Where Did Masterchef Australia’s Judges Eat in Hong Kong?

We’re at the pointy end of this season of Masterchef Australia with just seven cooks left in the competition. This week the whole production moves to Hong Kong for four special episodes in one of the world’s great food cities.

Where did the show’s judges eat when the cameras weren’t rolling? We asked Sofia Levin, Poh Ling Yeow, Andy Allen, Jean-Christophe Novelli and guest judge Vicky Cheng for their top dining picks in the culinary hub.

We had limited time between filming to eat, but man, did we make a go of it! We hit the ground running, ditching our bags at our hotel as soon as we landed and made a beeline for Kam’s Roast Goose.

This 36-seat restaurant has a Michelin star – and the queues to prove it. The line was too long for our levels of hunger that first night, so we returned the following day. We arrived before they opened and still queued for over an hour, but I have never tasted poultry skin so rendered and succulent, or flesh that juicy. Absolutely worth the wait.

You can check out more Hong Kong recommendations at my website Seasoned Traveller.

Kam's Roast Goose, 226 Hennessy Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong, krg.com.hk

I’m a huge fan of discovering places rather than following recommendations when I travel, and Hong Kong is incredibly accessible in this regard. There seem to be very few bad choices to be had. Moreover, when food is cheap, your palate is willing to be more adventurous and forgiving.

I love that popular places to eat are absolutely flavour-led, not about being seen. I love that you might eat congee for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or a midnight snack. But the thing that fires me up most is ogling the dai pai dong or street vendors in full flight. It always moves me to observe the dexterity and generational knowledge required to, say, make a sumptuous bowl of noodles in less than two minutes.

I’ve got two recommendations:

1. Fineprint
I know Australians are always on the hunt for good coffee when they travel. A buddy of mine has a bunch of these cafes dotted throughout HK. They do great Aussie coffee and breakfast.

2. Wing Fat
The moment we got there we saw a huge line and loads of people sitting on plastic chairs out the front – it was absolute mayhem. We waited in the line for about 15 minutes before we got a table and ordered three Tsingtao longnecks stat.

We ate steamed pippies in black pepper sauce, claypot-braised eggplant, and a chilli crab. It was full local style, hustle bustle, and our waiter was pumped with energy. They were turning over tables a million miles an hour. Good vibes, epic food, a must-do when you go.

Fineprint, 38 Peel Street Soho, Hong Kong, fineprint.hk

Wing Fat, Shop 6-8, G/F, Temporary Cooked Food Hawker Bazaar, 29-39 Woosung Street

The food scene in Hong Kong is explosive, super interesting, and fascinating. The first place I visited in the middle of nowhere (just by luck) was the spacious Lei Garden Restaurant where I sat beside a massive seafood freshwater tank with live seafood.

This establishment was on the bigger side and transported me into a serene oasis amid the bustling streets of Hong Kong. The menu was a treasure trove of culinary delights with each dish being prepared and served with the utmost attention to detail and a symphony of flavours. This restaurant was lost inside a massive building with no advertising to find it, but the food was meticulously cooked despite the size and scale of the restaurant.

Visiting Vicky Cheng’s restaurants are also a must when visiting Hong Kong. I was blown away when visiting VEA, his Michelin-starred establishment. Not just by the food, but by him, his wife and his team. He sets the stage with his innovative take on French-inspired food and Cantonese cuisine and has a masterful command of flavour.

I equally enjoyed wandering the streets and following the smells, which led me to some wonderful street food, tiny outlets creating massive, consistent results. I got a real buzz from sampling these authentic, wholesome dishes and took a pleasure in witnessing what Hong Kong is all about.

Lei Garden Restaurant, Shop No. 3008-11, 3/F., International Finance Centre, Central, Hong Kong, leigarden.hk

VEA, 30F, The Wellington, 198 Wellington Street, Central, Hong Kong, vea.hk

Forum Restaurant 1977: they serve exceptional dim sum, some of the finest in all of Hong Kong, highlighting a rich history and an array of timeless Cantonese dishes. The must-order dishes are steamed barbeque pork buns and steamed shrimp dumplings.

The deep-fried sweet and sour pork with mandarin peel and braised Ah Yat abalone with goose web are some of the must-try items too. I love to bring friends and families from overseas to dine here, they are always consistent when it comes to flavour, quality and service.

1/F, Sino Plaza, 255-257 Gloucester Road, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong, forumrestaurant1977.com

Masterchef Australia's Hong Kong week runs nightly at 7.30pm until Wednesday on Network 10 and 10 Play.