Hong Kong's Sai Ying Pun district: Eating, drinking and the rise of PoHo

Soaring rents have pushed the city's young creatives out to Sai Ying Pun. Oscar Quine sets off to explore the district

Ping Pong Gineteria (Jonathan Maloney)

We are outside a café, watching people as they trot down the inclined street before us. It is Monday – a spring public holiday – and the sky is powder blue. A breeze rustles the leaves of the trees that line the street. We drink strong coffee in china cups. A woman in a chiffon dress walks by with a small dog. Then the street falls still.

For all this Euro-chic, we are not in Paris or Berlin. We are outside Common Ground (00 852 2818 8318), a café in Hong Kong's Sai Ying Pun district – just a stone's throw from the city's jutting skyscrapers.

A recent extension to the MTR Island Line, now servicing the area, has opened up a new westward frontier for residents seeking affordable rents – and new businesses to cater for them.

For those in the know, Sai Ying Pun and next-door Sheung Wan have long provided an oasis of calm within reach of Hong Kong's hectic centre. The artisan coffee we are drinking hints at the nature of the change that is under way.

Those who've been here since the beginning, bookend the change to the opening of a restaurant called Yardbird (00 852 2547 9273; yardbirdrestaurant.com) in 2011, serving up every imaginable part of chicken – heart, liver and gizzard – on sizzling yakitori skewers, along with the classic cuts. It introduced Hong Kong to the "no reservations" dining style that was taking cities across the world by storm.

Hong Kong's soaring cityscape

A flurry of top-notch eating and drinking options – such as the Ping Pong Gineteria (00 852 9158 1584; pingpong129.com), a G&T drinking den – quickly followed suit.

Around the same time, cafés, art galleries and boutiques began to spring up around Po Hing Fong Street. Borrowing from nearby SoHo, this tranquil corner quickly became known as PoHo.

Of course, the word "gentrification" has a chequered reputation. The new cafés, wine bars, and restaurants largely make little concession to local vernacular and, in some cases, replace long-standing local businesses. But Hong Kong more than most has benefitted from the introduction of democratic, mid-range dining.

Pre-Yardbird, the best eating options largely fell into two camps: local street food and fine dining priced with the city's bankers in mind. Now – just a short subway ride from Central – lies an affordable taste of a new Hong Kong.

UNPACK

Ovolo Hotels (00 852 2165 1000; ovolohotels.com) recently opened serviced apartments in next-door NoHo (North of Hollywood Street), that follow the same bold design principles as its five city-wide hotels. The rooms pack an awful lot into a small space: a double bed, shower-room, desk, wardrobe and Apple TV. Prices start at a reasonable HK$1,287 (£106) for a double, which includes free coffee, drinks and snacks in the hotel's Lo Lounge. With no breakfast options on offer, head out in the morning when you get peckish.

EAT

Ho Lee Fook (00 852 2810 0860, holeefookhk.tumblr.com) opened last summer, offering contemporary versions of Cantonese classics. The excellent food – the short ribs are highly recommended – is served in a lively dining room that blends the character of old local tea restaurants (known as cha chaan tengs) with the cool of a late-night hangout in New York City's Chinatown, circa 1960. And don't overlook the pun in the name. For a more traditional bite, head to Lin Heung Ku (00 852 2544 4556; linheung.com.hk) for a dim sum breakfast. The staff don't speak much English but are friendly and happy to help – and you won't find a more authentic experience than dining with locals before the working day starts.

DRINK

Once upon a time, an internationally renowned burlesque dancer by the name of Mrs Pound disappeared, rumoured to have fallen in love with a wealthy Hong Kong gentleman who hid her in a stamp shop. Or so the (fictional) story behind Mrs Pound (00 852 3426 3949; mrspound.com) goes. This speakeasy comes with a stonkingly good cocktail list – and the barmen will go off-piste to suit your palate. That's if you can find the concealed button to open the front door.

If speakeasys are your thing, XXX (00 852 2543 1941; xxxgallery.hk) is worth a visit if the night looks set to be a long one. Here, behind a battered basement door on Wing Lok street lies one of the city's best sound systems.

And Oolaa (00 852 2803 2083; casteloconcepts.com) on Bridges Street is the place to see and be seen. It's open from early until late, so start the night here or head over for brunch the morning after.

SPEND

Sheung Wan is home to two major shopping destinations. Last year, the PMQ complex (pmq.org.hk) opened its doors, offering retail and studio space to small Hong Kong businesses and craftspeople in a converted police barracks (the initials stand for "Police Married Quarters"). PMQ is one of the places featured in our latest 48 Hours in Hong Kong film, available at bit.ly/HK48hours.

Down the road, Western Market (westernmarket.com.hk) is housed in one of the neighbourhood's oldest structures – originally opened in 1906, it now offers fabric shops, crafts and food, over two storeys.

THINK LOCAL

Despite the recent hipsterfication, Sai Ying Pun is still broadly unchanged. Local businesses have not been washed away by the chains which dominate further east. Wander down Koh Shing Street where Chinese medicine is made and sold, and then on to Dried Seafood Street where all manner of piscine ingredients – traditionally dried on the roofs above – are to be found. Be prepared for the heady aroma. Marvel at the shops selling paper gifts for the dead – everything from iPhones to sports cars – to be burned at ancestors' temples. And remember, this city never sleeps – exploring after dark with a meandering walk home is most rewarding.

GETTING THERE

Oscar Quine flew with Virgin Atlantic (0844 209 2770; virgin-atlantic.com) from Heathrow. Economy fares start at £711 return. British Airways (ba.com) and Cathay Pacific (cathaypacific.com) also fly non-stop from Heathrow to Hong Kong.

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