We learned the hard way, we walked in without a reservation and we were told that there would be a table for us in one hour. Since we wanted to try this restaurant; we left our name and walked around the shopping mall to waste time.
Lei Garden specialises in Cantonese food and they were the ones that invented the XO sauce in 1981; which I did not know. You learn something new everyday. The decor is modern with white, brown and beige as the main hues. The restaurant is large with many tables and people; but due to the proper spacing of talbes, it was comfortable and easy to have a conversation.
The first dish was leaves of a bean (I have no idea how to translate the Chinese name into English); just believe me that this was one of the best veggies I have tasted. Almost like spinach but had a nuttier taste. Deep green colour, nice soft texture and delicious.
The first dim-sum. Thin skin, good texture and nice taste.
A basket of Xiaolongbao. One of my favourite things to eat. Thin but sturdy skin filled with a tasty broth and pork filling. Oh so good.
The next dim-sum was siu mai. Thin skinned with plump and juicy shrimp. Delicate & delicious.
The next dish was boiled shrimp dumplings. Soft and tender skin with minced shrimp and herb filling. Topped with a special soy sauce. Yummy!
The first main dish was soft tofu in special Lei Garden sauce. A lovely dish with lots of textures; from the soft and velvety tofu, slight crunch of the vegetable and soft black mushroom. The sauce was a combination of spicy, salty & sweet. Very good.
The next dish was peking duck. Very nice crispy skin and tender meat with a light duck jus. Amazing dish.
The dessert was Lei Garden's famous egg tarts. We at first did not want dessert; but the waiter insisted that the egg tarts were very delicious. So, we took his advise and we were very glad we listened. The egg tart crust was light & flaky, the egg tart was rich, thick and creamy but not too sweet. I am sure this dessert was not very good for my cholesterol level due to the amount of butter they use to make this tart so good. However; like Julia Child always used to say: "Butter never harmed anyone".
A very good experince and very delicious food. We were very glad that we waited the extra hour to get a table at Lei Garden. For sure will come back when we are in Hong Kong. Or, I hope they open a branch in Bangkok.
1 Harbour View Street, Shop 3008-3011 IFC Mall
Central, Hong Kong
2295-0238
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