Located in the basement level of Lee Garden Three, John Anthony is a boundary pushing concept that marries modern Chinese cuisine with influences from regions along the spice route. So, expect a fair amount of dishes with "ma la" flavors (spicy and numbing).
The restaurant interior is an interesting one with multiple decorating themes. The main dining hall was a walk in the jungle but as soon as we turned the corner, it turned into an ocean theme with a traditional junk boat surrounded by underwater creatures. A very nice lesson on animals for my little one for sure.
The food menu was the brainchild between Executive Chef of Mott 32 group Lee Man-Sing and John Anthony’s Executive Chef Saito Chu. There are a lot of interesting (and funky) ideas there including their signature slow-cooked Australian wagyu beef cheek and watermelon in chili sauce (慢煮口水和牛面頰), "barbecued pork" made with Australian wagyu in shredded scallion sauce (澳洲和牛叉燒), pan-fried scarlet turnip and kimchi cake (泡菜蘿蔔糕) and molten matcha, red bean soup dumplings (流心綠茶紅豆小籠包).
Free-range chicken siu mai with shrimp (雞肉燒賣) ($55) - Is it just or is everyone also tired of pork siu mai these days? But not to worry coz here comes the chicken siu mai for the rescue.
This was really the perfect alternative with a much silkier texture thanks to the free-range chicken. They had some diced shrimps and scallops (according to Jelloman but mine didn't have any) mixed with the minced chicken to give it more bite which I thought was pretty clever. Love the okra on top too.
Veggie and beetroot dumplings (雜菜紅菜頭餃子) ($35) - I'm a sucker for beets so this was clearly my call. The dumplings were really tasty and I like the healthy fillings of stir-fried sweet corn, mushrooms and green beans.
Pan-fried scarlet turnip and kimchi cake (泡菜蘿蔔糕) ($45) - I like the idea but once I got my first bite, I knew it wasn't going to work. The kimchi was way too overpowering for the shredded turnip so at the end of the day, it really tasted more like a kimchi pancake.
Pan-fried pork and eggplant bun, chili (魚香茄子豬肉煎包) ($55) - The buns were pretty delicious on their own but I thought the yummy fillings of pork and eggplant elevated them to another whole new level. Love the extra kick of mala.
Wagyu beef brisket puff (牛腩酥) ($135) - Very nice and flaky puff pastry with wagyu beef brisket sandwiched in the middle. Not bad.
Iberico pork presa char siu (黑豚肉叉燒) ($255) - This came with 8 pieces only so it sparked a fight between the three of us. Personally, I found this a little on the lean side. I know most upscale restaurants (especially hotel restaurants) have switched to Iberico pork almost exclusively these days (except Spring Moon at Peninsula Hotel) with most of them serving Iberico pluma. This Iberico pork presa was still very tender and juicy but it was noticeably leaner than those char siu made with the plumas.
But being the old-school guy that I am, I think I would much prefer the traditional char siu without the Iberico pork. That well-marbled and bouncy texture, it was so good and you very rarely get it from the Iberico pork (bouncy yes but well marbled no).
Stir-fried flat rice noodle with Australian wagyu beef (乾炒和牛河) ($185) - The flat rice noodles were pretty nice and not too greasy which is always nice. Never hurt to have some succulent wagyu beef to go with it as well.
Stewed vermicelli and rice noodle with minced goose, preserved vegetable and pickled chili (雪菜泡椒燒鵝龍鳳米) ($165) - Surprisingly spicy thanks to the pickled chili. I like the texture of the stewed vermicelli and rice noodle but the seasoning was a little heavy handed.
Like any innovative cuisine, John Anthony's progressive, border pushing food menu has its hits and misses but I think I can tolerate that as long as it stays trendy.
Food Rating: 5.5/10
Price: $$$$
Address: Basement Level, Lee Garden Three, 1 Sunning Road, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong
Closest Metro Station: Causeway Bay
Tel: +852 3105-3668
Website: www.johnanthony.hk
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