Where an ex-Singapore resident eats popiah in Hong Kong, where she would take visitors for dim sum and French cuisine, and the Chinese chef who’s an artist
- Tisa Ho, executive director of the Hong Kong Arts Festival, reveals the places she takes visitors in the city for dim sum as well as an unlikely French bistro
- She can’t wait to head to Singapore to eat noodles from a stall and visit a Peranakan private kitchen, but in the meantime enjoys Singaporean food in Hong Kong
Born in China, schooled in France and UK, and for many years a Singapore resident, Tisa Ho has been executive director of the Hong Kong Arts Festival since 2006. The festival returns after a pandemic hiatus for its 50th edition this year, from February 22 to March 28. She speaks to Andrew Sun.
I love to eat, will try anything and relish strong flavours – durian, kimchi, blue cheese and mala peppers (Sichuan peppers) in all possible variations. Gathering people around a laden table makes me happy, like gathering people at a theatre or concert hall.
Hong Kong is an absolute food paradise and I always have many places to take visitors. Some staples include Canton Room (1/F, Gloucester Luk Kwok Hotel, 72 Gloucester Road, Wan Chai, tel: 2866 3806) – it’s also known as the Suzie Wong Hotel – and One Harbour Road (7/F-8/F, Grand Hyatt Hong Kong, 1 Harbour Road, Wan Chai, tel: 2584 7722). Both are great for dim sum and more.
A new addition is Ship Kee (Pao Yip Building, 1-7 Ship Street, Wan Chai, tel: 2893 9688). It’s a little more bustling an experience at lunchtime.
It’s great fun to introduce newcomers to Chef Ha Yiu-man’s Le Monde d’Ulysse (18/F, Tiffan Tower, 199 Wan Chai Road, Wan Chai, tel: 3702 1400) and watching people discover this unlikely French bistro. Everything is good, but the smoked foie gras is unparalleled, luxurious in the mouth and indulgent.
A recent discovery is a basement restaurant called Aux (B/F, Austin Tower, 152 Austin Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, tel: 2522 3863). One of my favourite things created by the chef, Vincent Lee, is a platter of watermelon cubes, each topped with a shard of air-dried Serrano ham and then dressed in a chipotle reduction, which reminds me of mala. It’s an appetiser that sets you up to eat, and I love it.