Hong Kong dining: an eager home cook’s favourite restaurants, from dumplings and dim sum to Duddell’s and Dot Cod
No matter if it’s high-end dining or local street food, Katie Forster – founder of communications consultancy Katherine Amara – doesn’t discriminate when it comes to eating well. She tells us her favourite places to dine around the city
I’m an “everything” foodie. I get a kick out of the grittiest street food as well as fine dining. I’m also an eager home cook and a bit of a geek [when it comes to] making lunchboxes to take to work.
Wang Fu’s (65 Wellington Street, Central, tel: 2121 8006) Beijing dumplings are my ultimate comfort food. For dim sum, I like Maxim’s Palace (2/F, City Hall, 5-7 Edinburgh Place, Central, tel: 2511 1303) because there are plenty of options for pescatarians. It’s also the first dim sum experience I had in Hong Kong back in 1993, so there’s a lot of nostalgia eating there. I always save room for sponge cake and mango pudding.
I have been going to Dot Cod (Basement, The Landmark Prince, 10 Chater Road, Central, tel: 2810 6988) for a long time. We make a point of having family dinners there with my godfather and father. The fisherman’s pie is the best, and I’m a sucker for a plate of oysters.
I consider Posto Pubblico (28 Elgin Street, Central , tel: 2577 7160) my ‘local’. Chef Wahid and the team take such good care of me. I always order pasta. The puttanesca and farfalle are fantastic. Plastic pollution is an issue close to my heart, so their ‘no plastic straws’ policy gets a big thumbs up from me. I also love a quick meal at Pici (16 St. Francis Yard, Wan Chai, tel: 2755 5523). Their menu is 100 per cent comfort food, best washed down with an Aperol spritz.
For visitors, I like the China Club (13-14/F, Old Bank of China Building, Bank Street, Central, tel: 2521 8888) or Duddell’s (Levels 3 & 4, Shanghai Tang Mansion, 1 Duddell Street, Central, tel: 2525 9191) for Chinese food. Both have great bars and the spectacle at the China Club is always a treat. The garden terrace at Duddell’s doesn’t get enough attention; it’s such a fantastic space to enjoy a cocktail.
I also have a soft spot for a gin martini at Morton’s (4/F, The Sheraton Hong Kong, 20 Nathan Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, tel: 2732 2343) because of the view. Out-of-towners love a hotpot experience and Megan’s Kitchen (5/F, Lucky Centre, 165-171 Wan Chai Road, Wan Chai, tel: 2866 8305) is my first option. The rainbow cuttlefish balls are a must-order.
I love Ronin (8 On Wo Lane, Sheung Wan, tel: 2547 5263) for a truly special occasion. When celebrating with friends, I am fond of Kin’s Kitchen (5/F, W Square, 314-324 Hennessy Road, Wan Chai, tel: 2571 0913).
I spend a silly amount of time at two Indian restaurants: Chautari (Shop CF6, Queen’s Street Cooked Food Market, 1 Queen’s Road West, Sheung Wan, tel: 2600 4408) is impossibly cheap and great for groups, while Indian Village (31-37 Mosque Street, Mid-Levels, tel: 2525 5488) is next to my flat.
On Sunday evenings, I walk the dog to Indian Village and grab a beer whilst waiting for my takeaway. The menu is very vegetarian friendly, plus it’s nice to have a pet-friendly restaurant nearby.