TASTE OF HONGKONG: CRYSTAL JADE LA MIAN XIAO, TSIM SHA TSUI 2011

As I mentioned in my Hong Kong blogs, I thought I would just sit in my hotel room and immerse myself with the computer after the conference.

However, I met two new friends who decided to make the most of the evenings by enjoying Hong Kong and I obliged.

We just followed Anthony C. because Bong B. and I have no idea about Hong Kong. It was 16 years since I last visited Hong Kong! Other times in between I just passed by the airport -- in transit!

For our first dinner at Tsim Sha Tsui, Anthony brought us to Crystal Jade Restaurant, sounded like one in Manila but the old Crystal Jade is not of the same company.

There is a new Crystal Jade La Mian Xiao Long Bao in Greenhills, Philippines with this address: 

Crystal Jade La Mian Xiao Long Bao

Unit 117-121 (near Haagen Dazs and Goodwill Bookstore)

V-Mall, Greenhills Shopping Center

Greenhills, San Juan City, Metro Manila

Website: www.CrystalJade.com

Telephone: +632 570-6910, 570-6912

Operating Hours: 11am to 9.30pm.

Reservations are accepted for a group of 8 or more only.

We went to the Crystal Jade La Mian Xiao Long Bao at Harbour City in Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong.

Address of the Restaurant: Zone GW 3328, Harbour City, Canton Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong, China

Tel. 852 2622 2699

From Trip Advisor: Ranked #35 of 3,231 restaurants in Hong Kong

Good for: Families with children, Local cuisine, Dining on a budget

Here is a bit of the history of Crystal Jade from the web.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crystal_Jade_Culinary_Concept_Holdings

Crystal Jade Culinary Concept Holdings (Chinese: 翡翠食饮集团; pinyin: fěi​cuì shíyǐn jí​tuán) is a restaurant-chain serving Chinese cuisine based in Singapore. The group has restaurants in Asian countries, including Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China, Japan, Vietnam and South Korea. The group has restaurants and bakeries in the city, Singapore Changi Airport and the suburbs, including Jurong, Woodlands, Toa Payoh, Holland Village and Tampines.

History

The company was founded in 1991 at the now defunct Cairnhill Hotel. It opened its flagship restaurant known as Crystal Jade Palace at Ngee Ann City a year later, serving exquisite Cantonese cuisine. That same year, it opened Crystal Jade Kitchen at Shaw House serving affordable Cantonese cuisine, such as noodles, jook, cze char and roasted meat. It opened its first overseas outlet in Indonesia. The group expanded its group of restaurants during the late 1990s opening more outlets across the island.

The group expanded into the suburbs and opened restaurants at Causeway Point and Holland Village in 1999, with the latter being known as "Seafood Kitchen". It was then when dim sum was brought into their "Kitchen" brand restaurants. Long queues started to form at the restaurants during that period of time, and waits can be as long as an hour during peak periods. It opened the Crystal Jade La Mian Xiao Long Bao outlet serving Lanzhou style la mian, jiaozi, xiaolongbao and northern style Chinese cuisine. Bakeries were also opened, selling Hong Kong-style bread.

Crystal Jade opened a Teochew and Cantonese restaurant in the Paragon in the early 2000s. During the 2000s, the chain expanded in Indonesia and throughout Asia. The chain also opened a Korean restaurant at Ngee Ann City and The Centrepoint.

We were already warned that usually, the very good restaurants would have a long queue and it may about an hour before we could be accommodated.

So we have to get a number from the lady just outside the door of the restaurant. Our friend came back and said, the wait may not be that long because there were only 6 ahead of us.

We were there at about 9:20 p.m. since we went around the malls before going to the restaurant. Good that we weren't too hungry, too.

So we waited, and we saw a big group leave.

And we thought we would be seated soon!

We were wondering now how they called numbers. Maybe, there were two sets or maybe, it depended how many customers left. We never really got to know how they handled the queue, but, the people didn't really complain. 

Maybe, our friend didn't understand the lady at reception.

So, if you already see a long queue, just make sure you aren't too hungry.

It was already 10:04 p.m. before we were seated. That's 44 minutes before we got in the restaurant! And we noted, everyone around was cool.

In the Philippines, I guess, there would be lots of noisy people complaining!

There, those who couldn't wait, just moved on.

Finally, we are seated...

So yummy!!!

And now have our Shainghainese meal. And here it goes...

Xiao Long Bao or soupy Shanghai steamed pork dumplings... this looks like the typical dumpling, but with a very good soup broth within the dumpling!

Xiao Long Bao costs HK$28 for 4, HK$7.7 =US$1

Wanton in spicy chili sauce

Wanton in spicy chili sauce

Sichuan Dan Dan noodles using authentic ‘Lanzhou’ noodles (spaghetti thin egg noodles) with very spicy peanut, sesame broth. Broth is usually made of pork tailbone, chicken, Jinhua ham and dried tangerine peel. 

The Crystal Jade La Mian Xiao Long bao Dan Dan Noodles cost HK$48.
We can just call it Spicy Beef noodles.

Beef with green onions

Beef with green onions

Shrimp with salted duck egg

And of course, Chinese vegetables...

As I said, I am no good judge of food, but I appreciate eating.

I am glad we were brought there for dinner.

The wait was worth the dinner!

But, you could also visit at less busy hours so you can be served faster.