Like many people who live in Hong Kong, I am not from here. My heritage is pretty mixed actually. A bit of Europe, a bit of Africa and more than a bit of Asia have contributed to me feeling at home in a lot of places, but not looking like I am really from any of them. I once got asked in a public toilet in Mong Kok by a large Egyptian man if I was from Cairo (I'm not). I was greeted once at the immigration desk at Beijing airport with a casual "Salaam-Alaikum" from a Chinese passport checker (despite quite clearly holding a British passport). Although I knew it would have been funny, I am proud that I refrained from responding with "Alaikum-Salaam" given the inevitable delays it would have had on my evening dinner plans.
I suspect a lot of Hongkongers who have spent time overseas or who have mixed heritage have similar issues. My advice to you is to be true to your roots and avoid disagreeing with large Egyptian men in public toilets in Mong Kok.
Regardless of where you are from, everyone has a comfort food. Sometimes this can be totally disconnected with where you actually grew up. Plenty of American kids grew up on kimchi or dan dan noodles. Plenty of European kids yearn for a braai on a sunny summer afternoon in November. Hell, the occasional expat kid from Hong Kong fondly remembers their helper's Philippino interpretation of lasagne.
Quirks of immigration law and labour migration mean that one of my key comfort foods is Indian food. One thing I found (and still find) strange in Hong Kong is that, despite there being a good amount of immigrants here from India, Pakistan and the rest of the subcontinent, Indian food here is actually pretty bloody awful. And don't give me that sh*t about Chungking Mansions. Has any Indian restaurant called Bombay Dreams or the Taj Mahal ever been good? F*CK NO. For the same reason (and take it from someone who knows) if a Londoner ever recommends you go Brick Lane for curry, you know they are an imposter.
My search for good Indian food in Hong Kong has, up until now, been a fruitless one. I have suffered the Chungking Mansions curries in the vain hope that one day I will find something good (they weren't). I resorted to making my own at home (which are), although this also led to the surprising discovery that one good friend is very allergic to cumin and coriander, which rather nixed the regular supperclub idea.
So I headed to Branto on the recommendation of a (different) friend, with mixed emotions and not a great deal of hope. I was, however, pleasantly surprised by what I found. Brantos feels south-Indian orientated, and does great flavourful dosa, and really great thalis for less than HK$100. Its canteen style atmosphere reminds me of Warung Malang Club, although this time it is Bollywood on the TV as opposed to Indonesian variety shows. I went for the cheese thali, which was crisp on the outside and deliciously salty and cheesy on the inside. The accompanying masala (for dipping) was also a win. The saag aloo (spinach and potato) did make my heart sink slightly though, as they has used the horrible soupy canned spinach instead of doing it properly from fresh.
Word to the wise though – this is pure veg, so don't be expecting no meat curries here. Personally, despite having a serious aversion to full blown vegetarianism for a number of reasons (the top two of which are taste and greed), I can happily live with Indian veg food for a meal here and there. Unfortunately, it does mean that my hunt for a decent non-veg Indian restaurant in Hong Kong continues. Suggestions very welcome, particularly as my friend who is allergic to cumin and coriander is pretty bored of having to turn down a dinner invite every time I get a craving for comfort food.