Yung Kee Restaurant @ Wellington Street, Hong Kong

Life is full of drama and Yung Kee family feud goes like this - The founder Mr. Kam Shui Fai who passed away in 2007, left his restaurant business to his 3 children, with the eldest son Kam Kin Sing and second son Kam Kwan Lai receiving 45% stake each. The remaining 10% was given to his daughter Kam Mei Ling, which she eventually sold to her second brother. In July 2010, the older son filed a wind up petition in Hong Kong court, threatened to close the business unless his younger brother buys out his 45% stake for a whopping HK$1.51bn. The court case is still on going and lucky for me, Yung Kee is still open for business. 

Preserved egg and pickled ginger - This dish may not be everyone's cup of tea but it was definitely mine. The preserved egg was bouncy and has a jelly like feel.

Roasted Goose - Supposedly the best in town, Yung Kee's goose was succulent, juicy and tender. 

Barbecued Suckling Pig - The BBQ suckling pig was another crowd pleaser. With a proprietary blend of spices, each piece was heavenly.

Omelet with Bitter Gourd - Fluffy omelet dances away with the crunchy bitter gourd. 

Homemade Clay Pot Tofu - The clay pot was filled with freshly made bean curd, luxuriating between the mushroom sauce.

Seafood Vegetables - The scallions and carrots were embraced by the fresh squids, adding bright notes to the pale seafood. 

Yeung Chow Fried Rice - The prawns and roasted pork were tossed into the rice with some eggs and scallions, for what could consider a stand alone meal.

VERDICT: SOMEWHAT SMITTEN


Smitten Dishes:
Preserved egg and pickled ginger
Roasted Goose
Yeung Chow Fried Rice

Yung Kee Restaurant
Address: 32-40 Wellington Street, Central, Hong Kong
Telephone: 852 2522 1624
Operating Hours: 11am -11.30pm (open daily)

Lei Garden Restaurant 利苑酒家 @ West Kowloon, Hong Kong

Success doesn't always come easy, at least for the founder of Lei Garden, Mr. Chan Shu Kit. The once financially loss making restaurant has successfully transformed itself to become one of Hong Kong most reputable fine dining restaurant, with 10 branches all over Hong Kong, 2 in China, 1 in Macau and 2 in Singapore. We came here with high expectations and we were not disappointed. 

The combination of great service, elegant table setting and delicious cooking are the reasons why Lei Garden is still in business after 39 years. Its Mong Kok outlet was recently awarded two Michelin Stars, with the other 9 outlets being awarded 1 Michelin Star each. That's a whopping 11 Michelin Stars! 

Crispy Roasted Pork - Save the Char Siu for another day, Lei Garden is all about Siu Yok. This dish itself is worth a star. 

Steamed Beef Balls - Once you have properly stoked your appetite, dig into the beef balls, a platoon of delightfully fresh minced beef coupled with some fragrant scallions.

Pan Fried Turnip Cakes - Swipe these lovely square shaped turnip cakes with some chili sauce to take it up a few notches. 

Stir Fry Kailan - Simple hearty vegetables dotted with some shallots.

Braised Garoupa with Ginger and Scallions - Continue your parade with some piping hot Garoupa fish imbued with rich flavors.

Steamed Shanghai Xiao Long Pao - These packages were juicy, filled with lean pork meat. The soup was absolutely delicious!

Steamed flour rolls with green onions -  Meet the silky Chee Cheong Fun, it's so smooth that it might just slip through your chopsticks!

Lobster Broth Hand Made Noodles Soup - Pile of noodles flooded with a rich lobster broth. Just when we think it couldn't get any better. 

Crystal Dumplings - Steaming hot packets filled with diced vegetables, herbs and meat.

Salted Egg Custard Buns - A deceptively simple dish of sweet and savory.

Baked Mini Egg Tarts - These egg tarts were much eggier and less creamy than the English tarts.

Custard Layer Cake - Gallop away with some exceptionally flavorful warm custard layer cakes.  

VERDICT: TOTALLY SMITTEN

Smitten Dishes:

Crispy Roasted Pork

Steamed Shanghai Xiao Long Pao

Lobster Broth Hand Made Noodles Soup

Lei Garden Restaurant @ West Kowloon

Address: Shop Nos 2068-70, 2nd Level, Elements, No. 1 Austin Road West, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong

Telephone: 852 2196 8133

Operating Hours: Mon to Sun - 1130am - 3pm, 6pm - 1130pm

The Square @ Central, Hong Kong

The Square at Central is always packed for lunch and dinner. It is one of Hong Kong's most popular Chinese restaurant, with one Michelin star under its belt. 

The restaurant was spacious and the service was quick and casual.

Marinated suckling pig knuckles (HK$48) - Chinese people love their pig knuckles, nothing can come between them, well, except for the secret chef's seasoning sauce. =)

Pan fried turnip cakes with X.O. chili sauce (HK$45) - Turnip cakes are an integral part of dim sum. These square shaped turnip cakes had a light charred, with a melting soft texture. 

Steamed flour rolls with barbecued pork (HK$32) - These freshly steamed flour rolls a.k.a Chee Cheong Fun were smooth, thin and soft with the right amount of elasticity. 

Stir Fried flour roll with X.O. Chilli sauce (HK$45) - Steamed Chee Cheong Fun can be rather monotonous. But when fried Chee Cheong Fun comes into picture, our view becomes better. These stir fried chee cheong fun were extremely aromatic, thanks to the well absorbed X.O. chili sauce.

Assortment of Cantonese BBQ specialties (HK$128) - The BBQ pork had a perfect fat to meat ratio, while the chicken was creamy accompanied by the crispy skin.

Siu Yok - The cracker thin crust of the pork skin was glorious!

Citrus Deep Fried Prawns -  A surprising combo of crunchy prawns and zesty sauce. 

Sauteed mushroom with green house sprouts (HK$80) - The vegetables were fresh and crunchy, topped with tender sauteed mushroom and abalone sauce.

Fried noodles with shredded pork and bean sprouts (HK$108) - The noodles were thin and crispy, drizzled with the right amount of tasty gravy and bean sprouts.

Baked Egg Tarts (HK$20) - The crumbly, soft and moist egg tarts were heavenly.

Bean curd pudding in wooden bucket (HK$58) - The made to order bean curd was the highlight of my meal. The bean curd was smooth and creamy, while the crystallized sugar added a different dimension to this sweet delight.

Verdict : TOTALLY SMITTEN

Smitten Dishes:

Pan fried turnip cakes with X.O. chilli sauce

Baked Egg Tarts

Bean curd pudding in wooden bucket

The Square @ Central

Address: Shop 410, 4/F Exchange Square Podium, Central

Phone: +852 2525 1163

Website: www.maximschinese.com.hk

Sushi Kuu @ Lan Kwai Fong, Hong Kong

If you are looking to pamper yourself with some delicious Japanese food, leave it to Sushi Kuu. Prices may not come cheap, but every bite is a treat, especially the Sashimi and Seafood Onsen Egg. 

Located on the first floor of Wellington Place, Sushi Kuu is a very popular place among locals.

The restaurant has a modern and stylized interior.

Check out this Hario Ice Sake Dispenser. According to the waitstaff, this sake dispenser cost US$400 each! 

Japanese Black Pork "Shabu Shabu Salad" (HK$150) - A bed of greens topped with thinly sliced Japanese Black Pork, drizzled with sesame sauce and fried garlics. 

Monk Fish Liver (HK$90) - Ankimo or monk fish liver is considered one of the Japanese's delicacies. It is often referred as le foie gras de la mer (foie gras from the sea) given the similarity in color, texture and flavor. FYI - Ankimo is listed at number 32 on the World's 50 most delicious foods complied by CNN Go in 2011.

Seafood "Onsen" Egg (HK$100) - This gotta be the highlight of my trip! The Seafood Onsen Egg was heavenly, with egg yolk running out, marrying the delicate uni and fish roe. Double thumbs up!! 

If only I could have another bowl......if only....

Assorted Sashimi (HK$340) - These rectangular sashimi blocks were buttery, oily and fresh. I can never find such high quality sashimi in Kuala Lumpur.

Assorted Sashimi (HK$460) - More sashimi to satisfied our taste buds.

Grilled Wagyu Ox Tongue (HK$250) - The Wagyu Ox Tongue was surprisingly soft and tender. Even though the meat contained substantial amount of fats, the slightly charred corners added a different dimension to it.

 Deep Fried Japanese Chicken (HK$120) - The chicken was tender on the inside and crispy on the outer layer. It was less impressive compared to its peers. 

Prawn Tempura Avocado Roll (HK$120) - Lightly battered deep fried prawn topped with avocado and fish roe. The roll was crunchy from the tempura and creamy from the avocado. It had a prefect ratio of all the ingredients, as I could taste every layer of the roll.

Dragon Roll (HK$120) - The sushi rice was moist and sticky, with sweet unagi riding on top of it. The size of the roll was perfect for a single bite.

Cold Sanuki Udon (HK$80) - The noodles were crazy good! It was chewy and cooked to al dente.

Cold Inaniwa Udon (HK$90) - I have no problem eating this everyday. The quality of the udon was top notch with a springy texture.

Yuzu Ice Cream (HK$40) - Cooling, Creamy and Contented!!

Verdict: TOTALLY SMITTEN

Smitten Dishes:

Seafood "Onsen" Egg

Sashimi

Japanese Black Pork "Shabu Shabu Salad"

Sushi Kuu @ Lan Kwai Fong, Hong Kong

Address: 1/F, M88 Wellington Place, 2-8 Wellington Street Lan Kwai Fong

Opening Hours: 12pm-3pm and 6pm-1030pm

Telephone: 2971 0180

Pak Loh Chui Chow @ Elements, Hong Kong

Founded by Mr. S H Pui in 1967, Pak Loh Chiu Chow has been serving traditional Chui Chow food for more than four decades. 

Cold Steamed Crab - Food often tastes better when you eat with your hands - Each bite was smooth and rich.

Fried Fish fillet - Perfectly crisped! Warning : these deep fried fish fillet can be quite addictive.

Omelette with Baby Oysters - The fresh bivalves binded well with the omelette, thanks to the right mixture of starch. The gummy texture left us overwhelmed.

Braised Duck Liver - Duck liver is truly global. The creamy liver swam perfectly well in the soy sauce. 

Steamed Har Gow (Shrimp Bonnet) - The shrimp was fresh and the skin was translucent. Even though the ingredients were simple, the flavor evoked the essence of Chinese cuisine. No wonder it is listed as number 34 on the World's 50 most delicious food compiled by CNN Go in 2011. 

Sliced Octopus - Another sublime snack option : chewy and pliant!

Verdict: SOMEWHAT SMITTEN


Pak Loh Chui Chow @ Elements Branch
Address: Shop 1028D, Elements, 1 Austin Road West, Kowloon, Hong Kong
Opening Hours: Mon - Fri (11am - 11pm), Sat - Sun (9am - 11pm)
Telephone: 3691 9168