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2010-02-01
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I apologise to anyone expecting a real review of this place. I didn’t actually eat there. Because the restaurant was full, we were brusquely ushered to a table right in front of the door. I was given a couple of menus, covered in finely embroidered Chinese style cloth. I looked down the list of items, fairly standard Sichuan things given elaborateness in their English translations.Then I saw the prices! Dan dan mihn was about $98, while a lot of the other dishes were way up about the $100 mark
Because the restaurant was full, we were brusquely ushered to a table right in front of the door. I was given a couple of menus, covered in finely embroidered Chinese style cloth. I looked down the list of items, fairly standard Sichuan things given elaborateness in their English translations.
Then I saw the prices! Dan dan mihn was about $98, while a lot of the other dishes were way up about the $100 mark. These were ordinary dishes – some the more ‘special’ things were even higher up the scale. I began evaluating whether it was still worth staying to try this place. I realised that for the price of two or three dishes here I could be having a nine course Sichuan meal at Mum Chau’s or a feast of food at Sijji.
These dishes would have to be really good to make it worth such prices. I looked around at what other people had, glimpsing small bowls and fancy cutlery, and wasn’t convinced. So I did something I very rarely do. Stood up and left. After we got out, my Japanese friend asked me why I’d wanted to leave so much.
“Too expensive,” I said, “Dan dan mihn for $100”
He laughed and, being an ex-food exporter, did some sums out loud. “Yeah, noodles only cost $4 and meat maybe $10, and vegetables $5, so where’s the extra 81?
Instead, we wandered down the hill to one of the dai paai dongs on Graham Street and ordered a feast of different freshly made dishes, none of which cost more than $40. I sat as the rain tumbled down outside the umbrella, enjoying this food and authentic Hong Kong atmosphere.
I’ll go back to Chilli Fagara sometime, to see if it really justifies such extravagant prices. But for now, I’m glad I walked out.
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