YAN TOH HEEN

Hong Kong

When it comes to fine Chinese dining in Hong Kong, it doesn’t get much better than Yan Toh Heen, located in the legendary Intercontinental Hotel on Kowloon Bay. With breath-taking panoramic vistas of Hong Kong Island, this two Michelin starred institution is globally revered for its cuisine and impeccable service. I dined at Yan Toh Heen on my very first night in Hong Kong as a way to kick-start what would be a very busy five-day break of non stop eating and partying. I am glad to say that even though Yan Toh Heen did not top my list of being the best in Hong Kong, it very much delivered and left a good impression. What disappointed me about Yan Toh Heen was not the food but the ambience. My friends and I were expecting a lively buzzing dining room with spectacular views, and what we found was a very quiet space with many business suits and an older crowd; the mood I have to admit was a bit of a buzz kill. Despite this, the food resurrected my impression of the place; it was just that good! Highlights from the dinner include the barbecued fresh water eel, which was prepared with an Osmanthus honey sauce, which is very fragrant and sweet, and worked perfectly with the eel; it was the best dish of the night. The crispy fresh water prawns with black truffle are definitely worth ordering, although the serving was a bit small and thus we had to order two more portions. A favourite of the night was also the wagyu beef with black peppercorn, which is not the most inventive dish, but the quality of the beef was terrific and just melted in my mouth. To balance out our meal with a vegetarian option, we ordered the very delicious and mouth watering wok fried white asparagus with bamboo pits and mushrooms. As an emblem of Hong Kong fine dining, I would definitely recommend Yan Toh Heen, but don’t go expecting a lively scene; at least not at dinner time. 

www.hongkong-ic.intercontinental.com

LUNG KING HEEN

Hong Kong

Lung King Heen, meaning “View of the Dragon” is a seafood and dim sum restaurant located in the Four Seasons Hotel in Hong Kong. The View of the Dragon refers to the spectacular harbour views that this restaurant presents; and like with many Hong Kong dining spots, the view is amazing. What sets Lung King Heen apart from these is not only that it boasts the highly coveted three Michelin star rating; it is also the world’s first Chinese restaurant to be awarded a Michelin star. Suffice to say expectations were exceptionally high, and not only were they met, they were surpassed. Dining at Lung King Heen was a pleasure and just made me feel good. The combination of the attentive smiling staff, the stunning view, the great ambience and delicious food made this an unforgettable experience. I went to Lung King Heen during lunchtime on my final day in Hong Kong. I was saving it for the last meal, which I now regret as I would have liked to go multiple times. Since it was lunchtime most of the ordering concentrated on dim sum, which is what it is renowned for in any case. Highlights included the steamed lobster and scallop dumpling, which was sublime in every measure; the texture was spot-on and the flavours fresh and not overbearing. The mushroom, prawn and black truffle spring rolls were also an interesting option, although quite heavy on the truffle and oil and thus rank to be the least favourite item from what we had ordered. A delicious and very successful dish were the baked morel mushroom puffs with chicken; they were light, full of flavour and just begged us to order more, which we did. As the meal progressed, the food just kept getting better, with the scallop and prawn dumpling which not only looked perfect, but tasted perfect; it was a delight merely to look at it. The best of all however, goes to the Baked Toro Dumplings, which are essentially filled with lobster, black truffle and mushroom. These dumplings go down as being one of the most delicious things I have ever tried, the baked texture is so unique and the explosive flavour of the black truffle complimented both the steamed lobster and mushrooms; this is a must and I will gladly attest to it being one of the finest dishes there is. Superb! To conclude our light and quick lunch we ended on frog legs that were very delicious indeed, and finally lettuce wrapped vegetables in order to end the meal on a lighter note. There is not much more to be said about this excellent restaurant, except that it will go down as being one of the most memorable meals I have had, and not only do I recommend it, I insist that you visit it if and when in Hong Kong.

www.fourseasons.com