This Chinese restaurant is located in Royal Plaza Hotel in Mongkok, and on the day because there are wedding banquets there are only a few tables available for diners, and fortunately we had booked and got a table. The decoration is contemporary, seating is comfortable and general ambiance relaxing.
Even though we arrived quite early at 6:30pm, soon this section of the restaurant is all seated, showing that it is very popular. We ordered the Lobster and Deluxe Dried Seafood Set Menu ($1,188 per person) and the staff told us there is a special 20% discount in offer. We are lucky!
The first course was Appetizers Combination, including Broiled Salmon Sushi, Chilled Jellyfish with Shredded Abalone, and Sizzling Diced Wagyu Beef with Crispy Garlic. The sushi is surprisingly good given this is not a Japanese restaurant, with a rich taste of the salmon supplemented by the sauce. The jellyfish is also good with the amount of sesame oil just right in proportion. The beef was tender and juicy while the garlic and leek providing some crispy texture. A great start for the dinner.
The second course was Double-boiled Deluxe Dried Seafood and Chicken Soup. A good portion indeed, and the ingredients in the soup were all nice and premium, with abalone, sea cucumber, dried scallops, as well as big pieces of fish maw. The chicken soup had absorbed all the great taste of the ingredients, without any oil and very tasty but I would say it was a bit too salty. However overall it was still a great soup and after finishing it we were so more than half-full even with our big appetite.
The third course was Steamed Half Lobster Chopped with Fried Garlic and Shaoxing Wine. The lobster was meaty, and the sprinkled garlic had enhanced the flavors but also over-shadowing the delicate taste of the lobster in the end. In my opinion the simple chopped garlic might be a better alternative. The vermicelli at the bottom had absorbed all the jus and turned out to be more tasty than the lobster. A nice dish but I believe the restaurant can do better.
The fourth course was Pan-fried Giant Garoupa Fillets in Black Truffle Sauce. This is the signature dish of the restaurant, with the fillet nicely pan-fried, and the sauce giving a sweetness to the fish. The black truffle enhanced the aromas further. On the side the mushroom was coated with flour and then deep-fried, pairing with a mayonnaise to reduce the fattiness. Really tasty and the best dish in the whole meal in my opinion.
The fifth course was Stewed Superior Kanto Sea Cucumber with Goose Web. The goose web was braised nicely, easy to bite and eat, with the sauce marinated well. There were two pieces of asparagus which not only adding colour to the dish but providing the necessary vegetable too. The sea cucumber was great in texture, firm yet not rubbery, but I also found it a bit too salty, and felt like the inside of the cucumber had been smeared a lot of oyster sauce. A minor issue which I think the restaurant can correct.
The sixth course was Poached Prawns and Scallops in Lobster Bisque sprinkled with Crispy Rice. Served in a western style, some of the crispy rice was soaked in the soup already and then the staff poured in the remaining soup, and we could add more of the crispy rice as we like. The lobster bisque was rich in flavors but because of that the prawn and scallops became more bland in taste. Still quite an interesting idea and good to see the chef exploring such innovative cuisine.
The seventh course was Sweetened Bean Curd Pudding and Black Sesame Roll. Both were traditional desserts, with the bean curd pudding having a nice bean note, and nicely sweetened so there was no need to add more sugar, nor was it overly sweet. The sesame roll was decent too. The staff in fact had asked us before serving these desserts whether we would prefer to change to something else, not because these desserts were not good but more to offer us more choices, a thoughtful service indeed.
The service was good and the captain came to chat with us and introduced us to the restaurant, and had done a decent job in selling us to come back to try their dim sum. The total bill on the night was $2178, and considering the menu it was truly of good value. There are some improvements on the seasoning to make it less salty for some of the dishes but those could be rectified easily and I am interested to come back and try their other dishes.
沒有留言:
張貼留言