Executive Chef, Three Michelin-starred Sushi Shikon
Sushi Shikon, the first international branch of Sushi Yoshitake founded by master chef Masahiro Yoshitake in Ginza, Japan, is the proud recipient of three Michelin stars in the Hong Kong & Macau MICHELIN guide for four consecutive years, and is known for masterfully recreating the Ginza sushi experience outside of Japan.
I first got to know of Sang Kee thanks to the recommendations of my restaurant guests. I fell in love with the place immediately, the first time I ever went. My favourite dish there is the saute chicken with black bean — I admire the techniques they use to cook it and the amount of labour that goes into preparing the dish.
Besides my mentor, I also make it a point to take my friends to Sang Kee when they visit Hong Kong from Tokyo. To me, Sang Kee is a place for gatherings with friends, and I go there about once a month."
Chef de Cuisine, two Michelin-starred Pierre
Born in La Guerche-de-Bretagne, a small town in Brittany (Western France), Jacky Tauvry made his first foray into the F&B industry at the tender age of 14, where he discovered the pleasure of cooking for others and seeing their enjoyment of the dishes he cooked. Fine-dining became a route he knew he would embark on, while doing an internship at L'Arpège, the three-Michelin-starred restaurant of Alain Passard in Paris.
His favourite Bib Gourmand restaurants are Din Tai Fung and Brass Spoon.
"The first time I went to Din Tai Fung was because of a recommendation by a friend who lives in Singapore. He told me that the place serves delicious dim sum, which is one of my favourite Chinese foods. I was impressed by the staff's ability to cook and entertain a large volume of guests at the same time, while still keeping the standards high!
"Each time I go to Din Tai Fung, I will order the xiao long bao (soup dumplings). Made a la minute, the delicious combination of juicy meat and savoury hot soup, packed in a paper-thin dumpling skin, is full of flavour."
The two restaurants I picked might not be fine-dining, but their standards are always high and the food is consistent — I have never been disappointed going there."
Executive Chef, one Michelin-starred Épure
At 14, Boutin realised he preferred the hands-on experience of working in a kitchen over rigorous academics in a classroom, and became a chef. He has since worked at three-Michelin-starred restaurants such as Lameloise and Troisgros, as well as travelled the world working in restaurants of top hotels.
His favourite Bib Gourmand restaurants are Liu Yuan Pavilion, Lin Heung Kui and Cafe Hunan (Western District).
"If I wanted to eat authentic Shanghai food, I would go to Liu Yuan Pavilion. I really like their xiao long bao, salted duck, drunken chicken, sautéed pork with pepper and chili, deep fried Mandarin fish with sweet and sour sauce, and pork knuckle in red braising sauce. The portions are all good for sharing with friends and family. They also do a very valuable set lunch, though dishes tend to take a while to be served when it is busy."
"When I crave for tea, I will head to Lin Heung Kui. They do a dim-sum trolley service where you can just pick what you want off the trolley when it is pushed around the different tables, a special experience for both tourists and locals. There's a great variety of dim sum, from prawn dumpling to egg tart and barbecue pork bun. It is my go-to place to bring friends who are visiting Hong Kong.
And it might be surprising to know, but I really enjoy spicy food! The dishes at Cafe Hunan are spicy but not overwhelming. Each time I go, I will order the "fish heads in spicy oil”, because the fish head is really fresh! "Sautéed celtuce and barrel of sizzling beef with cumin" is also memorable. Prices here are very reasonable, and I know I will be guaranteed a spicy journey.
Executive chef, two Michelin-starred Duddell's
With over 35 years of experience, this Hong Kong native became a chef thanks to his love for discovering great eats tucked away in the winding streets of the city. Since joining Duddell's in March this year, the restaurant has become even more known thanks to his signature dish — sautéed lobster with salted egg yolk. His favourite Bib Gourmand eatery is also as local as it gets.