Hong Kong: Part II

Wagyu, 60 Wyndham Street, Central, Hong Kong

As tired and travel weary as we were, as soon as we landed back in Hong Kong, we were back on the foodie trail. Before going back to Melissa's apartment to sleep, we went for breakfast at Wagyu, which is a stylish, contemporary restaurant on Wyndham street in Central. The main theme of the menu, as the name suggests, is Australian Wagyu beef, but the breakfasts are amazing, and the a la carte has a lot more on it besides steak.

We really enjoyed our breakfast, but felt that we'd been overtired and hadn't quite given it our full attention the first time round, so we went back on our last morning for some brunch. The second time was just as good, if not better. As a brit, it's a really good thing when you can find decent bacon abroad. To be honest, the website doesn't do them justice. It looks a bit tacky and cheap, which Wagyu definitely is not. Castelo really ought to give them a proper page!

Sepa, 61 Caine Road, Central, Hong Kong

After a shower and some kip - whaddya know? It's dinner time. This evening is particularly hazy in our memories, due to overtiredness, compounded by staying out 'til 5am to watch the Champions League final of all things. However, who could forget the unctuous, generously-sized ball of Burrata on the menu at Sepa? Or the rich and flavoursome veal reduction lacing the veal ravioli? An Italian restaurant, proclaiming to be the first in Hong Kong to encompass the "traditions, history and culture" of Venice, Sepa delivers some pretty solid eating. Plenty to choose from, with a mixture of classic dishes and those with a more contemporary twist, the food is good and reasonably priced for Hong Kong.

I absolutely loved the branding of the restaurant. The setting, at its base, is styled like a traditional Venetian wine bar. What makes it however, is the homage to Italian Playwright, Carlo Goldoni's, "The Servant of Two Masters", in the form of these incredible and creepy illustrated characters that are the theme throughout.

The Monogamous Chinese, 59 Caine Road, Soho, Hong Kong

It would have been frankly wrong for us to travel to Hong Kong and not eat at least one Chinese meal. As it happens, we had two in our final days, but Monogamous was the favourite. My only real qualm about the place is that the lighting wasn't great for photography, but as soon as the first sweet morsels passed our lips, all was forgiven.

The concept is one of sharing, with an extensive menu of authentic sichuan and peking dishes to please everyone. We ordered a mixture of sizzling beef, pork dumplings, vegetables, etc, but the pièce de résistance was the deep fried whole fish in the house sweet and sour sauce. Already satiated by the time it came out, there was a split second where we thought "have we gone too far?". Turns out we went just far enough. The fish was presented as juicy, bite-sized chunks, with the head and tail either end, slathered in sweet and sour sauce and dressed with pine nuts, which I love. So good! Not being massive Chinese food eaters back at home, it was a real treat.

We got in plenty more walking and exploring over our remaining days in Hong Kong, clambering up and down the winding hill paths on Cheung Chau Island, and trying our very first Pastel de Nata (I know!) on Macau. We did some shopping, and sourced some ingredients for the Japanese Dashi stock that is now residing in our freezer, waiting to become ramen, and we ate at some other great places (including 22 Ships, which Mark wrote about), finishing our time with a top-notch burger at The Butchers Club.

Hong Kong is an incredible place if you're a foodie. It's an incredible place if you're an explorer. It's massive, and vibrant, and awe-inspiring, and I can certainly see why Westerners stick around. I really hope we can go back some day, but there are a few other places on our bucket list before then. (Japan, for instance!)

C