Sassy’s Dining Guide to Wong Chuk Hang!

As a general rule, people in Hong Kong tend to live within their comfort zones, often only daring to eat in restaurants within that same area, for fear of spending more than $30 in a taxi. Sometimes it’s necessary to step outside that comfort zone and go exploring, as some of the best restaurants can sometimes be found where you’d least expect to find them!

Wong Chuk Hang is an area in Aberdeen that you could easily drive straight without noticing. However, within some of these big factory buildings that you can see lie some extremely tasty restaurants! With the opening of the South Island Line of the MTR in the not-too-distant future (we hope!), it’s clear that this once-industrial area is fast becoming the next cool place to be…

I’ve been working in the area for about a year and have been pleased to see more and more restaurants appearing. Where once there was very little choice of places to eat, I now have options! Here’s a round-up of cafés, restaurants and private kitchens that are worth trying in the Wong Chuk Hang area, whether you happen to work in the area or are feeling brave enough to go exploring.

3/3rds
This is one of my favourite lunch places in WCH. The food is simple, yet delicious and healthier than many other options in the area. There’s a choice of soups, salads, pizzas, cheese toasties and pastries, which change on a weekly basis. I generally go for a small salad box, which you can fill with as many selections of Ottolenghi-esque salads as you like. For only $50 a box, I leave feeling satisfied and healthy. If you work in the area, 3/3rds will actually deliver to your office within less than 15 minutes, provided your order is above $150.

3/3rds, Unit D, 22/F, Yally Industrial Buildin, 6 Yip Fat Street, Wong Chuk Hang, Aberdeen, Hong Kong, 3462 2951, www.facebook.com/3thirdshk

Mum
Mum is a sweet little vegetarian café on the ground floor level of the shiny One Island South. Serving a small selection of soups, salads, noodle dishes and more, the philosophy is centred around food your mum might make at home – it’s simple, yet comforting. The focus on health has now led to the introduction of occasional yoga workshops in the restaurant. See our full review here! 

Mum, Shop G07, One Island South, 2 Heung Yip Road, Wong Chuk Hang, Aberdeen, Hong Kong, 2115 3348, www.facebook.com/Mumveggiecoffeesweet

GCX
GCX is a down-to-earth Italian café, restaurant and shop by the group who runs Grappa’s. There’s nothing particularly fancy about this place, but the fresh ingredients and home-style flavours are reassuringly tasty and keep the crowds from One Island South coming in for lunch every day.

GCX, Shop G09, One Island South, 2 Heung Yip Road, Wong Chuk Hang, Aberdeen, Hong Kong, 2528 0772, www.elgrande.com.hk/restaurant/gcx

The Butchers Club Deli
By day, it’s a New York-style deli, specialising in hand-crafted charcuterie, sandwiches, burgers and salads. By night, you can come with a big group for a private dinner and feast on what The Butchers Club does best: dry-aged steak. The Deli now also offers a range of concept dinners, such as T-Bone Tuesday, Wellington Wednesday and Sunday Roast, for which you needn’t have such a large group and there is no minimum spend. On the first Sunday of every month, they host the Southside Market Long Lunch on their huge rooftop, which is a fun day out for everyone!

The Butchers Club Deli, 16/F, Shui Ki Industrial Building, 18 Wong Chuk Hang Road, Aberdeen, Hong Kong, 2884 0768, www.butchersclub.com.hk

Noodlemi
I was overjoyed when one of my favourite Vietnamese restaurants in Sheung Wan opened a branch in Wong Chuk Hang! The menu is the same as the original venue, offering traditional Vietnamese pho, summer rolls, bahn mi and more. Everything (except the bahn mi) is gluten-free and they use zero MSG in their dishes, so it’s a great healthy option.

Noodlemi, 8C, Kwai Bo Industrial Building, 40 Wong Chuk Hang Road, Aberdeen, Hong Kong, 2253 1113, www.noodle-mi.com

Chef Studio by Eddy
Chef Eddy Leung’s private kitchen is quite a special one, partly due to Chef Eddy himself. He’s a truly genuine person who cares about nothing more than seeing his customers leave satisfied. He insists on serving ‘real food with real flavours’ and uses herbs grown on the restaurant’s own balcony for most of his dishes. Each month, Chef Eddy’s eight course tasting menu will change depending what’s in season, and will never fail to impress.

Chef Studio by Eddy, 5B, Kwai Bo Industrial Building, 40 Wong Chuk Hang Road, Aberdeen, Hong Kong, 3104 4664, www.facebook.com/pages/Chef-Studio-by-Eddy

Culinart
At this private kitchen by Chef Stanley Wong, everything really is an art. The food is presented beautifully – almost so much so that you’re nervous to eat it – and tastes amazing. Every month, there’s a different 10-course tasting menu that is guaranteed to impress, whether you’re there for a birthday party, entertaining clients, or for a hen do. See our full review here!

Culinart, 22B, Kwai Bo Industrial Building, 40 Wong Chuk Hang Road, Aberdeen, Hong Kong, 2580 0919, www.culinart.com.hk

Cargo5
There hasn’t been a great deal of noise made about this Japanese teppanyaki restaurant, but if the owners’ other restaurants (Three Monkeys and Gyotaku) are anything to base it on, then we can guarantee it’ll be great. The teppanyaki kitchen sits only 13 diners, but the venue can be booked out for larger groups.

Cargo5, Unit 5C, Kwai Bo Industrial Building, 40 Wong Chuk Hang Road, Aberdeen, Hong Kong, 2505 5550, www.cargo5.hk

M Cuisine
M Cuisine is a spacious private kitchen that also offers hands-on cooking classes. The tasting menus change seasonally and tend to be inspired by Mediterranean cuisine, with a contemporary twist. Prices tend to be pretty high for a private kitchen, ranging from $1000 to $1880, so might be best saved for a special occasion!

M Cuisine, Shop B, 17/F, Derrick Industrial Building, 49 Wong Chuk Hang Road, Aberdeen, Hong Kong, 2558 8664, www.m-cuisine.com

CIRQLE
Ovolo Southside is the first New York-style warehouse-to-hotel conversion and also a member of Design Hotels. CIRQLE is the hotel’s ‘modern alternative bistro,’ which serves Mediterranean dishes designed to be shared, tapas-style. The restaurant maintains that chic industrial theme and has a very simple yet comfortable canteen-style feel. Dishes are creative yet simple, and they apparently also do a reasonably priced weekend brunch that might be worth checking out. See the full review here!

CIRQLE, 4/F, Ovolo Southside, 64 Wong Chuk Hang Road, Aberdeen, Hong Kong, 3460 8100, www.ovolohotels.com

Pomegranate Kitchen
This lovely private kitchen seats 42 diners indoors, and more on its spacious terrace. Lebanese-born owner and head chef Maria Bizri serves hearty Mediterranean cuisine, fused with the scents and spices of Asia, that instantly makes you smile. A meal will begin with a pomegranate cocktail, naturally, and you’ll also find these lovely, refreshing seeds scattered throughout your meal.

Pomegranate Kitchen, 4B, 44 Wong Chuk Hang Road, Aberdeen, Hong Kong, 2580 0663, www.pomegranate.com.hk