Probably the most amazing food experience that I had on my trip to Hong Kong was getting dim sum. Mic's Mom and Dad new a very good place and introduced me to it. I have heard stories from friends about how good the dim sum in Hong Kong was, but actually experiencing it truly was heaven.
This is har cheong, a rice noodle with shrimp inside, generously doused in soy sauce. In comparison to the stuff that we get here in New York, this was really superb. The noodles were so soft and thin to the point where they just melted in your mouth. The flavor was excellent and the shrimp was so tender on the inside. I really was in heaven when I was eating this because I did not eat dim sum in while in Mainland China. Nanjing did have some Cantonese restaurants, but I stuck to the Northern Jiangsu cuisine while I was there. Therefore, this was like having comfort food for the first time in four months.
This is some cheong fun, pan-friend rice noodles seasoned with scallion and har mai, or dried shrimp, sprinkled with roasted sesame seeds. We got some hot sauces to dip it in. This was also very good. The noodles again were so fresh and soft. They were decadent in their texture. It was perfectly accented with the crunch of the sesame seeds and had a nice zing from the sauce.
This is another must when you go for dim sum: pai gwat, or steamed pork ribs. The ribs are seasoned with black bean sauce and a tiny sliver of a slice of hot chili pepper is added at the end for a slight flare. This version also came with three rice cakes, which had an excellent chewy texture and absorbed the flavors from the sauce and pork. Tender, the meat just fell off the bones and melted in my mouth. So good!
Another one of my favorites, chun gurn, or a fried spring roll filled with mushroom, bamboo shoots, and minced pork. The wrapping was lighter than I was accustomed to, sort of similar in flavor almost to a fortune cookie, but not sweet. It is hard to describe. There is one thing, though, that I can say: This was damn good. It was so crunchy and the filling was so tasty, the bamboo and mushroom so fresh and flavorful.
To crown it off, I finally got to try the 豆腐花, dau fu fa, or tofu dessert, that is legendary from Hong Kong. My mother said that one thing she remembers from her childhood in Hong Kong was eating this. Ever since she came to the States, the dau fu fa is not the same here. After eating it in Hong Kong, I don't think I will be able to enjoy the New York version as much. It is all right, but it is dwarfed in comparison to this. In Hong Kong, they use a brown sugar on top of the bowl, in contrast to the ginger syrup that is used here. The brown sugar is sprinkled right on top as they give it to you and it just sits there, slowly dissolving as you mix up the bowl. It was so silky and smooth, and perfectly sweet. It was so moving to eat this. I was almost in heaven after eating this.
Overall, you can tell that I really liked this place. The experience of going for yum cha in Hong Kong is one that is most definitely not to be missed. This restaurant is good, but you could probably get pretty good dim sum at other restaurants in the city. This place, though, is pretty well known among locals, so it's probably worth it to check out.
Price: <3<3<3<3
Taste: <3<3<3<3<3
Atmosphere: <3<3<3<3<3
Opinion: MUST GO
Metropol Restaurant
4/F United Centre
95 Queensway
Admiralty Central, Hong Kong
名都酒樓
香港，中環，金鍾道，統一中心，4樓
