Wan Chai's Landale Street is a popular lunchtime destination
Lunchtime queues are testament to the quality of restaurants in an area with no airs and graces, writes Catharine Nicol
Landale Street in Wan Chai doesn't look like a gastronomic hub at first glance. But turn up at lunchtime, and the stretch of unpretentious street-level eateries - some of which have been there for eons - has a loyal following. Watch the pace grow from relaxed to frantic as noon draws near. Crowds converge at several restaurants, blocking the pavements and spilling out onto the tarmac, but business is brisk and you won't have to wait long. If hustle isn't your thing, come back in the evening to dine in relative peace.
THE BUTCHERS CLUB BURGERS
G/F, 2 LANDALE STREET, WAN CHAI, 2528 2083
A refreshingly simple menu lists burgers, duck-fat fries and ice cream floats. Just as you go to order "all of the above", you recall a rumour that there's a secret menu. Its contents won't be revealed here, but it takes only a little sleuthing to discover it for yourself. The place sees queues at lunch and in the evening for the juicy, tasty, dry-aged black angus beef patties under cheddar cheese and Canadian bacon, over tomato and caramelised onion sauce and bookended by a soft, floury Scotch bap. Tuck in the minute it arrives, as otherwise the juices make the bottom bun soggy. The duck-fat fries are to die for - chunky, crispy and addictively flavoursome. And the laid-back, no-reservations atmosphere and street-view seating complement the food. Keep an ear out for their Burger Takeovers, when an invited chef brings in a new recipe. A recent edition featured Gregoire Michaud of Bread Elements, who cooked up Spanish hamburguesa and bacon and caramel profiteroles.
