Pizza, cocktails, ‘extraordinary’ French fine dining – a former model’s favourite Hong Kong restaurants
- Bulgarian former model Teodora Lazarova loves foods with a diverse range of flavours and spices, and her list of favourite restaurants in Hong Kong is eclectic
- The founder of skincare line La Thea, her go-to places include a noisy hotpot chain and an upscale French restaurant that serves ‘extraordinary’ dishes
Bulgarian former model Teodora Lazarova is the founder of skincare line La Thea. She spoke to Andrew Sun.
I love a diverse range of foods, flavours and spices, from everything from Italian to French to Vietnamese to Bulgarian cuisine.
Growing up in Bulgaria, we were fortunate to have access to high-quality ingredients, which we now refer to as organic. I loved the traditional dishes prepared by my grandparents, and now my mother.
Our cooking incorporates a variety of yogurt, vegetables and meats, resulting in delicious dishes. Additionally, we have a wonderful selection of pastries. One of my favourites is called banitsa, a stuffed filo pastry.
In Hong Kong, I like a variety of restaurants. I enjoy lunch at Viet (12 Min Fat Street, Happy Valley. Tel: 2104 2828), a fast and convenient Vietnamese restaurant.
I also like the hotpot place Haidilao (various branches including 19/F, Lee Theatre Plaza, 99 Percival Street, Causeway Bay. Tel: 2322 2865). It may be a bit noisy but they offer very delicious food.
For dinner, my absolute favourite place is L’Envol (3/F, The St. Regis Hong Kong, 1 Harbour Drive, Wan Chai. Tel: 2138 6818), as they serve extraordinary dishes.
For a late-night snack, I would highly recommend DiVino (Shop 1, G/F, 73 Wyndham Street, Central. Tel: 2167 8883), where you can taste some delectable Italian cuisine.
Another excellent choice for dinner is Bouillon (6 Pound Lane, Sheung Wan. Tel: 2886 0056), which specialises in French food. Roganic (Shop 8, UG/F, 255 Gloucester Road, Causeway Bay. Tel: 2817 8383) is also a good option for a celebration splurge.
For visitors, Clarence (25/F, H Code, 45 Pottinger Street, Central. Tel: 3568 1397) could be a fantastic choice, as it offers a great bar with amazing cocktails and a beautiful view. Additionally, their dinner menu is consistently delicious.
Another great option is Rakuen (12/F, Circle Tower, 28 Tang Lung Street, Causeway Bay. Tel: 3580 8858), a traditional Japanese restaurant. If I want to give my guests a more authentic local experience, I would take them to China Club (13-14/F, Old Bank of China Building, Bank Street, Central. Tel: 2521 8888).
In Bali, I have had the pleasure of dining at a few incredible restaurants in Ubud. One of them was Herbivore (Jalan. Dewi Sita No. 10, Ubud, Kecamatan Ubud, Kabupaten Gianyar. Tel: +62 823 4012 1319), where I tasted delicious vegetarian cuisine served with the precision and elegance of a Michelin-star restaurant.
Another great place from the same group is Locavore NXT (Jalan A.A. Gede Rai, Gang Pura Panti Bija, Lodtunduh, Ubud, Gianyar. Tel: +62 821 4495 6226), which left me absolutely astounded. They offered a 20-dish tasting menu featuring ingredients sourced from their own vegetable and mushroom gardens.
What made it even more extraordinary was their dedicated food fermentation lab. Yes, they have their own fermentation lab. They gave us a small tour of the facility and we were amazed by the stylish and artistic ambience.
One of the restaurant’s partners is a local artist, so the space was decorated with stunning installations and artwork. I felt like I was in a minimalist art museum.
