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Well Well Well

Lede: We sampled beloved Southern China home cooking dishes at Auntie AYi, the spaced-age flagship dining area at the newly opened wellwellwell, the city’s latest culinary destination.

The opening of wellwellwell at the swanky Pacific Place Mall represents the latest milestone in the city’s fast-evolving breakthrough dining concepts and a much welcome addition to the city’s dining landscape.

Occupying a prominent and large area at Pacific Place’s dining hub on Lower Ground floor, wellwellwell is a multi-concept dining venue that attempts to recapture the nostalgic Hong Kong/Southern China cuisine albeit reimagined with a modern interpretation. Three different brands representing three eclectic dining concepts occupies the spacious area. The open area at the entry is divided into City Well – a refined cha chaan teng style restaurant that recreates a lively market place, Water Well – a causal bar and snacks set up destined to be a popular watering hole, and last but not least, the Home Well or Auntie AYi, the heart of wellwellwell that celebrates the home kitchens of yesteryears and pays homage to the history of the legendary Ma Jie.

The first dining brands to launch, Auntie AYi’s design is spaced age, literally and figuratively. The outlet’s spaceship setting is striking, as sleek, semi-partitioned plush tables and sofa seating and recessed lighting offer a stunning dining venue for its guests.

For our meal, we sampled some of Auntie AYI’s classic dishes. We started with the 8 Immortals Drunken Platter($108/person) – a collection of tasty, cold appetisers marinated in Chinese Baiju and Huangju wines. A velvety smooth and sweet-tasting Double Boil Sea Coconut Soup ($128/person) was next, followed by a house specialty, Char Siu with Silky Eggs and Coriander Cheong Fun ($98), a traditionally made rice roll that employing hand-pulling rice sheets with a semi-permeable cloth.

Then came the signature Auntie AYi’s Sesame Candy Chicken ($688), in which local free range chicken is baked, its skin baked in sesame candy covering to yield a crispy ski n and juicy chicken meat. The presentation of the dish is also lovely, as the meat is arranged meticulously in the form of a flying phoenix. The next dish, XinJiang “Lamb” Skeweres ($238), is a pleasant departure, with the tender lamb meat seasoned and grilled just to the right texture and tenderness.

Another new dish that captured our palate was Angus Beef with Runny Egg Yolk Claypot Rice ($218) in which the angus beef cooked in the clay pot helped to enhance the rice’s aroma; a secret soy sauce recipe helps further adds to the flavour of the cooked rice cooked almost to a sizzle. The delightful and filling meal ended with Auntie AYi’s Ice Cream Sundae ($88).

We should mention that to complement its nostalgic menu, Auntie AYi will be serving a collection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, including a wide selection of seasonal cocktails, some of which using Chinese Shaoxing wine and even Chinese baiju for the adventurous, in addition to a menu of healthy Chinese hot drinks perfect for the winter.

We are confident that, led by Auntie AYi, wellwellwell will soon be the talk of the town. There is much to like – excellent location, unforgettable and space age ambience and tasty home cokking dishes to go back in time for. We strongly you give wellwellwell and specifically Auntie AYi a try.

Address: Shop 002, LG 1, Pacific Place, 88 Queensway, Admiralty, Hong Kong

Telephone: 2803 7881