Off the Wall
Sample the surprisingly tasty fare of the formerly enclosed Kowloon City.
Kowloon City was once infamous for being the walled city within a city. A Chinese enclave during colonial times, the area after World War II became a den of iniquity filled with drug-lords, prostitutes and petty crooks. Triads ruled the entire area, and the Chinese and British colonial governments both adopted a see-no-evil policy. But in 1993, after five decades of anarchic free-for-all, Kowloon City was finally evacuated and demolished.
Over the course of the past decade, the area has started to gain a new reputation as a foodie haven. There is a historical reason for this: Kowloon City was a land without laws, and illegal immigrants could easily make it their home. Thai and Vietnamese cuisines are extremely well represented and need no introduction; it’s the abundance of other smaller eateries, however, offering cuisine as varied as Xinjiang beef stomach to mango panna cotta, that makes this area an absolute must.
Ceres Boulangerie et Patisserie
It’s obvious that the folks behind this tiny bakery, which wouldn’t be out of place in one of Paris’ posher arrondissements, take their job very seriously. The sign states that they only use eggs from the US, flour from Japan and butter from Australia, and there are always at least six chefs in the back baking baguettes, brioches, danishes, grissini, etc. Most not only hail from five-star hotels, but have also spent weeks in France learning the correct number of times to roll out puff pastry. The point was driven home when we noticed the chefs periodically checking the 17 different types of bread, and removing those that have become sub-par. Chocolate aficionados will love their signature chocolate ganache ($36). They also cater to more local tastes like pastries with tuna and seaweed buns, or bread with crabmeat.
9am-10pm, 19 Fuk Lo Tsuen Rd., Kowloon City, 2716-3383.
Fong Wing Kee
Every day, Donny Fong, owner of this hot-pot specialist restaurant, sends his younger brother down to the market to procure the freshest meats available. He stays in, checking that the soup stock is up to scratch and the products he serves are of top quality. It’s not a job for the lazy seeing as the restaurant offers over 20 types of meat and 33 types of seafood, including unusual dishes like crocodile ($58), ostrich ($25), pig’s hearts ($25), duck’s tongues ($25) and chicken cartilage ($25). Even the portions become extraordinary, with the Canadian oysters ($88) being the size of a fist. But most surprising is the beef—we were offered two choices for the same price ($168): Australian wagyu and humble old New Territories beef. The wagyu turned into a soft gooey mess that tasted mildly of butter, while the local variety transformed into a succulent piece of sheer vibrant beefiness. It’s hard to imagine Mr. Fong himself doing a better job picking out the daily meat.
11:30am-2am, 85-87 Hau Wong St., Kowloon City, 2382-1788.
