Sushi, ramen, noodle soup: where a brand builder gets his Asian fixes in Hong Kong
Trained in design and architecture, Brian Ma works in brand building and business design and marketing. His company, Iconic Services, helps labels create their own store environments and identities.
Ever since I was young, I enjoyed cooking, but my dad didn’t want me to be a chef. He thought it was too behind- the-scenes and he didn’t want his son to do that.
I jumped to the other side and became more of a critic of food. Since my dad was very traditional, we always had Chinese food, but my mom was more adventurous. I think I skew more to my mother’s side. I’m not interested in chasing stars. I’m more interested in stories.
I like VEA Restaurant and Lounge (29/F-30/F, The Wellington, 198 Wellington Street, Central, tel: 2711 8639) for the way chef Vicky Cheng uses local ingredients. I like his story of how he left his old job and girlfriend in Toronto and backpacked to New York and ended up working for chef Daniel Boulud. His attention to detail is very particular.
I also like Uwe (252 Hollywood Road, Sheung Wan, tel: 2546 8665). Again, I like the story of how Uwe Opocensky left the Mandarin Oriental for Beef & Liberty with the condition that he could do another restaurant. I like his presentations – how he paints his food and uses [bone marrow] to create candles, and he’s very tasteful and smart. The service is very good.
My next choice is Shui Kee (2 Gutzlaff Street, Central, tel: 2541 9769) for their beef brisket tenderloin and fish ball noodle soup. The owner and chef has some etiquette problems but he makes really good stuff. He only serves people he likes.
Also, I go to Mon Kee Café (several locations including 142 Jaffe Road, Wan Chai, tel: 2528 2927) for the super velvety char siu egg rice. Great texture.
I know the owner of Scrumptious Delight (Unit 1011, Block B, Ming Pao Industrial Centre, 18 Ka Yip Street, Chai Wan, tel: 6774 7280). They’re not chefs but IT people, but they enjoy cooking. Once they slow-cooked a USDA Angus roast beef and everyone loved it. Their family and friends kept asking them to prepare it so they decided to rent a kitchen to serve this. It’s a private kitchen so you have to book the whole place.
For Japanese, I like Sushi Kado (7 Elgin Street, SoHo, tel: 2982 1099). A lot of places try to impress you with fusion techniques to justify the price, but in the end it’s all about the fish, and this is true Edo-style sushi and very consistent.
A place I always go for dan dan noodles is Olala (2 Star Street, Wan Chai, tel: 2866 3381). Everything is HK$100 but the bowl is huge and the soup base is really nice.
Zagin Soba (7 Gough Street, Central, tel: 2447 1398) is really good for the ramen with a rich chicken soup, almost like a chicken cappuccino with a creamy texture.
