Mr Zhang in Causeway Bay: Chinese cuisine that hits all the right notes, in an elegant setting
- Apart from a disappointing sautéed diced ham dish, everything from a starter of home-made squid sausage and fish patties to the wolfberry dessert shone
- The interior, which is adorned with bonsai, and the good service were bonuses
As I walked into Mr Zhang, the new Hangzhou restaurant in Causeway Bay, it seemed oddly familiar. When I looked at the menu, I realised it reminded me of Xin Rong Ji in Wan Chai.
The spaces are different – Xin Rong Ji is darker and moodier, but both restaurants are elegant, both have bonsai (or rather, the Chinese equivalent, penjing), some of the dishes are similar and the service at both places is very good.
It turns out that Mr Zhang, better known by its Chinese name, Zhang Sheng Ji, has been around in the city of Hangzhou in eastern China since 1988.
As at Xin Rong Ji, you’re served a platter of fresh fruit to start the meal – on the evening we went, it was small tomatoes. They were pale red, so we thought they’d be insipid in flavour, but they were plump, juicy and sweet.
We started the meal with a dish we’ve tasted at Xin Rong Ji – home-made squid sausage and fish patties (HK$158). Looks were deceiving: the fish patties looked like ordinary fish cake, but this was far better than anything else we’ve tasted – mild and subtle, the pieces had been lightly fried on the cut sides, giving them a gentle crunch. The squid sausage was even better – deeply flavoured, slightly sweet and absolutely delicious.