聯興潮州飯店 [ Hong Kong ] - Cooked Food Centre Upstairs, Run by a Famous Team of Chiu Chow Chefs Who Used to be Famous Downstairs on the Ground..

 There was an Air-Ink Event using Ink produced from our Polluted Air to draw out the Graffiti walls,  to showcase how polluted our air that we breathe in can be,  it was together with Tiger Beer from Singapore and also Crafty Cow in Sheung Wan as a collaboration. You never know what you breathe in can make your lungs blacker than Laser Printer ink!   Afterwards, some of us decided impromptu to head down to a Cooked Food Centre for some Chiu Chow dishes... Sheung Wan is actually pretty famous for Chiu Chow restaurants, and don't under estimate 聯興潮州飯店.   It used to be on the ground floor at a prominent location on Queens Road East and visited by famous Celebrities, somehow that shop closed a few years ago but some of the Chefs re-opened up here instead. It's almost as famous as ABC Kitchen in the next door Cooked Food Centre, but almost feeling like taking a refuge location upstairs.   My visits to here has had Ups and Downs,  tonight it was more on the acceptable side and the pricing point depends on whether you order the normal or the more expensive artisanal stuff.

Our Tiger Beers x Air-Ink Event Nearby -

At Crafty Cow.  It was interesting.  Both Crafty Cow and also Little Burro nearby often have bi-weekly gatherings in this vicinity.  *Sometimes getting complaints from the neighbors upstairs,  it is both cool but also if only the crowd can behave 

Some Hot Chili Wings - Crafty Cow

Almost Buffalo Wings style without the Celery Crudites and the Blue Cheese Dip,  the latter I needed as these wings seem hotter than before but challenging..

滷水鵝片豆腐 - Master Stock Goose Meat with Tofu

This was better than my last 2 times eating here, with a slightly heavier based stock and spices with layerings.    Definitely more likable this time around... Even the Goose meat wasn't too fatty nor cooked chewy.  The Tofu soaked up the base sauce well and not overly salty.  Glad someone ordered this as it has improved ~ 8/10

潮式煎蠔餅 - Chiu Chow style Oyster Egg Omelette 

Usually these are shallow fried and absorbs all the oil in, and the ones nearby in Fujian Province or even in Taiwan are more potato slimey starchy.   My personal favorite is the similar Chiu Chow/Teochew styles done in Singapore, although all of them are relatable in Teochew or Hokkien in Concept.   Tonight's version was a little lacking egg aroma, albeit at least the oysters were plump and not stinky. Some on the table didn't like this too much, but I thought it was a healthier version for HK. ~ 7/10

沙嗲牛河 -Sate/Satay Beef Fried Hor Fun 

Truth be told, I have never had a better version than nearby 陳勤記鹵鵝飯店 Chan Kan Kee.    This actually looked better than it tasted. On the positive, the beef were tender and the hor fun noodles wasn't mushy and had plenty of fried eggs.  What it can perform better was in a better Satay Sauce,  and in a Chiu Chow style version,  should have plenty of Peanuts,  Galangal,  Flounder Floss,  Sate.  ~  6.9/10

韭菜豬紅 - Chinese Green Chives with Pig's Blood Pudding

Truth be told I am very weary of eating this dish in Summer as once I got a massive acute Food Poisoning episode, it nearly killed me an hour later. But luck would have it, I ate this twice today at separate venues. It has always intrigued me that Boudin Noir or Morcilla Pigs Blood with Rice Puddings are so prevalent in French, Spanish, even Italian, Taiwanese, Filipino, Tibetan, Indonesia, Korean, Scottish or Irish, Scandinavian and Chinese cuisines, lest any I conveniently forget to recall. Guess we all have a bit of a Vampire in us.  This was a little milder than I am used to,  but knowing my past record of eating this and going into hospital,  I was actually glad this was on the milder side and I am still alive to type this review ~  7.5/10

Price: HKD $70 Per Person 

Food: ♕♕♕♕ to ♕♕♕♕ 1/2 

Address: 上環皇后大道中345號上環市政大廈2樓熟食中心 CF2 

Shop CF2, Cooked Food Centre, 2/F, Sheung Wan Municipal Services Building And Civic Centre, 345 Queen's Road Central, Sheung Wan

Ph: 25176233

粵來順 Yuet Lai Shun - Affordable Cantonese Restaurant by Chef Tam & Chef Chan from Michelin 1* Dong Lai Shun

 The Michelin 1* Dong Lai Shun from Royal Garden Hotel has recently opened up a separate 2nd outlet in Causeway Bay.  This restaurant 粵來順 Yuet Lai Shun however is another 3rd restaurant,  which carries a similar name and sells instead mostly Cantonese dishes.   The similarities between the 3 shops’ names (not including the ones in Beijing),  is that Chef Chan has externally opened up his own new Cantonese venture with Chef Tam in the outskirts of Mongkok area.   Despite having been opened for only a few months,  this place is jam packed every night and since it opens until 2:00am daily,  apparently it has become the supper canteen of many other local Chefs who finally came off-duty and needed a comfort meal with quality. 

 

 

Master Stock Platter 滷水拼盤 – $158
Cantonese sub-region Chiu Chow style in spirit,  this comes with Large Intestines,  Tofu,  Calamari and Red Sausage.  The marination was done alright and balanced.  The cooking was spot on this time.  ~ 7.5/10

 

Almond Soup with Pig’s Lungs and Chicken Feet 杏汁燉白肺 – $208
Both this and the above dish are Chiu Chow cuisine based,  but both have since been incorporated into Cantonese cuisine in general as geographical,  Chiu Chow is a part of Canton.   Talk about micro-regions within China and it opens up the Pandora’s Box!   This almond soup was sweet but for some of us slightly not sweet almond-y enough and got over powered by both Pork Meat and Chicken Feet stock.  Viscosity was correct though.   This is one soup dish that many places are happy to serve,  but even some as strong calibre as The Chairman or HKU Alumni Restaurant can’t make it correct.  From my memory,  only Luk Yu Tea House and Queen’s College Chinese Restaurant have nailed it right.   ~ 6/10

 

 

 

Honeyed Soy Sauce Poached Chicken 蜂蜜豉油皇雞 – $98
Now this was great, I can’t remember a better version except mine  (Subjective haha but not boasting,  who wants to try mine!  Ok no one lol forget it hehe).   The fault with most versions in town is that the chicken is over-poached tough,  and the marinating sauce is 1 dimensional.   Here even the chicken breast was still silken smooth,  the skin and meat have absorbed in the poaching liquid flavours adequately.  Something you assume is easily done,  but rarely do you find any good balance.  If I was to nitpick,  I think it could handle slightly more spice and Chinese wine but it was definitely present.   ~ 9/10

 

 

Fried Kataifi Pastry with Minced Prawns and Cheese  千絲芝心球 – $98
A smart combination.   The pastry was expectedly nice,  the middle prawn mince was also beaten to have that elastic texture. The cheese was ok but overall this was a very enjoyable Signature Dish.  If only they could change to an artisanal cheese as the flavour discrepancy is quite apparent when most commercial cheese ain’t even real cheese.   ~ 8.5/10

 

 

 

Prawns Paste and Stir-Fried Beef with Kai Lan Veggies 蝦醬牛肉炒芥蘭 – $78
The ingredients independently are expected,  but this trio of combination is actually quite rare.  Usually it’s done with a different veggie like Kangkong/Water Spinach/Morning Glory and minus the beef meat.  Still familiar.  Re-invented and probably the Chef has re-invented a homey dish without himself knowing.   ~ 9/10

 

 

Black Pepper Sauce with Fried Pork Knuckle 黑椒脆豬髀 – $128
This has always baffled me as a recipe.  Is it considered German?  However it is sort of a staple in many Cantonese restaurants.  The Black Pepper sauce however has always been a part of Cha Chaan Teng culture,  which in itself is kind of fusionized in concept.  The meat was tender but the skin could be more crispier in some parts.  ~ 7/10

 

 

Dried Plum Pork Knuckle 話梅豬手 – $98
2 Knuckle dishes in a row,  this won my heart hands down!   My fellow foodie friend said this could have a more sour plummy note – I also agree.  However this was rather appetizing already and as it is I will give it an 8/10. If it had more plum and some acidity layering,  this could be potentially a 12/10 dish for me.

 

Preserved Olives and Soy Bean Pork Spare Ribs 欖豉骨 – $78
It was more honeyed coated than I imagined.   With the menu description I somehow expected this to be more on the savoury side.   The meat itself was however fried then coated with sauce to perfection.   Just needed more of the Olives and Soy Bean influence.  ~ 6/10

 

 

 

Cast Iron Pot of Abalone with Tofu Puffs 啫啫鮑魚加豆卜 – $168
Great price.  Taste was as expected,  at least executed decently.  Good price though. ~ 7/10

 

Vermicelli with Dried Shrimps,  Shrimp Roes,  Dried Conpoy 金勾銀柳 – $88
Said to be an award-winning dish was turned out to be more aesthetics than the taste.   I can’t taste much of the dried shrimps or the prawn roes,  nor the Conpoy.   I am pretty sure performance does fluctuate depending on costs or seasons,  but to me it is unacceptable if a hyped-about dish is this flat.  Even giving it benefit of doubts for fluctuation.   ~ 5//10

 

 

Sticky Rice Freshly Steamed with Male Roe Crab 糯米蒸蟹 – $440
Male crabs give it the silken tomalley/roe texture and melts into the rice.  This was done really well and the watery crab meat sweetness melted into the rice.   Many versions in town are under-performing and yawn.  Not this one here,  even the rice was steamed perfectly and there wasn’t too much pungent garlic input like everywhere else.  ~ 8/10

 

 

Eggs and Water Chestnuts Soup 蛋花馬蹄露 -
A traditional Cantonese dessert soup,  which I grew up with but lately is not as popular.  Compared to the past I found this to have too much crunchy Water Chestnuts,  but other than that the taste was accurate.  ~ 7/10

 

Almond and Egg White Tea Soup 蛋白杏仁茶 -
No tea involved, it’s just a name in Chinese to indicate it’s texture.  This was ok but like the above savoury Almond Pigs Lung’s Soup,  could be more thicker and pronounced in the different types of Almond Flavours.  









Yuet Lai Shun -
A new partnership restaurant between Michelin 1* famed Chef Chan and Head Chef Tam.  (Soothsayers will say a Michelin star is only awarded to the Restaurant not the Chef,  yawn.  Well the Head and Executive Chef is a major part of the whole Kitchen Team isn’t it.  Bored to death explaining this to people with bias.).   To me the biggest attraction about here is the overall mid-high quality vs affordable pricing point.  Also the fact that it opens until late til 2am.   I will be happy to dine here any time again but not expecting any miracles of course.  Michelin Bib Gourmand quality for me however personally especially when I need a meal at 1am..

 

 

Price:  $200 + 10% plus Drinks
Food:   ♕♕♕♕ to ♕♕♕♕ 1/2

Address:  2-8 Dundas Street,  10-12 Po Hung Building,  Mongkok
旺角登打士街2-8號寶亨大廈地舖10-12號   (About 10 minutes walk from Mongkok towards Olympus Station direction.)
Ph:  2788 3078

百樂小館 Pak Loh, Mira Mall - A New Casual Arm of the Chiu Chow Institution

 The Pak Loh 百樂 restaurant group used to be one of the best Chiu Chow Institutions in Hong Kong.  Back in the 1970’s and 80’s days,  the Chiu Chow gangs or other businessmen came to restaurants like Pak Loh’s original in Causeway Bay.  Every table would try to order the biggest Cold Flower Crabs and Fishes and opened very pricy X.O.’s for dinner which they bottle keep at the restaurant.   This Culture gradually dissipated over the decades and as you might already have noticed – Pak Loh expanded and branched out with trendier restaurants which aim to capture the family or friends gatherings crowd market.   This Pak Loh branch is a younger line again and the food presentation is fancier looking.  

 

 

 

The Kung Fu Tea, with Pickles with shaved Galangal -
The typical Chiu Chow dining experience always start with these.   The Executive Chef is from Chiu Chow and I managed to get him to come around and asking him about the different styles around the world.  He says there are basically 3 different branches of Chiu Chow food which evolved over time.  The original,  our Hong Kong interpretation,  and also the South East Asia or even Thailand TeoChew cuisines.

 

 

 

Master Stock Braised Goose Liver and Tofu – $138
Pak Loh uses a size of goose,  where the liver can be extracted as a whole without slicing up and damaging the goose for other cooking purposes.  Smart!   This was silky soft, I actually thought the braising stock here is too subtle for me,  I like their Mongkok and Causeway Bay branches better as they kept a better master stock.   ~ 7/10

 

 

 

Fried Crab and Shrimp Cakes – 4 Servings at $60 x 4 = $240
Actually these were probably the best ones I have remember ever eaten.  The reason is because you can taste the chunkiness of the seafood inside and they were fresh tasting.  The outer batter coating was also crispy but not greasy..   Very outstanding.   ~  10/10

 

Roast Goose Heads and Necks – paired with a Scottish Ardmore 18 Years Whisky
The main reason we came here as we wanted to share some whisky.  This is already nicely carved up for us with both neck and head part.  Finger licking good!   Goose Heads in Hong Kong are sold at way cheaper than they are in China (where each can cost around $380-400 RMB),  it has always baffled me,  may be HK people in general don’t really eat this part by default…  ~ 7/10

 

Tai Chi Spinach Puree and Chicken Soup with shaved Yunnan Ham - $68
I love this soup but it normally uses Sweet Potato Leaves when in season,  and this dish can actually be traced back to its historical roots,  when it was actually served all Green.   Potent flavours and viscous smooth,  this was a great price too.  ~  9/10

Oysters and Fried Egg Omelette 蠔烙 – $68
This is not as slimy as the Taiwan or Fujian 蚵仔煎 versions.  It’s a crispier drier version,  but Hong Kong has 2 different versions.  I actually prefer the ones eaten in Singapore as they strike the right balance for me.   This was ok and dipped into the fish sauce, oysters quite plump too.  ~ 7.5/10  

 

 

 

Mud Crab Stir Fried with Sticky Rice,  Fish Sauce and Galangal – $488
This traditional Chiu Chow dish uses very little sticky rice to coat the crab.  So the concentration of crab flavours get all absorbed into the rice.  For this price,  it is very good value for money.  Crab had a lot of meat either so it’s not the molting type you encounter sometimes which is heavily biased towards water content.  ~ 8/10

 

 

 

Braised Fish Maws with King Prawns, Calamari,  Pork,  Bamboo Shoots and Mushrooms – $168
The fish maws were nice,  but it was the prawns which shocked me the most as the prawn flavour was very strong. Rustic, gelatinous dish done right here.  Such a lady’s dish but I quite like this combination.  ~ 8/10

 

 

 

Satay Beef Fried Hor Fun Noodles – $88
They use American Rump beef and it’s not tenderized,  and had a great beef taste.  The other highlight is the Satay/Sate sauce – its is one of two Chiu Chow style variants and its house made here with plenty of Peanuts,  Sesame,  Dried Flounder powder,  Galangal, Prawns paste, various spices.  A proper Chiu Chow version sauce is expensive to make and this sauce was so fragrant you can smell it from a few feet away.  ~ 9.5/10

Jianshu and Sweet Potato with Glutinous Dumplings – $38
They import the Jianshu from Chiu Chow, a local delicacy of a plant that doesn’t appear to have an English name and tastes a bit like a mountain yam but firmer and more gingery.  A very special dessert finish.   ~ 9/10

 

 

 

Kung Fu Tea again -
To finish..  We liked this restaurant for its non pretentious approach,  yet there are no compromises.  Most recipes retain the more authentic spirit and ingredients are imported if necessary.   Apparently each outlet will taste slightly different,   due to the different typography but the original Causeway Bay restaurant will have the most experienced Chiu Chow chefs who do the recipes the way they remember it to be!   This branch meanwhile will be slightly more adventurous and with fancier plating to suit the modern crowd.

 

 

 

Price:  $300 + 10% per head (More desserts and dishes than covered here)
Food:  ♕♕♕♕ - ♕♕♕♕♕

Address:  尖沙咀彌敦道132號美麗華商場食四方4樓4A1號舖
4/F Mira Mall, 132 Nathan Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong
Ph:  21579949

Pak Loh Chiu Chow Restaurant 百樂潮州酒樓 - (Hong Kong)

 This Chiu Chow institution has been a major pillar in Hong Kong’s higher end Chiu Chow food scene for many glorious decades.   The youth generation in Hong Kong should appreciate that such traditional places still remain operating as I find that older generation shops are closing down one by one.   Pak Loh recently opened up a new branch on the 5th floor of Mongkok’s recently revamped Century Plaza 新世紀廣場.    1 day I received an Invitation by this restaurant group to try out a new Sake and Chiu Chow food pairing, along with new signature dishes.   Although the original Causeway Bay store still houses the Head chef in charge,  over at this location they are allowed more freedom and delegated the task of re-inventing new Chiu Chow signature dishes, often not available at the original store.

 

 

Golden Entrance -
A lot of the rich families in Hong Kong are of Chiu Chow descent.  This restaurant group was once famous for their birds nest and shark fin and the prestigious flower crab.  

 

 

 

Chiu Chow Pickled Mustard Leaf - 潮州酸菜
I am pretty sure this is the modernised elegant version,  as back in the days they didn’t chop it up and arrived as much bigger pieces.   At certain places they also pile on a good sprinkle of dried fish floss.  This has a refreshing sourness,  apparently a trait in Chiu Chow cuisine but has been toned down in Hong Kong versions.

 

 

Japanese Sake today,  Nanbu Bijin and Dassai   -
Since rice wines go well with Chinese food,  someone suggested that we could definitely try it out with some Rice Sakes from Japan for elegance.   This Sake food pairing was done by a Japanese Sake Sommelier working for CitySuper Supermarket.

 

 

 

Inside a Private Room -

 

 

 

Kung Fu Tea.   A must before any meal before and after a Chiu Chow dinner -
When I looked this up on English Wikipedia the information is quite misleading.   There was absolutely no mention of Chiu Chow/Chaozhoue/TeoChew as being it’s original inventor,  whereas the Chinese Wikipedia was much more clearer in explaining this fact.          

 

 

 

Cold Flower Crab - 凍花蟹 $1040
This was huge.    The meat was really sweet although I think crabs back in the days had even stronger crab flavour and was more ‘green’ colored inside,  it might have to do with the modern farming process.  You can opt to dip this into black vinegar.    ~  8/10

 

Goose Neck Meat, Goose Breast, Goose Gras liver,  Tofu -  $230
The Goose Neck Meat and Goose Back Meats are usually treated as delicacies,  since they are fewer in proportion.  The master stock here was quite sophisticated,  by itself it’s quite salty but it didn’t penetrate too much into the meats so it’s balanced.  I like the goose,  but the foie gras could be a little more silkier   ~  7/10

 

 

 

Pig’s Leg Tendons - 鹵水豬腳筋 $88
Only available at this branch of Pak Loh.   This was my favourite dish as it had the perfect balance in texture and the master stock coated it just enough.   ~  9/10

 

 

Fresh Chicken,  Cooked in Soy Paste Sauce - 豆醬龍崗雞煲  $320
The chicken was fork tender,  and although the soy paste taste was weaker than what I predicted reading the menu,  the overall balance was appreciated.   The thick chicken sauce with the soy paste was scooped onto rice together with chicken meat.  So heavenly and a must order.    ~  8/10

 

 

 

Pig Ears,  Goose Intestine,  Pig’s Large Intestine,  Goose Wing Webs in Master Stock -
Quite similar to a dish above but with different components this time,  all braised in Chiu Chow master stock.   I am starting to think the master stock can have more of that crucial spice component.  The Pig’s Chitterling Intestine was everyone’s favourite.  ~  7.5/10 

 

 

 

兩麵黄,  or 潮州糖醋麵
Traditional Chiu Chow noodles are usually fried on 1 side only.  The crispier side then dotted with sugar,  the un-fried side dipped into vinegar.   In Hong Kong most places fry both sides nowadays by default.  This was excellent and one of the best I have eaten in Hong Kong,  as beneath the grease-free crispy layer,  you can still bite into individual noodles beneath it.  Gorgeous here!    ~  9/10

 

 

Steamed Glutinous Rice Dumplings with Custard and Red Beans - 雙色甜水晶包 $42
A perennial favourite at Chiu Chow restaurant within Hong Kong,  although I also have a few other favourite items.  In fact within all of the Chinese cuisines I have so far eaten,  Chiu Chow easily has the most versatile and excellent range of desserts,  you can make a meal out of them!   This was a little too sweet for me but executed well otherwise.  ~  6.9/10

 

 

 

Mung Bean Soup with Water Chestnut -
This dessert soup normally comes with 清心丸,  a chewy translucent and bitey starchy dumpling to complete the experience.   The version today was too sweet and not balanced.    4/10

 

 

 

Taro with Steamed Milk and Eggs -  芋荔蒸奶同蛋
The Taro mud is very traditional Chiu Chow.  but the steam eggs and milk was more like a central Cantonese dessert from Shunde.   This new dessert was created by the Pak Loh kitchen and received a round of applause from the whole table.  The taro was less dense and greasy than the original version,  and mixing it into the well steamed milk pudding was a winning combo.  Another highlight and a must-order here…  ~  10/10 

 

 

Come here for both old and newer exploratory Chiu Chow Food -
They have pedigree in history as a group and within this outlet they are eager to explore some new ideas and to re-invent Chiu Chow food to keep up to the dining trend.  Prices remain reasonable,  they are taking baby steps at a time sensibly and what we tried tonight worked.  Since some of the best Chiu Chow food in town are found in really run-down places,   I enjoyed the cleaner dining space of their renovated shops and think this might just become my to-go Chiu Chow place from now on when dining with the family.

 

 

Price:   Around HKD $250 – $350
Food:  ♕♕♕♕ 1/2
Ease of Access:  3/5 (above KCR Mongkok Station)

Opening Hours:
Mon to Sun -  11:00am – 23:00pm

Address: 旺角太子道西193號新世紀廣場5樓523號舖
Shop 523, 5/F, Grand Century Place, 193 Prince Edward Road , Mong Kok
Ph: 2390 0834