Jessica and James visited Hong Kong twice in 2017 and had a chance to sample various food offerings in the city.  Despite the number of establishments that we tried, we were only able to try out only a small sample size of what the city has to offer.  Some places we visited were exceptional; some were good, and some were marginal.  Here is run down of the places we tried this year:

• Caprice, Four Seasons Hong Kong, IFC complex, Central – French: This is a two Michelin star restaurant.  We ate there on lunar New Year’s eve.  We selected the New Year tasting menu.  While the food was reasonably good, it wasn’t as good as we expected.  For similar price, we liked the tasting menu at L’atelier de Joel Robuchon (three Michelin star) at Landmark better, which we had tried the prior year.  (For good afternoon tea, try La Salon de the de Joel Robuchon, also at Landmark).  The tasting menu we had was about HK$1,800 per person.
• The Dining Room (南小館), Hysan Place, Causeway Bay – Shanghainese: This is a casual restaurant, but offers a good mix of dishes from south of Yangze River region.  It’s not expensive.   Soup dumplings, wontons in chili oil and shitake mushrooms buns are good standard fares.  James also liked the Onion Noodles and fried bread.  Jessica liked the fried small fish and double broil chicken soup.  Prices are moderate, with meal for two between HK$250-400.
• Tsui Wah (翠華餐廳), Hong Kong style Tea Café: Tsui Wah is a chain “Hong Kong style ‘tea
  

  Tsui Wah Hainan Chicken Set

  café’ that serves specialty Hong Kong café dishes such as Macaroni & ham soup, crispy bun with condensed milk, or satay ramen noodles for breakfast; Fish ball and cake rice noodle, shrimp with shrimp roe over dry noodle, and Hainan chicken for other times.  Of course, all meals should be paired with a HK style milk tea.  No gourmet meals, but reasonable HK style comfort food.  (Some shops also offer HK style pastries like cocktail bun, pineapple bun and egg tart.)

 

• Nobu, Intercontinental Hotel, Tsim Sha Tsui, 18 Salisbury Road – Japanese: This is a renowned restaurant and expensive in general.  We went for the Sunday Set Lunch, which offer a seven-course meal at a reasonable HK$495 per person.  Selection choices include salt & pepper prawn, Beef Toban Yaki, and Sea Bass Fillet for main course; sides dish choices include smoked duck, Shrimp Tartar with caviar, scallop sashimi, Lobster lettuce cup.   Dessert choice were Apple crepe soufflé and shoyu caramelized banana split. All the dishes were prepared well, well worth the price. Plus a great view while you eat.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

• Ichiran Ramen, 440-446 Jaffe Road, Causeway Bay – Japanese Ramen: Ichiran is a popular ramen shop in Japan that has carried over in Hong Kong, with two locations.  The offering is basic, with customer selecting the portion/level of ingredients (such as pork, salt, garlic, spice), noodle texture and a few add-on options, such as hard-boiled egg, mushroom fungus and dessert.  However, the soup base and noodle is done very well. The restaurant setting is another unique part of the restaurant, where each customer sits in a segregated stall space.  Price is not inexpensive, with base noodle at HK$89 and can easily go up to HK$150-175 with add-on for each person.

 

 

 

 

 

• Tasty Congee and Wonton Noodles (正斗粥麵專家) – IFC Complex, Central – HK style Congee, noodles and dim sums: This is one of four largest local brand for congee and wonton noodles.   Have not been able to find any place else in the world that can cook similar style of noodles and congees.  James normally don’t eat congee, but will make an exception here in Hong Kong.   The restaurant also serves other dumplings and dim sums as well.   Prices are moderate, with dishes going from HK$50-100 for most items.

 

• Fook Lam Moon (福臨門), 34-45 Johnston Road, Wan Chai, +852-2866-0663 – Hong Kong dim sums and specialties, 2-Star Michelin: Fook Lam Moon first open in 1972 and is an offshoot of a successful catering business that began back in the 1940s.  The restaurant signature dishes include braised abalone, crab and suckling pig dishes.  This restaurant is on the high-end, and while one can dine around HK$200-300 per person with basic dishes, it can cost upward of HK$2,000+ if you select some of the signature seafood dishes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

• Alto Bar & Grill, 18 Tang Lung Road, Causeway Bay, +852-2603-7181 – steak and seafood: This was a restaurant found being recommended online.  The restaurant is located on the 31^st floor of the V Tower in Causeway Bay and offers its patrons a great view of the city and Victoria Harbor on one side and Happy Valley on the other side.  Its signature dishes are the grill meats, mostly steak, from US, Argentina and Japan (Wagyu beef).   The Argentina ribeye we ordered was prepared very well.  Some of its side dishes were pretty good.  The black truffle fries were excellent.  We also ordered the grilled asparagus, foie gras, Caesar salad, all were above average. The ice cream was good as well.  Prices are moderate, expect to spend HK$500-600+ person.

 

 

 

 

 

 

• Bo Innovation, 60 Johnston Road, Wan Chai, – Chinese/Asian Fusion served in western presentation style, 3-Star Michelin: Self-described as “X-treme Chinese cuisine”, Chef Alvin Leung put in some modern twists on Chinese food, such as Duck Foie Gras with Chinese mustard green and walnut and scallops with Shanghainese jolo sauce, peas and woba crispy rice.   The results are surprisingly good and worth to try.  The staff and service was also first rate – before every course, our server provided an explanation of the dish and also explain the way to eat it.  We had the Lunch Taste Menu, an 8-course meal at HK$850, a very good price.  –  For more information, check the below article on the restaurant.  (http://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/2079030/restaurant-review-bo-innovation-wan-chai-old-school-modern-hong)

 

 

 

 

 

 

• Butao Ramen, 18 Tang Lung Road, Causeway Bay – Japanese Ramen: Another popular ramen chain in Hong Kong that was started locally.  The restaurant offers different type of base soup ramen and also a choice of add-ons as well.  It is widely acclaimed for its authentic ramen style.  Price points are fairly high, with a base bowl of noodle going for HK$89-96.
• Tim Ho Wan (添好運) – Olympian City, IFC, North Point – Hong Kong style dim sum: This could be cheapest one star Michelin restaurant in the world. The restaurant was started by a former chef at 3 Michelin star Lung King Heen at Four Seasons Hotel in 2009.  The restaurant’s menu consists of classic Hong Kong style dim sum: Shrimp dumpling, beef balls, chicken feet with black bean sauce, glutinous rice with chicken, fried turnip cake, BBQ buns, etc.  The quality of the dim sum at Tim Ho Wan is exceptional, in both the North Point shop and the Olympian City shop we visited.  Both times we ordered 6 to 7 items with a total bill less than HK$150.

 

 

 

 

 

 

• Mixan Sense (米缐陣) – JP Plaza, 22-36 Paterson Street, Causeway Bay; noodles/rice noodles, dumplings and specialties dishes: A casual mall chain eatery that offers a variety of noodles and simple dishes. James had an early dinner one day by ordering the afternoon tea special – rice noodle with fish cake and fish ball with milk tea. An ok place to have a quick bite, but nothing too exceptional.  Would recommend other chain restaurants.
• Pacific Coffee – Peak Tower; best view of a coffee house: The Pacific Coffee at the Peak Tower may have the best view of any coffee shop in Hong Kong – where you can get a cup for HK$35, sit down and enjoy their drink while looking down the northern half of Hong Kong island, Victoria harbor and Kowloon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

• Hong Kong Macau Yet Shun Milk Company (港澳義順牛奶公司) – 506 Lockhart Road,
  

  Double Skinned Milk Dessert

  Causeway Bay.  HK style sweet milk and soup dessert: The place to go for local style double skinned milk dessert, which is milk in a custard form.  Have not find this dessert elsewhere outside of Hong Kong/Macau.  The place also serves other local style desserts such as red bean soup and other custards, as well as local light food such as egg sandwich, sweet crispy bun, etc.  The desserts are the choice when you come here.  The place is usually packed right up until typical closing hours at mid-night.

• Dragon Noodles Academy (龍麵館) – G/F Man Yee Building, No. 68 DesVoeux Road (entrance on Pottinger Street), Central:   Wonton noodle in Lobster soup and Lobster tail noodle soup are a couple of its key dishes. Made with Lanzhou style noodles, it provides an alternative to HK style noodles.  But what the noodles good is the lobster broth that is a cut above.  Aside from noodles, lunch offering include dim sum offerings such as turnip cakes, shrimp dumping, spring onion pancakes, lobster spring rolls, etc.  Two other restaurant specialties are the Peking Duck and 8-Treasure Beggar Chicken.  Prices are moderate, but a noodle soup and a dim sum can set one back HK$200.
• Cafe Matchbox (喜喜冰室) – 57 Paterson Street, Fashion Walk, Causeway Bay (next to Excelsior Hotel); Hong Kong classic cafe dishes and drinks: The café we visited is in the tourist part of Causeway Bay, but it still serves many locals customers.   The offerings are fairly standard for a HK tea house, but the décor brings you back 50-60 years, and they play 70s HK pop songs in the background.  A good place for a simple breakfast or take a break with a nice cup of coffee or milk tea with a pineapple bun with butter.
• Toast Box – Times Square, Causeway Bay.  Classic Singapore dishes: Toast Box is a Singapore chain restaurant that serves Singapore kopitiam food – Kaya toast, soft boil eggs, laksa, curries, and Nasi Lemak; and beverages of a variety of Nanyang coffee (kopi) & tea (teh) – served with a long sprout pot that are poured from 2 feet away.  Nothing fancy, just basic food for a quick bite. Inexpensive/moderate price, noodles around HK$40.
• Snake Royal Two Shop (二王蛇) –  No 24 Percival Road, Causeway Bay.  Snake and Smoked meats: This shop specialized in the snake soup but also has a good smoked meats rice dish, which we had.  It’s a tiny shop – tables normally would be used commune style, which people sharing tables.  The smoked meat rice bowl was indeed very good and price is reasonable around HK$55 for the rice bowl.

 

 

 

 

 

 

• Ho Hung Kee Congee and Noodles (何洪記) – Hysan Place, Causeway Bay.  Classic HK congee and noodle dishes, one-star Michelin: Similar to Tasty Congee and Noodles, Ho Hung Kee is one of the four largest local brand congee and wonton noodle shops.  Its flagship store used to in a tiny storefront in a block by Times Square mall in Causeway Bay, but it has now in much larger space in Hysan Place. The core offerings is similar to Tasty with a variety of congee, wonton, noodles and dim sum – and similar pricing as well.  This store did earn a Michelin star in 2014.

 

 

 

 

 

 

• Wong Chi Kei (黃枝記) –  500 Jaffe Road, Causeway Bay;  Classic HK Congee and noodles dishes. This is another major local brand of congee and wonton noodle shops. The offerings here is a bit wider than in Tasty and Ho Hung, including afternoon tea type offerings with milk tea.  Prices are slightly less.
• Tott’s and Roof Terrace – Excelsior Hotel, 281 Gloucester Road, Causeway Bay; view of Victoria Harbor and Kowloon.  Contemporary western: This Excelsior Hotel restaurant located on the top floor of the hotel with a spectacular view of Victoria Harbor and Kowloon.  Jessica and I have dined here a few times and also enjoyed the food here.  On this visit, we tried their current 4-course tasting menu: Roasted Beetroot salad, Scallops with ham & edamame, choice of confit and roasted duck or steam rouget with mussels for main course, and chocolate fondant with ice cream for dessert.  Both main courses were good, although both of us lean toward the duck.  The chocolate fondant was excellent.  Prices are not cheap but less expensive than many similar restaurants.  (The 4-course tasting menu was HK$698.)

 

 

 

 

 

• Man Mo Cafe – No. 40 Upper Lascar Row, Sheung Wan.  French – Cantonese fusion dim sum: This was a place that James found online and thought to give it a try.  Named after a temple located nearby the restaurant, it’s a small dim sum shop but the offerings are a variant of what one will find in a typical HK dim sum store, with offerings such as Truffle Brie dumpling and Foie Gras Xiao Long Bao or desserts such as Egg Lemon tart or Nutella Ball.  Prices is slightly higher than typical dim sum.

 

 

 

 

 

 

• Social Place (唐宮小聚) – 139 Queens Road Central, Central, 2/F floor the L Place; 30 Canton Road Tsi She Tsui, Kowloon. Contemporary Dim Sum: One of our friend took us to this relatively new restaurant located in Central.  The décor of the place is a more contemporary style with open kitchen and long rectangular tables for commune style dinning.  The restaurant also offers a healthier type of dim sum, using rice bran oil and the freshest ingredients.  Variants such as mushroom bun is shaped to look like a shiitake mushroom. In addition to traditional type of dim sum, the restaurant also offers steam lake crab (in season) and modern dessert such as crème brulee and cream soup dumpling shaped like a pear.   Price is moderate around HK$30-50 for most dishes.
• Kau Kee (九記牛腩) – 21 Grough Street, Central; Beef Brisket and Noodles: This shop is said to serve the best beef brisket/tendon in Hong Kong. There is a line typically at all hours.  The offerings are around beef briskets/tendon – noodles or hor fun with soup or curry.  James had the brisket with wide noodles and Jessica had the brisket with hor fun. The unfortunate part of eating at this place is that all other beef brisket/tendon soup and noodles just don’t seem to taste as good.  Price is moderate at around HK$40 for a bowl of noodles.

 

 

 

 

 

• Lady M –  1-3 Cleveland St (Fashion Walk), Causeway Bay; Western bakery & desserts: Lady M is a New York City patisserie that is known of is Millie-Crepes cakes.   The Causeway Bay shop is a popular tea time location, with lines start forming shortly after lunch time.  Having some milk tea while nibbling on the cakes is a relaxing way for a breather.  A slice of a cake cost about HK$50-100.

 

 

 

 

 

 

• Ying Jee Club – 1/F Nexus Building, 41 Connaught Road, Central.  Contemporary Chinese. Specialties are in seafood, specifically abalone and shark-fin soup:  This is a relatively new high-end Cantonese restaurant.  We tried one order of tasting menu, which James and Jessica shared and also ordered a couple recommended dishes (such as the crispy chicken) that wasn’t on the tasting menu.  The staff was very good in splitting the tasting menu portions for us.  Each of us probably would not be able to finish a full tasting menu plus the extra dishes we ordered, so the split turned out well for us.  Tasting menu was HK$1,780 per person.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

• Jaffe Road snacks shops: For a quick bit on the local street food, there are a number of shops along Jaffe Road (East Point) area of Causeway Bay that offers fried fish ball, beef ball, shui mai (pork dumpling), egg balls, juices, boba tea, fried chicken steak, cheese cake, etc.   Jessica always get a bottle of sugar cane juice from one of the vendor when we are in town, and James always will have a few fried fish balls.  Something everyone should at least try once.