A chef’s guide to where to eat, drink and explore in Hong Kong — including the best dim sum

David Lai was already one of Hong Kong’s most respected chefs when he opened his restaurant Neighborhood in 2014, choosing to locate it in a discreet alleyway and make it an intimate and cosy space, the essence of a neighbourhood joint.

His European-inspired menu changes weekly, and the restaurant is booked out weeks in advance. Neighborhood placed ninth in the most recent Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants rankings but has been a regular on the list since opening; Lai also earned a peer-voted accolade, winning the Inedit Damm Chefs’ Choice Award 2022.

When asked to describe Hong Kong, Lai says, “It is not unlike New York City, where every few blocks can constitute entirely new worlds.” Exploring on foot enables you to see these contrasting sides of the city, especially when walking along major thoroughfares like Canton Road or Shanghai Street.

“That’s a good way to sample a cross-section of the city’s demography and history,” he says. Starting from the poshest luxury malls near the Tsim Sha Tsui Star Ferry Pier, he adds, you can pass through the old jade market, restaurant supply shops, the wholesale fruit market and other diverse pockets.

As Hong Kong welcomes back international travellers, Lai shares some of his favourite destinations in the city, showcasing a fun mix of old and new that will make you feel like an insider when you visit.

For fresh fare where the locals go: Ap Lei Chau Market

If you want to shop like a Hong Kong chef, Lai find ingredients for Neighborhood at this market, which is tucked inside the Ap Lei Chau Municipal Services Building and specializes in locally caught seafood. “A bonus to this market is the food court upstairs,” he says. “There, one can find casual local staples such as milk tea and noodles, or purchase live seafood from the market and have it cooked at the restaurants upstairs for a reasonable fee.”

For the latest culture hub: West Kowloon Arts District

Spanning 40 hectares of reclaimed land right on Hong Kong’s harbourfront, this purpose-built arts and culture quarter is home to new museums, restaurants, design stores, and the city’s latest green space, Art Park, with food trucks, free live performances and prime water views. The landmark museum M+ opened in 2021 and Palace Museum just last year. “The first features local and international modern arts, and the latter (has) antique treasures from the palace collection in Beijing,” explains Lai.

For a traditional HK delicacy: Seventh Son Restaurant and Moon Bay Chinese Cuisine

For Lai, roast suckling pig is the crown jewel of culinary achievement in Hong Kong, and these two restaurants are his top places to experience this revered dish. “Both restaurants descended from the venerable Fook Lam Moon, a.k.a. the tycoons’ canteen,” Lai says. “The crispy-skin pigs are served half or whole and must be preordered. Dim sum at lunch here is also some of the best in town.”

For chill (and cheap) sightseeing: Hong Kong Tramways

For an all-encompassing view of the city, board one of the vintage trams that run the 13-kilometre track from Kennedy Town to Shau Kei Wan. It’s a “two-hour, snail’s-pace scenic ride across the entire east-west span of Hong Kong Island,” Lai says. Since this is largely a commuter route (and not a tour specifically for travellers), it comes cheap: For $3 HKD, or about 50 cents CAD, “you get a profound view of the city. This is easily one of the biggest bargains in the world.”

For live jazz in an unexpected spot: Visage One

This one-chair hair salon turns into a jazz bar with secret-hideaway vibes on Saturday nights, with lines down the block to get in. “Ben, the owner, is impossibly cool. He doesn’t use mobile phones and is an avid reader,” explains Lai. “The jazz sessions are usually jam-packed, featuring young musicians and, sometimes, established stars such as Eugene Pao and Ted Lo.”

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