Friday, December 19, 2008

Dim Sum Run Down: Cuisine Cuisine

Very seldom do you find a good restaurant with a nice view in NYC. My guess is that there are plenty in Hong Kong. In HK, Cuisine Cuisine (國金軒) has both good view and good food. My cousin brought us there for a nice dim sum (點心) experience. According to my cousin, they have the best barbecued/roast pork (cha siu 叉燒) in HK , even better than the well-known Yung Kee (鏞記). The food and the view came with a price though, of course.

Above, Cuisine Cuisine with a harbour view to die for


The restaurant was designed in a way so that when you enter the dining room after walking through a long hallway, you are mesmorized by the harbour view instantly. Through the giant floor to ceiling windows, you see not only the harbour, but also the city spanning from Wan Chai to Central. There are no push carts here, so everything is made to order.

Above, the stunning interior design to match with the view



These were some of the dim sum we had (I'm going to try to be as accurate as possible given the huge amount of food I had in HK):

  • Pineapple Bun with Taro (菠蘿包) - This was the first time I've ever had taro filled in a bun like this. The filling is usually custard, coconut or red bean.

Above, tiny "pineapple bun" with taro filling



  • Seafood Dumpling (海鮮餃) - The packaging was so neat and cute! I almost didn't want to eat it. Inside you see shrimp, scallions and possibly scallop.

Above, seafood dumpling and its innards


  • Barbecued/Roast Pork ("Cha siu" 叉燒) - It was so good. Soft and tender, flavorful and sweet, juicy and topped with perfectly charred edges.

Above, dreamy juicy Barbecued/Roast Pork



  • Garoupa (Grouper) Parcel - The presentation really opens up your appetite. Inside the tiny package tied together by scallion is grouper (skin on), baby corn, ginger and bamboo shoots. The fish was so fresh and perfectly cooked. I thought that the ginger was too pronounced though.

Above, the delicate Garoupa (Grouper) Parcel



  • Fried Taro (芋頭酥) - It was so light and airy. Inside was a piece of taro and seafood (scallop I think).

Above, a decadent Fried Taro stuffed with seafood



  • Turnip Pastry (蘿蔔酥) - It's a cross between a bun and a flaky pastry. You can definitely taste the turnip. Very nicely done.

Above, flaky Turnip Pastry




  • Warm Glutinous Rice Balls/Mochi (黑芝麻丸) - My brother was really entertained by the spoons, but what was even better was that the mochi tasted great. This was a sweet dessert filled with black sesame paste. The mochi is topped with a mixture of chopped roasted peanuts and sugar for a contrast of texture to the soft and chewy mochi.

Above, the fun to eat Warm Glutinous Rice Balls/Mochi



If you're in town, you can pay a visit to the restaurant (if it's your birthday or any other special occasion or if you have a fat wallet) or go window shopping nearby in the IFC building.


Cuisine Cuisine (國金軒)
3101-3107, Podim Level 3, IFC Mall (中區國際金融中心二期三樓)
Central, Hong Kong

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