Rubin Verebes is the managing editor of Foodie and is very opinionated. Transforming his hobby of eating and drinking into a career, he shares his account of Hong Kong’s F&B scene and the worldwide state of dining in Rubin’s Take, a monthly opinion column.
Whilst I might not get crucified on the stake for this opinion, I might have a litany of foodies locally and across Asia dislike me for what I believe in: I think Hong Kong has the best Indian food in Asia outside India.
But, Rubin, how can you claim that Hong Kong tops the dining scenes of Singapore and Malaysia – two places with centuries of Indian heritage and food culture – delivering genuine Indian food? I can, and I hope by the end of this column, I will convince you that Hong Kong promises what other cities in Asia cannot.
These three locations in Asia have encountered an extensive history of Indian immigration and dissemination of culture and food. Totalling 9% of Singapore’s population at 707,420, Tamil traders began settling in British Singapore in the early 1800s, before developing the strong community thriving today in Little India and across the city.
Two million Indian nationals live in Malaysia, with the second and largest immigration wave occurring when the colonial British forces acquired Penang and Malacca in the late 18th century, inviting Indian traders, soldiers, and labourers.
Hong Kong, a city equally affected by a British colonial past, has seen a small yet mighty Indian community settle in the city for 150 years. Indian Hong Kongers founded the University of Hong Kong, built Ruttonjee Hospital, launched the Star Ferry, and laid the ground for the best Indian food in Asia outside India. The community of 42,000 strong – 0.6% of the city population – has a mighty influence.
A total of 207 Indian restaurants operate in our city, stretching from curry takeaway shops situated in the far north of New Territories to fine-dining establishments climbing up the hills of Hong Kong Island.
Whilst Singapore’s and Malaysia’s strengths in Indian food come in the variety of sub-cuisines and appreciation on a national level, Hong Kong’s stands the tallest with its innovation and range of delivery. When high rent and social media habits dictate the trends of dining, Hong Kong’s Indian restaurants have stood the test of time.
No better to tell the story of Asia’s finest Indian food is Gaylord Indian Restaurant, providing hearty North Indian cuisine for more than 50 years, a fact that owner Rajeev Bhasin sees as Hong Kong’s strength over Singapore’s and Kuala Lumpur’s Indian food scenes.
Where North Indian cuisine focuses on wheat-based naan, creamy curries, and garam-masala-spiced meat, South Indian cooking is based around lentils, rice, stews, coconut, and seafood. South Indian is typically dominant in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, whilst North Indian is a favourite in Hong Kong.
“Ninety percent of Indian restaurants, I believe, survive because they sell North Indian food,” Rajeev claims in an interview.
The famous chicken tikka masala, butter chicken curry, lamb rogan josh, samosas, and saag paneer all originate in kitchens in the northern Indian regions of Kashmir, Punjab, Delhi, and Uttar Pradesh. It is the emigration of dishes from India to Hong Kong by way of Britain that strengthens the Indian food scene here.
Ever since two Sikh Indian regiments were positioned in Hong Kong during British rule to protect Stonecutters Island from military attacks, North Indian restaurants have been propped up by ex-army servicemen, civil workers, and their families to serve the 150-year-old community.
“North Indian food has the right mix. It has good choices for both vegetarians and non-vegetarians. Appetisers and dishes like onion bhajis, tikkas, kebabs, naan make up the full package for the [sub-]cuisine. Food comes right out when you order it. That’s the beauty of North Indian food.” Rajeev predicts that another sub-cuisine could take “100 years” to supplant the dominant North Indian style.
A short stroll east in Tsim Sha Tsui is Hong Kong’s only location of Sangeetha Vegetarian Restaurant, a chain restaurant serving South Indian meals originating in Chennai in the southeast Indian province of Tamil Nadu.
Featuring an all-vegetarian menu and chefs trained in the kitchens of Chennai, manager Madhu Sudhana is proud to serve Hong Kong with top vegetarian Indian food. “Our chefs have been handpicked with immense experience from India. With a huge fan base of Indian vegetarian guests, both locals and tourists, we are able to deliver the same authentic taste and standards as we learn from India.”
With more than 50 locations in India and globally, Madhu prides himself on leading in Hong Kong by pushing a vegetarian narrative of Indian food. “Vegetarian [food] is good for your health. It is hygienic compared to non-veg (sic).”
Whilst he does not believe that Hong Kong edges Malaysia and Singapore in ranking the best for Indian food beyond his native country, he stresses that food quality – at both his chain and across the board – remains equal. “Hong Kong is a food heaven, and we are happy to be a part of it.”
Where Madhu remains democratic in his opinion on Indian food in Hong Kong, Rajeev points out the limitations in the Indian dining scenes of our neighbours. “Singapore’s Indian food scene has either very high-end or casual restaurants, nothing in the middle. Kuala Lumpur never had North Indian become popular. Malaysia have their own style of curry,” Rajeev says. I agree. Hong Kong has a powerful range.
Lucky Daba in Yuen Long, Asra Indian Restaurant in Sha Tin, Baba’s Station in Tsuen Wan, and Ali Ba Ba in Kwai Chung are testament to Indian food’s strength deep into the north of Hong Kong. Chungking Mansions’ Swagat, The Delhi Club, Moti Palace, and Saravana continue the mom-and-pop restaurant legacy in Tsim Sha Tsui. Fine-dining destinations like CHAAT, New Punjab Club, Rajasthan Rifles, and Leela exhibit how Indian food can reach proud heights with polished food and service.
Chef Manav Tuli of Leela agrees that Hong Kong excels in some facets of crafting great Indian food, yet our arch rival Singapore can match us in the game. “Singapore is a good competitor [in Indian food] in terms of their style and their approach, where [Hong Kong] excels is in the quality of ingredients, balance, and refinement,” he says.
In the four years that Manav has worked at CHAAT and now Leela, he has seen his interaction with Chinese cuisine “as much more elevated and complex than any other cuisine, elevate [his] own palate, and add dimension to [his] own food.”
“Four years ago, I think Indian food in Hong Kong was only about curries. A lot of people used to only think it was heavy and oily. Since New Punjab Club and CHAAT came onto the scene, we began to deliver something different. We are trying to change the perspective and incorporate a lot of local ingredients in terms of protein and meats.”
“In terms of my approach towards Indian food, I look behind – I don’t look forward.” At Leela, Manav runs a menu that neither focuses on North or South Indian food, whilst “expanding [his] horizon to greater India” towards recipes found in the Mughal period of 330 BCE. “There is a lot more to do in Indian cuisine now.”
Opening Rosewood Hong Kong’s one-Michelin-starred CHAAT in 2020, one of 17 Michelin-starred Indian restaurants in the world, Manav states that whilst his style has improved over his tenure in Hong Kong, “giving [him] a better edge as compared to others,” Hong Kong cannot claim to be the best, with all three Asian locations competing fairly with each other.
If we want to look at Indian food as constantly being refined and rendered into the fine-dining camp, Hong Kong is a leader in Asia, whilst Singapore and Malaysia rank lower. With one star, New Punjab Club and CHAAT represent Hong Kong’s Michelin Indian standard, whilst Bangkok has one-starred Haoma and INDDEE and two-starred Gaa. The multi-course Bangkok-based Gaggan Anand pipped any Indian restaurant outside of India to number 3 in the Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2024 rankings.
It might be unproductive to not mention Bangkok (or Thailand as a whole), China’s metropolitan cities, or Indonesia in this column on Asia’s best Indian food, yet the cuisine has a primary and strong standing in Hong Kong.
Beyond the rankings, with Hong Kong’s ability to prop up Indian tikka stores in Tsuen Wan, Yuen Long, and Tai Po, family restaurants in Jordan, Mong Kok, and Tsim Sha Tsui, hole-in-the-wall shops hidden in Chungking Mansions, and a host of fine-dining Indian restaurants on Hong Kong Island, Indian food has taken on a wealth of appearances in Hong Kong as compared to its contemporaries in Asia.
Indian food in Hong Kong is a testament to the versatility and ubiquity of Asia’s beloved cuisine beyond divisions of race and demographics. That’s why I think Hong Kong has Asia’s best Indian food outside of India.
The views expressed in this column are those of the author’s and do not represent or reflect the views of Foodie.
