Restaurant review: Camper's, Quarry Bay - wholesome Japanese fare

Camper's is the kind of restaurant you would love to have in your neighbourhood. Opened a year ago by Kenta Fujita, who was a chef in Japan for 17 years before moving to Hong Kong, it has a relaxing ambience and friendly staff, all wearing chequered uniforms and caps.

Fujita creates natural, wholesome dishes with plenty of greens. That generous use of vegetables is apparent in most dishes - even our starter of creamy home-made mashed potato salad (HK$55). A pile of shredded cucumber gave balance to the gyudon (HK$58), a bowl of rice topped with beef and egg - its signature dish. The tender beef was stir-fried with onion, and the onsen egg's runny yolk and the meat juices created a delicious sauce for the rice.

Our favourite was the black pepper pork curry with mixed rice (HK$58). Infused with vegetable purée, the sauce was quite firm and the black pepper gave it a nice kick. Other curry dishes - including vegetable curry, grilled chicken curry with coconut milk and sesame-infused beef rib curry - will tempt us back.

There are also ramen, udon and Japanese home-style fare such as kinpira (sautéed) chicken with lotus root (HK$63) and stir-fried pork with ginger sauce (HK$60). 

Camper's, Chung Hing Mansion, 13 Pan Hoi Street, Quarry Bay, tel: 2668 6613. Open: 11am-3pm (11.30am on Sundays) and 6pm-9.30pm (until 9pm on Sundays)