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2012-02-29
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This restaurant is frequently vacated with large groups of westerners, you will find it impossible to walk in and be seated without booking a table days in advance. Customer loyalty is highly prioritized and if you know of someone who regularly visits the restaurant I highly recommend they make the booking. Another special feature of the restaurant, other than the exquisite food, is that they allow free corkage (perhaps this is why it is so popular with westerners who like to drink a lot!). Ad
This restaurant is frequently vacated with large groups of westerners, you will find it impossible to walk in and be seated without booking a table days in advance. Customer loyalty is highly prioritized and if you know of someone who regularly visits the restaurant I highly recommend they make the booking. Another special feature of the restaurant, other than the exquisite food, is that they allow free corkage (perhaps this is why it is so popular with westerners who like to drink a lot!). Additionally, they will store your wine and spirits for you until your next visit. The place itself is rather small but nevertheless hygienic and tidy!
I know westerners in HK often find it hard to find a good Chinese restaurant where the dishes do not include bones and brains. Chung Kee (CK) offers just the right balance between "international" and local versions of Chinese cuisine. Often restaurants offering this variety are located in major hotels which means very high prices. However, CK is affordable and excellent value for money especially when dining in large groups.
In terms of menu it is limited but has what everyone is looking for. Cold tofu with bean sprouts and peanuts are served with the drinks, excellent flavours and the tofu was cooked just right. The Peking Duck is an all-time favourite and must be ordered in advance. The meat is plentiful, thick and they managed to get the crispiness just right- a must order for an appetizer! The chicken and cashew nuts embraced flavoursome, tasty flavour but after a few mouthfuls were somewhat over-powering, I suggest that less of the thick sticky almost "syrup-like" sauce is used next time . Braised pork ribs were another of the group's favourites, the meat literally falls off the bone! Juicy, little fat-absolutely delicious, I would go as far to say that they are the best I have ever tried . Spicy string beans and minced pork, although on previous occasions I have enjoyed this dish I have to say I was rather disappointed- they were exceptionally oily and not spicy at all! Moreover, the amount of garlic included was wasteful. The spicy Kungpao prawns were very fresh with a robust bite and the sweet sauce complimented the dish well, portion size was also reasonable. Lastly, stir-fried snow pea shoots nice and light and enjoyed the nutty taste.
A unique dessert that one definitely wouldn't get back home! A very popular choice amongst most diners in the restaurant- caramel-glazed apple and banana dropped into ice to crystallize. Just the right level of sweetness and not too over-powering after a rather heavy meal. I would definitely say grab the ones with more sugar to avoid the sogginess and also the banana variety with their feathery softness work best. The melted apple tastes slightly strange and tangy. We also had scouffe balls with red bean paste although I am not keen on red bean paste they were popular with the red bean lovers on our table who went back for seconds!
Overall a very pleasant dining experience. The dishes were executed well, the flavour was memorable and the staff made all feel very welcome. We will definitely be back for more!
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