Finally, let’s talk about the restaurants and cafes I visited during this trip to Hong Kong. When it comes to food, you’ll never have a shortage of options here; all kinds of restaurants and snack stalls line the streets. Some of the places I tried this time were recommended by others, some were return visits, and others were happy accidents. There were both pleasant surprises and disappointments, but overall, dining in Hong Kong is worth the price, with professional service that leaves you quite satisfied.
Bubba Gump Shrimp Co.
Bubba Gump is an American chain restaurant named after the two main characters from “Forrest Gump.” For some reason, one day before my trip to Hong Kong, I suddenly had a strong craving for fried shrimp. However, since most fried shrimp in Shanghai is Japanese-style tempura, I found myself missing this place. Located on Victoria Peak, the restaurant wasn’t too crowded. The menu is very American; besides various types of fried shrimp, they also serve ribs, salads, and other typical American dishes. Their specialty is the four varieties of fried shrimp, and my favorite has to be the coconut shrimp—it’s delightfully sweet. As for the ambiance, if you make a reservation, you might get a window seat, but it’s extremely cramped with not much of a view. Honestly, I felt more comfortable opting for a larger table without a reservation. They place a sign on each table that says “Run Forrest Run”; if you flip it over to “Stop Forrest Stop,” a server will come over to see what you need. The service style is distinctly American. It’s surprising that there are no branches in mainland China. If you happen to be heading up to the Peak anyway, it’s definitely worth a visit.
The Cupping Room
This cafe is quite famous in Hong Kong and opens as early as 8 AM. I headed straight there first thing in the morning to grab breakfast. The ground floor is mostly a bar counter, while the second floor offers seating for meals. It wasn’t too busy in the morning. I ordered a flat white and eggs benedict. The coffee arrived quickly—a small cup that felt a bit too hot, with rather casual latte art. I’m not sure what beans they used, but it was on the acidic side, though the flavor was still pretty good. However, the eggs benedict took forever to arrive; I had already finished my coffee by the time it came…
After trying the smoked salmon toast with eggs benedict, I firmly concluded that their brunch offerings are far more impressive than their coffee. The pastries downstairs looked incredibly tempting too. Later, after buying three bags of beans to brew at home, I discovered their beans are actually full of delightful surprises—it’s just that their espresso-based drinks in-store seem a bit carelessly prepared.
YakiniKuu
This Japanese yakiniku restaurant is located right next to The Chairman. Since we hadn’t made a reservation for lunch at The Chairman and were told there were no seats available, we had to look elsewhere. After searching nearby, this place seemed like a decent alternative with its set meals. They offer simple Japanese yakiniku sets and rice bowls. I ordered the sea urchin and wagyu beef rice bowl. The accompanying side dishes weren’t particularly tasty. As for the main dish itself, both the sea urchin and wagyu portions were quite meager. While the beef quality was good, the sea urchin was mediocre. There was way too much rice underneath, mixed with a lot of minced meat, which threw off the balance of the entire dish. Eating it all together, you could barely taste the wagyu or the sea urchin. I wouldn’t highly recommend this place. If you’re planning to visit The Chairman, it’s best to book a few days in advance.
Lei Good Taste
This place is quite magical. From the outside, it looks like a bar, but surprisingly, the second floor houses a restaurant. The overall decor screams old-school Hong Kong, filled with vintage items and classic movie posters—you can tell instantly why it’s so popular among tourists (especially foreigners), haha. The dish names are hilarious too; you practically need the English translations to figure out what you’re ordering, with quirky names like “Potato Head,” “Chicken All Chicken,” “Tongue on Tongue,” “Ping Pong Pineapple,” etc….
We ordered several signature dishes, including:
Golden Shrimp Out of Shell: Shrimp coated in salted egg yolk, deep-fried, and topped with black truffle. Although it looks a bit greasy, it tastes absolutely amazing.
Lei Crayfish: The lobster meat is removed and served over a black pepper curry sauce. It’s slightly salty, accompanied by bread and condensed milk on the side. Surprisingly delicious when eaten together! Aside from being a bit messy to eat since you have to cut the lobster yourself first, everything else was great…
Bull Demon King Crossing the River: This is essentially a plate of dry-fried beef ho fun. Served in a generous portion piled high with tender beef, it’s stir-fried to perfection. They’ve also added crunchy bits to enhance the texture, which was a delightful surprise.
Overall, the flavors here far exceeded expectations set by the quirky atmosphere. Prices are on the higher side, and portions aren’t huge, but the creativity and taste make it well worth trying.
Jade Leaf Dessert
Legend has it that this street-side dessert shop has been passed down through five generations, boasting over a hundred years of history. Supposedly, it’s the last remaining traditional street-side dessert stall in Central—who knows how long it’ll stay around? It’s completely open-air, covered only by a canopy. Besides desserts, they also serve noodles. Prices are incredibly affordable—all cold desserts are HK$15 and hot ones HK$14. I tried the glutinous rice balls in ginger syrup and red bean soup. Service was super fast, and while the taste was solid, nothing extraordinary—but certainly fair for the price. Rumor has it the owner can be quite rude, but luckily we didn’t encounter her, so we avoided any unpleasantness… The ground is sloped, so be careful when sitting down. Legend also says their brisket noodles come half-loaded with brisket for just over HK$30—an unbeatable bargain!
Amber Coffee Brewery
This renowned cafe also opens at 8 AM and isn’t far from our hotel, making it convenient for breakfast. It wasn’t too crowded in the morning, and there are tables inside where you can sit. The space is tiny, with only two tables in total. I tried their croissant and flat white—both excellent. Then I sampled a special drink not listed on the menu: the owner’s award-winning competition creation. It features Colombian espresso rapidly chilled over ice, then strained and infused with hops. Flavor-wise, it delivers ample aroma and bitterness, though cold beverages often lack olfactory appeal. To compensate, they use Earl Grey tea enhanced with dry ice to release fragrant steam into your coffee cup, satisfying both taste and smell simultaneously. Quite inventive indeed, albeit pricey.
Ruth’s Chris Steak House
The famous Ruth’s Chris Steak House, located on the ground floor of Lippo Centre. We went for lunch, and it wasn’t too crowded. There’s no fixed-price lunch menu, but certain items—including salads that can serve as mains—are offered at discounted lunch prices. Ultimately, we chose lobster bisque, Caesar salad, and shrimp plus filet mignon. The pre-meal bread was hard, and the lobster bisque slightly salty, but overall reliable in flavor. Steaks are pan-seared in butter and served on sizzling-hot plates, filling the room with mouthwatering aromas. However, ingredient quality wasn’t quite as exceptional as expected—the fillet especially was cooked a touch beyond our preferred doneness, and the texture was somewhat average, possibly indicating previously frozen beef. Service, however, was outstanding—highly professional staff who kindly warned us against over-ordering and reminded us about large bottled water sizes. Most servers are expats, so communication is primarily in English. For steak, though, I’d probably still recommend Morton’s instead.
Photos taken with SONY A5100 + 16-50mm f/3.5-5.6 lens, post-processed in Lightroom.
Support
