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Andrew Sun

Charlene Hua runs Africa Coffee & Tea (ACT) cafe in Wong Chuk Hang, which recently expanded to include an event space. She has also opened a new ground-floor mini cafe called Single Origin. She spoke to Andrew Sun.
I was born in China but moved to Chicago when I was 10. That was in 1984, and the first thing I tasted was a peanut butter jelly sandwich – I was in heaven.
But I still remember my hometown, Panyu in Guangzhou, China. It is famous for fish skin dumplings.
We grew up on a farm and my grandma would make those dumplings fresh and I loved it.

I was in the corporate world until 2009. Then I met Angola’s consul-general (in Hong Kong) and explored what Africa had to offer. That created a lot of curiosity for me.
The concept of ACT started in 2015, with a friend giving me 50 pounds of roasted coffee and saying, “let’s try to do something”.

Originally the idea was to distribute roasted beans. I don’t have any (food and beverage industry) experience. We just celebrated ACT’s six years in Wong Chuk Hang.
My stomach can be quite sensitive, so I like to explore clean vegetarian options or sashimi. I like Tenzen (12/F, Jardine Centre, 50 Jardine’s Bazaar, Causeway Bay. Tel: 2882 2107) for a simple lunch. It has specials and the omakase is nice too.
I also like dai pai dong. Occasionally, I will have pad Thai at Green Curry House (Shop 5, 1/F, Nam Long Shan Road Cooked Food Market, 1 Nam Long Shan Road, Wong Chuk Hang. Tel: 6273 2861).

In Aberdeen, I’ll have congee and fried doughnuts at Hop Lee Congee Shop (21 Tung Sing Road, Aberdeen. Tel: 2568 2318).
I’m not into big commercial restaurants. I don’t like going where everybody else goes. I like smaller places like the Italian restaurant Da Domenico (Guardian House, 32 Oi Kwan Road, Wan Chai. Tel: 2882 8013). It’s nice, if expensive.
For visitors, Din Tai Fung (various locations including 68 Yee Wo Street, Causeway Bay. Tel: 3160 8998) is a good Chinese cuisine option. Also, Ho Lee Fook (G/F, 1-5 Elgin Street, SoHo. Tel: 2810 0860) is good for the food and the vibe. I like all the mahjong tiles decorating the restaurant outside.


I’m a whisky lady. I love single malt and exotic drinks. I like b.a.r. Executive Bar (27/F, Bartlock Centre, 3 Yiu Wa Street, Causeway Bay. Tel: 2893 2080).
The owner is Japanese – he’s been there for years and is passionate about making his drinks and chopping the ice. It’s an experience.
I also like Quinary (G/F, 56-58 Hollywood Road, SoHo. Tel: 2851 3223) and the rum bar next to it, The Daily Tot (Shop E, G/F, Felicity Building, 54-58 Hollywood Road, SoHo. Tel: 2366 6836).


The new bar in Landmark, Cardinal Point (Forty-Five, 43-45/F, Gloucester Tower, The Landmark, Central. Tel: 3501 8560) has a really good view and is a good place to go for drinks.
I’ve been travelling to Africa a lot. In Ethiopia, I would suggest The Four Sisters Restaurant (JF7F+842, by the soccer field behind the public library, Gondar. Tel: +251 91 873 6510). It does delicious local food and has dancers performing. It also does a coffee ceremony.


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Food and Drinks

Where a Hong Kong coffee shop founder goes for sashimi, dumplings, Italian without the crowds, and drinks with a view

The What The Duck? cocktail at The Daily Tot. Photo: The Daily Tot

Fish in a lotus pond at Ho Lee Fook, a Hong Kong restaurant Charlene Hua recommends for its Chinese food and good vibes. The coffee shop owner also shares where she goes for Italian, Japanese and Thai food, and cocktails with a view. Photo: Ho Lee Fook

The first thing Hua tried upon moving to Chicago was a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Photo: Shutterstock

Hua runs Africa Tea & Coffee in Hong Kong’s Wong Chuk Hang neighbourhood. Photo: Charlene Hua

Hua eats pad Thai at Green Curry House in Wong Chuk Hang. Photo: Shutterstock

The exterior of SoHo restaurant Ho Lee Fook features mahjong tiles.

Din Tai Fung is famous for its xiaolongbao. Photo: Din Tai Fung

A grape and whisky cocktail at b.a.r. Executive Bar. Photo: Jonathan Wong

The Daily Tot’s What The Duck? cocktail. Photo: The Daily Tot

‘Just like the old days’: where a Hong Kong chef goes for authentic fish balls, dim sum, wonton noodles and hole-in-the-wall vibes

Fish balls with rice vermicelli “just like the old days” at Ha Ming Kee Noodle Shop in Jordan, Kowloon, one of the places former Hong Kong cookery school chef and Los Angeles native Charmaine Cheung would take visitors. She shares her other go-to places for dining out. Photo: Instagram/@bnlovesalmosteverything

Charmaine Cheung is a Hong Kong-based chef who grew up in Los Angeles. Photo: Charmaine Cheung

Dim sum at Taiwai Dining Room. Photo: Instagram/@priscilla_la_la

Wonton noodle soup at Mak An Kee. Photo: Dickson Lee

Tori Yoichi’s wagyu sando. Photo: Instagram/@toriyoichi

An assorted sashimi platter at Sake San. Photo: Instagram/@sake_san_cwb

Thai style cream prawns at Tung Po. Photo: Instagram/@hklovebites

Sukiyaki beef to roast suckling pig, a pro squash player’s go-to restaurants in Hong Kong, including one that’s ‘perfect for athletes’

Imperial Treasure Hong Kong’s roasted suckling pig with glutinous rice, a favourite of Hong Kong professional squash player Alex Lau. He tells us his other go-to restaurants in the city. Photo: Instagram/@imperialtreasurehongkong

Alex Lau Tsz-kwan won a team medal in squash at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou. Photo: Alex Lau

A healthy salad bowl from Pickabowl. Photo: Instagram/@foodie_ilovetoeat/@pickabowlhk

Sukiyaki at Kuuraku. Photo: Instagram/@Tongkuuraku_sukiyaki

Salmon roe sushi at Iwanami Japanese Restaurant. Photo: Instagram/@iwanamijapaneserestaurant

‘It’s Mexico on a plate’: where a Mexican entrepreneur in Hong Kong goes for tacos, salsa, mescal and guacamole that make her ‘remember home’

A selection of tacos at El Taquero, a Hong Kong restaurant where Mexico native Yamilette Cano goes for a taste of home. The entrepreneur also shares her top Japanese, Sichuan and dim sum picks. Photo: El Taquero

Cano says she pays attention to the ambience, not just the food, when dining at a restaurant. Photo: Yamilette Cano

Water bamboo salad at Moxie, in Hong Kong’s Central neighbourhood. Photo: Jonathan Wong

A crab bao at Little Bao. Photo: Little Bao

A sushi set at Tokio Joe. Photo: Xiaomei Chen

A selection of dishes at Te Quiero Mucho. Photo: Te Quiero Mucho

A seasonal main course featuring green asparagus and morels with Spanish sea bass at Arcane. Photo: Instagram

Cano says Japan is one of her favourite dining destinations. Photo: Yamilette Cano

Lifestyle

Food & Drink

Charlene Hua was born in southern China and moved to Chicago as a child. She set up Africa Coffee & Tea (ACT) in Wong Chuk Hang, Hong Kong six years ago
She shares her favourite places for Japanese and Thai food, dumplings and congee, and her go-to bars for whisky, rum and exotic drinks


China-born Charlene Hua founded Africa Coffee & Tea in Hong Kong. She tells us her go-to restaurants for Japanese, Thai and Italian food, and dumplings, and her favourite whisky and cocktail bars.
