COCONUTS HOT SPOT – With all the foodie hotspots in Hong Kong, it’s easy for savvy eaters to sample a range of dishes from all over the world. Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, Indian… but Canadian?
A place that’s frequented by locals, tourists and expats alike is The Big Bite, a Canadian-themed restaurant that specialises in burgers, wings, hot dogs and poutine. For those not in the know, poutine is french fries coated in gravy and then sprinkled with cheese, the latter of which is then melted to create one of the tastiest things to come out of Canada. 
On entering this establishment for the first time, it quickly became apparent that it was Wings Night (every Tuesday evening), when chicken wings are just HKD3 a piece with any purchase of beer. Needless to say I bought 12 and devoured my plate in minutes.
The wings range in spice level from “Wuss”, the level that I’m ashamed to say I opted for, to “HOMICIDE”, for those who think their tongue can take it. One diner reported the loss of taste for several hours after attempting the “Homicide Challenge”.
The Homicide Challenge is just one of many fun gimmicks that keeps diners coming back to Big Bite. Who wouldn’t want their photo on the wall for eating six insanely spicy wings? Add to that the unlimited soft drinks and, hey, presto, you’ve got a great restaurant bursting with students and thrifty foodies every day of the week.
But the main calling card for Big Bite are the signature burgers. A personal favourite of mine is the BBC, a huge burger exploding with cheese, back bacon, lettuce and jalapenos. Others include the Slurpy Jane, a chicken, gravy and swiss cheese offering, and the Chilli Cheese Burger… you should be able to work that one out for yourself.
Booze at The Big Bite isn’t too expensive either, and there’s a decent variety of Canadian beers on offer for such a small place. The size of the diner can indeed be a bit of an issue, and sometimes it’s hit and miss whether or not you’ll have to wait for a table.
If it isn’t too busy on a weekend, however, there is an amazing All Day Breakfast (not including the disappointing frankfurter sausages), including wine or bubbly, if you’re in the mood.
I highly recommend Big Bite to anyone and everyone visiting or living in Hong Kong. Not only do you get a great meal and speedy service (usually for under HKD100), you also get to dine to awesome hits from the 80s and 90s, guaranteed. Absolutely nothing not to love!
The Big Bite, Shop 4B, G/F Kar Fu Building, 196-202 Java Road, North Point (+852) 6979-9690. Open Monday – Sunday 12pm – 11pm.
