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2020-03-21
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This Shanghai restaurant is located in Regal Riverside Hotel in Shatin. Coming over on a weekday evening I found the valet parking was suspended due to the coronavirus situation. Fortunately there is hourly parking on the basement and taking the elevator can go straight to the first floor where the restaurant is.Still early in the evening we were the first group of diners. Seated at one end near the entrance looking out to the hotel interior, the first impression I got was that the decor and set
This Shanghai restaurant is located in Regal Riverside Hotel in Shatin. Coming over on a weekday evening I found the valet parking was suspended due to the coronavirus situation. Fortunately there is hourly parking on the basement and taking the elevator can go straight to the first floor where the restaurant is.
Still early in the evening we were the first group of diners. Seated at one end near the entrance looking out to the hotel interior, the first impression I got was that the decor and setting was dated, just like the hotel itself. The lantern lighting, red and slightly dark ambiance was just not too inspiring and lively.
We ordered a soup to start, with me going for Hot and Sour Soup ($55) while my wife had the Salted Pork Broth with Bamboo Shoots and Vegetable in Casserole ($58). The hot and sour soup was decent, with the initial taste not particularly spicy but gradually the heat surfaced and giving a nice kick on the palate. However I would prefer the sourness to dial up more as that was certainly lacking to give the right balance.
Next came Glutinous Rice Lees Sliced Mandarin Fish Fillet ($188). Personally the best dish on the night, the fillet was appropriately seasoned and was greatly complementary with the sweetness of the rice lees. I also like the fish served steaming hot as the taste was the best under this temperature. Once the dish started to cool down the thick sauce would make the overall texture rather awkward.
The Deep-Fried Pork Knuckles with Salt and Pepper ($238) was a signature dish. In my mind I would expect a more spicy and savory dish but it turned out to be completely opposite, with the knuckles in fact sweet in taste, and the pepper without any spiciness. Big in portion, the pork is tender but the expectation of the taste profile was so drastic so I could not resonate well with the dish unfortunately.
The Smoked Duck in Hangzhou Style ($218) had half a duck of fairly small size, with the duck quite lean to our liking. The smoky flavors were intense but did not overpower the other components, so overall the duck was not bad. But like most of such dishes I found the meat was too dried after the smoking process.
The service was good considering the hotel was not a top-notch one, and the bill was very reasonable at $795. The restaurant is now serving a number of dinner sets too. Definitely a choice catered more for people living in the neighborhood, but might not persuade me to come all the way for dinner again.
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