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Hong
Kong Dining Guide
More than 9,000 restaurants provide a tantalising choice
of dining options including regional Chinese specialties,
Hong Kong signature dishes, various Asian dilicacies and
numerous Western cuisines . You 'll be amazed and delighted
at the mouth-waterring variety of high quality dining on
offer in the Culinary Capital of Asia.
Chinese
Gourmet
Hong Kong 's army of innovative chefs pride themselves on
their ability to create an almost overwhelming array of
delicious dishes from the many provinces of Mainland China.
Most Hong Kong residents come from neighbouring Guangdong
(Canton) province, where fresh ingredients, soups and fast
cooking at high temperatures to seal in flavours are the
hallmarks of cantonese cuisine.
Peking restaurants are best know for Peking duck and customers
are entertained by chefs and their noodle - making demonstrations.
Late autumn is the ideal time to enjoy the Shanghainese
specialty, hairy crabs, though the province's richly flavoured
dishes and dumpling with various filling are popular all
year round.
Szechuan food is often smoked and simmered with peppers
and aromatic seasonings, resulting in some of the spiciest
foods in China. Hunan cuisine is equally spicy, with many
peppery meat dishes.
Guangdong's coastal region gave rise to popular Chiu Chow
cuisine, which focuses on seafood and uses sweet Isauces
to flavour signature dishes like sliced marinated goose.
Since Cantonese food is Ithe very essence of I Hong Kong's
food culture,the Hong Kong Tourism Board has organised the
annual "Best of the Best" Culinary Awards to identify
the finest examples of Hong i Kong's classic and representative
dishes and to promote Chinese gourmet dining in the City
of Life.
Best of the Best Culinary Guide
The Best of the Best Culinary Guide pays homage to the finest
examples of Hong Kong's Cantonese cuisine. The guide lists
the finest and most outstanding dishes in traditional Hong
Kong categories such as dim sum, seafood like prawn and
crab, wonton noodles and poultry that have won Gold and
Gold with Distinction Awards in the annual Best of the Best
Culinary Awards. In 2001, the competition included more
than 200 restaurants.True gourmets should visit the HKTB
Visitor Information & Services Centres and pick up a
free copy of the Best of the Best Culinary Guide that spotlights
the city's classic and representative dishes.
Hong
Kong Delicacies
Teahouse
Hong Kong teahouses are a fun way to dine, with a wide range
of affordable snack food such as noodles. cakes and desserts.
Try yuen yeung , a 50/50 mixture of tea and coffee; bar
law yau, a steaming hot sweet bun stuffed with melted butter,
and daan tart Mill, a tasty baked egg custard. Freshly cooked
sliced fish or sliced beef congee. yau char gwai, a deep-fried
dough and wonton noodles are equally affordable local favourites.
Just remember. when paying the bill go to the front counter.
Tipping is not required.
Dim Sum
No visit to Hong Kong would be complete without a yum cha
or tea drinking session with assorted dim sum (meaning "touch
the heart") - light snacks such as dumplings. buns
and pastries that are often served in bamboo baskets.
Try char siu bau, a steamed barbecued pork bun, har gau,
a steamed shrimp dumpling. siu mai, a steamed diced meat
dumpling flavoured with egg or saffron. and cheung fan,
a steamed rice flour roll often flavoured with barbecued
pork. beef or shrimp. Tasty treats, they are bound to become
firm favourites.
Asian Gourmet
Hong Kong's superb location at the crossroads of Asia means
that virtually every regional cuisine is abundantly represented
in the City of Life. Whether you fancy a spicyThai dish,a
Vietnamese spring roll,Tandori chicken from India, a Singaporean
Hainan chicken rice, Malaysian-style satay or Muslim Halal
food, you'll never be at a loss for dining choices in Hong
Kong.
Western Gourmet
There are an equal number of appetising western cuisines
to choose from in the City of Life. Whether you fancy
Nouvelle Cuisine, Italian pasta or a lighter Spanish tapas,
western restaurants are sure to please the palate in Hong
Kong.
Major Dining Locations
Virtually every block in Hong Kong boasts a restaurant,
although major cuisines tend to congregate in the following
dining locations that make dining simple but choosing difficult.
Causeway Bay - Traditional Hong Kong-style food
Causeway Bay's myriad restaurants and cafes around jardine's
Bazaar,Times Square, Lee Theatre Plaza, Percival Street
and Paterson Street offer everything from Hong Kong-style
food to Asian and international gourmet cuisine.
Lan Kwai Fang and SaHo - Cosmopolitan atmosphere
Night owls and partiers always head for lan Kwai Fong and
SoHo (South of Hollywood Road) in the Central District.
Concentrated in a small warren of streets, lan Kwai Fong
includes bars, restaurants (as well as alfresco dining).
It's a party atmosphere every night of the week. SoHo, another
trendy area located around the Central-Mid-levels Escalator
offers a wide variety of international cuisine and a great
night on the town. Refer to page 31 for details.
Stanley - Alfresco seaside dining
Stanley is home to numerous restaurants offering everything
from pizzas to Chinese, Vietnamese,Asian, French and Italian
food, particularly along the main street.
For a real treat, try the restaurants in Murray House where
panoramic views of this picturesque seaside village provide
a glorious backdrop to quality alfresco din i ng. Refer
to page 34 for details.
Kowloon City - Reasonably-priced Asian cuisine
Kowloon City. famous for Thai, Chinese hot pot and Chiu
Chow food at reasonable prices along Kai Tak Road, Nam Kok
Road, Lung Kong Road and Fuk Lo Tsun Road, is a deservedly
popular dining area for local families and visitors. (Lok
Fu MTR Station and take a short taxi ride.)
Tsim Sha Tsui -Trendy dining
There's an equally large variety of exotic cuisine to suit
all budgets available inTsim ShaTsui andTsim Sha Tsui East.
Browse main thoroughfares like Nathan Road, Canton Road
and Chatham Road, as well as side streets
such as Ashley Road and Granville Road. Shopping centres
also often host quality dining options such as the Szechuan
and Cantonese restaurants found in the Miramar Shopping
Centre on Kimberley Road. Wander over to KnutsfordTerrace
(Tsim Sha Tsui MTR Exit B I) and sample some great dining
options. It's a smorgasbord of taste treats. Befitting this
international eating oasis, it is packed with other gourmands
keen to sample the "Good Life" in the City of
Life.
Lei Yue Hun, Sai Kung and larnrna Island - Fresh seafood
lei Yue Mun, Sai Kung and lamma Island are world famous
for their alfresco seafood restaurants, where diners choose
their seafood from a tank and have it cooked to order in
any style they desire.
These restaurants also serve a variety of meat dishes. Keep
an eye out for the dried salted fish or shrimp paste which
are local delicacies. Refer to page 40, 47 and 49 for details.
Hung Horn - Specialty restaurants
Whampoa Gourmet Place in Hung Hom boasts 13 specialty restaurants
under one roof featuring Northern and Southern Chinese food.
There is a bewildering choice of Asian gourmet dishes ranging
from tempting snacks to full meals. (Take green minibus
No 6 at Tsim Sha Tsui - Hankow Road, alighting at the terminus.) |
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Hong
Kong Festivals & Events
CULTURE
Hong Kong remains loyal to its cultural roots,
ancient customs and traditions. Festivals are an excellent
way for visitors to experience Hong Kong's religious observances.
Chinese New Year festivities
Start the lunar year with a spectacular float parade, and
a grand fireworks display held over Victoria Habour. Unique
to Hong Kong is the Cheung Chau Bun Festival, held on Cheung
Chau Island and featuring "airborne" children
being paraded through the streets.
Hong Kong's prettiest celebrations take place during the
Mid-Autumn Festival, which honours the fullest moon of the
year. In the evening, families carry glowing lanterns to
parks, beaches and mountains to view the stunning full moon.
There is, of course, a host of other festivals and cultural
activities. Chinese opera, traditional music concerts and
Chinese cultural shows are staged regularly throughout the
territory.
Chinese Festivals
Experiencing a major Chinese festival in Hong Kong is an
enchanting and unforgettable adventure. Hong Kong's major
traditional festivals are colourful and noisy affairs, at
which thousands upon thousand of people turn out to join
the celebrations.
Fireworks, festive feasting, lion and dragon dancers, incense
smoke, Chinese opera, mah jong, fortune-telling, carnivals
and parades come together in a variety of combinations to
create a uniquely festive atmosphere seen nowhere else in
the world.
The festivals are among the best ways to experience the
unique culture of this modern East-meets-West destination.
There are festivals throughout the year, so whenever you
plan to visit, chances are you'll get to experience one.
Join a tour group to get the best seats in the house during
any of the city's festivals.
DINING & ENTERTAINMENT
Gourmet Paradise
Mouth-watering dining treats are the special of the day
in the City of Life.
Hong Kong's cuisine is renowned for its exotic fusion of
Eastern and Western flavours along with a wide variety of
culinary delights. It is possible to dine on a different
country's fare very day of the week: Cantonese dim sum,
crispy Peking duck, hearty Chiu Chow dishes, preceded by
palate-cleansing Iron Buddha tea, spicy Szechuan dishes,
wheat breads and noodles from Shanghai province, and multi-ethnic
Taiwanese cooking.
Its cultural blend, proximity to mainland China and reputation
for quality have made Hong Kong the world's undisputed Gourmet
Paradise.
Throughout the year, a wide selection of scrumptious staples
and fantastic
Seasonal Tastes
In the City of Life, there is a taste to enjoy for every
season.
Spring Seafood Surprises (March - May)
Seafood is available year-round in Hong Kong, but it takes
on a renewed vitality in springtime. At this time of year,
Hong Kong serves traditional favourites as well as Hong
Kong signature dishes, such as abalone, shark's fin and
garoupa.
Try the dried seafood delicacies, famous for their nutritional
value: conpoy, oysters, squid, shrimps and seaweed.
Lobsters can be bought live and cooked to order, beautifully
presented whole fish are the champion of every banquet and
shellfish can be found on virtually every menu in town.
Summer Greens (June - August)
Hong Kong's Summer Greens are not only the vegetable greens
most visitors are used to - but also an amazing assortment
of melons. At this time of year Hong Kong is awash with
fresh, juicy melons. Winter melon, fuzzy melon, bitter melon,
angled luffa melon, honeydew and watermelon are prepared
in a surprising number of ways. Sometimes served as a delicious
soup in an elaborately carved whole melon, this is food
fit for their known health benefits.
Autumn Crab Fest (September - November)
Green crabs, giant crabs, soft-shell crabs, creamy crabs
and the locals' favourite, hairy crabs, all jostle for the
attention of the gourmand. From soups to salads, appetizers
toe entrees, the crab is the star of both Chinese and Western
dishes.
Winter Tonic Warmers (December - February)
Dispel the slight chill in the air during the winter months
with a traditional piping-hot casserole, called a hot pot.
These come in as many different varieties as there are chefs
in Hong Kong, so there's always something new to try. This
is also the season for tonic foods such as bird's nest,
snake, deer antler and ginseng. The traditional use of these
tonics dates back thousands of years and helps balance the
YIN (female) and the YANG (male) forces, increases GI (energy)
and promotes circulation.
Tea Culture
Yum cha ("drinking tea") is an integral part of
Hong Kong's culinary culture. A cup of steaming fresh tea
is the perfect complement to every sumptuous dish. As any
tea lover will tell you, the traditional drink - whether
Chinese, English or Hong Kong-style - sends forth its unique,
delicate fragrances to help shape daily life in Hong Kong.
The ritual of thanking someone in the traditional Chinese-style
YUM CHA has much historical significance. When you see tea-drinkers
tapping the table with three fingers of the same hand, it
is a silent expression of gratitude to the member of the
party who has refilled their cup. The gesture recreates
a tale of Imperial obeisance. It can be traced to a Qing
Dynasty emperor who used to travel incognito. While visiting
Sout China, he once went into a teahouse with his companions.
In order to preserve his anonymity, he took his turn at
pouring tea. His shocked companions wanted to kowtow for
the great honous. Instead of allowing them to reveal his
identity, the emperor told them to tap three fingers on
the table. One finger represented their bowed head and the
other two represented their prostrate arms. |
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