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Yee Tung Heen

Cantonese cuisine is generally considered the most refined of the many Chinese regional culinary traditions, and so most fine-dining Chinese restaurants serve Cantonese food. It is also said that Hong Kong collectively has the best Cantonese restaurants in the world. So, to stand out against such an august standard is no mean feat. Such is the case with Yee Tung Heen, the fine-dining Cantonese restaurant at the venerable Excelsior Hotel, long a favourite among its discerning local customer base.

The restaurant’s striking décor features a colourful bamboo design, and its floral partitioning can be used to create several private rooms out of the main dining hall. The elegantly decorated space is perfect for either a social dim sum lunch gathering or an intimate private dinner.

Over the years, Yee Tung Heen and its signature dishes have both won numerous awards, notably a One Michelin Star designation for 2018. Regardless, the restaurant’s reputation for serving exquisite Cantonese dishes is long established.

Our lunch was to be a real treat, as it featured several of the restaurant’s signature dishes. We started with the Twin Mushroom Platter (HK$248), which was new to us – we appreciate both its taste and presentation – an excellent opening indeed.

Barbecued Pork (HK$228) is next – this dish is the litmus test for any Cantonese chef, needing to be done well to earn the respect of one’s peers. Well, this char siu dish passes with flying colours, as the meat is roasted just nice and tender, and bites easily with a lingering sweet taste. The Doubled-boiled Superior Soup (HK$348/portion for ladies and HK$318/portion for gentlemen) was then served, each version using ingredients and herbs that bring specific health benefits to the ladies and gentlemen – we took it in our stride, knowing it was good for us.

We were now into the heart of this sumptuous meal. The Steamed and Sautéed Egg with Crab Meat, Sea Urchin and Mini Gold Fish Dumplings (HK$388) is a real delicacy, and the mixture of crab meat and sea urchin makes for an innovative savoury sensation. Braised Wagyu Beef Rib with Sesame and Onion in Beef Jus (HK$528) was next, a richly flavoured and succulent beef rib that bites easily, and consumed all too quickly.

Sautéed Baby Cabbage with Dried Sakura Shrimps and Peas (HK$198) and Braised Rice with Scallops, Crab Meat and Spring Onion (HK$298) rounded out the meal. The lighter and fresher vegetable and rice dishes balanced out the meal nicely.

We completed the meal with Supreme Red Bean Soup ($98 per person), another classic Cantonese favourite and the Black and White Sesame Rolls ($58) which is another house creation that left us begging for more.

An exquisite Cantonese meal should be high on any Hong Kong visitor’s itinerary. Yee Tung Heen is undoubtedly among the top choices – book early.

Yee Tung Heen

2/F, The Excelsior Hong Kong, 281 Gloucester Road, Causeway Bay

2837 6790

(Edited on 13 Mar 2018)