Famous noodles, ‘fantastic’ pizza: where an Australian chef in Hong Kong goes for a late-night meal and his favourite place for creative Chinese food
- Michael ‘Mick’ Bolam is the executive chef of meat-centric restaurant Porterhouse in Hong Kong’s Central business and nightlife district
- He grew up eating ‘simple Aussie food’ and appreciates ‘honest, uncomplicated, yet refined flavours’. He shares his top spots that showcase these qualities
Hailing from the small town of Rutherford, New South Wales, chef Michael (Mick) Bolam of Porterhouse in Hong Kong has been working in the restaurant industry for 25 years. He spoke to Andrew Sun.
I grew up eating simple Aussie food. My single mother worked full time and did an amazing job raising two boys. But for us, it was cereal for breakfast, Vegemite (an Australian yeast extract spread) sandwiches for lunch, and a classic “meat and three veg” dinner every day.
It was only when I started my chef career that I saw food in a new light. After 25 years in this profession, I’ve now come almost full circle, and truly appreciate honest, uncomplicated, yet refined flavours and textures.
I’ve been in Hong Kong for seven years now and tried so many great Asian flavours. I even incorporate some Chinese elements into my dishes at Porterhouse, like the ginger scallion sauce with ’nduja butter.
Among my favourite places is Smoke & Barrel (1/F-2/F, 30-32 Wyndham Street, Central. Tel: 2866 2120). A group of us six chefs recently went for a smoked meats spread, which we loved. Pricing is also quite competitive and affordable.