Social Place (Hong Kong, CHINA) ★★★★☆

I was in Central this morning for my routine body check that took much longer than I thought. By the time everything was said and done, it was already time for lunch. Going through my options quickly, FoFo by el Willy immediately came to mind but Spanish again? That's a pass. How about the Town House at the new California Tower? That didn't sound too exciting neither. 

Just when I thought I would be heading home for a cup of instant noodle, a voice inside me whispered two little words, "dim sum". Bingo! 

Having dim sum as a solo diner is always a tricky one so I needed to pick my spot carefully. Some place casual and less crowded perhaps? That would do the trick and there's probably no better place in the neighborhood than Social Place (唐宮小聚) at The L Place.



The L Place has always had a special place in my heart coz it is (or used to be) home to some of my go-to restaurants in the past (including Shore, Linguini Fini, l'Altro etc.). Social Place is another one that has been very high on my list recently. Just love their contemporary decor and modern twist on some of the traditional Chinese recipes.



I needed a drink badly and a glass organic soy milk ($29) served me just fine there.



Smoked duck cabbage roll ($58), 6/10
Lunch officially started with an appetizer of smoked duck cabbage roll. This was very nice. Stripes of cucumber, carrot, bamboo shoots and of course smoked duck all wrapped around by a sheet of cabbage. Very refreshing start.  



Wok-fried spicy turnip cake ($59), 6/10
My love for spicy turnip cakes largely came from my addiction to the Singaporean cuisine and this was an excellent dish for anyone who likes spicy food. Very crispy texture and extremely flavorful with just the perfect amount of chilli.  



Truffle shiitake buns ($49), 7/10
Of course I had to order their signature dish (or signature bun) - truffle shiitake buns although knowing very well that I needed to finish all three buns by myself. This has been one of my favorite dishes here since Day One and it's absolutely incredibly delicious. The truffle sauce and diced shiitake mushrooms were working wonders with the buns which were soft and spongy. A definitely must-try but be warned, they're very addictive.



Signature roasted white king pigeon ($59), 7/10
I can really see why this is their signature roasted pigeon. The skin was so crispy and the meat flavorful, juicy and super tender. Another can't-miss dish from this kitchen.



While I was enjoying my pigeon, I couldn't help but overhear a conversation between a few customers sitting right next to me. One lady who was playing host to a couple of her friends was telling them how much she loved coming here. And she added, "With this reasonable price, who really wants to return to Maxim's and all those old-timer places?"

Well, she might have a point there.


Food Rating: 6.5/10
Price: $$$
Address: 2/F, The L. Place, 137-141 Queen's Road Central, Hong Kong
Closest Metro Station: Central
Tel: +852 3568-9666
Website: www.socialplace.hk