Chinese secrets

Wet markets and unwritten menus are just two of the culinary surprises found amid the bustle of Hong Kong.

Who: Shane Osborn
Home town: Hong Kong, China.

Essential home-town eating experiences: Barbecued pork ribs from the street stalls near Graham Street Market in Central.

Where I'd send a visitor to eat: For roast goose at Yung Kee, as it's a real institution.

Favourites for breakfast … Congee at Law Fu Kee (several around Central HK).

For lunch … Din Tai Fung in Tsim Sha Tsui for great dumplings.

For dinner… The Chairman, a Michelin-starred Cantonese restaurant. Book ahead.

Great dining day trip … Take a ferry ride to Cheung Chau island from Central Pier 5 (45 minutes). You will find lots of small restaurants and stalls scattered around the harbour, serving some of the best and freshest seafood HK has to offer.

The locals' best-kept secret is … Dishes that aren't on the menu or are only written in Chinese. Go with a local if you can and you may be in for a treat.

Best markets or food stores: You must visit a wet market, which are located all over town. My favourites are Graham Street Market (Central) and Wan Chai Market.

The local speciality: Dim sum.

Biggest date on the food calendar: There are so many, but my personal favourite is Jong, which is eaten during the Dragon Boat Festival weekend. Sticky rice with salted egg yolk and nuts wrapped in lotus leaf.

Stay … Island Shangri-La (HK Island).

Culinary home-town heroes … The operators of dai pai dongs - street kitchens serving great food at incredibly cheap prices.

What the locals drink, and the best place to drink it … There doesn't seem to be a big drinking culture in HK. High tea or afternoon tea is more the done thing. Check out the Peninsula Hotel for its highly regarded menu and service.

Five must-visit places to eat

1. Fuel coffee shop in the IFC (good coffee is hard to find in HK and these guys do a great job).

2. Seafood from the shacks on Shek O beach.

3. Hee Kee in Wan Chai for knockout chilli crab.

4. Kowloon Tang for the best Peking duck in town.

5. Try one of the many private kitchens in Hong Kong such as Liberty Private Works or Kea's, which is on a moored luxury yacht.

My place

St Betty restaurant, IFC Mall podium level 2, Central, Hong Kong, stbetty.com