Tuen Mun Dining Scene
From seafood to countryside fare, there’s a dish for everyone in New Territories.
Tuen Mun’s not the first place that comes to mind when you think of food. Located in the northwesterly corner of the New Territories, it’s also not exactly the most accessible location (unless you have a car or live in China). But if you’re willing to get off the couch and explore, you’ll see that you can organize a fantastic foodie tour around the district—from chomping down on succulent roasts to savoring cooked-to-order seafood by the harbor. A friendly word of warning: Tuen Mun ain’t Central, and so most of our recommendations are a bit far-flung and need some advance planning to get to. But trust us—it’s worth it.
Rural Treats in Lam Tei
Situated on the northeastern side of Tuen Mun, Lam Tei is a rural community with its own Light Rail stop and a whole lot of land. It’s also home to a Michelin-recommended restaurant.
How to get here: From the West Rail line, get off at Siu Hong station, then switch to the Light Rail line and get off at Lam Tei.
Farmer Restaurant
It’s rare to see a standalone restaurant in its own two-story building in space-starved Hong Kong, but an exception is Lam Tei’s Farmer Restaurant. Housed in a neat, architecturally distinct pastel green block in an unltra-low-rise community, the six-year-old restaurant dishes out countryside fare— farmers’ specialties that are particular to Lam Tei. Owner Mr. Mak is a Lam Tei native, and residents here prefer to stick to simple, healthier dishes. There’s generally less salt and less oil—and, of course, fresh farm vegetables. At Farmer Restaurant, produce such as eggplants and leafy greens all come from the same farm in nearby Fu Tei Village. Chef Yau sticks to signatures, such as the lotus leaf steamed tofu, a mild, saucy blend of diced velvety bean curd with corn, chopped prawns and green pepper. The five-colored rice is another specialty, consisting of steamed wheat grains, red grains, vinegar rice, sticky rice and black sticky rice, all mixed with white rice and a touch of salt, sugar and oil. Occasionally, Yau will spice things up with international dishes, such as the double-boiled bak kut teh (a Malaysian-style broth) with Chinese herbs, pork legs, chicken feet and shitake mushrooms. But most of the menu is classic, rural Cantonese comfort food.
Block C, Lam Tei Mei Ling Court, Castle Peak Road, Tuen Mun, 2461-2381.
Red Seasons
This dim sum-slash-siu mei (roast meat) restaurant was thrown into the spotlight in 2011 when it made it into the venerable Michelin guide with a “bib gourmand” stamp of approval—meaning that the food’s not just good, it’s also good value for money. The place is well-known for its roast suckling pig ($520) with crispy red skin, served whole (yes, including the head) with the body intact even though it’s cut into bite-sized pieces. The pig lies on top of a platter of fried rice with dried prawns, and it really is a group effort to finish the whole thing. The restaurant recommends ordering at least a day in advance, so remember to plan ahead. But if suckling pig isn’t your thing, you can still tuck into the restaurant’s various roasted meats with rice, including char siu, regular roast pork, chicken and goose. Dine at the buzzing, no-frills restaurant, or simply order a takeaway portion from the counter outside.
1 Lam Tei Main St., Tuen Mun, 2462-7038.