Hong Kong’s Furong shows that Hunan fare is not just the ‘other spicy cuisine’
One of China’s 8 great cuisines and often mistaken for Sichuan, Hunan cooking is winning over Hongkongers with its fiery hot stir-fries and slow-cooked broths
While Shanghainese and Sichuan cuisines have long been staples of Hong Kong’s dining scene, an unheralded underdog is finally catching the attention of the city’s adventurous eaters. Hunan (or Xiang) cuisine is a vibrant, chilli-laden style of cooking often mistaken for its spicy sibling from Sichuan. But as Hong Kong continues to navigate the numbing fire of mala, the distinct heat of Hunan is carving out its own devoted following.
Landlocked in south-central China and bordering Guangdong, Hunan is famous for its scenic spots and a surprisingly vibrant cocktail bar scene in its capital, Changsha. Its culinary tradition is one of China’s eight great cuisines, renowned for its liberal use of both fresh and dried chillies. But to define it solely by its heat is a mistake. In Hunan cooking, chillies aren’t meant to scorch the palate but to act as a supporting player, drawing out the deepest flavours from the main ingredients, whether they are unctuous meats or seasonal vegetables.
Hunanese cuisine boasts a diverse spectrum of cooking methods, best understood in terms of yin and yang. The yin consists of slow, soupy braises where flavours meld into rich, complex broths. The yang is the world of the wok: all fire, smoke and speed, with the Maillard reaction caramelising meats and vegetables in seconds. This duality produces iconic dishes like steamed fish head crowned with a blanket of diced red chillies and stir-fried pork with vegetables – the latter dish a homestyle classic flash-cooked to keep the meat tender, with ginger, garlic, spring onions and chillies.
Yet despite the cuisine’s depth, conventional Hunan restaurants in Hong Kong have struggled to captivate a broad local audience. Many rely on classic preparations that can be excessively oily and fiercely hot, potentially overshadowing the cuisine’s versatility. But some establishments are changing the game.
The André Fu-designed interior features dark timbers, semi-private quarters and a live kitchen station equipped with Western-style live-fire grills and a pizza oven. This modern set-up is key to Furong’s philosophy: to honour Hunan traditions while introducing healthier alternatives and unique techniques that better spotlight core ingredients.