Fiesta Favourites
Hong Kong is known for a lot of things: heavy humidity, Victoria Peak, and dim sum all come to mind. One thing absent from that list? Mexican restaurants. We’ve got oodles of noodle bars, ramen joints of all shapes and sizes, and plenty of coffee shops – but it’s hard to know where to go to get a good taste of Mexico. Luckily, bc has you covered as Irma and Hillary explore the options. Agave (93 Lockhart Road, Wanchai, 2866 3228; 33 D’Aguilar Street, Lan Kwai Fong, 2521 2010) is a reliable spot that serves up spicy food and strong drinks made with a wide variety of tequilas. Try the sirloin burrito ($165), a new addition to the menu, which encloses marinated beef inside a flour tortilla, then tops it with guacamole and sour cream. The burrito, which comes with a small side order of beans, is large enough for two to share. You’ll want to spring for your own beverage, though – Agave’s bartender suggests that you try their house margarita ($73) straight up, rather than frozen, so that you can really taste the tequila and lime.

The recently opened Café Iguana (57 Wyndham Street, Central, 2526 7993) is one of the newest Mexican restaurants in the city and, with its bright green exterior and location in the heart of Central, it’s unlikely to be overlooked. Like Agave, Iguana takes pride in offering a huge assortment of Mexican liquors – the wall behind the bar houses dozens of bottles of tequila. They’re put to good use in the cocktails made with different types of Patron, Herradura, and Don Julio that fill the epic drinks menu, most of which cost between $65 and $70. Iguana’s chunky guacamole, a combination of avocado, mild asadero cheese, onion, tomato, green pepper and cilantro is a standout. The menu lists four varieties – traditional, the camalon y jaiba, which comes with prawns and crab meat, and guacamoles with poblano or Serrano peppers added – all priced at $68. The fresh, crisp tortilla chips that come with the dip are a perfect accompaniment, especially as, lightly dusted with chili powder, they give an added kick.

What’s happening at Que Pasa (G/F, 15 Knutsford Terrace, Tsim Sha Tsui, 2316 2525)? For starters, a duo of guitar players serenade diners at dinnertime with songs like Under the Boardwalk and Yesterday – not exactly traditional mariachi fare, but entertaining nonetheless. And then there’s the food. Despite its Central America décor – fake chilies hang along one wall of the eatery, while sombreros line another – Que Pasa is really a pan-Latin joint that serves tapas, paellas, and Spanish pastas alongside standards like enchiladas and tacos. We didn’t have a chance to sample delicious-sounding dishes like the pimientos del piquillo ($38), baby piquillo peppers stuffed with cheddar and blue cheese, because we were too busy making our way through an enormous tostada ($138), a crispy tortilla topped with green chilis, onion, cheese, and your choice of protein: beef, chicken, pork, prawns or mushrooms. This Mexican-style pizza was so good we didn’t even care about the strings of cheese hanging from our mouths as we gobbled it down.

Nibbles
The delicacies served at Vero Chocolate Lounge (1/F, Fenwick Pier, 1 Lung King Street, Wanchai, 2559 5882) are so beautifully crafted that it almost seems a shame to eat them – that is, until you realize just how delicious they are. The artisan chocolate company has recently released its latest set of five flavours, which run the gamut from comforting, classic combinations (apple and thyme) to wacky, innovative experiments (honey mustard). These small cubes are tasty but pricey; a box with nine pieces of the seasonal chocolates costs $150, while a 25-piece set is $360. Vero has also just released its ‘Five Elements’ collection, a quintet of slabs each designed around one of the classic Chinese elements: earth, fire, gold, water, and wood. Of these, earth might be the best –a 70% dark chocolate bar coated with a powder made of raisins, cranberries, organic oatmeal, and prunes – it tastes a bit like an insanely caloric granola bar. Individual bars are $200, while the set of all five goes for $1,000. Additionally, the lounge serves a variety of special chocolate drinks, gourmet coffee creations, and chocolate-based desserts. A visit will make you feel like a kid in an extremely posh candy store.

If you gets trapped in the Mong Kok grid, make your way to Sai Kee Congee Shop (133 Prince Edward Road (West), Mong Kok, 2398 9101) for a refreshing, simple meal. Besides arming you with the necessary calories you’ll need to cope with the summer heat, the restaurant also provides a clean sanctuary from the neighborhood’s grease and pollution. We recommend the twisted doughnut rice sheet roll ($8), a house specialty – but remember to tell them not to add too much soy sauce. The sweet green bean soup with seaweed ($8) and thousand-year egg and shredded pork congee ($13) go nicely with the rice sheet roll. I personally like to add a little chili to the congee before dipping the twisted doughnut in the mixture. The sweet, cold dessert soup balances out the saltiness of the congee, as the seaweed is a perfect ingredient to counteract what locals call the ‘fire-ness’ of both the carbs and the summer heat.

Instead of going to any of the usual coffee houses and bars for a light lunch, consider the yum-cha at Ming Do (4/F, 95 United Centre, Admiralty, 2865 1988). Most of the dim sum here is freshly cooked – actually it’s stir-fried right in front of the customers. The shrimp dumplings are especially succulent and have just the right touch of sesame oil. The turnip cake with sweet (red) sauce is a common favourite but we found dumplings with shredded pork, mushroom and bamboo shoots really crunchy and flavourful. The green pepper with mince-fish paste is a spicy and chewy experience. Sharing three or four items over lunch at Ming Do will cost around $200.