Summer Palace @ Island Shangri-La, Hong Kong

Cuisine: Chinese (Hong Kong / Cantonese)

Map: Summer Palace @ Island Shangri-La, Hong Kong

Price: HKD675 per person without alcohol (what we paid for)

Visited: 27 September 2013

Food: 5/10

Atmosphere: 6/10

Value for money: 3/10

Services: 6/10

Here comes another Chinese fine dining with award of 2 Michelin Stars "Summer Palace @ Island Shangri-la, Hong Kong". First thing I have to say is disappointment. Not even sure if I had ordered wrong menu or something. Anyway, I just think such prestigious restaurant should perform so much better for all dishes.

Summer Palace is located on the 5th floor of Pacific Place./ Island Shangri-la. To come here, it is pretty easy, not to mention taxi of course. Pacific Place is connected directly to MTR Admiralty Station and travelling by tram can also be pretty convenient. The dining is kind of grand and elegant in the sense of Chinese tradition with red and gold theme. Again, we were not so impressed with the kind of service in fine Chinese restaurant. We suppose that with this price tag, the service should be clearly none or less fabulous with helpful and knowledgeable staffs.

Summer Palace @ Island Shangri-la

traditional and elegant entrance

big dining room

Anyway, let's get into food. For our starters, we had Baked King Prawn in Truffle Pesto (5/10) and Steamed Fresh Crab Claw with Winter Melon in Egg White and Mashed Yunnan Ham (7/10). Cooking skill and quality of ingredients are no doubt. Prawn was cooked to near perfection with soft but meaty texture whilst the aroma and the overall touch of crab claw was cool with fresh and firm crab meat. I like the cool touch of winter melon with egg white which can be really good for Summer dish. However, the taste of king prawn was a bit plain. The East meets West magic of king prawn dish did not quite work for us.

Baked King Prawn in Truffle Pesto (HKD180)

Steamed Fresh Crab Claw with Winter Melon in Egg White and Mashed Yunnan Ham (HKD200)

For the more serious and heavier dishes, first of the three was Deep-fried Crispy Chicken (7/10). The chicken was pretty tender, juicy, and delicious. Skin was really crisp which brought the wonderful touch apart from tender meat. Nevertheless, this dish can be a little oily in which I would recommend anyone to have this with plain rice rather than just pure chicken.

Next was Stewed Spare Ribs in a Clay Pot (5/10). Ok, this was nice but did not meet the expectation of Michelin Star awarded restaurant. It tasted like delicious home-cooking food really. Well, the pork was tender I have to admit. But still not spectacular. The flavour of this one was thick and rich. Again, plain rice is highly recommended to go with the dish.

Lastly, we ended our meal with Fried Rice with Minced Beef and Egg White in Preserved Shrimp Paste (3/10). Guess what, my fried-rice is perhaps similar to this one at Summer Palace. Come on, anyone would not expect soaky fried rice, wouldn't they. The overall taste was ok but the texture and mouth feel just ruined the whole dish.

Well, we would prabably not return to Summer Palace @ Island Shangri-la for the second time, unless we are really bored with other restaurants on Hong Kong island. (^^)

Deep-fried Crispy Chicken (HKD230 for half)

Stewed Spare Ribs in a Clay Pot (HKD175)

Fried Rice with Minced Beef and Egg White in Preserved Shrimp Paste (HKD180)

Summer Palace @ Island Shangri-La, Hong Kong
Level 5 Island Shangri-la Hong Kong
Pacific Place
Supreme Court Road
Central
Hong Kong

Open Hours: Daily from 11:30pm - 03:00pm for lunch and 06:30pm - 11:00pm for dinner

Tel: +852 (0) 2820 8552
Web: http://www.shangri-la.com/hongkong/islandshangrila/dining/restaurants/summer-palace/
FB: https://www.facebook.com/islandshangrila

Cuisine Cuisine @ IFC Mall, Hong Kong

Cuisine: Chinese (Hong Kong / Cantonese)

Map: Cuisine Cuisine @ IFC Mall, Hong Kong

Price: HKD660 per person (what we paid for)

Visited: 26 September 2013

Food: 6/10

Atmosphere: 5/10

Value for money: 4/10

Services: 5/10

Awarded 1 Michelin Star Cantonese style Chinese restaurant, "Cuisine Cuisine", is located on the 3rd floor of the famous IFC Mall (another branch is at The Mira @ Tsim Sha Tsui). The location is pretty much convenient with Hong Kong MTR station right below the mall.

From outside, the restaurant looks pretty much elegant and in a rather modern style. However, the interior is not so impressed. It is rather crowded from my sense. Perhaps it is because tables are just put around the big hall without any divided section or partition. If privacy is needed, do ask for more private tables which are located near the entrance.

For the night, we had a bottle of Billecart Salmon Brut Rose to accompany us which was somewhat disappointed. It kind of showed the over-aging or unwell storage of the champagne. Anyway, the taste of champagne is not the big point, it just reflects how much care they put for their customers. Otherwise, the overall service here is at average standard.

Cuisine Cuisine @ IFC, Hong Kong

kind of elegant entrance

rather crowded open floor setting

Upon arrival, we were welcomed with a cup of herbal juice which tasted like Roselle drink in fact. To start our meal, Abalone Marinated in Chinese "Hua Diao" Wine (4/10) and Steamed Whole Tomato Stuffed with Assorted Fungi (7/10) were selected. The tomato and fungi was splendid. Tasty, sweet, and soft peeled whole tomato. Stuffed fungi was light but enhanced with flavour well. If you like fungi and tomato, do not hesitate and just go for it. However, the abalone was rather disappointed. If would not say it is a dish served in an awarded restaurant. Ok, it was not unacceptable, it was perhaps at par. The abalone itself had firm but soft texture with good natural taste. Nevertheless, the wine sauce was just overly alcoholic that was unbalance. I would not personally recommend this dish.

herbal juice

Abalone Marinated in Chinese "Hua Diao" Wine (HKD88)

Steamed Whole Tomato Stuffed with Assorted Fungi (HKD88)

As for more serious dishes, we decided to have roasted meat which is of course the well-known traditional Cantonese choice. Roasted Crispy Pork Belly and Sliced Suckling Pig (8/10) were delicious. Suckling pig was crisp to the max and full flavour. So tasty and not overly salty. Crispy pork belly was tender and crisp on the skin. Minimum fat layers. As a crispy pork belly lover, I really like it. The other dish was Roasted Crispy Goose (7/10). This goose dish also gave me a lot of pleasure. Skin was crisp. On the palate, the flavour was fabulously yummy. I just wish that the dish would come as boneless which would make it much easier to eat and a better "finale".

Well, Cuisine Cuisine at IFC Mall may not be the ultimate Cantonese restaurant but it offers pleasure and joy. I would not mind returning to this restaurant to try other dishes.

Roasted Crispy Pork Belly and Sliced Suckling Pig (HKD280)

pork belly along side suckling pig

Roasted Crispy Goose (HKD188)

roasted goose comes with traditional sweet dipping sauce

Cuisine Cuisine @ IFC Mall, Hong Kong
3101-3107, podium level 3, IFC Mall
Central
Hong Kong

Open Hours: Daily from 12:00pm - 02:30pm for lunch (10:30am - 03:00pm on Sunday) and 06:00pm - 10:30pm for dinner

Tel: +852 (0) 2393 3933
Web: http://www.cuisinecuisine.hk
FB: https://www.facebook.com/CuisineCuisine