Lung King Heen, Four Seasons, Hong Kong

With a reputation as the best Chinese cook in the world, Chef Chan Yan Tak has a lot of customers who visit with high expectations. When the Michelin guide arrived in Hong Kong 8 years ago, his restaurant Lung King Heen at the Four Seasons received the ultimate recognition of three stars, an accolade it has retained ever since.

Despite the grandeur of its reputation this restaurant has a friendly feel, the staff provide every guest with professional but personal attention and Chef Tak’s passion for traditional but creative cooking is very much evident throughout the menus. With no formal training, Chef Tak’s creations are inspired by family recipes and traditions. The kitchen is known particularly for its exceptional seafood and dim sum.

Located on the fourth floor of the opulent Four Seasons Hotel, this large open-plan dining room is understated and elegant. It is a subtle space in comparison to the hotel’s other award-winning restaurant, Caprice. We sat at a central table, and quickly the restaurant filled up around us- families, friends and business lunches – it is definitely a restaurant for any occasion.

Most local guests choose tea to accompany their meal, so we did the same. The warm fragrant drink cleanses the palate between courses and the delicate taste complements the bold dim sum dishes. A small tasting menu had been prepared for us, highlighting a few of the chef’s specialties, whilst taking my dislike of fish into consideration. First, a few classic dim sum mouthfuls to wake up our tastebuds… each parcel was an explosion of flavour and excitement. The pineapple pork dumpling was the best, a yellow topped pastry (it doesn’t actually contain any pineapple) with a juicy meaty filling.

Also on the table were a few traditional sauces, all homemade at the restaurant. Particularly notable was the XO sauce, which is notoriously difficult to make, and needs a precise balance of components to create the correct taste.

The BBQ meats were perhaps my favourite part of the meal. Melt in the mouth sweet and tender pieces of pork, goose and duck that were each carefully roasted in the dedicated roasting room at the hotel, to attain an addictively good sweet crispiness.

Wok-fried Superior Australian Wagyu Beef Cubes with Morel Mushrooms was a hearty dish. High quality meat and fresh seasonal vegetables were coated in an irresistible sauce. The final savoury dish was a classic Chinese staple. Fried rice with shredded chicken sounds simple, but here it was made to perfection. Comforting and filling, every grain of rice was carefully separated and coated in a tantalizing salty hint; it was tasty and rich without the normal cloying greasiness.

Dessert was a trio of strange and delicious treats. Vibrant green lime pudding with aloe and mint was a light jelly dessert. I appreciated the lightness of the jelly though didn’t quite understand the flavouring. We also tried Osmanthus Jelly, a typical floral jelly that was intriguing and delicious; ideal at the end of a meal.

Lung King Heen translates to ‘view of the dragon’, and I was pleased to find the food is every bit as majestic as the name suggests. This Chinese cuisine is fit for royalty but the staff make everyone feel welcome, and it is that unusual balance that makes this 3-Michelin star establishment so special and unique.

More information and book a table at Lung King Heen here.

THOROUGHLY MODERN MAN: HKK, Moorgate

The area north of Liverpool Street Station is very, very quiet on a Saturday lunchtime – this tranquility suited an extensive and rather meditative lunch at HKK, a restaurant in the Hakkasan Group led by Michelin-starred head chef Tong Chee Hwee. The prospect of a twelve course tasting menu should be a little worrying but, with each dish being tiny, fresh and delicious, it is a gentle and relaxing experience. There is however a danger, with each course being paired by a fine wine, of falling off one’s chair halfway through the meal.

The charming and attentive waiter settled us in the pale elegant dining room and brought us bottled water and warm hand towels to emphasise the ritual nature of the proceedings. After a tiny amuse-bouche, we were brought a diminutive steak sandwich: Wagyu beef and black truffle in a mantou or steamed bun. Succulent and flavoursome, this was an excellent start, accompanied by a glass of chilled Heavenly Brew, a potent Sake that we sipped at gingerly. Next a seafood soup, its richness set against the sharp goji berries that one dropped in.

The oh-so-pretty trilogy of dim sum in their traditional basket were accompanied by a lively orange cocktail, Bitter Fortune, whose colour and array of flavours paralleled the steamed dumplings of sea bass, crab and lobster. The modest theatricality of the meal continued with a whole Peking duck, a splendid polished mahogany coloured bird, being expertly carved at the table and served with customary pancake and a little heap of sugar in which to dip the squares of sublime crispy skin. A most unusual German Pinot Noir, Stepp, was a robust partner to the intense gamey meat.

Little fish courses followed: coils of Dover sole and then delicious scallops in a sesame sauce; again our delightful Spanish sommelier had a surprising wine accompaniment, a Northern Italian rosé. Next came flaming eggs, the size of Easter eggs, made of salt sitting in thyme branch bird-nests! Broken open, these contained super-moist pieces of Bresse chicken suffused with mushroomy juices. A glass of citrusy white Burgundy added to the enjoyment. Our palates were refreshed with delicate Peony tea and we were served sticky, salty Abalone in its shell.

The final savoury course was a rectangle of melting pork belly complemented by the crisp sharpness of edible lily bulb and tiny pickled vegetables. The richness of the meat was matched with a distinctive, spicy South Australian red made entirely with the Mourvedre grape.

The puddings were not the disappointment one sometimes finds at the end of a Chinese meal – I could have eaten much more of the delicate coconut tapioca with mango granita and the Red berry parfait wrapped in a sesame tuile was equally delicious. The delicately fizzy and subtly sweet Moscato d’Asti completed the heavenly finale (not forgetting the tiny petits fours and coffee).

If you want a very special meal then HKK will not disappoint – this is the finest Chinese food I have ever eaten.

More information on HKK and make a booking here.

Written by a Thoroughly Modern Man, Chris Kenny.

Yauatcha City, Broadgate Circle

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Yauatcha Soho has become a dim sum destination. Just moments away from China Town it offers a high quality of Oriental food, dim sum and larger dishes. The colourful restaurant has been satisfying the Chinese cravings of Londoners for over 10 years, and proudly holds a Michelin star for its fine cuisine. I loved both the experience and the food at the original Yauatcha so was itching to try the second London branch when it opened last month.

Yauatcha City is found in the newly redeveloped Broadgate Circle complex. Nearby to Liverpool Street this area is a hub during the week for city workers and business meetings. Alongside Yauatcha, a host of popular eateries have set up shop including my favourites Jose Pizarro, Botanist and Franca Manca pizzeria. This new shiny branch of Yauatcha has many of the same design elements and characteristics of the flagship restaurant, with smart black furniture and stylish lighting.

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On a Saturday evening the restaurant was busy but calm, I imagine it is a different story mid-week. We settled into a lovely window table and excitedly looked through the menu of dim sum delights. The service here is slick and professional, and our waiter, James, was exemplary, friendly and personal, helping us choose all the best dishes. After a round of strong expertly mixed cocktails we were very excited to move onto a feast of Chinese treats. We picked a few dim sum recipes to start, continuing with crispy duck pancakes and a few main dishes. Wagyu Beef Puff arrived at our table first, delightful little mouthfuls of rich tasty meat encased in perfect pastry.

Amongst my favourites was the Char siu cheung fun (BBQ pork steamed rice noodle roll) the slimy glutenous recipe did not look very appetising, and yet it was utterly, addictively delicious. The meat inside had a salty crispy charm and the rolls were served in a pool of indulgent sauce, deepening the flavour further. I rarely get the chance to eat Crispy aromatic duck so I relished the opportunity to order it at Yauatcha City. Unsurprisingly this rendition of the classic Chinese DIY dish, was faultless. The finest duck with ample crisped skin, sweet and thick plum sauce and a side plate of cucumber and spring onion. I greedily grabbed the best pieces of meat for my rolls, which were absolutely divine… and I made a mental note to eat Crispy Duck more often.

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The main courses are ideal for a longer leisurely meal. Stir-fry rib eye beef in black bean sauce was a dish I remembered well from the Soho branch, I loved it so much that we had to have it again! It did not disappoint, chunks of grilled beef coated in a sticky aromatic sauce and mixed with still-crunchy onion and pepper. Every element was cooked perfectly to create a texturally exciting dish. Seafood fans should try the Fried chilli squid with oatmeal and curry leaf. The soft squid pieces are coated in a delectable light topping not dissimilar to cornflakes!

Egg fried rice is an essential side dish, and there are a range of vegetable recipes to choose from. We tried the Spicy aubergine with sato bean, okra and French bean with peanut. The aubergine was soft and sweet though I found the sato bean bitter and overpowering. Perhaps these unusual vegetables are an acquired taste.

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Yauatcha City has its own on-site patisserie, with a cabinet of jewel coloured macaroons tempting you as you walk in the door. I umm-ed and ahh-ed over which flavours to choose, classic or curious. The violet and rose varieties were lovely, though it is the Pandan Leaf (known as the vanilla of the East) that I would recommend. Despite its bright green colour the macaroon had a subtle and unique taste, a pleasant final flavour for the palate.

For something decadent opt for the Chocolate Pebble. This cake is a work of art and I noticed the surrounding guests shuffle in their seats to get a glimpse as the beautiful plate was placed down onto our table. The chocolate brownie is wrapped in a dark chocolate coat and topped with an artistic and complex chocolate ornament. I found it too rich after the indulgent meal but my guest loved every second he spent demolishing it. It illustrates the skill and precision that is exercised in the Yauatcha kitchen.

Yauatcha City builds on the success of the original restaurant, and serves a feast of the finest Chinese delicacies in the most stylish of settings.

More information on Yauatcha City, see the menu and book a table here.