Chef Daniel Calvert of BELON shares his favourite spots in Hong Kong, from Cantonese suckling pig to where he gets his banh mi deliveries from and more.

"Black Sheep Restaurants has grown from beginnings in one tapas house 6 years ago to a group that now owns 20 hotspots across Hong Kong. Here, find out how their underdog mentality helped them build a culinary empire."

Foodie invited Chef James Harrison of La Vache! into the kitchen to teach them how to cook the perfect steak at home.

餐飲集團Black Sheep Restaurants自2012年於香港創立，旗下擁有17間餐廳。其創辦人Syed Asim Hussain指出，過往曾有外賣平台邀請集團的餐廳加盟，他都一一拒絕。他認為，外賣服務不只是把食物送到食客手上。因此，Hussain決定推出外賣應用程式及網站Black Sheep Restaurants GO，自營團隊提供免運費的外賣服務，外賣的服務範圍只覆蓋堅尼地城至跑馬地一帶。他揚言，即使生意因此有虧損，也會堅持集團提供自家的外賣服務。

"I think it’s fair to say one of the most successful stories of the past few years is the Black Sheep Restaurants ’ one. How do you grow, in only 6 years, from being an underdog to being the leader on your market? That’s the exciting secret have been trying to unlock by discussing with Christopher Mark and Syed Asim Hussain, Co-Founders and Managing Partners of the group."

"Since arriving in Hong Kong, Calvert has developed an appreciation for Asia’s conventional and unconventional ways of enjoying good food. The master of French cuisine with a local twist shares his top tips for hosting the perfect dinner party and gives a shout-out to his favourite fellow chefs."

"Bread is an important part of Indian cuisine, with more than 30 different varieties to choose from. Chef Palash Mitra from New Punjab Club gives us a rundown of the most popular types, and declares his personal favourite."

"Co-founder of Black Sheep Restaurants and a chef by training, Christopher Mark candidly shares his parenting tips while he and his daughter Parisa, 13, created an off-menu strawberry lattice pie at the company’s central kitchen."

"We speak to Tamara Amaya, the Argentinian sommelière at one of our favourite steakhouses, Buenos Aires Polo Club, who moved to Hong Kong in 2014 for a notable stint at the Four Seasons’ Pony Line lounge prior to moving to Polo Club. Here are her thoughts on wines and the world’s end…"

餐飲集團 Black Sheep Restaurants 的合伙人之一 Christopher Mark，就儲了最少一千把餐刀，集團開設阿根廷扒房 Buenos Aires Polo Club，他將自己在世界各地買來的餐刀，拿來讓客人使用，我們找來這刀癡，看看他的愛刀故事。

"Black Sheep Restaurants co-founder and culinary veteran Christopher Mark got his hands on his first knife by chance at an early age. Decades later, he continues to collect exquisite blades from around the world as he expands the restaurant empire with his team."

Shun Sato, the head chef at Soho izakaya Fukuro, shares his favourite spots for drinking and dining in the Japanese capital.

"The hard working folks in the hospitality industry are ironically the people who don’t get much time to feed themselves. Head Chef Bao La at Le Garçon Saigon talks about the importance of a good family meal."

"One of the arbiters of authentic Vietnamese cuisine in our city, chef Steven Nguyen was born to Vietnamese immigrants, and is a first-generation Canadian. Growing up in the suburbs of Toronto, he was surrounded by aunts, uncles and grandparents who loved to cook and instilled in him the spirit of communal Vietnamese dining."

Syed Asim Hussain, co-founder of Hong Kong's Black Sheep Restaurants, on growing a startup and the importance of company culture.

He grew up in his father’s SoHo restaurant, learned quickly in his first job and, while still in his 20s, co-founded Black Sheep Restaurants. Syed Asim Hussain says commitment to innovation, values and community is their key ingredient

How Syed Asim Hussain, co-founder of Black Sheep Restaurants, became one of Hong Kong's most successful restaurateurs in just six years.

Co-founder of Black Sheep Restaurants and Gen.T Lister, Syed Asim Hussain, breaks down the interior of his most personal project to date

“There’s an old Barbadian rhyme ‘one of sour, two of sweet, three of strong, four of weak’, which is a pretty good basic guideline to use. Here, the sour is fresh lime juice, the sweet is Falernum and Orgeat, the strong is subpar rum and the weak is ice and fresh orange juice.”

We chat to Bao about his earliest food memories, get his fool-proof recipe for nước mắm chấm sauce, and find out some of his favourite foodie destinations in both Hong Kong and beyond.

Black Sheep Restaurants group has more on its plate than usual. Dashing between a new opening in Wan Chai and brand new joint New Punjab Club on Wyndham Street, company co-founder Syed Asim Hussain is a man with quite a few missions – and slightly out of breath.

"Born and bred in Australia, Chef Bao La talks to ELLE MEN about how he reconnects to his Vietnamese roots through cooking."

“With a penchant for being the underdog, and their commitment to pushing boundaries, and setting trends in hospitality and restaurant operations, Christopher Mark and Syed Asim Hussain built their restaurant empire in Soho way before it transformed into the cool, hip hangout spot that it is today. They walk us through the area and compare the days then and now, while also sharing the secrets to their consistent success.”

“Buenos Aires Polo Club is inspired by the South American country’s penchant for the distinguished sport and dynamic grilling culture. Head Chef Luca Marinelli takes us back to the golden era in Recoleta.”

"Chef James Harrison has never been to Beirut, but training under Melbourne's best Lebanese-Australian chef (and his slap-happy mother) made him fall in love with the cuisine."

"Complacency comes when you look at a menu and say you're completely happy with this. That's when you should just call it a day, because that's when you stop being better than you were yesterday."

"Having spent 10 years working in Michelin-starred kitchens, Daniel Calvert has brought his passion and precision to his role as chef de cuisine at Belon in Hong Kong."