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Ming Court

There was little question we would choose Chinese cuisine as the target of our next culinary quest to celebrate Chinese New Year. The challenge is always deciding which to select amongst so many worthy options. Ming Court, the one-Michelin starred restaurant at Cordis Hong Kong in bustling Mongkok serving exquisite Cantonese food, and a pioneer in pairing fine wines with fine food, turned out to be an inspired choice.

Ming Court’s décor is elegantly modern Chinese, its seating is spacious and comfortable, its service is attentive and friendly, and its dishes are prepared exquisitely for flavour and presentation. The restaurant has a great selection of fine wines from all over the world, and the adroit use of an iPad allows guests to pick out the best for the dishes selected. We can attest that refined Cantonese food makes a great match for some of the best wines around.

Our dinner started with the Ming Court Deluxe Appetisers, a trio of Suckling Pig; Roasted Pork Loin, Honey, Barbecued; and Layered Silk Tofu, Gold Leaf, Chinese Olive Rich Sauce, Chilled. The two roast meats are classic Cantonese starter dishes, their flavoured dictated by the quality of the meats and preparation method, which in this case are topnotch. Both meats are mouth-wateringly good, and the refreshing tofu helps balance the meat flavours.

A light soup followed, the Chicken Consomme, Matsutake Mushroom, Bamboo Pith, Served in Glass Teapot. The soup base is flavourful but light, and really helps cleanse the palate. Next served was Cod Fish Fillet, Minced Shrimp, Spiced Shrimp, Fried, a delicate and delicious combo of tender cod fish fillet and crispy fried shrimp. That set us up for the Crab Meat, Crab Roe, Pea Sprout, Braised, a light and tasty dish that was quickly devoured.

The final dish was Fried Rice Sizzler, Silkie Chicken, Shaoxing Rice Wine-Scented, Crispy Conpoy, Wolfberry, Pine Nut, a creative concoction of ingredients that really add flavour to the rice, and fills you up just nicely.

For our dinner, we picked out a bottle of 2013 Bernabeleva, Carril Del Rey, Vinos De Madrid D.O., a dry, full-bodied Spanish red wine suitable for a mix of meats and heavier dishes. It turned out to be ideal for our occasion.

To round out the meal, Sweet Wonderland, which is a selection of desserts, was served. They include Crystal Extravagance, Honey Bird’s Nest, Mango Pudding; Black Sesame Bean Curd Pudding; Chrysanthemum, Wolfberry Curd; and Berries, Taro Pudding. It is evident that Ming Court’s desserts are lovingly prepared and stack up against anyone’s – a fitting way to end a delicious meal. And the set dinner is priced only at HK$600 per person, which is eminently reasonable.

For a memorable dining experience of elegant setting, attentive service, exquisite classic dishes and fine wines superbly paired, Ming Court is hard to beat.

Ming Court
Level 6, Cordis, Hong Kong at Langham Place, 555 Shanghai Street, Mong Kok
3552 3028

(Edited on 1 Feb 2018)