What a sacrifice for visiting New York Magazine food critic Gael Greene, forsaking Hong Kong Island comforts for the savage frontiers of the New Territories, just to taste pigeon. But the Manhattan gourmet had no regrets. In fact, after lunch at Sui Wah, she virtually commanded that others, including this writer, do exactly the same. 'Fantastic squab,' she exclaimed. 'And the other dishes were just as good.' Gael Greene is not a woman who visits restaurants lightly, and few in the territory have met with her approval. The trip was something of an adventure. Not a racegoer myself, I admit to fearing the wilds of Sha Tin. First, an easy MTR-KCR ride, then a scenic ride on the minibus for five minutes. The ride is short enough to walk, but the minibus goes straight to Wo Che Commercial Centre. Wo Che is a kind of wacky shopping mall, with shops like 'Cheapy Videos', along with drugstores, a half dozen restaurants and miles of empty corridor. Sui Wah - not to be confused with the adjacent Shui Wah Seafood - stands out from the rest with good reason. In an area known for its grilled pigeon, Sui Wah has a reputation for having the best. For 100 years, New Territories pigeons have vied with the pigeons of Macau for their juiciness, meatiness and mouth-watering taste. Macau's pigeons are raised across the border in Chinese towns named for the birds. But the New Territories has its own farms, and they take great pride in their birds. Sui Wah needs to have good birds, since the atmosphere is hardly exotic. Years ago, one could eat pigeon in gorgeous outdoor restaurants, or even at street dai pai dongs. Sui Wah is simply a colourless big restaurant without any particular charm of its own. The menu is in English (along with pictures), but the waiters speak practically none, and even reservations should be made by a Cantonese speaker. The service was good, unhurried, and friendly. A few of the other diners confided to us that this was indeed the best bird in town. Not only was it the best pigeon ever, but we had two brilliant courses of the pigeon. The first was the whole bird, quartered on the platter. Not a trace of grease to spoil it. Obviously this was fresh squab, for the taste was slightly gamey, and the meat so soft that it fell off the bones as tenderly. The taste was faintly barbecued, although it was only grilled. A slight sweetness was on the skin, which was crispy without being brittle. The usual salt-and-soy dishes were here - but we did not need them. The bird on the platter was not quite sufficient so we plumped for the minced pigeon as well. It was a special treat. A huge platter (far too much for two people), the minced pigeon was mixed with crispy rice sticks, minced bamboo, and lots of mushrooms. When placed in the fresh lettuce and dipped in a heavy Hoisin sauce it was as memorable as the fresh pigeon itself. Sui Wah had another surprise although we ordered it only at the waiter's insistence as the name would put people off: 'just boiled beef'. It comprised pieces of thinly sliced beef boiled until very soft. The beef lay on a bed of freshly chopped green onions combined in a special soy dish with bits of garlic. The combination of textures and tastes was as memorable as the pigeon. Other dishes were consistently good, but not exceptional. The 'pork and chicken' was simply two different platters. The former was fried, while the chicken was in a glutinous sweet sauce with pineapples and big green peppers. Our favourite vegetable, pea sprouts, was fresh and sumptuous. Dishes passing through the hall looked appetising too. A 'just boiled shrimp' looked fresh, while a neighbouring table devoured their eel balls. The price? In 'civilised' Hong Kong, I would have guessed about $500. This was $370, including beer. 'We are not in the big city,' exclaimed my guest, who lives in Sha Tin. SUI WAH RESTAURANT, 48-50, Wo Che Commercial Complex, Sha Tin. Tel: 2604-3777, 2604-3555, open 11.30am-11pm