If someone asks me what the best place to try classic Cantonese cuisine is, I would undoubtedly recommend this place. The reason is simple. Cantonese cuisine favors freshness of ingredients, inventiveness in senses, and a fastidious focus on technique. The Chairman (大班樓) is the embodiment of all three ideals. And it is no surprise that it is award a Michelin star recently.
But I digress, as Michelin stars do not mean jackshit, especially in Hong Kong. For example, Four Season's Caprice cannot be held onto the same level as L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon in Las Vegas in terms of execution, inventiveness and experience. Same can be said about Tim Ho Wan, which has received one Michelin star. Such restaurant is rated on the same level as Betony in New York, which boasts alums from Eleven Madison Park, a well-manicured drinks list and a host of knowledgeable staff. This is downright absurd. From how I see it, the bottom line is that the Michelin star awards display a severe lack of transparency and uniformity in grading criteria.
However, despite the ineffectiveness of the guide, The Chairman displays all the qualities befitting of the honorary acknowledgment (1 star) from the tire man. Coupled with a rather cheap corkage fee (100 HKD), this place has undoubtedly become one of my must-go-to spots every time I visit Hong Kong. December is always a tough time to book as it is holiday season. Nevertheless, I am lucky enough to score a table of 4, a group just big enough to try a variety of dishes.
The Chairman is situated in a rather quaint part of Central, away from the usual hubbub that is associated with this glitzy place. Stepping into the restaurant, I am transported back into the era of colonial Hong Kong. There are low-hanging ceiling fans, sparse tables with intricate furniture, and even well-dressed, preppy waiters. An atmosphere of classical, old-money poshness and sophistication. Before long, a menu is whisked in front of each of us in perfect unison. As none of us but me have been here, we decide to pick the 12-course tasting menu for a sampling of the restaurant's famous dishes.
Cherry Tomatoes and Pear Pickled in Basil Reduction【九層塔甜醋漬小番茄配甜梨】
Frankly, by the English translation, it is a fail as I cannot taste any of the basil reduction. Nevertheless, throwing the name aside, this dish works on all levels. Plump cherry tomatoes and pickled pears are both extremely thirst quenching. What is impressive is the interplay of flavors here - the umami from the tomatoes, the sweetness from the pears, the piquantness of the fried basil, and the acidity from the aged vinegar. Texture-wise, the dish displays a wide range of variations too. The plump, juicy heirloom tomatoes go so well with the crunch in the plump, crystalline pears. Meanwhile, the fried basil leaves acted as ethereal complements to the whole dish. It is there, but also not. This is a very well thought-out dish consisting of basic, yet incredibly fresh ingredients.
Deep Fried Crispy Taro Cake with Smoked Duck【蜂巢芋泥煙鴨盒】
Hands down the best dish of the night. As I have mentioned in my post of eating dimsum at Springmoon, taro nest dumplings (芋角) are incredibly hard to find these days. Albeit mortally unhealthy, The Chairman's rendition of this specialty makes the additional fat and calories worth it. First, the duck is deboned, shredded and smoked. After being mixed with chives, mushrooms and water chestnut (馬蹄), the duck meat is formed into oblong-shaped dumplings and fried until golden and a light, airy shell forms. Biting down, the steam, along with the molten, yammy center, meets me first. Then comes the delectably savory duck, sharp chives and the crunchy chestnuts, all tied together by a molten paste of yams. There is even a kick of woody smoke in the end to boot. The taro dumplings are served with a balsamic vinaigrette. But for me, it is not necessary as the fried goodness alone is simply mind blowing.
Slow Cooked Ox Tongue with Garlic and Vinegar 【陳醋香菜伴蒜味牛舌】
This may look like a simple, Thai-inspired salad with ox tongue. But in reality, this dish is anything but. Served cold, the dish consists of sliced, slow-cooked ox tongue, Chinese celery (芹菜), green bell peppers, fennel, coriander and is topped with fried shallots and fried garlic. A very beautiful mix of flavors here, from heady, gamey notes to pleasant umami from the soy sauce, which apparently is made in-house. I also suspect some of the vegetables are pickled as well since there is discernible acidity. All in all, a beautiful salad with a wide variety of textures, flavors and colors. But for me, nothing in particular stood out in this dish.
Pan Fried Minced Pork Cakes with Salted Fish【馬友鹹魚煎肉餅】
It is always tricky to cook with salted fish (鹹魚) as the fermented, fish flavors are often too overpowering. Nonetheless, this restaurant's meat medallions are cooked just right. The meat is adequately supple and moist, a testament to the selection of the cut of pork and size of the ground. Mixed with crunchy water chestnuts and scallions, these pork medallions make for a delicious treat. Meanwhile, the fragrance of the salty fish, or what Cantonese refers to as mui heung (梅香) serves as a beautiful backdrop to accompany the familiar flavors. A well-executed dish, especially when the fried goods are barely oily after the cooking process.
Double-Boiled Pig Lung Soup with Almonds【杏汁菜膽豬肺湯】
What a treat to have such a laboriously intensive dish as the soup of the day. This is one of my favorite Cantonese soups of all time. First impressions - the soup is piping hot and the steam just scurries out of the ceramic jar. Although the soup is palish white and watery in color, the fragrance and flavors are anything but. Digging into the dregs, I find slabs of cleaned pig's lungs, the core of a baby bak choi (白菜), conpoy and even dried longan (桂圓). As expected, the soup is superbly delicious and concentrated. After all, it has been double boiled to help release the umami from the dried goods and the varied depths of flavors from the pork and almonds. Frankly speaking, this tastes like a savory and less viscous version of the dessert almond tea (杏仁露), but infinitely many times better. A note of detail - I cannot detect any trace of porky intestinal flavors, which means that the kitchen does a thorough job in cleaning out the lungs. So kudos on the staff.
Steamed Fresh Flowery Crab with Aged Shaoxing Wine & Fragrant Chicken Oil & Flat Rice Noodles 【鷄油花雕蒸大花蟹配陳村粉】
This. This is the pièce de résistance and most definitely the dish that placed The Chairman onto the map of Cantonese culinary greats. This is a classic, and one which I thoroughly enjoy every time I come to the restaurant. As there are four of us, we get a fairly large specimen. The crab is very fresh and steamed to perfection, thus giving it a bouncy flavor. The superstar of this dish, however, is the sauce. Before the dish even reaches the table, the fragrance is already overpowering the dining room from the kitchen! The marriage of aged rice wine (花雕酒) and chicken fat is pure genius - umami, seafood essence, and just a tinge of bitterness in the end. What more can one ask for when there are long-cut flour rolls (陳村粉) for me to mop up this heart-stopping (no pun intended) goodness? There are scallions too and they provide a much-needed levity to the thickness of the dish. The alcohol also does bite a bit, but who cares when both the crab and rolls soak up the essence?
I also spot another attention to detail - these flour rolls are corrugated so they can provide the maximum surface area for soaking up the sauce. A tiny detail for sure, but it certainly shows the thought and effort behind the chef of this establishment.
Sauteed Prawns with Shrimp Roes 【蝦子炒大花蝦球 / 椒鹽蝦頭】
Sauteed giant prawns (蝦球) are measuring sticks of a chef's knife skills and cooking skills. After all, it is a premium item on the menu. The ideal sauteed prawn should be cut beautifully to mimic the shape of a flower as it curls up under the cooking heat. In addition, the flesh must be turgid and the texture snappy and bouncy. Flavor-wise, there usually is not much adornment so as to showcase the fresh sweetness of the crustacean.
Being a new item, The Chairman's version of this classic Cantonese item is done quite well. The flesh is butterflied beautifully and thus showcases the knife skills of the chef. Meanwhile, I also do not detect any alkaline tastes. So kudos to the kitchen staff in taking the laborious process to make the flesh turgid. (Quite a few restaurants use alkaline water to plump up the flesh of the prawns. However, this brining process usually leaves an undesirable taste.) Finally, the texture is desirable as the prawns are cooked in the correct combination of temperature and time. There is one minor quibble, however. While the flavors are harmonious, I do find the prawn roe a bit unnecessary as the strong umami flavors mask the inherent freshness of the seafood.
The other parts of the dish are done with enthusiasm as well. The accompanying sauteed peas are fried in in-house-prepared prawn oil. Needless to say, the sweetness from the pods go well with the deep umami. The best part, however, are the prawn heads. All that succulent prawn goodness is locked inside this golden shell. I have no idea how this is cooked as the fried shell is simply divine. It is like a wafer, or the wrapper of a spring roll. So ethereally crispy and thin.
Braised Spare Ribs with Preserved Plums in Caramelized Black Vinegar 【話梅肉桂糖醋排骨】
Yet another classic item on the menu. These ribs are fried before being braised to perfection. Biting down through that gloriously beautiful layer of fat, I can see that the meat is still pink and tender. Meanwhile, the black vinegar, along with sweet ginger, cinnamon and preserved plums combine together into a sticky, flavorful sauce that coats every nook and cranny on the meat's surface. Much like the Texan barbecue equivalent, this sauce is tangy, savory and not too sweet. It is a heavy dish, no doubt. But nonetheless, it is very tasty. I am not sure whether the accompanying fried wonton skins and sweet pickled ginger on the side are necessary though.
Seasonal Baby Vegetables cooked in Homemade Fish Broth 【魚湯菜苗】
This is very standard Cantonese fair. The choi sum (菜心) are peeled and blanched. There is a nice preservation of color as well as texture. What really stands out, however is the broth the vegetables are served in. Much like the soup, this stock is concentrated and boasts copious amounts of fish bones and white peppercorns. The fried dough (油條) is a very nice touch. Much like bread in Western dining establishments, this dough allows me to capture every last drop of broth. Delicious.
Fried Rice with Pork Chin and Pickled Vegetables 【欖角欖菜紅蔥炒飯】(Not pictured)
Sadly, I inhaled this bowl of rice too quickly and forgot to take a picture! From memory, the fried rice is very fragrant with a lot of wok hei (鑊氣). With the exception that the rice used at The Chairman is the typical Cantonese long-grain rice, this dish is much like the fried rice found in teppenyaki (鐵板燒) restaurants flavor-wise and texturally - plenty of umami and a hint of smokiness. In it, there are eggs, diced choi sum stems, scallions, conpoy, preserved olive leaves (欖菜) and pork nibs. Perhaps it is the preserved olive leaves, this dish boasts a great deal of Chiuchow (潮州) influence. For me, the highlight in this dish is the wok hei as the recurrent flashes of extreme heat is crucial in creating a bowl of deliciously dry and grainy fried rice. And The Chairman's version surely surpasses this benchmark.
Almond Tea 【生磨杏仁茶】
By now, we are all stuffed so there is very little room for dessert. Nonetheless, I still nibbled on a bit. This almond tea is a very good rendition of the Cantonese classic. What impresses me the most is the viscosity in texture and the balance of flavors in this version. The apricot kernels are ground the day of and the resulting extraction boasts a creamy and rich almond flavor. There is a very distinctive egg white flavor to it as well. Also, despite this being a dessert, the flavors are concentrated, but at the same time, not too sweet. This small, warm vial of almond goodness is surely comforting on a cold night.
Goji Berry Ice Cream 【杞子雪糕】
Much like the steamed flower crab in chicken oil and aged rice wine, the goji berry ice cream has become synonymous with The Chairman. Made in-house, the ice cream is extraordinarily milky and light. It is not to sweet either and I prefer it that way. However, the flavor of goji berries is not as concentrated as I would have hoped. In fact, it only exists within the actual berries and not in the cream. Perhaps the kitchen could improve this by doing a goji berry infusion in the cream used. Also, the ice cream is slightly grainy and not smooth enough. I am not saying the kitchen has to buy a Pacojet (that 4000 USD cabinet-sized monstrosity that produces ultra-fine frozen foods, i.e.: ice cream), but the commercial ice cream maker takes an inordinately long time to freeze the cream, thus resulting in large, lumpy crystallization. This dish is a good concept, but there is much room for improvement.
It has been a full year since my last visit to this restaurant. And just like last time, I leave with a full belly and a satiated smile. Certainly, the dinner is not without fault. Some dishes have superfluous items while some others require a rethinking in the approach and execution. Nevertheless, the inventiveness of flavor combinations and the preservation of freshness more than justify the varied cooking techniques of the chef. There is also no denying that the chef puts a lot of thought and effort behind the cooking as well. For me, as a customer, that is the most important since the food provides me a window to the chef's soul and cooking mentality. And that is the reason why I will come back here again on my next visit back home. (12/27/2015)