Cover The Nawabi brunch at Prince and the Peacock is a 12-course Indian feast in the opulent setting of Tai Kwun
The Nawabi brunch at Prince and the Peacock is a 12-course Indian feast in the opulent setting of Tai Kwun
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Hong Kong’s Indian food scene is thriving, and it’s not because of butter chicken. These are the flavours and the restaurants demanding your attention right now
There’s a moment in every good meal when the world seems to fall away. The phone stays in the bag. The conversation becomes white noise. The city outside—the traffic, crowds and relentless hum of Hong Kong—simply ceases to exist. All that remains is you and what’s on the plate in front of you.
I’ve had that moment more times than I can count in some of the city’s top Indian restaurants. And not once has it involved butter chicken.
Let me be clear. I’ve nothing against the old orange standby. When done well, it’s brilliant: reliable and comforting; the culinary equivalent of a firm handshake. But Hong Kong’s Indian food scene is doing things that make butter chicken feel like the starter’s pistol before a much more interesting race. And I want to tell you about the runners.
Above The gunpowder dosa at Sangeetha is a golden, crackling masterpiece dusted with a fiery spice mix of dried chillies, roasted lentils, sesame seeds, cumin and coriander, served with cooling coconut chutney
The gunpowder dosa at Sangeetha is a golden, crackling masterpiece dusted with a fiery spice mix of dried chillies, roasted lentils, sesame seeds, cumin and coriander, served with cooling coconut chutney
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Let’s start with Sangeetha Vegetarian Restaurant, with branches in Tsim Sha Tsui and Central, where the gunpowder dosa arrives at the table like a golden battleship. It crackles under your fork (or fingers), its surface dusted with the powder—a spice mix made up of dried chillies, roasted lentils, sesame seeds, cumin and coriander—that builds warmth in slow, insistent waves, while coconut chutney alongside offers cool relief. Yes, it’s vegetarian, but you won’t miss the meat. You won’t even think about it.
Above The coastal egg curry at Prince and the Peacock features hen eggs simmered in a rich, artisanal gravy of slow-roasted coconut and sun-ripened tamarind, part of the 12-course Nawabi brunch
The coastal egg curry at Prince and the Peacock features hen eggs simmered in a rich, artisanal gravy of slow-roasted coconut and sun-ripened tamarind, part of the 12-course Nawabi brunch
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Over at Prince and the Peacock, a Tai Kwun restaurant that channels the opulence of India’s royal courts, the Nawabi brunch is a 12-course affair that could easily tip into pomposity, but it doesn’t. The coastal egg curry is everything I love about Indian cooking: take a humble ingredient, treat it with care and watch it become something extraordinary. Here, hen eggs are simmered in a rich, artisanal gravy of slow-roasted coconut and sun-ripened tamarind, absorbing every last drop of flavour.
Above The 1kg T-bone steak at Punjab Warriors is marinated in a unique blend of spices, grilled over charcoal for a smoky aroma and served with garam masala-infused butter
The 1kg T-bone steak at Punjab Warriors is marinated in a unique blend of spices, grilled over charcoal for a smoky aroma and served with garam masala-infused butter
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Then there’s Punjab Warriors, a contemporary British-Indian chophouse and sports bar on Lyndhurst Terrace, whose team has clearly decided that subtlety is for the faint-hearted. Their signature 1kg T-bone steak is marinated in a unique blend of spices, then grilled over charcoal for that perfect smoky aroma; it arrives with garam masala-infused butter, chips and house salad (for balance).
Above Beef galouti rolls at Bengal Brothers offer soft minced meat spiced with black cardamom and sharpened with pickled onion, wrapped in a kathi roll
Beef galouti rolls at Bengal Brothers offer soft minced meat spiced with black cardamom and sharpened with pickled onion, wrapped in a kathi roll
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In Wan Chai, casual Indian street food canteen Bengal Brothers has turned the humble kathi roll into something close to a religious experience. The beef galouti roll is the standout. The soft minced meat patty, so tender it collapses on the tongue, is spiced with black cardamom and sharpened with pickled onion that cuts through the richness like a sharp word in a quiet room. Do yourself a favour and add a double egg. You can thank me later.
Above The keema ham sui gok at Leela consists of a classic Cantonese glutinous dumpling stuffed with spiced Indian minced lamb
The keema ham sui gok at Leela consists of a classic Cantonese glutinous dumpling stuffed with spiced Indian minced lamb
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And then there’s Leela in Causeway Bay, a modern Indian restaurant that is doing something genuinely innovative on their “Flavours of Hong Kong” menu. The keema ham sui gok takes the structural DNA of a classic Cantonese glutinous dumpling and stuffs it with spiced Indian minced lamb, while the locally sourced tandoori squid is marinated with ginger and Kashmiri chilli, alongside a deep, nutty peanut chutney that adds both depth and contrast.
This is the Indian food scene Hong Kong deserves. Confident without arrogance. Rooted in tradition without being trapped by it. Loud, proud and absolutely delicious. And the beauty of it? You can still have your butter chicken—just save room for everything else.
A storyteller by day and a first-class food devourer by night, Fontaine is the Regional Dining Editor at Tatler Asia, overseeing dining content across all regions and shaping the brand’s editorial voice on food, chefs and culinary culture.
She is also Content Lead for Tatler Best and Co-jury Head for Tatler Best Hong Kong and Macau, guiding the awards’ editorial direction and evaluation process. With over 15 years in the lifestyle and media industry spanning London and Hong Kong, she brings a cross-regional perspective to the table.
Follow her on Instagram at @fontimes.
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