Eileen Cha is a prominent entertainment journalist, radio host and food critic based in Hong Kong. She spoke to Andrew Sun.

My mum’s Hunanese and from a well-off family, so she never set foot in the kitchen. When she came to Hong Kong and married my dad, she had to figure out how to cook proper Cantonese meals and old-fashioned soups.

She never gave up the spice from her hometown and I started enjoying spicy food from a young age. At home, we would eat a fusion of Hunanese and Cantonese food, and my dad loved to take us around town trying all sorts of cuisines. He actually favoured Western food. That is why I have a split personality palate.

I enjoy Imasa (1/F, The Peninsula Hong Kong, 22 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui. Tel: 2696 6715) for a Japanese sushi lunch. When it first opened (in 1995), it wasn’t busy but my husband and I liked it. Over time, we got to know the chefs and now they know what I like and what I cannot eat.

WellWellWell (Shop 002, LG1, Pacific Place, 88 Queensway, Admiralty. Tel: 2803 7881) is convenient for casual and simple lunches of noodles, pasta and sandwiches. It is another place where the staff knows me well. I show up and they ask, “Want your usual Chardonnay?” I like to sit in the outside area where it’s bright and you can see people. Good for a quick lunch or happy hour.

There are several branches of Chung’s House and I am addicted to its private kitchen in Fo Tan (13 Au Pui Wan Street, Fo Tan. Tel: 8300 8007) for Cantonese. When it first opened, again, not many people knew about it. It used to be a training kitchen. The quality is high, and the price reasonable, with no service charge or corkage. The third floor even has a table that can sit 24 people.