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    The Chinese Library

    4.0 (11 reviews)

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    THE CHINESE LIBRARY ATMOSPHERE

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    Food was great! The soup I ordered was delicious. Service was great. Staff was very attentive. Beautiful ambiance. We sat by a window so got to see the Christmas lights

    Yuzu jelly w coconut milk. Bits of yuzu pulp and dried peel add texture contrast to the jelly.
    Randy S.

    Hong Kong, Central. November 2023. Tai Kwun, the former Central Police Compound, has been renovated and home to a bunch of upscale or upbeat restaurants and bars. The Chinese Library is housed at the top of the former headquarters building. If you're approaching from the interior plaza it is on1/F. However Hollywood Road, the building address is two levels below the plaza. If you hoofed it uphill from Queens Road (pity on you if you climbed Pottinger's uneven concrete slab paving) then beware, there is no convenient lift and you got three more flights of stairs to climb. The dim sum is really good. The fact that it isn't considered in the highest tier is testament to how upscale dim sum in Hong Kong is. I haven't eaten anywhere better back in the states. The room has high ceilings and lots of natural light from the Hollywood St and interior plaza sides. When you reach their lobby you find that there are three establishments - an Eastern food theme on the left, a Western food theme on the right, and a bar with a cocktail menu that bridges the two. Turn left. All the steamed items are delicate and full of color and flavor. The thin wrapper is paper thin. Deep fried dim are creative Rolled items are have stunning presentations. The shareables and mains are at the same level. Dessert is not overlooked. This is a special occasion destination. If you're in Hong Kong as a traveler, like me, every meal is a special occasion. Don't miss this place.

    Ali C.

    Extraordinarily elegant dim sum place in the old police headquarters on Hollywood Road. Beautiful place with high ceilings and a romantic atmosphere. Impeccable service, beautiful table settings, luxury linens. All in all a wonderful experience. The food was delicious - my pictures show a little of what I had. I loved the steamed Chinese greens. Just delicious and tasted like it had just been harvested fresh from the fields. All the dumplings were fresh and outstanding.

    Kelly O.

    We had a really lovely meal at The Chinese Library. We went on opening night last weekend, hours before the T8 signal was hoisted, and the service was impeccable. Yvonne, the Guest Relations Manager, went out of her way to make sure we enjoyed our experience - including by giving us complimentary champagne and mooncakes. More on the service below: Ambiance: over the top, almost Gatsby-esque look (in the best way!). You enter the restaurant through the bar (The Dispensary), which is gorgeous. The bar is dimly-lit, with dark wood and velvety seats. The dining room has a very high-end feel, without being stuffy or pretentious, and the terrace has seating with a view overlooking the courtyard. Food: surprisingly good! The char siu was almost like candy, with a sticky, crispy, sweet skin and juicy meat. The mapo tofu had enough sichuan spice to be tasty, but not so much that your entire mouth went numb, and the wagyu beef puffs were delicious and very well-presented. For those who have been to the Dim Sum Library, they're the same beef puffs. The only dish I might pass on in the future was the fried rice - it's not that the fried rice was bad, it just wasn't particularly interesting. Service: aside from one instance in which we had to request the same drink multiple times, the service was really fantastic. To be fair, the restaurant wasn't packed so I really don't know what the service would be like on a crowded night. However, the waitstaff was efficient and attentive, and the managerial staff was great. Yvonne even sent me a text the next day to ask how our experience was, and whether we had any suggestions. I would highly recommend The Chinese Library for an upscale dim sum meal! The food is every bit as good as Dim Sum Library, but with a significantly more comfortable and beautiful atmosphere.

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    Review Highlights - The Chinese Library

    Extraordinarily elegant dim sum place in the old police headquarters on Hollywood Road.

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    陶源酒家

    陶源酒家

    4.8(5 reviews)
    2.5 kmTsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon
    $$

    In the dim sum capital of the world, it's pretty hard to stand out among so many competition, so…read moremany restaurants try to create something new and different. Sportful Garden (what kind of a name is that?) does a pretty good job, creating new dishes as well as refreshing the staples, like the super long spring rolls. If you can hang on for a little bit and come in after two, you get the happy hour price which is 40% off many dishes plus some staple dim sum dishes for HK$14-18 (like, US$2). Early birds before noon gets a discount too. They also have roasted pigeon for $33 (US$4) each, and even provide gloves for you to enjoy with your hands. While I very much want to order the super-instagram-worthy birdcage dim sum set (I've taken a pic of the menu if not the real thing), my sensible mom insisted that we order from the discounted menu. I managed to get the piggies though (with purple yam filling). I simply have a weakness for ordering things so cute I suffer a pang of guilt eating them. My favorite is the sponge cake, so light yet creamy, but all dishes, including the noodles, are delicious.

    Cannot recommend this place more highly! Possibly the best dim sum i've ever had in HK and…read morewell...anywhere. Situated at the very top of the isquare mall in TST, it's a convenient location both for Kowloon and HK siders. The restaurant itself is a beautifully bright space with amazing panoramic views. It's quite modern/upscale and would be a good place to go for work lunches etc but you won't get any nasty looks rocking up in shorts/tshirts etc... (i went there in gym gear). The food...wow. I thought after 30+ years of eating chinese food i'd pretty much seen every iteration of a spring roll. I was mistaken. Granted it's hard to make the case for a spring roll to be the standout dish at yum cha but i've never seen them done like this (pictures attached). Each one is about 20cm long and stuffed with juicy fresh shrimp. I have it on good authority that they are also a massive crowd pleaser for kids too. Other than that, every dish was equally superb and fresh. All the usual suspects (har gao, siu mai, lo bak gou, char siu sou) were top notch; fresh, juicy, thin skins. The lo mai gai was another standout - not the usual stodgy, dense, overly sticky lump; rather it was surprisingly light and the meat didn't taste at all congealed, with just enough glutinous-ness to make the rice sit neatly. And the crispy pork cubes...oh the crispy pork cubes. I'd been craving these for over a year since the only offerings to be found in NY are better described as lumps of soggy fat with a micro film of crispy skin and occasionally a bit of pork. All in all an amazing feed. Adding it to the list of regular places to hit in HK.

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    陶源酒家
    陶源酒家 - Great views of Hong Kong island skyline from the top of isquare !

    Great views of Hong Kong island skyline from the top of isquare !

    陶源酒家

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    鼎泰豐

    鼎泰豐

    4.4(189 reviews)
    2.4 kmTsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon
    $$

    Dang this was a big letdown. I've heard so many good things about Din Tai Fung so I was truly…read moreexcited when I saw it at the mall. Getting to try it in Hong Kong, the home of Dimsum, I thought this was going to be a 10/10. Yeah, not quite. The wrapping of each dishes were thicker than most places, so that was already offputting. That plus the taste of the fillings inside the xiao long baos, it's like you eat one and you already feel fed up and over it. And then there was no Har Gow in the menu, one of the most essential in a dimsum restaurant... Price was also much more expensive than your typical dimsum places in Hong Kong, and then some outrageous charges like $12 for tea per person, when it's literally one teapot at a table... and adding an additional 10% if you want to take the dishes to go if you don't finish... Yeah, this is a hard no. The only reason why I'm even giving it a two star rating is because customer service was spectacular and the tea was pretty tasty.

    Wild recommendations encouraged us to visit today. Located inside of a shopping mall on the fourth…read morefloor, at 8pm it was loaded with mainly Asians consumers. No reservations taken but no waiting for us. We were seated immediately. A menu was provided that described about fifty choices in Chinese and English. I lack a taste for the exotic so the six items we selected had vegetables, chicken, beef, pork, or shrimp. We are less adventurous than some and, without guidance, stuck to ingredients of some familiarity. Rather than bringing all at once, there was a measured pace for delivery to our table. As dim sum lovers, we dug in. The experience of robust flavors and the environment combined to give us a genuine Hong Kong experience. Our total bill was less than $100US.

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    鼎泰豐
    鼎泰豐
    鼎泰豐

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    唐閣 - Stir fried Japanese Wagyu w/mixed mushrooms, spring onion and garlic.

    唐閣

    3.8(38 reviews)
    2.3 kmTsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon
    $$$$

    FOOD: 5 SERVICE: 5…read moreAMBIANCE: 4 VALUE: 4 Yes, this is a 3 star Michelin restaurant and although it is not the latest YouTube sensation, it serves excellent Chinese food. We came here for lunch and we ordered their Specialty Lunch set courses. This allowed us to sample some of their best dishes. I can summarize that every dish was tasty, delicious and well presented. There was no flaw in the food and well deserving of the 3 Michelin stars. Service was in line with the expectations, but not flawless. Priced accordingly with other 3-Star restaurants.

    This was my first three star Michellin experience, and some aspects lived up to the experience…read morewhile some aspects were lacking. One of the highlights I would definitely say is the service. Far from the typical HK cha chan tang where food is dropped off haphazardly and you get yelled at if you loiter for too long, T'ang Court is prepared to have some of your more intimate needs met. Our phones were low on battery by the time we arrived and they had a phone charger that included the specific cable for our phones, which was extremely fortunate for us. The layout was very nice as well, living up to the name of the lavish Tang Dynasty with large curtains, shiny plates, and bold colors. We had the tasting menu which promised lots of tradition and elevation of the finest Cantonese style dishes. First was the appetizer, a single fried abalone topped with fried garlic. I don't think I've ever had abalone fried before, but the taste reminds me of Typhoon shelter fried crab but with the meatiness of an abalone. It was a good promise of the elevation of the traditional Cantonese style cooking. Comes with a flower sitting on top of a slice of radish. Then comes the fried crab, made of two different kinds of crab and has cream and onions inside. The flavor is great, light like tempura but contains lots of fresh crab flavor. This disappeared quickly. The bird's nest with grouper is like a slightly more flavorful Westlake soup. There are some more subtleties in the flavors with the Yunnan ham, but not one of my favorites. Both the Japanese wagyu and the stir fried lobster was very interesting, because it has the flavor of the stir fried beef noodles, but with lobster, which is always going to go well with more garlic and shallots and onions. Other than this concept, it felt a little simple. Again comes with another flower on top of a slice of radish. The star dish is the abalone with sea cucumber with a heart of lettuce. This is the most traditional of all, and while I could definitely appreciate the technique it took to make this dish, especially to keep the sea cucumber whole while keeping its shape, I've never been a fan of either abalone or sea cucumber. This dish was so amazing that I would change my mind or make an exception; I just don't like the texture of something as slippery as a sea cucumber. By the time it's dessert, it's like the 5th time that I see the same flower on a radish slice, and that part is getting old pretty quickly. I loved the bean curd dessert as it is not too sweet and definitely tastes like the sweet tofu with a sprinkle of crushed grahams on top. The egg tart is not bad as well, but the jello is nothing special. All in all some dishes were amazing, but I think there were some dishes that could have been better; more special and different.

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    唐閣 - Part of one of the private dining rooms

    Part of one of the private dining rooms

    唐閣 - Baked lobster w/edamame bean in chicken broth.

    Baked lobster w/edamame bean in chicken broth.

    唐閣 - Fried rice w/diced chicken, shrimp, black mushroom and conpoy (dried scallops/shellfish), topped with/South African abalone.

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    Fried rice w/diced chicken, shrimp, black mushroom and conpoy (dried scallops/shellfish), topped with/South African abalone.

    嘉麟樓 - Steamed date and coconut pudding

    嘉麟樓

    4.0(9 reviews)
    2.4 kmTsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon

    Spring Moon has a Michelin star, but honestly it doesn't feel like it--mostly just super high…read moreprices. Service was okay, food was okay, nothing amazing. The steamed fish was my favorite, but a lot of the dishes felt like stuff you could get anywhere. Definitely one of the weaker Michelin spots I tried in Hong Kong, not really worth the price.

    (Prices mentioned in this review are in HKD, divided by 7.75 would convert to USD)…read more We have been eager to try the Spring Moon which is a Michelin-starred Cantonese restaurant located on the 1st floor (equivalent to 2nd floor in the US) of the Peninsula Hotel, Hong Kong.  We treated 6 members of our extended family to dinner, with us, it was a party of 9.  Hubby did a great job choosing 4 starters, 9 other main courses, and let each person pick a dessert of his/her choice.  Please see the receipt that lists all the items.   The restaurant was set up to resemble those in the 1820s, and has an antique Shanghainese feel.  I appreciated the antique feel, but would prefer better lighting especially for photo taking of the food!  The majority of our table was in a shadow as it was mostly under the balcony, so, that was trickier to take good photos.  Also, the tables were pretty close to each other, except for the wider area in the middle leading to the tea bar.  For some, it is a stunning looking restaurant, depending on whether antique Shanghainese is your cup of tea or not.   Service was very good, but not impeccable.  It was like standard for a good restaurant.  Sometimes we did have to flag down a waiter.  But they were all nice and polite once you got their attention.  We had to remind them several times about the second course of the Peking Duck, which was the Stir-fried Minced Duck Served with Lettuce, that they might have forgotten.  However, we really need to give a special shout-out to our main server, who was friendly and was very familiar with the menu.  He gave my hubby good advice, such as the Green Lobster would be too small for 9 people, and he suggested 2.25 orders of Wok-fried Prawns with Yunnan Ham and (crispy) Bean Curd Sheet.  That was a very good recommendation!  The green veggies were placed through the huge prawns, the whole dish was fresh and tasty with beautiful presentation!  He did not up-sell us, as this choice even came up cheaper than the original Green Lobster!  He also advised on getting 1.5 orders of the Suckling Pig, 1.125 order of the BBQ Hungarian Mangalica Pork with Honey, and 1.125 order of Star Garoupa so that they would be enough to feed all 9 guests! Moments like the captain carving the Peking Duck by our tableside; a team of servers bringing individual servings of King Crab Meat Sweet and Sour Soup to us; and a team bringing individual servings of desserts, were truly impressive!  It was fun that all those bowls came covered and were opened at about the same time. The food was phenomenal!  I have been craving for the crispy skins of the Suckling Pig, Peking Duck, and Crispy Tea Chicken since we left Spring Moon!  Those were so light, thin, and crispy... a true delight to enjoy!  The Pan-seared Star Garoupa(Grouper) was also memorable!  It had a light batter that had a nice crunch, the Grouper meat inside was so fresh, tasty, smooth, and cooked to perfection!  The Steamed Crab Claw with Egg White (although a bit pricey at HK$428 per person) that we got 9 orders of was a must try!  The Crab Claw was so big and plump, the meat fresh and flavorful, and the steamed egg white was smooth and tasty!  This dish really impressed everyone!  The only dish that I did not try was the Garlic Broccoli.  Why?  I have to save some room for dessert!  So, it was either broccoli or Baked Sago Pudding with Chestnut Paste, which is a labor-intensive yummy dessert that not too many restaurants have chefs that could/would make nowadays!  The pudding was so good, it had the right amount of sweetness, and the chestnut paste in the middle was creamy and tasty!   I already wish to have the above dishes again when I go to Hong Kong next time!  Actually, the whole dinner was a delight! The other dishes Crispy Bean Curd Rolls with Carrots and Black Mushrooms, Cold Jellyfish with Dark Vinegar, Signature Fried Rice, Vermicelli with Crab Meat all worth an honorary mention!  And we even got complimentary desserts!  Each person got a bite size piece of mango pudding cake, and an almond cookie, that was so crispy and fluffy and smelled so good! The Spring Moon is famous for its vast variety of tea.  We ordered Jasmin and Oolong to go with our dishes.  Each guest picked one of the two, that paired with the Cantonese food well. All in all, the dinner at Spring Moon was worth the money!  We were all stuffed with good food!  Everyone was happy and we, as hosts, were proud as well!

    Photos
    嘉麟樓 - Stairs to the upper level

    Stairs to the upper level

    嘉麟樓
    嘉麟樓

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    香港老飯店 - Very delicious roast duck, crispy skin and tender meat

    香港老飯店

    4.5(21 reviews)
    2.9 kmTsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon
    $

    If you are near here, eat here!…read more We were the only westerners in the restaurant, which gives a good hint about local quality. The menu had a LOT of items, each numbered and with short descriptions in English. Everything was, as you'd expect, served family style. We had the hot and sour soup, some veggie dumplings, shredded beef with vegetables, shrimp in chili sauce, all served with tea. Each was fantastic! Seriously. Not good. Not great. Fantastic! There was enough soup for four, which magically disappeared from our table for two. We cleaned every plate, and not because the servings were anything short of generous. The service was also great, while a bit hovering as they seemed worried about how we might handle everything. For one, I was happy they noticed us struggling while making a mess trying to shell the shrimp, bringing us a knife and fork (and extra wet-wipes). Interesting to me, this was the first time we each had two sets of chopsticks. Thankfully, the internet quickly taught us that one set was for serving ourselves from the community plates, and the other for eating. Don't use the eating pair for serving or the serving pair for eating -- it is bad form, especially with COVID being so huge here. Note: they are happy to bring serving spoons, forks and knives if you ask (or appear hopeless). My other mistake, in addition to the shrimp peeling fiasco, was not tipping. When I saw the 10% service fee, and knowing tipping is totally optional and not expected in Hong Kong (and most of SE Asia), I still should have left a bit more, especially considering how helpful they were.

    Very good restaurant, I like roast duck very much, it is very delicious and clean, all are cooked…read moreby the chef, the ingredients are very fresh, I brought my children to eat there, the children like it very much, the price is very cheap, and by using FlashGet Kids Parental Control App, I don't have to worry about the children running away, I can see the children's location in real time. Overall, it is a very good experience.

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    香港老飯店 - Lunch menu

    Lunch menu

    香港老飯店
    香港老飯店 - Lovers shrimps

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    Lovers shrimps

    新斗記 - My fav. Steamed garlic scallop

    新斗記

    4.0(2 reviews)
    2.4 kmTsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon
    $$

    Eye opening for me. Ordered half of the suckling pig and was nervous it's going be too much food…read more It turns out suckling pigs are really baby pigs unlike the US. The suckling pigs at US are more like adolescent pigs. What a treat , it's crispy, it's charcoal favor and just the right amount of five spices. When you are here the pig is the star , everything else are just sides.

    Xin Dau Ji is a Michelin starred Chinese Restaurant that you would typically go to for a special…read moreoccasion; or just a nice place for dinner in general. Apparently they do dim sum for lunch; which I'll have to try eventually. I've now been here multiple times for dinner and still haven't been disappointed yet! Probably best known for their suckling pig. I highly recommend it as well. The skin is super crispy. The meat is juicy and has a lot of flavor without being overly salty. I also like a lot of their vegetable dishes as well as their fried rice. Service here is decent and the restaurant is quite large. So even if you have to wait, it wouldn't take too long. Finding this place can be a little misleading. Walking down Ashley Road, you'll see a giant neon sign for the restaurant, but its pointing the wrong way! (suggesting you should turn the corner) Ignore that sign as the restaurant is actually located right along Ashley Road. PS. No corking fee! So bring some wine for your dinner :)

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    新斗記 - String beans

    String beans

    新斗記
    新斗記 - Suckling pig

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    Suckling pig

    The Chinese Library - chinese - Updated August 2026

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