Wineshark HK Restaurant Review - Lai Ching Heen 麗晶軒

To celebrate my wife’s birthday, we return to Lai Ching Heen, one of her favourite Chinese restaurants. Located at The Regent Hong Kong in TST, it has been awarded Michelin 2-star status since re-opening two years ago after the renovation of the hotel.

The many jade themed decorations and design elements highlight a luxury and comfortable ambience, and we are seated at the same table from our last visit, looking out to the Victoria Harbour and the HK Island on the opposite bank.

To start I have a glass of Piper-Heidsieck Rare Millesime 2013 ($498). A beautiful Champagne not only because of its nicely designed bottle, its delicate aromas of white flowers, blood orange gradually evolves to more kumquat, with delicious almond and yeasty flavours.

For starter, we have Pork Knuckle with 25 years Fruit Vinegar 廿五年果醋醉肘子 ($198). The chilled pork knuckle has been marinated in Mei Kuei Lu Chiew, showing a very rich and nice rose and wine fragrance, with a good bite especially on the skin. Paired with a 25-Year Aged Fruit Vinegar, the meaty knuckles are delicious and have an appetizing sweet and sourness.

For the soup, my wife has Double Boiled Fish Maw and Sea Cucumber 花膠燉遼參 ($580), with the clear yet intensely flavoured supreme soup very delicious and rich in umami. With a spiky sea cucumber and a large piece of fish maw, it is a premium soup but worth every single penny on its great taste and first-class ingredients.

For me, I have the Double Boiled Fish Maw and Sea Whelk 花膠燉響螺 ($340). Utilizing the same supreme soup, the sea cucumber is replaced by sea whelk, and as a result, the umami taste is even more intense. The sea whelk is also cut into strips to make it easier to eat and chew. A pure pleasure to enjoy the soup.  

Then comes Golden Frog Legs with Spicy Salt 椒鹽田雞腿 ($288). This is our favourite dish, with the frog legs coated with batter to deep-fry, meaty and not feeling a thick layer of batter. The seasoning of spicy salt is spot-on, flavourful but you will not overly spicy nor salty. The portion is also quite big, with about eight pieces so we can all savour to our satisfaction.

Finishing the Champagne, I have the second glass of wine, this time picking Chateau Talbot Caillou Blanc 2020 ($198). A blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon, the wine is lively and aromatic, with a waxy texture and nice lemon, bit of grassy, white peach, and ginger notes.

Coming to the main dishes, the Wok-Fried Pork and Mixed Mushrooms with Homemade XO Chili Sauce XO 醬鮮菌爆黑豚 ($350) is very good, with the pork tender and not tough on the bite. The mixed mushrooms have different texture, with everything stir-fried together with a tasty XO sauce of slight spiciness and savoury delicious.

The next is Steamed Garoupa Fillet Roll with Sichuan Pepper and Fruit Vinegar 藤椒果醋蒸斑卷 ($480). The steamed fish fillet is put on top of a fried gluten, with plenty of spring onion and Sichuan pepper put on top before pouring in hot oil to add fragrance. With some soy sauce and fruit vinegar to provide savoury and acidity, it is a new twist to the traditional steamed fish with good effect.

The last one we have is Steamed Scallop with Crabmeat Roe and Tofu 蟹皇帶子蒸豆腐 ($230 half portion). The tofu is silky smooth, with a thick sauce poured on top, made with crabmeat and crab roes. With also the scallops on top and some Chinese kale on the side, it is a delicate dish but still rich in taste and flavours.  

The last wine I have is J. J. Prum Graacher Himmelreich Spatlese 2022 ($228). A slightly sweet wine with a nice flinty nose, the Riesling has very good acidity so it is refreshing and elegant, and it is a highly versatile wine for Chinese cuisine in my opinion.

For dessert I have Baked Sago Pudding with Pineapple and Custard Cream and Crispy Almond Chip 奶皇鳳梨焗西米布甸拼杏仁脆餅 ($86). The baked sago pudding is served in a cute mini-cup, with some pineapple pieces inside which provides a bit of sourness to balance the sweet custard cream. With a piece of crispy almond chip on top to provide a contrast in texture, a satisfying conclusion.

My wife has Double Boiled Sweetened Dried Longan Soup with Japanese Gingko Nuts and Peach Gum 紅棗桃膠燉日本銀杏 ($96). A more delicate dessert, with the soup appropriate in sweetness, and the healthy combination of gingko nuts, peach gum, and dried longan good for digestion.  

The Petits Fours are assortment of traditional dim sum, including deep-fried sesame ball, walnut biscuit, custard glutinous rice ball, sesame roll, matcha puff and lotus paste puff. Not only beautiful in different colours, the different texture of crunchy, chewy, crispy and soft are all testimony to the mastery of cooking by the chef and his team.  

Service is very good, with the staff friendly and attentive, and the sommelier is very professional and has offered good recommendation on wine pairing. The bill on the night is $4,026 which is reasonable considering the quality of the food, the impeccable dining experience, and the wonderful service. It remains one of our top favourites of Chinese restaurant in HK.