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2019-09-13
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Summary: A long overdue review - ABC is my favorite BYOB, unpretentious, have-a-great-time-and-don't-regret-it restaurant in Hong Kong. Set hilariously in a cooked food center, it's hybrid HK dining at its best. Might not be worth it if you're just visiting, but for residents, it's a must-try, especially if you like wine. I'd put up the suckling pig against any <$200 dish in Hong Kong.ABC Kitchen needs some explanation - it is, as far as i know, Hong Kong's only cooked food center non-Asian
ABC Kitchen needs some explanation - it is, as far as i know, Hong Kong's only cooked food center non-Asian restaurant. For those of you new to Hong Kong; almost all neighborhoods in Hong Kong have cooked food centers, where all the traditional street-side dai pai dongs (DPDs), AKA cooked-food stalls, moved after the SARS crisis in the early 2000's. They're usually above a wet market, where the produce and fish/meat are sourced. The cooked food centers are as utilitarian as restaurants get, with fluorescent lights, plastic stools (plastic chairs if you're lucky) and that uniquely horrible local HK restaurant service. What they do offer is amazingly fresh, delicious food that will rarely run you over $150 pp, and is combined with equally cheap beer, meaning a great time for all. They're my favorite part of the HK food scene.
Queens Road Cooked Food Center (QRCFC) is a quite different from the others - with a few exceptions, including the famous Claypot Indian at the CFC on Electric Road, CFCs generally serve Chinese food. The QRCFC on the other hand has an Indian, Thai, Italian (ABC), and yes, that one mandatory Chinese restaurant to hold it all together. My friend swears by the Indian place (it's pretty good but not the best), I've never tried the Thai, and the Chinese is serviceable, but for my money, the QRCFC is made for ABC Kitchen.
You can tell you're at ABC Kitchen by the hilarious red and white checkered table clothes, the only differentiation from the other tables at the QRCFC.
You'll also notice the glassware - ABC has a full range of glassware for wine including champagne flutes and regular wine glasses, which really does enhance the experience, such as it is.ABC kitchen is a nominally italian restaurant, though they often stray into other European cuisines. Their menu is seasonal, and for the last few months, they've been offering the following. Fortunately, i went with a big group so we tried a bunch of things. The secret to ordering at ABC is to order about 75% of a main for each person and then share - i.e. 3 mains for 4 people. The mains are enormous and filling, so 1 per person is usually too much.
We had the:
Pan-Fried Foie Gras
I don't eat foie gras, but the others demolished itStrozzapreti Carbonara
As delicious as it looks - you'll ask who can mess up cheese, ham and and pasta, and the answer is no one. ABC kitchen won't be the first. The egg is a great accompaniment and folds in beautifully with the carbonara. For all you purists, i'm pretty sure there's a bit of cream in here, but it's still delicious.Roasted Suckling Pig
This dish is why ABC Kitchen, no matter how many of its seasonal dishes are a flop, will always be relevant. At this price point ($188), i'd put this dish up against anything I've tried in HK. I've had this dish at least 10 times, and it's never disappointed me. The fat is basically rendered out and integrated into the meat, so that each skin-filled bite is exquisitely crunchy, juicy, and impossibly porky. Add some dijon and their red cabbage and you'll be in heaven. I've gotten to the point where I order 1 portion for every 2 people at the table, it's that good. Make sure you eat it when it first comes out of the kitchen though or the skin will be get a bit soggy.Poached SeaBass
Kind of boring this time- they usually have a side of deliciously stewed chorizo and beans, which i guess they ran out of and substituted mashed potatoes for. Fish was still well-cooked and nicely marinated, but without the zing of the bean stew, it was a bit flat.
House-smoked pigeon
A real triumph - reminds me slightly of tea-smoked duck, but even more savory. The rich, complicated smokiness is fantastic with the firmness of the pigeon, as you're forced to really chew it, releasing all that flavor. An exciting way to prepare game, and a technique i'd never seen at ABC.Angus Rib-Eye
Can't go wrong with ribeye - heard it was tasty.Dessert - Creme Brulee, Souffle and Pavlova
Surprising amount of dessert variety for a DPD Italian restaurant - i didn't try any personally, but I heard they were goodTons of food for about $290 each. A meal at ABC usually runs about 250 pp, and there is no service charge. Obviously a fantastic price for a BYOB restaurant with this quality of food. Service-wise, they are very accommodating though there's nary a smile to be seen from the surly looking waiters. Don't be discouraged though, they take good care of their customers, and are on top of ice buckets for white/sparkling wines, and refilling water and such. They frown somewhat on you ordering dishes from the other stalls if you're sitting on their tableclothed tables, so if you want to experiment, sit at another restaurant and order a couple of dishes from ABC. Another note, the bathrooms are typical CFC quality (i.e. not the best), so don't bring people who are finicky about that.
Overall, between the massive amount of wine this place encourages you to drink, the excellent food, and the always lively atmosphere (of course you can be loud, it's a dai pai dong!), ABC is always a hoot. It's a personal staple when i want western food without needing to worry about cost or "having manners," and everyone I've brought has adored it. Go to ABC, have a great time; it's that simple.
张贴
