[Hong Kong] Lai Bun Fu 禮賓傅

Rating: ❤❤❤1/2

Lai Bun Fu refers to Government House in Chinese and no we didn't eat dinner with HK's Chief Executive, but rather at a restaurant on On Lan Street which is helmed by Chef Chung Kin Leung - a former chef at the Hong Kong Government House who has cooked for world leaders such as George Bush and Margaret Thatcher! Housed in the same building as On Dining Kitchen & Lounge, the decor at Lai Bun Fu was very stylish and modern and given the location in Central, it's perfect for business lunches and dinners. The cuisine is focused on traditional dishes of Hong Kong such as prawn toasts and stir-fried egg white and milk using premium ingredients so expect prices to be on the higher end as well. We were here for dinner and ended up trying a variety of a la carte dishes that had been pre-selected by the restaurant. 

We started off with this fresh Steamed Crab Claw ($160) which was deliciously sweet and juicy while the flavorful hua tiao wine sauce complimented the seafood perfectly.

The decadent Bird's Nest with Minced Chicken Soup ($428) was more like congee than soup with its thick texture and tasted mainly of chicken. For the price, I would have expected more complex and depth in flavors.

The Braised Pork with Preserved Vegetable was a bit fatty and oily but I quite enjoyed the preserved vegetables which had absorbed the rich sauce. 

The Steamed Chicken with Yunnan Ham and Mushroom ($298 half/$580 whole) tasted healthier with light flavors overall which can be a nice choice to balance other dishes with richer ingredients.

The Steamed Tofu with Prawn Mousse and Soya Sauce ($188) is a simple traditional dish that was served with a twist here with prawn mousse instead of fish paste. This was my favorite dish of the night as the tofu was super soft while the flavors were gratifying. This is a comfort food dish that I wouldn't mind eating everyday!

I'm normally not a fan of Chinese desserts but this Double Boiled Silver Fungus with Lotus Seed was superb with lightly sweet flavors while I really enjoyed the clear chewy gelatin in the dessert.

Verdict - the quality of the food here is no doubt high but not all of the dishes were a home run or memorable especially given the price. Perhaps it was because we didn't get to try the signature dishes here so it ended up being a bit of hit or miss for the food that we tried that night. 

Lai Bun Fu 禮賓傅

5/F, 18 On Lan Street, Central

Tel: 2564 3868
http://www.laibunfu.com/

*By Invitation

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