The Sydney celebrity chef goes the extra mile for kitchen inspiration, but he was almost refused entry to one of Australia’s most revered restaurants. These are the places that light his fire.
Australian chef Dan Hong returns to TV screens in the SBS series The Streets Hong Kong, visiting Kowloon’s hidden gems to uncover traditional recipes before returning to the kitchen to recreate them.
“We wanted to discover old-school places that specialise in certain dishes and explore institutions that have been run for generations, and it’s been a treasure to access some of these spots,” says Hong, the executive chef of Sydney restaurants Mr. Wong, MuMu and Ms. G’s, among others.
“From old tofu factories and wonton noodle ones, to seeing where whole pigs are cooked underground in the last underground charcoal ovens of Hong Kong, I learnt so much and got to put my own twist on what I saw,” he says of the series, a sequel to his 2022 project exploring street food around the world.
The father of two visits Hong Kong every year for inspiration. “I would be lying if I said it wasn’t hard to always be innovative in the kitchen,” says Hong. “I rely on my head chefs and collaborate with them to continue to be creative.
“At the end of the day, it’s not just one person but the effort of multiple people across all venues who are key in what happens next on the menu.”
Eating in
Go-to dish at home
At weekends, I like to cook Korean barbecue. I buy quality wagyu beef, lettuce wraps, kimchi and rice and we grill our own meats with a gas cooker on the table – the kids love it. Sometimes I make marinated short ribs in salt and pepper seasoning.
Guilty pleasure
A McDonald’s breakfast at the airport when I have to catch an early flight is a ritual. I also love frozen party pies for the nostalgia factor, and instant noodles hit the spot, although I don’t have them too often any more.
Kitchen wisdom
It may sound simple, but this is something I learned from chef Tetsuya Wakuda. He told me to taste your food. A lot of home cooks people don’t taste every step of the way – and this is often the reason meals don’t have much flavour.
Eating out
Favourite food city
It has to be Tokyo. I have visited seven times already and keep going back for inspiration. No other city compares because the attention to detail they put into every aspect of their life, including food, is phenomenal.
Always visit the lower ground floor of a department store to be blown away by the food court. The displays alone are outstanding, from fruits to baked goods. And visit a 7-Eleven for a simple egg sandwich. It’ll be the best you will have in your life.
My tip when eating in Tokyo is to look for restaurants that specialise in one area of cooking – from sushi and udon or soba noodles to ramen and cocktails.
I highly recommend Higashiazabu Amamoto omakase sushi restaurant. They only have eight seats inside. I have been there three times and it’s the best sushi in the world. Owner-chef Masamichi Amamoto has won two Michelin stars.
I love his hay-smoked bonito – he sets the hay on fire in front of you. He is also known for marinated sea urchin with Chinese wine sauce. He is respected because he doesn’t have anyone helping him with the dinner. He has two women who pour your sake, but he does everything in the kitchen. I booked via [bespoke travel consultancy] Plan Japan, which organises luxury food tours in Tokyo.
The best pizza I have ever eaten was at Pizza Studio Tamaki in Minato, Tokyo. It might sound weird, but people know there’s good pizza in Tokyo and you’ll find some of the best in the world to rival Italy. Tsubasa Tamaki isn’t afraid to burn the pizza, but it adds to the flavour and character.
Toriyoshi is a fantastic yakitori spot in Ginza. You can eat omakase style and tell him when to stop. He cooks every part of the chicken grilled on sticks –parts you don’t know were even on a chicken, from heart arteries to unborn eggs.
I stay at the Conrad Tokyo and frequent areas like Roppongi and Shimbashi, which are very cool.
Favourite Australian restaurant
It has to be Flower Drum in Melbourne. When I dine there, I am really inspired. Every meal there is memorable, which has as much to do with the service as what turns up on the plate.
The first time I ate at Flower Drum was in 2011 with a friend, Davis, who has been eating there since he was a kid. I rocked up wearing shorts, and they almost didn’t let me in. Davis had made the booking and when they knew I was his guest, they said, “That’s fine, come in.” Phew!
I remember eating stir-fried meat from the pearl oyster for the first time – the dish was incredible. They also make noodles from barramundi, another stir-fried dish I always order. I also recommend the drunken squab, a small pigeon poached in Chinese wine, which is served cold with jellyfish.
Favourite restaurants in Sydney
I am a big sushi fanatic and my favourite restaurant is Sushi Oe, a six-seat omakase restaurant in Cammeray run by chef Toshihiko Oe. He’s the sushi master and makes between 30 and 35 small dishes of sushi and sashimi and some cooked items, too. I make sure I go there four to five times a year, but it’s the hardest booking to get in Sydney.
He has a sashimi dish called kinmedai, made using a rare white fish, sometimes known as the golden eye snapper. He serves two slices of it raw with salt and fresh wasabi. It may sound super simple, but it’s something I look forward to every time I visit.
The Royal Pavilion in Haymarket is another favourite. It only has private dining rooms, and chef Master Ken specialises in live and dried seafood dishes. He makes a lobster three ways – and it must be a minimum weight of three kilos to do three ways. The best way to dine here is with a group of six or more – order the imperial lobster.
You’ll also find me at the Sussex Street Food Court in Chinatown. I love going to Happy Chef, where you’ll find some of the best noodle soups in Sydney. They serve everything from seafood noodle soups to laksa.
I like to order a burger and drink a glass of burgundy at Rockpool Bar and Grill. This is a favourite spot for birthday parties – I have celebrated here and at Sushi Oe for the past seven years.
Favourite restaurants in Melbourne
A hidden gem and recent discovery in Melbourne is Chaozhou Malaya Bistro Cafe in Balwyn North. It’s run by two women, who make the most exciting Chaozhou dishes.
The Chinese restaurant Chopstick Delight in Mulgrave arguably has the best duck in Melbourne.
Yakikami in South Yarra makes impressive yakitori and I was quite impressed by Uminono in Prahran, run by French chef Arnaud Laidebeur, who is obsessed with Japanese food and sushi.
I also like to eat at Embla, France-Soir and Lee Ho Fook.
- The Streets Hong Kong screens on SBS Food and streams via SBS On Demand.
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Jane Rocca is a regular contributor to Sunday Life Magazine, Executive Style, The Age EG, columnist and features writer at Domain Review, Domain Living’s Personal Space page. She is a published author of four books.From our partners
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