合利酒家 (Kwun Tong)

On a street lined with industrial buildings, we climbed upstairs and found this old-school yum cha joint early on a Saturday morning.

The old-timer staff were relaxed and chatted with the familiar clientele, who looked like they had visited this same place every week for decades. Piles of bamboo steamers were stacked high next to the kitchen, and guests were invited to help themselves to whatever looked good that day. The best part? Not only was each dim sum delicious, every bamboo steamer was only HK$12. Bargain!  

合利酒家, 2/F-3/F, 90 Hung To Road, Kwun Tong, Ph: 3580 0818

Cannyman (Wan Chai)

This pub in Wan Chai is where I had my first haggis, and also where I fell in love with the Belhaven Scottish stout. On this night - homemade chilli con carne.

Cannyman, B/1 Wharney Guang Dong Hotel, 57-73 Lockhart Road, Wan Chai
Ph: 2861 1935

Tonikaku 兔角 (TST)

We had originally wandered into Toyo Mall (Intercontinental Plaza) for Indian food and live music. Rather fortuitously they were booked up, and we ended up at this Japanese restaurant upstairs.

Beyond the rather foreboding entrance, we were greeted by a busy jolly Japanese man in a traditional kimono and clogs. Looking around after we sat down, we saw that we were surrounded by Japanese expats and businessmen. We ordered a beer and knew then that we were onto a good thing ...

Tonikaku, 108-109, Intercontinental Plaza, 94 Granville Rd., Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong
Ph: 3422 8885

Food travels - Australia

Babychef is back. During her time away, she has seen the world a little; eaten a lot. It all started with a brief visit home - a tasty trip down Memory Lane.

Lunch at Musashi, 447 Pitt Street (Cnr. Pitt & Campbell Street). Fresh and good value Japanese food near my old workplace in Sydney.

Going back to Sydney was always going to be about having good coffees. From left to right: Toby's Estate Cafe & Tea Emporium (32-36 City Road Chippendale), Campos Coffee (193 Missenden Rd Newtown), Billy's Bar Espresso (Pacific Square Shopping Centre, Shop K3, 737 Anzac Parade Maroubra). Billy's was my local, but I fell in love with Campos in Newtown: their excellent coffees and the great friendly vibe of the place. Single Origin (60-64 Reservoir St Surry Hills) also makes a great cuppa.

I was lucky to be in Sydney just in time for the 2009 Sydney Good Food and Wine Show. Gordon Ramsey was there as a guest presenter and we sampled his marinated Tasmanian salmon served on a bed of lightly sautéed baby spinach and radish.

What's a trip back home without some fine home cooking? I miss my Aussie kitchen.


A good ha'lal Chinese restaurant is a rare beast in Sydney. Trust me, with a Muslim sibling who also loves her food, we have tried to find them. Neptune Palace is pricey, but for good reason. We will always go back for the soft-shelled crab and wasabi beef. Gateway Building, Level 1, Corner of Pitt and Alfred Streets Circular Quay.

Locally brewed German beers and sausages in the middle of industrial Fyshwick, Canberra??? This is my heaven except that it is in the middle of nowhere with no accessible public transport nearby. Nab yourself a designated driver (possibly with the lure of great German food) and get down there. Zierholz at the Brewery, 6/19 - 25 Kembla St Fyshwick, Canberra.

Could not resist the urge to eat a HK-style meal in Chinatown. Cafe de Macau, 761 George St Sydney.

Vietnamese pork or chicken rolls may be called 'Salmonella rolls' because of the poor hygiene practices that go into their preparation but coriander, soy sauce and the chilli is just such a damn good combination! New Paris Bakery, 882 Anzac Parade Maroubra Sydney.

One for the chocoholics out there. KokoBlack is on Bunda St Canberra (and various other places in Victoria). It will surely only be a matter of time before they expand to Sydney.

It's not often one thinks of Uighur cuisine but the great thing about trying to find ha'lal food is what you end up stumbling upon. Any restaurant that offers to roast you an entire lamb gets a tick in my book. Apandim Uighur, Lvl 1, 8 Dixon St, Sydney.

And everything else. Starting from the top left corner and moving clockwise:

Pho Gia Hoi Vietnamese Restaurant, 711 George St Sydney
Minh Hai, 615 George St Sydney
Kuleto's Cocktail Bar, 157 King St, Newtown, Sydney
Super Bowl Chinese Restaurant, 41 Dixon St Sydney
Rama's Fijian-Indian Restaurant, Hodgson Crescent, Pearce, Canberra
Haig Ital. Restaurant, 108 Northbourne Ave, Braddon, Canberra (2 pictures)

The surface has barely been scratched. Looking forward to my next trip home.

Victoria Harbour Roasted Goose Seafood Restaurant (海港燒鵝海鮮酒家)

This is a chain restaurant with outlets in Kowloon and the New Territories.

We had the set dinner for three - soya chicken, steamed garoupa and prawns but ordered an extra vegetable and vermicelli dish. The set prawn dish was salt and pepper prawns but we changed it to boiled prawns (白灼蝦) for a lighter alternative. Not bad.


3rd floor, Emperor Plaza, 55 Chung On St, Tsuen Wan.

Yee Shun Milk Company

Above: double layered steamed milk

To be a true local, you have to get used to a fourth meal of the day: 'sui yeh' or midnight snack. These people are night creatures, and at 11pm that night, people were flocking to Yee Shun for their double-layered steamed milk (see the layer of film on top). Doesn't sound (or look) terribly appetizing I know, but the taste was sweet and actually pretty good. You can also get it coffee, chocolate or ginger flavoured. Yee Shun originated in Macau, but is now a local dessert shop staple.

Rows and rows of the stuff in the shop window.


Yee Shun Milk Company is located at 506 Lockhart Road, Causeway Bay.

Lemon Exchange - Central

Above: freshly squeezed nashi pear juice.

I love stopping by for their daily juice specials on my walk from Central up to the Mid-Levels. At HK$5, it's cheaper (and healthier) than the pre-packaged stuff.

Lemon Exchange is located at Shop 5A, G/F, 45-47 Cochrane Street, Central.