LSA Reviews: Local celebrity hotspot Ming House steps into the spotlight

Hong Kong is known for its vibrant culinary scene, and among its hidden gems are exclusive celebrity and tycoon hangouts that only insiders are privy to. These elusive “family and friends” places are often tucked away in discreet locations, accessible mainly through word-of-mouth recommendations or personal connections. Ming House, located in quiet Moreton Terrace, is now stepping out of the shadows.

A Review of Ming House

Ming House has been one of Hong Kong’s best kept secret celebrity hideouts since it first opened a decade ago. But a change in head chef and new renovations marks a newer and more accessible era for the Cantonese restaurant.

Given that its owner is popular movie star Louis Koo Tin-lok, it’s not hard to see why it’s a favoured dining spot for his fellow celebrities. It’s not just the privacy the place offers, naturally, but also the quality of the food. It has been so low-key that you can only google its name in Chinese (translated as Ming Kitchen); an English search will unearth a list of similarly named establishments but not Ming House.

On the night we were there, we were lucky enough to spot Koo and some of his film industry co-horts. But, food was uppermost on our minds. We had had a menu prepared for some of their recommended dishes, beginning with two small starters of pig trotter with galangal root ($158) and the crispy corn with salted egg yolk ($138).

I wasn’t a big fan of the pig trotter as I found the cubes too big and the galangal a little too subtle but the crispy corn was excellently balanced and not too salty; it had us ordering beers as we waited for stragglers to arrive. The soup of the day ($68 per head) – doubled boiled pork with coconut and corn – was a welcome foil for the cold.

The traditional pan-fried oyster and egg omelette was given an upgrade with Bombay duck ($268). The egg was crispy and a lovely golden brown, with the added fish and oyster adding substance and texture.

Our two main seafood choices left us pleasantly surprised. While the old Ming House stayed to traditional interpretations, the new chef has managed to experiment with more flavours. The stir-fried Australian lobster with ho fun in pickled cabbage sauce (seasonal price) was a version I had never had before.

The ho fun here was juxtaposed with chewy potato noodles so that the appetising Sichuanese picked cabbage sauce didn’t make it too soggy. The steamed mud crab with pork collar (seasonal price) was also a slight variation of the usual steamed mud crab on top of a pork patty. The hand-chopped pork served as more of a bed of minced pork than a patty drenched by the rich crab roe juice.

Another awesome new dish was the simple steamed pork tendon with shrimp paste ($198). The tender pork tendons sat atop chunky bean curd sticks submerged in the light and clear shrimp paste sauce. Every mouthful was full of umami.

The claypot chicken with South African abalone with master sauce ($688) was a subdued follow-up to the seafood with no major surprises. We did appreciate the treatment of the Chinese kale in claypot, with juicy shoots separated from the leaves.

This was not a meal that worked without carbs. The mud crab and the pork tendon screamed for rice. But the carb highlight was really the pan fried glutinous rice with Hunan ham ($22 per piece). Looking exactly like the turnip cakes we have for lunar new year, it was fried to a delicious crispiness.

Chinese kitchens are usually very conservative and stick to traditions while younger chefs are now westernising the cuisine to levels that sometimes don’t quite make sense. It was gratifying to be able to see chefs who can still stick with Chinese tastes and bring on new surprises.

Cuisine

Cantonese

We Recommend

Crispy corn with salted egg yolk ($138)

Bombay duck pan-fried oyster and egg omelette ($268)

Stir-fried Australian lobster with ho fun in pickled cabbage sauce (seasonal price)

Steamed pork tendon with shrimp paste ($198)

The Vibe
Ming House occupies two floors (ground and first floor) and while the main door is on street level, the actual entrance is on the first floor. The first floor houses seven private dining rooms with excellent sound proofing. Once inside you can’t hear anything from the room next door or outside. The open dining area which caters to smaller groups is on the ground floor but, like all Cantonese restaurants, the food is better enjoyed with more people. The restaurant is able to prepare fixe prix menus at request if you find the a la carte menu too overwhelming. Ming House will soon open for lunch from Fridays to Sundays.

Quick Notes

Price for two: (Heading 4, bold): xyz (not bold)

$1,400 (excluding drinks and service charge)

Address: (Heading 4, bold): xyz (not bold)

G/F & 1/F, Park Avenue Tower, 5 Moreton Terrace, Causeway Bay

Tel. 2870 1102

Opening Hours: (Heading 4, bold): 01:00 am to 11:59 pm (not bold)
Daily: 6pm – 11pm