(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!