- If the side dishes shine at a Korean restaurant, so will the rest of the food, says Rachel Lee, who visits her favourite Korean place in Hong Kong once a week
- She loves the dim sum at a local place in Stanley, but says the best are to be had at a hotel in Admiralty. She also has her go-to place for hotpot
Korean native Rachel Eun Ju Lee is the founder/creative director of Soluna Fine Art gallery in Sheung Wan. Her upcoming exhibition, Obangsaek: Indigo, runs from January 16 to February 22.
I eat a lot of Korean food. I find it very particular. Everything has a purpose and meaning, much like Chinese cuisine. It's not just about taste.
That's why I go once a week to Arirang (3/F, W Square, 314-324 Hennessy Road, Wan Chai, tel: 2506 3298). I would say it is one of the most authentic Korean restaurants in Hong Kong.
You know right away if a Korean restaurant is good or not just by the banchan (side dishes). If they look and taste good, everything else is fine. Many Korean restaurants change their taste for the local market " sweeter, less spicy, more oily, but not Arirang. Here, everything is fresh.
I also love dim sum. There are so many nice places. Starting with a very humble place, Chung's Cuisine (Shop 308, 3/F Stanley Plaza, 23 Carmel Road, Stanley, tel: 8300 8006) is a very local place, reasonably priced but good quality. Everything is crafted well.
When I want something a bit more fancy then I go to Man Ho (3/F, JW Marriott Hotel, Pacific Place, 88 Queensway, Admiralty, tel: 2810 8366). Everyone knows they have the best dim sum.
When I want to impress a visitor, I bring them to Maxim's Palace at City Hall (2/F, 5-7 Edinburgh Place, Central, tel: 2521 1303). It's a massive place, a whole experience with the carts. Of course, we have the har gau (shrimp dumplings) and xiao long bao, which my kids love. I do love the lotus leaf sticky rice and loh bak goh (radish cake).
I also enjoy hotpot. I love Megan's Kitchen (5/F, Lucky Centre, 165-171 Wan Chai Road, Wan Chai, tel: 2866 8305) with its quality and freshness.
A Sichuan restaurant I like in Wan Chai is Deng G (2/F, Weswick Commercial Building, 147-149 Queen's Road East, Wan Chai, tel: 2609 2328). I like them a lot, it's very authentic.
Qi " House of Sichuan (2/F, J Senses, 60 Johnston Road, Wan Chai, tel: 2527 7117) is also very nice but it's more Westernised.
Hong Kong has a lot of nice French restaurants. Arbor (25/F, H Queen's, 80 Queen's Road Central, Central, tel: 3185 8388) is Michelin-star calibre. Some Michelin restaurants are just fancy but Arbor presents authentic food, art and environment. It appeals to all the senses. This is one of the fancier places I really like.
Another secret place of mine is Henry's (64 Stanley Main Street, Stanley, tel: 2813 9055) serving Western cuisine. A lot of people living on the South side like to go there. It's very casual.
Around my gallery, I like to go to Man Mo Dim Sum (40 Upper Lascar Row, Sheung Wan, tel: 2644 5644). I think they shock many people with their twist of French and local dim sum. It is a perfect fusion of Hong Kong styles. Sam Tor Noodle (30 Pottinger Street, Central, tel: 2801 6352) is one of those super old places where the staff work hard and the wonton are really tasty.
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