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

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.

The post Man Ho Chinese Restaurant review: Cantonese classics amped up with quality ingredients, cooking appeared first on Foodie.

In Taikoo Shing, native Okinawan chef Omine Sozen of Bistro Maru Maru shines a spotlight on the art of yoshoku, in partnership with Epicurean Group izakaya expert Hotta Tomoyuki, who led the original Maru Maru when it opened in the neighbourhood in 2023.

Chef Omine has been cooking up a storm since 1982, when he was the second-generation protégé of master chef Nobuo Murakami at Tokyo’s Imperial Hotel. At Bistro Maru Maru, chef Omine delivers contemporary takes on yoshoku recipes and techniques.

In the tuna tartare served with ice-cream cone (HKD83), the tartare itself is delicious –  we especially love the addition of daikon for a crunchy textural element – but we think the store-bought ice-cream cone is gimmicky and unwarranted.

A much better appetiser option is the deep-fried mozzarella cheese (HKD63), lighter than its Italian-American counterpart. The cheese balls sit atop a fresh tomato sauce that’s a quintessential complement to this carby dish.

We also enjoyed the mentaiko potato salad (HKD62), a hefty portion of sweet and tangy Japanese-style mentaiko-studded potato salad crowned with a runny egg. Mix the egg with the potato salad and accompanying salad leaves and you’ve got yourself a surprising flavour bomb.

Chef Omine is justly proud of his thick Hokkaido Sangen pork teppanyaki (HKD155/175). Forty-four hours of preparation time (20 hours of marination in a herb brine, followed by slow-cooking for a full day) are required before the mighty cut of pork tenderloin is brought to the table, resting in a mini skillet. A choice of sauce comes on the side; we think the punchy curry sauce is the best fit for the pork’s pure savouriness, whilst the demi-glace and tomato sauce seem bland in comparison. 

Tonkatsu, inspired by German schnitzel, has become a cherished Japanese comfort food, and we actually prefer the deep-fried pork loin (HKD128/HKD148) to the Sangen pork. The soft, crispy, deep-fried panko coating nicely envelopes the pork loin. The loin itself seems leaner than most, but it makes up for it with a strong natural meat flavour.

The taco rice (HKD83) is a nod to chef Omine’s Okinawan heritage, where the Tex-Mex-meets-Japanese dish is most popular. Bistro Maru Maru’s version is a moreish mishmash of shredded lettuce, melted cheese, chopped tomato, tomato salsa, and spiced beef mince heaped upon a mound of steamed Japanese rice – our favourite dish of the tasting for pure comfort.

The homemade Saikyo miso-flavoured crema catalana (HKD48) is a fitting ending to a meal at Bistro Maru. Chef Omine’s rendition of this traditional Spanish caramelised custard takes on a frozen format, glazed with an umami hint of miso. This dessert strikes just the right balance between sweet and savoury.

Our verdict of Bistro Maru Maru

Bistro Maru Maru highlights a sometimes underappreciated facet of Japanese cuisine – yoshoku – in all its comforting deliciousness. Taikoo Shing has more and more enticing, wallet-friendly restaurants popping up lately, and Bistro Maru Maru fits right in.

Although it was our mission to tackle Bistro Maru Maru’s yoshoku dishes, the classic izakaya side of the concept comes into play on the menu too, with several pages of skewer, sashimi, and sukiyaki items that we’ll be back to try.

Bistro Maru Maru, Shop G1019, G/F, Kam Sing Mansion, 3 Tai Fung Avenue, Taikoo Shing, 2505 2266

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.

The post Bistro Maru Maru review: izakaya meets yoshoku in Taikoo Shing with Japanese comfort food appeared first on Foodie.

The buzz of a new restaurant can make any Hong Kong foodie blush. When a brand as established as Chaotianmen Hot Pot comes to the city, Instagrammers, journalists, and food-crazed individuals alike are eager to get the first snaps of the restaurant.

As Chinese foodies mandate, every aspect of of the work-play life balance is Instagrammable – or, in this case, perfect for Xiaohongshu. The main dining room of Lan Kwai Fong’s Chaotianmen is decorated akin to a Chinese palace, the private rooms are comfortable with padded seating, and the hotpot ingredients – meat galore – suit the diet of a king.

Chaotianmen has nearly nine decades of history of which to boast, with more than 1,000 locations in Mainland China and abroad, and it ranks in the top 10 of China’s hotpot brands. Meals at the hotpot restaurant, like ours did, begin with attentive service from the wait staff. 

Each meat, shellfish, and vegetable order is presented on ice, to preserve freshness, inside castle-shaped chests. The premium ingredients are shipped fresh from China. We selected a dual tomato umami broth and Sichuan spicy broth and let the hotpot stewing commence. 

The restaurant allows users to order bases, ingredients, and drinks on a touchscreen, whilst also specifying the spice level of each base. After mixing our own sauces from a rolling sauce tray (a nice touch), we began dipping the beef neck and Sichuan-spiced beef cheek into each broth.

Holding quality marbling, each dunking of the beef into the broth allows for the fat to soak up Sichuan spice or more subtle tomato flavours that melt on the tongue in a juicy salt bomb.  

A serving of A4 Wagyu loin was up next, again requiring just seconds of dunking in the steaming soup bases to soak up the juice. We wrapped the beef around our chopsticks and slapped a heavy spoonful of our sesame-soy-vinegar-chilli sauce mixture to help to bring out the saltier side of the meat.

The white fungus and soybean rolls, hotpot staples, both helped to deliver the broth juice to our mouth with a sesame-heavy and nutty flavour from these sides. They are must-orders at Chaotianmen.

Their New Zealand lamb rolls were recommended to us by our server. Tougher than the beef on our palate, they hold a quality gamy flavour and good fat-to-meat ratio that matches the power of the beef at the table.

Ending the meal with a fresh mango yoghurt snowflake ice was the cherry on the top of a spicy and euphoric meal – the perfect palate cleanser.

Our verdict of Chaotianmen

Hong Kong deserves more regional Chinese flavours in the city, especially at a time when the restaurant scene is in flux. I celebrate the arrival of Chaotianmen in Lan Kwai Fong, where diners can enjoy the true flavours of Chongqing’s spicy cuisine. The meat is utterly supreme in quality and the spice level ample to get your body ringing and leave you ecstatic after your meal.

Chaotianmen Hot Pot, UG/F, California Tower, 30–32 D’Aguilar Street, Lan Kwai Fong, Central, 9833 0177, book here

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.

The post Chaotianmen review: decadent Chongqing hotpot in Lan Kwai Fong fit for royals appeared first on Foodie.

This latest branch of Chef’s Cuts – spacious and lively, awash in wood, leather, and stone – is housed within Wong Chuk Hang’s new mall, THE SOUTHSIDE, joining outlets at Central Market, AIRSIDE in Kai Tak, and Tuen Mun.

Conscientious sourcing comes into play with the eatery’s showpiece house dry-aged Black Angus rib-eye (HKD388/HKD628). This cut of US-bred Black Angus beef is dry-aged in-house to achieve optimal tenderness. Even the 300g portion we were served is seriously hefty. This is a solid piece of nicely charred and marbled beef at a great price tag.

Then there’s the roasted bone marrow (HKD188), which is a must-order for us on any menu for its luxurious richness. The bone marrow here is first slow-cooked, before being roasted with braised Wagyu short rib ragout, cep mushroom, and caramelised onion. Slather it all on the toasted bread rounds.

On the seafood front, the colourful Chef’s Cuts ceviche (HKD158) features generous amounts of scallop, octopus, shrimp, and hamachi (and red onion). This ceviche is more tangy than spicy, but we liked the bursts of sweet mango and grilled corn against the briny seafood.

Chef’s Cuts’ pasta options are also heavy on the seafood, from the pasta puttanesca with prawns (HKD178) to the Hokkaido scallop-ink spaghetti (HKD198). 

The lobster mac and cheese (HKD198), from the appetiser portion of the menu, is definitely more lobster than mac, coming with half a Boston lobster. If you’re a lobster fan, you’ll like it. If you’re an admirer of mac and cheese, you won’t. The macaroni portion is on the stingy side and tastes similar to the boxed variety,  lacking that cheesy oomph.

Chef’s Cuts shines with its desserts, and we tried two classic British puddings. The strawberry Eton mess (HKD78) is the lighter and fresher of the two, a summery dream of strawberries, vanilla gelato, and meringue. Whilst more apt for cooler weather, the restaurant’s sticky toffee pudding (HKD85) – on our shortlist of our all-time favourite desserts – is comfort food at its finest.

Our verdict of Chef’s Cuts Southside

We don’t always want bells and whistles when we eat out. There are times when all we crave is a comforting plate of pasta or well-cooked steak. Chef’s Cut is the answer to our comfort-food needs with a straightforward, reasonably priced menu that’s ideal for sharing. When we’re not feeling so ravenous, we’ll be back to explore the salads and coco flatbreads.

Chef’s Cuts, Shop 229–230, 2/F, THE SOUTHSIDE, 11 Heung Yip Road, Wong Chuk Hang, 2117 0613, WhatsApp 9325 8607

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.

The post Chef’s Cuts Southside review: go for the generous portions of quality steak and comforting desserts appeared first on Foodie.

A new chef, Kazunari “Kazu” Araki of Nobu fame in New York, comes to Fukuro to continue the legacy of one of Soho’s longest-surviving izakayas, catering to the “city’s night owls.”

Nothing has changed about the restaurant beyond the funky menu now presented on the table. The classic salaryman vibe and wood-panelled interior mean that the colour on the plate and palate pop out even more. That’s what’s central to the bigeye tuna zuke (HKD208) and kanpachi (HKD168).

Both the tuna and snapper dishes bring about amped-up fishy tones, with delicious additions of sea salt, garlic oil, jalapeño, onion, and other sour and salty seasonings. The fresh fish – and it is very fresh – is simply a canvas on which to paint the strong flavours driven into the mouth. 

Bird lovers at Fukuro will be happy with the new menu; both the pepper chicken karaage (HKD138) and chicken tatsuta sando (HKD228) introduce juicy chicken bites in two different forms, taking on a Cantonese style of cooking.

I loved the salt and pepper dusting over the cornmeal batter, reminiscent of the typhoon shelter-style seasoning familiar to Hong Kong’s dai pai dongs and suiting local palates. The same coating is shared in the sando, where pickles and a mustard-strong coleslaw come in to amplify the sour flavours.

Other plates we ordered, including the gyoza (HKD128), again evince the central theme of sour and salty. The yuzu-heavy ponzu in which the gyoza bathe complements the vegetables packed tightly inside the dumplings.

Before we got to the sweets, Fukuro’s new unagi and Wagyu claypot rice (HKD278) provided a sensational buttery bite. The unagi, more commonly known as eel, is perfectly tender and slathered in teriyaki sauce. The A4 Wagyu soaks the crispy sushi rice and spreads strong beefy flavours throughout the dish.

The burnt miso cheesecake (HKD88) is the perfect ending to a salty and sour meal at Fukuro. A palate cleanser befitting the Japanese theme of the menu, each spoonful is ridiculously indulgent. The texture is pleasant on the tongue, with the sweetness of the cheesecake boosting our serotonin levels.

Our verdict of Fukuro

Seven years after launching in Hong Kong, at the time Black Sheep’s 18th opening, Fukuro has survived – and thrived – through the group’s doubling of its restaurant count and the many twists and turns of Hong Kong’s F&B scene. One thing’s for certain: Fukuro’s izakaya vibe, menu, and quality sake prove that this spot is needed in Soho for a delicious temporary escape to Nippon.

Fukuro, 1–5 Elgin Street, Soho, Central, 2333 8841, book here

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.

The post Fukuro review: Soho’s izakaya reinvents itself 7 years after opening with new chef, menu appeared first on Foodie.

Sleek grey tones colour the entire restaurant, numbering only three rooms, two of which are private. Where expression comes in is on the plate, and that is where the teppanyaki restaurant is vibrant.

It must be said that Hong Kong is flushed with teppanyaki restaurants, yet this is the city’s only Michelin star teppanyaki venue, having held onto a one star accolade for five years running. 

Me and my friend were thankfully not experiencing the heavy wind and rain dusting Hong Kong outside, beyond our presence in the lair. We were sheltering indoors and enjoying their extensive chef’s special lunch (HKD480) ready to devour.

The appetiser of choice for the lunch begins with a chawanmushi bowl, decorated with plump salmon roe. The textures at play, with the softly boiled egg mixture and the bulbs of seafood umami, was enjoyable to savour. Many restaurants in Hong Kong forget about texture when designing food to eat, but this one does not.

The amadai fish came next up on the lunch menu. Cooked in a classic style frying the skin to crisp up the scales for a crispy bite, the fish is bathed in a French-inspired buttery and green sauce that helps increase the depth of flavours. 

I wish there was a saltier bite to the fish, so I ended up adding the provided Japanese tartare sauce to add pickley ending.

The main dish on the lunch menu is the U.S. sliced beef, which sees the teppanyaki chef, well-trained in his craft, bring six slices of USDA prime beef to the teppan and fries on low-heat with a dusting of mixed spices.

Inside, beansprouts are hidden to add a crunch to each beef slice. The meat pairs well with the teriyaki sauce served alongside. Higher-grades of USDA beef and Wagyu would provide a more fatty and salty bite, but for the price, we were happy with the selection. It was a toned cut of beef that did not struggle with a chew. 

The pickles and miso soup of the meal paired nicely with the fried rice, featuring an assortment of fried fish, egg, and chives. I wanted more soy sauce for a saltier bite, but I ended up using the teriyaki sauce to raise the sodium levels for the carby part of the meal. 

Whilst just a side order for the main attraction, I was uniquely impressed by the pickles. They held a sweet vinegary flavour to them, with an added chilli dressing that oozed out a deep salty taste.

The final touch to the lunch was a lemon sorbet held neatly in an ice cream sandwich. It was a perfect palate cleanser to wipe away the oil and salt of the meal. 

Our verdict of IM Teppanyaki & Wine

For an affordable price in Hong Kong, IM Teppanyaki & Wine brings a clean and vibrant touch to the sub-cuisine, where other locations can deliver the same quality but demanding higher costs. I was comfortably full by the end of the meal and left happy with the simple dishes shared. I will be back!

IM Teppanyaki & Wine, 1/F, SL Ginza, 2C-2D Lau Li Street, 68 Electric Road, Tin Hau, 2570 7088, book here

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.

The post IM Teppanyaki & Wine review: a teppanyaki spot intent on moreish flavours appeared first on Foodie.

Basement restaurants in Hong Kong often allude to fears of humidity and darkness – Yat Tung Heen is neither. The cool and calm main hall of the restaurant sees tables spread wide apart and soft lighting that drives home the comfort feel when going out for yum cha.

The first bites of our meal – the chilled eggplant with garlic sauce (HKD58) and drunken chicken marinated with Chinese yellow wine (HKD88) drove home the principles of Yat Tung Heen: it is simple and elegant, not boisterous with over-the-top plating and recipes, but good in sustaining the traditions. 

The poached chicken was flavoured well from its light bodied wine dunking, so too with the garlic sauce that pushed a strong aroma into the eggplant. A long Friday lunch suited our overordering of dim sum plates.

Up next came the steamed beef tripe with satay sauce (HKD48) and steamed minced beef balls with coriander (HKD48), two plates that do well in the bovine department. The tripe remains tender without the typically annoying chewy bite, helped on by a delicate sweet satay sauce. The beef balls oozed out a juice that begged for us to order one more plate – we saved our appetite for other dishes.

The final savoury item arriving at our table was the steamed vegetable dumplings with himematsutake mushroom (HKD58). Whilst packed with sauteed garden and root vegetables, the dumplings needed a dunking into the soy sauce and chilli sauce to draw out stronger flavours.

At Yat Tung Heen, we could not help but go overboard on the sweet side of the menu, caving our forks into the steamed sponge cake (HKD38) which was, according to my recency bias, a perfect recipe of the beloved dim sum cake. Fluffy, warm, and holding a slightly honey flavour in its body. The deep-fried custard buns (HKD48) were equally compelling.

Our meal saw its end with the last of the dishes, including the restaurant’s signature chilled mango glutinous rolls (HKD58). Using imported Filipino mangoes and wrapping them in desiccated coconut-dusted glutinous rolls, this sweet snack was perfectly balanced between a tangy sweetness and nutty touch. The caramelised crispy egg twist (HKD48), ordered at the end of our glutinous adventure, was a bit too much to muster after swallowing nine plates prior. 

Our verdict of Yat Tung Heen

In search of a more refined dim sum meal, situated beyond the clink and clankering of your traditional haunts, Yat Tung Heen strikes a balance between your modern and historic yum cha takes. Their weekday dim sum lunch menu suits a family gathering with well-bodied flavours, whilst the main menu is broad for catering to all tastes.

Yat Tung Heen, Level B2, Eaton HK, 380 Nathan Road, Jordan, 2710 1093, book here

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.

The post Yat Tung Heen review: Michelin-starred dim sum strikes well on homely flavours appeared first on Foodie.

Above & Beyond is a restaurant to travel to. Hotel ICON is not a Western hotel brand. It is run as a training hotel for Poly University hotelier students to train in Hong Kong service and F&B production. 

As a high-flying, high-altitude restaurant, the view from Above & Beyond is incredible, capturing the tip of Tsim Sha Tsui and the background of towering Hong Kong Island. The menu stands talls too with great quality ingredients, most notably of the sea and land.

The mince spotted garoupa with fine-grained yam (HKD98) is a strong starter for a lunch at the restaurant, introducing a delicate starchy texture that fits with the salty chunks of garoupa. 

Our multi-course meal heads off onto the stir-fried Australian M9 wagyu beef cubes with brown garlic (HKD648). I typically prefer my steak loaded with salt and dolloped with mustard, yet the quaint flavours of the beef is preferred in a Cantonese dining space. The shallow-fried garlic bites and garlic paste bring aroma to the bite, where the beef juices bring umami.

Whilst the summer weather brought us drastic conditions – arriving for the soup with sun and blue skies only to find a white-washed rainy day at the beef dish – my meal was made highly memorable with the steamed speckled blue garoupa with crushed salted soy bean (HKD488). It highlights the restaurants’ excellence in simple dishes.

The fish sees a light dusting of raw garlic puree to bring out the fragrance of the fish, matched with the sweet light soy sauce bed, where the garoupa rests. The fish is cooked with its skin to impart a gelatinous and collagen-rich texture.

If the garoupa was not enough, Above & Beyond’s signature crispy roasted chicken (HKD288) landed on the table and impressed me – wildly. The bird is prepared over hours in a lengthy recipe involving many oil washes to crisp up the skin of the chicken.

Each leg and breast chunk has a perfect fat-to-meat ratio, eaten best when lightly drenched in the provided lemon juice and salt. To pardon the overused metaphor, it is a literal explosion of flavours. Your mouth is coated in an addictive, savoury chicken juice.

Paired up with the mains was the wok-fried mushroom, gingo lily bulb, asparagus and black fungus (HKD238). The dish helped balance the fish and meat flavours with an assortment of garden-fresh vegetables to help cut the fat and cleanse the palate.

Our verdict of Above & Beyond

Hotel ICON’s Above & Beyond deserves more attention than what it is shown presently. The restaurant runs a confident food programme that serves traditional Cantonese dishes without the fuss and fancy ingredients. It is Cantonese food at its most raw nature. The view helps to elevate the fanciful experience dining here.

Above & Beyond, 28/F, Hotel Icon, 17 Science Museum Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, 3400 1318

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.

The post Above & Beyond review: elegant Cantonese-style fish and meat, with views to match appeared first on Foodie.

Where Ma On Shan and Tai Po’s dining scene sees few large-scale restaurants operating, Sha Tin 18 has drawn dining families and gourmands in the east of New Territories to follow their telling of true Cantonese cuisine – no corners are cut with their recipes, I have to mention.

The two-dozen-page menu sees inclusions of wok-fried, steamed dim-sum, sauteed vegetables, oil-drenched chicken, and fresh live seafood cut and poached in-house. Our weekday lunch meal begins with a palate cleanser: the-ever piquant tossed white fungus and kumquat (HKD188) salad.

A favourite of mine in the fungus department, the white fungus holds a bouncy texture that bounces back at you when bitten. It is a playful vegetable. The kumquat fruit slices and juice help to energise your palate – and brain!

Onto the next dim sum dish, the steamed elm fungus dumpling (HKD75). Sticky to touch with your chopsticks, the three dumplings are straight out of the steamer, proving freshness is the key to Sha Tin 18’s cooking.

What results is a gelatinous texture pleasant on the tongue and an assortment of mushrooms, courgette, and carrot giving off mild umami flavours. It is a clean bite and pairs well with black vinegar for amping up the sharpness. 

Where things get exciting is the wok-baked cod fish (HKD528), paired up with a homemade Chinese wampi paste. A sister to the lychee and longan, the wampi holds a similar flavour to the popular fruits with amped up acidity. The honey roasted skin of the fish, a result of the wok hei, meets a sweet pickled flavour as the paste is coated all over the protein.

Cod fish is so well-prepared at Sha Tin 18 that their simmered cod fish puff (HKD468), swimming in a salty fish broth with pak choy, made me wish we could order two bowls. The broth was milky and rich with a nutty flavour, presumably from the collagen and bones simmered down. The fish puffs were bouncy, oozing out the fish broth juice for maximum coating of the delicate cod flavours.

A visit to the Sha Tin palace could not be completed without an order of their signature Peking duck, which is served tableside with cucumber, leeks, soy bean paste, and pancakes. 

We picked at their skin, breast meat, leg meat with skin (HKD568). The skin was predictably fatty, and unusually tasty once dipped into white sugar. The breast and leg meat, of course, tasted very fine with the addition of the soy bean paste in a pancake. 

Our verdict of Sha Tin 18

Sha Tin 18 serves as a meeting place for neighbouring residential communities, granting big tables access to top-notch Chinese delicacies and dim sum coming from Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Fujian, and Shunde. I was a big fan of how they prepared their cod fish and Peking duck, so too with the open-style kitchen, providing more transparency and education to how their starred dishes are created.

Sha Tin 18, Hyatt Regency Hong Kong, Sha Tin, 4/F, 18 Chak Cheung Street, Ma Liu Shui, 3722 7932, book here

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.

The post Sha Tin 18 review: top Cantonese specialities and dim sum in a treasured Sha Tin locale appeared first on Foodie.

Late last year, Sabatini’s longed-for expansion to Hong Kong Island finally came to fruition with the launch of a second location at ifc mall in Central. The interior design of the very spacious ifc mall branch has been brought to the present with a bright, contemporary elegance. Complementing the floor-to-ceiling windows and lofty, arched ceilings are mesmerising harbour views.

Chef Marco Antonio Li Voti works the dining room with his innate Italian charm, welcoming diners and introducing his beautifully crafted dishes. The chef cut his chops in Hong Kong at Umberto Bombana’s now two-starred Octavium Italian restaurant, and he also fronts cannoli specialist Holy Cannoli in the city.

Driven by the seasons, chef Marco changes up Sabatini’s menu every few months. To start, we tried the blue lobster salad from the limited-time blue lobster and black truffle tasting menu (HKD1,958 pp). The revered blue lobster from Brittany is grilled just to the point of doneness, retaining a sweet succulence that we adore. The crustacean is gilded with an array of harmonising elements, including earthy beetroot, sharp horseradish, a summery catalana sauce made with red bell pepper, and briny Kristal caviar. Bravo, chef!

Next came our choice from Sabatini’s pasta and risotto selection. Hands down, the homemade bigoli in traditional Veneto-style duck ragù (HKD468) is one of the best pasta dishes we’ve had outside Italy. Bigoli – thicker than spaghetti, akin to udon in shape and size – is an ancient type of pasta that was created in the late 1800s by a farmer in Italy’s Veneto region, made here at Sabatini with a machine that is a dear personal possession of chef Marco. Like most Italian recipes, the ragù includes simple, humble ingredients (in this case, just duck, carrot, and onion) that pack a lot of flavour.

The sauce, with a deep savouriness that we lapped up, features local duck – and all parts of the duck too, from the breast, to the thigh, to the skin. The bigoli weaves its way around every last bit of the luscious ragù.

Sabatini’s tiramisu (HKD188), served tableside from a massive bowl, is a popular dessert option, but for a change of pace, we went for the sensational Amalfi lemon tart (HKD188). The tart delivers a bright and tangy lemon curd atop an ultra-crisp and buttery biscuit base. On the side, there’s a serving of lemon-scented whipped cream for dolloping to your heart’s content.

Shout-out to the petits fours that bring every meal at the Italian restaurant to a close – flaky palmiers with a tinge of espresso, Sabatini-branded chocolates, and biscotti, the ultimate in espresso-dunking.

Our verdict of Sabatini ifc

For over three decades, Sabatini has remained one of Hong Kong’s most cherished Italian restaurants for good reason. The winning formula of decor, service, and cuisine are simply immaculate. At this new and much more contemporary location at ifc mall, chef Marco introduces a youthful freshness to the traditional Italian dishes that continue to dazzle diners year after year. 

Along with its iconic status in the city, a meal at Sabatini comes with a costly bill; several of the pasta dishes are priced at over HKD500, raising eyebrows for many.

Sabatini Ristorante Italiano, Shop 4008, 4/F, ifc mall, 8 Finance Street, Central, 2610 0080, book here

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.

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