Main St. Deli

Address: Ground Floor, The Langham, 8 Peking Road, Tsim Sha Tsui
Tel: 2375 1133

A classy take on a New York deli in the heart of Hong Kong, Main St. Deli pulls out all the stops: tiled floors, diner booths, art deco design and modern jazzy music. The large chandeliers add elegance and the food is authentic in both taste and selection, as can be seen from the number of kosher items on the menu – the choice includes kosher beef salami sandwiches and latkes (potato pancakes), the inclusion of these foods reflecting the fact that traditionally, many delis in the Big Apple are Jewish-owned. We tried the kosher starter knish, and it was delicious – deep-fried mashed potato that is crispy on the outside but soft on the inside and speckled with bits of corned beef.

Main St. Deli is one of only two places in the city that carries retro American brand Dr Brown’s soda, which is a distinctively New York and, again, kosher drink. While the menu offers an extensive selection of starters, salads, pastas, pizza and an all-day breakfast, the featured items are the generously portioned flame-grilled burgers and sandwiches.

On the list are several traditional burgers (which we most highly recommend), such as the barbecue bacon burger with sautéed mushrooms and Swiss cheese, as well as variations of veggie, chicken and cod cake burgers. But the most unconventional and decadent choices, which were created by the chef and inspired by local palates, are the wagyu beef and foie gras burger, and the lobster burger, which has a patty made up entirely of lobster meat with cheddar cheese in the centre.

The signature sandwich is the extremely moist and satisfying Reuben, which is comprised of a tall stack of the traditional thin-sliced meats of corned beef, pastrami and turkey, along with sauerkraut, Swiss cheese and rye bread. The burgers and sandwiches come with a choice of regular fries, curly fries, potato chunks or the best one, sweet potato fries.

Desserts are temptingly on display in a glass case, showing off the enormous slices of cake. New York cheesecake is of course the signature, but you can’t go wrong with one of the chocolate cakes or classic pies either.

Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse Address: Ground Floor, Lippo Centre, 89 Queensway, Admiralty Tel: 2522 9090 Address: Ground Floor, Empire Centre, 68 Mody Road, Tsim Sha Tsui East Tel: 2366 6000 Americans love their big steaks and potatoes, and Ruth’s Chris consistently delivers these steakhouse favourites with high-quality ingredients and friendly service. Recipes and methods are the same in each of the upscale restaurant’s branches from Texas to Taipei, so you’ll know you are getting, for example, the same 17-plus ingredients in the signature Ruth’s chop salad here as you would in New Orleans, where the chain originated. Founder Ruth Fertel developed many of the recipes on the menu today, some of which follow scrumptious New Orleans traditions, such as barbecued shrimp sitting in a hot pool of butter and garlic barbecue sauce that is so good you’ll feel compelled to mop it all up with baguette.

Bubba Gump

Address: Shop 304 & 305, The Peak Tower, 128 Peak Road, The Peak, Hong Kong
Tel: 2849 2867

Ask different people which scenes or lines they remember most from the film Forrest Gump, and they will likely each give a different answer. There are the “appearances” by Elvis, Kennedy and Lennon. There are the poignant moments between Forrest and his mother in Alabama. There’s Jenny yelling “Run Forrest, run!” And there is Bubba’s endless talk about shrimp.

A film would have to be quite memorable for it to be used as the theme of an entire chain of restaurants, and Forrest Gump fits the bill. But the Vietnam War and 1960s hippie culture are nonexistent inside the real-life Bubba Gump branches; instead they selectively highlight only the heartwarming and humorous scenes, resulting in an inviting family restaurant that evokes the simplicity and comfort of life in the southern United States. Screen shots are framed on the wall and utilitarian decorative objects allude to scenes from the film: the drinks menu is tacked onto a ping pong bat (Forrest is a champion player); a “Stop Forrest Stop” sign on the table summons the waiting staff over, or flip to “Run Forrest Run” if no service is required.

True to the character Bubba’s vision, the menu is devoted in large part to shrimp prepared in a wide variety of methods, but there is also a good selection of other kinds of seafood. The dishes are comfort foods using familiar ingredients, so there is nothing too outrageous. While popular dishes such as Cajun shrimp with garlic bread use typically strong southern flavours and the fall-off-the-bone baby back ribs are an American classic, Hong Kong’s Bubba Gump has added several Asian-inspired choices to its menu. Frankie’s baked seafood rice was created by its namesake chef in a locally-inspired style. The dish is a mix of shrimp, squid, several cheeses and corn – not too heavy and a children's favourite.

You’ll really have to save room for dessert because the portions are huge. As could be expected, the menu features America’s southern classics like key lime pie and strawberry shortcake. Chocolate lovers can try That Chocolate Thing, a mug filled with warm flourless chocolate cake topped with ice cream and raspberry sauce.