Review | The Legacy House at Rosewood Hong Kong: refined Chinese food, and a fish broth so good we drank it all
- A dish of wok-fried milk, light and delicate, was a clue we were in for a special meal of Shunde specialities, and nothing that followed disappointed in any way
- Roast goose liver was fantastic, steamed minced pork was subtle, and braised garoupa belly flavourful. Stewed bamboo shoots were our favourite
It took quite a while to get a booking at The Legacy House at the Rosewood hotel in Tsim Sha Tsui. Online bookings offered tables only at 6.30pm or earlier, or 8.15pm or later, and we wanted to eat at 7.30pm. Persistent phone calls for specific dates didn’t work, so finally, I booked for precisely a month ahead (the furthest in advance they would reserve for), and then invited my dinner companions afterwards.
It was worth the effort. The elegant space with a great view of the harbour serves refined and delicious Chinese food.
The menu – or rather, menus – were a bit confusing. Three of us were given one menu, but my fourth guest was given another, and while there was overlap on the dishes, they weren’t exactly the same (although the prices were). Our helpful waiter explained that our menu was for the dining room, while my guest’s menu was for private dining, but he said we could order from both. He also pointed out that the restaurant’s specialities were from the part of the menu featuring dishes from the Shunde region of southern China, so, taking the hint, we tried several dishes from that section.
Pan-fried dace fishcakes with preserved meat, minced pork, coriander and spring onion (HK$170) were dense and flavourful, but the wok-fried milk Daliang style with crabmeat, egg white and bird’s nest (HK$400) was the dish that made us realise we were in for a special treat. It was light and delicate, with very subtle but distinctive flavours.
From the barbecue section, we ordered an old-fashioned Cantonese classic: roast goose liver with pork belly and mushrooms (HK$200 for two pieces; we had two orders for four of us). Better known as gum cheen gai (gold coin chicken), it was just fantastic.
It’s usually made with chicken liver, but the switch to the fattier, more succulent goose liver made it even better. The pork belly was tender, while the very thin slice of mushroom added a nice slippery contrast.
There are several steamed shellfish dishes on offer, and the waiter told us about the off-menu special of akagai clams, which he said could be cooked with any of four sauces (salty, black bean, spicy or with glutinous rice wine and chicken broth).
We had his suggested 1 1/3 order (HK$212), and requested the salty broth. The light broth was delicious with the fresh, shell-on clams, which were tender and fatty.
The homestyle steamed minced pork with conpoy and squid (HK$280) was excellent; the meat had been hand-chopped, giving it an excellent texture, and it was subtle and comforting. Another Cantonese dish, of braised garoupa fish belly and head with ginger and spring onion (HK$360), had pieces of fish that weren’t as collagen-y as we like, but it had great flavours.
Our favourite dish was stewed water bamboo shoots with conpoy, dried shrimp and Chinese celery (HK$270). The ingredients were cooked in a rich fish broth that was so good we poured it into our bowls and drank it.
The Legacy House, 5/F, Rosewood Hong Kong, 18 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, tel: 3891 8732. About HK$540 per person without drinks or service charge
Three other Chinese restaurants in Hong Kong we’ve reviewed recently
Newly moved Evelyn’s Garden in Causeway Bay: spicy delights
Disappointing service and dishes let down Rùn in Wan Chai
Delicious Cantonese food at Piin in Central, but pricier than you might think
