The branch of this Shanghai restaurant in the basement of Empire Hotel Wanchai was once my most favourite one, and that's the only place I am willing to go in Empire Hotel. The drunken chicken and chicken won ton casserole are still so alive in my mind, though the other 2 opposite to the old Hyatt Regency and on the food forum of Times Square were not bad. Unfortunately that branch was closed some years ago. I then switched to Flower Trump. Too bad Flower Trump closed last year. So I went back to this one on Food Forum of Times Square. What a winding road.
Glad that their drunken chicken is still the best among all those I have tried. I like the way they didn't rinse or soak the pickled 炸菜 (photo 2) for a long time. I like the chili and salty sweet blast of this pickled. Photo 4 is the deep fried "phoenix tail" fish 鳳尾魚. The chef made a nice sweet light soy sauce with scallion to sauteed the deep fried fish a bit so that it's not that dry from the deep frying. Photo 5 is the deep fried fermented bean curds 臭豆腐. Pretty nice. The mixed casserole (photo 6) 砂窩雜景(錦) is nice too. However, further on, the 2 dumplings (7/8) are way below average. They are pumpkin chicken and fish patty veggie. The meat portion is too thin, making the filling too soft and mashy. The dumpling wrap isn't right either.
Photo 9: when I saw the tangerine in this renowned Shanghai sweet mini sticky rice dumpling in broken rice wine swet 酒釀丸子, I felt like I was in a fountain of gold. My long lost friend and the only one I could get the same was from Shanghai Garden on Chatham Road. Another unfortunately it wasn't made to the order. The mini dumpling wasn't with a nice flour aroma and the tangerine didn't taste like tangerine. The other dessert is banana cream with walnut, at average. *In order to get a table, I came here a bit earlier at 6pm. In conclusion, next time I shall just order the drunken chicken and other more classic food. Better stay away from those "fusion" dumplings.
6 comments:
this is one of my favorite Shanghaiese restaurant in HK, and remind me of an old friend ..
the one opposite Old Hyatt shut down was due to crazy rental increased ..
Not sure if I told you Madam Fa likes this one so much too. :)
Ah... I haven't visited that one in TST over 10 years. TST has more jewel, electronic and high-end boutique or 2nd hand luxury goods thrifty shops than any others. 芥蘭站 is now listed on stock market.
Yes the food looks so authentic, especially my favorite smelly beam curd looks exactly those I ate in HK 30 years ago.
This looks high end Shanghai Place with good food.
I miss 花滿樓 so much. Don't know why they closed down. It was always full. Do you know that 黃枝記 (opposite to Yung Kee) is also closing down the end of June because of the rent rising more than double. They even made a Chinese poem to tell the customers.
Wow Chinese poem for the close down ceremony is impressive.
Daphne, I think most of us miss Flower Trump. They actually closed all the shops (incl. the TST branch). 黃枝記 is quite salty. 楊記 in Wanchai also closed due to high rent. I think the single or few shop restaurants in HK are really having a hard time.
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