Chef's Tour of Sai Ying Pun

Chris Ma, executive chef and consultant, is blessed with a bounty of ingredients at his doorstep in Sai Ying Pun. He enjoys using locally sourced produce where possible, and is a regular at the markets, grocery shops and dried-goods stores that characterise the area.

Ma visits the markets every day, not only in Sai Ying Pun, but also in Aberdeen, Mong Kok and Wan Chai in search of the best produce. He says: “I look for odd pieces of fish that are wild caught rather than farmed. The markets are a treasure hunt and I often don’t know what I will get. There is huge diversity and supply is unstable, so you have to be super flexible when ingredients come in and you need to figure out what to cook.”
 

A walk through the market is a sensory delight. Red plastic lightshades dangle from brightly-lit storefronts as slippery catches try to escape their fate – much of the seafood is sold live, including lobster, prawns, abalone and tanks of fish. In the bustle of the markets, securing prized items can be a competitive sport. “I’ve had to fight off grandmas and grandpas for the best piece of cuttlefish on many occasions,” Ma says with a laugh.
 

Downstairs, stalls are piled high with fresh fruit and vegetables, including gai lan, bok choi and ice lettuce, so called because the plant looks like it’s covered in shimmering, edible crystals. According to Ma, the quality at most of the stalls is similar, and most of the produce is brought in from Mainland China, though he points out a small organic shop on the premises, which sells produce from Hong Kong, Europe, the US and Australia.
 

Strolling down Centre Street, Ma points out a hole-in-the-wall store stacked with Chinese porcelain, before ending the tour on Des Voeux Road West, where dried-goods stores selling all manner of exotic ingredients line the road. Ma laments that unfortunately, most sell sharks fin, although neither he nor his contemporaries use it. Instead, he looks for items such as dried oysters and mussels, threadfin, dates, mushrooms and the like to create dishes that are hard to find.
 

While Ma loves the energy and diversity of Sai Ying Pun, he is aware of the changes developments such as the MTR station bring. There are more expats, fancy restaurants and higher rents, but he hopes “the area will always be known for its dried goods, cheap eats and small businesses. It is important to preserve these, they are what give the area its character.”