From a visitor's point of view, a private kitchen or ''sifangcai'' in Chinese is an unusual concept, but for local Hong Kong people, dining in a private kitchen is quite a regular occurrence. For those not in the know, private kitchens are unlicensed restaurants discovered by word of mouth. There are rumoured to be between 80 to 120 private kitchens in Hong Kong but we will probably never know the exact number as they open and close regularly and, after all, they are private so we don't know where many of them are!

These covert eateries do not necessarily serve only Chinese fare. You can find Japanese, French and Spanish kitchens if you know where to look. The proprietors of these establishments usually trade from their homes or in a commercial building but with no obvious signage, you will not come across these places by chance. You need to reserve a table in advance, both to let the chef know how many to cook for and because the capacity is normally very small. It is generally acceptable to bring your own wine or whatever you wish to drink with your meal, but it's wise to double check this when you book.

The reason people love to go to these private kitchens is to taste new and varied cuisines. The chef will only cook one or two dishes each day but will also change the menu daily. Chefs get to experiment with new recipes and work with in-season produce, making the food tasty and reasonably priced for the customer. People from all echelons of society visit private kitchens and the chefs come from all walks of life, whether it be someone who has always had a desire to cook but never trained, or retired chefs who want the flexibility of changing the menu as they see fit and cooking for smaller numbers.

The authorities are aware of these secret diners and there are said to be plans to regulate them to some degree in the future. At present, private kitchens often don't meet fire regulations and do not have to follow any health and safety regulations which is irritating to competing licensed businesses.

Nonetheless, private kitchens are growing in popularity and they are testament to the lively food culture in Hong Kong. Two private kitchens we can recommend are The Yellow Door, 6/F, Cochrane Street, Central, tel: 2858 6555, which serves great Sichuan cuisine, and Gitone Fine Arts, Shop GB 27-28, Lei King Wan Site B, 45-47 Tai Hong Street, Sai Wan Ho, tel: 2527 3448, which serves a mixture of Shanghainese and Cantonese food in a cosy art gallery setting.