Wan Chai — insiders’ favourites

Written by LUXE City Guides, Images by Nicolas Petit

Wan Chai is a neighbourhood that merges heritage and hip seamlessly. From hip artisan shops to heritage restaurants and revitalised historic buildings, experience the best of both worlds all within a short walk in Wan Chai.

Here are some of our top picks.

Sang Kee Restaurant

There’s a good reason Hong Kong institution Sang Kee Get me there {{title}} {{taRatingReviewTotal}} {{taRatingReviewText}} Address {{address}} Website {{website}} More info has been around for 30+ years — the traditional Cantonese food is delicious, with seafood a speciality. Order the famous fish congee, with limited availability, or the salt baked chicken, sweet and sour pork, prawns in soy sauce or perfectly cooked Chinese greens. They’ve been buying from the same seafood supplier for decades, and many dishes are still painstakingly made the old-fashioned way. Don’t expect fancy stemware and fawning service, however — this restaurant is best enjoyed with friends and family who like it casual, loud and affordable.

Samsen

Less is more at Samsen Get me there {{title}} {{taRatingReviewTotal}} {{taRatingReviewText}} Address {{address}} Website {{website}} More info , a rustic-chic bolthole of a Thai restaurant run by Aussie chef Adam Cliff, with a small but hugely tempting street food-inspired menu. Ask if the off-menu khao soi, a classic northern-Thai curried-chicken noodle dish, is available and if it is, order it. Other standouts include the pad Thai and pad see ew, made using the silkiest of rice noodles, and the signature wagyu beef boat noodles, by far the most popular item. No reservations are taken and there is always a queue, so it’s best to rock up early.

Kapok

Kapok Get me there {{title}} {{taRatingReviewTotal}} {{taRatingReviewText}} Address {{address}} Website {{website}} More info is one of the preeminent purveyors of cool in Hong Kong. What started out as a small shop founded by its French owner in Tin Hau is now a mini empire of Gallic flair, with stores in Central, Tsim Sha Tsui and even Singapore. Its flagships, however, constitute two boutiques in Wan Chai, one selling on-trend clothing, bags, jewellery and other accessories, another all sorts of beautiful things like fragrances, candles, lamps and stationery sourced from Europe and elsewhere around the world. If you can’t get to it, many of their products are also available to buy online.

Lala Curio

Part of the joy of Lala Curio Get me there {{title}} {{taRatingReviewTotal}} {{taRatingReviewText}} Address {{address}} Website {{website}} More info is finding it, hidden away in a secret laneway, Sau Wa Fong. You will know it when you see it, a fuchsia facade signalling for you to enter. The riot of colour continues inside in whimsical pieces of furniture, wallpaper, cloisonné tiles, lighting, tableware, cushions and a heap of other adorable objects, most with an Asian twist. It’s a Hong Kong brand that injects fun and the occasional bit of kitsch into its modern designs, while at the same time seeking to preserve the artisan spirit of times past.

7 Mallory Street

Take 10 pre-war four-storey tong lau, give them a makeover and you have one of Wan Chai’s most distinctive heritage landmarks, 7 Mallory Street Get me there {{title}} {{taRatingReviewTotal}} {{taRatingReviewText}} Address {{address}} Website {{website}} More info aka M7. Built in the 1910s, the Grade 2 historic buildings are part of a preservation-revitalisation project by the Urban Renewal Authority (URA), who has made an effort in preserving the tenement buildings’ prominent heritage features. Think cantilevered balconies, tiled pitched roofs, timber French doors and internal timber staircases. Today, M7 has transformed into a community hub with retail outlets, food and beverage services, a community space for activities, and a 300sqm public open space.

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