The Legacy House

With the elegantly designed private room and the gorgeous harbor view from the window at the far end of the room, The Legacy House certainly made a great first impression to me as I went out to eat there just before the Lunar New Year festivities.

Now that proper sit-down meals came few and far between because of lockdowns, I was very much looking forward to the lunch, especially this was my first visit to this restaurant located inside  Rosewood Hong Kong, and I have heard great things about their chef Li Chi Wai for his traditional Shunde-style cooking. 

A tailor-made menu was presented this time, with some dishes new as their a la carte seasonal offerings and some New Year specials. We started with a platter of dim-sums served neatly in the bamboo steamer basket - the steamed pork dumpling with sea cucumber and matsutake mushrooms was the prettiest, wrapped like an actual braised sea cucumber, but I liked the taste of the spotted garoupa dumpling most with the salted lemon mixed in for that interesting touch of acidity.  

Next were a couple seasonal specials. At first sight the fish maw soup looked just like the traditional Cantonese Snake Soup, with threads of meat mixed in a thick superior soup base, but instead this was prepared with braised fish maw, quail, lamb head and hoof plus scores of other ingredients. It was rich and comforting without being overly gamey - very much enjoyable especially on a cold winter day. 

The wok-fried lobster was a twist to the conventional stir-fried fins, with shreads of lobster meat and bean sprouts replacing the controversial shark's fin. The key ingredient of the dish has always been the eggs and Chef Li did an excellent job in getting the perfect fluffy texture of the scrambled eggs. 

Traditional new year cooking is always about auspicious ingredients and dishes good for family gatherings. One such ingredient was black moss, or Fat Choy in Cantonese, sharing the same pronunciation as "being rich", and Chef Li used it in the new year special of Deep-fried Crab Meat Puffs mixed with shrimp paste and black moss. On the side was the fried pomfret fillet, basted with chili oil for the touch of spiciness and a tint of red, a color symbolizes celebration. 

I thought the Fortune Chicken was the perfect dish for the traditional family reunion feast, usually happened on New Year Eve. The whole bird was stuffed with ingredients such as rice, chestnuts, lotus seeds and dried scallops, wrapped in lotus leaf and bread dough and baked in oven. When served, the dough was carefully removed (with a hammer, as per tradition) and the meat and stuffing served in individual portion. The whole chicken was great for a large group, kept well as takeaway dishes and made a good impression when served at the table. 

We finished with a few more savory dishes, including the homey casserole of poached mustard green and fish curd, "Bo Jai Fan" (Casserole Rice) with steamed wagyu patty and fried egg. There were also the traditional new year "cakes" and the ginger milk pudding, which is their signature dessert. 

We were properly stuffed with such a generous feast and all dishes cooked to perfection, but then it didn't stop us from getting more "snacks" at the restaurant next door. That of course, was another story and another stomach.

(Meal was by invitation)

When? January 13 2022
Where? The Legacy House, 5/F Rosewood Hong Kong, Victoria Dockside, 18 Salisbury Road, Tsimshatsui, Hong Kong
Menu Highlights? Braised Fish Maw Soup, Quail, Lamb Head and Hoof (羊頭蹄法國鵪鶉花膠羹)
Web: www.rosewoodhotels.com/en/hong-kong/dining/the-legacy-house