Mother of four Nina Tang is the proprietor of the J. Co Coffee & Donuts franchise in Hong Kong. She spoke to Andrew Sun.

I grew up in the Philippines, on the south side of Manila. Growing up, I loved my mum’s chicken and pork adobo with rice and sinigang na hipon with kangkong – tamarind soup with shrimp and morning glory. But I always looked forward to Sunday eating out with my family.

As a former flight attendant, my quest for an adventure has not stopped. In 2016, my husband and I opened J. Co Coffee & Donuts in Hong Kong. It was my favourite snack back in the Philippines.

We love the pizza at Ciak – In The Kitchen (Shop 327-333, The Landmark, 16 Queen’s Road, Central. Tel: 2522 8869). The dough is a game changer – chewy on the inside, crispy outside. Chef Edmund Li said the secret is 36 hours of fermentation. Another favourite is the very hearty octopus stewed in tomato sauce.

I like Café Landmark (Shop 107-108, The Landmark, 15 Queen’s Road Central. Tel: 2526 4200) for lunch. The lobster linguine is great. The pasta is al dente and the flavour is straightforward, nothing complicated.

Lok Tin Café (several locations including 26 Kimberley Road, Tsim Sha Tsui. Tel: 9062 8338) is a good option for local food, with one of the best pineapple buns with butter. They bake the breads and pastries on site, coming out nice, hot and fresh.

A great visitor experience is CouCou Reserve (Shop 608-609, K11 Musea, Victoria Dockside, 18 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui. Tel: 2352 3377), my hotpot spot. I totally crave their soup. I normally choose a two-flavour pot with fish maw in chicken broth and spicy Taiwanese-style.

Another must try is the duck blood in spicy broth. The best part is they do unlimited all you can eat. This location is by the harbour, so before you can walk along the Avenue of the Stars, visit the Hong Kong Museum of Art, or watch the evening light show.

For a real Chinese seafood dinner, head to Chinese Legend (Sam Shing Market) (Shop 1, Sam Shing Estate, Tuen Mun. Tel: 2955 1313). The experience starts with choosing and buying fresh live seafood from the market in front of the restaurant. Then, the restaurant will confirm how you want your seafood done.

Among my favourites are sea mantis shrimp on fried garlic with chilli, which I have mixed with rice. If you like spicy, the sea snails in spicy wine sauce on a stone pot are quite popular. A non-negotiable for me is a braised giant grouper. I love the way they make it here.

For a splurge, I go for the six- or eight-course signature menu at L’Envol (3/F, The St. Regis Hong Kong, 1 Harbour Drive, Wan Chai. Tel: 2138 6818). The food does not feel as heavy as other French fine dining restaurants. The L’oursin Hokkaido is my all-time favourite.

Japan is my food destination outside Hong Kong. A Japanese friend brought me to a famous kaiseki restaurant in Tokyo called Kagurazaka Ishikawa (5-37 Kagurazaka, Shinjuku-ku. Tel: +81 50 3138 5225) that serves a traditional multi-course Japanese dinner.

I met the chef and he said he only creates the menu after buying all the ingredients fresh at the market in the morning. The whole day is just preparation and then they open for dinner. Service is by reservation only, and you need to book six months ahead.