Hit the rails with a full and satisfied stomach
The long-awaited Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link is finally operating after launching on September 23. The line’s Hong Kong terminus at the new West Kowloon Railway Station comes with a flurry of eateries where Hongkongers can refuel and relax before starting their journey. Travellers can tuck into Michelin star-quality dim sum, sip on bubble tea and tuck into a diverse range of international cuisines including Japanese, Korean and Southeast Asian. There’s even a local cha chaan teng inside the massive 18,000 sq ft food court. Get a taste of the best with our guide.
If you’re a sucker for bubble tea, be sure try the ones shaken at Chun Shui Tang, which supposedly invented the famous drink back in 1987. A Taiwanese original, the brand’s first takeaway store in Hong Kong offers more than 20 different beverages – including the signature pearl milk tea, of course – as well as light bites and bento boxes.
You can never go wrong with a visit to a local cha chaan teng. Dragon City already has five branches around the city serving Hongkongers classic and retro dishes reminiscent of childhood favourites. Red bean ice, pineapple ice, a Hong Kong-style breakfast, baked rice dishes and pasta are all available.
The man behind Good Fortune Noodle is 70-year-old chef Lam Sum – aka Beef Sifu – a man who, legend has it, can make 100 dumplings in 60 seconds – all beautifully wrapped and equal in size too, apparently. Lam recently came out of retirement to share the art of noodle-making – a secret technique he perfected over the years – with Good Fortune. Here, the pork filling of each dumpling is delicately chopped by hand and paired with tiger prawns, resulting in a delightful combo. Another must eat is the beef brisket, braised using a well-guarded recipe that gives the meat an intense and unforgettable flavour.
For some Southeast Asian bites, look no further than Nanyang Kitchen. Featuring regional ingredients and innovative cooking techniques, don’t miss out on the speciality Hainanese chicken rice that comes with coconut rice or Indonesian-style beef brisket.
Bari-Uma is the largest ramen chain in Hiroshima and already boasts five branches in Hong Kong. The noodle joint is renowned for serving the richest tonkotsu broth in town, the signature soup base simmered for more than 10 hours with pork bones, chicken and vegetables. Served with fresh, homemade noodles, the thick-cut Japanese chashu – pork slices – chosen from top-shelf pork, ties the entire meal together. Enjoy and thank us later.
As well as the usual suspects of Sichuan cuisine like beef poached with chilli oil, spicy chicken and pickled fish, the specialists here also serve Chongqing-style spicy spareribs and entrails – dishes rarely available in Hong Kong. What’s also of note is that the restaurant orders its peppercorns and chillies straight from Sichuan, consolidating the authenticity of every dish on the menu.
Craving a taste of Korea before heading north? Sinsa Eat might be just what you need. On the menu, you’ll find a wide selection of legit Korean dishes including spicy garlic beef ribs, spicy fried octopus and pork belly, and spicy chicken served on a hot plate. All of this awaits at West Kowloon station’s Foodium.
The newest branch of the hugely popular Michelin-starred dim sum restaurant, Tim Ho Wan has made its way from Mong Kok into the newly opened West Kowloon Railway Station. Fuel up on its signature baked char siu bao, pan-fried turnip cake, cheung fun and sponge cakes before hopping on the highspeed rail link to Shenzhen and beyond.
HKG has a plethora of delicious restaurants. Do yourself a favour: check in early and treat yourself to some quality food before facing that in-flight meal.
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