MAN WAH

HK$1870 per person

25th floor, Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong, 5 Connaught Road Central, Hong Kong

TEL: +852 2825 4003 www.mandarinoriental.com/ hongkong Man Wah is often namedropped as the place for weekend dim sum, but it’s their dinner menu that makes us return customers. Selfdescribed as a Cantonese restaurant, the kitchen is just as adept at regional favourites— such as the crisp Peking duck or the hot and sour soup—as they are at Canton classics. Start by nourishing the soul and the tastebuds with one of their signature double-boiled soups. The sweet-and-sour pork with pineapple is flawlessly executed to deliver a satisfying tart crunch with every bite. We found a true test of wok skills in the fried rice vermicelli, crab meat, egg: the dish’s Chinese name makes mention of osmanthus, but it’s actually a reference to how the chef is able to separate the egg into tiny pieces as if they were the petals of the sweet-scented flower. Exemplary food aside, the wine list is wide-ranging and the service friendly and not overly formal. All this, set against the backdrop of Victoria Harbour and Central’s prime real estate, makes Man Wah a Cantonese gem that’s both a destination for culinary tourists and an old favourite for locals.