Old School Cantonese Plus Wine

Yixin Restaurant probably wasn’t the first I had in mind in terms of good, traditional Chinese restaurant, but of the few times we visited, whether that be that at the old shops or its current location in Wanchai, we found it more than decent.

We were there recently with a few of our friends for our long overdue get-together, and we went for a few old-school signature dishes plus a few new ones, and a few bottles to go around. We started with the gold-coin chicken with slices of chicken liver combined with char siu (barbecued pork). The soy sauce underneath seems to be redundant and I could live with the char siu being fattier, but overall it’s a decent way to begin our meal. The whole slab of char siu fared much better in my opinion with just the perfect fat ratio, basted with the sweet maltose glaze and roasted with a good charred crust. My only complaints were the roast peanuts served underneath instead of the most traditional candied soy beans.

The smoked pomfret was the dish we pre-ordered and that was excellent. Perfectly roasted with the right flaky texture and well infused with the wood smoke flavor. Lemon chicken was one dish we ordered here almost every single time, and it’s as good as I expected. Chicken was deboned, dipped with a light batter and pan-fried, then served with a lemon “gravy” sauce on the side. Totally unlike what one would have in a Chinatown restaurant.

There were other dishes that we ordered too, including the signature roast duck (on the lean side but skin was crispy and served with hoisin sauce on the side), sauteed beef with water chestnuts and fried rough (interesting combination of different textures), sizzling lettuce casserole with shrimp paste and pan-fried pork patty. Turned out they worked well with the few bottles we brought along. Among which the Israeli Cabernet Sauvignon was perhaps the most remarkable, full-bodied with bold, ripe red fruit flavor.

We finished with three desserts – and my favorite was the baked sago pudding served in individual portion. Love the lotus paste filling and the charred top. Overall a comforting meal and in par of our expectation - maybe we should come here more often.

When? April 26 2019
Where? Yixin Restaurant, G/F Shanghai Industrial Investment Building, 48-62 Hennessy Road, Wanchai, Hong Kong
Menu Highlights? Smoked Pomfret
Drinks?
Yukino-bijin Junmai Ginjo Yamadanishiki, Akita Jozo, Akita Prefecture
(ゆきの美人 純米吟醸 山田錦 6号酵母 - 秋田県秋田醸造)
R&L Legras Champagne Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Brut NV
2013 Marchesi di Baralo Barolo Cannubi DOCG
2013 Tura Estate "Mountain Heights" Cabernet Sauvignon, Rehelim, West Bank
Web: www.yixinrestaurant.com