LAI BUN FU SERVES WORLD CLASS CANTONESE CUISINE IN HONG KONG, WORTHY OF WORLD LEADERS AS CHEF CHUNG KIN LEUNG WAS HEAD CHEF AT GOVERNMENT HOUSE BEFORE!

KEE@FSWMAG.COM

Traditional “Summer Specials”

from Birthplace of Cantonese Cuisine

in Fine Dining Style at Lai Bun Fu

 “Summer Specials” of traditional recipes from the birthplace of Cantonese cooking are new on the menu at Chinese fine-dining restaurant Lai Bun Fu.

The seasonal specialties from Shunde on the Pearl River Estuary are showcased by one of the district’s modern-day master chefs, Chung Kin Leung, the former Head Chef at Hong Kong Government House.

LUXURIOSU INTERIOR

STEAMED CRAB IN HUA TIAO WINE 

ASSORTED SEAFOOD IN PAPAYA

CHEF CHUNG KIN LEUNG

DEEP FRIED SNAPPER IN LEMON SAUCE

DRUNKEN PIGEON

YAM WITH PRESERVED PLUM AND HAWTHORNE SAUCE

ICED WHOLE ABALONE IN HUADIAO

LUXURIOUS INTERIORS

LUFFA WITH PRESERVED VEGETABLES

PAN FRIED MUD FISHWITH LOTUS ROOT AND BLACK TRUFFLES

SHREDDED SHRIMPS AND SEA CUCUMBER

STEAMED FISH IN LOTUS LEAF

THE JUNK

THE PEAK

Shunde’s legendary cuisine found international fame when spread by its amah domestic helpers famed for cooking like Michelin-star chefs when they emigrated to Hong Kong and Singapore.  Chef Chung now continues that heritage of traditionally simple dishes with exquisite flavours, with a modern twist of immaculately elegant artistry at colonial-style Lai Bun Fu in On Lan Street, Central.

A famous hallmark of Shunde's homely style is coming up with “101 ways” to cook banal ingredients in a tasty manner and several of the new specials exemplify this ancient culinary art – notably, fishcakes of “Pan-fried Minced Mud Fish with Lotus Root and Black Truffles” (HK$188), “Assorted Seafood Soup served with Papaya” (HK$278), “Fresh Chinese Yam with Preserved Plum and Hawthorn Sauce” (HK$98), and “Luffa with Preserved Vegetables” (HK$148), believed to “cool the body” during hot weather.

Seafood is another specialty of the Pearl River enclave and a summer appetiser staple from bygone days is “Shredded Shrimp and Sea Cucumber with Mixed Vegetables” (HK$188).

“Steamed Crab and Egg with Flat Rice Noodles” (HK$688) is flavoured with Hua Diao Wine Sauce, from the famous wine making city of Shaoxing.  Alternatively, “Whole Fish” (HK$348) is traditionally braised and presented on a fresh lotus leaf, combining the scent of the summer water plant with Shiitake mushrooms.  “Deep-fried Snapper” (HK$228) is served with a piquant lemon sauce.

Combining the old with the new, a modern twist on “Drunken Pigeon” (HK$168), traditionally soaked in Hua Diao Wine, is instead marinated in Laphroaig Select Cask, one of the most richly flavoured scotch whisky.  The specialty by Chef Chung is adapted in collaboration with Laphroaig’s 200^th anniversary, and serves with a complimentary glass of Laphroaig Select Cask whiskey.  This dish is available subject to reservations two days in advance.

Also included is a modern-day delicacy beloved in Chinese cuisine, “Iced Whole Abalone” (HK$188) in Hua Diao Wine.

Two refreshing cocktails named after Hong Kong’s iconic destinations are also on the new summer specialities menu – “The Peak” (HK$88), a seductive elixir of passion fruit and Chinese Hawthorn, and “The Junk” (HK$88), blending rose with lychee.

                                                                            

Lai Bun Fu derives its name from two Chinese phrases embodying its elegant culinary experience: “Lai Bun” meaning “refined hospitality” and “Fu” abbreviated from “xi fu”, meaning “Master”. 

Designed in British-colonial Hong Kong style with a modern touch in an elegant 2,000 sq ft venue, the restaurant seats 52 guests with private dining for up to 12 guests.  The VIP “Lai Bun Room” is framed in glass and brass, evoking an elegant English country house and garden.

Lai Bun Fu opens Monday to Friday, from 12:00 to 15:00 and 18:30 to 23:00; Saturday, from 11:30 to 15:00 and 18:30 to 23:00.

It is located at 5/F, 18 On Lan Street, Central, Hong Kong.  For reservations, please call (852) 2564-3868, or visit www.laibunfu.com for more information.

###

About Chung Kin Leung, Executive Chef of Lai Bun Fu

Originally from Guangzhou, the home of “yue cai” (Cantonese cuisine), Chef Chung became interested in food at an early age which further blossomed when he arrived in Hong Kong at a formative age. In 2001, Chef Chung was appointed head chef at the residence of the Financial Secretary of Hong Kong.  

This role was followed by a tenure at the Chief Secretary Residence, and most recently at the Government House (2005 - January 2014).  During his tenure at the Hong Kong Government House, his major responsibilities were responsible for the overall running and operation of the Chinese kitchen as well as the most formidable of diners, including numerous dignitaries, international business leaders, and Heads of State.

Chef Chung’s unique ability to execute traditionally simple dishes with exquisite flavours into a fine dining experience has earned him numerous accolades and high praise.  

Lai Bun Fu also represents the city of Hong Kong, as Chef Chung previously prepared dishes for world leaders such as President of PRC Xi Jinping, Premier of PRC Li Keqiang, Prime Minister of Russian Dmitry Medvedev, and former President of PRC Hu Jintao, former President of the United States George Bush and former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Margaret Thatcher.

About Lai Bun Fu

Grand opened in 2015, fine-dining Chinese restaurant Lai Bun Fu is located in On Lan Street, Hong Kong’s newest dining hotspot in Central.  

Seating 52 guests in the main dining room and another 12 in the private room, Lai Bun Fu presents exquisite dishes using the freshest ingredients sourced from around the world and prepared by an experienced culinary team led by Chef Chung Kin Keung, who worked up the ranks of top restaurants and has cooked for an impressive list of world leaders during his time at Government House.

The menu recreates Chef Chung’s signature plates as well as favourite dishes of VIPs from Government House, that are sure to tempt the taste buds of discerning gourmets who are keen for a taste of sophistication.  

The elegant dining experience is complemented with quality teas, wines and cocktails, while the décor transports guests back to the colonial days of yesteryear, with the sophisticated marbled floors, forest green panelled walls and refined Chinese antiques, as old favourite Chinese songs are played in the background.

Fresh Chinese Yam with Preserved Plum and Hawthorn Sauce
Steamed Crab in Hua Diao Wine Sauce and Egg with Flat Rice Noodle	Assorted Seafood Soup with Papaya
“Drunken Pigeon”, traditionally soaked in Hua Diao Wine, is marinated in Laphroaig Select Cask, one of the most richly flavoured scotch whisky.	Pan-fried Minced Mud Fish with Lotus Root and Black Truffles
Two refreshing cocktails named after Hong Kong’s iconic destinations are also on the new summer specialities menu – “The Peak”, a seductive elixir of passion fruit and Chinese Hawthorn (left), and “The Junk”, blending rose with lychee (BELOW).
The elegant dining experience is complemented with quality teas, wines and cocktails, while the décor transports guests back to the colonial days of yesteryear, with the sophisticated marbled floors, forest green panelled walls and refined Chinese antiques, as old favourite Chinese songs are played in the background.