Iranian chef in Hong Kong’s favourite restaurants for steak, kebab and halal food

Ali Ahmadpour, chef at Bedu, on his go-to places to eat in Hong Kong, from a North American diner to dim sum and roast goose restaurants

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Born in Iran, chef Ali Ahmadpour moved to Hong Kong to work at Bedu in 2023. He reveals his favourite restaurants in the city for steak, kebab, Lebanese food and more. Photo: Bedu

Published: 11:15am, 20 Dec 2024

Iranian chef Ali Ahmadpour swapped software engineering for cooking. After military service, hotel school and working in Iran and Oman, he moved to Hong Kong in 2023 to be head chef at Bedu in Central. He spoke to Andrew Sun.

I was raised in Isfahan, Iran, which is renowned as a royal capital, known for its sweet palate and beautiful river landscape.

I have always loved rice dishes. In Persian culinary traditions, these dishes are often called polo – referred to a variety of aromatic spiced rice dishes, usually paired with meat and sauce. My favourite is adas polo, a spiced rice cooked with green lentils, caramelised onions and a touch of cinnamon. I usually eat it with lamb.

In Hong Kong, I enjoy popping into the Green Waffle Diner (G/F, 43 Lyndhurst Terrace, Central. Tel: 2887 9991) for breakfast. It is an American-meets-Canadian-style diner with a relaxed vibe and spacious too. I like the classic breakfast, eggs and bacon, which is simple and delicious. Yes, I do eat pork.

Roast Goose at Kam’s Roast Goose in Wan Chai. Photo: SCMP

For lunch, I cannot recommend enough the Thai fried rice with Wagyu beef from Samsen (23 Jervois Street, Sheung Wan. Tel: 2234 0080). Chef Adam Cliff truly knows his craft, and the atmosphere is splendid.

I adore Hong Kong-style succulent roast goose and the one at Kam’s Roast Goose (G/F, Po Wah Commercial Centre, 226 Hennessy Road, Wan Chai. Tel: 5408 7740) is a delightful treat. The accompanying plum sauce is exceptional. It truly wowed me when I had it the first time. I have generally enjoyed most of the roast goose experiences I have had, but Kam’s stands out the most.