Tag Archives: dim sum

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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Chiu Chow Mansion

19 Feb

chiu chow mansion hong kong

chiu chow mansion hong kong restaurant

We Hong Kongers are useless when it comes to travelling outside of our comfort zones. Anything that involves more than ten minutes in a taxi or two stops on the MTR is considered far by any standards. When Time Out asked me to review Chiu Chow Mansion, a restaurant in Yau Tong, I had absolutely no idea where exactly Yau Tong was on a map and even considered turning it down.

We calculated that it was eight stops from Central, and therefore allowed ourselves 45 minutes to reach the restaurant; the journey took a mere 21 minutes!

Chiu Chow Mansion resides in a rather random brand new shopping centre called Domain. Where the biggest label is Esprit, this is a far more humble mall than the ones we’re used to, yet it still provides some delicious food that makes this frightfully long journey (ahem) worthwhile.

The huge space is modern and inviting, with high ceilings, exposed light bulbs and colourful seating areas. Despite it being a Tuesday night in a very random place, the whole restaurant was packed, although unsurprisingly we were the only gweilos.

Chiu chow cuisine is not too dissimilar to Cantonese, yet with an emphasis on fresh ingredients, not too much oil and mainly steamed or braised dishes, the flavours are much more subtle.

chiu chow mansion hong kong

Our meal began with a plate of cold grey mullet. Normally cold fish wouldn’t excite me, yet this steamed fish was divine – perfectly tender and fresh. On its own it had an almost sweet flavour, which was incredible paired with the salty fermented bean sauce.

chiu chow mansion hong kong

The fried grey mullet sprinkled with chilli and black beans was a little more tough than its steamed counterpart, yet not in an unpleasant way. Perhaps it was the black beans however that made it a little too salty to be able to manage much of it.

chiu chow mansion hong kong

Although the deep-fried duck with taro offered more taro than duck (and what little duck there was was more fat than duck), the top crispy layer reminded me of one of my favourite dim sum dishes, wu gok, and I couldn’t resist taking the leftovers home for lunch the next day.

chiu chow mansion hong kong

The stir-fried diced pigeon served with lettuce leaves is similar to a Cantonese dish I have loved since childhood. Yet perhaps due to the lack of that all-important hoisin sauce, the flavour was very delicate, maybe even verging on bland. Nonetheless, the contrast in textures, particularly with the chunks of water chestnut, was spot on.

chiu chow mansion hong kong

It seems many Chinese regions have their own version of green beans with pickled vegetables and minced meat. The Chiu Chow version is less oily and has an interesting smoky flavour caused by the delicious pili nuts.

chiu chow mansion hong kong

Where Chiu Chow Mansion really shone in presentation and creativity was with the steamed diced chicken wrapped with egg white. Although these weren’t the most flavoursome of dumplings, the fact that they were made not with regular dumpling skin but with a wafer-thin egg white omelette was highly impressive. The filling was delicate and comforting, made the more so by the thick egg white sauce.

Service at Chiu Chow Mansion was as good as it could be considering we didn’t understand the waiters and neither did they understand us. For far too much food for two people (and enough for lunch for two the following day!) we paid a total of only $508. I wouldn’t necessarily go rushing back to Chiu Chow Mansion just to relieve my hungry stomach… but then again I can probably blame that on my laziness rather than anything else. If for any reason you happen to find yourself in Yau Tong, definitely give it a try.

Chiu Chow Mansion

Shop 214, 2/F Domain
38 Ko Chiu Road
Yau Tong
Kowloon
Hong Kong

Tel: +852 2323 2292

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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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dim sum bar

2 Nov

Over the past few months, Café Deco Group has been busy increasing its repertoire of yummy restaurants and I had the pleasure of visiting one of them on Monday night. dim sum bar, over on what we have established is actually not-such-a-dark side, opened its doors in Harbour City at the end of August, serving its namesake both in the form of old trusty classics and interesting modern treats. Behold my second dim sum review on The Dim Sum Diaries…

dim sum bar is by no means your average dim sum restaurant. With its modern interior and no trace of the oh so classy chandeliers we know to associate with dim sum restaurants, dim sum bar gives off more of a clean, organised feel, whilst still maintaining the casual, down to earth café vibe. Dishes are presented in an elegant manner, with some even served in tiny individual bamboo steamers.

Steamed Siu Mai with Truffle

Whilst old favourites such as char siu bao, char siu cheong fun and pork and shrimp siu mai can be found on the menu, it’s worth branching out and trying dim sum bar’s signature dishes which you certainly won’t find on any other dim sum menu.

Steamed Cheong Fun rolled with Crispy Rice Nest and Seafood

The cheong fun with crispy rice nest and seafood is delicious; an unusual yet perfect contrast between the soft doughy rice noodle and the crispy rice nest. Even more delicious in my opinion, however, is the steamed cheong fun with fresh scallops; perfectly cooked scallops and chunks of choi sum that simply melt in the mouth.

dim sum bar’s version of a turnip cake comes as a deliciously gooey turnip base topped with a crispy shrimp paste. Admittedly this didn’t look incredibly appealing but tasted divine. Siu mai is also prepared with an interesting twist: beautifully presented as pictured above, dim sum bar’s siu mai is topped with finely chopped and very delicately flavoured truffle in place of the standard roe.

King's Dumplings in Lobster Bisque

The King’s dumplings in lobster bisque are a real treat: luxury har gao filled with prawns and incredibly tender lobster submerged in a wonderfully smooth and creamy soup.

Even the fried rice comes with a twist; traditional Cantonese fried rice with shrimps, wrapped in a fresh lotus leaf. Although it was just a little on the dry side, I can never get enough chow fan.

Baked Chocolate Cream Bun

Save space for dim sum bar’s signature cream buns (and signature baked char siu buns which are as delicious as expected) as these are out of this world. I have always thought that dim sum should also come in sweet form and even considered opening a dim sum desserts restaurant! dim sum bar offers a couple of options that would fit right in to my dream restaurant: baked almond cream buns and baked chocolate cream buns. I tried the almond one first; the sweet, warm almond cream immediately delighted my taste buds. It was, however, after a few mouthfuls just a tad too sweet for my liking so I could only manage half. The chocolate bun was amazing; not too sweet, not too sickly, just warm, comforting, delicious chocolate which oozed out of the fluffy, crumbly bun. Why don’t all dim sum restaurants serve these?

Other desserts include all-time favourite mango pudding, black sesame soup and papaya and almond pudding amongst others.

The service at dim sum bar is very good and the waiters are all very friendly, differing from a lot of Hong Kong’s dim sum joints. Prices range from $15 to $85 per dish so are very affordable for upmarket dim sum.

If you love dim sum but get a little bored (if that’s even possible) of the bog standard dishes and fancy something to get your taste buds tingling that little bit more, then make the “trek” to TST and try dim sum bar, even if it’s just to satisfy your chocolate cravings and taste the baked chocolate cream bun!

dim sum bar

Shop G103, G/F Gateway Arcade
Harbour City
Tsim Sha Tsui
Hong Kong

Tel: +852 2175 3100

Date visited: Monday 31st October 2011

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The Grand Stage at Western Market

23 Aug

I am very aware that I call my blog The Dim Sum Diaries and yet there is not a single dim sum review on here. There isn’t really an excuse for it other than that I always go back to the same dim sum restaurants and it is generally against the ethos of my blog to write about an already visited restaurant. I have begun to rectify this by trying The Grand Stage at Western Market.

Western Market, completed in 1906, is the oldest surviving market building in Hong Kong. Obviously it has been renovated a couple of times, but it still maintains the beautiful Edwardian structure, with classical red brick and granite façades and a high ceiling.

The Grand Stage on the second floor is quite an amazing setting, looking out over the few market stalls still in existence. Apart from the all-important chandeliers, it is very different to any other dim sum restaurant in town. There is less hustle and bustle, no need to queue for a table (in fact we were given a table for seven without any delay), and the food is generally presented in a more fancy manner, though not at too much of a price difference.

I think we ordered enough food to serve an army, yet looking through the menu now, I notice things I wish we had ordered. This is always the case with dim sum as no matter how much you order, you never seem to even make a dent in the menu. I always prefer to go in a bigger group, however, as the waiters don’t give you as many dirty looks for ordering far too much food and not eating it (though more often than not, even in a small group, Gweilos will make a pretty good job of finishing it all!).

Highlights at The Grand Stage were poached pork and vegetable wontons in chilli oil, xiao long bao (always a winner), pan-fried turnip cake (essential choice), pan-fried pork buns in Japanese style and har cheong fun (in this case as individual portions with one whole prawn inside rather than pathetic little ones).

I wasn’t too impressed with their egg custard buns, even though they did attempt to make them fancy by adding a touch of grated coconut. The filling just didn’t ooze quite enough for my liking. I like a lot of ooze. The sautéed snap beans with minced pork weren’t wonderful either, as there was too much oil and not enough pork.

Just as in many HK dim sum eateries, the waiters don’t speak amazing English, although they do try their best, and service is passable. Including a tip, we paid $200 each. Obviously you can get dim sum for cheaper in other places, but the atmosphere at The Grand Stage is really worth it. I would recommend it to show off to visitors as an alternative to the fun and lively City Hall, another of my favourites.

Craving something sweet and unable to resist Honeymoon Desserts on the ground floor of Western Market, we popped in there for some mango pudding, mango dumplings and mango sago. So worth the extra calories. Although calories don’t count on a Sunday anyway.

The Grand Stage

2/F Western Market
323 Des Voeux Road
Central
Hong Kong

Tel: +853 2815 2311

Date visited: Sunday 21st August 2011

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