/ Reviews / Cantonese
Dim Sum Delight
by Raphael Seghin
on Friday, January 20, 2012 12:00 AM
The tradition of a weekend dim sum feast amongst family and friends is a time-honored ritual cherished amongst Chinese people, especially those with Cantonese roots. Akin to a Western Sunday brunch, it is a welcomed opportunity to share both good food and special moments with loved ones.
Wei Jing Ge, taking up the 5th floor of the Waldorf Astoria, is the five star hotel’s Chinese restaurant. Long corridors, decorated with Chinese antiques and art, lead to the main dining room, as well as 6 private dining suites. This large restaurant, which specializes in Cantonese, Shanghainese and Huai Yang cuisines, also boasts a 500-bottle wine cellar, as well as a considerable selection of Chinese liqueurs, spirits and fine teas. Decorated in a traditional style, with long paper lanterns hanging from the ceiling, and with a wood-dominant theme, Wei Jing Ge is a classy and upscale dining venue, as befits the hotel that hosts it.
The restaurant’s Dim Sum Brunch menu, which is the focus of this piece, is an extensive and surprisingly well-priced all-you-can-eat option. Available between 11:30am-3pm and priced at RMB188 per person, the brunch is prepared by Hong Kong Executive Chef Sam Yuen, a 30-year veteran who has cooked for Zhu Rongji, Bill Clinton and the Queen of the Netherlands, amongst others. Renowned for his seamless selections of both authentic and contemporary dim sums, Chef Yuen dishes highlight his insistence on using premium seasonal ingredients, as well as showcasing some of his original fusion options.
These include his Lobster with Radish Paste, an extremely crispy puff prepared with fresh lobster, deep-fried radish and ham paste, which literally crumbles on touch. Another original creation is the Cod Fish Dumplings with Nuts, showcasing his innovative combination of Italian olive oil, European cod fish, pine nuts and black olives from Guangdong, and perhaps Chef Yuen’s most accomplished dish. What differentiate his signature Baked Egg Custard Tart are the handpicked, low-cholesterol sea ducks eggs from Guanxi province, although the added saltiness of the duck eggs take away from an egg tart’s expected sweetness. Of course, the restaurant’s brunch menu also features an extensive list of traditional Cantonese classics, like the famed Sui Mai dumplings, as well as Shanghai favorites like Crab Meat Buns.
Besides the location, inside a prestigious hotel on the Bund, and the quality of the dishes, served by a knowledgeable and experienced chef, what really stands out is the price. While you can obviously pay less for dim sum in this city, the price to quality ratio, as well as the all-you-can-eat format, when included with the location and stature of the restaurant, makes Wei Jing Ge a great choice for any weekend brunch.
