Tai Ping Koon Restaurant

Tai Ping Koon Restaurant 太平館餐廳
Address: 6 Pak Sha Road, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong
香港銅鑼彎白沙道6號
Tel: 2576 9161

The other “stream” is Western/Cantonese style imported from Guangzhou where in the mid 19th century it was one of five trading posts the Brits had established in China.

Taiping Koon first opened its door to business in Canton in 1860, the year the Britsih won the second Opium War and got Kowloon ceded to the Crown. In 1935, the restaurant moved south and opened their first branch in Hong Kong.

Comparing Taiping Koon with Queen’s Café, the former is not as glamorous as the latter. The Queen’s was the scene of a few movies but Taiping Koon could match in every other aspect food-wise with the Queen’s. In terms of tradition, TK has more. It is told that the recipe for one of their signature dish – the Swiss Chicken Wing瑞士雞翼 has remained as it is for generations. The sauce used is actually sweet soy sauce. And, when it was first introduced in the restaurant, the Ang Mo misunderstood “sweet” as “Swiss” and so it was called Swiss Chicken Wing in stead of Sweet Chicken Wing ever since

Other signature dishes include Smoked Pomfret煙鯧魚, Fried Pigeon 燒乳鴿and Vanilla Soufflé云呢拿梳厘. Fried Beef Hofun in Swiss Sauce 瑞士汁牛河and Bake Pork Chop Rice 焗豬排飯are also best amongst the best.

Queen's Cafe

Queens’s Café 皇后餐廳
Address: G/F., Yue King Commercial Building, 15 Hysan Road, Causeway Bay, HK
香港銅鑼彎希慎道15號裕景商業大廈地下
Tel: 2576 2658

Traditionally, there are two “streams” of the Dishes a la hong Kong. One is the Russian/Shanghainese style brought to us in 1949 by fleeing Shanghai restaurateurs. In its heydays, there were many of them. Unfortunately, Queen's Café is the last surviving member of this disappearing group.

Indeed, it was on the verge of folding up a few years ago when the owner father wanted to go into retirement. There was outcry from the city and from loyal customers. Then, the son and daughter-in-law decided to take over. They refurbished the whole inside, put in new decoration but retaining many of the old artifacts making it look new yet old. Surprisingly, it has since become popular once more and is branching out to other parts of the SAR. Some of the representing dishes here are: Potato Salad 薯仔沙律, Russian Borsch Soup 羅宋湯, Chicken a la King 雞皇飯, Beef Stroganoff 俄國牛柳絲 and Veal Stew in Red Wine 紅酒燴牛仔肉 etc. Queen’s is also a popular bakery.

Queen’s is a great place for people nostalgic in mind.

Dim Sum Restaurant

Dim Sum Restaurant 譽滿坊
Address: 63 Sing Woo Rd., Happy Valley, Hong Kong
香港跑馬地成和道63號
Tel: 2834-8893.

Retro style decoration brings you back to a Cantonese Tea House decades ago. The teakwood furniture, hanging fans and stained glass panel partitions may be soothing to eyes but the 100 odd different dim sums is the only reason you should come to this exclusive restaurant in a Happy Valley. This is a bit pricy when it compares with other dim sum restaurant but then we are paying a bit of the fare to being able to rub shoulders with the who’s and who in Hong Kong. Arron Kwok comes here often, not me though. I live far from town. But you should. You are just staying about a kilo down the road. Bon appetite.

Tung Po Restaurant

Tung Po Restaurant 北角東寶小館
Address: 2/F., urban Services Building, Java Road, North Point, Hong Kong
香港北角渣華道市政大廈2樓
Tel: 2880 9399

Tung Bo is actually a hawker stall. It runs its business inside a food centre. If you do not mind rubbing shoulder with the local (you literally do rub your shoulder with locals because this IS a very crowded place),you will be rewarded with some very delicious seafood in Hong Kong. It will also give one a chance to observe and compare the hawker stalls between here and those in Singapore.
For your information, the owner was Executive Chef with Harbor Plaza Hotel (?) This past experience and exposure is reflected in his menu. It is very creative. A bit “fusion”, a bit of North (China) meets South. And, they also serve Cheesecakes for desert. How about Red Bean Cheesecake?

The following is some of the best dishes:
Crispy Chicken 風 沙 雞Fried Rice Wrapped in Lotus Leaf荷 葉 飯
Golden Prawn 黃 金 蝦 Pig Stomach and Nutmeg Soup胡 椒 豬 肚 湯
Chilly Spicy Calamari椒 鹽 鮮 魷
Typhoon Shelter Spicy Crab避風塘抄蟹

Sang Kee Seafood Restaurant

Sang Kee Seafood Restaurant生記海鮮飯店
Address:1/F., Heep Sang Building, 107-115 Hennessy Road, Wanchai, Hong Kong
香港灣仔軒尼詩道107-115號協生大廈1-2樓
Tel: 2575 2236
Tel: 2575 2236

Again, this is a restaurant I would bring visiting friends to. The decoration is simple, basic and old fashion. Never mind. The quality of food makes up to whatever is missing.

This one shop has a history of over 30 years. They moved to this present location about 2 years ago. They were in Western District, the old part of Hong Kong for a long time. Western District is where Hong Kong Island was first being developed. People there are more modest, straight-forward and hardworking. Therefore, the menu at Sang Kee is more traditional and the food is more to the genuine Cantonese style. This is exactly why I like this place and why I would bring friends here for a quality meal. .And……this is why I am recommending it to you.

The menu is interesting. Try anything but you might wish to consider their clay pot chicken rice煲子臘腸雞飯, Salty Chicken鹽焗雞, Sweet and Sour Spare Ribs生抄骨. Their congee is also very nice, by the way.

Yung Kee Restaurant

Yung Kee Restaurant鏞記酒家
Address: 32-40 Wellington Street, Central, Hong Kong
香港中環威靈頓道32-40號
Tel: (852) 2522 1624
This is a genuine Cantonese eating place. It is voted the Best Chinese Restaurant of Hong Kong in 2006. Their pride is of Roast Goose. It is so good and so famous that it has become a must for everyone coming here for a meal. And, to help those who want to bring one to their love ones not in Hong Kong, the restaurant provides the service of packing a whole bird in a special wrapping box so that you can hand-carry it with you to destination hundreds and thousands of mile away. I did this every time I come to Singapore to visit my sister.

Other than Roast Goose, try the Braise Garoupa Tail or Braise Garoupa head and Belly with Spring Onion and Ginger which is tastier if you do not mind separating bone from meat inside your mouth. Pan-fried Prawns (with Shells) and Deep-fried Crispy Chicken are also good. For the rest, you can take your pick from the menu. The kitchen is very skillful and you will very likely enjoy everything you have ordered.

Golden Bull Vietnamese Restaurant

Golden Bull Vietnamese Restaurant 金牛苑
Address: Shop1103, Time Square, Sharp Street, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong
香港銅鑼彎霎東街時代廣場1103室
Tel: 25061208

By all means, this is my favorite. It is the place I have no hesitation to go to if I have visitors coming in from abroad. The quality of food and the service is reliable.

GB has 3 branches. This is not the one I normally come to. However, it is right in the heart of town at Times Square, Causeway Bay which makes it easily accessed by all from all directions.

The food they term themselves is Vietnamese. In fact, it is more Chinese than Vietnamese. Well, Vietnamese or not, the food is nice. Start with a bowl of double-boiled soup燉螺頭湯, follow with Spring Rolls 頭春卷and/or Steam Vietnamese Rice Dumpling. 粉卷 The main course may include their famous Roast Chicken南乳吊燒雞, Deep Fried Fillet of Sole, Grill Tiger Prawn, Stir Fried Beef Fillet and Fried Chinese Romaine with Fermented Bean Curd椒絲腐乳唐生菜. Then round up by having a bowl of Beef Noodle生牛肉河粉 before taking in the Sticky Pandan Cake for deser

Ho Hung Kee

Ho Hung Kee何洪記
Address: G/F, 2 Sharp Street, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong
香港銅鑼彎霎東街2號地下
Tel: 2577 6558

Mr. Donald Tsang, our Chief Executive comes here often for a bowl of Wonton noodle雲吞麵, or a Beef Brisket Ho Fun牛腩河. Their Fried E-fu Noodle干燒伊麵 and Stir Fried Beef Ho Fun 乾抄牛河are regarded as one of the best in town. I like the congee here.

Read the following which is a New Strait Times report written by a Malaysian:

At Ho Hung Kee Congee and Noodle Shop in Sharp Street East, Causeway Bay, we joined the hungry but orderly queue that had formed outside despite there being a whole hour to go before lunch time.

Ho Hung Kee is typically a locals joint, a narrow one-shop lot where those in the queue can whet their appetite by watching the cooks do their thing in the open kitchen in the front and taking deep breaths of the aromas in anticipation of the hot meal to come.

Inside, customers sit almost elbow-to-elbow. It’s amazing how the waiters manage to skillfully squeeze their way through without dumping trays of hot congee and steaming, soupy noodles on customers. Turnover is fast and though the management doesn’t chase customers away, no one is expected to linger after the last mouthful disappears. At HK$24 for a bowl of wantan noodles, it’s cheap by Hong Kong standards. The noodles are springy, the wantan so well flavoured that they inspire you take your time chewing and savouring every mouthful. The abalone congee (HK$95) is smooth and effortless and the vegetables are of the choicest. Our plate of kai lan had not a strand of fibre; instead we could taste the natural sweetness of the vegetable and it didn’t need oyster sauce (served separately)

Honolulu Coffee Shop

Honolulu Coffee Shop 檀島咖啡店
Address: 176-178 Hennessy Road, Wanchai, Hong Kong
`灣仔軒尼詩道176-178 號地下及閣樓
Tel: 2575 1823

This is another classic in Hong Kong. It is an eating place that many of post-war baby-boomers grew up and grow old with.

They are famous for their coffee咖啡, milk tea奶茶, pineapple bun (served sandwiched with a thick slice of salted butter) 菠蘿油and most of all, the Egg Custard Tart蛋撻. Do come here in an afternoon for a cup of silky milk tea or a cup of super rich house blend coffee. These may be basic but is unique in taste and is a favorite to many in many years. I bet you will come back and back because the egg tart when it is fresh is just too yummy.

Again, this is not a fancy place. Patrons and the servers balk rather than speak and the place is usually packed. But then, you probably spend not more than half an hour here so it is OK, I guess.

Tsui Wah Restaurant

Tsui Wah Restaurant翠華餐廳

Address: G/F., 32-40 Wellington Street, Central, Hong Kong
香港中環威靈頓道32-40號 Tel: 2525 6338

Located in Central, the finance and administrative centre, this coffee bistro is a more up-scale establishment and a little more expensive than others. The menu is wide and extensive. Their curry is famous. It is a bit local, not very Malay not it is Thai. Definitely not Indian but it is nice. You can try one and it is an experience.. Most others dishes taste good. I like their Fried Beehoon Singapore Style星州抄米, Fired Spaghetti with Ox-tongue干抄牛利意粉and Fish Ball Hofun in soup魚旦河

Coffee Bistro

Tea Bistro 茶餐廳

This would be the Kopitiam or coffee houses in Singapore and Malaysia. They serve hot food on the order. People come here alone or in small groups for breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and even dinner. They would normally just come in, order the food, finish it and go. This is a place to eat, not to socialize. So, the table turn-over rate is fast.

Food-wise, snacks like sandwiches of all varieties and noodle/Beehoon/Hofun soup with fish ball, meat balls and many others are definitely there on the menu. For the more filling stuff, there are the ever present stir-fry dishes like Fried Beehoon Singapore style, Fried Hofun, Fried Noodle, Fried Rice and Fried Spaghetti. Then, Hainan Chicken Rice and curry are also indispensable.

Price-wise, they are very reasonable. Of course, some are a little more expensive than the others. Some are cheaper. Therefore, a coffee bistro in Hong Kong is an eating place somewhere between a fast food outlet and a proper restaurant. The number of them is in the thousands. The better ones a traveler should visit is Tsui Wah 翠華餐廳 and the classic of all is Honolulu Coffee Shop檀島咖啡店

Mido Restaurant

Mido Restaurant美都餐廳
Address: 63 Temple Street, Yaumati, Kowloon
九龍廟街63號
Tel: 2384 6402

While Queen’s Café may be chic, Taiping Koon traditional, Mido could be said to be a classic. Located in one of the less glossy neighborhood, the appearance is sure not captivating at all. This is a 3-story post-war concrete building with every decoration remind you of a grass root eating place on Balestiar Road or Seragoon Road in Singapore. Mosaic tiles, old-fashion key-punching NCR cash register, wooden bench chairs and table tops reminisce one of the golden 50s and 60s. This place, despite of the humble outlook has been catching the attention of famous HK film directors like Wong Kar Wai and his peers. Mido is also drawing the attention from Japanese media and tourists as well.

Bake Spare Ribs Rice焗排骨飯 is their signature item. It is definitely the best in Hong Kong. For HK$45 an order, it is not inexpensive but people just come and they sure come for this tasty Western-influenced Cantonese pilaf. You can also order Fried Hofun 抄粉or Fried Noodle 抄麵which are just as good. Besides, a glass of sweet Red Beans in Crushed Ice紅豆冰 is also a must to some.

Indeed, Mido is a very interesting place. However, do be forewarned, this is not a place for high society. It’s safe, it’s cool but it is down to earth. The neighborhood is very blue-collar. In fact, it is near Temple Street, the venue of the famous Night Bazaar where people and visitors come for cheap and not too expensive shopping.

I think a visit here to Mido and nearby Temple Street will give you an opportunity to sample the life of how one from the working class in Hong Kong lives. By the way, to those who comes from Malaysia and Singapore, coming to this neighborhood will surly remind you of Chee Chong Street in the KL Chinatown. It’s fun. Trust me.

Taiping Koon Restaurant

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Tai Ping Koon Restaurant 太平館餐廳
Address: 6 Pak Sha Road, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong
香港銅鑼彎白沙道6號
Tel: 2576 9161

The other “stream” is Western/Cantonese style imported from Guangzhou where in the mid 19th century it was one of five trading posts the Brits had established in China.

Taiping Koon first opened its door to business in Canton in 1860, the year the Britsih won the second Opium War and got Kowloon ceded to the Crown. In 1935, the restaurant moved south and opened their first branch in Hong Kong.

Comparing Taiping Koon with Queen’s Café, the former is not as glamorous as the latter. The Queen’s was the scene of a few movies but Taiping Koon could match in every other aspect food-wise with the Queen’s. In terms of tradition, TK has more. It is told that the recipe for one of their signature dish – the Swiss Chicken Wing瑞士雞翼 has remained as it is for generations. The sauce used is actually sweet soy sauce. And, when it was first introduced in the restaurant, the Ang Mo misunderstood “sweet” as “Swiss” and so it was called Swiss Chicken Wing in stead of Sweet Chicken Wing ever since.

Other signature dishes include Smoked Pomfret煙鯧魚, Fried Pigeon 燒乳鴿and Vanilla Soufflé云呢拿梳厘. Fried Beef Hofun in Swiss Sauce 瑞士汁牛河and Bake Pork Chop Rice 焗豬排飯are also best amongst the best.

Queen's Cafe

Queens’s Café 皇后餐廳
Address: G/F., Yue King Commercial Building, 15 Hysan Road, Causeway Bay, HK
香港銅鑼彎希慎道15號裕景商業大廈地下
Tel: 2576 2658

This is the so-called “Soy Sauce Western dishes’ found only in this ex- British colony. Traditionally, there are two “streams” of such. One is the Russian/Shanghainese style brought to us in 1949 by fleeing Shanghai restaurateurs. In its heydays, there were many of them. Unfortunately, Queen's Café is the last surviving member of this disappearing group.

Indeed, it was on the verge of folding up a few years ago when the owner father wanted to go into retirement. There was outcry from the city and from loyal customers. Then, the son and daughter-in-law decided to take over. They refurbished the whole inside, put in new decoration but retaining many of the old artifacts making it look new yet old. Surprisingly, it has since become popular once more and is branching out to other parts of the SAR. Some of the representing dishes here are: Potato Salad 薯仔沙律, Russian Borsch Soup 羅宋湯, Chicken a la King 雞皇飯, Beef Stroganoff 俄國牛柳絲 and Veal Stew in Red Wine 紅酒燴牛仔肉 etc.

Queen’s is also a popular bakery. Queen’s is a great place for people nostalgic in mind.
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