It often takes the promise of good food to tempt some people out of their comfortable surroundings to venture into less familiar areas of Hong Kong. Such was the case with me and Sun Dau Kee in Jordan. When a friend mentioned it served a wonderful version of fried fish with corn sauce I was intrigued. This is not a dish I would normally order, having tasted far too many versions consisting of chunks of fried fish smothered in creamed corn, straight out of the can.
There's nothing to indicate that Sun Dau Kee serves food that's better than any other seafood restaurant. In front are the usual tanks of live seafood. Pigeons, chickens and ducks hang from hooks in the window.
We had made a reservation, so the waiter led us upstairs to a brightly lit, clean room. We brought champagne, which the accommodating waiter quickly chilled for us, and wine, which he opened with no corkage fee.
Our first dish was pigeon braised in soy sauce ($80). It was succulent - large, meaty, juicy and tender. It was so delicious we ordered another, this time with what the waiter called 'OK jup'. It turned out to be watered down A-1 sauce, which we didn't enjoy as much as the soy sauce.
The much-anticipated fried fish with corn sauce came next. The sauce was served separately and, with trepidation, I poured a little over my fish. It was everything my friend had promised - the sauce, lightened with egg white, was subtle and not too thick or sweet. The fish was a revelation. Obviously top-quality and very fresh, it was deliciously crunchy - the waiter told us the chefs use crushed dried rice noodles as coating. The price of $230 was surprising, but then again, the dish was made from the expensive emperor fish.
We were persuaded to try the sweet and sour pork ($78), another dish that can be absolutely awful. The pork was tender and delicious, and the sauce was well-balanced and not cloyingly sweet.