Fond recollections of a recent flurry of dining indulgence
A ‘flight’ of barbecue pork, locally sourced sushi and fresh beef offal noodles are the stand-outs
The past few weeks I have been dining out a lot even by my standards. It has been an opportunity to revisit some old favourites while discovering some new-to-me gems.
Locally caught seafood is the highlight at Sushi Zinc
In 2019, The Araki by sushi chef Mitsuhiro Araki opened to much fanfare and with a somewhat unusual mission – to highlight Hong Kong seafood in a traditional omakase menu. Fast forward five years and the restaurant has closed, but now there is a new champion of local fish.
Zinc Leung is no traditional itamae, or Japanese chef. Selftaught and then trained in Italian cooking at Gaia Ristorante and then Octavium Italian Restaurant, he later gravitated towards Japanese food and learned under Mori Tomoaki of Sushi Mori fame.
At his eponymous sushi bar, Leung – taking a cue from sushi bars in Japan – has copies of Hong
Kong Market Sea Fish by Keith Lai (a marine life enthusiast and expert) to educate diners about the fish on his menu, sourced from local supplier Davey Wong. Sushi Zinc, Shop A1, G/F, Pak Ling Mansion, 5-11 Miu Tung St, Shau Kei Wan
After offal news, the good news
Fortunately, I was able to visit Hung Kee in Wan Chai with a fellow noodle-loving friend just before its sudden hiatus earlier this month.
Hung Kee is known for its fresh beef offal noodles, carefully prepared – a very labour-intensive process of cleaning is involved – and served in a light, yet umamirich broth. Its beef brisket curry macaroni is also a satisfying bowl, as well as the pan-fried cheung fun with its crisp exterior and tender, yielding heart.
Hung Kee, Shop B2, 6 Heard St, Wan Chai
How much do I love char siu? Let me count the ways
A Chinese-American food writer I respect a lot was passing through Hong Kong, and his request was for some proper Cantonese cuisine, and specifically glutinous rice done traditionally.
We ended up at Hong Kong Cuisine 1983 in Happy Valley.
Chef Silas Li did not disappoint – our guests were enamoured with the pristine dumplings, and the al dente grains of sticky rice studded with preserved Chinese sausage.
Another show-stopper was the “flight” of char siu, which presented us with pork of three different origins – Hong Kong, Japan and Spain. Hong Kong Cuisine 1983, 1/F, Elegance Court, 2-4 Tsoi Tak St, Happy Valley