Savor the exquisite Fujian cuisine @ Mingyue

I have been very interested in Fujian cuisine recently! My in-laws’ New Year’s Eve dinner and Grandma Che’s birthday dinner were both Fujian cuisine. This dinner was no different, but I got to taste more exquisite dishes, which really opened my eyes to new tastes. This evening I went to Ming Pavilion on the 8th floor of Island Shangri-La Hotel, Hong Kong to have dinner with friends. As soon as I stepped into Mingyue, I saw a very different Chinese restaurant decoration! Green is used as the main color and matched with earth tones to form a pleasing contrast. It feels very relaxing to dine in this stylish, elegant and comfortable space. The restaurant's outdoor location is right next to the hotel's swimming pool. It would be a very pleasant meal to sit here on a breezy day. As soon as we sat down, Chris, who was very attentive, served us welcome rose tea! The aroma and lack of caffeine is really perfect for me to enjoy. Mingyue’s tea menu features 18 types of Chinese tea carefully selected by tea artist Chen Baoling! These include green tea, white tea, oolong tea, black tea, dark tea and scented tea. I chose Fuzhou Jasmine Dragon Ball at $88 per person. A sip of it gives you a rich and refreshing natural tea aroma, and it is also full of the fresh fragrance of jasmine flowers. It is also fragrant and charming when you brew it multiple times. It is very comfortable to enjoy the tranquility of a cup of tea. Good tea and fine wine are also indispensable! My friend chose a Pinot Noir Barda Bodega Chacra Patagonia Argentina 2022 $700! It has a fruity aroma dominated by cranberries, with a meaty aftertaste. The tannins are not heavy, and it has a fresh, pure and very good wine taste. Specialty drinks made with tea are also the specialty of the restaurant and bar! I chose the Mocktail Darjeeling Swizzle $108! It is made from Darjeeling sparkling tea and fresh lemon juice. Paired with fresh mint leaves, it is a great appetizer. The dishes for this evening will be prepared by Chef Jack from Ming Yue! The first dish is a rich and colorful platter of Fujian specialties! The dish of Drunken Clams with Fuzhou Old Wine usually uses flat clams, but they are upgraded to king clams when they come to Mingyue! The fresh and refreshing razor clams are not overcooked and have just the right bite, with a rich wine aroma that brings out an intriguing flavor. Yongchun aged vinegar jellyfish $108/6 pieces! Chef Jack said that the inspiration came from the starfish jelly. He used refreshing and delicious jellyfish instead of starfish, and then used Huadiao wine and red wine vinegar to prepare the jelly. The crystal clear jelly is soft and crispy, very refreshing, and the sour and fragrant taste is fresh and appetizing. The crab roe and crab meat crispy small golden cup is filled with sweet and fresh crab roe and crab meat, and the slightly spicy taste is just right to stimulate the appetite. Minnan five-spice rolls $138/6 pieces! The inside is filled with sweet water chestnut cubes, radish and pork belly, and is served with a little spicy chili sauce, which makes it crispy, refreshing and delicious. Finally, I used the fruity passion fruit pickled pumpkin to refresh my taste buds. At this moment, my mouth is ready for the battle, so come on! Xiamen-style runbing $298! The rich ingredients include cabbage, carrots, pork belly, fresh shrimp, lard, seaweed and peanut candy, and of course the chewy, fragrant and soft pancake skin. If you like, you can do it yourself. If you want to eat without any trouble, the waiter can do it for you. The chewy run pancake crust plays a loving game with your teeth! The filling is filled with delicious fillings with rich layers of delicate taste. You can feel the freshness of the ingredients and the ingenuity of traditional craftsmanship in every bite. The run pancakes come with three different flavors of sauce! It includes sweet soy sauce, shrimp chili sauce and mustard. The lovely scallion sauce brings out a touch of joy. You can mix and match whatever flavor you like. King crab meat and fish maw soup $188! You can tell how much ingredients are in the thick soup, with the fresh king crab meat and spicy fish maw adding to the taste. A sip of it is sweet and delicate, and a little pepper can bring out the tempting freshness and fragrance. Adding the aged vinegar will take the taste to another level, which is very interesting. Boiled Japanese squid in Fujian style soy sauce $428! The soy sauce has a very familiar Chinese flavor. The squid is cooked soft and delicious. The more you chew it, the more fragrant it becomes. I ate four pieces at once without caring about the threat of cholesterol. It was so delicious. Craft tofu box with mountain mustard greens $238! The hollow tofu is stuffed with fragrant porcini and seaweed, and paired with the fragrant and crispy mountain sedge for a very Japanese flavor. To satisfy your craving for the mountain su vegetable that everyone praises, order a dish of mountain su vegetable stir-fried with lard for $128. The whole mountain su vegetable is stir-fried with the devilishly fragrant lard, and the curly young leaves are crispy and tender and really delicious. Local three-yellow chicken in red fermented rice wine $328! The dish is made with brightly colored red yeast rice and paired with curry leaves to enhance the texture and flavor. The fried chicken pieces are covered with bright colors and bring a subtle sweet aroma, while the chicken still retains its tender texture and is delicious. Handmade stuffed lychee meat $288! It is a meat ball with a crispy outside and water chestnut inside. It tastes sour, sweet and refreshing, and is a lovely flavor. Fragrant red sturgeon rice $928! The dish is made with firm Philippine crabs, and is filled with seafood and pork belly that are full of savory and fragrant flavors. The crabs are cooked to be as sticky and sweet as runny egg yolks, while the soft glutinous rice is full of savory and fresh flavors and is very delicious. For dessert we got the very delicate looking taro ice tofu pudding and pistachio coconut roll. The pistachio coconut roll has a soft and glutinous texture that is very appealing, and is filled with a mixture of fragrant coconut and real pistachio crumbs with a nutty aroma. The taro paste is dense and solid with a full aroma of taro. The tofu pudding is textured, with a good bean fragrance and just the right sweetness to satisfy. Tasting the exquisite Fujian cuisine this night really opened a wonderful chapter. I look forward to tasting Chef Jack’s wonderful dishes again next time.