Award-winning female chef and creative entrepreneur May Chow takes a modern approach to Chinese Cuisine in Hong Kong.
Born and raised in Toronto, chef May Chow began learning how to cook at an early age as a creative outlet. She attended Boston University where she studied hotel management, taking culinary arts classes on the side. Over the years, in addition to opening award-winning restaurants along the way, she has appeared on a range of TV shows, including Anthony Bourdain’s Parts Unknown, MasterChef Asia, MasterChef UK, and Top Chef. Chow is on the board of Eat Forum and Save Hong Kong F&B and is an outspoken supporter for LGBTQ rights, diversity and female empowerment.
She first came to Hong Kong in 2009, and soon introduced her “mini-bao,” her new take on the beloved soft and fluffy Chinese buns. After her cult-following buns continued to sell out in farmer’s markets, Chow opened her acclaimed eatery Little Bao in 2013. Her neo-Cantonese restaurant Happy Paradise followed, which has been named one of Asia Tatler’s Best 20 restaurants in Macau and Hong Kong, and Chow was named Best Female Chef in 2017 by Asia’s 50 Best.
May Chow shares her food-lover’s guide to experiencing Hong Kong’s culinary joys.
There are so many great spots in Hong Kong to explore where the chefs and locals buy their ingredients…the wet markets in the centre of the city, the spice wholesalers…but not everything is centralised and easy to get to. One place I’d recommend for tourists though is Liu Ma Kee, which is known for its bean curd shop and 100-year-old sauce company.
The Aberdeen wet market, where we can get the highest quality seafood in Hong Kong, is also a great place for culinary-minded tourists to get a real feel for where our food and ingredients come from.
Shanghai Street is this long street with vendors selling everything from Chinese knives to bamboo steamers. The best one is Chan Chi Kee, who is famous for his steel knives. The cleavers are especially great and he also sells woks.
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