After spending two hours walking around Tai Kwun highlighted by a personal tour from none other than Jelloman's dad who used to work here more than 30 years ago, it was finally time for lunch. Being the well-organized person that I'm, I've already got our lunch plans all figured out. In fact, I have secured a table at Old Bailey (奧卑利), a new restaurant by JIA Group over a month ago.
First impressions are always important and we have a very good one here, with everyone loving the way they decorate the space with a lot of wood. And it never hurts to have plenty of natural light too (though it's been a rainy day so far).
At the front end of Old Bailey, they have this small bar area serving alcohol, coffee and tea along with a small list of refreshment. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that their tea and cakes were actually supplied by Teakha (茶。家).
While I waited for the rest of the party to show up, I went out to the restaurant's L-shaped balcony to get a breath of fresh air. I really enjoyed walking around this balcony. Not only does it have a very nice view of a quiet corner of Tai Kwun, it provides more than enough space for kids to run around.
This latest venture by JIA Group will tackle regional Jiangnan cuisine, bringing flavors from south of the Yangtze River including Shanghai, Nanjing, Hangzhou, Ningbo, Yangzhou and Suzhou all together.
Marinated eggs, fermented rice wine (奧卑利酒糟蛋) ($68) - It was nice to see marinated eggs on the menu after our recent run of tea smoked eggs. These had really lovely fragrance and rich flavors having soaked in fermented rice wine for a while. Delish.
Drunken chicken, 15 year aged Huadiao wine (十五年花雕醉雞) ($98) - Very tender. The meat was full of Huadiao wine flavors yet we could still taste the natural flavors of the chicken.
Shredded turnip puff pastry (蘿蔔絲酥餅) ($68) - Very flaky and the layers of shredded turnip were so wonderfully soft. Very nice.
Pan-fried Ibérico pork dumpling (黑豚肉生煎包) ($68) - Very juicy with hot broth spraying out immediately following my first bite. Didn't realize it was Ibérico pork until I read the menu for the second time.
Wonton with Ibérico pork in Shanghai chili sauce (黑豚肉紅油抄手) ($88) - Not bad.
Shanghai-style wok-fried noodles (上海粗炒) ($138) - A simple but heart-warming dish. The noodles had really nice bite to it and pretty good "wok hei" too.
Crispy duck (香酥鴨) (Half $228) - The meat was firm and flavorful, and I love the paper-thin skin which was so crisp.
Chicken noodle soup (嫩雞煨麵) ($68) - Something for my little nugget.
Jujube crispy crêpe (棗蓉酥餅) ($68) - Of course I'm walking away from the dessert menu. First came some crispy crepes with red dates purée. These were very tasty. The red dates purée was particularly nice and not too sweet.
Keemun cheesecake with caramelized red dates (糖紅棗祁門起司蛋糕) ($60) - I knew I had to pick something from Teakha's dessert menu.
Teakha always amazes me with their rustic, home-style cakes which were simple but yet brimming with Asian fineness and touch. I knew they have a killer Thai milk tea cheesecake but didn't realize they have such an incredibly delicious Keemun cheesecake too.
On the bottom were traces of caramelized red dates and a layer of crispy crumble. Very addictive!
I thought it was a pretty nice lunch highlighted by some hearty family dishes from Jiangnan. Once again, it showed how a simple meal without fancy ingredients could make our tummies real happy.
Food Rating: 6/10
Price: $$$
Address: 2/F JC Contemporary, Tai Kwun, Old Bailey Street, Central, Hong Kong
Closest Metro Station: Hong Kong Station
Tel: +852 2200-7050
Website: www.oldbailey.hk
