Hong Kong Precints: A curated guide to the city’s best shops, eateries, bars and other hangouts

At the eastern end of Hong Kong Island, jutting into Kowloon Bay, these heavily urbanised neighbouring suburbs, with their own MTR stops, are slowly attracting outside attention. This is thanks mostly to major commercial endeavours such as the 68-storey One Island East skyscraper, and Taikoo Shing, a housing estate with a whopping 61 residential towers.

While it might not have much by way of traditional character, this is an eye-opening Hong Kong visual nevertheless. Off the main King’s Road thoroughfare, you’ll find a bit more street-level action with markets and shops offering a unique bo-peep into everyday Hong Kong life. Soho East is a relatively new waterside dining strip in nearby Sai Wan Ho.

There’s something surreal about a farmers’ market sprouting in a concrete jungle, but here’s one that flourishes despite its urban surrounds. This first-rate addition to the Hong Kong foodie scene is a weekend hot spot for locals stocking up on fresh organic vegetables (plump tomatoes, bunches of herbs, dirt-encrusted root vegetables) from farms in the New Territories, creature comforts (espresso-machine brewed coffee, pastries and puffy loaves of sourdough bread) and crafts. Shoppers wanting to tap into unique, homemade and artisan products will find clothes, quilts, shoes and jewellery at reasonable prices. Surrounding the market, Tong Chong Street has a smattering of restaurants.

Back in the day, Kai Tak Airport sat in the middle of skyscraper suburbia and locals on their balconies could actually see passengers as the planes took off and landed. The airport has long since moved to Lantau Island, but the thrill of it can still be appreciated from Sugar, an open-air bar atop East Hotel with a view over the harbour and the former airport. The bar is party central and is therefore on the après-work radar of cashed-up financers working in nearby One Island East. Couches invite lounging around in the early evening, but resident DJ beats and pink-hued mood lighting amp up the atmosphere as the night goes on. New World and French wines wash well with stuffed jalapeño peppers and beer-battered prawns from the snack menu.

Hoi Wan Street, bisecting popular Tong Chong Street, looks set to be the next (or indeed the first) little hip-to-be-here Quarry Bay strip. Leading the pack, Plat du Jour is an ever-so-French bistro that can whisk you away from the surrounding high-rise metropolis to a Parisian street in an instant. Red leather booths, moody lighting and blackboard menus give it that European feel, but it’s the French ingredients and produce that really shine. The perfect order: an elegant glass of sparkling Crémant d’Alsace; a perfectly formed quail yolk atop beef tartare; a slow-cooked pork chop with walnuts; a crème brûlée and cheeky 2005 sauterne.

When Tim Ho Wan in Mong Kok earned a Michelin star, the dim sum offerings became the cheapest Michelin-starred dishes in the world. The restaurant closed down after a rent hike but offshoots of the original still offer awesome cheap-arse dumplings, albeit minus the star. This North Point incarnation in a low-profile street of residential high-rises is far bigger than the original. The local grey-haired contingent, which lines up just before 10am to bag a seat, is a good indication of decent grub. Inside it is as unfussy as it is fun, with a lot of cutlery clatter and chitter-chatter adding to the experience. Order the regulars – pork buns, har gow (shrimp dumplings) and siu mai (pork dumplings) – or get adventurous with cheong fun (rice noodle rolls), homemade cuttlefish balls and turnip cakes.

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One Island East is home to the ArtisTree art space (see map), which hosts excellent artists and exhibitions. Grab a local guide for current events.

Hong Kong–born, Aussie–Hong Kong bred Janice Leung has always straddled two countries and cultures. This hybridity ignited her passion for food and eventually food writing. This, in turn, led to her founding Island East Markets, which aims to make shopping for local produce a habit.

It’s primarily Cantonese, with pockets of Hakka, Chiuchow and Shanghainese. Some food traditions are truly Hongkongese, such as our cha chaan tengs, which are Hong Kong–style diners serving milk tea, egg tarts, toast with condensed milk and macaroni in soup with luncheon meat (spam). They’re an offshoot of European and American influences. Recently, Hong Kong has seen a lot of restaurants, cafes and bars focused on artisan ingredients and methods, like the use of sous-vide machines at Kin’s Kitchen in Wan Chai, known for its classic (and often laborious) Cantonese food.

Some places like Wan Chai’s Seventh Son respect the natural flavours of well-sourced ingredients. I can’t get enough of its scrambled eggs with prawns. I also love cha chaan tengs, especially For Kee in Sheung Wan (see map) for its milk tea and fried rice with pork chops, and Hoi On cafe, also in Sheung Wan (see map) for its retro charm and ‘French’ toast. Wan Chai’s Sang Kee is a home-style Cantonese stalwart and Zhe Jiang Heen is a Shanghainese favourite. Amber, at the Landmark Mandarin Oriental (see map) in Central, was the first truly world-class modern European restaurant in Hong Kong.

Remote Sai Kung in the New Territories. The beaches and hikes there are beautiful – chances are, you’ll have a beach to yourself.