3pm Dinner

Upon learning the new dine-in ban announced by the government in early January, the first phone call I made was to The Chairman to make sure my dinner booking can be switched to late afternoon to stay within the rule. With a booking at this ever popular restaurant became one of the most sought after commodity in town (despite the COVID downturn), we intend to do anything we could to keep the original plan, even though it meant having dinner at 3pm, and being seated in separate tables for our group of 8. 

This being our first meal here in 2022 and part of the “mo duck shue” series with our foodie friends, I opted for mix of usual and different dishes for the menu. The fatty pork char siu was the must-order of course, charcoal grilled using the fatty cut with generous basting of maltose glaze on top and carved thick. That never disappoints. Roast pig’s tails and deep-fried crab and mushroom dumplings were two of my favorite appetizer dishes here. The pig’s tail was laden with collagen and great flavor with the five spices plum sauce on top, and the dumplings, similar to the Cantonese dim-sum “fun gwor”, had a nice delicate texture and mild umami taste. 

Slippers Lobsters and freshwater crab roes were something recommended by their owner DY as being the seasonal ingredient, and it’s done in the simplest way, quick sauteed with sweet peas and topped with the decadent crab roes on top and drizzle of prawn oil. The portion was perfect – great for taste everything in the dish but just enough to leave myself yearning for more as I finished the last bite. I kept the signature steamed flower crab on the menu this time for the benefits of some of the first-time visitors and it’s good as usual.

The stinky tofu casserole with chicken gizzard was the adventurous dish that I “force upon” my dining companions. It sure was an acquired taste with the strong flavor from the over-fermented tofu mixed with a spicy sauce laden with Sichuan peppers but I thought that worked well with the gizzards with quite a bite. The beef brisket rice noodles was another dish I haven’t tried before – love the broth base with the pepper flavor and the thick slices of beef brisket were lean but tender and rich in taste. Loved the smoky flavor from the smoked threadfin rice casserole when the lid was raised, and with every bite mixed well with the fish and rice, that’s the perfect end for our late afternoon dinner. 

Went with a few bottles, starting with a pair of champagne from similar vintages but different producers. The Palmes d’Or from the Nicolas Feuillatte cooperative showed much youthfulness with more acidity and citrusy while the Dom Perignon, 2 years older, was a tad richer, showing more brioche and minerals. We had a third bottle of sparkling wine in form of a sake, slightly off dry with plenty of melon and exotic fruits. For still, a couple of red. The burgundy definitely worked better with the lighter appetizer dishes and noodles and rice towards the end. The pomerol was the richer of the two, but still soft with plenty of dark fruit characters stood well with the richer dishes, including the tofu casserole. 

Perhaps not the most usual arrangement, but I guess we just had to live with it for foreseeable future. At least one can’t get any better food than one at The Chairman. 

More photos at https://www.flickr.com/photos/g4gary/albums/72177720296315821

When? January 16 2022
Where? The Chairman, 18 Kau U Fong, Central, Hong Kong
Menu Highlights? Stinky Tofu Casserole with Chicken Gizzards
Drinks?
R2BY Daishinsyu Junmai Ginjo Sparkling Nigori Sake, Daishinsyu Shuzo, Nagano Prefecture
大信州 スパークリング 純米吟醸 活性にごり酒 - 長野県大信州酒造
2008 Champagne Nicolas Feuilatte Palmes d’Or Brut
2006 Champagne Dom Perignon Brut Michael Riedel Edition
2011 Domaine Trapet Pere et Fils Latricieres-Chambertin Grand Cru
2009 Chateau le Crois de Gay, Pomerol
Web: www.thechairmangroup.com