I was born in Singapore and grew up in beautiful Vancouver, Canada. Coming to Hong Kong was my way of exploring my roots and discovering the place where my mom was born and raised. I would say I am one of those mix-my-rice-with-my-soups type of guys.
Up until the age of 10, I was quite a sickly child. A big reason I am healthy today is that my grandmother made herbal soups for me every day until she died. As a kid, I would often mix my rice with her delicious soups. There were times I would refuse to eat rice without her soup. My grandma grew up in Hong Kong, raised four children in the Kowloon Walled City, and sent my mother to Canada for university. She really was a superwoman.
Nowadays, my diet is more varied. Mirror Burger (194 Queen’s Road West, Sai Ying Pun. Tel: 5292 3545) is a regular haunt for me. It is delicious and close to home, and the 3,2,1 burger with blue cheese hits the taste buds in all the right areas. I have had to limit myself to going there at most once a week. During Chinese New Year, I actually ate there three times in a week.
I like Twenty-Fifth Hour (13/F, Luk Yu Building, 24-26 Stanley Street, Central. Tel: 5546 8540) for its cocktails. The bar’s servers are very friendly and are willing to explain every drink. The bar’s passion can be felt in the drinks and the service, and this is what draws me. Hive (Shop 108, 1/F, One North, 8 Hong Yip Street, Yuen Long. Tel: 9776 8807) is a cute little cafe I’ve come across recently. It is located inside a gym, and its healthy snacks complement the exercise programs on offer.
Ramen House Konjiki Hototogisu (Shop 3020, 3/F, IFC, 8 Finance Street, Central. Tel: 6333 8036) is a good place to take a friend or acquaintance. This was where I made one of my first friends in Hong Kong. For local food, I enjoy Australia Dairy Company (47-49 Parkes Street, Jordan. Tel: 2730 1356). It offers a classic Hong Kong experience with its quick in-and-out service, good prices, and great pudding.
As someone new to Hong Kong, I really enjoy the bustle of the place, particularly during off-peak times when the line isn’t insanely long. For a celebration feast, I would go to Yardbird (154-158 Wing Lok Street, Sheung Wan. Tel: 2547 9273) for the deliciously juicy and varied yakitori. It is easy to splurge there.
One of my best overseas dining experiences was while on a chiropractic mission in El Salvador in 2018. On the final night, after a week helping locals, my team members and I treated ourselves to dinner at La Pampa El Volcan Restaurant (Canton Alvarez Finca La Virgen Km 17 1/2 El Boqueron, Santa Tecla. Tel: +503 2312 7331), a restaurant on the side of a volcano in the outskirts of San Salvador, the country’s capital. I had a steak covered with prawns and a sauce wrapped in egg. It was amazing, accompanied with a glass of red wine and the backdrop of the moon shining over the city below.
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