Instagram this: roast goose, char siu and suckling pig –and a floor-to-ceiling glass oven – at Maxim’s Jade Garden, Star House
Restaurant’s advanced oven drastically improves the flavour of its roast meats, chef Wu Yuk-ming tells Tracey Furniss
Roast goose, char siu and suckling pig are some of Hong Kong’s most famous and favourite dishes, and the new advanced oven at Maxim’s flagship Jade Garden at Star House, helps make these offerings even tastier.
Jade Garden at Star House, which opened in 1971, was the first Chinese restaurant in Hong Kong to offer Western service, so it became a popular choice for expats living in the territory, especially during its early years. The restaurant was recently refurbished, and reopened in summer to the delight of loyal diners.
One new feature – a first in Hong Kong – is the floor-to-ceiling glass-fronted oven. It looks more like a roasting room, with two sections where large birds hang while slowly rotating as they roast inside. This delights diners, who find it very Instagrammable.
“The technology is quite advanced,” says Wu Yuk-ming, deputy chef (barbecue), Cantonese restaurant, at Maxim’s.
“They can control the temperature for different kinds of meat, which automatically changes after a certain amount of time,” he says. “It’s computer programmed.”
Roast meats are signature dishes at Jade Garden, and they are the most popular items on the menu. The new oven can roast goose, chicken, char siu and suckling pig. But does the meat actually taste better?
“The meat is tastier because the oven automatically rotates the meat,” the chef explains. “It will keep rotating, making sure that every part of the meat is cooked evenly. One of the keys to making it tastier is the even heat.”
The correct temperature and timing create the tender, juicy meat and the right crispness of the skin, Wu explains.