On our last day in Hong Kong, we were invited to have dinner at Asiania Restaurant (AR) by a Hong Kong resident. He is a real foodie and I was excited for this meal.
This was Thanksgiving Day and reservations were made. There are many modes of transportation (Mass Transit Railway, Double Decker bus, bus or taxi) so getting to AR was easy from our hotel.
We were advised whole roast suckling piglet and "Asian foie gras" needed to be reordered so I knew I was in for a treat. It was a little tricky finding this place as it's located in the basement of the Emperor Group Centre. AS has been in business for several decades and received numerous awards for the whole roast pigs. AS is located in Wan Chai District of North Point.
After being greeting at the hostess stand we were escorted to our reserved table, with white cloth tables - - very fancy. In addition to our pre-ordered dishes, I let the group decide what to add. I wasn't really concerned because I was traveling with foodies and I trusted them, not entirely but for the most part. :P
We started off with the pre-ordered "Asian foie gras" appetizer, or GUM CHINN GAI in Cantonese. It had a generous slice of chicken liver, a slice of pork fat both sitting on sliced gizzard to be sandwiched between a steamed bun that is commonly used in Peking Duck. I took a bite and felt like I was in HEAVEN. OMG - - so, so, so good!!! However, this was super rich and one serving was sufficient.
The highlight of the evening was the pre-ordered roasted suckling piglet. In the past there were maraschino cherries on the pig's head but red flashing lights made a very surprising appearance that made the whole table laugh. It was chopped up and plated nicely. I previously had whole roasted piglet in Zhongshan a week before and the one at AS was OUTSTANDING. I definitely could taste the difference in quality of the skin, meat and flavor. The price tag for this piglet? Approximately US$400.
Other dishes that stood out was the lotus root soup, where I was amazed by presentation. The broth was served in a large bowl and the soup ingredients were plated so nicely with the different layers. I also enjoyed the assorted preserved meats rice pot, that was also presented so nicely before assembling.
My table mates really enjoyed the "baked worm" dish that didn't suit me. I was informed it's a fall delicacy and despite trying them 2x at different meals in 2 different countries, I didn't like it. Perhaps it was too bitter for me or, my mind was tarnished after learning what it was.
Why only 4-stars? We wanted a dessert dish and the waiter suggested a large serving of baked custard tapioca with lotus paste. First of all, the dish was too rich were there's no way we could eat 1/4 of the dish and secondly, one of the table mates found a metal piece from the scouring pad used to wash large pots. It is a MAJOR health risk, where the restaurant profusely apologized and adjusted our bill.
Overall, a very impressive restaurant for Cantonese cuisine at its finest. Great ambience, attentive staff and delicious food spent on this Thanksgiving holiday with my cousin and his close friends. read more