Loyal Dining is a great place to relive the atmosphere of colonial Hong Kong, specifically the late 60s and the early 70s. You can easily spot this establishment with the huge neon green sign that hangs near the entrance. Photos of decades gone by hang on the walls while the upholstery sports a modern leather jet-black pleasantness. The wallpaper and the ceiling are both checkered - the wallpaper plays with color while the floor sticks to black and white. I find it better to sit at the higher floors as they are much more quiet and intimate.
The crowd is a mix of tourists and locals ranging from bankers, businessmen, teenagers, and the odd Western backpacker couple. One great thing about Loyal Dining is that it's open until 2 in the morning on the weekends, and if you come during the weekdays, they open for an extra 2 hours - until 4 am. Frankly, I prefer staying at this place after the LKF revelry compared to Tsui Wah. The staff seemed much more amiable and the quality of the food is still top-notch even during the wee hours. Service was great even though we dropped by at 1 in the morning. The staff probably downed huge amounts of coffee.
I would classify Loyal Dining as a cha chaan teng but on another (read: modern) level. Almost everything on the menu sings nostalgia for those who grew up in Hong Kong. I can't comment on their signature pigeon dish as I do not eat pigeon but I've heard nothing but good things about it. I ordered one of the classic HK-meets-West meals, the humble baked pork chop with a sunny side on top. The sauce was sweet and the pork chop savory. It reminds me of the first time I've ever tried baked pork chop in Cafe de Coral, back when they served two huge slabs and not the miniscule one piece that they do now.
Overall I find Loyal Dining an enjoyable place to have a decent nostalgic dining experience. I have only been here twice so I haven't tried a lot from the menu but I'll be sure to drop by again to try the beef Wellington and the soya chicken wings. read more