Authentic pizza, Peking duck, steak: Hong Kong food recommendations by a Filipino expat who chooses restaurants ‘with a good vibe’
- Filipino Karrie Bitanga has lived in Hong Kong for 17 years and looks forward to meals as a ‘daily highlight’. She ‘loves trying new places’
- She shares her go-to restaurants for comfort food in Hong Kong, Porto, Mallorca and San Francisco – including a place she’s been going to for more than a decade
Filipino branding and public relations specialist Karrie Bitanga is the director of marketing firm Imagindustries. She spoke to Andrew Sun.
I am an emotional eater. I take pleasure in eating out and look forward to meals as a daily highlight. I choose restaurants with a good vibe and love trying new places.
My boyfriend and I enjoy La Vache (various locations including 48 Peel Street, Central. Tel: 2880 0248) regularly. We love their good and consistent steak frites. The staff know us and always take care of us.
I like La Camionetta (12A Elgin Street, Central. Tel: 6717 0082) for the pizza. This hole-in-the-wall serves authentic Italian and I always recommend it to friends for a casual SoHo dinner.
Another recent favourite is the French bistro Bouillon (6 Pound Lane, Sheung Wan. Tel: 2886 0056). Their beef tartare, escargots and beef bourguignon always hit the spot.
Dim Sum Library (Shop 124, L1/F, Pacific Place, 88 Queensway, Admiralty. Tel: 3643 0088) does a more fancy dim sum, while Hutong (18/F, H Zentre, 15 Middle Road, Tsim Sha Tsui. Tel: 3428 8342) is ideal for the entertaining presentations and fantastic views.
If not Chinese food, I’d take them to Carbone (9/F, Lan Kwai Fong Tower, 33 Wyndham Street, Central. Tel: 2593 2593) for Italian American and order the vodka penne. I tried making it at home but failed.
My happy place is The Grill (11/F, Grand Hyatt Hong Kong, 1 Harbour Road, Wan Chai. Tel: 2584 7722), whether for a weekend barbecue or just some mental space during a busy week.
In Palma, Mallorca, I will never forget the best fideua paella I had at Restaurante Sa Roqueta (Calle Sirena 11 Portitxol, 07006 Palma de Mallorca. Tel: +34 971 24 46 58). It was my first time trying paella with noodles and this one was hard to beat.
During a recent trip to Portugal, a friend recommended seafood further from town at Casa Serrão (Rua Herois de Franca 521, Matosinhos. Tel: +351 22 938 7651). They serve the freshest sardines, squid and grill it to perfection. Their olives and potatoes were the best I tried in Porto. The desserts were heavenly too.
Lastly, my family lives in San Francisco and I grew up there, so visiting the Oxbow market is something not to be missed. I love the food trucks and the market, and always ask my mum to drive me there.
In the city centre, I always go to Thanh Long (4101 Judah Street, San Francisco. Tel: +1 415 665 1146) for roasted crab and garlic noodles. Eating this food brings back childhood memories.
