‘Old style’ dim sum, healthy vegetarian food, HK$500 tea that’s worth paying for: Hong Kong food picks of a Bonhams jewellery expert
- Hongkonger Stewart Young takes clients for fancy meals at China Club and enjoys dim sum on weekends at Dragon Inn Seafood Restaurant
- His favourite dish at Chi Lin Nunnery’s vegetarian restaurant is mock pig’s trotter in ginger and vinegar, and its teahouse is a must-visit for ‘amazing’ tea
Formerly a costume designer for film, stage and television, Hongkonger Stewart Young recently became auction house Bonhams’ director of jewellery and head of jewellery Asia. He spoke to Andrew Sun.
I am a very traditional Chinese person who likes dim sum and Chinese food. Once in a while I will have steak, but mostly I eat Chinese. Every province has their own cuisine and I’m amazed by how they can create a thousand types of chicken dishes and they all taste different. Mostly, I’m a very boring person who just goes to the same restaurants all the time.
I always have to take clients to really fancy places, but they are usually not my favourites. China Club (13-14/F, Old Bank of China Building, Bank Street, Central. Tel: 2521 8888) is the only place I like going to again and again.
I always go to the Chi Lin Nunnery, walk around the park and have vegetarian food at Chi Lin Vegetarian (Long Men Lou, Nan Lian Garden, 60 Fung Tak Road, Diamond Hill. Tel: 3658 9388). The head of the nunnery is very knowledgeable about food, so the dishes are very finely made with mushrooms and herbs, and healthy. You can hardly find gluten-based fake meat. My favourite dish is the mock pig’s trotter in ginger and vinegar, which tastes like the real thing.