The long-established Cuiheng Village has always specialised in traditional Cantonese cuisine and classic local dishes, and has won numerous awards. Recently, its Causeway Bay branch at Lee Theatre has been hosting a limited-time promotion called ‘A Taste of Shunde’, featuring a range of classic, nostalgic Shunde dishes prepared by experienced master chefs. I had the pleasure of sampling a few of these dishes, so let me give you a brief overview.
‘Shunde Shaiyu Yun Geng’
This ‘Shunde Fish-Fillet Cloud Soup’ is generously portioned, with a broth made by simmering fresh fish and free-range chicken as its base, to which is added a generous amount of tender fish flesh flaked from a large fish head, along with wood ear mushrooms, coriander, shredded spring onions and scrambled egg. It has a thick, rich and layered flavour, with a wonderfully sweet and fresh taste; it is undoubtedly a labour of love. Served with a small side dish of crispy wafers, it is the perfect finishing touch – I would say it is my absolute favourite dish.
‘Fengcheng Baked Fish Maw with Eggs’
This meticulously prepared dish of fish intestines baked with eggs reveals the freshness of the fish intestines at the very first bite; the chef has clearly done an excellent job of cleaning them, and I suspect they were rinsed in a mixture of ginger juice and rice wine to remove any fishy odour. The dish is characterised by the sweet, savoury flavours of the fish intestines and liver, complemented by the rich aroma of eggs, whilst the addition of deep-fried dough twists provides a delightful contrast in texture.
‘Fish Maw Baked in a Clay Pot’
I’ve always thought that Cantonese people—or rather, Chinese people in general—have rather peculiar tastes when it comes to choosing ingredients. Who would have thought that fish maw could be so delicious? Fish maw is actually one of my favourite ingredients. It needs to be prepared properly, and there are a few steps involved beforehand, so it’s best to eat it out. What’s more, there’s only one per fish, Just looking at this dish of Shunde cuisine, ‘Clay Pot-Baked Fish Maw’, served at Cuiheng Village—which contained about nine or ten pieces—made my mouth water. What’s more, the pieces were quite substantial; each one was stir-fried to perfection, fragrant, chewy and springy—a real treat.
‘Free-range Chicken Baked in a Copper Basin with Tinfoil’
The chicken pieces are firm yet tender and well-seasoned; baked with red dates and Chinese turnips, they take on a subtle, delicate aroma.
‘Peng Gong’s Traditional Goose’
A traditional dish with a history stretching back several hundred years, the goose meat is thoroughly infused with flavour, it is succulent and meaty with just the right amount of fat. The special sauce, a blend of goose jus and ginger vinegar, is rich in flavour; its sweet-and-sour notes stimulate the appetite, not only enhancing the flavour of the goose but also cutting through the richness. Served with white rice, it is simply irresistible.
*The Phoenix City: The Dragon Spits Out a Pearl*
This is a ‘two-in-one’ dish: first, the flesh is removed from the mackerel to make mackerel fishballs, whilst the belly and tail are steamed with fermented black beans, ginger and spring onions, resulting in a tender and flavourful dish.
‘Pan-fried and Baked Fish Mouth in a Clay Pot’
The fish’s mouth is the most tender and delicious part; connoisseurs are sure to love this famous Shunde dish. The exterior of the fish’s mouth is fried to a crisp, golden brown, whilst the flesh remains tender and succulent. Cooked with ginger, spring onions and garlic, it is free of any fishy odour; with every bite, your mouth is filled with a crispy, fragrant flavour.
‘Steamed Chinese Broccoli with Preserved Mustard Greens in a Bamboo Steamer’
After all that meat, here’s a relatively simple vegetarian dish—though whilst it may seem simple, it’s by no means slapdash. Finely sliced preserved mustard greens are arranged on top of tender, bright green Chinese broccoli and steamed; thanks to the precise control of the heat, the vegetables retain their natural sweetness and crispness—a true testament to the chef’s skill.
‘Fried Rice with Fish’
As well as the dishes featured in the ‘Taste of Shunde’ promotion, we also ordered the restaurant’s award-winning signature dish. The distinctive feature of this fried rice is that, rather than using day-old rice, it employs a technique to control the moisture content; chicken stock is added during cooking, resulting in rice grains that are distinct yet slightly sticky – it was rather tasty.
‘Egg-flavoured Pan-fried Lunjiao Cake’
I really love this famous Shunde street snack, which is a variation on white sugar cake: a thick slice of white sugar cake is first coated in egg batter and then pan-fried until golden and fragrant. When you bite into it, the texture is light and fluffy, with a rich eggy aroma; it’s just the right level of sweetness, with not a hint of sourness, and isn’t at all greasy. This dessert truly brought our Shunde feast to a perfect close.
There aren’t many restaurants in Hong Kong that serve authentic Shunde cuisine to a high standard, so fans of Shunde cuisine really shouldn’t miss the ‘Taste of Shunde’ promotion, which runs until the end of April.
Website:www.miradining.com/zh-hant/tsui-hang-village-causeway-bay
Address: 22nd Floor, Lee Theatre Plaza, 99 Percival Street, Causeway Bay
Telephone: +852 2409 4822
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