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Hong Kong needs little introduction as one of the world’s greatest food cities. With 40,000 places to eat, the high-rise metropolis buzzes 24 hours a day with pretty much every type of cuisine imaginable, from every corner of the world. No fewer than 50 national and regional cuisines are represented by the city’s 64 Michelin-starred restaurants, while private dining rooms and pop-ups have flourished alongside the more traditional dai pai dong (cooked food stalls) cha chaan teng (teahouses) and thousands of congee, noodle and wantun shops (for a complete guide of the best food in Hong Kong check out also the city tasting tour with chef Richard Ekkebus).
Here’s a taste of just some of the cuisines on offer in ‘Asia’s world city’:
ETHIOPIA
Eat Ethio is a new arrival on the Hong Kong dining landscape, bringing some long-overdue flavours of east African cooking to the city. Owner Helina Tesega serves classic dishes such as doro wot curry and kitfo ( tartare) with injera bread and teff, touted as the next superfood. She also plays Ethiopian jazz and serves Ethiopian coffee to ensure that the pop ups and private dining events she hosts represent her country’s aesthetic and culture as much as its cooking.
Eat Ethio
For details on forthcoming events and private dining: eatethio@gmail.com
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SICHUAN PROVINCE
The often-fiery but always nuanced cuisine from China’s southwestern Sichuan region is a perennial favorite in Hong Kong. The hua jiao chilli imparts its famous and unique numbing tingle to dishes including ma po tofu and Chongqing chicken at Si Jie and Chili Fagara, but look deeper and the region’s dishes are far more complex, multi-layered and subtle than first impressions.
Si Jie
10F Bartlock Centre, 3 Yiu Wa Street, Causeway Bay
Tel. +852 2802 2250
Chili Fagara
51 Graham St, Soho
Tel. +852 2893 3330
Website
ARGENTINA
The home of world-class beef and Malbecs has spawned a number of high-end steakhouses featuring famous cuts such as full-bodied ancho, delicate lomo and cuadril with a myriad of marinades and sauces. Pan-fried provoleta cheese, cracking empanadas and hefty reds on the wine list add up to nights that take you straight to the Pampas.
Gaucho
5th Floor LHT Tower, 31 Queen’s Road Central
Tel. +852 2386 8090
Website
Tango
1st Floor, Carfield Building, 77 Wyndham Street, Central
+852 2525 5808
Website
FRANCE
The world’s most famous French chefs all seem to have opened restaurants in Hong Kong or Macau in the last decade, leaving diners spoilt for choice when it comes to high-end French dining. While some fuse Asian and global ingredients and techniques, others are proudly and purely French, such as newcomer Épure serving wholly French produce across their tasting and à la carte menus. Spoon, under the ever-watchful eye of Alain Ducasse at The Intercontinental Hotel, wows with harbor views as much as refined plating and execution.
Épure
Shop 403, Level 4, Ocean Centre, Harbour City, Tsim Sha Tsui
Tel. +852 3185 8338
Website
Spoon
InterContinental Hong Kong, 18 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui
Tel.+852 2313 2323
Website
LEBANON
For a comparatively small country, Lebanon is well represented in Hong Kong due to the broad international appeal of its cuisine. Zahrabel in Wan Chai offers mezze sharing platters where Jos Mahrouse is a standout, a spicy walnut dip similar to a Muhammra. Sumac in the city’s Central district is an elegant retreat with an outside terrace for shisha, while the flavours inside are bold but balanced.
Sumac
8 Glenealy, Central
Tel. +852 2147 9191
Website
Zahrabel
25th Floor, 239 Hennessy Road, Wanchai
Tel. +842 5503 9181
Website
AUSTRALIA
With more than 80,000 Australians living in Hong Kong, it’s no surprise that the country features significantly in the city’s dining scene. While Arcane is not strictly an Aussie restaurant, Perth-born Shane Osborn, formerly of London’s Pied à Terre, imparts his unique Antipodean touch to beautifully-plated creations. The wonderfully-named Wooloomooloo Prime in Causeway Bay is much more traditional with its raft of Australian steaks, seafood and wines served with views over the city’s Victoria Harbor.
Arcane
18 On Lan Street, Central
Tel. +852 2728 0178
Website
Wooloomooloo Prime
27 Soundwill Plaza II, 1 Tang Lung St, Causeway Bay
Tel. +852 2771 3600
Website
