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A fixture on Hong Kong’s Cantonese fine-dining scene since 1968, <a href="https://www.mandarinoriental.com/en/hong-kong/victoria-harbour/dine/man-wah?destinasian">Man Wah</a> at the <a href="https://destinasian.com/hong-kong-hotels-mandarin-oriental-hong-kong">Mandarin Oriental </a>has never looked better. The one-Michelin-starred venue on the hotel’s top floor reopened in 2021 after a months-long refurb to a design by Singapore-based Silverfox Studios. Victoria Harbour views now come matched with brass-inlaid lacquered paneling in deep azure, embroidered silk wallpaper, a blue-and-gold handwoven carpet, and slender birdcage lanterns. What hasn’t changed is veteran chef Wing-Keung Wong’s dedication to traditional recipes and age-old techniques. Here for a dim sum lunch? Order the hard-to-execute Zhongshan gum zaa, a twice-steamed mochi-esque dumpling stuffed with chopped pork belly. Other must-tries include the black-pepper wagyu beef puffs in a flaky pastry crust; siu mai made with salted fish from Lantau Island’s Tai O village; and dainty xiao long bao that has shrimp roe folded into the dough. <a href="https://www.mandarinoriental.com/en/hong-kong/victoria-harbour/dine/man-wah?destinasian">Man Wah</a> also serves one of the best ham sui gok (fried glutinous rice dumplings) anywhere: the puffy, crispy-edged skin gives way to a soft interior with a meaty, sauce-coated filling, making them a true textural delight. (These carrot-shaped morsels are described as “deep-fried minced pork dumplings” on the menu.)
You can’t go wrong with the heavenly char siu, which uses lean-yet-luscious ibérico pork loin, comes glazed in local longan honey, and features caramelized soybeans. Giant grouper, raised in an indoor fish farm out in the New Territories, is steamed and served in a clear sauce with crabmeat and broccoli; the deep-fried shredded ginger topping helps bring out its natural flavor. Desserts are just as delicious. Presented in a smoke dome filled with dry-ice vapor, Man Wah’s take on yeung zi gum lo (cold mango pomelo sago soup) swaps out the mango for fresh fig, imparting extra freshness and a pastel pink color. —James Louie
<a href="https://www.mandarinoriental.com/en/hong-kong/victoria-harbour/dine/man-wah?destinasian" target="_blank" rel="noopener">mandarinoriental.com</a> 
+852 2825 4003 
<a href="https://maps.app.goo.gl/1vMpDebp1k1pwUjb7" target="_blank" rel="noopener">25/F, Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong, 5 Connaught Rd. Central, Hong Kong</a>

Chilled marinated abalone and cucumber as served at Man Wah.

Man Wah: Hong Kong Style

Hong Kong Dining