Hong Kong and Macau_ City Guide (Lonely Planet, 14th Edition) - Andrew Stone [128]
KIN’S KITCHEN Map Cantonese $$
2571 0913; 9 Tsing Fung St, Tin Hau; noon-3pm, 6-11pm; MTR Tin Hau (exit A2)
Opened by art critic–turned-gourmand Lau Kin-wai, this understated restaurant mentioned in the Michelin guide touts its Cantonese classics with a modern spin. The owner, looking quite the bon vivant with silver hair and rosy cheeks, is sometimes seen explaining dishes such as the delicious signature smoked chicken (half/whole $268/134) to customers.
YAKITORITEI Map Japanese $$
2566 9982; Tsing Fung Bldg, 10 Tsing Fung St, Tin Hau; meals from $200; 6pm-2.30am; MTR Tin Hau (exit A2)
The speciality here is skewers, and they’re good. You can even watch your food being cooked. Our favourites are eel, ox tongue and chicken wings. Be prepared to dig some way into your pockets – skewers and beer complement each other all too well. There’s a branch in Happy Valley ( Map; 2838 5377; Shop C, 49-51, Shing Wo Rd; 6.30pm-2.30am; 1 from Des Voeux Rd Central, or tram).
HONG KEE CONGEE SHOP
Map Congee, Noodles $
2808 4518; 11 King St, Tai Hang; 6am-midnight; MTR Tin Hau (exit B)
Humble Hong Kee has been sitting quietly in this corner of Tai Hang for 30 years. Each day the grandpa repeats the ritual of rolling steamed rice sheets to make cheung fun (rice roll, $10), while his children prepare the congee ($6 to $22) and noodles ($6), and his grandsons entertain with their antics.
MUN NAM RESTAURANT
Map Fujianese $
2807 2168; 25 Kam Ping St, North Point; 7.30am-9.30pm; MTR North Point (exit B1)
This shabby Fujian place is famous for its authentic Fujianese noodles, rice and snacks. We dare you to try the jelly sandworm terrine ($12 for two pieces)!
SUN CHIU KEE
Map Tea Cafe, Cantonese $
2566 4361; 377 King’s Rd, North Point; meal under $55; 7am-1am; MTR North Point (exit B3)
The best of the Sun Chiu Kee chain. Office workers come to this cha chaan teng from Central for its cheap, hearty grub, which gives restaurant food a run for its money.
TUNG PO SEAFOOD RESTAURANT
Map Dai Pai Dong, Cantonese $
2880 9399; 2nd fl, Municipal Services Bldg, 99 Java Rd, North Point; meals $80-180; 5.30pm-12.30am, reservations 2.30-5.30pm; MTR North Point (exit A1)
Tung Po has revolutionised dai pai dong and it’s not hard to see why. Beer is served in chilled blue-and-white porcelain bowls. The staff strut around in rubber boots and Madonna mics. Boss ‘Ruby’ taps into his experience (in Western cuisine) and talent (a nominee for Best Supporting Actor in the Hong Kong Film Awards) to create Cantonese dishes at once unusual and unusually good. Try the prawn sautéed with egg yolk, squid-ink noodles, and fried rice wrapped in lotus leaf.
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ISLAND SOUTH
The restaurants in this district are as varied as the settlements themselves. While the choice is obviously limited in smaller places such as Shek O and Repulse Bay, you’ll still manage to eat decent Thai at the former, and enjoy one of the most delightful venues on any coast at the latter. Stanley boasts an embarrassment of choices, none particularly outstanding, while Aberdeen and Ap Lei Chau are home to a few hidden gems if you dig beneath the kitsch.
Aberdeen
The lively harbour of Aberdeen is reachable by bus 70 from Exchange Square ( Map), Central.
CROWN WINE CELLARS
Map European $$$
2580 6287; www.crownwinecellars.com; 18 Deep Water Bay Drive, Shouson Hill; 6.30-11pm Mon-Fri, 12.30pm-midnight Sat, 12.30-10.30pm Sun; minibus 6
Wine lovers and fans of military history should make a trip to this former ammo depot constructed by the British military just before WWII Click here. You can tour the site and have a meal (dinner from $350) there by subscribing to the one-time ‘silver’ membership free of charge. Take minibus 5 on Lockhart Rd, right behind Sogo department store in Causeway Bay. Minibuses leave roughly every 10 minutes and make a stop at the top of Deep Water Bay Drive. If you don’t feel like making the 5- to 10-minute trek down Deep Water Bay Drive, there are