Restaurant review: Mott 32, Central - style with substance

The descent into Mott 32 is dramatic. It takes you to the basement of the Standard Chartered Bank Building into an enormous windowless space filled with interesting things: a private room that looks like a transformed bank vault; lots of knick-knacks and really cool lighting fixtures; a row of air-drying ducks that resembles an edible Newton's cradle.

My guests and I worried it would be all style and no substance, but after tasting a wide range of dishes, this proved not to be the case.

Siu mai (HK$60 for two) was taken to another level with Kurobuta pork, the addition of a creamy-yolked quail egg and a topping of truffle paste. Kau choi dumplings (HK$55 for three) were pan-fried until the chewy skin was crisp, while the Chinese chive filling was soft and milder than usual. Kurobuta pork, crab and caviar xiao long bao (HK$95 for four) weren't as soupy as they should have been and the caviar didn't add much flavour, but the filling was fatty and sweet. King prawn har gau (HK$65 for four) needed more salt and the wrappers were rubbery.

It's easy to see why the barbecued prime Iberico pork with yellow mountain honey (HK$295) is a signature dish. The meat — soft, tender and moist — was enhanced by the crusty exterior (we wondered if it had been battered) and the subtly sweet glaze. We also liked the roast goose (HK$350 for half), which was tender and lightly smoky. Salt and pepper frog legs (HK$155) were large and meaty with a thin batter.