Hong Kong and Macau_ City Guide (Lonely Planet, 14th Edition) - Andrew Stone [124]
BONHEUR Map French $$
2544 6333; www.bonheur-restaurant.com; 6th fl, Pemberton, 22-26 Bonham Strand East; set lunch from $108, set dinner from $358; noon-2pm, 6.30-10.30pm Mon-Sat; MTR Sheung Wan (exit A2)
Bonheur is one of the few French eateries in town where the nuanced lobster bisque and the succulent pork loin won’t burn a hole in your pocket. If you’re craving contrast, take a seat by the windows that overlook tenement buildings. Booking is mandatory.
BI YI RESTAURANT Map Xin Jiang $$
2484 9981; Ground fl, 43 Water Street, Sai Ying Pun; noon-3pm Tue-Sun, 6-10pm Mon-Sun; dinner $100-150; MTR Central (exit B), green minibus 55
In a city where gamey tastes are often tamed to please sensitive Cantonese palates, Bi Yi is a lamb lovers’ paradise. Here you can savour the meat in all its splendour – grilled, braised, fried or boiled with lashings of spices and herbs – in a rustic setting. Take green minibus 55 outside the United Chinese Bank Bldg on Des Voeux Rd Central and disembark at St Paul’s College.
LEUNG HING CHIU CHOW SEAFOOD RESTAURANT Map Chiu Chow $$
2850 6666; 32 Bonham Strand West; meals $80-500; 11am-midnight; MTR Sheung Wan (exit A2)
At Leung Hing, you can indulge in hearty Chiu Chow staples such as scrambled eggs with baby oysters, pan-fried noodles with vinegar and sugar, and cold crab. It’s crowded but clean, and no one will snub you for not ordering the shark’s fin.
PRESS ROOM Map European $$
2525 3444; www.thepressroom.com.hk; 108 Hollywood Rd; 3-course dinner from $250; noon-11pm Mon-Fri, 10am-11pm Sat & Sun; 26
Occupying the former address of Hong Kong’s longest-running newspaper, Hua Qiao Daily, this bistro serves decent food that, unfortunately, is accompanied by impersonal service and mediocre acoustics. We prefer its sibling next door, Classified the Cheese Room ( Map; 2525 3454; www.classifiedfoodshops.com.hk; 108 Hollywood Rd; noon-11pm Mon-Fri, 10am-11pm Sat & Sun), where you can sample over 20 kinds of fromage in a state-of-the-art ageing room (cheese platter from $150) before deciding which go best with your red.
TIM’S KITCHEN Map Cantonese $$
2543 5919; 93 Jervois St; noon-3pm, 6.30-10.30pm Mon-Sat; MTR Sheung Wan (exit A2)
This restaurant, with one Michelin star, was started by the former chef of a banking tycoon. Expect well-executed Cantonese dishes in unpretentious surrounds. Popular dishes, such as stir-fried prawn ($110), crab claw poached with wintermelon ($160) and braised pomelo skin ($55), need to be pre-ordered. A minimum charge of $200 per person applies to lunch reservations.
KAU KEE RESTAURANT Map Noodles $
2850 5967; 21 Gough St; noodles from $25; 12.30-7.15pm, 8.30-11.30pm, Mon-Sat; MTR Sheung Wan (exit E2)
You can argue till the noodles go soggy about whether crowded Kau Kee has the best beef brisket in Hong Kong. Whatever the verdict, the meat – served with noodles in a beefy broth – is definitely hard to beat.
KWUN KEE RESTAURANT
Map Cantonese $
2803 7209; Wo Yick Mansion, 263 Queen’s Rd W, Sai Ying Pun; 11.30am-2.30pm, 6-11.30pm Mon-Sat, 6-11.30pm Sun; tram
Hong Kong’s top brass make pilgrimages to this very local place for its claypot rice ($38 to $50, available only at dinner) – a meal-in-one in which rice and toppings such as Chinese sausage and chicken are cooked in claypots over charcoal stoves until the grains are infused with the juices of the meat and a layer of rice crackle is formed at the bottom of the pot.
NGAU KEE FOOD CAFE
Map Cantonese $
2546 2584; 3 Gough St; 11am-12.30am; MTR Sheung Wan (exit E2)
The beef brisket with turnip ($80) and the stuffed eggplant ($55) are famed at this crowded eatery. The boss, a skinny fellow with a perm, will be happy to recommend dishes when he’s not doubling as the delivery boy.
YEOH’S BAH KUT TEH Map Malaysian $
2543 2181; Shop G61-62,