Along with sister restaurant SHÈ at ifc mall’s Lane Crawford comes Gaia Group’s modern Chinese restaurant Redhouse in Lan Kwai Fong, which succeeds in appealing to both wide-eyed tourists and jaded locals.
Mirroring the image of LKF as party central, the decor of Redhouse is ultra sleek, with the colour red – the symbol of happiness and good fortune for the Chinese – out in full force. The sweeping city views add to the wow factor of the space, and there’s a DJ in the house on Fridays and Saturdays, which is pretty cool for an upscale Chinese spot.
Redhouse’s swanky main dining room
Redhouse’s extensive menu – boasting more than a whopping 200 dishes – includes 35 varieties of dim sum during lunchtime and signature roast meats like Peking duck and suckling pig. But rather than being jacks of all trades (and masters of none), the chefs at Redhouse manage to successfully execute a range of varied Chinese cuisine styles and subsets, from soothing Cantonese-style soups to fiery Sichuan dishes.
Redhouse wouldn’t be a bar/restaurant in Lan Kwai Fong if it didn’t have a happy hour (6pm–10pm daily; 2-hour free-flow drink package to include Prosecco, house wines and standard spirit mixers; $250/person Sunday–Thursday, $300/person Friday–Saturday). Take your pick of the bar area or (tiny) outdoor terrace for cocktail sipping.
The drink list includes seven “essential” craft cocktails that use sous-vide and slow-cooking techniques, inspired by an old Chinese saying related to the seven essential elements needed to begin a day (firewood, rice, oil, salt, sauce, vinegar and tea). For instance, the Tea cocktail ($128) is made with sous-vide rice-tea vodka, raspberry, peach purée, ginger juice, oolong tea and cream cheese – reminding us of an alcoholic version of the popular cheese-topped fruit teas.
Rose gold har gao
Crispy taro puffs with foie gras, pork and dried shrimp
From the dim sum portion of the food menu, we loved the rose gold har gao ($52) – plump and pretty, beetroot-tinged shrimp dumplings made even sweeter with the addition of champagne – and the flavourful crispy taro puffs with foie gras, pork and dried shrimp ($42), which remained light and airy despite being deep-fried to within an inch of their swan-necked lives.
From the “small bites” section, the Japanese-esque stuffed eggplant in teriyaki sauce ($78) provided comforting, homey flavours (the stuffing is prawn based, if you’re wondering). We could just eat this dish with a bowl of rice and be content.
Whole, glistening Peking duck
Peking duck, deconstructed
Shredded duck rice in supreme broth
The star of the meal was most definitely the two-flavour Peking duck ($598), which came as expected with pancakes and the necessary accoutrements for wrapping, but it was the second course of shredded duck rice in supreme broth ($298 à la carte) that we enjoyed possibly even more than the golden-skinned bird itself. The broth was made fragrant from the duck meat, and we really dug the toasted flavour imparted by the crispy rice kernels.
We also couldn’t get enough of the main of poached Wagyu beef slices in chilli oil ($298). We’re suckers for the addictive flavour and tongue-numbing sensation of Sichuan peppercorn, and we slurped up the impossibly tender beef slices and slippery noodles swimming in the blood-red chilli-oil broth.
We won’t spoil the surprise with a picture, but for dessert, go for the Redhouse Signature Pearl ($88), especially if you’re into carbs or Instagram (or both).
Verdict
We found Redhouse to be a superb introduction to Chinese food for those new to the varied flavours of the cuisine and a top spot for treating visitors or those – like us – who want to be able to order Peking duck, dim sum and Sichuan all in one go – we’re greedy like that.
23/F, California Tower, 30–32 D’Aguilar Street, LKF, Central, 2344 2366
This write-up is based on a complimentary media tasting provided in exchange for an honest review and no monetary compensation. The opinions expressed here represent the author’s.
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