It was past 9:30 p.m. when we tried to look for a place to have dinner in Kwun Tong. I had just come out of a premiere of
Star Wars: The Last Jedi, and figured we should stay inside
apm. With many outlets closing or already closed, we ended up getting a table at
Lei Garden (利苑).
This restaurant chain's ability to secure Michelin stars for several of their outlets has long been a mystery to many of us living in Hong Kong. In fact, no less than TEN branches of Lei Garden has received the coveted star in the 10-year history of the
Michelin Guide Hong Kong and Macau, and 3 of them still do in the latest edition announced on November 30th. The branch in apm happens to be one of the three.
It was late but they were still operating, so we quickly ordered a couple of dishes to fill our stomachs.
Poached chicken in marinade (貴妃雞) - they had run out of
char siu (叉燒) at this hour (something which, unlike
last time, I would forgive them for), so we got the chicken instead. This was OK. Too bad I forgot to take a picture until after we started eating...
Omelette with preserved radish and minced pork (菜脯蛋) - very classic and simple dish.
Clay pot with mutton brisket (羊腩煲) - seasonal winter dish. The chunks of lamb with the skin and fat were pretty nice. The leaner parts were OK. Served with
tofu skin (腐竹), plenty of
shiitake mushrooms (椎茸), and water chestnuts. Very heavy flavors, and tons of MSG. Once again I forgot to take a picture... so we've got a picture of the dish after packing into a plastic box for takeaway.
Not a fair sample to judge whether this place is star-worthy, but I suspect even on a good day, this could never hope to beat Seventh Son (家全七福) or even Fook Lam Moon (福臨門).
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