So I am feeling rich tonight, my taste buds crave for something expen$$$ive. But reality is, I don’t got no $$$. What’s a working class Jane gotta do?
1. Look for great deals. Go where the oldies go. Do associations. Forget about ambiance, the place will look as old as the people dining there. Deal with it and learn to appreciate leaves on carpet.
2. Call the manager beforehand to draw up a menu. Insist that he includes $$$hark’$ fin in the lineup. Then bargain. Ferociously.
When I finally manage to bully the poor guy into saying yes to HK$1,350 for 5 pax, and get him to put it in black and white, I know I have succeeded. I am on the right track to becoming a Mafioso. And a very cheap one at that.
French Style Baked Oyster 法式焗蠔 – so good even the bird approves
Chiu Chow Style Sharks Fin in Claypot 潮式沙鍋翅
Now this is what I am talking about. Take your HK$270 to some posh and swanky Chinese restaurant and a few strands of this is all you’re gonna get. Here at Chau’s, you have this whole pot all to yourself (yes, that is individual serving!) plus some more food you share with your Mafioso and Mafiosa friends.
Steamed Fish Fillet 古法蒸魚 – a bit overcooked but still okay
Sesame Prawn Salad 沙丹芝麻蝦 – lesser mayo would do the trick
Sweet and Sour Pork 拔絲咕嚕肉 – what Chau’s Garden is most famous for
Now just look at that. Beautiful, glistening strands of stickiness and sweet and sourness. I excitedly bite into a piece and discover, to my delight, that the pork is crunchy and tender at the same time. I also discover, to my dismay, that other than the novelty of its stringy-syrupy texture, there is nothing special about the sauce. It is the same generic flavor you get in any other Chinese restaurant. Nothing phenomenal. Just sticky.
Chef’s Fried Rice 師傅炒飯 – simple but good
Mango Sago 芒果西米露 – like real mangoes, juiced. Delicious.
It is not the very best meal but it certainly is more than what we expected to get for two hundred seventy Hong Kong dollars.
I love it when money works for my stomach.
My Mafia: Ritchie, Paul, Me, Elisa, Vic
Chau’s Garden Restaurant 庭苑酒家中出會所: 8/F, Champion Building, 287-291 Des Voeux Rd, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong. 上環德輔道287-291號長達大廈8樓. Tel: +852-2805 2393
