We scope out the dining scene to let you know where to eat — everything from hole-in-the-wall joints to establishments with three Michelin stars. Read all our reviews here .
While fusion is a popular concept in the cultural melting pot of Hong Kong, restaurants often have no clear reason for putting their ideas on the same plate. Chiu San mostly avoids that trap with its clever combinations of Chiu Chow — or Chaoshan — cuisine and Japanese dishes.
I had high expectations for the short rib thanks to the very tempting photo on the menu. The US Prime Angus was served medium rare and there were enough pieces on the plate. It had good marbling and a clean beef flavor, but the most memorable part was the Chaoshan-style shacha sauce, listed as Chiu Chow satay sauce. It was fragrant, savory and also just sweet enough.
Two of us went to the restaurant, on Kennedy Town’s North Street. We ordered three mains — stone-grilled beef short rib, the fish and chicken. All come as set meals with rice, miso soup, Japanese salad, pickles, a special Chiu San tamagoyaki and dessert. Even with a couple of extra sides, it cost less than HK$300 ($38) per person, which seemed like great value given how much we got and how much thought had clearly gone into some of the dishes.
The fish — salt-grilled yellow croaker — came served on a Japanese hoba leaf with Puning sauce, a popular condiment in Chaoshan. The croaker was tender and well seasoned, and the sauce — built around soybean paste, sugar and fruit — added another layer without taking away the spotlight.
If I had to choose, I’d most likely skip the chicken next time. The fish-sauce thigh with kuro-mayu sounded promising, and the plating — with gai lan on top and the stem underneath — had the same thoughtful look as the other dishes. But unfortunately the meat was dry and a little tough. We were expecting something juicier and more fragrant.
The smaller plates were a chance for Chiu San to flex some more. The pomegranate chicken — shaped like the fruit — was especially charming, with a wrap of duck and chicken egg whites, steamed then fried. Mushroom, water chestnut, bamboo shoot and chicken were inside, with salmon roe on top. It was intricate without feeling heavy, crisp without being greasy, and fresh enough to cut through the richness of the other dishes we’d had.
The tamagoyaki was another smart, small crossover. Instead of keeping it purely Japanese, Chiu San folds in preserved radish for a Chiu Chow touch. The egg was soft and the preserved radish stayed crunchy for a lighter and more textured result than a standard tamagoyaki.
The dessert in the set was bite-size Japanese-style red bean wagashi and a translucent mochi-like skin, with a filling that leaned Chiu Chow. The sweetness was just right, which isn’t always the case for dessert in Asia.
One downside was the lack of explanation of what we were eating. So many interesting details could’ve been missed if we didn’t already know a bit about Chiu Chow food or if we hadn’t asked for more information. The Puning bean sauce, the preserved radish in the tamagoyaki, the logic behind sauce and fish pairings, for example. The reasons became clearer once we’d asked. For a place that has put in so much thought, this felt like a bit of a missed opportunity.
The space is tight, though in Hong Kong that’s hardly uncommon. Service was friendly and the open kitchen made the experience more engaging. While the menu isn’t that extensive now, the manager said it changes and new dishes will come in winter.
The vibe: casual, compact and food-focused.
Who’s next to you: Friends and family.
Can you conduct a meeting here? Not really. The seats are too close for anything serious. Still, I’d bring a casual client or source here.
What we’d order again: The beef short rib, the yellow croaker, the pomegranate chicken and the tamagoyaki.
Need to know: Chiu San doesn’t take reservations, and the full party has to arrive before being seated. It is closed on Mondays. Address: Shop A, 16 North Street, Kennedy Town. Open Tuesday through Sunday, 11:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.
For more reviews of nearby restaurants, see fondue spot
Stübli
, Southeast Asian favorite
Voon
and Argentinian steakhouse
Don Pedro
.
This was originally published in
Hong Kong Edition
, a weekly newsletter. To subscribe for free, click
here
. Are there any restaurants you think we should check out? Let us know at hkedition@bloomberg.net.