You don’t need to be a food expert to know who Anthony Bourdain was.
The American chef, writer and TV show host was widely known and loved for his sardonic humour, well-researched and curious approach to global cultures, as well as his down-to-earth attitude towards travel—that is, fully immersing yourself by trying all local food and activities, from low to highbrow.
Bourdain visited Hong Kong three times for three different travel shows—Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations (2007), The Layover (2011), and Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown (2018)—and was deeply impressed by the city’s diverse cuisine and culinary experiences. Tatler brings you 11 restaurants in Hong Kong that highly impressed Bourdain.
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Yat Lok Roast Goose
Yat Lok Roast Goose has always been a favourite among Hongkongers, and Bourdain visited the now-closed Tai Po location while filming for his TV show Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations. He ate the classic pairing of roast goose with rice noodles and described the flavours as “incredible”, waxing lyrical about the crispy skin and the juicy fat. The Central location still attracts long queues daily, attesting to the skill of the chefs who have fine-tuned the art of roasting meat.
Yat Lok Roast GooseAddress: 34-38 Stanley Street, Central
Sher-E-Punjab
Sher-E-Punjab, a northern Indian restaurant within Chungking Mansions (Photo: Facebook / @Sher e Punjab)
Bourdain was a humanitarian at heart, and used his show Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown as a platform to showcase diversity across culture and class. On his visit to Sher-E-Punjab, a northern Indian restaurant within Chungking Mansions in Tsim Sha Tsui, he invited two people from Iran and Somalia with asylum-seeker status in Hong Kong to eat and share their challenging experiences.
While little was said about the dishes themselves, the conversation highlighted that restaurants in Chungking Mansions provided a sense of community and familiarity for ethnic minorities in Hong Kong.
Sher-E-PunjabAddress: Room 102, 1/F, Chungking Mansions, 36-44 Nathan Road, Tsim Sha Tsui
Sun Hing Restaurant
Sun Hing Restaurant in Kennedy Town opens at 3am and is the designated spot for early birds and night owls. The dim sum they make and serve is traditional in flavour and technique. Bourdain sat with two members of Hong Kong post-punk band David Boring for Parts Unknown to enjoy egg custard buns and chicken feet with black bean sauce, and other classic yum cha offerings.
Sun Hing RestaurantAddress: 8 Smithfield, Kennedy Town
Lau Sum Kee Noodle
Bourdain visited Lau Sum Kee Noodle with Douglas Yeung, founder of Goods of Desire, in 2018 and they discussed the disappearance of traditional crafts and architecture in Hong Kong. Founded in 1956, this noodle shop is still doing things old school; in fact, it’s one of the last places in Hong Kong that still makes its bamboo noodles by hand—or, more technically, by leg. Bourdain ate this classic dish alongside shrimp wontons, also made in-house, and simply said, “I love this”.
Lau Sum Kee NoodleAddress: 48 Kweilin St, Un Chau
Under the Bridge Spicy Crab
When Bourdain first came to Hong Kong to film Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations, he showcased the authenticity of Hong Kong’s seafood and explained how the culture stems from the communities that lived on boats. He didn’t visit the restaurant; instead, he invited the chef from Under the Bridge Spicy Crab on a boat parked in the Causeway Bay typhoon shelter to cook his signature dish: spicy typhoon shelter crab.
Under the Bridge Spicy CrabAddress: G/F and 1/F, Golden Jubilee Building, 391 Lockhart Road, Causeway Bay
Tung Po Kitchen
Tung Po Kitchen was originally located in North Point Municipal Services Building and has since moved to Wan Chai, but its bold flavours and memorable dining customs—that is, drinking beer from bowls and often a performance from co-owner Robby Cheung—remain. Bourdain visited in 2005, trying several Cantonese-style side dishes (perfectly paired with drinks) including salt and pepper shrimp, squid ink noodles and fried pork knuckles, and it’s the only Hong Kong restaurant he’s recommended twice in his shows.
Tung Po KitchenAddress: 2/F, Konnect, 303 Jaffe Road, Wan Chai
Joy Hing Roasted Meat
Bourdain checked out the rather unassuming Joy Hing Roasted Meat in Wan Chai for his show The Layover. It was originally a neighbourhood canteen catering to those working physically laborious jobs and has grown in popularity since, establishing a reputation for consistency in quality and portion. He even noted that his jet lag improved after a bite of char siu fan (Cantonese barbeque pork rice).
Joy Hing Roasted MeatAddress: G/F, Cheung Hing Building, 265 Hennessy Road, Wan Chai
Sing Heung Yuen
There’s always a long queue at Sing Heung Yuen during lunch, and one of their signature dishes is the tomato macaroni soup. Bourdain—who ate there in 2011—was initially sceptical about the combination of fried eggs, spam and macaroni in tomato soup, but concluded that its simplicity in flavour was the “key to life”.
Sing Heung YuenAddress: 2 Mee Lun Street, Central
Tim Ho Wan
Tim Ho Wan, a famous chain of dim sum shops, has branches all over Hong Kong, and even Japan and New York. Bourdain visited a now-closed branch in Mongkok to try several dim sum dishes such as crispy char siu bao (barbeque pork dumplings), har gow (shrimp dumplings), siu mai (shrimp and pork dumplings) and other classics. He commented how it’s “the cheapest restaurant in the world” to eat Michelin-quality food.
Tim Ho WanAddress: 9-11 Fuk Wing Steet, Sham Shui Po
Fuk Loi Kui
Bourdain didn’t skip out on seafood when he came to Hong Kong, and in 2011, he visited Fuk Loi Kui—a Chiuchow restaurant in Prince Edward. Amidst the squid and other cooked meats hanging from the window, he ate a fried oyster omelette and said it was the ideal “late-night food” due to its savoury taste.
Fuk Loi KuiAddress: 4-6, Ki Lung Street, Prince Edward
Leaf Dessert
Leaf Dessert is an iconic location in Hong Kong—the 100-year-old restaurant was regularly used as a backdrop in local movies such as —It’s a favourite of Christopher Doyle, a cinematographer closely associated with Wong Kar-wai. Bourdain aptly ate there with him, opting for a bowl of noodles with beef brisket and shrimp wontons. They also offer traditional desserts including tong soi (rice balls), black sesame soup and sago with coconut.
Leaf DessertAddress: 2 Elgin Street, Soho, Central
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