Previously a vice-president of the Hyatt Group’s Andaz brand of hotels, Australian Jonathan Frolich is now the managing director of Carlyle & Co, the private members club in Victoria Dockside launched by Rosewood Hotel’s CEO Sonia Cheng Chi-man. He spoke to Andrew Sun. I love food, it’s that simple. I’m always looking to try new things and cooking is a favourite hobby as it brings people together. For me, food experiences are more social than scientific. I love going to Jean May (Shop A, 14 Gresson Road, Wan Chai. Tel: 3590 6033). It’s tucked away on a small street and it feels like an honest and authentic bistro. Plus, the food’s always amazing. My order usually consists of the hamachi crudo, hand-cut macaroni with pistachio pesto and prawns, duck a l’orange and the hand-cut pomme frites. They’re amazing. Another favourite is Arcane (3/F, 18 On Lan Street, Central. Tel: 2728 0178) and its sister restaurant, Cornerstone (49 Hollywood Road, SoHo). Their wagyu steak sandwich, grilled Australian octopus and handmade spaghetti are great. It’s quality food, there’s always a bit of a buzz about it and it’s unpretentious. I’m a fan of The Legacy House (5/F, The Rosewood Hong Kong, 18 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui. Tel: 3891 8732), which focuses on the Shunde region of Guangdong province . It’s a great place to take anyone visiting as it’s an opportunity to sample a range of different local dishes and flavours. I love the deep fried spicy beef with nuts and honey, roasted goose and the steamed scallops. For dinner, modern Japanese izakaya Yardbird (154-158 Wing Lok Street, Sheung Wan. Tel: 2547 9273) is where I always end up ordering too many skewers. I especially love the signature meatball, along with Brussels sprouts, sweetcorn tempura and Hong Kong’s best katsu sando, all washed down with the best highballs. I also love Mak’s Noodle (various locations including 77 Wellington Street, Central. Tel: 2854 3810) for the best wonton noodle soup. A nice long lunch at Louise (G/F, JPC, PMQ, 35 Aberdeen Street, Central. Tel: 2866 0300), sitting upstairs at one of the long tables or on the terrace, is worth the splurge. The roasted yellow chicken with Niigata rice en cocotte is heavenly. I really enjoy the salmon gravlax and the bread. It’s so good, and I always end up having more than one serving. After being away for two years, one of the first trips would be back to Australia, specifically Adelaide where I’m from. I always make a point of visiting the Adelaide Central Market (40-60 Gouger street, Adelaide, South Australia. Tel: +61 8 8203 7494), an institution that I believe is one of the best food markets in the world. There’s about 100 stalls and you can sample different cheeses or breads. Stop by Le Souk to eat some of the best Algerian paella, followed by SiSea, a seafood stall to indulge in oysters paired with a glass of champagne. Pick up fruit tarts at Dough , while The Turkish Delight serves mountains of (you guessed it) Turkish delights. If I could go back anywhere, it would be to Modena, Italy, to visit chef Massimo Bottura’s Osteria Francescana (Via Stella, 22, 41121 Modena. Tel: +39 059 223912). It was by far one of the best dining experiences of my life.