Restaurant venues offering unobstructed vistas of Victoria Harbour is highly sought after in Hong Kong, especially now that special fireworks are back after the pandemic. The allure of breathtaking views, combined with great dining experiences, captivates locals and visitors alike. CView, located in M+ at the West Kowloon District, takes this desire to elegant heights with its prime location and meticulous design.
A Review of CView
You definitely see views at CView. Perched on the 16th floor of M+ in West Kowloon, the expanse of Hong Kong’s familiar skyline is breath-taking. Coupled with the Zen design of famed interior designer Alan Chan, CView is obviously banking as much on the panorama and ambience as on the food.
CView opened to little fanfare last year and, it would be fair to say that, being so hidden within M+ and without the chef pedigree of M+’s other fine dining tenant Mosu, it hasn’t registered on many dining radars. There had been mixed reviews from early diners there so we approached our dinner there with open minds.
The restaurant offers Zhejiang and Jiangsu cuisine and offers quite extensive a la carte menu with most of the favourite classics such as deep fried sweet and sour fish, and braised pork belly. To simplify matters, we went with one of the two set dinner menus on offer – one at $880+ and another at $1,180+ depending on the seasonal specialities.
The eight-course menu started with the signature cold platter comprising deep fried river prawns, braised bamboo shoots in brown sauce, and the sauteed pork terrine served with Zhejiang black vinegar. Jiangsu and Zhejiang cuisine tends to be very caramel-y and sweet but this platter was well balanced, with the sweetness of the bamboo and prawns coming through and the vinegar offsetting the richness of the pork belly.
The same went for the bamboo shoots, salted pork and beancurd soup. The soup looks deceptively simple but really requires a lot of work and must be left to simmer a long time to achieve the right creaminess in the soup. This was so good that one bowl wasn’t quite enough!
The braised jumbo prawns in sweet chilli sauce tipped over to the sweet side a little too much for me, although acceptably so. The prawn was big and the meat was juicy and tender, and the sweet chilli sauce was aromatic. Perhaps a larger serving of broccoli on the side would have taken off more of the sweet edge.
The steamed Mandarin fish with Huadiao wine and the tea leaf smoked duck stayed close to its origins, both not particularly groundbreaking but quite good in their own ways. The crispy rice cone with diced chicken was a nice twist to the normal diced meat with lettuce; the crispiness of the rice cone was a great added texture to the dish.
The xiao long bao was a bit “meh” for me but the meal ended positively with sauteed green peas with Chinese ham and dessert of pulled sugar apple. The crunchiness of the apple was a good match for the finely pulled sugar.
The meal was rose above expectations but the question is whether it will be enough to draw people to an inconvenient dining location – no matter how stunning the view – especially at night.
Cuisine
Jiangsu/Zhejiang
The Vibe
The restaurant exudes chill and Zen. Designer Alan Chan has done a great job in imbuing a sense of oriental harmony in the place, complete with tree installations at the entrance and in the main dining room. There is a row of 40 seats set against the windows to allow diners to enjoy the view, with adjustable blinds offering privacy. Together with the adjustable lighting by Tino Kwan, the design successfully capitalises on the amazing views that extend almost the length of Victoria Harbour. The price to pay for this amazing skyline vista is the location, unfortunately. Unless you drive, M+ isn’t the easiest to get to and from, especially after dinner, with a convoluted 15-minute walk from the nearest Kowloon or Austin MTR stations. This would be a place purely for a romantic evening out and special occasions, or if you have a day planned taking in the exhibitions at the Museum. In case you don’t want a tasting menu, an a la carte menu is available.
Quick Notes
Price for two:
$2,400 excluding drinks
Address:
16/F, M+, 38 Museum Drive, West Kowloon Cultural District, Kowloon
Tel. 2880 5535
Opening Hours:
11am – 11.30pm daily
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Written by
Winnie Chung is an experienced lifestyle journalist who has covered everything from showbiz and Hong Kong films, to food, and all things luxury. After being grounded by the pandemic, she found a renewed appreciation for Hong Kong's vibrant and diverse dining scene.
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