Tin Lung Heen

Chef Paul Lau Ping Lui puts an emphasis on seafood with a tasting menu based upon the Hokkaido horsehair crab. Every table in the restaurant has an incredible view, with the huge windows orientated west along the coastline.

PROFILE
Chef Paul Lau Ping Lui is regarded as one of Hong Kong’s top Cantonese chefs, with almost 40 years of experience that has seen him practising the art in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Dubai and the United Kingdom, as well as his hometown of Hong Kong. The restaurant name translates as “Dragon in the Sky”, which seems very appropriate.

MUST TRY: The lunchtime dim sum.

AMBIENCE
Every table in the restaurant has an incredible view, with the huge windows orientated not directly across the harbour, but west along the coastline to Stonecutters Bridge and the hills of Lantau Island. The décor retains the traditional reds and blacks, but the style has been evolved into a Ritz-Carlton elegance, with hanging clusters of lights, floor-to-ceiling red-lit niches holding objets d’art, and rather nice bucket seats that gently embrace the diner.

SERVICE
Gentle, courteous, attentive, and very knowledgeable on both the food and the wine list, the latter being of great depth and in addition to the classic French labels having a remarkable selection of Italian wines.

FOOD
Degustation menus are served for lunch and dinner, in addition to the a la carte. Lunchtime dim sum is amongst the very best, and most popular, in town. The caviar selection is breathtaking. An emphasis on seafood sees specialisations such as a tasting menu based upon the Hokkaido horsehair crab, and there is a wide selection of live seafood. The Chinese tea listing is both broad and well explained on the menu.

PRICING
HK$228 to HKS1,928

SUMMARY
This is Cantonese cuisine at its very best, not afraid to take in modern trends and Western ingredients, yet always with its roots in authenticity. The degustation and tasting menus really do display the kitchen at its best. The abalone dishes are an attraction all of their own. As a Hong Kong experience, Tin Lung Heen is outstanding.