HONG KONG'S reputation as a culinary paradise owes much to the fact that one can savour tastes from different parts of the mainland without having to travel far.
While most Chinese restaurants specialise in one particular cuisine, Festive China in Festival Walk combines four regional cuisines on one menu. Besides traditional delights from Shanghai, Beijing and Sichuan that are popular among locals, dishes from Hunan are also available.
Given the variety and convenience, it is no surprise that it has established itself as one of the busiest restaurants in the shopping complex. On a Friday evening, the average waiting time for a table is about 30 minutes if no reservation has been made. We arrived shortly before 8pm but had to wait an hour before our table was ready. Strange as it might seem, many people were as patient as we were and did not appear flustered by the queue.
Once settled into our seats, we took a closer look at the interior. The decor is typically Oriental although an attempt has been made to add a modernist touch. Crisp white tablecloths and sturdy furniture give the impression of an upmarket restaurant, which is enhanced by the attention paid to the crockery. The atmosphere is warm and friendly, and the prices reasonable.
Our waiter handed us a beautifully bound menu. We were impressed by the extensive choices available, which ranged from shark's fin to noodles and dumplings. It took us a long time to figure out the origin of each of the dishes, but we gave up in the end because we decided that taste was all that mattered.
We started with braised 'gluten bean curd' and Chinese mushrooms ($50). Served cold in a dark sauce and garnished with fungus, it was a refreshing appetiser. The portion was impressive, too. The gluten and the mushrooms were well cooked and tasted wonderful with the sauce.
The deep-fried chicken with crispy garlic ($98 for half, and $178 whole) was a nice surprise as we expected it to be nothing more than fried chicken served with garlic sauce. We were delighted, therefore, with the generous serving of fried garlic crumbs that came with the dish. The chicken was well fried so that the skin was crunchy and the meat tender.
