Dim Sum lunch at Maxim's restaurant, City Hall, HK

 

Behind the casserole, HK

I don't like this kind of casserole much because the food in layers would just become one flavour and some food shouldn't be put together, e.g. roast goose which is supposed to eat the freshly cut to get the crispy skin and juicy meat.  However, when we get to learn the history of it, we would have the warm welcoming and cheerful message from it.  There are quite some different stories but the main point is to thank for the soldier teams passing by Hong Kong in Sung dynasty.  At that time, the native people of Hong Kong didn't have enough plate to give hot food to the soldiers.  So they put some of each food in one big casserole to let the soldiers try different food.  That's very hearty and thanksgiving.

 

Jade

 

Hollywood Cafe, Quarry Bay, HK

The name of this place doesn't mean they serve more western food.  Instead, their Cantonese stir fried and steamed dishes were quite impressive.  Very aromatic and what we called "wok fire (high heat quick stir frying)".  Their fisherman style steamed pork patty shouldn't be missed either.

 

Chuk Yuen restaurant (竹園海鮮酒家), Tsimshatsui, Kowloon, HK

Haven't been to this restaurant for years.  Came back for a try.  Quite classic to see some hot towels, peanuts and chili sauce served on the table.  So I tried some classic dishes.  The stir fried beef slices was good but too bad the choy sum was a bit rotten (as you could see the empty stem inside).  The bitter guard omelette and the spare ribs in sweet vinegar sauce were average.  Perhaps that would be for another term of years I won't be back.

 

Dim sum lunch at Shanghai Garden, Central, HK

Haven't been to this restaurant for years after it moved to Exchange Square.  Out of curiosity, I tried a dim sum lunch.  It wasn't too bad nor too impressive but it's nice to have freshly made dim sum in a comfy dining ambience.

 

An auto hot water boiling and cleaning station, by Dao Heung restaurant, TST, HK

The pandemic has made a number of things adpated to our daily life, especially those hygienic measures.  This one is a very thoughtful design and installed beside each table.  On the left, there is an auto hote water filler.  If the pot is detected light enough, the filler station would turn to the pot's top drainer and fill the hot water.  The pot would also be heated to 100 degree boiling point.  On the right you can use the hot water to rinse your dining utensil.  

 

Summer Palace (夏宮), Island Shangrila, HK

Happy with this place maintaining good service.  When we sat down, we were given a very soothing rose tea and cool preserved cabbage.  So we ordered the ginger scallion chicken (霸王雞) and stir fried celery, water chestnut, lotus stem and snow pea  (泮水芹香).  Sometimes it's better to order something simple to check out the skill of the  chef.  The latter one didn't disappoint me.  I'm impressed with the quick high heat stir frying of each ingredient.  This is an important step to stir fry each ingredient individually to keep their own flavour.  Then put back all the stir-fried ingredients for final step.  The chef made a very thin sauce to seal the dish.  Nothing sauce left but not dried at all.  That's the essence of Cantonese quick stir-frying.  The chicken was nice too but I'd prefer the one made by Hakka restaurants that they would shimmer the ginger and scallion slices in chicken broth.  I'd like the way the Chef put a half chicken head to make it a "complete" presentation, and it's a classic one.   Some like taking the chicken head after all.  

 

紫粵軒 (Tze Yuet Heen), Crowne Plaza Kowloon East, Tseung Kwan O, HK

The dishes were quite at high price, dim sum at around HK$68-88, a boiled veggie at HK$108 and the steam stir fried rice in lotus leaves at $248.  Fortunately, those were made with some selected ingredients and in good cooking skill.

 

君綽軒，Kwan Chuek Heen, Harbour Grand HK

With the $800 dining credit, I chose to spend some on a dinner in this Chinese restaurant.  Ordered a BBQ pork (the portion was a bit bigger than what's shown on the photo as I took the photo after I got a few bites.), a sweet and sour pork and a steamed veggie.  A bit surprised that the sweet and sour pork was cooked in a family style that the pork was pan-fried without the heavy coating.  The sauce wasn't too sweet.  The BBQ pork was quite nice though a bit too fat to me.  The veggie was a bit overcooked.  So the meal is half and half.

滿福樓 Dynasty Chinese restaurant, Renaissance Harbour View Wanchai, HK

This restaurant, Celestial Court, Unicorn, Tang Dynasty... have been the regular places for me to try some delicate Cantonese cuisine when I worked in Tsimshatsui.  This one used to be in the New World hotel in Tsimshatsui and moved with New World hotel to Wanchai and later on changed to the management of Renaissance.  

As when I noticed the staycation program of Renaissance offered a set dinner by this restaurant, I was determined to book this stay.  The manager told us they had a special offer of a fish maw with goose web at HK$180 (from HK$320).  When it was served, I was surprised to see such a big fish maw.  It's much worth it, so is the set dinner.  The service was good too and I noticed they were in a very good team spirit.  I have noticed they served the dishes right away when they were out from the kitchen and yet not messed up with the order.

A classic Cantonese cuisine, at Eastern Ocean restaurant Quarry Bay, HK

Quite a no. of restaurants have offered 50-30% off from Monday to Thursday.  Eastern Ocean is one of them.  Besides, Eastern Ocean serves half portion dishes with a price range from HK$50-70.  If it's at 50% off, that means a half portion dish is just around HK$30-40.  I thought the portion could be very small and so I tried to order more.  The manager was so nice to remind 3 dishes plus 1 steamed fish were good enough.  When those dishes were served, the size was actually the normal portion of most other restaurants.  Yet, the food quality was much better.  At least they used the 20% fat pork loin for the sweet and sour pork, vs most others used pig's neck meat.  Also noted that Eastern Ocean made the stir fried dishes in a good sauce coating.  That's the genuine classic Cantonese stir fried cuisine.  The steamed garopa was so fresh that you could tell the eyes and the meat texture.  I'd like the way they didn't pour in heavy oil and soy sauce.