After returning from our half-day shore excursion, we met with my husband's friends (fellow passengers) at the Ocean Terminal. We considered having lunch at nearby Michelin-starred Spring Moon at The Peninsula Hong Kong (a 12-minute walk) since we've experienced their acclaimed house-made XO sauce and superlative Cantonese cuisine during previous visits to Hong Kong. Another Michelin-starred dining suggestion was T'ang Court at The Langham Hotel (a 5-minute walk). However, we faced a recommended proper dining attire (smart casual AKA NO "Senior Uniforms Allowed") and a time crunch conundrum. We returned onboard around 1:15 pm to refresh ourselves and change clothes. We contacted our friends (on the same deck) to confirm that we would be meeting for lunch by 1:40 pm since I had secured 2:00 pm reservations via OpenTable at T'ang Court. Our friends said they were excited to dine at T'ang Court, but they were en route to returning from a different shore excursion and probably couldn't meet us until 2 pm or 2:15 pm to walk over. I suggested canceling the reservation and finding somewhere to eat dim sum instead of having them rush to clean up and change.
Our friends met us at 2 pm, walked through Immigration and Customs, and over to Harbour City, and we stopped at Harbour City's Concierge Desk for local Chinese eatery recommendations within the shopping center. Both women immediately chirped "HEXA" and informed us to hurry since their last call for dim sum was 2:30 pm. They directed us to HEXA, which is located on the floor below, right beside the escalator, where we were welcomed by a host and hostess and seated right away with menus in hand.
A female server asked us for our tea preference, and I immediately asked for "Heung pin" or jasmine tea even though I usually order "Bo Lei/Pu'erh." Our foursome perused the separate dim sum or yum cha and full menus to make our selections. We weren't sure how many pieces would be served per order but assumed three pieces. Luckily, the manager, Kenny Lau, came to our rescue to answer our questions and offered to add dumplings per order while accommodating our foursome.
FOOD:
-Spring Rolls with Shrimp & Foie Gras: the mild, rich, and yet flavorful minced shrimp and foie gras mixture was packed into crisp and golden waffle rolls. Its rich flavor ingredients and "eye-catching" presentation got us off to a great start. $88HKD/6
-Steamed Shrimp Dumplings (mild & spicy): har gow or crystal-skin shrimp dumplings are a must-get at dim sum as you can tell the quality and skill of the chef. We liked that we could try the mild and spicy flavored wrappers to compare flavors and mouthfeel. $78HKD/3 or $104HKD/4
-Steamed Rice Flour Rolls w/BBQ Pork: another dim sum "standard" is Cheung fun, and this one did not disappoint with its slightly sweet hoi sin and mildly salty soy sauce tender roasted pork. The pork was so tender that it made me think of confit or slow-cooking in its own fat yet the pork wasn't greasy at all. $72HKD
-Wagyu Beef in Puff Pastry: the charcoal puff pastry encased wagyu beef had an interesting look to it. The pastry showed off its even layers while its shape and black charcoal color made it look like some kind of bug. When I picked up the pastry, the layers moved like an accordion which enlivened it. I could hear my mother's voice scolding me... "Don't play with your food!" $108HKD/3 or $144HKD/4
-Steamed BBQ Kurobuta Pork Buns: OMG! The use of Kurobuta or Berkshire pork added to the unctuousness of these steamed buns. As we're pork-loving eaters the "the Wagyu of pork" didn't disappoint as it was tender, juicy and excellently flavored. The plain steamed bun provided a blank canvas to the flavor and juiciness of the pork. $68HKD/3 or $90.67HKD/4
-Steamed Bamboo Charcoal Buns w/Egg Custard Cream: the black charcoal bread dough contrasted well against the golden-colored egg custard. The egg custard had a good balance of sweet, salt and egg flavors. The egg custard filled buns were a perfect dessert or ending to our late afternoon meal. $75HKD/3 or $100HKD/4
-Stir-fried Thick Noodles w/Shredded Pork and Black Truffle Sauce: this noodle dish completed our meal with exquisite flavors and textures. The stir-fried noodles were perfectly done in the wok-hei without any breakage and the elastic chewy bite added to the delightful earthy truffle flavor mixed with the sweet tender pork shreds. $268HKD
The service was very attentive and friendly. We never felt rushed even though we came into the restaurant just before their split shift ended. Kudos to Kenny Lau, who graciously suggested additional dumplings to accommodate our foursome instead of having to double order baskets of threes.
I think HEXA is a "new kid on the block" for dim sum and Guangdong cuisine in this area as compared with other upscale restaurants but, the quality, tastes, and service are excellent represented with great value. read more