Favourite restaurants of an Azerbaijani in Hong Kong - her ‘food paradise’
From burgers to biryani, find out where Hong Kong Youth Diabetes Action committee member Janana Suleymanli Pasha loves to dine around town
I am from Azerbaijan, and have had the honour of calling Hong Kong my home for the last two decades. For an international family like ours, the city is a food paradise.
Of course, I love Chinese food. The Cantonese food here never ceases to impress. My personal favourite is The Horizon (9/F Aberdeen Marina Club, 8 Shum Wan Road, Aberdeen, tel: 2814 5482). As members, we feel at home in this gorgeous place. The staff knows me and my three boys by name.
The dishes are both seasonal and traditional. You can’t leave without tasting the Peking duck masterfully sliced into 88 pieces. The weekend dim sum is also so popular one has to book weeks in advance.
My husband is from Bangladesh, so not one single week goes by without some spicy Indian food. His cravings bring us to Bombay Dreams (4/F Carfield Commercial Building, 77 Wyndham Street, Central, tel: 2971 0001). The view facing the old police station is quiet romantic, and the dim lights put you in a Bollywood mood.
I like the open kitchen, where you can see the chefs turn dough making into a show. I feast on the sizzling tandoori tikka, mutton biryani, and prawn curry. The place is also a paradise for vegetarians. I go there sometimes with my yoga classmates for very affordable lunch buffets.
For a more modern, hip, and happening place, I head to Foxglove (18 Ice House Street, Central, tel: 2116 8949). It’s young and cool. The umbrellas lining the entrance remind me of the film Kingsman.
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Everything is done here with love; the food is served beautifully and priced fairly. The lobster pasta is famous, so is the champagne lunch and lobster bisque.
I grew up in Baku, on the Caspian Sea, so our cuisine is deeply inspired by marine life. When I crave something homely, we head to the Fish Bar & Pool Lounge (Level 7, JW Marriott Hotel, Pacific Place, 88 Queensway, tel: 2810 8366). It is our favourite place to watch the sunset, surrounded by the Central and Admiralty skyscrapers. Their mocktails are also very cool.
I’ve had great experiences at Bread Street Kitchen (Level M, Hotel LKF by Rhombus, 33 Wyndham Street, Central, tel: 2230 1800). Their new executive chef, Gareth Packham, is from Manchester and he’s been with Gordon Ramsay for seven years. He is the friendliest and most hospitable chef. His new menu is well executed and simply mouth-watering. I have to mention his house special sticky toffee pudding, made from his grandmother’s recipe.
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My family also likes The Butchers Club, especially the cosy private kitchen in Aberdeen (16/F & rooftop, Shui Ki Industrial Building, 18 Wong Chuk Hang Road, Wong Chuk Hang, tel: 2884 0768). The industrial space is wonderful. The weekend brunches are well priced and loved by parents and kids of all ages, especially with the bouncy castles and art stations.
