Vicky Lau, Tate Dining Room and Mora

"My favourite char siu is from Yung Kee which is known for housing one of the city’s only charcoal-fired ovens, giving its roasted meats exceptional flavour and aroma. Since the Hong Kong government no longer grants charcoal licenses, the number of restaurants that still roast with charcoal is quite limited. This charcoal roasting method gives the char siu slightly charred, caramelised edges—definitely my guilty pleasure.

Yung Kee uses the classic collar cut, or mui tau, of fresh local pork which ensures juiciness and lovely marbling. The maltose glaze is also rich and flavourful, delivering just the right amount of caramelisation, sweetness and smokiness. The braised beans are a unique touch that soaks up the generous glaze and natural pork jus."

May Chow, Little Bao

"The Chairman uses a specific cut of pork—the top blade—which is a good mix of fat and meat and they use camphor wood inside the oven to achieve the smoky flavours. They’ve masterfully refined a humble dish without completely removing it from its original context. There’s no doubt that they use premium ingredients but they do so without the frills of Iberico, caviar or gold leaf. In the one bite of char siu that each guest is served, you can taste the distinct flavour of the marinade and you get the perfect meat-to-fat ratio and amount of char. Each element is in complete harmony, never overpowering another."

Shim Jungtaek, Mosu Hong Kong

"My favourite char siu is from The Chairman. It's smoky, fatty and fragrant. It's my top choice, not only because the sauce tastes great, but because the taste of the meat is solid. I also like the aroma."

Danny Yip, The Chairman

"I get my favourite char siu from Kamcentre Roast Goose. Kamcentre’s chef used to be the head barbecue chef in the legendary Yung Kee Restaurant which has been offering Chinese barbecue for 80 years. Kamcentre offers a thick cut, fatty and charred char siu which cannot be found in other places. It's marinated with sauces and herbs, slow cooked and then roasted in an oven on high heat for tender, juicy, smoky, fatty, and very charred char siu."

Gregoire Michaud, Bakehouse

"Sun Kwai Heung is at the top of my list for char siu. It's 200 metres away from work so it’s really convenient for me. It's sweet and savoury with hints of spice, charred and juicy. I really like how they char the ends so I always ask for the end cuts and boon fei (half fat) to have a good balance of meat and fat.

My order is the set with rice, which I'll get with another roast meat like chicken and the daily soup. I love sitting there to eat too! The flavour, the cooking and charring of the meat is always on point. It’s definitely a notch above many places. They do it daily and the sifu (master roaster) there takes pride in his work which translates into his food."