This Michelin 1-star restaurant is famous for the abalone, with founder and owner Mr. Yung working in the culinary industry for more than 30 years, building a reputation in particular on the abalone he made. The restaurant has been awarded the Michelin status since 2011, now in the 10th year in a row.
Located in TST Mira Place, the golden shiny entrance immediately gave a sense of luxury, matching with the name of the restaurant, meaning super rich people. We were greeted warmly before seated, with the general environment one of comfort in a more traditional Chinese restaurant setting.
We ordered the limited 20th anniversary menu ($3880 each), featuring the rare 6-head Amidori dried abalone. The first course is Ah Yung Style Stir-Fried Fish Maw in Clay Pot, 阿翁砂鍋炒花膠. The stir-frying was done at the dining area, but it was a bit far from where we sit to see. The fish maw were cut to a smaller size to allow easy scooping up and eating, tender and nutritious. There were also egg, shreds of really nice Chinese ham and crab yolk stir-frying together with the fish maw. There was also a bowl of supreme broth served together, so that when eating each bite one can drink a spoon of the broth which added an intense and amazing feast of flavors. A really great dish to start.
Next was the highlight of the menu. Braised 6-Head Amidori Dried Abalone with Chinese Lettuce Heart, 6頭日本千葉網鮑配唐生菜膽. This for sure was the largest dried abalone I have seen and eaten so far. I could not imagine how long the chef would need to braise the abalone, but when I cut it up with the knife it was so soft and easy. Also, the cut abalone did stuck to the knife too, as the best dried abalone would, further testimony to the quality of the abalone and the great techniques the chef in cooking. The sauce was simply fantastic, and paired with the lettuce I could barely hold myself from licking the dish to savor every single drop of the essence. A really rewarding experience on trying out such a premium dish, and when Mrs. Yung came to talk to us, she shared that if ordering just this abalone alone the price was higher than the full menu, but because of this special promotional menu they were offering this as a token of appreciation to the customers.
Then it came Garoupa Rolls in Two Ways, 翡翠金銀海斑卷. The fish fillet is thinly sliced, then wrapped with a few shreds of Chinese ham and shiitake mushroom, before cooking it in two ways, one deep-fried to give the golden sheen, and the other stir-fried to maintain the white color. Both were equally tasty, with the fish seasoned well and one can taste the freshness, with the ham and shiitake mushroom bringing further complexity on savory and fragrance to the fish and complement. I also like the deep-fried version, having a slight crispy outside but not too much of corn starch to make a heavy coating. With a broccoli on the side too, it is both visually and flavor-wise a great dish.
When we ordered the menu, the staff told us that they would like to treat us for a chicken or pigeon dish. Not sure what that is, I opted for chicken. And I was surprised to see a Crispy Skin Fried Chicken served next. I thought it would be one or two pieces but not half the chicken. The chicken was tender and juicy, with the skin very crispy and not having any fat underneath. The only thing I would like them to work on was the seasoning of the chicken. I found it was uneven, with some parts of the chicken a bit too salty, while some other parts not sufficient. Addressing that will certainly make this dish even more amazing.
By now we were very full, and next came the Fu Ho Fried Rice in Fujian Style, 富豪福建炒飯. Originally fearing that I could not finish it, but it turned out I was just over-worried. The fried rice was so tasty I even wanted to have more! Instead of the traditional Fujian Fried rice style where the sauce tended to make the rice soggy, this one got the same nice flavors, with plenty of shiitake mushroom, BBQ pork, roasted duck, shrimp, spring onion as ingredients, the fried rice was not soggy and each remained distinct but not too dried as most fried rice would be. A true integration of both style for their best features, another dish I would recommend to order.
For dessert, the first one was Double-Boiled Bird's Nest in Almond Juice, 原燉杏汁官燕. We were also given the choice of changing the almond juice to coconut milk or just plain rock sugar, which I did not choose but my wife opted for the plain rock sugar version. Thoughtfully the syrup was served separately, so allowing me to adjust the sweetness by myself, and the almond note was fragrant, with the bird's nest plentiful and another luxurious treat for ourselves in this wonderful meal.
The final course was Walnut Cookie and Coconut Milk Cake. The cookie was crunchy with appropriate sweetness and a nice walnut note, and the coconut milk cake creamy and refreshing. A nice finale to the meal.
But wait, we were asked whether we like Papaya. And then we were served half a papaya each. Another treat from the restaurant, we felt so contented with the fruit and that wrapped up our nice and luxurious dinner.
Throughout the meal the friendly staff was attentive but not intrusive. We also saw Mr. and Mrs. Yung sitting in the restaurant, helping to greet and talk to the customers. In the midst of our meal Mrs. Yung also came over to talk to us, and paying attention to address us by name, and checking in with us on the food and service, again demonstrated these owners really paying their utmost care to the business. Mrs. Yung shared with us that the restaurant would be renovating soon, and I look forward to returning after that to experience their new look.
The bill on the night was $8,635 which might seem extravagant. However, considering the market price for the 6-head abalone alone it was very reasonable. And I would like to come again to try out some of their other dishes in near future.
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