炭魚 Charcoal Fish

Just a chilli seed’s throw from North Point station, in fact only about a block away from the B3 exit along King’s Road, look for the Tung Po Building and the aptly named Charcoal Fish, a specialist in spicy Sichuan and Hunanese regional Chinese cuisine making waves in Hong Kong with its comprehensive offering. After perusing the menu for some appetisers to whet your appetite (we recommend the spicy pig ear, the pickled wing tip or the spicy black fungus – it’s not all seafood here), choose your fishy weapon. Freshwater grouper, catfish or grass carp are some of the whole fish routinely on offer, and once selected you can then choose your flavour – ‘Sichuan numbing spicy’, ‘Yunnan superior mushroom’, Hunan green pepper or tom yung kong are some of the options – followed by garnishes like enoki mushroom or bean curd puff. A prominent restaurant, be sure to book Charcoal Fish in advance.