Born in Hong Kong a proud son of Gurkhas, Gurung “Dipen” Dammarsing is the founder and owner of restaurant/bar chain Funky Monkey, which has several outlets including in Tung Chung and Tsim Sha Tsui. He talks to Andrew Sun.
I’m Nepalese by descent and was brought up in Nepal. As a little kid, I was heavily influenced by our exotic and scrumptious street foods that no fine dining eatery could match. This furthered my interest in exploring the food culture of every country I visit.One of my favourite places in Hong Kong is the Tikitiki Bowling Bar (4/F, Centro, 1A Chui Tong Road, Sai Kung, tel: 2657 8488). Their food is actually great and well presented. It has bowling lanes and space for kids, enhancing the customer dining experience, especially for families.
I also like Limewood (Shop 103-104, The Pulse, 28 Beach Road, Repulse Bay, tel: 2866 8668). They have delicious food and a serene beach view.
In Tung Chung, the Sunset Grill (19/F, Sheraton Tung Chung, 9 Yi Tung Road, Tung Chung, tel: 2535 0025) has the best sunset view and amazing aged steaks – I would say the best in Hong Kong.
Ent Restaurant & Bar (20A Lung Mei Village, Ting Kok Road, Tai Mei Tuk, Tai Po, tel: 2577 1077) is my kind of family getaway from the city, as travelling is restricted and a holiday abroad is still just a mere dream. We enjoy the village setting and, after lunch, we can go cycling or hiking somewhere.
But when we can fly again, I would like to go to the United States to visit two of the first tiki bars ever developed, Trader Vic’s (9 Anchor Drive, Emeryville, California, tel: +1 510 653 3400) and Don The Beachcomber (75-5852 Ali’i Drive, Royal Kona Resort, Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, tel: +1 808 329 3111).
They are the first two bars to actually promote tiki culture to the rest of the world. Their original locations have gone but I love tiki culture and I’m heavily influenced by the tropical vibes and paradise. Basically, they are the mothers of tiki bars and restaurants.
Another place I want to visit is in New York. The Dead Rabbit (30 Water Street, New York, New York, tel: +1 646 422 7906) is one of the best restaurant bars in the world. They have won numerous awards and their products, quality and service are top in the world. So I would like to experience them and understand what makes them different from others.
Basically, I love learning and exploring new things. It’s always fun and challenging. I’m always curious.
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