MOKO is a Mong Kok fixture, for many reasons. Overstimulating, the mall is faintly reminiscent of Shibuya with imposing energy, noise, and light emanating from every shop and restaurant that either excites or displeasures.
With a five-floor climb up, Maxim’s Palace’s recent return to the mall offers reprieve from the Mong Kok chaos. The dining room is crafted for the yum cha-cum-gourmet Cantonese dining experience. A fancy interior, dim sum classes, and an open-kitchen beckons.
Familiar dim sum-lovers know Maxim’s Palace for their Central location complete with an old-school touch as dim sum carts ferry siu mai and har gaw across the dining hall. Largely, the restaurant chain serves a plethora of gourmet-style Cantonese dishes: local ingredients, age-old recipes.
My Friday night dinner at Maxim’s Palace (MOKO) began with the roast goose (lower quarter, HKD138), dished up with the glistening, crispy bird bathing in a fatty goose sauce, a basket of cheung fan to soak up the juices, and four shots of rose vinegar to cut the fat off your tongue.
This dish ranked top for our meal. There is a need for Cantonese roast goose to be eaten a) with a crispy and slightly oily skin and b) with a juicy and slightly salty brown meat. This dish had both, plus the foie gras-powered sauce that was a delight to slurp up through the medium of the plump cheung fan.
Within the enlisted signature dish collection, their stir-fired yak tenderloin with termite mushroom and asparagus (HKD138) equally impressed our table.
Diverging from beef with its ever-familiar texture and taste, this yak comes with a sweet and woody flavour which pairs well with the termite mushrooms and asparagus.
Following up with an additional bovine dish, the sizzling short rib steak with onions (HKD168) also comes recommended at Maxim’s Palace. It is a spectacle and served as such with the steak served piping hot and dripping in an onion gravy.
Yet, the short rib steak lacked a salty punch that could marry the gravy, onion slithers, and the meaty protein together. Like all the dishes, the sodium levels have been toned down to accommodate all types of diners, but I wish the beef dish came with a punch.
The steamed kai lan with preserved mustard greens (HKD78) came to us for some balance. The soy sauce bath the kai lan is resting in is pleasant and aids with the freshness of the vegetable. The mustard greens could be more sour for contrasting flavours.
Additionally, we enjoyed the deep-fried whitebait with coriander (HKD78) in the beginning of our meal to prepare our palate. The salt-powered fried fish slithers prepares you for more.
Our verdict of Maxim’s Palace (MOKO)
New but not so new, Maxim’s Palace confidently swaggers back to MOKO with a fresh look, menu, and interactive elements that continues to engage diners with a brand that will rely on new generations to continue its legacy. The food is quality and we will be back for more of that quality goose.
Maxim’s Palace (MOKO), Shop 601, 6/F, MOKO, 193 Prince Edward Road West, Mong Kok, 2628 9668
| Order this: roast goose, stir-fried yak, deep-fried whitebait Menu: à-la-carte menu Price for two: HKD400-HKD600 | Atmosphere: homely and communal, sans the Kowloon cacophony Perfect for: group dinners with diners of all ages |
This review is intended to offer an individual perspective on the dining experience and should not be considered as a definitive judgement of the restaurant’s overall quality or reputation. The views expressed in this review are solely the author’s and do not reflect the opinions of Foodie.
