Despite the fact that Hong Kong has a sizable Filipino population, there are only a couple of Filipino eateries. The majority are underrated finds or dive pubs that cater mostly to the Filipino population. Also, these only provide a variety of greasy dishes. However, on Swatow Street in Wan Chai, Holy Gaw is a Filipino-inspired fusion restaurant.
Image Courtesy: Holy Gaw
Holy Gaw opened its doors in October 2020. Featuring pristine white interiors, gold embellishments, and floral arrangements, Holy Gaw is one of its kind in the Filipino culinary scene. It has a striking atmosphere that mimics a cozy café.
Led by Chef Marvin Gaw, a Cebu-born chef, who formerly worked at Chino and Carbone. Holy Gaw pays homage to the chef’s Filipino ancestry with a reference to his expertise with fusion and Italian cuisines. Known for their juicy tenderloin, crackling pork, delectable tiger prawns, and more, this restaurant plays around with various textures flavor palates.
Image Courtesy: @holygaw (via Instagram)
The modest Wanchai eatery situates at the formerly located Manson’s Lot and accommodates approximately twenty guests at one time. Although, the natural lighting and comfy seats compensate for the cramped seating area. This newbie has a semi-open kitchen and a small dining space, making it ideal for a casual lunch or supper meeting. Dedicated to serving healthy and fresh meals, Holy Gaw makes natural ube ice cream and the majority of the beverages in-house. As well as utilizing nutritious shredded cauliflower as a low-calorie rice alternative.
Delectable Mains
Following this, is a list of some of the Chef’s recommendations. The influence of a Filipino stir-fry led to the invention of the dish Moo ‘Salpicao’. Holy Gaw imports their tenderloin from the United States, making this a delectable choice for tenderloin enthusiasts. Then, the chef tops off the perfectly seared and tender tenderloin with a unique garlic and calamansi sauce resting on a bed of garlic-infused cauliflower rice.
Another notable meal is the signature Gaw’s Carbonara. Subsequent to cooking the tagliatelle pasta al dente, it is swirled in a homemade rich sauce. What sets it apart from a typical Italian pasta, is its unique spin with garnishes of caramelized crispy pig covered in pâté, and a delightful egg. This gives it varying textures from crispiness and chewiness.
For seafood aficionados, the restaurant also serves delectable tiger prawn dishes. Spicy Rosé Prawn Rigatoni features a rich tomato sauce, while Crusty ‘Gambas’ features tiger prawns and paprika. On the contrary, the Herby ‘Peanut Stew’ is an ideal choice for vegetarians and vegans. This consists of a mix of roasted with veggies atop a blended stew. Pair your meal with a house-made Calamansi Soda or a Filipino extra-strong Red Horse Beer, to completely submerge yourself in the Filipino culture.
House-made Desserts
To sum up, end your meal with a beloved Filipino ube dessert. The cult favorites are the Ice-cream Sandwiches prepared from scratch in-house. The two options provided are avocado ice cream scooped on a gently toasted traditional pandesal bun or ube ice cream on a pandan-flavored bun. Although the avocado ice cream is comparatively less sweet than the ube ice cream, the rich and creamy consistency persists. The contrast between the delightfully bitter ube combined with the sweetness of the pandan buns makes for a wonderful dessert. Either way, these ice cream sandwiches are the perfect harmony of textures and flavors.