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Hong Kong Restaurant Recommendations


cabrales

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Where is this Victoria City restaurant?  (Which building?).  From the buildings outside, my guess is it is in Wanchai?  Near or inside the Hong Kong Convention Centre?

Yes, correct!

The Centre is really humongous.

The exact address is

Victoria City

2nd Floor, Sun Hung Kai Centre, 30 Harbour Road

Wan Cha

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Where is this Victoria City restaurant?  (Which building?).  From the buildings outside, my guess is it is in Wanchai?  Near or inside the Hong Kong Convention Centre?

Yes, correct!

The Centre is really humongous.

The exact address is

Victoria City

2nd Floor, Sun Hung Kai Centre, 30 Harbour Road

Wan Cha

Oh, Sun Hung Kai Centre. Thanks! It is different from Hong Kong Convention Centre that I was thinking of. (See enclosed map). Sun Hung Kai Centre is where the "X" mark is. Convention Centre is a bit up north on the harbor front, where the "O" mark is. There are also cafes and restaurants inside the Convention Centre that offer excellent views of the harbor.

Decades ago I used to work at Hewlett Packard (Hong Kong). Their office used to be right in the Sun Hung Kai Centre. There is an unobstructed view of Causeway Bay from this Victoria City restaurant because the building is next to a track and field. I couldn't see Gloucester Road and the highway, that's why I was puzzled. :smile:

gallery_19795_163_500.jpg

W.K. Leung ("Ah Leung") aka "hzrt8w"
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There are two Victoria's - the first is in Sun Hung Kai, the other (newer) branch is in Citic (it says it's in Central but actually it's between Wan Chai and Admiralty). People who frequent each branch say theirs is best. I've only been to Sun Hung Kai.

I can't remember if I said this before, but Victoria specialises in Shanghainese dishes. I've never had the har gau there or siu mai. I love the hairy crab xiao long bao, cheung fun with XO sauce, shark's fin dumplings...

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The Modern China place in Times Square is good for a quick feed if the queue ain't too long, but I do wonder why the queue is the way it is there...

I mean, the food is good, but not spectacular, but they do turn over tables fast... the food literally cascades on to the table when you order...

Nice pics by the way. I should be more dilligent about using the camera on my spanking new Nokia... it's 3megapixels for goodness sakes and with a flash and portable memory stick and everything... I mean, it's cool... oops, wrong forum... :raz:

"Coffee and cigarettes... the breakfast of champions!"

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There are two Victoria's - the first is in Sun Hung Kai, the other (newer) branch is in Citic (it says it's in Central but actually it's between Wan Chai and Admiralty). People who frequent each branch say theirs is best. I've only been to Sun Hung Kai.

I can't remember if I said this before, but Victoria specialises in Shanghainese dishes. I've never  had the har gau there or siu mai. I love the hairy crab xiao long bao, cheung fun with XO sauce, shark's fin dumplings...

Their roasted pork is very nice too - but the now that winter is approaching - the big show stopper is Flower Crab steamed in Fai Dui wine (and chicken fat) - amazingly delicous and at the end of the course have them toss yee mein in the sauce. Obviously - don't put the empty crab shells back in the dish. I'm tearing up thinking about it...

So good - you'll have a smile on your face for the rest of the day.

The Modern China place in Times Square is good for a quick feed if the queue ain't too long, but I do wonder why the queue is the way it is there...

If Hong Kong had a national sport - it would be queing. They HATE the idea that there may be something that they are missing out on. Years and years ago - when McDonald's had their around the world Snoopy promotion - the queue ran from the Pacific Place McDonalds - through the mall, down through the subway station and then around the block of the transit hub. Seriously it was hundereds of people... for a plastic Snoopy dressed up like Uncle Sam.

Edited by canucklehead (log)
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  • 3 weeks later...
There are two Victoria's - the first is in Sun Hung Kai, the other (newer) branch is in Citic (it says it's in Central but actually it's between Wan Chai and Admiralty). People who frequent each branch say theirs is best. I've only been to Sun Hung Kai.

I can't remember if I said this before, but Victoria specialises in Shanghainese dishes. I've never  had the har gau there or siu mai. I love the hairy crab xiao long bao, cheung fun with XO sauce, shark's fin dumplings...

Having been to both locations many times, I have come to this conclusion:

Citic Centre for Dim sum/yumcha

Sun Hung Kai for dinner.

Although I don't live in HK anymore, I always make sure I visit Victoria everytime I am there, at least twice. The food is incredible, the service is there to match especially for a Chinese restaurant).

IMO, you will not and can not find a better xie fen xiao long bao anywhere! People have brought me all over Shanghai to the "best xlb places" and still nowhere compares. Even the original ding tai fung in Taiwan wasnt that impressive after eating at Victoria.

There is a great article in the NYTimes about this restaurant, will post the link if it still works.

Although it can be pricey compared to other restaurants in HK, I highly recommened this place to anyone who visits HK. Truely one of HK's gems.

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Having lived in Hong Kong for about 12 years (88-00), there are certain places that I MUST visit every time I go back. I thought I'd share some of these places in this thread.

*last trip to HK was for a week back in March2006

Victoria harbour seafood resaurant (read above post)

Chuk Yuen Seafood restaurant - Not sure of the exact address, but there are a few branches for this place. My favorite is definitely the Happy Valley location, It's right opposite the race course, close by the tram station. This place is interesting as it offers Free OJ or SugarCane juice, weird but kinda cool. I wouldnt really recommend anything else here except for Seafood. It has live tanks where you can go out and pick which items you want. The only thing that is a MUST when you come here is the Cheese Long Ha (lobster). Its basically a creamy cheese/butter sauce (very thick) stir fried lobster. A lot of other places, even here in North america, try and do this kind of dish. No where comes close to this place.

Conrad Hotel Nicholinis Sunday Buffet - One of the more expensive buffets in HK I believe, close to $500HKD per head, but this place is really something special. The selection isnt the largest, but everything is high quality. There is also a menu where you order a 'main course'. Im usually too full to order this, so I usually just get it to go (they aren't supposed to let you, but if you ask nicely it shouldn't be a problem).

Delicious Kitchen - Again since I don't live in HK anymore I forgot all the streets! But its in Causewaybay opposite what used to be Daimaru. You recognize this place cause there is a sign outside which is a Cow/Bull dressed in an apron holding the menu I believe. This place is always my favorite because of the Pai Gu Cai Fan (sweet pork cutlet, vegetable rice). Its basically a version of the Taiwanese dish, but for some reason they always seem to do it really well here. Not too expensive, about $30HKD. The pork is always done just crispy enough on the outside and very tender on the inside. The rice is neat because they steam it with a vegetable(bok choy?).

Apologies, but I need to cut this short now. Will try and add more later. Writing all this and thinking about these places really puts a tear in my eye! Damn I miss HK!

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  • 1 month later...

A quick update after a very short layover in Hong Kong....

Dinner at The Lounge, Four Seasons Hotel... promising menu, but short on delivery. Service was curt, food quality lacking, but the wagyu sirloin... hard to fault but at HK300 a pop, you'd want it to be good... fortunate choice for some :wink:

Lunch at Ye Shanghai, Marco Polo Hong Kong in TST... hairy crabs galore... rich, creamy, we feasted on the crabs, on the baked shells, crab meat noodles, like a rich fettucine with truffle cream sauce...

Dinner at The Tandoor in Central, behind Lan Kwai Fong... all you can eat buffet dinner menu... and it was... sensational... leg of lamb bryani... great rogan josh... delicious dahl... making my mouth water just thinking about it...

"Coffee and cigarettes... the breakfast of champions!"

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Hello all. First post here. As my handle indicates, I'm a French foodie in HK. So please, forgive the broken English and the snobbish slur.

Just two quick reviews of two recent "heavyweights" openings in HK : Gagnaire and Robuchon. Hong Kong is going crazy these days, and it seems that in the coming months, all the big guys will have opened restaurants here. Good for us, bad for our wallets. Oh well.

A week ago I went to PIERRE, the Gagnaire restaurant that replaced the terrible Vong at the Mandarin. The restaurant is next to the new revamped cocktail bar called M. Although not really loud, you can hear the conversations and noises from the bar in some area of the Pierre restaurant, which I think is a mistake and the only downside of what was otherwise a perfect evening. The décor of the restaurant is nice in a modern black marble-bit cold-formal-way. Nothing extraordinary, but nothing horrible. You could be anywhere in the world, no specific Chinese or French feeling in the design. Just a very posh international place. Many pretty taitais having dinner, a very well trained and perfectly mannered personnel: this is a nice place. We had the Degustation Menu, that is divine. By far the best western food I ever had in Asia, with many surprises and a great integration of asian elements (the black jelly starter with foie gras reaches orgasmic levels). It is Gagnaire at his best, on par with his Paris restaurant. A mystic and sensual experience really, full of twists and real surprises. A journey into his genius, perfectly executed. You will smile in wonder.

The menu is somewhere around 1200 dollars, and if you like wine, you may also want to be prepared to be ruined. But really I think the experience is worth the high price. Gagnaire is a god. You won't be disappointed. A must.

I tried the new Robuchon's L'ATELIER in the landmark yesterday. The place has just opened a few days ago and the maestro himself was there checking everything. The décor is superb, a mix of L'Atelier (for the counter) and La Table (for the dining room). The personel is perfect, Robuchon-style.

We had a degustation menu that was excellent. A fantastic starter (sea urchin in lobster jelly with cauliflower cream) is worth the dinner alone. Among the great things : foie gras with ginger sweet and sour, very interesting, a fantastic lamb with his famous potato purée, that was also perfectly executed. I mean, perfectly. I smiled like a baby. I wasn't too crazy about the bass with lemongrass or the langoustine beignets. Neither were my local friends. I think it will always be difficult for French chefs to compete with the perfection of local sea products cooking.

Never really the same level. Anyway a fantastic evening, perfect really. The price here is higher than at Pierre (around 1400 dollars), which I thought was a bit expensive. But then again, we drank like sponges too. Still a superior place to enjoy perfectly prepared French food.

I'd say those two easily crush the competition. We now officialy have two real great French restaurants in HK. Santé!

"Always do sober what you said you'd do drunk. That will teach you to keep your mouth shut."

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Hi Frenchfoodie, welcome to e-gullet. I haven't tried Pierre yet although I tried his food about two years ago, when he did a guest chef stint at the Mandarin (at The Grill; I think that's when they started talks about him getting his own place at the hotel) and then again in Paris. Loved both those meals. I'm eating at Pierre in January - the earliest I could get a booking.

I also went to l'Atelier - on opening night, actually. We also had the eight-course tasting menu. That sea urchin dish is beyond sublime. I like this version even better than the one made with caviar (which I think was from his menu at Jamin). What was your amuse? Ours was foie gras royale with port wine reduction and parmesan foam - absolutely delicious. The foie gras we had as the second course (served with spiced fruits) was also wonderful (although I liked the amuse foie better).

I also didn't like the sea bass - very ordinary. The tasting menu is HK$1,450; with wine, it was just over $2,500 each. Mr Robuchon came out to talk with us - I had interviewed him the day before. The only bad note (literally) was the music: muzak versions of Barry Manilow and The Sound of Music - horrible.

But have you been to Robuchon a Galera over in Macau? I've written about it before because I think it's just the best French restaurant in the region. They have a 16-course tasing menu for HK$1,600 and lunch menus at $288 for three courses, $388 for four and $488 for five. The wine list is astonishing - and compared to Hong Kong, it's inexpensive. I'm positive the restaurant is subsidised by the casino. Some of the dishes at the two Robuchon restaurants are similar: we had quail with the pommes puree (with white truffles) at l'Atelier and it's almost the same as the one on the tasting menu at A Galera; the crispy langoustine at Atelier is also served at A Galera; the sea urchin dish is made with black caviar at a Galera (it's served on the tasting menu but the full-size version is something like $850). At A Galera they have a wonderful petits four trolley - at least 20 types of sweets like pate de fruits, marshmallows, lollypops, caramels, chocolates... and you can have as much as you want, even at lunch. If I had to choose between the two (which I don't, fortunately) I'd rather eat at A Galera.

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Hi aprilmei. I had the same amuse bouche you mentioned, that foie gras 'cappucino' with parmesan foam. That was incredible, indeed. I wish I'd had a bathtub of that right away. As for the muzac, maybe some people complained about it after first night (did you?), since when I was there (in the dining room) I didn't notice such horrible noise.

Absolutely agree with you about A Galera. For me it is slightly superior to l'Atelier, plus their lunch menu is THE bargain for any foodie in the area. Until Pierre opened I had there the best french meal I ever had in Asia. Definitely a place to visit again and again I think.

Have you tried that new brasserie on Hollywood Road, Press Room?

"Always do sober what you said you'd do drunk. That will teach you to keep your mouth shut."

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I kind of did complain about the muzak. I sent a very polite e-mail commenting that the music wasn't in keeping with the food, service and environment. But I wonder if the music is chosen by upper management (ie, the Ho family, who have the Hotel Lisboa [and therefore A Galera] and are somehow partnered with Robuchon on l'Atelier. At A Galera we also have noticed some annoying music at dinner.

Haven't yet been to The Press Room (will go this week) but have heard good things about it. I know of the chef - he was at Bostonian at the Langham in TST and he also helped open El Taco Loco/Archie B's with his (now) ex-wife. I think he was constrained in his cuisine at those places and it seems Press Room will allow him to show what he can do: he used to work at Spago's in LA.

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Press Room is okay. Nothing to rave about but ok. With this kind of brasserie, a lot depends on the atmosphere i guess. Kind of snobbish and dull when I had dinner there (bored tai tais - bored brokers - not so trendy bored older gays - bored old rich locals). If it could be a slightly younger less 'Soho' crowd, it could be a cool place. A menu that mixes american and french brasserie stuff, Good idea. But La Coupole in Hong Kong it is not. See how lively people are in big local Cantonese restaurants. It is the real Brasserie atmosphere to me. That's the kind of crowd we need in these western places. Not the same old bored faces. That said with the price they ask for (in the 500 to 600 range per person, which is way too expensive for what they serve) it will never happen.

I had a steak frites that was ok. Meat and fries were good. There was something served with it that was called "Béarnaise sauce" but that had nothing to do with Béarnaise. They should learn from Morton's.

I had a dessert of mixed berries that was a handful of blueberries in cream. bof bof...

That said it is better than Bostonian, that was expensive and pretty bad in my opinion.

"Always do sober what you said you'd do drunk. That will teach you to keep your mouth shut."

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Morton's has a good bearnaise yes, but the Steakhouse at the Intercontinental, formerly the Regent in TST does an even better one!!

But I have a naggling question re: the new Robuchon... I left HK just a couple days short of the opening, damn it, but hope to be back in HK early next year... what are the prices like??

And welcome to eGullet!!

"Coffee and cigarettes... the breakfast of champions!"

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If you order at Atelier a la carte, it will probably be between $600-$800 for a three-course meal. They have a foie gras and beef burger that I will try the next time I'm there. The uni with lobster jelly is also available a la carte. As with all the other Ateliers, the main menu is divided bewteen small plates, hot and cold appetisers and main courses. As mentioned before, the eight-course tasting is $1,450.

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What percentage do you guys tip when you dine at these star chef restaurants? or is there a service charge already included....

Great write up frenchfoodieinHK, I can't wait till my next trip to HK. Will definitely try these 2 places out! Thank you!

Edited by somemale (log)
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Morton's has a good bearnaise yes, but the Steakhouse at the Intercontinental, formerly the Regent in TST does an even better one!!

Yeah, I love the Steakhouse too. Actually that is my secret lair, my home away from home. But I have to disagree with you on the Béarnaise issue.

I have a fondness for Morton's, their impeccable service and fantastic meat, Americain style and Sinatra in the background. I like the little tin pig oil lamps too. No need to choose actually. Both are great and highly enjoyable. Just two different styles.

I wish we had one steakhouse of that level in Paris.

Edited by FrenchFoodieinHK (log)

"Always do sober what you said you'd do drunk. That will teach you to keep your mouth shut."

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If you order at Atelier a la carte, it will probably be between $600-$800 for a three-course meal. They have a foie gras and beef burger that I will try the next time I'm there. The uni with lobster jelly is also available a la carte. As with all the other Ateliers, the main menu is divided bewteen small plates, hot and cold appetisers and main courses.  As mentioned before, the eight-course tasting is $1,450.

You are growing an obsession for that lobster jelly. And you are right.

I have to try "à la carte" too, but do you think the portions are big enough to be satisfied with only a 3 course meal? I thought those were half portions.

At the Atelier in Paris I need at least 4 or 5 to be satisfied. But then again I have a big appetite.

Anyway, with the tasting menu and decent wine, I think you'll end up in the 4500 to 5000$ range for two. Really, this is obscene.

To answer somemale, in those places I usually add a roughly 10 to 15 percent tip. Do you guys do the same?

"Always do sober what you said you'd do drunk. That will teach you to keep your mouth shut."

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You're probably right - HK$800 is having a modest meal, not a big, blow-out extravaganza. And you're right about my obsession with the lobster jelly - it was so amazing; I want to go back and eat it again.

Somemale, 10 per cent service charge is almost always added to bills here. sometimes it goes to the server, many times it does not. I usually add 10 per cent or less (and this is from someone who grew up tipping 15-20 per cent automatically in the States); it depends on the restaurant. At noodle shops you might leave the small change (about HK 50 cents). Tips are not automatically expected here but they're appreciated.

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*sigh* i am sadly lagging behind in trying all these new French restaurants in town! Have yet to get to Pierre and L'Atelier (for dinner) and will have to do so soon. Actually stopped at L'Atelier for lunch over the weekend and the sandwich was so-so. Dessert (salted caramel tart) was good though.

Does the L'Atelier has a good wine selection as well? A Galera's wine list is ridiculously long. Still remember having a tough time selecting a wine since it must take half an hour just to glance through the list.

For the best French, have you tried the chef's table at Gaddi's? Was my favourite when Philip Sedgwick was cooking it.

The best steak that i've ever had in town was at the old Mandarin Grill before the renovation. Think it was a Wagyu steak cooked over open frame. Have been back in the new Mandarin Grill but don't enjoy it as much for some reason. The view has improved a lot though!

For tips, i usually just round up to the next hundred. People don't really expect a tip and i am not even sure if the tip actually goes to the waiters.

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I went to the ferry dock and took on out to Lan Tan (I think) island. After a short hike over the top and down the other side we came to a town where we were to catch the return fast ferry before the dock was a number of seafood places (the kind with the aquariums that hold the food. from the tables you could see the bay filled with what I think were aquaculture structures. We had a fantastic garlic lobster and salt and pepper shrimp.

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I went to the ferry dock and took on out to Lan Tan (I think) island.  After a short hike over the top and down the other side we came to a town where we were to catch the return fast ferry before the dock was a number of seafood places (the kind with the aquariums that hold the food.  from the tables you could see the bay filled with what I think were aquaculture structures.  We had a fantastic garlic lobster and salt and pepper shrimp.

You probably mean Lantau Island. Yeah, you can do that, take a hike and then go to the seafood restaurants. Weather is perfect right now for hiking and it's not too polluted.

There are actually loads of places you can go for good seafood: Lei Yu Muen, Lamma, Chung Chau. Actually, you don't even have to travel to any of the islands for seafood; many restaurants have tanks with fresh seafood.

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What percentage do you guys tip when you dine at these star chef restaurants? or is there a service charge already included....

I only tip at cafe's and noodle shops... the restaurants generally have a service charge tagged on to the end of the bill... prices in the menu are generally nett... am I right?? Seeking clarification too...

"Coffee and cigarettes... the breakfast of champions!"

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At most restaurants, 10 per cent is automatically added to the bill. It's listed as "service charge" but it's not a tip as most people would think of it; it frequently does not go to the wait staff. It's used by the restaurant for things like staff training, cleaning uniforms, staff parties etc. Yeah. So I usually add a small amount onto that, hoping (although not certain) that it goes to the staff. My Hong Kong relatives think I am a generous tipper because I often add HK$50 onto a bill - this would be for a group of about 12 for lunch or dinner.

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