Restaurants in China
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A
Caprice
In contrast to its rather opulent appearance, this restaurant has a straightforward menu, and the meals are masterfully created from ingredients flown in daily from France. The selections change, but experience says anything with duck, langoustine or pork belly is out of this world. Their artisanal cheeses, imported weekly from France, are the best you can get in Hong Kong.
reviewed
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B
Little Swan Hot Pot
Recommended for those who don't subscribe to the sweating-buckets-perched-on-a-plastic-stool hotpot experience. There's air-con, tablecloths, and five kinds of broth. Ask to 'zìzhù huǒguǒ' (自助火鍋), which allows you to choose from 30 different meats, vegetables and noodles wheeled to your table. Take bus 112 from Linjiang Lu just northwest of Liberation Monument.
reviewed
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C
Habibi
Whether or not Habibi serves strictly authentic Egyptian food is a moot point – the halal food is very good and the setting is the Cairo of the 1930s – all mirrors, tassels, velvet cushions, ceiling fans and hookahs. Habibi’s casual and takeaway section next door, Habibi Cafe, is a lot cheaper, with meze from $25 to $40, meze platters $85 to $105, mains $60 to $110 and a weekday set lunch for $65.
reviewed
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D
People 6
Number 6 is more of a dining option than its sibling People 7, with café-style window seating or upstairs dining with a bird's-eye view down on to the bar. But the menu is a similar mix of reasonably priced Asian fusion cuisine. The tables and moody low lighting make it a good place for an intimate dinner. There's a nice bamboo-lined approach down a winding path, before you reach the Star Trek-like door.
reviewed
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Carrefour
This French chain is currently the only foreign supermarket that actually turns a profit and at nights and weekends the place is packed, largely because prices are the same as those in Chinese supermarkets. You can find everything from imported wines and French bread to cheap bikes and crockery. The Gŭběi branch has the widest range of Western food. There are currently nineteen branches in the greater Shànghǎi area.
reviewed
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Carrefour
This French chain is currently the only foreign supermarket that actually turns a profit and at nights and weekends the place is packed, largely because prices are the same as those in Chinese supermarkets. You can find everything from imported wines and French bread to cheap bikes and crockery. The Gŭběi branch has the widest range of Western food. There are currently nineteen branches in the greater Shànghǎi area.
reviewed
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E
H One
The nameplate outside proclaims the restaurant 'the ultimate dining experience', and besides wood-fired pizzas, handcrafted pasta, handcrafted breads and specialities such as Wagyu beef cheek and roasted northern Thai style chicken massaged with tamarind and spices, there are also 'kick-ass curries' and 'dum dum biryani' and tandoori. Over-confidence aside, this glass-encased restaurant does offer the ultimate view.
reviewed
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F
West Lake Spring
This Hángzhōu restaurant gets the thumbs-up from locals. There’s an English-less menu with pictures. The signature dishes, Lóngjǐng Xiārén ( 龙井虾仁; stir-fried freshwater shrimp with Longjing tea leaves; Y78) and Sòngsǎo Yúgēng ( 宋嫂鱼羹; yellow croaker fish soup; small/large Y38/48), deserve savouring.
reviewed
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G
Schindler’s Tankstelle
Sausages, sauerkraut and a strong selection of German beers make this place a reliable option for anyone seeking a taste of central Europe in Běijīng. The German-style breakfast (Y45) will set you up for the day, although the cholesterol-heavy black pudding may also induce cardiac arrest. There’s an outside terrace at the back in summer. You can walk off the meal afterwards in nearby Ritan Park.
reviewed
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H
Punjabi
The set lunch/dinner deals are the main reason to search out the Punjabi. The set dinner (around Y85) with all-you-can-drink Tsingtao beer makes this a decent place to start the evening. The set lunch (around Y49), including two curries, dhal, raita and dessert, is also a good deal. Despite the pukka Hindi music, the large hall is better suited to groups than couples. There are other branches in Pudong and Gubei.
reviewed
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Chìshuǐqíng Jiǔjiā
Chìshuǐqíng Jiǔjiā is casual but beautifully decorated and specialises in dozens and dozens of types of bamboo dishes. So much care has gone into the menu and décor, that the unpleasant wait staff comes as both a shock and a huge disappointment. However, the rest works so well, foodies looking for something a little different may still decide this place is worth taking a risk on.
reviewed
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Chong Fat Chiu Chow Restaurant
Food critics adore this spritely old shop for its unusual Chiu Chow fare. You’ll see plates laden with delicacies such as fried pomfret (from $100) and soups simmering in woks (from $40) in the open kitchen. Don’t miss the sek-làu-gài(chicken wrapped in little egg-white sacs; $13 each), the cold ‘pei pa’ shrimp (from $100) and the sugar-coated taro ($5 per piece).
reviewed
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J
Lung Wah Hotel Restaurant
This former holiday home was turned into a hotel in 1951, where Bruce Lee was supposed to have stayed during the filming of The Big Boss. It’s now a restaurant, frequented by nostalgic adults and history lovers. You’ll find a small playground out front where peacocks are kept in cages, and an outdoor area where old men come to play mah-jong. Food-wise, stick with the roast pigeon ($68).
reviewed
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K
Chinoise Story
A curvaceous beauty set in the Jinjiang Hotel complex, the Chinoise Story is a study in style, where art deco architecture meets Philippe Starck design. Shanghainese cuisine gets a reworking here and the dishes are every bit as stunning as the four dining areas: the wasabi smoked salmon is presented as rose petals (Y48) and even common fare like the lion’s head meatball (Y36) is given a touch of class.
reviewed
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L
Jimmy's Kitchen
High on nostalgia and one of the oldest names in the game, Jimmy's, a Hong Kong feature for seven decades, rests on its laurels. The baked onion soup, char-grilled king prawns, seven-pepper steak and a whole medley of desserts (including its famous baked Alaska, around HK$58 per person) all compete for the diners' attention. There's a branch in Tsim Sha Tsui (2376 0327, 1/F, Kowloon Centre, 29-39 Ashley Rd).
reviewed
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Meiyou Café
With one of the longest lineages in Yángshuò - which says something at the very least - the Meiyou concocts Western traveller fare and a smattering of Chinese dishes, plus a range of coffees (Blue Mountain coffee, Kaihua etc) and not bad breakfasts. The sign outside saying 'Meiyou Pay FEC' ('No FEC') puts its history in context - FEC (Foreign Exchange Certificates) became extinct in the mid-1990s.
reviewed
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M
Ivan The Kozak
Blinis and borscht is probably not what springs to mind when you're considering an ethnic dining experience in Hong Kong, but the food here - down-home dishes such as Ukrainian-style borscht, beef Stroganoff, stuffed cabbage rolls and vareniki (Ukrainian dumpling) - is surprisingly authentic and the décor cosy. There's live folk music nightly. Caviar goes for around HK$65-HK$850 for 30 grams.
reviewed
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Malone's American Cafe
This American-style bar/grill has been around since the mid-90s and is still popular with those in search of beer and a wide range of decent burgers (there are 31 of them on offer with fries and coleslaw). There are also wraps, a range of Tex-Mex and China's only Philly cheesesteak. Big-screen sports, a pool table and live music of the Filipino cover-band variety (from 22:00) add to the frat-boy vibe.
reviewed
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O
Canton
Don’t be misled by the name of this restaurant. Apart from an extensive choice of Cantonese dishes and dim sum, classy Canton serves some carefully and healthily prepared food from different regions in China, and sometimes with a fusion flair. The problem is getting there – it’s on the casino floor. If you are going with kids, call ahead and staff will show you a secret entrance.
reviewed
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P
Wing Lai Yuen
A household name for daam daam min (spicy Sichuanese noodles), Wing Lai Yuen was opened in 1947 in the squatter shacks of Diamond Hill where Nationalist soldiers from Chongqing used to live. According to rumour, it was martial-arts director Chang Che who gave Wing Lai Yuen its name. Now it has an English menu and a branch in Macau, but the excellent noodles ($18 per bowl) are still handmade.
reviewed
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Q
Cantina Agave
It used to be that if you went out for a burrito in Shànghǎi, it would taste like cardboard and you’d pay up the wazoo, but no longer. Kelly Lee’s Cantina Agave has come to the rescue, and oh, what a rescue – flavour-filled chicken and salsa verde burritos, vegie or beef machaca soft tacos (Y20), an extensive list of margaritas (Y60) and a fresh salsa bar.
reviewed
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R
Shalom Grill
If it's Ashkenazic and Sephardic glatt kosher food you're after, the Shalom Grill can oblige. Don't expect cordon bleu, but if you're in the mood for felafel or gefilte fish (or you answer to a Higher Authority on matters culinary), this is the place to visit. Shabbat dinner and Saturday lunch can be prearranged and paid for in advance. For something lighter, sandwiches are around HK$45 to HK$55.
reviewed
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Pierre
The godfather of fusion, Pierre Gagnaire, has created a provocative menu that reflects his talented understanding of food and its flavours; dessert might be a caramelised rocket salad – and it works. The decor, with portholes and chandeliers, is reminiscent of a cruise liner, especially when adding the harbour view.
reviewed
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T
Kiosk
A good place for a quick lunchtime snack, or for early-evening, predrinking sustenance, Kiosk serves up burgers, chips and sandwiches from a tiny hut just off Sānlǐtún’s bar street. The big bite burger is a classic, as is the grilled Serbian-style sausage sandwich (Y28). You can get a salad and a beer here, too. There’s a little outside area where you can also eat.
reviewed
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Grandma's Kitchen
The perfect place for Americans pining for a taste of home, Grandma’s Kitchen could have been transported from the midwest – only the white picket fence is missing. It offers a simple but well-cooked take on classics such as meat loaf, steaks, burgers, pancakes and apple pie. The all-day breakfasts, either the vegetarian option (Y30) or the hefty Grandma’s Skillet (Y45), are justifiably popular.
reviewed