Eat Drink Hong Kong

12&13/F Langham Place,
8 Argyle Street,
Mongkok,
Kowloon
Tel 3514 9288

30-32 O’ Brien Road
Wanchai
Hong Kong
Tel 2577 8611

Shop 5 UG/F Olympian City 2
18 Hoi Ting Road
West Kowloon
Tel 2273 4688

Al Pasha is on level 4 of ‘Gourmet Tower’ in the new K11 mall in Tsim Sha Tsui. When you stepping out of the lift you find yourself in a dimly lit lobby looking at two huge red clay urns. It’s dimly lit and there is a hint of frankincense. A smartly dressed young man steps forward and ask me if I have a reservation. I tell him I don’t and ask if it matters. “Just for one only?” He enquires “I’m sure we can find you a table.” He leads me off through the restaurant.

It’s a large place but it’s already quite crowded. I’m led to an outside area which is lit almost entirely those charming Turkish lanterns. He ushers me to a table, presents me with a menu and leaves me to read up on what, exactly, “Silk Road Cuisine” is.

It’s a large menu which, as one might expect, covers dishes from both the middle east and central China. From barbecued meats and tandoori to stir fried dishes. If you are a large enough group you can order a whole lamb for $1,380 but you do need to order a day in advance.

I couldn’t have the whole lamb but quick fried camel saddle with white asparagus ($85) I could and since I’d never tried camel before I decided I must. But I wanted something for starter. Chicken cigar rolled in filo pastry with mint was a strong contender but in the end I plumped for the cold shredded chicken salad with pear and bell pepper in chilli oil ($78).

An excellent choice it was too. Fresh and fruity and a generous serving to boot. I would question the chilli oil though. This didn’t set the roof of my mouth on fire the way I would normally expect chilli to. Instead it made my tongue and lips tingle in the way that the fagara pepper does in those wonderful Sichuan dishes.

The camel itself wasn’t all that spectacular, though I think that is the camels fault rather than the chef’s. The meat was a little on the chewy side for my tastes. Still. I had no problem with eating it and the rest if the stir fry dish was just fine.

To go with it I had ordered braised wild mushrooms with bean-curd, chilli and garlic ($78) and a nan for mopping up. There appeared to be at least three types of mushroom in a hot pot kind of dish. Both this and the camel were spicy dishes but there are plenty of non-spicy dishes to choose from. There are also plenty of vegetarian choices.

While I was waiting for dessert the back ground music, which had been vaguely middle eastern pop with a disco beat, stopped and was replaced by loud drumming. Inside there was a belly dancer and another girl with a tray of candles balanced on her head.

It was good fun, everyone was up taking photos and having a good time but I was happy to get back to the final instalment of my dinner which was to be almond and chestnut puree pancake ($55). The puree was piping hot and I had to let it cool for a few moments but it was otherwise a pleasing end to a very satisfying and entertaining meal.

Shop 401, Level 4, K11
18 Hanoi Road
Tsim Sha Tsui
Tel 3122 4444

1-3/F, 37 Staunton Street
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2975 9722

20 Lockhart Road
Wanchai
Hong Kong
Tel 2527 7277

Friends who’ve been away from Chinese food for almost a year called and almost begged me to eat Peking Duck with them while they were visiting Hong Kong.

Without even mentioning a name, we all pretty much immediately knew where we would be going… The American Restaurant (of course!). Despite its rather suspicious name, all of us had eaten there before, and it is famous for its Peking Duck.

So, early Tuesday evening, a table of 6 adults and one lively 2 year old descended upon the little old men that serve in the place. They cleverly put us in a corner so the 2 year old would be nicely trapped. Its a medium sized restaurant - maybe 10 large tables, and kind of old fashioned, with light wood panelling surrounding large mirrors on all the walls.

When we arrived we were the second table filled, but the place soon filled up and the noise rose to dim-sum levels.

Once at the table, I took a quick, rather alarming glance at the menu - the first item was Sharks fin soup at $1380 for a medium serving and $2160 for a large. Beggars’ chicken, which I would have loved, needed to be ordered in advance, so that was out.

Then I remembered that as I’d come through the entrance I’d noticed a faded sign on the wall for set dinners, and it had seemed like a good deal, including pretty much everything we’d be likely to order. I asked for the set and our waiter looked very confused for a moment and then said ‘Oh, but thats only for the small tables upstairs’.

‘But it’s a menu for 6 and we ARE 6 (and a half)’ I replied. He didn’t seem eager, but eventually he wandered back with a faxed copy of the set dinner menu for us, which we promptly ordered.

First up came quite a strong-tasting soup, with chicken, noodles and elephant ear fungus. A huge pile of minced pigeon came next, with fresh lettuce leaves and oyster sauce to wrap around.

The green onion cakes were a little oily, and not too popular at our table. However, following them was Ôkun pao’ prawns which were delicious - soft, plump, and both sweet and slightly spicy.

At last the duck appeared - we didn’t get a whole duck with the set, but it was large, and there was plenty to go around. There’s not a great deal to say about it. Peking duck is yummy, popular, and American Restaurant is famous for doing it right - thin pancakes, sweet sauce, crispy skin - perfect. (Oh, okay I’ll give a niggle! I wished there was more in the way of scallion, and that the cucumber had been cut a little thinner than finger-width.)

Having forgotten what was on the menu, we were surprised when more food started arriving. Sizzling beef with ginger and green onions looks impressive, with a huge cloud of steam rising from the platter (actually we were also impressed by the way the waiter handled what must have been an incredibly hot metal lid), but the beef was a little too gristly for our table. Cashew nuts with chicken came last - I believe it said chicken and cashew nuts on the menu, but was hard pressed to find much meat. The sweet, sticky nuts were pretty much good enough on their own though, and by now, everyone was pretty full.

Just as we were about to ask for the bill, the waiter suddenly reappeared with a bowl of iced water. Oh! dessert! Out came a plate with a selection of cooked apple, pear and banana pieces, covered in hot, runny toffee with sesame seeds. These were then dipped in the ice water and passed around. Absolutely delicious.

All this came to only $1261, with a couple of soft drinks, and many tea refills. For a place with such a good reputation, thats’s been around just about forever, and that is popular with the tourists, I think that’s a brilliant deal.

The phone rang, it was my lunch date: “We’re going to Another One but I’m stuck in traffic and will be a bit late, you’ll have to go and grab a table - it’ll get crowded.”
“OK”, I replied, “where are we going?”
“We’re going to Another One,” insisted my date.
“Yes, yes” I said, “but which other one?”
“No, NO”, she shrieked , “the restaurant is CALLED Another One, it’s at 38 Wanchai Road, ground floor.”

In my defence, I should like to point out that I was on Hennessy Road, it was noisy, crowded and hot - and Another One was not the kind of name I was expecting for what had been promised as an exceptionally good Shanghainese restaurant.

It’s an easy one to miss too. Look for the photos of local celebrities in the window. I got there at about 12.45, there were not so many people then, but by 12.55 the place was definitely crowded.

I still had a few minutes to wait so I perused the menu which, conveniently, has English translations. The translations for the most part are perfectly understandable if sometimes a little bit literal. There are one or two however that seem to be on a higher astral plain altogether, such that I almost began to wonder if I hadn’t picked up a volume of beat poetry by mistake. After all what self-respecting Allen Ginsberg fan could turn their nose up at “The dish meat cloud swallows the hand pulled noodles” or “The pig of Zencheng stews pancakes”, so when my companion finally arrived she found me with a big grin on my face and wondering if “Fry the ferry crossing clearly white” contained any interesting mushrooms.

My companion frowned, she clearly had the upper hand linguistically and was soon in consultation with the waiter. The first result of which was a plate of rather wonderful spicy wontons. This was followed by a plate of steamed crab meat dumplings that quite simply took the breath away. The dumplings are sealed containers with the crab meat suspended in a light broth inside the dumpling. When you pop it into your mouth and bite, a little tsunami of taste floods the palette.

The steamed pork buns were also notable. Six of them are somehow steamed together in a shallow pool of rice water which solidifies and joins them together with a thin membrane of rice paper. The buns are exceptionally light and fluffy and the pork hidden within is succulent and juicy.

The “hand pulled” noodles are actually fresh noodles rolled on the premises. They are quite a revelation if you have never had fresh noodles before, being quite firm but also springy. Ours were served in a pork flavoured broth with tender chops that had been deep fried in a light batter. To go with them we also had sliced cucumber with garlic.

They also have a range of desserts but we were already so full we decided to save them for another day.

By 2pm the lunchtime rush had subsided and we were almost alone in the restaurant. The prices range from around $20 to $50 per dish, though there are more expensive ones, including sharks fin. For a quick lunch, Another One is excellent value for money. It also stays open all afternoon, so If you want to avoid the busy hour go after 2pm. If you’re really hungry and can’t wait, get there early.

Shop B G/F Kam Yuk Mansion
13 Yuk Sau Street
Happy Valley
Hong Kong
Tel 2572 1555
Fax 2574 6555

Shop 005-006 G/F City Plaza
18 Tai Koo Shing Road
Taikoo Shing
Hong Kong
Tel 2560 9666
Fax 2560 8656

63A, Richmond Commercial Building
107-111 Argyle Street
Mongkok
Kowloon
Tel 2395 4100

43 Water Street
Sai Ying Pun
Hong Kong
Tel 2484 9981

It’s always nice to stumble upon somewhere new, especially when it is in a area that you thought you knew pretty well.

Bali house is a small Indonesian/Chinese place that I’m sure I must have walked past a hundred times and never noticed. Perhaps this is because, unlike most of the restaurants shoe-horned into this area, Bali House is aimed squarely at the local residents and has nothing much to catch the eye. It is also just across the road from Chez Patrick and I’m probably looking in the other direction when I pass.

But there are two gatekeepers stationed either side of the door. On the left a ginger and white cat, and on the right a bilingual mynah bird that greets patrons in both English and Cantonese. I said “good evening” as I walked in. It cocked it’s head to one side and looked at me in the way that birds do when they think you are talking rubbish.

The decor is basic but the welcome was warm enough. I was ushered to a table and a glass of weak tea was promptly produced. I took a moment or two to find a menu, during which time I cast an eye around the room. The staff seemed to know all the customers and some of those seemed to know each other as well.

A large pile of freshly loaded satay sticks stood on the table at the very back. The menu duly arrived. It was a rather confusing affair, several dishes seemed to be listed twice and nasi goreng was conspicuous by it’s absence. Or maybe I just didn’t notice it.

No matter - I had already decided on half a dozen chicken satay. Which were delivered piping hot and with a nice cold bottle of Tsing Tao. The peanut sauce wasn’t too spicy but there was some chilli in shrimp sauce on the table so I could mix to taste.

I also pointed out a dished called Ikan Assam Pedas - the picture looked good. Ikan is fish and there appeared to be chillies as well. The man shook his head and offered sambal ikan, so I thought, why not? Sambal is essentially a sauce, it consists of fresh chillies, shrimp paste, lime juice, sugar, and salt. That said, every Indonesian home cook has their own variation. This had pineapple in.

Normally I would draw the line at pineapple in a savoury dish but I didn’t mind this at all. There was something in the sauce that prevented it from becoming overwhelmingly sweet.

Dessert was the Thai classic, mango with black sticky rice and coconut cream. A generous serving it was too.

For the princely sum of $127 I decided it was good value indeed. You wouldn’t bring a first date here and it wouldn’t impress any clients either. But when you’re feeling a little peckish and you can’t make up your mind what you want, remember the little Indonesian place on Peel Street.

I whistled at the mynah on the way out and headed towards the Pickled Pelican for a beer.

L4 Langham Place
Mongkok
Kowloon
Tel 3586 0666

Food Forum, 12/F, Times Square
Matheson Street
Causeway Bay
Hong Kong
Tel 2506 3288

G/F 33 Elgin Street
Soho
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2536 9218
Fax 2536 9996

“Looks like worms,” said one of my companions. “Sautéed Shredded Pork with Beijing Sauce and spring onions,” ($108) said the other.

We were in Bistro Manchu on Elgin Street. As far as I know this is the only restaurant in Hong Kong that specialises in Manchurian cuisine. The region itself includes the three north-eastern provinces of China - Heilongjiang, Jilin and Liaoning - but the cuisine also boasts Mongolian and Korean influences.

Potatoes are much more common in northern China and we had started with with potato noodle with horse radish ($98). The noodles were flat. They had quite a distinct flavour and much greater elasticity than the more familiar type. I was impressed.

Following this were north-eastern soup pork dumplings ($68). These are little soup bomblets and seem to be popular all over China. The soup is actually inside the dumpling. The trick is to pick it up and get it into your mouth without it bursting. The snag is that you never know how hot it is going to be.

These didn’t burn the tongue and were quite tasty though not as soupy as others I’ve had.

It was after this that the ‘worms’ had appeared. The dish is served with spring roll wrappers. The idea is to take make your own spring roll or wrap. The shredded pork is served on a bed of vegetables which can be mixed in or ignored according to your own preference. It was slightly sweet but very delicious, even better with my second attempt because it didn’t fall to bits when I bit into it.

Sautéed 3 vegetables ($98) had arrived at the same time. The vegetables in question were potato, green pepper and aubergine.

By now we had quite a lot of food on the table for just three of us but the best, in my opinion was still to come.

This was Cumin Lamb with Chinese Parsley on an Iron Plate ($168). It is said to be a classic Manchurian dish but it does remind me very much of Mongolian fare that I have had in the past. It is also a very hearty dish, a little bit spicy but with a very distinct flavour. It is served with little bread pockets into which the shaved lamb is stuffed and then eaten with fingers.

All the food had been tasty but the lamb was definitely my favourite. What was your favourite dish? I asked my companion. “This one” she said, helping herself to more worms.

Bistro Manchu can get very busy, reservations are recommended.

Food Forum, 12/F, Times Square
Matheson Street
Causeway Bay
Hong Kong
Tel 2506 3377

G/F 76 Canton Road
Tsim Sha Tsui
Kowloon
Tel 2377 2603
Fax 2377 2863

11/F Times Square
Causeway Bay
Hong Kong
Tel 3102 9363

Hotel Nikko
Tsimshatsui East
Kowloon
Tel 2313 4222

1/F Luk Kwok Hotel
72 Gloucster Road
Wanchai
Hong Kong
Tel 2866 3806

Sheraton Hong Kong Hotel and Towers
20 Nathan Road
Tsim Sha Tsui
Kowloon
Tel 2369 1111

1/F Novotel Century Hotel
Wanchai
Hong Kong
Tel 2598 8888

Unit 6P033, Terminal 2
Chek Lap Kok Airport
Lantau
New Territories
Tel 3197 9098

22 Shepherd Street
Tai Hang
Hong Kong
Tel 2890 9308

4/F The Broadway
54-62 Lockhart Road
Wanchai
Hong Kong
Tel 2528 1123
Fax 2528 1110

G/F 52 Russell Street
Causeway Bay
Hong Kong
Tel 2575 6322

G/F Chi Sing Mansion
Taikoo Shing
Hong Kong
Tel 2886 2100
Fax 2886 3844

Shop 3304, Gateway Arcade
Harbour City
Tsimshatsui
Kowloon
Tel 2613 9800
Fax 2613 9806

Nan Lian Garden
Diamond Hill
Kowloon
Tel 3658 9388

G/F 45-53 Graham Street
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2893 3330

I’ve been wanting to eat here for some time but I’ve never been able to convince anyone to come with me.
“Chilli?” they ask.
“Yes, Sichuan,” I reply
“Too spicy,” they say, shaking their heads, “much too spicy.”

I do agree that spicy food is an acquired taste but if people won’t ever try it then they will never acquire it and they will miss out on a whole world of taste sensations. But alas, I went on my own.

It’s a tiny little restaurant with seating for about 18-20 people but I was early, being the first customer, so I had no problem with the table.

I ordered a Heineken which was served Chinese style in a bowl. The thing about drinking beer from a bowl is that it makes it very easy to drink a whole bottle in two gulps. Having just marched up Lyndhurst Terrace in the July heat (a crucial segment of the mid-levels escalator was out of action), I reckon I could have quaffed the whole bottle in one. But the bowl wasn’t big enough so two gulps it had to be.

Thus refreshed I turned to the menu. The menu is divided into three sections with about 15 choices in each section. Chilli Fagara’s chef suggests that the best way to enjoy the food is to work up through the sections.

The first section is called Tang. It may come as a bit of a surprise to some people, given the cuisine’s reputation, but Tang dishes are not spicy at all. I ordered Wild Mushrooms in Taro root ($98). The mushrooms were diced and mixed into a taro mash and served with strips of fried taro. A simple dish but I was surprised at just how much flavour could be packed into a mushroom.

The next section is called Ma and the dishes are characterised by the use of the Sichuan or fagara pepper. These tiny peppercorns are not related to either black pepper or chilli peppers but they are what makes Sichuan cuisine so distinctive (though they are also used in Tibetan and Bhutanese dishes).

I ordered Fish Slices in Chilli and Fagara broth ($138). This was served in a huge shallow bowl. Amidst the fish, dried chillies and peppercorns were also sweet chestnuts. The peppercorns have a hint of citrus to them but unlike the heat from a chilli they tend to make the lips and tongue tingle and feel a little numb. Which may sound distressing but it really is a pleasant sensation.

The final section is La, these are the fiery chilli dishes. I chose Fried Beef Slices with a Ginger Tang ($98). With my palette still tingling from the fagara, the flavour that was most apparent here was a rather pleasant, sweet gingery-ness. The presence of the chillies only became apparent as the numbness started to recede.

I ordered another beer. Not for any need to douse the flames but because beer and chillies complement each other so well.

I didn’t notice any desserts on the menu and besides I was really quite full. All of these dishes are quite big enough for two people or even three with smaller appetites. So I contented myself with a glass of chrysanthemum tea before wandering down to The Globe for just one last beer … or two.

L3-1, Level 3 Millenium City 5
418 Kwun Tong Road
Kowloon
Tel 3580 1882

Shop 101 Stanley Plaza Shopping Centre
Stanley
Hong Kong
Tel 3197 0338
Fax 3197 0238

17-22 Lan Kwai Fong
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2536 0968
Fax 2536 0131

The Hyatt Regency Hotel
67 Nathan Road
Tsimshatsui
Kowloon
Tel 2196 1234

G/F 10 Pak Sha Road
Causeway Bay
Hong Kong
Tel 2915 0668

G/F 11 Queen’s Road West
Sheung Wan
Hong Kong
Tel 2858 0033

City Plaza IV
Taikoo Shing
Hong Kong
Tel 2885 0212

Jardine House
Connaught Road
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2525 8246

New Town Plaza
Phase 1
Sha Tin
New Territories
Tel 2694 1688

Shop 202, 2/F Hutchison House
Admiralty
Hong Kong
Tel 2536 0833
Fax 2536 0733

Shop G27 Luk Yeung Galleria
Tsuen Wan
New Territories
Tel 2498 3391

1/F West Wing, Paradise Mall
Heng Fa Chuen
Chai Wan
Hong Kong
Tel 2896 6908

60-62 South Wall Road
Kowloon City
Kowloon
Tel 2383 3114

G/F 29 Elgin Street
Soho
Hong Kong
Tel 2801 4981

Chonqing means double celebration. I certainly felt like celebrating, after all it’s not often I can persuade anyone to join me for fiery Sichuan food, and I’d been wanting to try this restaurant for quite some time. It was my guests idea, we were just strolling along Elgin street wondering what to eat when he said, “Lets go there”. I was in through the door before he had a chance to change his mind

The restaurant is quite narrow and has a nice old traditional feel to it without being too slick. The staff are friendly and we felt completely at ease from the moment we walked in.

We took our places and ordered beers. They do have a selection of wines but I prefer to have beer with spicy food. Not because of any notion that it will sooth a burning palate - it won’t. I just think it tastes better.

The menu is an elegant cloth bound affair with descriptions in both English and Chinese and if you are still unsure, the staff also speak excellent English so it is very easy for non-Chinese speakers to order with confidence.

My friend already had his nose buried in the menu. He is also very partial to sichuan cuisine, which I hadn’t known until then, so I was quite happy to follow his advice on which dishes to order.

For starters we ordered the classic Sichuan chicken ($62) and spring rolls with fresh prawns and asparagus ($88). Though spring rolls they are, they were cut into slices that reminded me, a little, of sushi. A notion that was reinforced by a compartment on the side of the dish which was filled with soy sauce and a dollop of mustard. The overall effect was truly delicious.

The chicken was served on a bed of clear flat noodles and was garnished generously with those wonderful smoky dried chillies. My habit of munching these whole usually generates expressions of alarm from fellow diners but my guest this time didn’t even notice, he was too busy with his own.

To follow we ordered soft shell crab with chilli sauce ($138), sauteed sliced beef in pungent sauce ($118), pan fried string beans with minced pork ($88) and, at the suggestion of the waiter, pork dumpling with garlic and vinegar sauce.

The crab was the first dish to arrive and seemed a logical continuation after the chicken and the spring rolls. I love soft shell crab and these were as good as any that I’ve had. The sauce was spicy but not volcanic. Instead of overwhelming, it accentuated the flavour of the crab.

Next came the string beans and the beef. The beef was a kind of hot pot which sat on its its own heater bubbling happily away while we finished the crab. And finally the dumplings arrived.

The dumplings were not spicy at all, they were flavoured with herbs and had the effect of luring the palate into a false sense of security before treating it to the beef hot pot. This was very hot indeed. It was still very flavoursome and despite the fact that we were both getting quite full, we dived in enthusiastically and made short work of it.

We decided to give dessert a miss. I always feel that skipping dessert is shirking my duty but to be quite honest, sweet dishes seem to have little appeal after a good Sichuan dinner. The chillies and the beer compliment each other perfectly and what we really wanted right then was a nice cold one for the road.

Flat 5B Kin Tye Lung Building
27-29 Bonham Strand West
Sheung Wan
Hong Kong
Tel 2805 1116

G-M/F Dannies House
Luard Road
Wanchai
Hong Kong
Tel 2527 9288

53 Hoi Pong Street
Sai Kung
New Territories
Tel 2791 1195

G/F Paliburg Plaza
68 Tee Wo Street
Causeway Bay
Tel 2577 7886
Fax 2577 8835

G/F Kimberly House
Kimberly Road
Tsim Sha Tsui
Kowloon
Tel 3106 5868
Fax 3106 5636

Basement, HK Pacific Centre
28 Hankow Road
Tsim Sha Tsui
Kowloon
Tel 2722 0633
Fax 2722 6961

G/F 7-9 Wong Nai Chung Road
Happy Valley
Hong Kong
Tel 2893 1197 / 2893 8293
Fax 2572 9636

1001 10/F Food Forum
Times Square
Causeway Bay
Hong Kong
Tel 2506 9128

4 Shelley Street
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2521 8188

10/F Cosmos Building
8-11 Lan Kwai Fong
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2536 9773

G/F 7 Hard Street
Wanchai
Hong Kong
Tel 2882 3268

G/F Shun On Mansion
1 Tai Yue Avenue
Taikoo Shing
Hong Kong
Tel 2568 6262

Shop B224, Times Square
Matheson Street
Causeway Bay
Hong Kong
Tel 2506 0080
Fax 2506 0212

3328 Harbour City
Canton Road
Tsim Sha Tsui
Kowloon
Tel 2622 2699

Shop 2018-20, ifc Mall
Finance Street
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2295 3811

I love it when local friends take me out to dinner. Partly because we usually go to places that I wouldn’t think to go on my own. Places where you really need a group of at least four people so that you can try more dishes. And partly because most often I can’t read the menu so I am able to sit back and let my companions do the ordering

But at Crystal Jade reading the menu is bilingual and there is a photo of each dish so ordering is a breeze whichever language you speak.

It was an intriguing menu indeed, the dishes are mostly from Shanghai and the northern parts of China. There were many indeed that I would have liked to try but I was still happy to let the others order.

One of the first things to be ordered was an attractive ceramic jug containing what was called “Daughter red” wine. I didn’t catch the Chinese name, I suspect it may have regional variations. The wine itself is made from rice and wheat and can be served warm or cold. The taste reminded me of sake though the wheat gave it a much fuller flavour. It was a fine prelude to the dishes that followed.

The first dish to arrive was Marinated Ham Zhen Jiang Style ($48). “Chinese corned beef” one of my companions joked. I could see the similarity but the taste was altogether more delicate.

Next came Sautéed egg with compoy ($60). I was awarded the task of stirring the yolk. Compoy is made from shredded dried scallops and was really quite delicious.

Some sautéed prawns had also arrived, probably while I was busy stirring the egg. But what also arrived at about this time was a serving of ham and dried bean curd ($68). This is delivered with a plate of white unleavened bread. The idea is to make a little sandwich with a slice of ham and a slice of bean curd skin. It was so good I could have cheerfully polished off the entire plateful on my own.

Fortunately good manners prevailed and I turned my attention to the Fresh soy beans with bean curd leaves and preserved vegetables ($50). This too was a rather special dish. The bean curd leaves are small pieces of shaped bean curd slightly reminiscent of pasta. It was quite delicious and would make an excellent vegetarian option.

Another good vegetarian option was the Sichuan style hot and sour soup ($35). The main ingredients of this are soy bean, bamboo and fungus. It was sour but not nearly as spicy as I was expecting for a Sichuan dish. That said not all Sichuan dishes are spicy.

For dessert we shared a glutinous rice and sweet wine porridge and red bean and date pancake.

Crystal Jade is a very popular restaurant and reservations are highly recommended.

2/F Hanley House
68-80 Canton Road
Tsim Sha Tsui
Kowloon
Tel 3113 6993
Fax 3113 6991

B/F 49 Hollywood Road
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2559 1317

L/G Hilltop Plaza
49 Hollywood Road
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2559 1317

G/F 19B Yun Ping Road
Causeway Bay
Hong Kong
Tel 2890 6500
Fax 2890 6140

1 Ngan Mok Street
Tin Hau
Hong Kong
Tel 2887 05876

12 St Francis Street
Wanchai
Hong Kong
Tel 2861 2722

This is a funky little eatery on St Francis Street in Wanchai. I rarely go to Chinese restaurants alone because they are most often geared towards serving several people sharing. Dining Wok looked more like an old fashioned noodle shop so I went inside.

It’s a small place but quite big on atmosphere. It’s long and narrow like many shops in the area. The kitchen is towards the front. Along one side and the back the lower half of the wall is dark stained wood panelling to about shoulder height. Above that it is painted dark green and decorated with modern Chinese paintings.

Towards the back are some old wooden doors with coloured glass panels which hide what I suspect is an office. Chinese lattice decorates the ceiling and wooden lamps provide light. It was all very well done and in perfect harmony with this special international corner of Hong Kong.

The menu features dished that are primarily northern Chinese though there are other options including General Tso’s Chicken which I have a sneaking suspicion is North American in origin. They also offer a range of noodle and fried rice dishes.

The first item I ordered was Deep Fried Spicy Crispy Beef ($60). To go with it I ordered Moo Shu Chicken ($80) and finally, because I had decided to forgo rice, I just had to try the Shrimp Ball Stuffed with Goose Liver ($88).

The beef was first to arrive. Elegantly presented on a long narrow plate it was crispy without being hard but I think if this was served in Sichuan the chilli content would have been a little more generous. It is still a good dish and I suspect its more conservative approach to chilli allows it to appeal to a larger number of diners.

The Moo Shu was up next. This is a stir fry dish that, along with the chicken, includes bean sprouts, carrot, mushrooms and seasoning. It is served with a little dish of hoisin sauce and four flour pancakes. Sauce is spread onto the pancake and then a spoonful of the stir fry is added before wrapping it all up and eating. It was quite delicious.

The prawn balls had arrived but at first they were too hot to eat. The richness of the liver overpowers the delicate flavour of the prawns but the prawns do provide body and texture to the liver. It was an interesting and pleasant contrast but due to its richness I would definitely suggest this dish be shared.

I finished off with Chilled Sago and Mango in Pomelo Cream ($25).

Dining Wok has a daily lunch set for $58 and will also deliver.

Basement 2, The Royal Garden Hotel
69 Mody Road
Tsimshatsui
Kowloon
Tel 2733 2020

L/2 Hotel Miramar
118-130 Nathan Road
Tsimshatsui
Kowloon
Tel 2315 5166

G/F 48 Staunton Street
Soho
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2549 1862
Fax 2549 0283

2/F Oterprise Square
26 Nathan Road
Tsimshatsui
Kowloon
Tel 2367 9938

14 Nga Tsin Long Road
Kowloon City
Kowloon
Tel 2382 1698

G103, G/F Gateway Arcade
Harbour City
Tsimshatsui
Kowloon
Tel 2956 0888

8/F Convention Plaza
1 Harbour Road
Wanchai
Hong Kong
Tel 2827 8802

1/F Allied Kajima Building
138 Gloucester Road
Wanchai
Hong Kong
Tel 2511 1228
Fax 2511 2628

During the 4th-6th centuries the Hakka people, who originated in northern China were forced south by a combination of wars and natural disasters. They eventually settled throughout Southern China, living in houses that could hold up to a hundred families. The houses were made from rammed earth on a bamboo frame and many are still being used today. Eryi Tulou (or tower) is one of a group of these buildings in western Fujian province.

The restaurant of the same name is in a rather soulless building on Gloucester Road, and a bit out of the way if you are coming by MTR. We arrived just after 9pm on a Tuesday, and the large restaurant was about half full. The interior is dark, but modern and simple. There are pictures of the rounded Hakka homes along one wall, and a row of the traditional black-shaded hats used as lightshades.

The main menu consists of a lot of more traditional Hakka dishes, such as fried pigs belly with salt, traditional stuffed beancurd, or stewed meat with preserved sour vegetables. There are several varieties of sharks fin, and a selection of standard dishes like scallops with brocolli and deep fried spare-ribs. There are daily specials hung on the large pillars (unfortunately for us monolinguists, only in Chinese)

We were pleased to discover that we could buy Tsingtao beer for $14 for two bottles, so decided to ignore the Hakka sticky rice wine and lychee wine, which at only $40 a bottle were both tempting. We asked for sweet potato congee, but they had sold out - a bit disappointing, but at least it lets you know the food is fresh. We tried a bowl of the sticky rice with sweet potato instead.

There is a page of chef’s recommendations for river fish which you can request cooked in 10 different ways. We wanted the eel cooked with chinese olives - but this was also sold out. However, there was another eel dish, Dongjiang stewed eel in pot - a soup with large pieces of tender eel, salty vegetables and tofu, which we all agreed was wonderful.

We also requested the Xingning whole duck (only $128) - guess what? sold out! Our waiter recommended we try the chicken in yellow sticky rice wine, which was on the daily special menu, and we were very glad we did. A huge steaming bowl of buttery, alcoholic sauce with chicken and jujubes (Chinese dates) and ginger arrived. It was exceptionally good.

The total bill was only $240 for three people. After the initial irritations of ordering, this restaurant really came up trumps with the alternative dishes that were recommended to us. So our advice to you is, don’t arrive knowing what you want to eat, but listen to your waiter. Also, if the rest of the menu is as good as the few dishes we had, then you’ll want to bring more people in order to try more of it!

One last point about the Hakka houses. In the 1980s, US spy satellites spotted them and US ‘intelligence’ believed the Chinese had built hundreds of nuclear missile silos! Now UNESCO is considering placing several on the World Heritage cultural properties list.

Shop 105A, Block A, Water Margin
Discovery Bay
Lantau
New Territories
Tel 2987 6222

Shop 7A, Po Toi O Pier
Clearwater Bay
Sai Kung
New Territories
Tel 2719 9129

33 Peel Street
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2543 2010

1/F-2/F AIA Plaza
18 Hysan Avenue
Causeway Bay
Hong Kong
Tel 2881 1331

2/F Citygate Outlets
20 Tat Tung Road
Lantau
New Territories
Tel 2626 0181

L G/F 129, Festival Walk
Kowloon Tong
Kowloon
Tel 2180 8908

B/F 12 Lai Wan Road
Mei Foo
West Kowloon
Tel 2785 7721

Shop 1, G/F Car Po Commercial Building
18-20 Lyndhurst Terrace
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2126 7265

1/F, Hong Kong Pacific Centre
28 Hankow Road
Tsim Sha Tsui
Kowloon
Tel 2724 1618
Fax 2367 3839

G/F-3/F, 35-45 Johnston Road
Wanchai
Hong Kong
Tel 2866 0633

485 Lockhart Road
Causeway Bay
Hong Kong
Tel 2869 8282

4/F Miramar Shopping Centre
132 Nathan Road
Tsimshatsui
Kowloon
Tel 2736 2228
Fax 2736 2382

5/F King Wah Centre
628 Nathan Road
Mongkok
Kowloon
Tel 2384 3388

1/F 68 Yee Wo Street
Causeway Bay
Hong Kong
Tel 2504 4228

Shop 1028B Elements Mall
Kowloon Station
1 Austin Road West
Tsimshatsui
Kowloon
Tel 2955 5113

7 On Tai Street
Sheung Wan
Hong Kong
Tel 2815 8879
Fax 2815 8876

4/F Island Beverley
1 Great George Street
Causeway Bay
Hong Kong
Tel 2881 6268

HK Convention and Exhibition Centre
Harbour Road
Wanchai
Hong Kong
Tel 2582 7728

9 Jubilee Street
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2545 1472

Guest Review
A street lined with window-displays of grilled ducks, geese, pork and orange-tinted octopuses is a common sight in Hong Kong. For generations, local families have relied on their neighbourhood “Siu Mei” shop which stays open for ridiculously long hours and has a constant supply of takeaway protein.

Yet for all that, it is surprisingly hard to get decent “Siu Mei” in this town.

To qualify as a good piece of “Cha Siu”, or barbecued pork, it has to be well marinated, juicy, have the right proportion of fat to lean meat, preferably charcoal-grilled, and just a touch burnt to add that extra smoky aroma.

And believe me, that is very hard to find.

There are well-established Chinese restaurants that are pretty reliable for their barbecued meat as well as other more elaborate dishes on the menu. In Central, there are Tsui Hang Village in New World Building, Yung Kee (the goose restaurant) on Wellington Street and Luk Yu Tea House on Stanley Street. But if you want a meat specialist, there is a new place which I am beginning to frequent regularly.

Golden China Restaurant looks just like its name. Faux China-town appears to be the style they are going for. But once you’ve looked past the gaudy lanterns and fake red and gold lacquer, it is a pretty comfortable place to sit down for lunch.

It may not resemble the traditional Hong Kong “Siu Mei” shop - it’s too clean - but the food is authentic enough.

You will be presented with bilingual pamphlets which explain the history of the Chinese barbecued meat and for HK$23 you get a choice of meat with a bowl of rice and some greens. It’s a little bit pricey but perhaps not unreasonable for the middle of Central. The soup of the day - untainted by the all-too ubiquitous MSG - costs just HK$6 and there’s a lot of it. That, too, comes with bilingual information on why it’s good for you. The tea they serve is very good for what is essentially a cafe. They’ve picked the Luk On tea sold by Ying Kee in Wanchai. This is a smoky red tea with a hint of sweetness that is popular among my grandparents’ generation. I like it, too.

The meat has been very good in the four or five times that I’ve eaten there in the past two months. The soup tends to be a bit watery - probably because my taste buds have been tainted by MSG - but good enough to pass as homemade. It’s the rice that I have an issue with - on a couple of occasions my “Cha Siu” and barbecued duck were served on top of soggy rice. It was horrible. It’s like being served a good steak with lumpy mashed potatoes.

But overall I would highly recommend Golden China. And Chinese barbecued meat if you haven’t tried it before.