French chef in Hong Kong’s favourite restaurants for dim sum, Peking duck, a taste of home

Loïc Portalier of one-Michelin-star Louise reveals his favourite places to eat beef buns, barbecued pork, Spanish, French and Italian food

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Loïc Portalier is the head chef of Louise restaurant in Hong Kong. He reveals his favourite restaurants in the city. Photo: Nicholas Wong/Sixteen Photography

Published: 11:15am, 7 Mar 2025Updated: 11:47am, 7 Mar 2025

Loïc Portalier is the executive chef of one-Michelin-star French brasserie Louise. Previously, he was head chef at Claudine restaurant in Singapore, opened by Julien Royer. He spoke to Andrew Sun.

I can be quite picky about what I like, but I am always curious to explore new dishes, ingredients and flavours. I grew up eating my mum’s home-cooked meals.

Every day, she cooked simple yet delicious food for our family of five, with often more elaborate meals on weekends. One of her signature dishes is a tomato tart, a recipe I once featured on my menu. Her love for cooking filled our home with warmth and happiness, and it always made us feel loved.

I have a lot of favourites I love going to, each known for a particular dish. For Asian cuisine, I am particularly fond of char siu (barbecued pork) from Dragon State Kitchen (38 Bonham Strand, Sheung Wan. Tel: 2342 3189).

The pan-fried beef bun at Islam Food in Kowloon City.

I also like the pan-fried beef bun from Islam Food (33-35 Tak Ku Ling Road, Kowloon City. Tel: 2382 1882). It is a quick stop place I would also bring a visitor.

The authentic dim sum from Sun Hing Restaurant (Shop C, 8 Smithfield Road, Kennedy Town. Tel: 2816 0616) is very nice.