Tag Archives: Cantonese food

Lung King Heen

11 Mar

the dim sum diaries hong kong

 

 

lung king heen hong kong

Some may wonder how one Chinese restaurant can truly stand itself apart from the rest. Lung King Heen at the Four Seasons, the first and only three-Michelin-starred Chinese restaurant in the world, proves, with style and charm, exactly how this can be done.

As you enter, you immediately notice the star-class service and beautiful, elegant décor of hand-embroidered silk and glass screens, comfortable leather chairs and of course the floor to ceiling windows that show off the gorgeous view of the harbour, or ‘view of the dragon’, to which the name translates.

Almost as soon as we were seated, the restaurant’s cheery and slightly mischievous sommelier, Bernard, sauntered over to offer us some Champagne from his Champagne cart; how could we turn him down? And, more importantly, why do more restaurants not have Champagne carts?!

Happily sipping on our bubbles, whilst taking in our city’s gorgeous view, a lotus root and prawn amuse bouche appeared before us to enliven our taste buds and get us even more excited about our imminent feast (as usual, we may have over-ordered just a tad).

lung king heen hong kong

The chef’s signature appetiser selection offered us miniature versions of four incredible starters: crispy eel with sweet soy sauce (amazingly meaty and succulent, with a sweet, satisfying yet delicately crisp exterior); crispy scallop with pear and Yunnan ham (an unexpected yet delicious combination of sweet and savoury, crisp and tender); char siu (one of the best I have tasted – so juicy and meaty with hardly a trace of fat); and barbecued suckling pig (unbelievably crispy skin and ever-so-succulent pork, served atop a slightly strong-flavoured Japanese shiso leaf). I could probably have been content with just this starter.

lung king heen hong kong

The dishes kept on coming, however, starting with individual portions of beautifully presented steamed star garoupa fillet with ginger and spring onions. This faultless fish was as tender as could be, and carried a lovely, comforting flavour.

lung king heen hong kong

lung king heen hong kong

The roast Peking duck, which must be ordered at least six hours in advance, was exquisite. The skin, carved up in front of our table, was perfectly crisp and full of flavour, complemented by the hoisin sauce, spring onions and cucumber, and wrapped up in a soft pancake (which I sadly had to miss out on) – the flavours and textures were enough to create heaven in your mouth.

lung king heen hong kong

The rest of the duck was taken away and brought back several courses later as stir-fried minced duck in lettuce wraps. This has been one of my favourite dishes since childhood, and Lung King Heen’s version did not disappoint.

lung king heen hong konglung king heen hong kong

Unable to decide between two prawn dishes, we ordered smaller versions of both: wok-fried prawns with crispy green pea purée and sautéed prawns with steamed eggplant in spicy plum sauce. Although I thought I would prefer the latter, the sauce was a little too rich and sticky for my liking. The wok-fried prawns, however, were excellent, simply dressed in an interesting yet delicious green pea crumble.

lung king heen hong kong

The wok-fried superior Australian Wagyu beef cubes with morel mushrooms were certainly superior; each bite of beef was wonderfully tender and beautifully flavoured by the rather pungent mushrooms.

lung king heen hong kong

Meanwhile the stir-fried shredded vegetables with bean sprouts were delicately flavoured and very fresh. The addition of soft sheets of tofu played well against the crunchy bean sprouts, giving us a little bit of goodness after all the slightly less healthy dishes!

lung king heen hong kong

I never understand why Chinese restaurants always serve the rice last. I know the saying goes ‘save the best for last’, yet what if by this stage you can barely fit another morsel of food in your mouth?! Who am I kidding? When the Lung King Heen lobster fried rice with seafood arrived, and I tasted just how incredible it was, I made an extra effort to eat every last grain.

lung king heen hong kong

Of course, there was then dessert, and we all know that dessert occupies its own little space in our stomachs (perhaps the paunchy bit at the front that we can never get rid of?!). We tried the chilled mango and sago cream with pomelo – a refreshingly light end to a rather heavy meal.

Service at Lung King Heen lived up to its three-star status throughout the entire evening. Despite dining with the lovely PR ladies, I noticed that service for the other diners was just as exceptional; plates were changed between courses, advice and detailed descriptions of dishes were given where necessary, yet we didn’t feel suffocated at all. When the bill arrives, remember its three-star status, take a deep breath, and think about the delicious food you’ve just eaten. An average meal is likely to cost around $1500 per head, perhaps more if you fail to resist the Champagne cart… Definitely one to recommend.

Lung King Heen

4/F, Four Seasons Hotel

8 Finance Street
Hong Kong

Tel: +852 3196 8888

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Red Kitchen

11 Jun

 

 

Since starting The Dim Sum Diaries over a year ago, I have become much more adventurous and strive to travel further afield to feed my tum in areas I consider outside of my comfort zone. That said, I have, until now, kept my ‘adventures’ to still fairly well-trodden areas. However, last week, I ventured into the ‘ghetto’ that is Cheung Sha Wan to try Red Kitchen.

I say ‘ghetto’ because I was quite honestly surprised by how eerily quiet and empty the streets were, bar the odd pedestrian standing on a street corner, or group of drunk locals enjoying a game of cards and some dinner. Had I been in any other country, I might have been a little apprehensive about walking the unknown streets; in Hong Kong, however, we felt safe as houses. Though perhaps not as safe as the run down houses (slash apartments) that lined the streets as we came out of the MTR station.

After almost getting lost due to the restaurant being on the opposite end of the street than we had originally thought, we arrived at Red Kitchen, an unassuming, small restaurant tucked away between residential buildings. Signage is in Chinese, all menus are in Chinese and the staff speak only Cantonese; it is as local as they come. Fortunately we had a Cantonese-speaker amongst us, who was able to understand the descriptions of dishes given by the waiter, although some ingredients were so unusual that she was unable to translate them into English. We knew, therefore, that the meal would put our taste buds to the test to try to decipher the ingredients present.

As we were only four people, we were restricted to ordering the ‘Set A’ menu. A nine-course meal for a mere $200 each was fine by me, so although I had no clue what we were getting, I had no complaints about menu ‘Set A’.

It began with a cucumber and fish maw salad: paper-thin slivers of cucumber doused in rice wine vinegar were topped with jelly-like sheets of fish maw, a refreshing combination of flavours and textures that set the bar high for the rest of the meal.

To follow, a rather ominous-looking pot of black soup arrived. Rather like being in the sea and not knowing what’s underneath me, this deathly opaque soup frightened me a little bit. However, to taste, it was comforting and delicious, almost like a more flavoursome vegetable broth, rich with mushrooms and root vegetables. According to the waiter, this is a very healthy soup that is ‘good for the body’. Glad to hear it.

Next up, and definitely more appealing to look at, were some humungous deep fried oysters. These plump, creamy oysters were deliciously crispy on the outside, finished with a sprinkling of salt and pepper.

The next dish, which apparently translated to something like ‘fish in a purse’, was hands down the best dish of the night. Little bundles of meaty, boneless white fish were wrapped around some smoked ham and abalone mushrooms, then encased in Chinese cabbage and served in a bowl of delicate broth.

A bowl of pork and bean curd sheets braised in fermented red beans followed. Although the pork wasn’t much to look at and was difficult to eat, it was beautifully tender and intensely flavoured. The bean curd sheets were just as tasty too.

We had high expectations of the signature stuffed duck, but were sadly let down by the blandness of it. The whole duck was deboned, stuffed with rice, chestnuts and salted egg, before being sewn back together and roasted. There was far too much rice, not enough meat and, although I feel like a total gweilo saying this, it would probably have benefitted from a sprinkling of soy sauce. It was the sweet chestnuts and salted egg that really stood out in this dish.

The tofu and baby pak choy was again not as good as it could have been: the vegetables were delicious and crunchy, whilst the tofu, although wonderfully silky, was lacking in flavour.

The last savoury dish of king prawns cooked in honey, though difficult to extract from their shells, were perfectly cooked and deliciously moreish; sadly there was only one each.

To finish, we were served a plate of red date cake. Although not everyone’s cup of tea, I loved this dessert, which was decadently sweet and wonderfully gooey. I was quite pleased not everyone liked it as it meant more for me!

Although Red Kitchen still has some imperfections, it has proven that trips outside of our comfort zone are very much worthwhile. The beauty of Red Kitchen is that, as dishes are prepared to cater for the exact number in your party, you are able to try nine different dishes without being overwhelmed or uncomfortably full. Where in Central would we find a comparative gem that serves a nine-course feast for only $200? Nowhere, I tell you.

Red Kitchen

542 Fuk Wing Street
Cheung Sha Wan
Kowloon
Hong Kong

Tel: +852 6769 0299 or 9094 0584

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Wing Lei at Wynn Macau

23 May

 

 

On a recent girlie trip to the Wynn Macau, organised through Sassy Hong Kong, we had the pleasure of trying Macau’s only two Michelin-starred restaurant, Wing Lei. The full hotel and spa review can be read here, but I thought it only right to go into a little more necessary detail about just how delicious the food was…

We had informed the hotel in advance that both of us are sensitive to gluten, however when it came to Cantonese food, we were a little apprehensive about what we would be served at Wing Lei; either it wouldn’t actually be gluten free, we thought, or we would get food envy of all the dim sum dishes we would have to miss out on.

Perhaps we should have realised that Wing Lei earned its two Michelin stars for a reason and had a little more faith however, as every dish we were served was both beautifully presented and utterly divine.

Selection of appetisers

A gorgeous plate of cold appetisers set the standard high. I adored the Chilled sliced sea cucumber and cucumber with spicy sauce, as it offered such a wonderful contrast between the delicate and strong flavours and textures. Next, the Drunken prawns, marinated in Chinese rice wine, were a tad too sweet for me, although I loved the adorable cucumber lattice they were perched on. Aubergine, when cooked to perfection, is definitely up there amongst my favourite vegetables, and the Marinated eggplant with barbecued duck supported this view. Last, but certainly not least, the Smoked beancurd with mushrooms and sweetened carrot was like a little Swiss roll of goodness.

Selection of dim sum

Moving onto the selection of dim sum, although I would possibly never have picked out any of the three options we were served, I was completely wowed by the delicate flavours of all three. I have a friend who closes her eyes every time she eats delicious food; this dim sum was definitely eye-closing worthy. The Steamed Turnip Cake stuffed with Fish Paste and Osmanthus was evidently beautiful in appearance, topped with gold leaf. Yet to taste, it was even better, as the sweet, delicate flavour of the osmanthus flowers contrasted perfectly with the saltiness of the seafood. The Steamed layered bean curd skin with soy bean milk tasted like a warm hug, its flavours so light and soothing. My favourite of the three was the Steamed beancurd sheet wrapped with chicken and mushrooms – a divine little bundle of delight.

It was the two dishes that followed, however, that really made Wing Lei shine. Firstly, the melt-in-the-mouth Steamed codfish roll was incredible, stuffed with silky soft bean curd, swathed in a delicate broth and dotted with intensely flavoured preserved tree seeds.

Crispy crab claw and crabmeat with egg white

Then, the Crispy crab claw with fragrant garlic flakes on fried crabmeat and egg white offered two contrasting, yet completely complementing halves: the light, fluffy egg white, infused with lovely, soft crabmeat encased in a leaf of crunchy iceberg lettuce; and the strong (perhaps a little too strong) flavoured crispy crab claw coated in crispy garlic flakes. Such a gorgeous dish.

A trio of Wing Lei’s desserts

To finish, a trio of desserts including fresh fruit, yoghurt and coconut and red bean hearts was presented before us, the latter of which was my favourite.

The contrast between delicate and intense that was so evident in the food seemed to be a recurring theme throughout Wing Lei; it is seen in the design of the restaurant, where subtle, traditional décor is juxtaposed with Wing Lei’s centrepiece, the flying dragon. Made up of 90,000 Swarovski crystals, this iconic dragon, symbolising happiness, luck and activity, fits in perfectly with the overall feel throughout the Wynn: a blend of opulence and that vital ‘Vegas-esque’ charm.

The average meal at Wing Lei apparently costs around MOP300, which equates to around the same in HKD – can you imagine ever being able to get an incredible fine dining experience in a two Michelin-starred restaurant for HKD300 here in Hong Kong?! Not likely.

Wing Lei

Wynn Macau
Rua Cidade de Sintra
NAPE
Macau

Tel: +853 8986 3663

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Spring Moon

9 Mar

When I think of The Peninsula, I think of elegance. I think of class. I think of all the things we are often too busy to care about in Hong Kong’s fast-paced lifestyle. Spring Moon, The Peninsula’s Cantonese restaurant, echoes this to the letter. It is designed to be reminiscent of a 1920s-style Shanghainese mansion with dark wood and oriental rugs. Little touches like the silver bowls and trays used for things as commonplace as nuts or warm hand towels were enough to make me know, right from the onset, that this was going to be a very special meal indeed.

We tried the wine-pairing menu at Spring Moon, which is available until the 14th March. This 8-course feast offered very traditional Cantonese dishes (dishes which one would perhaps not usually order, but which nevertheless tasted divine) with six carefully selected wines to complement them.

Deep fried American oyster

The first dish of Deep-fried American oyster set the bar pretty high. The huge, fresh oyster was wrapped in a crisp, delicate batter. Whilst it had a strong flavour, it was not over-powering like some oysters can be and, paired with a beautiful New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc from Hawkes Bay, was the perfect start to a perfect meal.

Double-boiled sea conch with cordyceps flowers

To follow, we were served a beautifully presented soup: Double-boiled sea conch with cordyceps flowers. Certainly not for the un-adventurous, this soup featured chunks of salty and slightly chewy sea conch and a perhaps-somewhat-unnecessary chicken’s foot. Although the foot didn’t particularly excite me, the soup as a whole was unexpectedly tasty and comforting. The sort of dish I would imagine to be perfect for when you’re feeling under the weather.

Sauteed prawns with spicy-sour black pepper sauce

The Sautéed prawns with spicy-sour black pepper sauce, topped with crispy noodles, were divine. The sauce had a subtle kick hidden behind the sweet flavour. A little insulted, we declined the offer of a knife and fork, but in hindsight perhaps we should have accepted as it was not the easiest dish to eat due to the size of the succulent prawns. A 2008 Riesling from Alsace, France, which was lighter than your average Riesling, was the ideal match for these prawns.

Braised goose web and pomelo peel in abalone sauce

An interesting looking Braised goose web and pomelo peel in abalone sauce followed. The pomelo peel had been boiled for five hours in fish stock, giving it a wonderful melt-in-the-mouth texture and a salty-sweet taste. The braised goose web (literally a goose foot!) had more meat on it than the chicken’s foot and was surprisingly tasty. A full-bodied 2008 Pinot Noir from Santa Maria Valley, USA went down a treat; I think this was my favourite wine of the night.

Wagyu beef with morels

The Wagyu beef with morels, another beautifully presented dish, was a real winner. Though the beef may have been slightly chewy, the flavour shone through and I was surprised to find that the morels were even more delicious. Served in a cute little bird’s nest and accompanied by a wonderfully oaky South African Constantia Glen Three, this may well have been my favourite dish.

Coddled young spinach in rice broth

Compared to the rest of the dishes, the Coddled young spinach in rice broth seemed rather bland. However, this was actually not a problem and in fact I even think it needed to be bland in order to balance the richness of the other dishes. Again, I can only describe this as a comforting dish.

Fried rice is one of my favourite dishes of all time. Back when I was a really fussy eater (can you believe it?!), I would eat little else. The Fried rice with barbecued pork and preserved vegetables did not disappoint. In fact it was so good that as soon as it was presented before me, I pounced and forgot to capture it on camera! Oh well, we all know what chow fan looks like. Succulent char siu and preserved vegetables, the latter a traditional ingredient used less and less nowadays, will always win my heart.

Spring Moon dessert - Orange pudding

To end our feast, a Spring Moon dessert was served. This was a delicious orange pudding, similar to the traditional mango variety. However, where a mango pudding is perpetually sweet, this orange pudding maintained a refreshing sharpness to it. For me, this was ideal as I adore sour things and found the 2007 Chateau Belingard Monbazillac from Bordeaux already far too sweet for my liking.

Service at Spring Moon also reflects the elegance and class I alluded to at the beginning of this review. Although service between courses may have been slow, the waiters were more than attentive and made us feel relaxed and very well looked after.

The ‘wine pairing promotion’ costs $1,388 per person. They change the promotion with frequency; sometimes it might be a tea pairing promotion or a focus on one aspect of Cantonese cuisine. Frankly I’m glad we booked our table when we did as I love a good wine-pairing!

Spring Moon

1/F The Peninsula
Salisbury Road
Tsim Sha Tsui
Kowloon
Hong Kong

Tel: +852 2315 3160

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