Empire Commercial Hotel

Chinese

Comfort and luxury partly explain the popularity of this firm favourite with foodies, thanks to plush fabrics, beautifully dressed tables and Chinese art, but the skill and experience of the kitchen team also play a role. Their soups made with top-notch ingredients win the hearts of countless connoisseurs. Double-boiled Silkie chicken soup with dried scallop and abalone stands out with deep, complex umami. Other specialities include Peking duck and baked stuffed crab shell.

Italian

Thanks to his considerable experience and skilfully executed dishes, the head chef has been enticing diners back here for over a decade. Named after the owner, the signature Ah Yung abalone is slowly braised in a secret sauce for up to 20 hours. Fried hump-head garoupa served in a claypot is perfumed with ginger, garlic, scallion and cilantro and boasts bouncy skin and crisp tasty meat. The dining room feels elegant and relaxing.

Chef Kin’s stints at famous sushi-ya in Hong Kong and Japan explain his exceptional sushi making skills and artistry. According to the oiliness of each fish, he pairs it with rice dressed in one of his two vinegar blends. A single omakase menu is served, composed entirely of ingredients flown in from Japan, such as umami-laden kuruma prawn that is perfectly cooked and boasts bouncy, juicy flesh. The lunchtime menu is a bargain. By reservation only.

Chinese

Aptly named the ‘sky dragon pavilion’ in Chinese, this grand restaurant on the 102nd floor of a skyscraper is lavishly appointed in red wood veneer. Its huge windows flood the room in natural light, making it a perfect sunset or city nightscape viewing point. Signatures include chicken soup with fish maw double-boiled in coconut and honey-glazed char siu. Dim sum lunch presents a plethora of bite-sized goodies, whose portions can be tailored to your party size.