Kiangsu Chekiang and Shanghai Residents (HK) Association Restaurant

Kiangsu Chekiang and Shanghai Residents (HK) Association Restaurant is quite a mouthful for the name of a restaurant. However, the food it serves is a treat for the palate. The Ordinary Patrons took a short trip to Hong Kong and were fortunate to be invited for lunch at Kiangsu Chekiang and Shanghai Residents (HK) Association Restaurant. It is reputed to be one of the best Shanghainese restaurants in Hong Kong and we can understand why. We have no hesitation in saying that our lunch there was most enjoyable.

As the name suggests, the restaurant is in the premises of an association. You have to be a member or the guest of a member to dine there. The decor is that of a contemporary Chinese dining hall. It is unpretentious but elegant.

Our lunch started with a simple looking bean curd dish with mushrooms, crunchy cucumber and jinhua ham. It was a light dish with a mix of textures and many layers of interesting flavours. We also had the tea-smoked pigeon. It might not be everyone’s cup of tea but it was a delicious treat. The meat was cooked just right and had a nice earthly taste. It was lean and the texture was similar to that of goose.

Two of the must try items at Kiangsu are the Fried Onion Pancakes and Fried Chicken. Our host kindly ordered both for us. The pancakes were crispy on the outside and nice and soft on the inside. It was not greasy and the rich aroma of the sesame enhanced the flavour of the pancakes. The crispy deep fried chicken looked common but the many elements to the dish could be discerned. It was delectable and it was hard to stop at one piece.

As Singaporeans, we could not go to a Shanghainese restaurant and not have Xiao Long Bao. We in fact tried two versions of the steamed dumplings – one with hairy crab filling and the other with the traditional minced pork filling. Both versions were excellent. The delicate pouches had no hint of the taste of flour and which when bitten into released aromatic flavourful hot broth and palatable filling.

The highlight of the lunch, already full of interesting and delicious dishes, was the hairy crab noodles. The dish was presented with the simmered noodles and a hairy crab meat and roe concoction in separate bowls. You add the hairy crab sauce to the noodles and toss. Add a dash of vinegar and you have a most delightful and enjoyable dish. That was probably one of the best way to enjoy delicious hairy crab without having to do too much work.

We ended the lunch on a sweet note with a sampling of 2 types of desserts – the red bean paste rice roll and the glutinous rice balls with sesame paste filling in rice wine broth. Both were very good and we finished them up even though we had already overeaten for the day.

We had very delicious Shanghai food and a most enjoyable lunch at the Kiangsu Chekiang and Shanghai Residents (HK) Association. We must find out if we can be a member of the  Association or, perhaps the easier and more economically feasible option, try to remain on the good books of our kind host in Hong Kong.

Ratings:
Food : 5
Service: 3
Value : NA
Atmosphere: 3
Overall Rating: 4 TOPS     

Kiangsu and Chekiang Residents (H.K.) Association
香港苏浙沪同乡会餐厅
3/F, Manning House
38-48 Queen’s Road, Central
Hong Kong

Tel: +852 2526 3251

The Ordinary Patrons
a Singapore food blog by ordinary people looking for places to eat