A Special ‘ Cantonese Omakase Tasting Menu ‘ treat from my brother whom I have not seen for 9 years due to Covid….etc
I was super excited when I found out dinner will be at Kam’s Private Kitchen in Happy Valley, a sought-after, intimate Cantonese private kitchen known for its small, exclusive setting and fresh, seasonal, chef-driven tasting menus. Even more thrilled and excited was when I found out, acclaimed dishes like Steamed Flower Crab with vintage Chinese Wine will be included in the menu. ( think a similar iconic dish offered at The Chairman! ). With seafood being the chef’s forte, the predominant part of the menu included some excellent seafood selections like tea smoked abalone, crispy grilled Phoenix Tail fish, steamed Warsaw Grouper, hand made artisan octopus pancake, authentic Hong Kong style sesame shrimp toasts…etc. The rest of the menu was an intriguing mix of modest and unpretentious dishes with high end aristocratic ones. A few fusion creations were also thrown in. Delicious offerings include chicken feet braised in abalone sauce, roasted honey glazed Chinese Hunnan Xuanwei Ham, plum marinated cherry tomatoes, soy marinated Japanese style Onzen eggs…etc.
Overall, the menu was thoughtfully crafted, the food well executed, tasty and praise worthy. However, trying to be fancy and a bit gimmicky, the chef used frozen BC spotted prawns in a sauteed sizzling hot pot dish which resulted in overcooked and mushy crustacean morsels! An unfortunate miss!
With so many great wild ocean prawns available in Hong Kong, for the chef to use frozen products, though expensive and exotic, is a mystery?!
Month long, advance booking was made by my brother for this small, exclusive setting. In addition to the high-quality, authentic dishes; service was friendly, personalized and professional. IMO, this place will offer a memorable experience for food lovers seeking refined Cantonese cuisine in Hong Kong.
Maybe I was being overly sensitive, however, rather than friendly and hospitable, I detected a bit of unpleasant arrogance when I tried to interact with chef/owner Chris.
