Eat Drink Hong Kong

43-45 Wyndham Street
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2537 8010

4/F Hyatt Regency
18 Chak Cheung Street
Shatin
Tel 3723 1961

G1004-B Tien Sing Mansion
Taikoo Shing
Hong Kong
Tel 2967 9219

35 Elgin Street
Soho
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2545 9966

5/F QRE Plaza
202 Queen’s Road East
Wanchai
Hong Kong
Tel 2834 8328

G/F 35 Belcher’s Street
Kennedy Town
Hong Kong
Tel 2819 5568

‘Private address’ in Star Street – call for details
Tel 2521 8121

15-16 Queen Victoria Street
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2115 9774

5/F The Broadway
54-62 Lockhart Road
Wanchai
Hong Kong
Tel 2110 1535

Unit 1, 4/F W Square
314-324 Hennessy Road
Wanchai
Hong Kong
Tel 3106 0272

G/F 43-55 Wyndham Street
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2537 8010

2-8 Kwong Wah Street
Mongkok
Kowloon
Tel 2332 2896

5/F 51-52 Haiphong Road
Tsimshatsui
Kowloon
Tel 2739 3982

Shop UC1, APM Mall
418 Kwun Tong Road
Kwun Tong
New Territories
Tel 3148 9444

This is a funky, modern Thai restaurant on Arbuthnot street. It’s quite a hike if you’re coming up the hill from Central but well worth the effort.

Seating is canteen style on benches at large wooden tables but they are very spacious so there is no need to worry about bashing elbows with people sitting nearby. They are set with eight place mats but if you were planning an office night out they could probably fit as many as twelve quite comfortably.

I was on my own and had a whole table to myself but it was still early. Early is good at Box Thai. If you go before 7.00 pm they offer an early bird special where $88 will get you one main dish (not including the chef’s specials) and a choice of beer, house wine or soft drink.

The price is attractive and the portions are generous enough but I couldn’t imagine restricting myself to just one dish. The menu is also you place mat and if busy I’m sure you could just tick the boxes and hand it to the waitress. The place wasn’t busy at all and the waitress took the time to tick off some of her recommendations.

I passed by her suggestion of satay favouring instead the betel leaves with savoury pork ($45) but I did take up the suggestion of baramundi in yellow curry with mango and banana ($85). She also thought the grilled calamari and pomelo salad ($60) would go down well.

She was right. That was the first dish to arrive fresh and tangy. It was a little spicy but not too much. Indeed very few of the dishes on the menu are from the hotter end of Thai cuisine. I hastily put in an order for sticky rice which I had forgotten to do earlier.

The rice arrived along with tan elegant display of betel. An appropriate amount of pork was already placed on each leaf and all I had to do was fold it over an pop it into my mouth. The flavour was a little smoky and slightly dry. It was a pleasing contrast to the calamari and also to what I was expecting to be a fairly sweet curry.

Yellow curries are always at the sweeter end of the scale but this interpretation was particularly interesting. The sauce itself was not as sweet as others I’ve had. The sweetness comes in little explosions when the palette finds a piece of mango or banana. The chunks of baramundi were succulent and plentiful and cherry tomato halves added a little colour. I mopped up the remains of the sauce with the last of the sticky rice.

There were a few desserts on the menu, all familiar choices. I opted for banana fritter with vanilla ice cream ($40)

Lobby, Gateway Hotel
Harbour City
Tsim Sha Tsui
Kowloon
Tel 2113-7935

L/3 Langham Place
555 Shanghai Street
Mongkok
Kowloon
Tel 3552 3330

14 On Wo Lane
Kau U Fong
Sheung Wan
Hong Kong
Tel 2152 2121

6 Ashley Road
Tsimshatsui
Kowloon
Tel 2376 1545

G/F 33-35 Chatham Road South
Tsimshatsui
Kowloon (entrance Hart Ave)
Tel 3428 5133

3/F Circle Tower
28 Tang Lung Street
Causeway Bay
Hong Kong
Tel 2833 5337

B/F Yuen Yick Building
27-29 Wellington Street
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2523 6282

G/F 19 Hollywood Road
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 9123 6049

10 St Francis Street
Wanchai
Hong Kong
Tel 2866 4466

18 Yuen Long Main Road
Yuen Long
New Territories
Tel 2474 7874

This is a cosy little Indian restaurant on Wo On Lane. We’d been planning to head on up to Wyndham Street but the promise of fresh nan was too much to resist and the little restaurant was almost empty. “As long as you don’t order anything too spicy”, my companion said as we crossed the threshold.

There were only two other guests, and they were just finishing an early dinner so before long we had the place to ourselves. “Not too spicy, eh?” I confirmed, as the waiter poured the beers.

A chicken korma seemed the obvious choice but we would need more than that. I I figured the onion bhajis would go down well. I was right. Onion bhajis vary so much from restaurant to restaurant, I’ve often wondered if it is because of regional variations or if it’s simply the way the chef’s mum used to cook them. But I always forget to ask.

These were tightly packed nuggets of shredded onion a little crispy on the outside. An excellent accompaniment to the beer. I tried to go slow but it was useless.

By the time the mixed tandoori platter arrived we were ready for more beer. Fortunately the tandoori took our minds off the beer briefly. It consisted of chicken, fish and lamb. “I like the lamb”; said my companion, stabbing the last piece with his fork. I was impressed with the fish and duly smuggled the last morsel of that onto my plate.

The korma and an aloo gobi arrived. Both were good, the korma in particular. It was rich and creamy and clearly a hit with my companion.

Before long we had mopped all the dishes clean and were leaning back in our chairs. Dessert was not really an option, we were both too full. Even finishing our last beer was a challenge.

It was a very typical curry dinner and a very good one. And at around $300 each, including beer, it was good value for money too.

I can normally rely on my son to demand steaks and burgers when we have occasion to dine out. A plate of taco chips is usually about as exotic as he’s prepared to go. But that was before he and his mates skulked off to a full moon party in Koh Samui.

Now Phad Thai has entered his mental menu so this time, when I suggested dinner, that was what he wanted. We went to Thai Delight on Lockhart Road. It’s a fairly large and modern restaurant and I have a suspicion it does better rather later at night than it does at 7.30 when we were there.

The staff were friendly and courteous and we had our pick of the tables. We chose one that would have had an excellent view of a large TV screen had there been anything on it. I thanked heaven for small mercies and ordered beers.

It’s a reasonably extensive menu but there are no surprises. All the items you expect in a Thai restaurant are present; curries, spicy salads, tom yum… “I’d like phad Thai with tiger prawn” ($88) he said. I suggested we have some other dishes as well.

For starters I ordered the mixed platter (small $72). This included Vietnamese style spring rolls, fish cakes, prawn cakes, chicken in pandanas leaves and som tam. To my taste buds the som tam was lacking in oomph but not everyone like chillis as much as I do. If you prefer it spicy be sure to let the waitress know.

Following that we had the Tom ka kai ($53), and smoked duck breast with mango, tamarind and chilli salad. The Tom ka kai was chicken in a spicy coconut milk soup and was very good indeed.

I thought the duck was good, though I did think chef had been quite conservative with the chilli. My son wasn’t impressed – I think he was holding out for the phad Thai which duly arrived complete with a huge prawn on top.

He would have been quite happy to wolf down the lot himself though I did manage to secure a few mouthfuls. Phad Thai has never been a favourite dish of mine. I have nothing specific against it, I just feel that Thai cuisine has so much more to offer.

But, like fried rice and banana pancakes, it is a budget travellers staple and who can criticise a young fellow for wanting to recapture, for a moment, the flavour of his holidays.

“How often did you eat phad Thai in Samui?” I asked. He screwed his face up thoughtfully and then said “Every day.”

This is a very pleasant restaurant in Sheung Wan. I’ve passed it several times at lunch times and it always seems to be doing good business. But since I can’t pass restaurants very often without eventually going in you could say its time had come.

The decor is unpretentious. Bright walls with just a little Thai ornamentation give it a spacious airy feel. Kenny G played in the background but not loud enough to put me off my dinner.

What makes this particular restaurant interesting is that its menu leans heavily on dishes and styles from southern Thailand and Malaysia. It even includes the Singaporean dish, Hainan chicken, and you can enjoy your curry with either rice or roti.

I’m a sucker for crispy fried soft shell crab ($55). There were plenty of other things to choose from though, all of them quite familiar, spring roll, fish cakes, chicken in pandanus leaves.

But the soft shell crab was a good call. Southern Thai cuisine is not as spicy and is sweeter than the more familiar Thai dishes and while the crab wouldn’t have been a very spicy dish anyway the southern sweetness was quite apparent..

It became even more obvious in the green papaya salad ($35). This was an interpretation of the famously spicy dish som tam. It was not even slightly spicy. The chillies were simply not there. Now I have to confess, I am a great lover of the real Mccoy, and without the chilli it took a few mouthfuls to get used to.

But it was still an interesting dish. It will never replace the spicy version in my affection but not everyone likes chilli and with those people in mind this is a perfectly acceptable adaptation.

The main course was chicken curry baked in pastry ($68). This was a delicious coconuty yellow curry served in a chicken shaped clay pot with a layer of filo pastry on top. I’d thought about ordering some roti but along with the chunks of chicken there were chunks of potato. Combined with the pastry itself, it was quite filling enough.

Dessert was the only disappointment. I’d ordered the baked apple roll with ice cream and pandanas sauce ($28) and while the ice cream and pandanus sauce were fine the apple roll itself was rather tired and uninspiring and completely lacking in flavour.

But even without the dessert this restaurant is good value for money and a great Thai option for those that don’t like it so hot.

G/F Kowloon Shangri-La Hotel
64 Mody Road
Tsimshatsui East
Kowloon
Tel 2721 2111 Ext 8756

2/F Hotel Nikko Hongkong
72 Mody Road
Tsimshatsui
Tel 2313 4225

1/F Jade Centre
98 Wellington Street
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2815 5926

21 King Kwong Street
Happy Valley
Hong Kong
Tel 2838 3922

G/F Yen Kung Mansion
401 Tai Mou Avenue
Tai Koo Shing
Hong Kong
Tel 2886 4133

1/F 16 Wing Wah Lane
Lan Kwai Fong
Hong Kong
Tel 2523 9543

43-55 Wyndham Street
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2116 8055

4/F, The Phoenix
23 Luard Road
Wanchai
Hong Kong
Tel 2330 4886

?? Tang Lung Street Street
Causeway Bay
Hong Kong

Shop L, G/F 81 Electric Road
Tin Hau
Hong Kong
Tel 3806 2683

LG/F 7 Staunton Street
Soho
Central
Hong Kong
2522 0907

2/F Chevalier Commercial Centre
Wang Hoi Road
Kowloon Bay
Kowloon
Tel 2148 7773

2/F Po Foo Building
84-94 Percival Street
Causeway Bay
Hong Kong
Tel 9340 1629

2/F 2-6 On Ling Road
Yuen Long
New Territories
Tel 2476 9888

Shop 3016-3018 Level 3
IFC Mall
1 Harbour Street
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2295 0101/2295 0505

1/F, 45 Sing Woo Road
Happy Valley
Hong Kong
Tel  2833 6083

Basement, 16 Lan Kwai Fong
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2525 1889

Shop 1207 Times Square
1 Matheson Street
Causeway Bay
Hong Kong
Tel 3421 2135

Shop 294-295 2/F Shun Tak Centre
Connaught Road
Sheung Wan
Hong Kong
Tel 2540 8228

Shop 2103-4 Elements Mall
Kowloon Station
1 Austin Road West
Kowloon
Tel 2204 3268

Flat B5, (/F Block B Kingston Building
2-4 Kingston Street
Causeway Bay
Hong Kong
Tel 2915 0083

4/F Convention Plaza
1 Harbour Road
Wanchai
Hong Kong
Tel 2836 3690

29/F Continental Diamond Plaza
525 Hennessy Road
Wanchai
Hong Kong

Shop 111, 1/F Whampoa Plaza
Site 8
Hung Hom
Kowloon
Tel 3152 2328

Club Marina Cove
380 Hiram’s Highway
Sai Kung
New Territories
Tel 2719 4768

6/F Marco Polo Hong Kong Hotel
Harbour City
3 Canton Road
Tsim Sha Tsui
Kowloon
Tel 2113 3901

2/F New World Tower
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2524 2012

Basement, 132 Nathan Road
Miramar Shopping Mall
Tsimshatsui
Kowloon
Tel 2375 9339

G1019 Kam Shing Mansion
Stage 10
Taikoo Shing
Hong Kong
Tel 2513 8886

G/F 78 Canton Road
Tsim Sha Tsui
Kowloon
Tel 2926 3088

G/F 379-389 Jaffe Road
Causeway Bay
Hong Kong
Tel 2893 5777

Shop 2 G/F 100 Canton Road
Tsim Sha Tsui
Kowloon
Tel/Fax 2577 6617    2577 6617

2/F Henry House
42 Yun Ping Road
Causeway Bay
Hong Kong
Tel 2895 4178

Shop D, G/F Kingstown Mansion
313-323 Jaffe Road
Wanchai
Hong Kong
Tel 2573 1329

G/F Tang Fai Building
36 Tang Lung Street
Causeway Bay
Hong Kong
Tel 2834 2500

Jumbo Floating Restaurant
Aberdeen
Hong Kong (boat from Shum Wan Pier)
Tel 2552 3331

G/F-2/F 15-19 Wellington Street
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2525 6338

L2-3 The Peak Tower
128 Peak Road
The Peak
Hong Kong

Excelsior Hotel
281 Gloucester Road
Causeway Bay
Hong Kong
Tel 2837 6786

Shop G512-513 Shun On Mansion
Stage 5, Tai Yue Avenue
Taikoo Shing
Hong Kong
Tel 2569 7928

2/F Causeway Corner
18 Percival Street
Causeway Bay
Hong Kong
Tel 2890 7780

241 Hennessy Road
Wanchai
Hong Kong
Tel 2519 9148

2/F Sun Hung Kai Center
30 Harbour Road
Wanchai
Hong Kong
Tel 2598 7222

1/F Circle Tower
28 Tang Lung Street
Causeway Bay
Hong Kong
Tel 2591 0101

G/F 20-22 Tang Lung Street
Causeway Bay
Hong Kong
Tel 2893 1884

19-21 Mau Lam Street
Yaumatei
Kowloon
Tel 2384 1703

1/F Cheung Hing Commercial Building
37 Cochrane Street
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2110 6910

Basement, 41 Staunton Street
Soho
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2868 5896

GB17, G/F 45 Tai Hong Street
Lei King Wan
Hong Kong
Tel 2567 2118

G/F 9B Wo On Lane
Lan Kwai Fong
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2877 9773

11/F Grand Hyatt Hotel
1 Harbour Road
Wanchai
Hong Kong
Tel 2588 1234 Ext 7623

G/F 30 Graham Street
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2542 2760

20/F Lee Theatre Plaza
99 Percival Street
Causeway Bay
Hong Kong
Tel 2882 1889

G/F 46 Gage Street
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2542 3802/2542 3803

9/F Henry House
42 Yun Ping Road
Causeway Bay
Hong Kong
Tel 2805 7848

Convention & Exhibition Centre
1 Harbour Road
Wanchai
Hong Kong

Shop A-E Observatory Food Court
Observatory Terrace
Tsimshatsui
Kowloon
Tel 2369 0701

Unit 412 World Trade Centre
280 Gloucester Road
Causeway Bay
Hong Kong
Tel 2577 6617

1-3/F Mandarin Building
35 Bonham Strand
Sheung Wan
Hong Kong
Tel 2854 9388

G/F 2N Tung Choi Street
Mong Kok
Kowloon
Tel 2332 4673

G/F 4-5 Wo On Lane
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2522 6061

3/F B4, Block B Chungking Mansion
36-44 Nathan Road
Tsimshatsui
Kowloon
Tel 2722 5454/2366 4477

5/F Lane Crawford House
70 Queen’s Road
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 3102 2272

Grand Hyatt Hotel
Wanchai
Hong Kong
Tel 2588 1234

98 Wellington Street
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2850 6471

Lobby, Langham Hotel
8 Peking Road
Tsimshatsui
Kowloon
Tel 2375 1133

Shop A 117 Lockhart Road
Wanchai
Hong Kong
Tel 2877 7983

96-102 Man Nin Street
Sai Kung
New Territories
Tel 2792 7453

G/F 16 Yiu Wah Street
Causeway Bay
Hong Kong
Tel 834 5789

1/F-3/F The Plaza
21 D’Aguilar Street
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2526 7712

Langham Hotel (Great Eagle)
8 Peking Road
Tsimshatsui
Kowloon
Tel 2375 1133 Ext. 2250

1/F Hotel Nikko Hong Kong
72 Mody Road
Tsimshatsui
Kowloon
Tel 2313 4211