Comforting Dimsum Lunch

It must been passing down from family, but I always found dimsum dishes to be my ultimate comfort food. Many times there’s nothing more satisfying than a steamed basket of simple har gau (shrimp dumplings) or siu mai (pork dumplings) appearing at the table. A couple weeks ago I was at Golden Leaf of Conrad Hong Kong and had just that and a few more for a casual lunch there.

I am not here as often as I should because the place is always difficult to book, especially during weekends with so many regulars treating the restaurant as their go-to place for family meals. Nothing has changed much over the years with the classy décor and cozy dining area, except the wine-themed private room which they set up late last year (I was at the dinner when they showcased the room last time) Four was the perfect number for the table for dimsum lunch (as many dishes came in 4 pieces) and we managed to have quite a few dishes to share. We started with a few traditional ones – their signature har gau was not the biggest type but with the thinnest wrapper and a piece of well-seasoned prawns, bits of crunchy bamboo shoots and gold leaf inside, and the siu mai was also given an uplift with the piece of abalone slide on top instead of the traditional crab roes. Both were delicious.

There were also a few dim-sum dishes which were slightly non-traditional. The shrimp rice rolls were prepared with deep-fried dough in the middle for some extra crunchy texture, and scallops were added to the deep-fried taro dumpling and turned that into something else.

We also ordered a platter of suckling pig and charsiu as well, and while I like the suckling pig more with the super crispy skin, the charsiu was done better than I had last time, with good charred bits. They have a good selection of double-boiled soup on the menu, and mine was served with bamboo piths, black mushroom and brassica – it was rich and refreshing. The steamed crab claw with minced ginger and rice wine is one of the signature dishes at the restaurant, and it’s served on a bed of the silkiest steamed egg custard. The crab claw came in very decent size and cooked well, with firm texture and juicy meat.

Dessert menu was filled with traditional choices – haven’t had a baked sago pudding with custard for a while and it’s delicious and of just the right sweetness. I don’t mind it to be slightly bigger with the traditional lotus paste in the middle like I am used to, but this version was just fine. Thanks for the comforting lunch Conrad Hong Kong and for being able to catch up with friends over delicious dim-sum dishes and more.

When? April 19 2018
Where? Golden Leaf, Conrad Hong Kong, Pacific Place, 88 Queensway, Admiralty, Hong Kong
Menu Highlights? Steamed fresh crab claw with minced ginger and rice wine
Web: www.conraddining.com/en/golden_leaf.html