Uncharted Waters

Sure, we all like slurping our oysters in a posh hotel restaurant, but there’s a larger world out there, brimming with seafood dishes of every sort and size. Do yourself a favour—leave the hotel raw bar for now and try some of the more interesting seafood restaurants in town.

Seafood Hotpot
Hotpot Express
Having grown up in the fishing village of Ko Lau Wan, Hotpot Express owner Shek Fei is a seasoned expert when it comes to seafood, and makes regular visits to his home village to procure only the freshest items for his Tsim Sha Tsui eatery. “All our seafood is seasonal,” claims Shek, “this ensures that only the best is served to our customers and it keeps our menu new and changing.” It’s true—variety is indeed the key word at Hotpot Express and this is evident already from their large array of soup bases, which range from the signature crab with fish stock to the “tom yum” soup. The restaurant is perhaps most famous for their cuttlefish balls, which are made according to Shek’s mom’s recipe. These little white spheres pack a mean bounce in every bite; try one and you’ll never be able to go back to the lousy supermarket variety.

Although technically a “hotpot” restaurant, the experienced chefs will gladly churn out any seafood dish their customers ask for. Surprisingly enough, sashimi is one of their most popular non-hotpot items. And because Shek understands concerns about consuming uncooked seafood from local waters, all their raw seafood is imported overseas from Japan, America or Europe, along with several special items such as the Alaskan king crab. Shek’s dedication to seafood is charming and he’s always ready to explain the daily specials or to share a story about his fishing village. While Hotpot Express may not be the most glamorous place for seafood dining, it may well be one of the friendliest.
Hotpot Express, 1/F, 21-23 Hillwood Rd., Tsim Sha Tsui,     3520-3800

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