart is unbeatable

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Prawn tempura and prawn and shiso leaf tempura from Ippoh Tempura Restaurant on Aberdeen Street in Central - serving tempura at its finest, in the words of Charmaine Li. Photo: Jonathan Wong

Published: 4:15pm, 10 Mar 2021Updated: 4:15pm, 10 Mar 2021

In addition to being the CEO of Kowloon Dairy and a horse-racing enthusiast, Charmaine Li runs a media company called Tiberius Productions.

I don’t take breakfast and I am not human until my first coffee. But I equally love everything healthy and indulgently unhealthy. It is a blessing and a curse to like food and be able to eat most things.

Most of all, food evokes memory. I tend to remember exact dishes as well as my dining partners. I am really a comfort food person.

I like to cook. Nothing pleases me more than cooking for friends and family, and I’m never shy on variety or portions.

Arcane’s sautéed potato gnocchi with truffle pine nut cream, Parmesan, spinach and chanterelle mushrooms. Photo: Arcane

In Hong Kong, I love Shane Osborn’s Arcane (3/F, 18 On Lan Street, Central, tel: 2728 0178). I used to hate gnocchi but his is mesmerisingly addictive. It’s the best in town.