Easy as ABC: Hong Kong’s renowned fine dining cooked food centre restaurant lives up to the hype

COCONUTS HOT SPOT – I’d long since heard about the legend that is ABC Kitchen – a cooked food centre eatery in Sheung Wan that serves European fare of restaurant quality at near restaurant prices.

Having only recently got my head around the fact that Sheung Wan has TWO cooked food centres (almost three years into living here), I finally suggested trying it out for a friend’s birthday.

The rather weird set up

It was indeed pretty strange to be sat at tables clad with white and red checkered tablecloths in the middle of a cooked food centre, reading a menu that contains items such as Sesame-Crusted Tuna and Parsley Soufflé; but when I tried to scoot my chair in a bit closer and found my legs blocked by crates of Tsing Tao, I realised this place has absolutely no qualms about what and where it is.

The prices were quite jarring, however, with starters reaching HKD118 and mains peaking at HKD223, but ABC, I learned after some internet research, is not your ordinary cooked food centre stall. In fact, it is run by the chefs from the much-loved but now-closed M restaurant at the Fringe, with some of the same dishes even making it into the luxurious lineup.


Roasted Sucking Pig

We didn’t bother with starters, not just because we were a little suspicious about the prices, but also because nothing really took anyone’s fancy. Instead we ordered a jug of White Sangria, which was too sweet for my liking, and went straight for the mains.

Having rubber-necked one on its way to a neighbouring birthday table (they showed us up by having balloons and paper hats), I ordered the Roasted Sucking Pig (HKD178), unaware that it’s well known as the restaurant’s speciality.

With tender moist meat, ultra crispy skin and just the right amount of gooey fat to make it melt in the mouth, this dish deserves to be written home about. In fact, I don’t think I’ve tasted better anywhere else in the world – and I’ve had Babi Guling in Ubud, Bali (#notsohumblebrag).


Pan Roasted Pigeon

I also begged my buddies for mouthfuls of the Pan Roasted Pigeon (HKD198) and the Beef Tenderloin (HKD208), both of which made the mark, although I still think I won. The steak could have done with a pinch more salt perhaps, but when mushed on a fork with the accompanying roasted garlic cloves there was very little to grumble about.
 


Beef Tenderloin

All overwhelmingly surprised and impressed by how thoroughly fantastic the food was, we thought it only fair to try the desserts.

The Mille Feuille (HKD48, see header photo), meaning 1,000 leaves in French, did not have quite as many “leaves” as expected, only three in fact, but the cream was deliciously fresh and the pastry crispy, complemented by candied almonds and summer fruits.

Pistachio Soufflé

The Pistachio Soufflé (HKD48) was enjoyed by the table but a disappointment to me, even though I insisted on ordering it. I incorrectly expected a small but dense dessert filled with some kind of green lava loveliness, but soon realised my error after receiving an eggy pudding whose weakly green hue was the only clear connection to its namesake nut.

Vanilla Panna Cotte 

All were in agreement, however, about the rich and creamy Vanilla Panna Cotte (HKD48) served with a mixed berry compote. The black flecks of the real vanilla pod was the final reminder that cooked food centre fine dining, at least in this case, provides not only novelty value but value for money as well.

ABC Kitchen, Shop 7, Queen Street Cooked Food Market, Sheung Wan (Google Maps)

EDITOR’S NOTE: This article has been updated.
 


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