The Peninsula Hotel - Hong Kong - review

Name:  The Peninsula
Address: Salisbury Road, Kowloon
Hong Kong

(852) 29202888

Food: European, Cantonese, Northern Chinese, Japanese, French,

Average price: $250HK for Traditional Peninsula Breakfast and$268HK for Afternoon Tea.

Complimentary: Water.

We ordered: Four servings of the Afternoon Tea Platter.

This was perhaps the nicest afternoon platter I have ever had. Nothing was stale, dry or tasteless. My favourite items were the gorgeous scones studded with plump sultanas and the miniature chocolate tarts oozing with passion-fruit curd. Even the boys ate everything, right down to the pink marshmallow topped strawberries.

I also wanted to put in a mention for their Peninsula breakfast which has been my favourite hotel breakfast to date. I particularly loved their Bircher muesli. Here's a few snapshots.

Bircher muesli with berries, pancakes with apricots and syrup, fruit salad, eggs with bacon and potatoes, mixed Danish pastries.

Service:  Balanced. The service was attentive without being obtrusive. The staff were efficient, friendly and the food came out quickly.


Atmosphere: Colonial glamour. The floors are marble floors with large patterned rugs in the eating areas. The Lobby is filled with gilded columns, large potted ferns, ornate ceilings and gorgeous paintings all in neutral warm tones. The seats are dark wood with a royal blue fabric. Despite having a rather luxurious design and staff to open all doors for you  the atmosphere is rather relaxed and mellow.

Parking: Limited - take a cab or train.

Website: http://www.peninsula.com/Peninsula_Hotels/en/default.aspx#/Hong_Kong/en/

Hours: Daily 7am - 12:30am (for the Lobby), 2pm-7pm for afternoon tea

Would I return: Yes - for breakfast.

Hutong - Hong Kong - review

Name: Hutong

Address: 28th floor, 1 Peking Rd,
Hong Kong
+852-3428 8342

Food: Northern Chinese

Average price: Minimum $300HK per person (Around $40AUD).

Complimentary: Mung Bean and Preserved Vegetable

We ordered:

Pig throat and leek salad with coriander and sesame oil

The boys thought this was a touch bland and found the pig throat texture unpleasant.

Sliced pork with beef rolls pork cheek rolled with minced beef with mashed garlic

This was ok, nothing special.

Vegetarian spring rolls with mushroom served with scallion

I found these well cooked with a great crunch and rather tasty filling, they were yummy even without the dipping sauce.

Crispy deboned lamb ribs

These were ok, though a touch dry.

Grouper in Szechuan chilli

Very spicy and generous serving size.

Egg white fried rice with conpoy and spring onion

Not much flavour. R found the texture a little too crunchy.

Minced pork with fennel seed dumplings

Everyone thought these were nice.

Mixed vegetable dumplings

Whilst they had a nice consistency, without the garlic vinegar sauce they had no flavour of their own.

Apple rolls with fried lotus

These were merely ok - they needed some other flavour besides the apple and perhaps a sauce or ice cream for some wetness as it was a rather dry dish.

flower drink - rose, lychee, honey and cinnamon

Way too heavy on the honey for me which made it too sweet to drink, it increased my thirst. The blend of fruity lychee, spicy cinnamon and fragrant rose was nice though.

Kiwi cocktail

Very strong alcohol wise.

Service: Not great. We had to keep pouring our own wine bottles but the food came out at a decent pace.

Atmosphere: Too dark to see my shoes. Whilst the foyer had a some gorgeous red lanterns, a decorative rickshaw and a stunning view of the harbour (and later on, the laser show), overall it was far too dark, I could barely make out what the rather uncomfortable chairs even looked like.
The noise level was quite low, perhaps the dark lighting just made everyone a little quieter than usual.

Parking: Limited - take a cab or train.

Website: http://www.aqua.com.hk/

Hours: Daily noon-3pm and 6-11pm

Would I return: No.

Lung King Heen - Hong Kong - review

Name: Lung King Heen

Address: Hong Kong
8 Finance Street Central

(852) 3196-8880
 
Food: Modern Cantonese

Average price: $48HKD - $1080HKD.

Complimentary: Preserved vegetables

These were Ok.


Beef

We ordered: National Day Dinner Menu (meat and vegetarian versions) - $1080HK ($160AUD) each for the meat version.

Lung King Heen Appetiser Combination - crispy suckling pig, barbecued pork with honey, fried scallop with string bean

Both R and G found this starter, along with the various sauces, very tasty and well executed.


Crispy taro dumplings  - $40

These were absolutely divine! I have never had taro before but these crispy parcels with their soft center were delicious.

Braised Shark's Fin with Fresh Crab Meat

A few drops of black vinegar was added to this, which R said turned this classic dish into something amazing, He requested more vinegar as he said it really just brought the dish to another level.

Vegetable soup - $130HKD

Nice, mellow soup. Some of the mushrooms had a rather odd spongy texture though.

Simmered King Prawn in Supreme Broth

Sautéed Shredded Potato in Vegetarian X.O. Chilli Sauce  -$80

I could have eaten an entire bucket of this. No joke. I loved this dish, the texture and the complex flavours were fantastic. I need to get my hands on a bottle of that sauce...

Braised Abalone Cube with Star Grouper Fillet in Supreme Oyster Sauce
  

Braised Fresh Tofu Sheet with Egg Whites- $160Hk

The texture, which was akin to very runny egg whites, didn't appeal to me, it felt too slimy on the tongue. The tofu beneath though was lovely.

Wok-Fried Wagyu Beef Cubes with Lily bulbs and green peppers in Black bean sauce

R thought this was fairly average.

Sauteed vegetables with garlic - $120HKD

I love Chinese broccoli so this simply serving of lightly cooked Gai Lan with garlic was delicious to me.


Fried rice with fresh crab, mushrooms, and vegetables

Fried rice with mushrooms and vegetables - $80HKD

Simply a good bowl of fried rice.


Chilled mango and sago cream with Pomelo

Really refreshing and lightly sweet dish with chewy tapioca pearls.

Petit fours - red bean jelly and lotus seed pastries.

The triangles had a nice puffed, flaky pastry and sweet paste, very enjoyable.

Espresso

G, an Italian, said this tasted like 'an arse fart'.


Drinks: Evian x 2 - $190hk

Cost: $3308HKD +10% service charge.

Service: Great. Food came out at a reasonable pace, they accommodated me with a vegetarian degustation menu without any fuss at all, we were provided with moist hand towels and finger bowls and the wait staff were efficient and spoke decent English.

Atmosphere: Elegant but simple with a focus on harbour views. The decor is a mixture of neutral woods and glass with plenty of spacing between tables. The vibe was quite relaxed and most patrons weren't very dressed up.

Parking: Limited - take a taxi, they are very cheap, otherwise there are trains and ferries.

Website: http://www.fourseasons.com/hongkong/dining/lung_king_heen/

Hours: Mon-Sat 12pm-2:30pm, 6pm-10:30pm; Sun 11:30am-3pm, 6pm-10:30pm

Would I return: Yes, great food, good service and reasonably priced for a three Michelin star restaurant.