Gregory Wong on Japanese food, TV and ‘Plan B’

When it comes to eating out in Hong Kong, it’s obvious that actor Gregory Wong is quite an expert.

The names of his favourite restaurants roll off the tip of his tongue so fast that it almost sounds practised – except it isn’t.

Throughout lunch he peppers the conversation with questions about whether I know this place or that place, leading to both parties doing a fair amount of googling.

Luckily, we have invited the popular actor to try a completely new place – ANA Ten – which hasn’t popped up on his radar yet.

ANA Ten is a modern Japanese restaurant located in Ocean Terminal’s new waterfront extension. It comes with a stunning panoramic view of both sides of the harbour, which is best enjoyed from the patio outside. The restaurant is also the latest addition to LUBUDS F&B Group’s string of restaurants, and takes pride of place as its most high-end fine dining establishment.

We start our lunch by ordering drinks. Wong opts for the Torii, one of the restaurant’s signature mocktails made with cherry tomatoes, home-made chilli syrup and grapefruit juice. A rim of salt completes the look.

“I drove here today,” he explains, as he skims past the cocktails list and heads straight to the non-alcoholic section.

I go for the Breakfast at Lavender’s, a mocktail made of blueberry jam, home-made lavender syrup, shisho tea and lemon tea. The strong lavender flavour is made light by the citrusy notes of the lemon, making it an easy, summery drink to complement a hot day.

While we wait for our lunch to arrive we find ourselves talking about our favourite restaurants in town.