Moon Lok is the perfect location for a meal pre- or post-show at the recently opened Xiqu Centre in the West Kowloon Cultural District. Located on the first floor of the palatial eight-storey building dedicated to the art of of Chinese opera designed by Revery Architecture and Ronald Lu & Partners, the 260-seat restaurant is built around the design of a classic Chinese garden. Owned by Buick Management, which has run the Pak Loh Chiu Chow brand for over 50 years, the Moon Lok concept is not limited to Chiu Chow cuisine but also features other regional Chinese specialities.
Under the helm of Chef Hui Mei Tak, the menu is full of regional highlights ranging from Peking duck, to honey-glazed char siu, to pan-fried pork buns with black garlic.
Our tasting began with piping-hot baked crabmeat stuffed in crab shell ($98 each; minimum order of 2). Topped with crisp, golden bread crumbs and baked in a cream sauce rich in onion, this sizeable dish is best shared.
The fried rice with minced beef, spring onion and garlic ($148) was a lot juicier than we had expected. The texture of the rice reminded us of paella, a welcome change from drier fried rice.
The baked BBQ pork with dried orange-peel pastry ($48 for 3) was buttery and flaky. The orange peel sets this traditional dim sum apart from the rest.
The crabmeat, mushroom and basil spring rolls ($48 for 3) were hot and crisp, and the aromatic basil helped to cut through any greasiness.
Creamy egg custard buns ($48 for 3) are a dim sum favourite. However, Moon Lok’s rendition incorporates mozzarella cheese into the buns, giving each flavourful bite a stringy, almost mochi-like texture. This was a standout dish.
The signature Peking duck ($380 for ½; $680 for whole) was served two ways: the breast cut into thick slices and the rest sliced traditionally into thinner slices to be rolled inside pancakes. We preferred the thinner, more traditional slices as they paired well with the sweet bean sauce and various condiments. The thicker slices were a bit too tough and lacked juiciness.
Verdict
Although other regional specialities are on offer, we feel that the heroes of the menu are the dim sum dishes. Perfect for shared meals before or after a Chinese opera show, we just wish Moon Lok was closer to our office so that we could scarf down more of those incredible mozzarella egg custard buns!
Unit 2–4, 1/F, Xiqu Centre, 88 Austin Road West, West Kowloon Cultural District, 3622 1449
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.
For more reviews like this, like Foodie at Facebook
