AMU Dreamhouse - Hostel

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.

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 restaurant pays homage to the hotel's founding patriarch. Against a backdrop of breathtaking harbour views, it serves a variety of Shun Tak dishes, such as minced fish soup and pan-fried fish head. For dessert, try the deep-fried milk custard and white sugar pudding. The restaurant supports the local economy by sourcing directly from local fishermen, artisans and farms. A dress code applies at dinner.

‘Chaat’ means ‘to lick’ in Hindi, as the food here is so finger licking good. The menu covers an extensive range of pedigree Indian classics from spruced-up street snacks to ambitious creations based on tradition. The tandoori oven is put to good use as evidenced by their juicy, perfectly spiced black pepper chicken tikka. The glazed kitchen lets diners watch the chefs in action as they deliver an entertaining experience.

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.

Here, edomae sushi is made with the freshest catch flown in from Japan five days a week, most of which is wild- or line-caught. Yamagata sushi rice is dressed in a special blend of red vinegar for optimal acidity and is replaced regularly to maintain perfect temperature and moisture. If you’re lucky, you may get to taste live baby cuttlefish, available only for two weeks in the year. There is a private room available that seats up to eight guests.