Quotes of the Day

Not inclined to get on a plane to the Middle East? If you want to sample the region's cuisine, then Hong Kong's Habibi may be the next best thing. It offers diners an authentic taste of home-style Egyptian cooking in a comfortable and elegant setting.

Third-generation chef and part-owner Hosni Emam came to Hong Kong in 1999 to work as an executive chef on the booming restaurant scene, but it wasn't until the homesick Cairo native started cooking Egyptian feasts for appreciative dinner guests in his tiny apartment that he thought of opening his own restaurant. His friends raved about his flavorful meze (vegetable-based Egyptian appetizers) and succulent tagens (traditional slow-baked stews of meat, vegetables and herbs), but they doubted the menu would sell in a city dominated by Continental and Chinese restaurants. Undeterred, Emam teamed up with veteran Hong Kong restaurateur Jennifer Migliorelli to open an oasis of charm on a busy market street in Central. "It was a gamble," he says. "And we were spending money we didn't even have."

Habibi, which means beloved in Egyptian, celebrated its second anniversary last month. The heavy blue door on Wellington Street opens into a cozy space graced with high, arched ceilings and intimate lighting. The decor is exotic: Emam bought the filigree light fixtures and colorful tapestries on trips home. Stone walls and carved wooden lattices separate plush booths lined with silk cushions. It's like stumbling upon a quiet café in a forgotten corner of an Egyptian bazaar, with a welcoming proprietor eager to keep his guests content.

Dinner at Habibi is not to be rushed. Emam suggested starting with a selection of hot and cold meze accompanied by a surprisingly smooth Egyptian cabernet. The hummus and babaganough were well-executed old favorites, but it was the zingy zabadi, a creamy yogurt mixed with mint and cucumber, that had me digging in with a spoon. He then convinced me to try the emam biyaldi, a strange-sounding dish of baked eggplant with raisins, ground beef, pine nuts and a hint of coconut, which turned out to be a sensational blend of flavor and texture. The panfried halloumi, a mozzarella-like goat cheese served on a salad dressed with lemon and olive oil was deliciously simple—and simplicity is a key to Emam's style. He loves fresh herbs: for example, his tamiya (Egyptian falafel) are an unusual deep green due to his copious use of minced mint and parsley.

Diyit bamya, the dish that garnered the most praise back when Emam cooked only for his friends, is a meltingly tender stew of braised veal with okra, tomato and coriander. The samak malfouf, snapper stuffed with fresh herbs and cooked in grape leaves, was succulent, flavorful and baked to perfection.

And then came the desserts. Instead of the sticky-sweet leaden pastry that many Middle Eastern joints try to pass off as baklava, the balawa bil ishta is light, flaky and subtly sweetened with crushed nuts and honey. The sinfully rich shoukolatat habibti, flavored with honey and cinnamon, hovers somewhere between a dark-chocolate truffle and a mousse.

Habibi is full most evenings, so reservations are a must, call (852) 2544 6198. Try to get in on the weekends when belly dancers add a little extra pizzazz. The restaurant's success has spawned a little sister next door, the Koshary Café, for diners who prefer lighter portions, lighter prices and a more casual atmosphere. Emam's friends, who never believed he'd make a success out of bringing the Middle East to Hong Kong, drop in often to sample his delectable dishes. "This time around," he says with a smile, "they have to pay."

• Aryn Baker
• Eat like an Egyptian in Hong Kong