The best seafood by the ocean and street-style dining in Hong Kong, plus Japanese hidden gems: a former fast food promoter’s picks
- Having grown up in a traditional Chinese family and lived in Sydney, Copenhagen and London, technology consultant Bessie Ng has a well-travelled palate
- Her Hong Kong favourites include a Lamma seafood restaurant where the owner is the de facto sommelier, and steak omakase restaurant Pheromone
Bessie Ng is a technology consultant and former fast food advertising professional, who used to promote fried chicken and burgers – but her own taste is a bit more elevated. She spoke to Andrew Sun.
Growing up in Hong Kong, fine dining wasn’t a thing. My family’s quite traditional, so dim sum Sunday was the routine. I had Dutch and Filipino friends, I spent time in Sydney, studied in Copenhagen and worked in London. I remember my Dutch friend’s mum would make me chocolate sprinkles sandwiches, so that makes you a lot more open-minded.
Instead of chasing new openings, what’s more interesting to me is to follow chefs and see how they shift and evolve in their signature and style.
A friend introduced me to the cute hidden gem Kyoto Oden Masa (shop 1103, 11/F, United Success Commercial Centre, 508 Jaffe Road, Causeway Bay, tel: 2891 1530). The oden is just the most comforting thing ever.
The menu is small. I’m a big fan of sardines, and the last time I went, they did this iwashi ball. It looks simple, but it takes two days to debone and chop up the fish.
I like small businesses. I like things with a personality. And I like the personal touch.
Trattoria Queen Hollywood (258 Hollywood Road, Sheung Wan, tel: 2559 6077) is another hidden gem. Century eggs with avocado as a salad? It’s genuinely very creative. There are always bold experiments on its Japanese-Italian menu. It’s simple, but I think the combinations are very original.
The last interesting place I took some foreign friends to and had a blast at was the Genuine Lamma Hilton Fishing Village Restaurant (lot 584, Sok Kwu Wan, Lamma Island, tel: 2982 8220). Christina, the owner, loves wine so it’s kind of like a local Lamma seafood place with its own sommelier.
There’s nothing like Hong Kong for fresh seafood next to the ocean, with the sun setting and the saltiness of the ocean in the air.
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I live near The Diplomat (LG/F, High Block, H-Code, 45 Pottinger Street, Central, tel: 3619 0302) and I love going there for a Foggy Bottom cocktail. It reminds me of the Chinese sour plum soup. Plus, I like cosy places. I have the opposite of claustrophobia; if somewhere is too big I don’t like it.
There’s a steak omakase private kitchen called Pheromone (1-9 Lin Fa Kung Street West, Tai Hang) started by its owner, Pauline, because she couldn’t find a steakhouse she liked. They choose the cattle and the cut, whether it’s from the US or Australia, and create a beef fest. You end up thinking, ‘Wow, there’s so many parts of the cow I’ve not explored’.
Day to day, I go to Congteakafe (24 Square Street, Sheung Wan, tel: 9855 5146). It’s a fun concept. Outside it looks very English, but everything else is like a cha chaan teng, making it approachable for expats, with a pop-up gallery next to it. I love that.
I also love street-style dining. My splurge is taking out the private room in BBQ (shop B, 129-133 Third Street, Sai Ying Pun, tel: 2548 9880). It’s crazy there. Last time, we brought our own speaker for music and BYOB.
For travel, I want to go to Tokyo again. Undeniably, there’s no better place for sushi craft and technique. I really love Den (2-3-18 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, tel: +81 3 6455 5433). The personal touches just make me feel like family. It really feels like you’re visiting someone’s home.
