It was a Saturday night and my boyfriend and I were feeling far too lazy to venture out further…read morethan a few stops from Tai Wai. I did a quick search and found this seafood restaurant around a residential district on the riverside - Garden Rivera in English. Usually, nearby residential areas in Tai Wai and Sha Tin can you find some pretty good local family-run restaurants, and Rivervine was no exception. Not simply this, but the restaurant was super cheap and has now become a worthy contender to some Sai Kung seafood eateries because of its proximity to the abode. Although it calls itself a seafood restaurant, its signature dishes actually consist of: chicken and abalone congee, and roast pigeon. Now, there are a few roast pigeon places in both Tai Wai and Sha Tin that have become renowned across the foodiesphere in Hong Kong, so I wasn't bringing my hopes up about this particular dish - especially since, in conjunction with the congee, it comes at the super deal of 52 bucks. (The congee on its own is $18.... so yes, don't expect real abalone, and don't expect much of the imitation either.) The pigeon was just so-so, not as tender or as succulent as other places, but for how much it cost - a pretty damn good deal, and if you're like me, you're just gonna dip it in the excellently roasted salt anyway so you won't really be able to discern any subtle flavours if there were. The congee was good, mainly because the two odds pieces of chicken were so perfectly salty and complemented the jok well. The abalone imitation, I think sea whelk is usually the textural substitute, was fine - and portioned so that each person had one slice each. What do you expect for $18? As for seafood, the quality of the cooking doesn't really come close to the Sai Kung seafood masters but you're paying considerably less. There is an ongoing deal for $158 - you pick three seafood items on the menu, including scallops with garlic vermicelli, razorclams, and crab with ginger and scallions. The razorclams were so fat and juicy, and we asked for black bean razorclams, so they had onions and red peppers fried with them too. The scallops were fresh, and they served us four pieces (!!!), but the vermicelli was a little overcooked so it wasn't very nice to eat with the scallops. In all, there's definitely a return visit in the works, especially when we can't be bothered to head all the way to Sai Kung for a seafood fix.

If you can't rough it, can't speak Cantonese, or don't read Chinese, you might have a problem here…read more It is also not easily accessible by any public transportation, so you'll have to take the MTR out to the New Territories, then catch a cab to the spot. The restaurant is a "dai pai dong" style eatery. There is outside and inside seating, but it's not comfortable. You'll be sitting in a crowded atmosphere, often on stools, and things will be discombobulated. However, if you can get past this, you'll enjoy some delicious Chiu Chow food. I am a huge fan of Chiu Chow cuisine, especially since we don't get it in the US. Whenever I'm in HK, I make sure that I get my fill of it. At "Sang Cheong" -- direct translation of the Chinese name 生昌, you'll get authentic and traditional Chiu Chow dishes. My favorite is usually the crab and prawn balls which are fried to perfection and served with a sweet dipping sauce. Check out the mullet which is served at room temperature with a pungent bean paste dipping sauce. On the night of our visit, they had a soup laden with pickled sour mustard greens, pig intestines, pig ears and pork. There is an abundance of white pepper to kill the gamey taste from the innards. I don't mind the soup, but I can't eat the intestines. Fried Bombay Duck is a type of fish which has the texture of tofu. The flesh is soft and I absolutely love it. The Chinese name for this fish is "nine stomach fish" 九肚魚 and it is the first time I've ever eaten it. I'm hooked!! It is prepared salt & pepper style. Delicious! Roast Goose is the most typical of Chiu Chow dishes and the one here is decent. Dip into the vinegar! Food is good, and it's a great local experience!

Wow, if it weren't for the sign in the front -- nothing about this place (small restaurant, sticky…read moretables, lack of air conditioning, etc.) would really indicate that this is one of the best places around to go for Chiu Chow cuisine, especially deliciously prepared seafood (even better than most dishes you'll find at fancier banquet restaurants). This is all for unbelievably reasonable prices for the portion size and quality you're getting. The non-seafood dishes are also prepared deliciously as well, but definitely try all the different types of fish, shrimp, scallops, jellyfish, and other highly recommended items (from their advertisement in the front) first.

While in Hong Kong visiting relatives during mid-January, dim sum was definitely a must for me!…read more Relatives took me here for my very first dim sum in Hong Kong. We ordered a variety of dim sum foods to share and WOW was I surprised on how good the food is!

Located on Pak Hok Ting St. next to Royal Park Hotel, I'm guessing it's customers are mostly guests…read moreof the hotel. The place is not your typical family dim sum joint but rather a fancier version for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. That being said, the dim sum brunch will not showcase dim sum carts or cheap price tags. The interior is sophisticated with a trend toward Chinese antiques but with a glossy modern twist. The service is prompt and friendly. Our party of four ordered a few Cantonese favorites such as the fried shrimp roll, fried noodles, steamed rice rolls, and beef balls. The food came out steaming hot and the aroma quickly filled the dining place. We thoroughly enjoyed every bite of the meal. While it cost more than the norm, we thought it was worth it as the quality was top notch and the noise level was kept low. We will definitely come again when craving great Cantonese food that is without the rush of the crowds (which can really be overwhelming when all you want is to eat and relax).

Haven't took many pics of dim sum but it's a very fair economy pricing dim sum brand restaurant…read more.. only $30 USD for 6 dishes!! Regular items ordering as usual but cheap enough for 2 person! Services were good enough n efficient... the place is big enough for several large groups events too!!

Yummy in my tummy! Roasted pig with crackling yummy skin. Was not soggy at all and the…read moreaccompanying sugar and sauce just elevated the piglet so much more. Salivating just thinking about the BBQ pig. The roast goose was also delicious. Great service and great bbq. Must try... there are other restaurant around Hong Kong.

People always say that if you want authentic food, you go where the locals eat, and this is so…read moretrue, especially for dim sum. Maxim Palace is a well-known dim sum place in this area. It is by far the best place for dim sum. It offered different types of dim sum that other places no longer offer, such as the cotton chicken and 雞扎。 This location is prominent, and the ambiance is bright, and you feel welcome.

Maxim's Palace is a Chinese restaurant chain in Hong Kong. It serves Cantonese fare including dim…read moresum. This branch is located at Sha Tin Town Hall which is across from New Town Plaza. I believe the restaurant previously had a location in the mall, but recently moved to this new space. The restaurant decor is very elegant. The dining rooms in Hong Kong at dim sum establishments are on a different level compared with their counterparts in North America. The attire of some of the clientele does not match the setting however. You could dine here in casual clothing and not feel out of place. I came here with my aunt on a Sunday morning. She mentioned that you have to come here early to grab a table. We did do that, but the wait was quite lengthy even though the restaurant is large. I think there were 40-50 numbers called before ours. Though at least you get your own table here, even if there is a 10% service charge. There are some dim sum places in HK where you are sharing space with others. Usually at this kind of dim sum restaurant, you expect the dim sum to be made to order where you order from a menu. In the case of Maxim's, they actually offer push cart dim sum. I was apprehensive at first since I perceive push cart dim sum to be not as good as made to order dim sum fresh from the kitchen. But the fare here easily is the best push cart dim sum that I have had. It debunked my misconception. The standout for me would be the congee with pumpkin and crabmeat. The pumpkin adds a nice sweet flavor to this dish. All of the other items were great too including the fish maw and beef balls with shiitake mushrooms. I did even try out fish heads. Usually that would weird me out, but I decided to give them a try and I enjoyed them. There were a lot of bones, but the fishmeat was tender. I did also like the accompaniment of chili peppers and tangy sauce. If you are looking for a great dim sum spot in Sha Tin, Maxim's Palace is an excellent spot. The push cart dim setup does not diminish its quality. Though be prepared for a lengthy wait for a table.

After purposely not visiting this restaurant in years, I'm glad to say that they've made some…read moreimprovements to both service and food quality. The restaurant is more casual but updated to reflect a more modern and freestyle type of dining room, where servers come by to check on you every now and then but the freedom to order from the table's QR code and self-serve your own tea with the individual tea machines at each table is highly encouraged. The food is mediocre at best but the variety and price is also fitting. Nothing really stood out but the flavor isn't off either. The portion sizes are a tad smaller and the ingredients are acceptable. I am still hesitant to continue dining here because there are so many more high quality spots in Hong Kong, but less likely to resist going if another person in my party suggests it. However, the restrooms are absolutely filthy.

Very famous in HK and has many chain restaurants through out the city. I, like a tourist went to…read morethis branch because they are well known and conveniently located at where we were at the time. I was there specially for their hot pot but I think the quality suffers from their rapid expansion and trying to build up such a vast empire that everything was just mediocre and generic. To truly enjoy a good hot pot, I'd suggest going to the locals.

Came here to try it out as a group. Kind of dirty and messy to seat outside the restaurant. You get…read moreto choose a fish and soup base to begin with, then you would order other meats and hot pot food to add in. The utensils seems very worn out and dirty. I was given a mug for beer that was basically broken in half, and they were dare enough and careless enough to serve it. In order to fit the entire fish in, the stove they used is rectangular and very large. This made the soup very shallow and also take up lot of space on the already small table. We have difficulty to put any extra food on the table. We ordered beef but yet they did not serve it and did not even tell us that they are running low on it. They ended up serve us a smaller portion and now I figure I forgot if they have adjust the bill for the smaller portion. To save the evening a bit, the fish did taste good. But the service and environment are terrible. I will not come back again, but will try to look for equal alternative that serve similar food with better service and environment.