Steak, salad, community vibes – the best family-friendly restaurants in Hong Kong, according to The Cakery’s Shirley Kwok, banker turned baker
- Shirley Kwok of The Cakery, an ex-banker, shares her go-to steakhouse – a favourite not just for the steak but ‘some of the best’ Caesar salad and garlic bread
- She also reveals which private kitchen she prefers for Cantonese food, where she would take visitors and where in Bali, Indonesia, made her entire family happy
Originally from Shanghai, Shirley Kwok is an ex-banker turned baker, launching The Cakery, Maya Bakery and vegan fermented cheese and dips label Cultured. She spoke to Andrew Sun.
My mum is Shanghainese, so she cooks a lot of small dishes and we always go back for a feast. She likes making everything from scratch.
About two years ago, I started weightlifting, so my trainer always tells me to eat more protein and have a clean diet.
People also keep asking me about sugar-free cakes as well as dairy-free and gluten-free products, so I realised there’s a need in the market. That’s how my plant-based Maya Bakery (Shop 4, G/F, PCCW Tower, Taikoo Place, 979 King’s Road, Quarry Bay. Tel: 6695 9656) came to be.
We have kids now so we can’t be too adventurous eating out, but we do like Grand Cafe (Lobby, Grand Hyatt Hong Kong, 1 Harbour Road, Wan Chai. Tel: 2584 7722). They have Western, Asian, Japanese and they also do different portions. Noodles can be large or small, with vegetarian options too. My kids love it there.
We also like going to Knead (28 Jervois Street, Sheung Wan. Tel: 2851 7778). It specialises in salads and sandwiches. It’s very casual. You can even create your own. The vegan options are quite nice. I especially love the hummus.
