Advertisement
Advertisement

Tai Fung Lau Peking Restaurant

Rebecca Tsui

Tai Fung Lau Peking Restaurant 29-31 Chatham Rd Windsor Mansion Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon Tel: 2366 2494

Grub: A homey restaurant that has been serving authentic, traditional Pekingese food for almost 50 years.

Vibe: An old-style restaurant. Don't expect modern and extravagant decor, but it's nice and clean. Waiters are experienced and happy to explain their signature dishes to you.

Who to bring: Definitely not the place for date, but a good choice for family gatherings and hanging out with friends. It's perfect for mutton lovers who should try the justifiably famous mutton hotpot. What's hot: Peking Duck, the traditional Peking-style roasted duck, is a must-try. Peking duck is a good way of telling if a restaurant is worth going to. Tai Fung Lau's Peking duck is famous for its thinly sliced, crispy skin. It's served with the traditional accompaniments: pancakes, sliced cucumber and spring onion, and sweet bean sauce. It's so yummy you'll keep eating, even if you're full.

The restaurant also serves good Shandong Chicken - roasted chicken served with a special sweet sauce which brings out the taste of the tender chicken meat.

Sweet and sour shrimps are also worthy trying. The shrimps are served on a sizzling hot plate, which keeps them crispy.

The restaurant is one of the few places in Hong Kong which serves traditional coal-heated hotpot dinners with a tall 'chimney' in the middle of the hotpot. A half-portion of mutton hotpot is enough for four.

What's not: All the portions are quite big. If you go with a small group, it's hard to know what to order.

Pekingese food tends to be a bit too greasy and rich for many people. It's not good if you prefer healthy dishes with less salt and oil.

Also, it's a pity that the desserts aren't worth checking out. The fried egg puff, a signature dessert from the north, is not up to standard. The skin is too thick with too little filling. And the egg puff tastes like it's been cooked and sitting there for a long time.

Cost: Expect to pay around K$80-HK$130 per person for dinner.

Post