Eat & Drink

Hot Tables

Rùn

The recently opened St. Regis Hong Kong has taken the hospitality industry by storm, for not only its exquisite design but also its outstanding F&B outlets – its French restaurant L'Envol and Chinese establishment Rùn have both won praise from local foodies. Just last month, L'Envol and Rùn were each awarded the coveted 1-Star Michelin Award after opening for just a few months, a testament to their culinary excellence

Our choice this time is Rùn, the Chinese restaurant. Rùn serves Cantonese cuisine, including a full complement of dim sum dishes during lunch. Rùn's menu is devised by Hong Kong–born Executive Chef Hung Chi-Kwong, who has extensive executive experience at several acclaimed Chinese restaurants in Hong Kong. Chef Hung is known for his mastery and contemporary interpretation of Cantonese cuisine – notably braised dried foods, seafood and double-boiled soups, which imbues Rùn's cooking philosophy in this new endeavour.

Rùn’s design is a modern take on the architecture of a traditional Chinese tea pavilion. Its lighting fixtures take after classic Chinese lanterns housed in moulded glass cubes and bronze, adding to the elegance of the restaurant.

Our visit was to sample some of Rùn's signature and more popular dishes. For appetisers, we tried Marinated Smoked Foie Gras ($198), a delicious way of fixing the foie gras; Deep-fried Lobster Spring Roll, Black Truffle Sauce (3 pcs) ($168), in which the skin is crispy and crunchy while the lobster meat remains tender and succulent; and Barbequed Iberico Pork, Honey ($368) with tender and flavourful meat.

Since double-boiled soup is Rùn's speciality, we opted to share three different soups. The Doubled- boiled Abalone Soup, Kelp, Goji, Baby Coconut ($388 per person) is velvety smooth with a yummy light sweet taste; Braised Snake Soup, Fish Maw, Fungus ($348 per person) is excellent and perfect for the winter, and so is Braised Lamb Brisket, White Pepper, Chinese Herbs ($188 per person) which is quite warming. You can tell Chef Hung has mastered the soup-making technique .

We tried several more excellent dishes: Pan-fried Japanese Scallop, Champagne Sauce ($228); Pan- fried Bean Curd Shrimp Mousse, Morel Mushroom, Bamboo Fungus ($228) – a refreshing vegetable dish; and Roasted Salted Crispy Chicken (Half-piece ) ($298). The skin of the chicken is baked to golden crispy, its taste is absolutely delicious, as is the savoury, tender meat – a real treat!

We wrapped up our meal with Fried Vermicelli, Crab Meat, Shredded Pork, Egg ($288) and a choice of desserts, all of which comprise quite a meal in themselves.

Rùn also offers a Tea-pairing menu for lovers of Chinese tea guided by a certified tea sommelier. Be sure to ask for the details if you are interested.

We were truly impressed with the quality of the food at Rùn; it's destined to be one of those dining hotspot that you can't afford not to know. So for a memorable Cantonese meal while you are in Hong Kong, and to keep ahead of the curve, be sure to give Rùn a try.■

2/F, The St. Regis Hong Kong,1 Harbour Road, Wanchai, Hong Kong

2138 6808