Victor Dizon, an investment banker turned travel entrepreneur and co-founder of A2A Safaris, which specialises in luxury safaris in Africa, spoke to Andrew Sun.
I grew up in the Philippines, my mother loved to cook and my parents loved to eat.
Growing up, I ate a very diverse diet, from Asian to Spanish cuisine, and was lucky enough to have parents who took us on trips around the world from an early age, which helped nurture my love of travel and food.
I love high-end Michelin-star restaurants in Paris or Tokyo, but I love eating street food in Bangkok or Singapore just as much.
One of my favourite places for lunch in Hong Kong is Lei Garden (various locations include Times Square 10th Floor, Shop 1003, Causeway Bay and 1 Matheson Street; tel: 2506 3828). Their dim sum and Cantonese roast meats are excellent, especially the barbecued pork and roast pigeon.
Braised beef with green onions from Shanghai restaurant “Wu Kong.”
Tuna sushi at Sushi Tokami. Photo: Edmond So Another favourite of mine is Shanghai Wugong Restaurant (L/G, Alpha House, 27-33 Nathan Road, Tsim Sha Tsui. Tel: 2366 7244). I was first introduced to Shanghai cuisine in Hong Kong in the 1990s. It's a great option when you want to try something with a different flavour profile to Cantonese cuisine. They serve fantastic seafood, including sauteed river prawns, sauteed flakes of eel and, of course, hairy crab, in season.
I love sushi and I always go to Sushi Jujin (216A, 2nd Floor, Ocean Centre, Harbour City, No. 5 Canton Road, Tsim Sha Tsui. Tel: 2771 3938), a branch of a famous sushi restaurant in Ginza. [in Tokyo] The company's sister company is a leading supplier of premium Japanese tuna.
The sushi is generally excellent, but the highlight is the tuna fillets, especially the tosaki, the neck part served in hand-rolled rolls. The sushi rice is also unique, made with red vinegar made from sake, giving it a more flavorful taste.
Peking duck at Peking Garden.
I've always enjoyed a good steak dinner, and our go-to place since the 1990s has been Ruth's Chris Steakhouse (Shops 2&3, Ground Floor, Lippo Centre, 89 Queensway, Admiralty; tel: 2522 9090). We've celebrated there many times and the steaks and sides are always consistently good and the service excellent.
For tourists, the Peking duck dinner at Peking Garden (various locations including Star House, 3rd Floor, 3 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui; tel: 2735 8211) includes many renditions and is a hit with guests. It's cooked to perfection every time, and the servers know just the right way to slice it to bring out the best flavor in the dish.
Other great dishes include shredded conpoy and deep-fried yellow croaker.
If you're looking to splurge, try L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon (Shop 401, Level 4, Landmark Atrium, 15 Queen's Road Central; tel: 2166 9000), which still serves carefully prepared French classics such as veal soybean, game birds such as quail and guinea fowl, and Dover sole in a tapas-bar atmosphere.
Of course, to complement this meal, a delicious wine from Burgundy, France, from Gevrey-Chambertin, is essential.
Ruth Chris Steak House filet steak.
As a huge meat eater, my favourite place to eat Japanese teppanyaki in Tokyo is Ginza Ukaitei (1F Jiji Press Building, 5-15-8 Ginza, Chuo-ku. Tel: 03 3544 5252).
The atmosphere is reminiscent of a Belle Époque French restaurant, but the wagyu beef is 100% Japanese and cooked to perfection right in front of you, and there's an excellent wine and sake selection.
Tip: For the ultimate teppanyaki experience, request a private dining room.
