Grilled Eel tossed with Osmanthus Honey Sauce - Hung Tong
7/F, The Kerry Hotel, 38 Hung Luen Road, Hung Hom Bay
Kerry Hotel, designed by famed designer Andre Fu, is a new hotel in Hong Kong positioning itself as an urban lifestyle resort. Boasting 546 guest rooms, four restaurants and a bar, the Chinese restaurant Hung Tong is their signature eatery. Also designed by Fu, the interior of the restaurant features a harmonious blend of modern and traditional finish of raw red bricks, vintage-inspired leather chairs and tinted glass pendants. Helming the kitchen is Chef Ken Yu, who has 30 years of cooking experience under his belt and good at injecting creative touches into traditional dishes. His technique can be seen in the eel dish. Here, Chef Yu only uses the fatty belly area of the white eel. It is deep-fried, then garnished with a sauce made from osmanthus syrup, osmanthus aged wine and Japanese mirin, rendering a fish dish that has a crispy skin, tender meat with an aromatic and sweet flavour.
Chicken Feet - Ssal Bori Ssal Makgeolli Restaurant
Shop B, Brilliant Court, 78 Kimberley Road, Tsim Sha Tsui
Hong Kong doesn't lack Korean restaurants, but when it comes to the number of makgeolli (Korean traditional unfiltered rice wine) bars, you can count them with the fingers of one hand. Ssal Bori Ssal fills up the gap in the market. Featuring 10 types of makgeolli, the must-try is Boksoondoga Makgeolli, a naturally carbonated artisan makgeolli fermented at low temperatures served in a champagne glass. The rich aroma and natural bubbles will leave you wanting more. Koreans love to pair makgeolli with pork dishes, Korean pancakes or very spicy dishes. If you are a fan of spicy food, the chicken feet here is boiled for 30 minutes and stir-fried with the shop’s signature sauce for a spicy and tasty dish that goes perfect with the rice wine.
Shoyu Soba - Tsuta
No.2 G/F V-Point, 18 Tang Lung Street, Causeway Bay
Tsuta is no stranger to ramen advocates. Opened in 2012 at Sugamo, Tokyo, Tsuta gained its first Michelin star in the 2016 Tokyo Guide and kept its status in the 2017 edition. Its standing in the ramen scene is proved also by the queue outside the shop which starts forming as early as 6 in the morning. If you are one of Tsuta’s supporters, good news is after setting up outposts in Singapore and Taipei, it has now landed in Hong Kong. Doing only what they do best, the Causeway Bay branch specialises only in Shoyu Soba and Shio Soba. The clear yet flavoursome ramen broth is the result of a 9-hour simmering of whole chickens, fresh clams, dried fish. The noodles are made on site with four types of flours. The broth of Shoyu Soba has a dash of shoyu made in Wakayama prefecture to Tsuta’s specification, and enhanced by truffle sauce and black truffle oil. The broth of Shio Soba features a sauce created with Okinawa sea salt and Mongolian rock salt to create an unforgettable experience. Only 400 portions are available every day.
Hokkaido Sea Urchin Sushi - Sushi Masataka
Shop 2, G/F The Oakhill, 18 Wood Road, Wan Chai
The former Sushi Rozan has recently completed a facelift and reopened its door. Now named Sushi Masataka, the nine-seater allows an even more intimate interaction between chef and diners. What remains unchanged are executive chef Masataka “Masa” Fujisawa and the omakase format. Chef Masa is highly particular about his ingredients. For instance, he only uses water from Mount Fuji to ensure quality of his sushi rice and dashi. While Chef Masa hails from Hokkaido, one of the best sushis of his would be the Hokkaido Sea Urchin Sushi. Chef Masa only uses the white sea urchin variety. Known for its intense melting factor, sweetness and silky-rich creaminess, it’s bound to be a dish that will leave an impression.
Barbecued Kagoshima Chami Pork - The Chin’s
G/F, 13 Stanley Street, Central
The Chin’s is hard to miss because of its prime location (just opposite to the legendary Luk Yu Tea House) and the modern, elegant door front. Its name, which means The Chinese, and the restaurant aspires to encapsulate all types of Chinese cuisines and cultures in one menu. Leading the kitchen is seasoned chef Ringo Chow, who boasts a glittering profile with work experience at China Tang, Penthouse Banquet Hall of Hang Seng Bank Headquarters, among others. Small wonder, then, to find the menu comprises of everything from expensive courses such as bird’s nest to seafood, to everyone’s favourite from Sichuan mala dishes to vegetarian options. A popular dish here is the Barbecued Kagoshima Chami Pork. While the Japanese pig was fed with green tea, the flavour of the meat is clean and has the right ratio of fat and meat, with the right seasoning, this barbecued dish is ordered almost by every table.
Cold Cut Classic - Bánh Mì Kitchen
Shop 22, Li Yuen East Street, Central
You'll know the pain of getting an economical and high quality lunch take-away in the district. Thankfully there's now Bánh Mì Kitchen. Bánh mì is a Vietnamese subway sandwich considered by many to be the national staple food of Vietnam. Here, owner Ryan Ching is serious about crafting his banh mi. For bread, he buys fresh dough from a local bakery and bakes the bread on site everyday, allowing guests to enjoy fresh out-of-the-oven bread. For filling, the pate is sourced directly from Vietnam to ensure it is of the right level of richness. Other ingredients and fillings like barbecued pork (char siu), meatballs, chicken and pickled vegetables are all freshly prepared in-house every day. Together with a a cup of freshly-brewed Vietnamese coffee, it will make for a very comforting and satisfying lunch.
Uji Matcha Butterfly Cookies－ Fine Foods
Lobby Level, The Royal Garden, 69 Mody Road, Tsimshatsui East, Kowloon
Fine Food’s highly sought after original and black sesame palmier now have a new sibling - the Uji Matcha flavour. Using the famous matcha powder from Uji Japan, combining with New Zealand’s butter and premium flour, the new flavour is a result of relentless experiments with different ingredients in the previous year. Only 50 boxes of the new flavour is available everyday. At the same time, the gourmet shop also introduces another new creation - Chocolate Dipped Seashell Cookie. Also made with New Zealand butter and other quality ingredients, these delightful buttery treats are dipped in cocoa sauce and have a strawberry filling.
