New restaurant in Hong Kong: Chiu Cuisine, Wan Chai - affordable Chiu Chow dishes, and friendly service

Chiu Cuisine on Hennessy Road in Wan Chai offers a range of signature dishes from Chiu Chow in a bright and comfortable environment, and at prices that won’t set you back much. Of course, you can order expensive dishes.

The restaurant is spacious and cosy, with leather chairs and wooden tables, and was surprisingly quiet when we visited on a public holiday.

The menu is simple but lists everything you would expectat a place specialising in the cuisine of Chiu Chow – a source of heavenly food at the eastern end of China’s Guangdong province.

Marinated goose is one of the must-try Chiu Chow dishes. We ordered a goose set (HK$52) that came with rice noodles and a cup of warm soy milk.

The goose meat was soft and juicy, flavoured with delicious salty brine that also had a touch of sweetness. The garlic dipping sauce added a hint of sourness that balanced the fat in the goose skin. The bean sprouts underneath the goose meat and the noodles were refreshing, and went well with the meat.

The meat portion was modest, but it can be a nice lunch choice supplemented by a dish of boiled vegetables such as choi sum or gai lan (HK$10).

Second up was an equally appetising dish: pork ribs with plum sauce (HK$68). Each rib was thick and substantial andthe meat was tender. The pickled plum sauce was a little too sweet and heavy. It’s a dish best shared with a few others, as we felt the ribs were a little too greasy after eating two or three pieces.