When Hyvan Tong moved to California from Hong Kong for college, he found himself missing some particular flavours of his hometown -- curry fishballs.
So, when he discovered a food stall near his college selling curry fishballs, he was elated – until he paid US$1.99 for a meagre portion of six fishballs.
“The quality of the curry fishball was terrible, and the price was ridiculous compared to the ones in Hong Kong. That was when I thought, ‘I could definitely do better than this!’
"And thus, the idea of starting my own F&B business was born. That little order of curry fishball I purchased 12 years ago was the beginning of the story behind the opening of Fisholic,” says Tong.
Fisholic’s playful fish-focus menu
After graduating from UC Berkeley in 2013, Tong returned to Hong Kong and began working in marketing in the F&B industry.It wasn’t until the summer of 2019 that Tong revisited his fish-themed street food store idea. “It took almost a year to assemble my team, create the menu, scout for the perfect location, and find reliable contractors and suppliers. And that's how Fisholic finally came to life on July 27, 2020,” says Tong. “I’m a die-hard street food lover. Curry fishballs and fishy siu mai have always been my all-time favourites,” says Tong. Today, its North Point location is one of the six new Bib Gourmand recommended restaurants in the 2023 MICHELIN Guide.
Fisholic isn't just any fishball and siu mai joint. Its turquoise facade, candy-coloured utensils and a neon sign of a fish in a bag -- designed by the self-proclaimed street food fan -- all foretell the playful spirit you will find in its menu.
Fries without potatoes, risotto without rice, and nachos chips that aren’t made of corn tortillas are some examples of Tong's fun creations.
READ MORE: 6 New Establishments Awarded a Bib Gourmand in the MICHELIN Guide Hong Kong & Macau 2023
The story behind Tong’s favourite dishes
Fisholic’s faux fries, noodles and risotto are made in-house with a mix of fresh fish -- mostly Bigeye, Black lizardfish and Golden threadfin bream. “The ratios of fish, water, and seasonings to starch are different for every dish. The noodles and risotto have less than 10% carbohydrates in them,” one of the staff tells MICHELIN Magazine. She adds, “Hyvan is very health-conscious.” Tong says, “Each of our dishes has a unique story and inspiration behind them. I'm always looking for new ways to innovate and create exciting fish-based dishes for our customers to enjoy.”
Amongst all his dishes, Fish-chos, nachos with crispy fish skin, is one of Tong's favourites.
“When I was studying in the States, I was a huge fan of Chipotle, the Mexican fast food chain. I loved the crispy texture mixed with the flavours of the spices, tomatoes, and guacamole. So, I took inspiration from Mexican nachos and combined it with my love for fish to create Fish-chos. "Instead of Nacho chips, we used deep-fried fish skin crisps. The deep-fried fish skin contributes additional umami flavour and complexity to the dish. It's a perfect appetizer that packs a punch of flavours and textures,” says Tong. The idea of Fisholic’s chewy and crisp fish fries, cheekily named “Fish AS Chips,” came to Tong as he was munching fish and chips.
“I thought to myself, ‘What if the fries were actually made of fish?’ And thus, the experimenting process began. Our current version of ‘Fish AS Chips’ is the result of many trials and errors. We tried different lengths and widths [to] find the right balance of crispiness and chewiness. Eventually, we settled on the current version, which is seven centimetres long and 0.7 centimetres thick,” says Tong.
‘It was like a nightmare for me’
Talking like a culinary master now, Tong admits he wasn’t a great cook when he first founded Fisholic -- but a keen experimenter.“Before opening Fisholic, I knew how to cook, but I wasn't exactly a chef-level cook. However, I've always loved experimenting with food. I am a bit of a perfectionist, so I enjoy tweaking my recipes through thousands of experiments until I get them just right... I guess this has made me good at F&B research and development,” says Tong.
But the toughest training came soon after he opened the store. During the pandemic, Fisholic’s then-chef left the team and the business was struggling. Tong was thrust into multiple roles – from cooking to running the front of the restaurant.
“Luckily, Chef Ho taught me everything I needed to know during his last month with us so the kitchen could operate as normal. I worked so hard to make notes and videos of the cooking recipes and procedures, as well as [to hone] the basic skills I needed for working in the kitchen. After he left, it was really like a nightmare for me. As a kitchen noob, I had been working a lot of extra hours from 7 am to 11 pm daily to keep the kitchen running normally, but this has also given me so much experience for my future hiring of chefs and how to better communicate and deal with them,” says Tong.
Tong has recruited a new head chef and a small team to help with his operation now, giving him time and space to work on expanding Fisholic. The eatery now operates pop-up food stall and will have a new location later this year.
The multitasking owner also finds time to develop new products, like Fisholic's house-made dog treats -- made with fish meat.
Talking about what makes Fisholic unique, Tong shares the four elements that have been guiding his decision-making for Fisholic, “Innovation. Healthiness. Convenience. Eco-friendly or sustainability.”
But the quote on the wall in the middle of the shop may sum up Fisholic’s spirit better.
“It reads, 'Unplug your mind, Recharge your soul.’ We chose this quote because we want every customer who walks through our doors to unwind and enjoy a moment of respite from the hustle and bustle of the city,” says Tong.
This article is written by Maggie Hiufu Wong for MICHELIN Guide Hong Kong Macau.
Hero image provided by Fisholic.
