Chef Jayson Tang of Man Ho Chinese Restaurant at the JW Marriott hotel began his cooking career at his parents’ dai pai dong at the age of 10. Two and a half decades later, he is cooking at a top Cantonese restaurant, palace-like in style, serving the same dishes as his childhood, this time with premium ingredients and presentation.
I admit that hotel dining is not my typical preference for a meal in Hong Kong. I side with the homely touch of an independent restaurant or neighbourhood joint. However, Man Ho delivers on the type of home comforts I seek out in Hong Kong; the food does the talking here, although it is a marvel enjoy a meal sitting amongst crystal chandeliers.
Before our first dish arrived at the table, we picked at the seaweed cashew nuts (HKD40). They’re nothing noteworthy, but they satiate the palate before the big plates appear.
The first dish is the magnificent roasted goose with aged dried radish (HKD368), a dish I had eagerly anticipated tasting for days prior after scoping the menu for Cantonese classics. The radish paste, paired up with dried tangerine peel, helps to draw out the salty and smoky flavours of the bird. The dish is served alongside an extra helping of dried radish paste and plum sauce.
The goose skin itself is perfectly crisp and holds a burst of fat that melts on the tongue. The meat is soft and cooked on the bone for maximum umami flavour.
Steamed sliced bean curd with preserved vegetables, ginkgo, spring onion, dried bean curd, green and red pepper (HKD288) is the vegetable dish we ordered. Whilst a lengthy name to a dish, each element of this vegetable plate is essential in evoking a peppery and sweet touch. I particularly enjoyed the ginkgo, spring onion, and dried bean curd, which offer textural contrast to the steamed bean curd. A work of art.
I still dream of the deep-fried Australian Wagyu beef cheek (HKD388), days after finishing the meat with a friend. The premium beef is coated with a thin layer of cornmeal breading, and where the deep-fried element is concerned, each bite oozes beefy juices on the tongue.
The beef cheek is made even better with a sweet-smoky black pepper sauce that takes on the traditional Cantonese steakhouse recipes of searing beef cuts with a sweet, peppery sauce.
Stuffed but ready to end our meal, we finished with the Sichuan dan dan noodles with spicy minced beef (HKD108). The broth is milky with an undertone of Sichuan oil. It is also buttery and salty, but not overpowering. Each sip has a strong bone-broth flavour, and this is helped along with the spicy minced beef on top to further amplify the dish’s earthy tones. These noodles are an instant hit in my book.
Our verdict of Man Ho Chinese Restaurant
As a fan of more upscale Cantonese cuisine, Man Ho Chinese Restaurant in Admiralty hits it out of the park, with every dish elevating a classic childhood, dai pai dong, or home-kitchen favourite. The bean-curd dish is artistic and shows how chef Jayson strives for perfect presentation. I would return just for the deep-fried Wagyu, a bite of beef that would be difficult to recreate elsewhere.
Man Ho Chinese Restaurant, 3/F, JW Marriott Hotel Hong Kong, Pacific Place, 88 Queensway, Admiralty, 2810 8366, book here
| Order this: deep-fried Australian Wagyu beef cheek, steamed sliced bean curd, roasted goose with aged dried radish Menu: Man Ho Chinese Restaurant à-lá-carte menu Price for two: HKD1,300–1,500 | Atmosphere: comforting and cosy underneath crystal chandeliers in a palace-like dining room Perfect for: lengthy lunches with family and friends and tasting menus at night |
This review is intended to offer an individual perspective on the dining experience and should not be considered as a definitive judgement of the restaurant’s overall quality or reputation. The views expressed in this review are solely the author’s and do not reflect the opinions of Foodie.
