Latin American food to make an exile weep with joy, and Hong Kong’s best Manhattan – where a drinks manager from Argentina eats and relaxes in the city
- Argentinian Sabrina Cantini Budden got an introduction to Chinese favourites like xiao long bao and Sichuan food at Paradise Dynasty after arriving in Hong Kong
- She heads to The Patagonia Argentinian Steak House for the best food from home, and to Chullschick in Central for Peruvian salchipapa, a childhood favourite
Born and raised in Argentina in a very Italian family, Sabrina Cantini Budden is beverage manager at The Hari hotel in Hong Kong. She speaks to Andrew Sun.
I jumped at the opportunity in 2016 to move to Hong Kong. I came with a plan of staying no more than a year, and look at me now. What makes it easy for me to be so far from home is all the culinary options offered in Hong Kong. I’ve had some of my best meals in this city.
From the heart, my first favourite is The Patagonia Argentinian Steak House (Room 103, 1-3 Wing Lok Street, Sheung Wan, tel: 3462 2497). Owner and chef Raul Nelson Ibaja makes the city’s best Argentinian food. I tear up with joy with every bite, ordering provoleta (an Argentine variant of provolone cheese), sausage, blood sausage and skirt steak with cream corn and a beautiful glass of malbec wine. Maybe add an empanada. And for dessert: dulce de leche panqueque – an Argentinian pancake/crêpe.
Chullschick (45-53A Graham Street, Central, tel: 2668 3948) is a cosy Peruvian restaurant. Their chef, Abel Ortiz Alvarez, makes one of my favourite childhood dishes, salchipapa. It’s not for the faint of heart with fries, sausage, ketchup and mayo – but it’s a simple dish that takes me back to my childhood.
I crave Sake Central (S109-113, Block A, PMQ, 35 Aberdeen Street, Central, tel: 2656 6552) for the incredibly flavourful food and dreamy selection of sake. Their long sharing table also reminds me of family meals in Argentina.
Of course, Italian food has a special place for me. If I have to choose somewhere other than Lucciola (1/F, The Hari, 330 Lockhart Road, Wan Chai, tel: 2129 0333), it would be Castellana (10/F, Cubus, 1 Hoi Ping Road, Causeway Bay, tel: 3188 5028). It’s the top of my list for fine dining. The tasting menu never disappoints, changes seasonally and is always well-balanced. The carbonara is my favourite and the wine pairing is always executed to perfection.
For people new to Hong Kong, Paradise Dynasty (several locations including 6/F, Lee Theatre, 99 Percival Street, Causeway Bay, tel: 2177 0903) is a great introduction to local dishes. The first time I visited, I had no idea how to eat most of the dishes. We ordered the rainbow-coloured speciality dynasty xiao long bao, which comes in eight flavours. The friendly server handed us cards explaining how to enjoy the xiao long baos. There are also Sichuan dishes available, and I’m now a Sichuan food lover.
For bars, the atmosphere at The Diplomat (LG/F, High Block, H Code, 45 Pottinger Street, Central, tel: 3619 0302) is always great fun. Their pineapple daiquiri is dangerously delicious.
COA (Wah Shin House, 6-10 Shin Hing Street, Central, tel: 2813 5787) brings me back to when I was living in Mexico. A highlight is Jay Khan’s Paloma cocktail. Lastly, DarkSide (2/F, Rosewood, 18 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, tel: 3891 8732) completes my list of favourite bars. They make the best Manhattan and there’s an incredible level of creativity behind their menu.
I cannot wait to visit Argentina again, not only because it’s home but because I miss dining out there. I’ve been craving Casa Cavia (Cavia 2985, Palermo Chico, Buenos Aires, tel: +54 11 4809 8600), a hidden gem in the buzz of Buenos Aires with a beautiful private garden. Set in a mansion from the 1920s, the restaurant has the most creative seasonal menus.
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