If you have a hankering for classic Chinese dishes from across the Middle Kingdom, Ship Kee has opened on Wan Chai’s Ship Street.
You don’t have to be a foodie to appreciate that Chinese cuisine is made up of a host of regional styles and variations, each loyally defended and subscribed to by communities across China and beyond. Sure, there are the best-known regional cuisines, like hot wok Cantonese and the firey chili-laced dishes from Sichuan, but that’s just the tip of the gastronomic iceberg. Fortunately, a new addition to the Wan Chai foodscape promises an eclectic cross-section of Chinese culinary styles all under one roof.
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One of the neighbourhood’s most anticipated openings, Epicurean Group’s Ship Kee is located on – you guessed it – Ship Street, and presents fresh, wholesome Chinese comfort food, from a range of freshly made dim sum, Chinese barbecue, and roast selections – all made in-house – to seafood and classic dishes, in a lively and contemporary setting.
Ship Kee’s spacious and minimalist dining space caters to up to 120 guests (although you might want to assemble the lads and take over one of four private dining rooms). A blast from the past presented with a vintage-esque vitality, the space is bathed in golden light and decorated with honey-hued timber, wooden floor tiles matched with geometric patten, pillars adorned with eye-catching emerald green tiles, and subtle Art Deco elements offset by vintage floral wallpaper and the ubiquitous live seafood tanks found in all good Chinese restaurants.
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However, what stands Ship Kee aside is the talents in its kitchen, which is helmed by award-winning Executive Chef Dee Lui, who has over 27 years of experience working in some of Hong Kong and China’s leading traditional Chinese kitchens, including the well-known Fu Sing Shark Fin Seafood Restaurant in Wan Chai. Lui is renowned for his refined culinary cooking methods, which help elevate classic flavour profiles and present ingredients in their absolute best form to ensure consistency and authenticity.
Like a street gang in a local rendition of West Side Story, Chef Lui is backed up by Chef Yeung Siu Wo, a specialist in Cantonese-style barbecue and roast dishes with over 40 years spent cutting his teeth at the likes of Lei Garden and Fu Sing Shark Fin Seafood Restaurant; and dim sum master Chef Tang, another acclaimed veteran of Hong Kong’s culinary scene.
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Ship Kee’s menu is exciting and varied and has something for every hungry soul. While the backbone of the menu is traditional Cantonese cuisine, foodies will also discover a host of disappearing regional classics that are rarely seen on Hong Kong menus today and which are being preserved through highly complex and time-consuming processes.
Highlights of the new restaurant’s menu include Diced Lobster with Sichuan Dried Chili; collagen-boosting Braised Sea Cucumber with Pomelo Skin, in which the pomelo skin and sea cucumber are gently rehydrated and slow-braised with house-made abalone sauce; and whole yellow chicken that’s wrapped in parchment paper and slow-cooked in course salt.
Other standouts include Steamed Fresh Striped Prawns with Aged Shao Xin Wine & Chicken Oil, served with Inaniwa Udon; Fried Rice with Braised Dried Seafood in Gravy, a dish packed with “wok hei”; and Sizzling Giant Grouper Belly in Clay Pot.
For the more daring, try the Pig Stomach Stuffed with Whole Yellow Chicken with White Pepper; or the Poached Mustard Greens with Pork Skirt Steak and Intestine in Pepper Soup.
Of course, Ship Kee also has the tried-and-tested local classics, which run the gamut from Master Woo’s Honey Glazed BBQ Pork; and Roasted Crispy Pork Belly; to dim sum bites like Steamed Crystal Shrimp Dumplings; and Steamed Rice Roll with Crispy Rice Paper and Shrimp.
Even better, in the restaurant’s lobby, you’ll find a retail space selling a host of gourmet products and condiments, including sauces, dried shrimp roe, and even braised fish maw, all made in-house, for those likely lads looking to replicate classic Chinese dishes at home.
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