Classic Hong Kong restaurants: International Curry House, Wan Chai

"At one point, we were triple the size of this shop, but the rent and other costs are too high, and people won't pay more for their food," says So Man-ying, owner-manager of the 31-year-old International Curry House.

So started the restaurant with a few partners on Tai Wong East Street, and a branch in Jade and Pearl Plaza in Causeway Bay. Over time, the partners gradually left and the Causeway Bay branch closed, leaving So and his brother in charge.

These days, the two still work with the same recipes taught to So. The basic stocks are made daily and take upwards of three hours to prepare. They serve numerous styles of curry, from rendang to vindaloo, inspired by the original recipes but modified for local tastes.

"The recipes change slightly because your body needs different ingredients depending on the weather. For example, in summer with the high humidity, we add liquorice and American ginseng, and in winter we use cinnamon and nutmeg," So says.

"It has to be done correctly. You can't alter the recipes any way you like, it can be bad for your stomach. I was taught this by a chef who once worked for one of the governors of Macau. He was my sifu in the real Chinese way — there was a whole ceremony where I had to bow and offer incense, it wasn't a casual apprenticeship. Only after that would he teach me his recipes," says So.