Ming Pavilion
Tucked away at the Island Shangri-La, Ming Pavilion transports guests to the coastal southeastern Chinese province of Fujian. Helmed by Chef Jack Lam Yeung, the restaurant showcases the region’s rich culinary heritage and agricultural history through a contemporary reimagination of Hokkien cuisine. Chef Jack gives us a sneak peek at one of his upcoming dishes, a vegetarian take on a “tofu sandwich”, which he explains is a typical Fujianese street food snack. This rendition sees a deep fried tofu cube cut into a fully-functional box that is then stuffed with a mixture of braised Xia Pu seaweed, carrots, mushroom and local jicama. Delicately wrapped with a strip of seaweed, the tofu box is served alongside crisp shan shu leaves flown in from Fuzhou and a starchy vegetable sauce for extra umami. The dish is wholly representative of Fujian, boasting cooking techniques and produce that are unique to the land. “In Fujian, there is the north side and the south side,” Chef Jack explains. “This dish combines shan shu of the north, with seaweed of the south — it’s Fujian on a plate.”
Level 8, Pacific Place, Supreme Court Road, Admiralty, Hong Kong; shangri-la.com
Casa Cucina
Over at the new Casa Cucina in Causeway Bay, Chef Anthony Cheung aims to bring a tighter focus on seasonality and local produce. “I feel that as a chef, you should really try to use what you have around you,” he says. “You never know what you’re going to get and when you’ll get it, but that’s the fun of it; it pushes you to do different things.” The pumpkin ravioli is a beautiful example of the potential of using high quality local ingredients. The dish features sun-dried tomatoes, crunchy slices of pickled Japanese pumpkin, drops of basil oil and a mellow pistachio and mascarpone sauce, but the true star of the show is the ravioli’s sweet, creamy filling. Deliciously simple and straightforward, the filling is a purée made from organic Hong Kong butternut squash that has been caramelised and seasoned with salt. “The backbone of this restaurant is Italian cuisine, and what they do is appreciate the produce itself. That’s why we try not to do too much, and let the original flavours shine through.”
Shop C & D, Riviera Mansion, 59-65 Paterson St, Causeway Bay; @casacucinahk
Yuan
Pursuing vegetarian Chinese fine-dining is no easy feat; it’s a concept that has remained untouched in the local dining scene — until the launch of Yuan, that is. But the task is not without its challenges. “Vegetarian cooking has its own set of rules that are radically different from conventional cooking, so on the one hand, we are opening ourselves up to new culinary influences and the vast arsenal of culinary techniques outside of tradition; while on the other hand, we are endeavouring to showcase and interpret Chinese culinary heritage,” says Head Chef Law Chak-kei. “The approach we take is a very delicate dance of preservation and innovation, and we are essentially working without a blueprint to follow.” Instead, he looks to the world around him for inspiration. Nature takes the lead in crafting the menu at Yuan, where dishes emphasise the fresh, natural flavours of the season’s best produce. Featuring tender artichoke heart, homemade rice crackers and air-dried dehydrated cabbage leaves for textural intrigue, this blaze mushroom and Chinese baby cabbage dish injects newness and wonder into a familiar Chinese homestyle recipe.
Shop 2, G/F, Chinachem Hollywood Centre, 1-13 Hollywood Road, Central; @yuanhongkong
Photography: Samantha Sin
Styling: Ella Wong
Editor
Alyanna Raissa J. PayosCredit
Lead image: Samantha Sin and Ella Wong for Vogue Hong Kong's April 2024 issue
