CultureShock! Hong Kong by Betty Wei

Author:Betty Wei
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9789814435703
Publisher: Marshall Cavendish

HAUTE CUISINE TO FAST FOOD, WESTERN STYLE

The large number of Western restaurants reflects the cosmopolitan character of Hong Kong. Consult the young men and women in the international business world for insight into Hong Kong’s eateries. There will be no cultural shock when you eat there; apart from the Chinese appearance of the waiters and waitresses, there is nothing to suggest that you are in such a faraway place as Hong Kong.

It is taken for granted that better Western food can be found in its native countries, but there is no need to apologise for the chefs of Hong Kong. That standby of many years, Gaddi’s at the Peninsula; or the Grill at the Mandarin Oriental; and relative newcomers to the scene, Petrus at the Island Shangri-la or The Grissini at the Grand Hyatt: these cannot be surpassed in the quality of food, wine, ambience and service. In fact, luxury hotels try to outperform each other in their Western and their Chinese cuisines, and you can benefit from their competition. It is difficult for restaurants serving Western food to operate other than in hotels because of the high rents, but a number do provide exceptional food and thrive: such as Cafe Damigo in Happy Valley or M at the Fringe. Prices in all restaurants have risen in recent years, but there are set-luncheon menus which should not offend either your pocketbook or your sense of fairness.

At the lower end, fast food has become a fad in Hong Kong. It is astonishing how the Chinese, who traditionally rejected both tomatoes and cheese, have taken to pizza, over-cooked hamburgers and French fries. This open expression of fondness for Western food is no longer solely a status symbol with which Hong Kong people try to show their modernity. They actually like these new-fangled comestibles. Sandwiches, however, are still thought of as snack food, not as a substitute for rice or noodles in a main meal. Hotel buffets, offering fares from Japanese raw fish, boiled crabs and lobsters, to dim sum, spicy curries, and individual soufflés, boggle the mind as well as tease the palate. Try them, but make sure you book at least a few days in advance.

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