Decadent Dim Sum

Lung King Heen's famous baked barbecue pork buns

Last Saturday three friends and I went to Lung King Heen, the three-starred Michelin Chinese restaurant in the Four Seasons Hong Kong for dim sum. I had booked the table back in late November to ensure we got a table.

It's pretty impressive how this place continues to keep its consistency particularly in dim sum, as I have now eaten it here three times, and for dinner only once many years ago.

Steamed rice rolls with lobster and water chestnut

There were a few new dishes on the dim sum menu and we decided to try some of them as well as order our favourites.

A new one was steamed rice rolls with lobster and water chestnut in fermented bean sauce (HK$230). This was definitely indulgent, but have you had steamed rice rolls with lobster before? This was fantastic -- very meaty but also included chopped vegetables and crunchy water chestnuts too.

Another was steamed lobster dumplings with egg white and sweet corn (HK$120). These dumplings were so large that they were served in pairs per bamboo steamer. Take a bite and inside it was choc full of lobster along with sweet corn. It sounds strange with corn kernels, but works well, again for texture and added sweetness.

Perfectly executed steamed shrimp dumplings

The baked goose puffs with chestnut in XO chilli sauce (HK$99) were topped with bonito flakes, perhaps an ode to the goose's nest? The pastry shell was very flaky and buttery, while the goose was also quite rich too and perhaps needed some acidity to cut the richness, as bonito flakes wasn't going to do that.

As for staples, the steamed shrimp dumplings with bamboo shoots (HK$99) was a star winner, so delicate, the skin translucent and the shrimp meat inside so delicious and filling.

We also thoroughly enjoyed the baked whole abalone puff with diced chicken (HK$84 per piece). The abalone is sliced up so that you aren't obligated to shove the whole thing into your mouth and enjoy it in at least two bites. The pastry here was also top notch.

Pan-fried rice rolls in XO chilli sauce (HK$200) is a small portion for what you get; it is spicy, though that day I was battling a cold and couldn't eat as much as I would have liked. It was a dish that was a struggle to finish.

Baked abalone puffs with diced chicken a winner

The same could be said for the plate of char siu (HK$350). By the time it arrived I was pretty full and could barely finish two slices. 

However, the signature baked barbecue pork buns with pine nuts (HK$99) continue to be one of the best items on this menu. The filling features diced char siu mixed with pine nuts and enveloped in a bun that holds it together topped with a pineapple but dome for a touch of crispiness.

A friend new to Lung King Heen was about to rip the bun in half but we stopped her in time to advise her to eat it in bites instead. She was glad we gave her that tip and savoured each bite.

For dessert we had complimentary bowls of mango pudding topped with pomelo sago pudding! What a combo. It was only when we dug our spoons in did we realize there was mango pudding underneath.

Osmanthus jellies and puff rice cakes for dessert

We also had some petit fours of steamed osmanthus jelly, and puff rice cakes.

I was so full afterwards, but in particular sated by the food and really enjoyed the company too.

Lung King Heen
4/F, Four Seasons Hong Kong
8 Finance Street, Central
3196 8880 

Picture of the Day: Snake Soup

The thinned out snake soup at Tim's Kitchen was a disappointment

The temperatures these days aren't exactly freezing cold, but it is winter, which means it's the season for snake soup!

Last weekend I remembered I hadn't had snake soup yet, and being in the Sheung Wan neighbourhood, I decided to head to Tim's Kitchen to see if I could have a bowl.

It was after 7.30pm and the place wasn't as packed as it was before; I hadn't been back for a few years.

Nevertheless I ordered a bowl of snake soup (HK$138) and looked forward to the hearty concoction.

Soon it arrived in a mini clay pot, but more for presentation. The soup looked choc full of ingredients, but when I tried it, the soup was more diluted than what I remembered, and there was hardly a hint of mandarin peel, usually used to hide the snake meat smell.

Though a small portion, the braised pomelo skin is a winner

I also ordered another seasonal specialty -- braised pomelo skin with shrimp roe (HK$90). Now this dish was how I remembered last time. Portion-wise it's on the small side, but the skin was braised to the point where it practically melted in the mouth, and seasoned with the piquant flavours of the shrimp roe.

The dish uses a lot of shrimp roe sauce, so I got a bowl of rice to drizzle the sauce on top. It hit the spot.

While the snake soup wasn't as satisfying as I had hoped, the braised pomelo skin was a nice finish.

Tim's Kitchen

Shop A, G/F-1/F, 84-90 Bonham Strand

Sheung Wan

2543 5919