I grew up in Hong Kong, so it is natural for me to be nurtured by Chinese culture and having Cantonese cuisine as my “mother food”. However, I was also exposed to exotic foreign dishes at a very young age, whether it was creamy pastas from Italy, spicy curries from India, rich satays from Malaysia or hearty hamburgers from America, they tasted so unique and different from my hometown cooking that once I had them, I love them and I never looked back! Since then, it has become my lifelong passion to explore exotic foreign restaurants in Hong Kong, not only to satisfy my taste buds, but also to learn more about their cultures behind such tasty foods. Being a global metropolis, I knew I can find pretty much any kind of foreign restaurants in Hong Kong, as this great city always welcomes peoples from all over the World and what’s better than opening restaurants that cater the needs of local and foreign appetites?
Sounds easy, right? Well, not really. Despite being a global city, there are more Cantonese and regional Chinese restaurants than foreign ones in Hong Kong and to make matter worse, finding authentic foreign cuisines that is true to their roots are even harder as most restauranteurs compromise with local palates (e.g., less spicy for Indian, less rich for Italian) to attract more business. As a foodie, I firmly believe in authenticity and I love exotic cuisines for what they really are, not something heavily altered to suit the local taste. It is better for me to step out of the gastronomic comfort zone of all things Cantonese, to experience and embrace the sophisticated and exciting world of foreign culinary techniques. Through this gastronomic journey, I have experienced all types of exotic cuisines from all corners of the World, and I have more and more knowledge and ability to differentiate those who are true to their roots, and those who are not.
With the advent and convenience of Google Map, I love to share this information and dining experience of Hong Kong’s exotic restaurants to users locally as well as globally. From adding new restaurants, updating their information, to writing detailed reviews and adding captioned photos, I want to share my dining experience to anyone who may be interested to these places with as accurate information as possible so they can get a pretty good idea of what they are getting at and whether or not these restaurants worth visiting. I also believe by doing so, I can help spread the goodness of these exotic restaurants and culture to as many people as possible and especially the locals, who are increasingly more welcome to the original taste of exotic cuisines. Though this sharing experience, I love to see more and more Hong Kongers being educated and open-minded on exotic cuisines as there are more than just Swiss Wings and Hong Kong-style Curries. That’s what keeps me going and I never get tired of it!
So next time if you are having difficulties finding the right exotic restaurants in Hong Kong, fear not: you will find a wealth of information on Google Map with contributions by dedicated local guides, and I am proud to be part of it.