words hillary busis, victoria wang

The word is out – the latest taste sensations are on Star Street

While Soho is all about sleek, modern design and Tsim Sha Tsui is packed with restaurants decked out with multi-coloured lit-up signs, Wan Chai’s Star Street precinct is comparatively humble and quiet. Buildings here tend to be neutrally coloured and barely adorned, like relics from a simpler past. If Star Street was still primarily residential, it would be nothing more than a quaint area, a place made even more old fashioned by its gargantuan, glass and steel neighbour, the Three Pacific Place building.

But Star Street isn’t just a peaceful old granny of a place to live anymore: The modest-looking precinct is actually one of the city’s most exciting up-and-coming dining destinations. Hungry Hong Kongers sick of slogging through Central should consider giving Star Street a try – its eateries serve everything from traditional Chinese food to classic French cuisine to innovative desserts. Though a few chain stores have inevitably appeared on the main street and surrounding lanes – hello, Pret a Manger and Pacific Coffee – restaurants here are generally unique and owned by enterprising entrepreneurs. We should know, for bc forsook its ever-busy office for a trip to learn more about Star Street’s most exciting culinary sites.

Classified Mozzarella Bar
31 Wing Fung Street, 2528 3454
Cantonese food has much going for it, but it’s sadly lacking in the dairy department. Luckily, a trip to Classified Mozzarella Bar is the perfect way to curb a craving for cheese. The small restaurant serves several fresh varieties of its namesake item – including burrata, bufala di campana and boccoccini – which are delivered from Europe twice a week, as well as over 40 cheeses from around the Continent. Sample the selection with Classified’s artisan cheese platter, which comes in small ($155), medium ($270), and large ($390) sizes. Of course, you can also choose to tuck into a small plate from the restaurant’s main menu – many of which, like the grilled asparagus with parma ham and pesto ($88), are cheeseless – but where’s the fun in that?

Cinecittà
9 Star Street, 2529 0199
Fellini fans will feel right at home in this cozy Italian joint, named after the film studio where the Italian auteur created his most memorable movies. Diners feast on Mediterranean specialties like tonno pinna blue scottato, bottarga, gelatina al cetriolo e peperone giallo (bluefin tuna with bottarga, cucumber gelatin and yellow bell pepper couli, $148) and branzino arrosto con carciofi, patate, olive nere, pomodorini apassiti ed olio extra vergine (pan-fried sea bass with artichoke, new potatoes, black olives and parsley in extra virgin olive oil, $198), all while sitting under the watchful gaze of blown-up stills from Fellini’s films. cinecittà also features a daily l’ora felice – that’s happy hour to you – with complimentary snacks and two-for-one drinks from 6-9pm.

Yo Mama
16 Wing Fung Street, 2865 5600
This quirky spot, modelled after the frozen yogurt bars that have sprung up like weeds in American cities like Los Angeles and New York over the past few years, proves that dessert can be delicious without being unhealthy. A regular-sized cup of Yo Mama’s original or green tea yogurt costs $28 and includes your choice of toppings: fruits like strawberries and mango, sweets like gummy bears and crushed Oreo cookies, even breakfast cereals like Captain Crunch. Additional toppings will each cost $5, but the shop also permits customers to bring in their own add-ins if their choice isn’t on Yo Mama’s menu. The best part? The frozen confection contains just .25% fat, making it a guilt-free way to beat the summer heat.

Dining Wok
12 St Francis Street, 2861 2722
Connoisseurs who have sampled both know that American Chinese food is nothing like the food actually served in China. Curious locals who want to get a taste of what’s passing for authentic Chinese food in the US should check out this unassuming restaurant, which serves American-style favourites like General Tso’s chicken. Dining Wok’s set lunch is especially well priced: $58 gets you a cup of the soup of the day and a main course with rice. Spending $15 more means adding a plate of steamed vegetables to your main, while an extra $10 will get you dessert. Our favourite entrée option is the sweet and sour spareribs – bite-sized chunks of crispy pork, red and green bell pepper, and pineapple smothered in an addictive sauce. Maybe the Yanks are on to something after all.

1/5 Nuevo
9 Star Street, 2529 2300
1/5 Nuevo is a casual spot as notable for its cocktails and ambiance as it is for its dining options. Although the food here doesn’t stray too far from traditional small plates fare, there are still plenty of intriguing options, like chorizo sautéed with onions ($60), gazpacho with shrimp and avocado ($56) and grouper with pequillo peppers and green olives ($88). The summer tapas set dinner, a four-course meal that stars several Nuevo favourites, is set to disappear from the menu after August and costs $198 per person. An additional $88 per head will allow patrons a glass of wine to accompany each course. 1/5 Nuevo is also a good choice for a low-key birthday party – when a party spends at least $3,000, the birthday boy or girl gets a free magnum of Mumm Cordon Rouge champagne and a cake.

Epöch Coffee Bar & Desserterie
12-14 Wing Fung Street, 3525 1570
We’re not really sure what’s up with those funky accent marks, but we do know that epöch serves delectable desserts, as well as gourmet illy coffee and light meals. Their most intriguing sweet creations are only available after 6:30pm, making epöch an ideal place for you to wolf down a pastry while analyzing the film you just saw at the Pacific Place cinema. Try the mango noodles with fresh mango soup ($48), a clever twist on cold soba with dipping sauce or the delicate deconstructed apple pie ($48), which transforms the standard dessert into something exciting. When your stomach feels like it’s about to burst, take a break by visiting epöch’s music area, which is stocked with a geek’s dream sound system and plenty of rare CDs.

Xi Yan Sweets
8 Wing Fung Street, 2833 6299
Don’t let the name fool you – there’s much more to enjoy at this offshoot of the popular Xi Yan private kitchen than just desserts. Everything at Xi Yan Sweets is beautifully presented on hand-made ceramic dishes. Spice lovers will have plenty of chili-heavy dishes to choose from, like the Sichuan hot and spicy beef (78) or the meat glutinous dumplings in chili oil ($38). Since the word ‘sweets’ is in the restaurant’s name, though, you’ll want to splurge on something sugary at the end of your meal, if for no other reason than because your tongue is burning. The dessert-tasting menu lets you try Xi Yan’s ice cream, banana pudding and homemade cheesecake for $88.

Slim’s
1 Wing Fung Street, 2528 1661
The people who run Slim’s are serious about their beer. The majority of the page that lists their drinks menu is dominated by what they call “Exciting Micro-Imports” beers and ales from Germany, the UK, and the US with sometimes-silly names (Hoegaarden Forbidden Fruit, $40; Monty Python’s Holy Grail, $50, Pyramid Hefeweizen Ale, $40). The less adventurous are welcome to order something from the much shorter “Boring Beer” list, which includes standards like Guinness ($49) and Heineken ($42). The beer maven’s big-screen TV allows hops lovers to cheer for their favourite sports teams as they sip a micro-brew and sample some of Slim’s standard bar food – cheese steaks ($92), nachos ($85) and the like.

Spuntini
4-6 St Francis Street, 2528 1060
The Italian word for ‘snack’, Spuntini, is an invitation to two-starred Michelin chef Moreno Cedroni’s light and simple dishes in a stylish setting. Located on the steep slope of St Francis Street, Spuntini is part deli, part wine bar and part café. Dishes range from snacks to seafood entrees, with chef Sai Wan Ho, who was personally trained in Moreno’s kitchen, regularly changing the menu to keep things exciting. And of course, no meal is complete at Spuntini without a glass of Italian wine and Moreno’s signature lacrima wine jelly with Italian yoghurt. Spuntini even extends the Moreno experience beyond its own doors, offering the chef’s unique brand of Italian meats, sauces and seafood as well as the main ingredients of the eatery’s dishes for purchase. It’s no wonder Spuntini is full at lunch and dinner – be sure to make a reservation.