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Andrew Sun

Hong Kong native Sze Chiu-Kwan has been head chef at Dong Lai Shun in the Royal Garden Hotel since its opening in 2004. He spoke to Andrew Sun.
As a person who grew up and has lived in Hong Kong for so many years, I cherish the memories from my childhood. My most favourite one is having pineapple buns at cha chaan tengs.
Other than cha chaan teng food, I really like pan-fried buns (sheng jian bao). The tasty and flavourful meat is wrapped in soft and crispy dough, with each bite bursting with juices.
For breakfast, I like to go to Red Tea Café (various locations including Shop 5, 18 Carnarvon Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, tel: 6229 1838) for a pineapple bun.
To have a hot and crispy sweet bun with a thick slab of butter is my favourite thing even now. Another favourite is the classic egg sandwich.

I like to discover different kinds of restaurants, cuisines and foods because there is a lot to learn, such as cooking and preparation techniques.
One of my favourites would be Shikigiku Japanese Restaurant (1/F, The Royal Garden, 69 Mody Road, Tsim Sha Tsui East, tel: 2733 2933). The authentic cooking techniques and food decoration are really impressive. I enjoy the live shrimp tempura and teppanyaki, which show the chefs’ in-depth understanding and expertise.
I take new visitors to Lung King Heen (Podium 4, Four Seasons Hotel, 8 Finance Street, Central, tel: 3196 8880) for lunch, because the food presentation and quality are good.
For dinner, I recommend Sabatini Ristorante Italiano (Shop 4008, IFC Mall, 8 Finance Street, Central, tel: 2610 0080), which serves authentic and delicious Italian food and offers a spectacular view of Victoria Harbour. It really shows off the wonderfulness of Hong Kong.



My celebration preference would definitely be a dai pai dong, because my friends and family really enjoy local cuisine, plus the food is usually served in big portions and full of wok hei, the aroma that is created in a dish from a wok. It best suits sharing together in a group, and the vibe is really enjoyable for celebration.
I often go to Tung Po Kitchen (2/F, Konnect, 303 Jaffe Road, Wan Chai, tel: 2880 9399), a very popular and good-quality outlet. I like the sweet and sour pork with pineapple with a sweet and tangy sauce. Another favourite would be the stir-fried rice noodles with beef. The meat is succulent and the rice noodles silky-smooth. Just delicious.
I enjoy travelling to Nanjing in mainland China. Often, I pay a visit to the Jinling Hotel Plum Garden (2/F, Jinling Hotel, No. 2 Hanzhong Road, Xinjiekou Square, Nanjing, tel: +86 25 8471 1888). It specialises in Huaiyang cuisine.
I remember trying the pufferfish, which requires the chef to have top-class knife skills to ensure the fish is properly handled and safe to consume. Another memorable dish is the lion’s head meatball, which is another classic Huaiyang dish. It looks simple but requires a lot of skill because preparation involves many steps. The meatball there is so flavourful and succulent.
Hopefully, people can try the food at Dong Lai Shun too. We’re celebrating our 20th anniversary this year of serving classic Beijing-style cuisine.




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Food and Drinks

Where a Hong Kong head chef goes for sweet and sour pork, pineapple buns and Italian food

Live shrimp tempura and teppanyaki from Shikigiku Japanese Restaurant, in Tsim Sha Tsui East. Photo: Facebook/Royal Garden

Sze Chiu-Kwan, head chef at Dong Lai Shun in the Royal Garden Hotel, in Hong Kong,  shares his favourite restaurants in the city, including Chinese, Japanese and Italian food. Photo: Dong Lai Shun

A pineapple bun and other breakfast dishes at Red Tea Café. Photo: Facebook/ Joy Cho

Assorted tempura from Shikigiku Japanese Restaurant in Tsim Sha Tsui.

Baked whole abalone puff with diced chicken at Lung King Heen at the Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong. Photo: Lung King Heen

Dishes at Sabatini Ristorante Italiano, IFC Mall, Central. Photo: Sabatini Ristorante Italiano

The Hong Kong fine-dining restaurants serving cheaper, casual menus to draw new customers

What do Hong Kong fine-dining restaurants like Auor (whose laksa lunch offering is pictured) and Charles Darwin have in common? They both believe in adapting to survive. Photo: Auor 

Chef Edward Voon has launched a new programme called The Laksa Club Lunch at Auor. Photo: Auor

Chef Jaime Ortolá made the switch to an à la carte menu at Fireside to draw more patrons. Photo: Fireside

Vinny Lauria is the culinary head of the Red Sauce Hospitality group, behind venues such as Fini’s and Franks in Hong Kong. Photo: Vinny Lauria

Where a Hong Kong TV anchor and author goes for Cantonese, Chiu Chow and Hunanese food

Fish-flavored eggplant stew from Café Hunan, a favourite of Victoria Tang. Photo: Café Hunan

TV anchor Victoria Tang shares her favourite Hong Kong restaurants for Cantonese, Chiu Chow, Hunanese, kosher and vegetarian food. Photo: Victoria Tang

A buttery toasted bun from Capital Café in Wan Chai. Photo: Instagram/@cktong

Fourfinger threadfin at Choong Fat Chiu Chow Restaurant, in Kowloon City. Photo: Choong Fat Chiu Chow Restaurant

Fish-flavoured aubergine stew at Café Hunan, in Central, Hong Kong. Photo: Café Hunan

The relaxing interior of Sujata Café, in Kwun Tong. Photo: Sujata Café

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Dishes at Hong Kong restaurant Busan Night, where Korean chef Park Seung-hun goes after work to enjoy flavours of his homeland. Photo: Instagram/@busan_inhk

Park Seung-hun is the head chef at Hansik Goo in Sheung Wan, Hong Kong. Photo: Nicholas Wong Sixteen Photography

Beef brisket noodles at Kau Kee, in Hong Kong’s Central neighbourhood. Photo: May Tse

Iberico char siu barbecue pork with honey sauce and pork belly at Moon Bay Chinese Cuisine, in Wan Chai, Hong Kong. Photo: Susan Jung

A cocktail at Argo. Photo: Argo

Lifestyle

Food & Drink

From Hong Kong street food classics to Japanese tempura and teppanyaki, Dong Lai Shun chef Sze Chiu-Kwan shares his favourites


From Hong Kong street food classics to Japanese tempura and teppanyaki, Dong Lai Shun chef Sze Chiu-Kwan shares his favourites.


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