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2020-10-11
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This Cantonese restaurant is located in the pavilion of The Murray Hong Kong at Admiralty. Having heard of its name a few years already, when it was still based in Wanchai, we finally came today to try it out. Awarded Michelin 1-star since 2013. It is also part of Fook Lam Moon Group. Seated at a table near the door leading to the balcony connecting to the hotel, the spot was not too ideal, with so many people coming in and out the door and creating some disturbance. Next to us is the entrance t
This Cantonese restaurant is located in the pavilion of The Murray Hong Kong at Admiralty. Having heard of its name a few years already, when it was still based in Wanchai, we finally came today to try it out. Awarded Michelin 1-star since 2013. It is also part of Fook Lam Moon Group.
Seated at a table near the door leading to the balcony connecting to the hotel, the spot was not too ideal, with so many people coming in and out the door and creating some disturbance. Next to us is the entrance to the kitchen so there are also a lot of activities too. But apparently all other tables were occupied. The decor is contemporary with a neat, stylish and comfortable setting, designed by the an international acclaimed firm AFSO.
As my wife loved the dish, I called a few days in advance trying to pre-order Deep-fried Crispy Frog Legs but the restaurant still would not accommodate. Probably worried that we would not turn up? Frankly that was a bit disappointing. On the night we ordered another cold dish featuring pig ear but that was also not available. Another bummer.
Finally we settled for Bombay Duck with Crispy Garlic and Chili ($200). The fish fillet is lightly coated with some flour before putting to deep-fry, and then sprinkled with come crispy garlic and chili. The fish fillet got a light crisp on the outside but still moist and tender on the meat, a great show of the technique of the chef in controlling the temperature and cooking time of frying. A nice starter.
Next we had the soup, with me going for Hot and Sour Soup ($180) while my wife had Assorted Seafood and Bean Curd Soup ($180). My soup had a lot of ingredients, with the finely shredded bamboo shoot, wood ear, shiitake, bean curd, shrimp and fish maw giving a nice bite. My issue with this soup is that there is essentially no sourness, and also only very slight spiciness. Even though the taste is not bad, on that front I would not even call it a hot and sour soup. But it seems my wife's bean curd soup is quite good.
We then had the seasonal recommendation: Steamed Garoupa Fillet with Vermicelli ($240 each). A simple-looking dish, the garoupa fillet is fresh and tasty, steamed to the right degree and with the good quality soy sauce and a bit of spring onion it was very nice. The vermicelli had absorbed the flavors and were also delicious.
Next we had another of the chef's recommendation: Baked Stuffed Crab Shell ($240 each). Trimmed to a nice oval shape, the crab shell was stuffed with plenty of crab meat and onion, then covered with a layer of bread crumbs before baking to golden brown. Added with some Worcestershire sauce, the sourness and unique flavors of the sauce helps to bring out the delicate of the crab meat to another level. Even though the fillings looked simple, among the many similar ones I have tried in different restaurants, this is one of the best in terms of taste. Though the size is a bit small for me, and the restaurant can think of adding some mashed potato or having a holder to keep the crab shell in place and not moving around when we scoop in.
Decided to order something less common, Sauteed Jinhua Ham and Fillet of Pigeon ($360) fits our purpose. The pigeon fillet is very tender, sauteed together with ginger, spring onion and carrot, seasoned very well. The ham is steamed and then sliced, before wrapping with a thin pastry to bake, and then cut into slices. I found this even better than the pigeon, with the texture of the ham not chewy or tough at all, and the overall presentation also very attractive. The ham is not overly salty and a good complement with the pigeon as well. Very nice indeed.
Still got some room, we had a Stewed Rice Vermicelli with Shredded Duck and Pickled Mustard Green ($260). I like this dish a lot, first because of the 'wok hei', with the vermicelli steaming and all the ingredients just cooked and without a touch of over-cooking. The pickled mustard green has been properly processed so it is not too salty but giving a nice fragrance, with the shredded duck also tasty. A very satisfying conclusion, and I give this dish a high mark.
For dessert my wife had Sweetened Red Bean Soup with Lotus Seed and Aged Mandarin Peel ($75) while I opted for Chilled Fresh Milk and Coconut Pudding ($75). These are decent and I would say the pudding is a touch too sweet for me, but overall a nice finish to the whole meal.
Service is generally quite good, with the staff friendly and attentive. The manager did come to check with us on how we like the food a few times as well. The bill on the night was $2618 which was expensive considering the type of food we had. It was unfortunately not good value for money in my opinion.
More so, I do have a few comments which the restaurant should address. First, it took a long while between dishes. Each dish is served one after the after (which is fine!) but it was just too slow in-between. As we were seated near the kitchen I could see the problem was that the chef was focusing on preparing for the guests in the VIP room, seeing that they came to the room later than us, and the number of dishes served against what we had, the priority was obviously on that group.
Another big problem was that this group of diners had been drinking heavily and going in and out of their room, going outdoor to smoke or to pick up someone or to toilet or whatever, without wearing mask. It was such a nuisance to every other diners in the restaurant as I observed everyone was turning a dark look at them, but this group of non-Cantonese speaking customers just keep doing what they want.
I can understand that it is tough for the restaurant to address such customers, but the reality is that it really ruins a good dining experience for others. For the rest who pay the same premium price coming here to enjoy a good meal like us, this sort of things will turn us away and not consider returning again.
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