Dadol Hotel

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.

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.

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.

Chinese

Chinese

This elegant restaurant has been a reliable favourite for Cantonese classics for over 40 years. Chandeliers and Sung-style paintings create a stunning backdrop for the refined cooking, prepared meticulously by the seasoned chef. Seafood is cooked in myriad ways, so it never gets tired. Leopard coral grouper can be steamed with ginger and scallion, shredded pork and mushrooms, or deboned and sautéed with dried tangerine peel and olive-pickled mustard leaves.

This branch of the Singapore-based brand is housed at an iconic skyscraper overlooking the harbour. The stylish dining room is embellished with subtle Chinese motifs, such as ceramic Koi carps and calligraphy. Live seafood is a must – try steamed lobster in chicken fat and Huadiao wine on a bed of silky egg white custard. The winey aromas are mesmerising. Hand-crafted dim sum is another unmissable highlight at lunch.