Editor’s Note: This story complements the Culinary Journeys TV series, airing monthly on CNN International. See more of the show at cnn.com/journeys. Share photos of your own Culinary Journeys on Instagram with the hashtag #CNNFood for a chance to be featured on CNN.
A bowl of juicy roast pork noodles? Liked.
A plate of crispy French fries accompanying a perfect piece of steak? Liked.
A warm molten lava cake paired with vanilla bean ice cream? Liked and, if the comments are to be believed, actively drooled over.
In a foodstagram-obsessed city like Hong Kong, scrolling through other people’s social media dinner photos is a popular pastime.
So no surprise that some so-called food bloggers have achieved almost superstar status.
We challenged five of the top Hong Kong-based gastronauts to name their all-time favorite restaurant in a city with thousands of them.
e_ting’s Janice Leung: Seventh Son (Cantonese)
“Asking a food lover what their favorite restaurant is, is like asking a father which of his children he likes best,” says e-ting’s Janice Leung, a writer and editor specializing in travel, lifestyle, culture and, obviously, food.
Her top selection for Hong Kong is Seventh Son in Wan Chai, which she argues serves the best Cantonese food on the planet.
“The food served is a great example of Cantonese culinary traditions, be it meticulously made dim sum, or some of the best roast suckling pig money can buy.”
Seventh Son, 4/F to 6/F, Kwan Chart Tower, 6 Tonnochy Road, Wan Chai; +852 2892 2888; lunch 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m., dinner 6-11 p.m.
Chopstixfix’s Michelle Ng: Yu Chuan (Sichuanese)
Michelle Ng is the mastermind behind the food blog Chopstixfix.
She claims she’s loved food since before she can recall.
“I struggle to nominate a favorite restaurant in Hong Kong as there are too many I truly enjoy going to, but one place that I have a real soft spot for is Yu Chuan in Wan Chai,” says Ng.
“The quality and execution of the food is excellent and the cost is wallet-friendly.
“I love a lot of their dishes but my all-time favorite is the Ma Po Tofu.”
Yu Chuan, Shop B, 1/F, Hundred City Center, 7-17 Amoy St., Wan Chai; +852 2838 1561; open daily 6-11 p.m.
Fine Food Dude’s Chris Dwyer: Caprice (French)
Hong Kong based communications consultant and food writer Chris Dwyer also admits zeroing in on a single eatery is difficult.
“In a city with 40,000 places to eat, choosing a favorite is agonizing and almost impossible.”
When forced at knife and fork point, he goes for Caprice at the Four Seasons.
Why?
“The harbor views, calm decadence and understated but faultless service help, but most of all it’s the brilliant French cuisine.”
“Chef de cuisine Fabrice Vulin isn’t afraid to weave in global flavors and ingredients, creating stellar dishes such as the outrageously good pork belly with black truffle.”
Caprice at Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong, 8 Finance St., Central; +852 3196 8888; open daily noon-11:30 p.m.
That Food Cray’s Nicole Fung: Shun Hing Long Gwai Kee Soya Product Factory (Cantonese)
Nicole Fung runs That Food Cray, a global gastronomic, travel and lifestyle online media platform – which is a fancy way to say she runs a food blog.
The writer’s all-time favorite is nothing fancy though.
Shun Hing Long Gwai Kee Soya Product Factory in Cheung Sha Wan is an unassuming old school soybean product shop.
“This place reminds me of my grandparents.
“I don’t have many memories of my grandparents, but I do remember them taking me for tofu pudding every time we visited Hong Kong at this little tiny tofu shop,” says Fung.
“Every time I’m in the neighborhood, I reminisce with a bowl of tofu pudding with soy milk and a plate of griddle fried tofu with fish paste.”
Shun Hing Long Gwai Kee Soya Product Factory, 451 Shung Ning Road, Cheung Sha Wan; +852 2386 7743; open daily 7 a.m.-7 p.m.
The Dimsum Diaries’ Alejandra Wilkinson: Le Bistro Winebeast (French)
The Dimsum Diaries is a food blog run by Alejandra Wilkinson, who started writing food reviews as a tribute to her love for food.
“One of my favorite places to eat in Hong Kong has got to be Le Bistro Winebeast,” says Wilkinson.
The food at this Wan Chai restaurant is completely faultless and the service excellent, she says.
The cozy atmosphere “makes you feel like you could actually be in a little bistro in Paris.”
Aside from the best steak tartare she’s ever had, Wilkinson raves about its well-priced and fantastic wine.
Le Bistro Winebeast, 15 McGregor St., Wan Chai; +852 2479 6833; open Tuesday-Sunday, noon-3 p.m., 6-11 p.m.
