Showing posts with label restaurant - Chinese. Show all posts
Showing posts with label restaurant - Chinese. Show all posts

Thursday, 8 July 2010

Fook Yin

11/F, 488 Hennessy Road, Causeway Bay
Visited 7th July 2010

The theme for my tasting group's wine dinner this month was Riesling, and we headed across to Fook Yin to match it up with some Shanghainese food. I'm not a 100% certain about how I've translated the name, but the Chinese is '福宴'. Private Kitchens are all the rage at the moment, but many aren't really 'private’ kitchens at all, but just tiny, purpose built restaurants. This however is not the case with Fook Yin where you really feel like you're dinning in someone's home. The room we were ushered into had just enough room for a table, trinket filled side boards and the very homely touch of a TV.
There’s no choice at Fook Yin; just a list and a never-ending stream of Shanghainese dishes. First off we munched our way through an extensive selection of snacks. I loved the delicious, rich and earthy sautéed mushrooms, though I wasn't as impressed with the uninspiring mashed broad beans. The fillets of fried fish were pretty good; tasty, but dry. I'm a fan of flat noodles with cucumber and sesame and wasn't disappointed with the big pile we got. The pigs’ ear salad was also really good; crunchy slithers of pig ear contrasted with fresh herbs and crisp salad leaves. Rich, smoky and flavoursome the preserved chicken was tasty, but really intense. I was a bit uninspired by the plate of chicken feet and bowl of tofu topped with preserved egg, but these aren’t dishes I particularly get excited over. The table full of dishes I listed above was just the appetisers so when the mains started to arrive I was almost overwhelmed by variety and amount of food. The first of the main dishes was a plate of beautiful smoked eggs; these were magnificently cooked with delightfully runny yokes and plenty of flavour. Next was a bowl of noodles with prawns in a chilli based sauce. The dish was sweeter and milder than I expected but still pretty tasty. Then it was a couple of different types of handmade, tofu wrapped dumplings served in a tasty soup. The steamed Grouper atop tofu that followed was probably my favourite of the mains. The fish was beautifully cooked and the well complemented by the silky beancurd and mild sauce. Next where three massive 'lion head' meatballs with bok choy and a sweet and sour sauce. The huge balls of pork were pretty good and appropriately meaty, though the sauce seemed to lack richness needed to complement so much meat. I enjoyed the sea cucumber and fish soup that followed; it was fresh, clean and rather delicious. The final main was a smoky, roasted chicken that was OK, though nothing special.
I'm a big Riesling fan, but I was a little underwhelmed with the line-up of wines we tried. As a result my favourite was pretty easy to pick; the rich and complex Domaine Weinbach 'Cuvée Sainte Catherine' Alsace Grand Cru 2000; a truly lovely drop. I enjoyed my feed of authentic, fresh and tasty food at Fook Yin. A lot of the guys I was with thought that at $300 a head the meal was over-priced, but I thought it decent value considering the amount and variety of food. I was also impressed with how well the food worked with the Rieslings we tried. I’m sure people will argue that there’re better Shanghainese restaurants out there, but for me Fook Yin was perfect for our needs. The intimate ‘private’ environment worked well for our group and the wine, food and company all contributed to a lovely evening.

Monday, 5 July 2010

Lung King Heen

Four Seasons Hotel, 8 Finance St, Central
Visited 4th July 2010

A friend and her fellow - who’s a chef - are in town and there’re not mucking around with anything but the big names. I couldn’t make dinner at Bo Innovation and unfortunately work got in the way of what was apparently an epic lunch at Robuchon á Galera in Macau. So after missing out twice I certainly wasn’t going to miss dinner at Lung King Heen. This Cantonese restaurant in the Four Sasons Hotel has the distinction of being the first and only Chinese restaurant in the Universe to receive three Michelin stars. We were shown through the stylish, but subdued interior to a window table where it was all glamour and seaside views. The food is pretty standard selection of Cantonese offerings, with the expected premium seafood holding up the menu. I let my friends choose and we ended up with tasty, but predictable dishes. First off was their signature appetiser; pears with scallops. Tender, plump scallops were set atop a piece of pear and deep fried in a light, crisp batter. I thought the scallops were excellent and the batter showed a deft touch, but the thick slice of basically raw pear was too crisp and seemed somehow dominated the delicate seafood. Next up were Sichuan-style roast lambchops; these were tender and well cooked, though the sauce was very subtle and not what I expected at all for Sichuan flavouring. Beef with black pepper isn’t something I’d normally order though I enjoyed the tender cubes of beef that were wok tossed with spring onion, garlic and fragrant black pepper. The minced pigeon in lettuce that came next was one of my favourite dishes; really tasty stuff. Though simple I also thought the sautéed zucchini with mushrooms was excellent; pure and fresh this was perfectly cooked and the different varieties of mushrooms packed plenty of flavour. We finished with half a roast chicken. This is meant to be something of a signature dish, but it was pretty disappointing. Joey swears the chicken tasted frozen and while I struggle to believe this, I'd much prefer the roast chook at Tai Wing Wah.
I not a big one for desserts, but, as so often the case, my opinion didn't count. We shared sesame balls, custard puffs and a serve of mango and sago pudding and barley cream. The mango pudding was pretty tasty with slivers of fresh fruit, but nothing obviously special. The barley cream had faint traces of almond, but was really watery and was a pretty average dish. Again the sesame balls and custard puffs were OK, but nothing overly exciting. My favourite desert was the complimentary petits fours; crisp almond cookies and cubes of wolfberry jelly. To drink we ordered an OK bottle of Chablis and an extortionately priced bottle of sparkling water. While I thought the food really well priced the drinks were disgustingly expensive; no matter how good the food is a bottle of water should never be $95.

The quality at Lung King Heen was obvious; top-notch, fresh produce prepared with care and precision, but somehow I felt the whole think lacked the wow factor. Maybe I'm just judging harshly because of those shinning stars, but I really couldn't figure how this was any better than twenty other Cantonese joints around town. What it lacked in innovation, it certainly made up for in competitive pricing; every dish we had was under $200. Our bill came to just over $500 each, which with desserts and alcohol has to make Lung King Heen the cheapest three star Michelin restaurant going. While the harbour views and interior were spectacular I was actually a bit unsure of what I thought about the service. The staff were ultra efficient, but the whole show lacked personality and I almost felt I was being looked after by attentive, but aloof robots. Despite what the French tyre makers think Lung king Heen isn't the best Chinese restaurant in the universe, but it is pretty good; the harbour views and traditional menu certainly make it a good option for wooing visitors.

Visit restaurant website.

Sunday, 20 June 2010

Mak's Noodles

77 Wellington St, Central
Visited 20th June 2010

I was hungry, hung-over and heartbroken. Bitterly disappointed with the terrible refereeing decision that resulted in Australia's World Cup draw to Ghana I was also on the lookout for hangover food. I found myself in Wellington Street and took the opportunity to try Mak's Noodles. On a street packed with restaurants this old school joint, which has been around since the 1960's, would easily be the most famous. I'm a big fan of Wang Fu and like Tsim Chai Kee Noodle across the road so was very keen to see how Mak's compared. They have also opened several other branches around town.

The selection at Mak's is pretty basic with only a couple of noodle dishes and sides of vegetables to choose from. I went for the noodle soup with wontons and beef brisket. When the dish came I was taken back - the tiny bowl was honestly not much bigger than a regular sized rice bowl. Within was a pile of chewie egg noodles, three tiny shrimp wontons, cubes of beef and a scattering of spring onions. The delicate wontons were tasty and the tender braised beef and its rich grave was really good. Flavoured by the sauce clinging to the beef and spring onions the soup was also delicious.
My feed at Mak's Noodles was extremely enjoyable, but it was so tiny that after I left I basically started looking for snacks straight away. The quality was excellent, but $40 for such a tiny bowl seemed to be pushing it, especially when the competition's so fierce on Wellington Street. The restaurant seemed to be more crowded with well presented waiters than customers and the guy who served me was helpful and friendly. For sure I loved the noodles at Mak's, but the serve was so unsatisfying that I wonder if I'll bother going back; I can't see the point in visiting a restaurant and having to order two serves to get an average sized lunch.

No website to visit, but they're famous enough to have a Wikipedia page.

Thursday, 17 June 2010

Relish Noodle

184-186 Hennessy Road, Wan Chai
Visited 16th June 2010

I was talked into going to the Mika concert by a very excited Joey; surprisingly I enjoyed the flamboyant show and catchy pop tunes a lot more than expected. Before the gig started we strolled into Relish Noodle for an early dinner. Out choice was based upon the simple reason that it is conveniently opposite the 968 bus stop on Hennessy Road. Inside it was pretty basic setup with an open kitchen and single line of booths. For a 'local' style place it was pretty well decked out; simple, but clean and a touch of the funky with orange chopsticks matching the wall tiles.

The menu included a mix of different noodle dishes from places like Malaysia, Vietnam and regional China. As I hadn't had one in ages I went for a laksa with thinly sliced pork, while Joey chose la mian with chicken. We also snacked on honey glazed chicken wings and spring rolls. When my laksa arrived the first thing I noticed was that it stunk. The fish cakes floating in it were really strong and while tasting OK were just too pongy to be pleasant. The whole dish was really disappointing; the soup was watery and lacking spice and flavour, the meat was overly fatty pork-belly and the whole dish really needed some fresh herbs vegetables. Joey's soup noodles were better, but still just OK and she really wasn't impressed with the flavourless, shredded chicken they came with. The chicken wings were pretty tasty with an obvious honey flavour, though they were just too oily and the dripping fat was off putting. The couple of spring rolls we got were OK, but went soggy as dipping sauce was sloshed all over the plate. To drinks I enjoyed my coconut milk with jelly cubes, while Joey though her red been and coconut milk crush needed more than three red beans.

I obviously wasn't impressed with the food at Relish Noodles, but the service was just as bad. I can't speak Cantonese, but even I could pick up the rudeness in the manner and body language of the lady who served us. The only positive was that I didn't have to cough up too much coin to be served bad food by a surly woman; the total for both of us with drinks and snacks was $97. I had no preconceived ideas about Relish Noodles, but walked away disappointed; lucky Mika came through with the goods.

Monday, 14 June 2010

Noodle & Congee Corner

Upper 1st Floor, Grand Lisboa Casino, Macau
Visited 13th June 2010
When I first visited Macau people referenced the Macau Tower as a certain part of Stanley Ho's body; however I'm not sure what they make of the new, sparkling shrine that is the Grand Lisboa. I visit Macau relatively frequently, yet apart from the mandatory sightseeing trudge through the Venetian I tend to avoid the casinos. Gambling in a crowded, smoke filled room holds little appeal, especially when the minimum bets are so ridiculously high. Despite all I found myself exploring the shinny depths of the Grand Lisboa, but only so we could try Noodle and Congee Corner. This place has gained a bit of a reputation with TV appearances and a Michelin 'bib gourmet' recommendation. It's a big restaurant that overlooks the gaming floor with the Kitchen proudly on display. We watched the dumpling making team, before starring starry eyed at the main kitchen were hand-made noodles are cut, pulled and in the case of their famous yi gen mian, tossed into shape.

As you can probably guess they specialise in noodles and congee as well as an assortment of dumplings. We went for poached Tianjin Dumplings, a rice paper roll, barbecue pork buns and the famous yi gen mian. First out were the tender pork and vegetable dumplings which were pretty good, but lacked flavour. The single, foot long rice paper roll was filled with scallops and enoki mushrooms; it was delicate and totally delicious. The soft pork buns were pretty good with an obvious hint of honey to the pork. Ordering the noodles are a matter of selecting the individual components and we went for stewed beef and wontons in a beef broth and of course the mighty yi gen mian. This house speciality is a big ball of fun; a single noodle that's over 10 feet long. We saw the chef making these and the impressive display involved throwing a continuous stream of dough into the pot from several metres away. The accompanying wontons were OK, but were overshadowed by some mighty tasty, tender stewed beef. The noodles itself was good; I just wish I could find the end. Joey also liked the fact that she could add her own sugar to taste to the glass of soy milk she ordered.

I enjoyed my meal at Noodle and Congee Corner. The food was well prepared and quality of ingredients was obvious, especially the tasty scallops, beef and handmade noodle. The fact you can see the dishes being prepared adds an element of theatre, especially when the chef starts throwing around a ten foot noodle. The service was good and the small army of waiters (wearing what would have to be contenders for the worst trousers in the world) were very attentive and professional. Our meal came to MOP162, which I think is certainly fair value considering the quality of the grub. Casinos aren't my favourite places, but if they don't bother you then Noodle & Congee Corner certainly presents a good value option for a casual feed. Visit restaurant website.

Wednesday, 26 May 2010

Peking Cuisine

18 Elgin St, Soho, Central
Visited 25th May 2010


Soho is certainly not renowned for its Chinese restaurants and I've got no idea why we ended up at this place. Peking Cuisine is a little restaurant at the bottom of Elgin Street. It’s decked out with a bit of Chinese style clutter and is small and ‘intimate’.
The menu is full of the predictable greatest hits of Beijing. Initially we ordered stir-fried noodles and braised eggplant with pork, but were told the eggplant was a tiny serve(!) so we added a plate of roast mutton. The eggplant came first and it was OK. This dish is always going to be oily, but I would have liked have seen more pork, chilli and seasoning to accompany the oil that smothered the eggplant. Next was the roast mutton and it was spectacular. I’ve had this dish a few times before and love it, though the serves are never big enough. The version we got offered at Peking Cuisine was great; soft, meltingly tender slices of lamb, crisp top and delectable fragrant seasoning; awesome stuff. The plate of noodles came tossed with slithers of pork, bean sprouts, capsicum and onion. Though the noodles were well cooked and nicely al dente, the whole dish was seasoned really strangely seasoned and tasted almost sour. To drink we were told we couldn't have tap water so instead of buying a beer as I planned, I had nothing.
OK, so Chinese in Soho? What we ate at Peking Cuisine was a bit of a mixed bag, the mutton was excellent, the eggplant OK and the noodles pretty average. The service was also kind of ambivalent; the lady who took our order was friendly and helpful, though her 'advice' that the eggplant was "really small" just seemed a thinly veiled attempt to get us to buy more. My big grip however is that we were told that we couldn't have a glass of tap water. This attitude makes me furious with its short sightedness and blatant disregard for the environment. The food wasn't ridiculous, but it certainly wasn't a bargain: the noodles were $88, the eggplant $79 and the mutton $118. While Peking Cuisine was kind of OK I really can't see why you'd bother when there are so many great Beijing style restaurants in Hong Kong; I certainly will not be heading back anytime soon.

Thursday, 20 May 2010

Ka Lai Yuen Chiu Chow Restaurant

5 Li King House Hong King Street, Yuen Long
Visited 19th May 2010


I think I got the English translation correct, but if not the Chinese is 嘉麗園潮州粉麵餐廳. In many ways this is a very local style restaurant, but it’s one that is got more front than Myers. Simple metal stools and lino topped tables are packed into a room totally drowned in beef bling. Ox horns, mural covered walls, gold trimming and photos all celebrate the simple joys of beef. Ka Lai Yuen Chiu Chow Restaurant also makes its presence felt across Yuen Long by plastering ads on the sides of mini-buses and taxis. This place is basically a celebration of beef; lots and lots of beef, oh and balls. Hong Kongers aren't shy of devouring a whole beast so there's plenty of offal on offer including about a million different types of cow stomach. I ordered a bowl of balls called 'ten treasures'; basically noodles in soup with ten dumplings. The attraction with this dish was the little floating 'treasures'; all different and all hand-made. Most of the balls and dumplings I got were really nice including the beef balls, pork balls and prawn balls and a couple of tofu creations; however the wontons were too soggy and bit disappointing. Set in the middle of these balls was a big clump of hair moss; I'm not a fan of this and have to question either its environmental creditability or authenticity, but perhaps that a personal issue. I also felt a bit let down by the soup; it was light on the beef flavour and needed a bit more oomph. My friends both enjoyed their serves of beef noodles, reporting that the mix of tendon, tripe and skirt all beautifully cooked.

Ka Lai Yuen Chiu Chow Restaurant certainly scores points for sheer creativity. The people behind the venture should get massive credit for one cool looking joint and for adding a bit of interest to Yuen Long's public transport. A visit to a restaurant however isn't about appearances, but taste and I thought my noodles and booty were OK; good, but nothing special. The guys I was with however were more impressed with their meals; maybe I just don't have the sentimental attachment to this type of old school comfort food that my Hong Kong friends do or maybe I just should have ordered the beef. If you're floating past and in the mood for tripe, Ka Lai Yuen Chiu Chow Restaurant is worth a stop, though I wouldn't go out of my way to visit.

Sunday, 2 May 2010

Dumpling King

240 Castle Peak Road, Yuen Long
Visited 1st May 2009

Before a Saturday morning visit to the market and Joey and figure it was time for some sort of food. I’d noticed the Dumpling King but had never tried it, but when we saw the prices we were in there quick smart. The branch we went on Castle Peak Road opposite Yuen Long Plaza is one six outlets scattered between Yuen Long and Tsuen Wan; the other Yuen Long branch is on Fau Tsoi Street near Shaffi’s. Inside the big restaurant is just your typical Chinese dinner; clean but basic.

While claiming to be the ‘King’ as far as dumplings go these guys also sell a range of noodles and rice plates as well as plenty of different snacks. We of course went for a serve of their signature pan-fried dumplings, along with a steamed bun and a serve of hollow soup noodles with chicken wings. The dumplings were a slightly strange elongated shape but were really juicy inside with a crisp, but surprisingly not oily bottom. The pork bun was good, with a decent meaty filling. Joey really wanted ‘hollow noodles’, insisting that as you can suck up soup through the middle they have a really intense flavour; I disagreed. Along with bad ‘luncheon meat’ and soggy macaroni these noodles would have to be about the only Cantonese food I really dislike. As I predicted the hollow noodles, which are really just a bad quality copy of spaghetti were soggy, flavourless mess. The rest of the dish was OK though: a nice enough soup base, minced beef, peanuts and some oily, but tasty wings.
While claiming to be the King of Dumplings is perhaps a bit of an overstatement there’s no denying that the Dumpling King offers some tasty snacks. Probably the most startling thing about this place is the how good value it is; $10 for 5 dumplings, $4 for a bun, $23 for the noodles with a plate of wings and only an additional extra $4 and $5 for soy milk and a Coke; cheap as. Apart from the sloppy hollow noodles I enjoyed my feed at the Dumpling King and will certainly be stopping in again.

Monday, 29 March 2010

Wedding @ The W Hotel

1 Austin Rd West, Kowloon Station, Kowloon
28th March 2010
I'm not sure if getting hitched is some sort of quasi fashion or if the school where I work is inundated with gooey lovebirds, but I do seem to get invited to a lot of weddings. Some I can't make, some I don't want to and then there are those that I go out of my way to be a part of. A good friend from work was celebrating her nuptials' and it was a gig I wasn'
t going to miss; even a day at the Rugby 7s and an early flight to Australia the next morning couldn't dampen my enthusiasm. The venue was the W Hotel; a spot that's usually too cool for my sad arse, but on this occasion it sleek styling seemed just right. Finding the front door was a bit of a mission as Elements would almost have to be the worst sign posted shopping centre in Hong Kong; but I eventually arrived, handed over my 'gift' and settled down with a drink. Maybe it was some sort of hint, but our table was in the furthest corner. One reason I'm often not enthusiastic about wedding banquets is the seemingly identical parade of average dishes that so often gets paraded. The food at the W Hotel was pretty traditional, though I was impressed with the general quality of all the dishes; most of which were top quality.
First off was the traditional roast suckling pig. When I got a glance at the little porker it looked good, but I was a bit disappointed when I was presented with what was basically crackling atop simple rice wafers. The thin skin was crisp and well seasoned; it was just a shame that there was basically no meat to accompany it. Next up was prawns with celery; good, tasty, but nothing exciting. This was followed a less traditional dish; baked crap with cheese. Served in the shell these were really enjoyable, especially as the cheese didn't dominate the sweet crab meat. Then it was a decent braised canopy stuffed inside some winter melon and accompanied by a hair ball that I was informed was sea moss.

There was shark fin next, which I choose not to eat it for ethical reasons. Following this was abalone, sea cucumber and bok choy. Surprisingly it was all pretty good and I even enjoyed the sea cucumber, something I usually can't
see the point in eating. Next up was steamed garoupa; a real highlight. The moist fish was perfectly cooked and went down delightfully, while the chicken that followed was just as good. Roasted to perfection with succulent flesh, crisp skin and perfect seasoning this was my favourite dish of the night.

The fried rice with scallops and bacon was pretty good, while the noodles surpassed my expectations. My limited experiences point to a standard plate of e-fu smothered in starchy white sauce and a few prawns. This is probably my all time least favourite Cantonese dish and I was relieved when the W Hotel instead served us up braised e-fu with shrimp roe. The chewy noodles were perfectly cooked and the roe added an attractive flavour and interesting texture. To finish off it was a sweet soup featuring dried longan, red dates, lotus seeds and wolf berries. I'm not usually too fussed by sweet soups, but this was excellent. Sweet, yet refreshing it was a perfect cleansing finish to an almighty feast. The final course was 'Chinese petits fours'; in this case almond cookies and fried sesame dough. We were all too stuffed to eat another thing, but Joey's mum gave a positive report on the cookies I snuck out for her. The food was excellent, the company good and the W Hotel did a fine job, particularly with the attentive service, but that's all kind of irrelevant. I was there for a wedding and the wedding was what mattered. The bride looked lovely, the groom adequately nervous and smiles abounded; congratulations H and B.
Visit hotel website.

Thursday, 18 March 2010

Luk Yu Tea House

24 Stanley St, Central
Visited 17th March 2010

My mother is visiting with a friend and after an afternoon on the Peak I thought I'd take them somewhere quintessentially Cantonese for their first meal in town. As we were in Central Yuen Kee seemed the obvious choice, but I've been somewhat unimpressed on my last couple of visits so instead thought it was time to try Luk Yu Tea House. This place has been around since 1933 and in many ways still looks like a restaurant of that era. The decor is fantastic with old wooden furniture, antiques and a classic 'old-school' charm. While it is famous for its dim sum the restaurant gained a touch of infamousness in 2002 when tycoon Harry Lam Hon-lit, was shot at point-blank range while eating breakfast.

Specialising in dim sum during the day Luk Yu Tea House is very Cantonese in flavour. We ordered roast pigeon, sauteed squid, barbecue pork, shredded beef and vegetables. The fragrant roast pigeon was really tasty and enjoyable start. Next was a plate of fresh squid that oozed freshness; simply wok-tossed with ginger, capsicum and spring onion, though there wasn't really enough squid on the plate for my liking. My mum's an extremely fussy eater, but the shredded beef was her favourite, though simply tossed with spring onions I thought it a touch bland. The barbecue pork was tasty; however the serve that we got presented with was tiny. To finish it was a plate of crisp choi sum; this was the most disappointing dish as the freshness of the crisp vegetables was lost in a massive glug of starchy oyster-sauce based dressing. We after a bottle of vino but were told that they don't sell wine, which was strange as they had quite a collection of wine bottles on display...
So what did I think? Was Luk Yu Tea House as good as its reputation? First up I really did enjoy the food; it was well prepared and freshness and quality of the ingredients was obvious. The portions were all pretty small and though tasty I thought it was all a touch overpriced. Grumpy, old waiters are a common stereotype associated with Chinese restaurants and the fossils on display at Luk Yu Tea House were the worst I've ever seen. The bloke who served us was rude, arrogant and totally unhelpful; he even had the guile to tell us that he'd prefer his tip in cash rather than added to the credit card bill. I'd certainly be interested in trying the dim sum at Luk Yu Tea House, but the service was so disgusting that I can't see why I'd bother returning for another serve of condescending arrogance dished up by rude waiters.

Tuesday, 10 November 2009

Prince Restaurant

11/F, One Peking, TST
Visited 10th November 2009

Getting a day off school to 'recover' from the trauma of the school picnic is one of the strangest things about teaching in Hong Kong. Could you imagine Aussie kids getting a day off to recover from an excursion? Stop; wait; why am I complaining about a day off work? Anyway I met a mate for lunch in TST and he took me to one of his favourites; the Prince Restaurant. Located on the eleventh floor of the rather nice One Peking Road the restaurant is spacious, elegant and sprouts some impressive views over Victoria Harbour. Glancing at the web it appears that it's the Hong Kong branch of a chain of restaurants scattered throughout China that also includes a hotel and health spa.

Prince Restaurant obviously caters for a Japanese crowd as sushi and sashimi jostle with classic Cantonese dishes and fusion creations on the menu. We ordered BBQ pork buns, xiao long bao (Shanghai soup dumplings), grilled beef with wasabi cream, fried rice with truffle and egg white and wok tossed greens with ginger. The buns were divine; baked rather than steamed they were crisp on the outside with a delightfully sticky top. The dumplings were delicious as was the tender beef that was well matched with the spice of the wasabi. I was a bit sceptical of the rice (especially as truffles are so overused in Hong Kong), but the big serve of tasty rice was well-balanced with the flavour of the finally shredded truffle perfectly integrated. In an attempt to be healthy we got a big plate of crisp Choy sum that came with a tasty home-made ginger sauce. To drink it was the simple clarity of tea.

While there's a lot to be said for the regional food of China, the fusion dishes we tried at Prince Restaurant worked well. The beef, buns and rice were all excellent and managed to tweak traditional dishes with a little added flair. Our bill was $453 for the two of us, not a bargain, though we did order way too much and could have eaten a lot less. The waiter who looked after us was a mega friendly bloke who went out of his way to be helpful, even offering information about the dishes. Oh and of course the view; a view of the sort that makes you be glad to be alive and glad to be in Hong Kong. Good food, surprisingly impressive service and spectacular vistas are going to make the Prince Restaurant a definite consideration next time I've got visitors in town.
Visit restaurant website.

Sunday, 1 November 2009

North Garden Restaurant

1-2/F 249 Des Voeux Rd, Sheung Wan
Visited 31st October 2009

My parents are visiting again and this time they haven't just bought their customary two friends along, but have somehow managed to fill my house with a total of six guests. The mandatory trip to Stanley was scheduled for Saturday and as pre-market substance we decided on yum cha in Central. I don't often eat on Hong Kong Island during the day so was a little unsure of where to head, until my girlfriend suggested North Garden Restaurant. The three story joint is apparently popular with the suits weekdays, but was a great choice for the weekend as it was relatively quiet.

The dim sum menu was pretty extensive, but didn't always follow the traditional formula as many items had been tweaked. We ordered up a tower of steamers and the majority of the food was delicious. The subtle steps away from the norm included water chestnuts with the beef rice paper rolls and mushrooms with the barbecued pork ones; cheese in the spring rolls, scallops in the xiǎolóngbāo (soup dumplings) and egg tarts made with purely egg whites. Though more traditional I also enjoyed the turnip cakes, roast pork and custard buns. The food was all served fresh and the smiles of satisfaction amongst my guests acknowledged its quality.

While I certainly wouldn't be as brash as to label this joint 'fusion' the menu is certainly interesting and offers enjoyable dim sum that’s a step removed from the traditional. The quality of food was good and the service friendly and efficient. Our bill came to $663 for the seven of us which seemed like excellent value as we were all both satisfied and stuffed. North Garden Restaurant ticked all the right boxes for me and is definitely worth considering for weekend brunch when it also comes up trumps as a haven from the crowds.