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2009-09-14
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When it comes to pushing the envelope of Chinese cuisines, Hong Kong would undoubtedly be on the top of the list. With the arrival of Michelin ratings, many restaurants try to create contemporary Chinese food that go beyond just the traditional flavor-centric approach. Chefs often utilize exotic or uncommon ingredients to produce new flavor combination; presentation becomes more sophisticated and refined resembling Western fine dining. However, the results are mixed in my opinion. Often time
When it comes to pushing the envelope of Chinese cuisines, Hong Kong would undoubtedly be on the top of the list. With the arrival of Michelin ratings, many restaurants try to create contemporary Chinese food that go beyond just the traditional flavor-centric approach. Chefs often utilize exotic or uncommon ingredients to produce new flavor combination; presentation becomes more sophisticated and refined resembling Western fine dining. However, the results are mixed in my opinion. Often time to accomplish “creativity” and visual appeal, some other elements like texture and flavor are compromised. I have long heard that Chef Leung at 海景軒 is a master of contemporary Chinese cuisine affirmed by those who have attended previous Openrice gatherings there. Much anticipation was built up before I had the opportunity to sample Chef Leung’s creations a few weeks ago.
Since several at the tables have been regulars at 海景軒, the menu was customized to include both old favorites and new dishes. Of course everything was new to me, which just added up to the overall excitement! First up was an impressive array of 5 appetizers 嘉福小美點 in the order of my liking:
玫瑰花燻帶子 was excellent with succulent and meaty scallops carrying an aromatic smokey flavor.
酒香五花腩 couldn’t possibly be better when fatty pork belly was flavored with port wine (a fusion touch?) and fried to become crispy on the outside and juicy inside. Best of all, it didn’t feel a bit greasy! The fried shredded lemongrass on top was rather mild, but the attention to details was much appreciated.
瑪瑙拌雞絲 was another winner with the shredded chicken and the strips of cold meat terrine (肉凍)harmonized with a light scallion sauce.
蒜香肥牛卷 brought ordinary beef rolls to another level with the beef so naturally tender and the garlicky vinaigrette cutting down on the grease.
富貴火腿片 was well balanced with sweetness from the honey and the melting lotus seeds complementing the savory ham which was a tad chewy.
I thought I was pampered with these appetizers but the best were yet to come. When the large pot of 沙魚骨湯四寶元肚 arrived, one couldn’t help but to be in awe with the whole gigantic pork stomach! It was dissected tableside and one could only admire the elaborate work that went into the dish, with the whole silk chicken (原隻竹絲雞) inside the pork stomach stuffed with the “four treasures” (四寶) of lotus seeds, Chinese ham, glutinous rice, and red dates(蓮子, 火腿, 糯米, 紅棗). The fish soup didn’t have a single ounce of unfavorable fishiness and was fully concentrated with the sweetness of fish and pork stomach. Every drip was absolutely divine and ethereal and arguably one of the best Chinese soups I had in Hong Kong!
When I sampled the fillings of the 四寶元肚 I expected the long simmered meat to be tender. What I didn’t expect was how the meat remained so juicy and tasty. The pork stomach was soft and the chicken was not a bit dry, a rare case for chicken as 湯料. The 4 treasures inside were all softened, partly gooey and partly dissolving. Soy sauce was not needed for dipping as the all the flavors of the filings were accentuated and blended together with this cooking method. This dish really showcased the beauty of using 元肚 as a cooking vehicle to encapsulate all the essence. The soup costs $1200+ on its own, but considering that it feeds like 12+ people and its level of supremacy and complexity, I think it is worth the price.
香酥豆腐大蟹拑 was an makeover of the classic fried crab claw with a few Western twists. The presentation wouldn’t be shabby even for Western fine dining, with individual jumbo crab claw plated on a bed of frisée surrounded by lobster jus. The size of the claw certainly contributed to the great texture, particularly with tofu mash encrusting the claw meat to provide a crispy “shell”, a soft surrounding, and then a meaty and firmer crab innard. However, to get crab claw of this size I believe Dungeness crab was used, and the drawback was certainly the lack of sweetness and oceanic flavor of this crab species. The lobster jus also tasted a bit ordinary with a slight bitter aftertaste. This dish was a great attempt for sophisticated presentation with luxury ingredients, but with some rooms for improvement in my humble opinion
招牌富貴雞 is a legendary dish of 海景軒 and I could completely understand why. Besides the enchanting presentation, it was also a pleasure to all your other senses. When the lotus leaf package was unwrapped and the whole chicken revealed, the chicken and lotus leaf fragrance immediately permeated the room, awakening your appetite. When the chicken meat moistened with caul fat(豬網油)was mixed with the fillings of honshimeji (本菇), Chinese ham, etc, all the ingredients completely unified into a scrumptious hearty dish. Oh, of course we didn’t dare to miss out on the juice - this golden liquid that would have made cardboard taste good!
My stomach was nearly reaching the threshold, but our aggressive tastebuds asked for an impromptu order of Peking duck 北京填鴨(兩食). Fortunately it didn’t disappoint. To make the long story short it was simply crispy skins, tasty meat, and fresh and precise condiments. Even the stir-fried diced duck(炒鴨菘), which I normally bypass, was superbly prepared with the diced duck meat and vegetables all tender and moist! The Peking duck at 海景軒would beat most of the Peking restaurants in town, I guarantee!
I am in general not a big fan of using fresh fruits in Chinese cooking , but 萬壽果牛肋肉 proved to be an exception. Somehow the papaya worked wonders with the prime meat, lending just a hint of sweetness to the beefy flavor without overshadowing it. The meat was very tender without any trace of artificial processing (how did they do that??) The papaya wasn’t overcooked or mushy which often is the case for cooked fruits. I was completely surprised how well this combination went, though I think without the chef’s skillful execution it wouldn’t be the same even with identical ingredients at another restaurant.
湖南羊仔片 was probably the most ordinary dish of all, and it suffered from the marginal depreciation syndrome with all of us completely stuffed at this point. I don’t think any version of fried rice could get much better than the百子海鮮炒飯we had. Even appearing at the end of the meal, it didn’t feel greasy or heavy with the diced seafood like scallop, grouper (星斑粒) and the fish roes generously distributed in every spoonful of fluffy rice. It would be a mistake not to have the 家鄉煎茶果, another signature dish of 海景軒with the chef taking an elegant approach to the otherwise rustic little glutinous dumplings - simple yet comforting at the same time.
Desserts tend to be the least creative part of Chinese cuisine, and while the four desserts, 西西里卷, 奶皇春卷, 奶皇西米角, and 生磨蛋白杏仁露 weren’t particularly innovative, they were well-executed and delicious. In fact the 西西里卷was created specially for our beautiful friend and named after her!! How extraordinary! My favorite was the most traditional 生磨蛋白杏仁露 prepared tableside by Chef Leung himself. The egg white was like little strands of silk floating in the creamy and velvety almond soup. This was so heavenly and miles (I mean miles!) better than the one at HKUAA a few weeks before. Or in one word – Flawless!
This dinner proves to me that all the praises of 海景軒 were no hypes, and I would consider this dinner as one of the best Chinese meals I have had in Hong Kong so far. There are Luk Yu or Fook Lam Moon which always excel in the traditional dishes. But one must appreciate how Chef Leung continues to go beyond the commonly accepted boundaries by introducing new dishes or reinventing old classics, all without sacrificing the flavor or texture in exchange for visual or creative enhancements. It’s not an easy task to strike the equilibrium between pursuing originality and newness and maintaining long-established intricate execution in the culinary world. I am glad that at 海景軒 Chef Leung is able to do it well.
* The cost of the dinner was after a 25% off discount
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