5 days in HK - food agenda planned!

[ccinlondon]

Hello! HK is the first leg of our Asia trip (Beijing, Singapore & Bali to follow) in November and was hoping to get feedback from fellow Chowhounders on the below food agenda after reading through all the extensive threads on HK. We have no budget, are not averse to hole in the walls, familiar with Asian food (am Chinese-Canadian), and love to eat.

Day 1
- arrive late afternoon
- Aqua Spirit drinks by 8 pm to see light show
- Dinner: Din Tai Fung, Canton Road

Day 2
- Lunch: Roka (as big fan of restaurant in London)
- Dinner: San Xi Lou

Day 3
- Lunch: Lung King Heen
- Dinner: Lei Garden

Day 4
- Lunch: Yung Kee (would like to go to Yat Lok BBQ but it is too far out to arrange with our sightseeing)
- Dinner: Tim’s Kitchen or Fook Lam Moon - undecided

Day 5
- Lunch: Liu Yuan Pavillion
- Depart for Beijing

Snack restaurants (if any room after lunch!)
- Mak An Kee noodle
- Tsim Chai Kee
- Tasty’s

Thank you for any feedback!

[domenexx]

Day 1) Consider the bar of the Intercontinental Hotel - Kowloon tas well o see the light show and an awesome view of HK island. Try do do both places, one for the show another one for a night cap
Day 2) Excellent choice with San Xi Lou
Day 3) I think that you can do better; never been in LKH but the reviews are not that great; I asume you will go for Dim Sim. If so consider Fook Lam Moon
Day 4) Tim's Kitchen without a question.

Suggestions: Consider Man Wah for dinner and take a look at the fixed menu of Ming's Court. I would insert this two in your schedule

Enjoy

[PhilD]

I would not drop LKH for FLM. Whilst both are good I find FLM more top middle ground than really at the top end like LKH. FLM is probably famed more for some of the large shared dishes than the dim sum itself, great if there are eight of you not so good as a couple, the dim sum are solid but nothing innovative or creative. Yes, it is billionaire and starlet central, but that's tradition rather than a reflection of its culinary excellence (like the Ivy in London).

[mikey8811]

There is a Yat Lok branch in Stanley St in Central - a parallel street to Wellington St where Yung Kee is on. It's a cramped and crowded casual eatery though.

[trueblu]

The only feedback I would give is to skip DTF in HK. I really like DTF, but it's an international chain. Perhaps one of your meals in Beijing -- where the food scene -- although good, is not on a par with hong kong, might make better sense.

tb

[ccinlondon]

That is a good idea, can easily go to DTF in Beijing instead. Is there a replacement recommendation? We plan to have drinks at Aqua Spirit beforehand so would like to stay in that area. Would Guo Fu Luo be a good option?

[Charles Yu]

Your choice of 'Yung Kee'. Was it based on reputation alone? IMO, I would skip it and head out to a place like ' The Manor' instead. Family feud and favoured towards regular patrons could result in Yung Kee's food being ' inconsistent' for non-regulars!

A fair number of Fook Lam Moon's chefs and staff has left the establishment and opening their own place at ' Guo Fu Luo' , iSquare, TST, Kowloon. Result is a decline in FLM's quality and GFL becoming one of the best Cantonese place in town!

Lei Garden is becoming less and less impressive and more and more overpriced and overvalue. Try Ming Court instead! They have recently pumped in lots of money to 'upgrade' in the hope of getting that 3rd star!

Skip Tsim Chai Kee if you are considering Tasty's and Mak An Kee!

[klyeoh]

I'm in complete agreement with Charles, who always seem to have his finger on the pulse of the HK dining scene.

[ccinlondon]

Thank you for the advice!! I will adjust accordingly and try out The Manor, GFL and Ming Court instead.

Are there any dishes that you recommend we should order?

[ccinlondon]

By the way, would anyone be able to let me know which restaurants are casual versus high-end? I think everything is casual except for Lung King Heen and Ming Court but not sure...

[PhilD]

Restaurant dress in HK depends a bit on your nationality - blizzard concept I know but go with it. The very very wealthy (generally local or PRC) wear what they want, and that's fine - most can buy the restaurant outright. But westerners shouldn't follow suite, best to dress well, if you dress like a tourist you get treated like a tourist. Remember HK is a banking hot spot, with cheap tailoring so good suits are pretty standard.

That said:
Day 1 - Aqua spirit is high end classy pick-up mixed with back packer light show viewers nursing one drink. DTF very casual.
Day 2 - Roka, s in a hopping centre - Nuffield said. Not been to SXL
Day 3 - LKH smart high end. Lei Garden smart medium end.
Day 4 - Manor is casual, but GFL and Ming Court are medium smart. FLM and Tims are smartish - FLM is a billionaires canteen.
Day 5 - not been

However, HK is a city of few rules so my summary is to make you feel comfortable rather than a dress code. It is a city where money talks......