Commenti a: Lung King Heen , Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong, Hong Kong, di Davide Bertellini

Di: S Lloyd

S Lloyd — Thu, 02 Aug 2012 01:10:00 +0000

Thanks Mr Bertellini. Absolutely agree with you: anything that is known needs to be reported about and deeply inside of me, I would do the exact same thing as you did which is finding out about what’s best reported, etc. And your contribution to the gourmet world is fantastic (I follow your work with admiration and my wife translates your beautiful writings to me all the time). As for LKH, I too highly respect it and it is indeed a very important restaurant. I actually have great souvenirs of LKH: when I was there, some of my friends who shared my table was very familiar with some of the staff (he is a huge fan of LKH) and we exchanged a bit with them about how tough it was to present those fares in a fine dining spirit. That kind of difficulty is seen everywhere else: as you know, in France for ie (picked the example of France, because I am part Chinese, part French, etc) , when a local passes the door of let’s say the Louis XV and order a dish like ‘lièvre à la royale’, chances are that he will expect miracle from fares that he grew up with. Same thing happens with LKH Vs those who are familiar with Cantonese fares in China. So, it’s tough indeed and I applaud LKH because they manage to be visible despite how difficult it is to stand among the better known on its own lands. And for the 3 stars being too much or too little for a given restaurant, absolutely: it is something we see everywhere and yet it is as usual just subjective perceptions (although sometimes, as you know, lots of this has to do with the fact that, sadly, way too many haute dining offerings pass like pricey fancy interpretation of casual and more affordable eateries instead of really pushing the creativity or level of superior /remarkable cooking skills at the forefront) . Who knows: I might go there on my next visit and realize that it worth 3 stars for a Cantonese dinner on that occasion. Which I hope will happen one day because I really like LKH.
Mr Norbert: No problem. I actually used to have a web blog of all my food discoveries around China but I did shut it down since it was not updated for a while. It is with pleasure that I will keep you inform whenever I put something online regarding my findings throughout China – Thanks to all!

Di: Norbert

Norbert — Tue, 31 Jul 2012 10:46:00 +0000

Mr Lloyd please let us have a little review about your gastro tour in Guangdong, HK or whatever in that part of the world.
Thank you.

Di: Davide Bertellini

Davide Bertellini — Tue, 31 Jul 2012 10:08:06 +0000

Hallo Mr.Lloyd,
thanks for sharing your chinese food experience with us!
I agree with you when you write that scores are absolutely subjective and I’m happy you agree our score to LKH.
About the fact that it’s known as the “best cantonese restaurant in the world” is what people, newspapers, magazines and guides say about it. I never like to say: this is the best restaurant in the world, and I never write this. I just reported what other say for a complete information only.
In every place, worldwide, you can find a better place, maybe paying less, where you can eat better. But as you wrote many times, is subjective!
During my trip to HK for Passione Gourmet, I could not ignore LKH because it’s considered a very important restaurant in HK and people read guides and magazines and maybe wish to try it. Talking with people in HK (some employed in other restaurants, like chefs, maitre or waiters) everyone respects LKH like no one else. I think this is the spirit I wished to report in my article.
Again, about Michelin guide and the three stars awarded by LKH was an important piece of information I wished to give to our readers. I agree with you when you say that it’s too much but everywhere (also in Italy) there are restaurants with 3 stars that should have 2 or 1 star.
I hope you will continue following us!!! Thanks!

Davide

Di: S Lloyd

S Lloyd — Tue, 31 Jul 2012 01:32:45 +0000

Mr Marko,
Thanks for the answer. I am actually opened to Michelin awarding all kinds of cuisine and do always insist on comparing a restaurant to its own peers (for eg, French 3 star cuisine against a French 3 star level of cuisine, a 3 star Cantonese against 3 star worthy level of Cantonese cuisine, etc) . The only thing is that I expect it to follow the principle of its very own Michelin star standards: for ie, 3 stars (food worth a journey according to Bibendum), which are what Lung King Heen are awarded with, should have at least stood, in this case, among the most memorable cantonese food I ever had. I do believe that Cantonese 3 star Michelin food can indeed exist. It should just match with an outstanding level of Cantonese food (which do indeed exist in China). But at LKH, for me, It was great, alas not that memorable for what might be expected from a so well praised Cantonese upscale dining venture . But this is a subjective matter though, so opinions will certainly vary on this one.
As for Cantonese food, it is one of the food that I know very well since I am part Cantonese in my genes and have experienced Cantonese food pretty much at all level of dining (from street food, to finest Cantonese ) for decades, and throughout vitually most parts of China (Guangdong is actually a province which gastronomy I am very familiar with. It’s also one of my favourite provinces in China). Thus my expectations were really based on what is found on the field.
Again, thanks for sharing and exchanging about all those marvellous meals. I can’t wait to go back to HK, it is a paradise for foodies.
Mr Davide Bertellini, Thanks for your response. My wife is Italian, so she did translate.
Your ratings are absolutely right and Lung King Heen is a great place for fine Cantonese fare, indeed. My qualm had to do with the expectations brought by the 3 stars (not the fault of Lung King Heen at all ) Vs the superior Cantonese food found generally elsewhere overthere in China. But again, as you know, it is a qualm observed a myriad of times throughout the entire restaurant industry all around the world. As I was saying to Mr Marko: it is so subjective, so really I totally respect everyone who find Lung King Heen as the best Cantonese food’s place. On my next visit in HK, I’ll visit it again (As you can see, I have no problem with LHK on its own) and see if my perception will vary, but the next time will be a tougher one, I am afraid, since I’ll also re-visit Guangdong (7th visit in that province that I dearly love) during that same trip, right before HK. And that will be another gastro tour of Guangdong (being a gourmand, I made my little network of local gourmands experts there and they do a great job at bringing me to what stands out in terms of Cantonese food of all levels) . Regarding scores, as you know, they are absolutely subjective too, so I respect your scoring system (I have never discussed scoring systems since I find that they are all right in their own ways and do really bring extra depth to a review). Again, thanks for your time and consideration and happy stay there in HK!

Di: Davide Bertellini

Davide Bertellini — Mon, 30 Jul 2012 13:15:53 +0000

Riguardo alle 3 stelle date dalla Michelin credo anch’io siano eccessive ma personalmente non posso entrare nel merito del loro giudizio. Io l”ho solo riferito come fatto di cronaca.
Per quanto riguarda il voto dato, 16 per l’appunto, e’ sicuramente un ottimo voto. Avendolo visitato solo una volta per prudenza ci si e’ orientati su una valutazione del genere. Il fatto che dai più questo ristorante sia considerato forse il migliore ristorante cantonese al mondo (così riportano diverse recensioni più o meno autorevoli e così mi e’ stato riferito più volte durante il mio viaggio a HK) non significa che noi di PG dobbiamo attribuirgli un punteggio di 19 o 20 (mai dato a nessuno).
Sicuramente avremo modo di visitarlo nuovamente e di rivalitarlo come facciamo con tutti i ristoranti da noi recensiti.

Di: Presidente

Presidente — Mon, 30 Jul 2012 12:50:38 +0000

Il Cantinone di Madesimo, non dimenticarlo Antonio, è rosso e non blu. Lo ripetiamo spesso che le due scale non sono omogenee, a differenza di altri che usano valutazioni in 20imi.
Qui la cucina è tradizionale, quasi perfetta, ma come si può vedere anche dai piatti molto orientata alla tradizione. E per noi quello è il valore di una grande cucina della tradizione. I nostri 17 e 18 blu, nonché 19 hanno più di una punta di tecnica nelle preparazioni superiore, una finezza ed una eleganza nelle preparazioni decisamente superiore. Forse poi Davide si è fatto trasportare nella scheda dall’enfasi, ma a nostro avviso neanche troppo eccessiva.
A presto

Di: Tommaso

Tommaso — Mon, 30 Jul 2012 12:50:04 +0000

Immagino che il 16 risulti filtrato da un palato europeo, e quindi la recensione risulti molto soggettiva…
Almeno questa é l’interpretazione che io ho dato al voto, che anche a me era sembrato bassino rispetto a quanto descritto.

Di: Antonio Scuteri

Antonio Scuteri — Mon, 30 Jul 2012 12:35:27 +0000

Interessante. Posso però esprimere una perplessità? Se nell’attacco si ripete più volte che questo è il santuario della cucina cinese, e che si tratta del miglior ristorante cinese forse del MONDO, allora se alla fine dei giochi come valutazione si dà 16 la cosa non mi torna. Nel senso che se il top del top della cucina cinese non va oltre il 16, si ha ben scarsa considerazione della cucina cinese in quanto tale.
Eppure sono in molti a sostenere che la grande cucina cinese ha poco da invidiare alle altre grandi cucine del mondo, dalla francese all’italiana alla giapponese.
Voglio dire: davvero nel miglior ristorante cinese del mondo non si mangia meglio che, per fare un esempio, al Cantinone di Madesimo?

Di: Marko

Marko — Mon, 30 Jul 2012 11:02:33 +0000

Not michelin restaruant at all, maybe you dont well cantonese food in HK,
you only know from the guide…which not true like all over in the world
Mk

Di: S Lloyd

S Lloyd — Sun, 29 Jul 2012 21:01:09 +0000

Thanks Mr Davide Bertellini for this review. It sends me back to my (not that long ago) last visit there in Hongkong, and some good HK’s friends brought both my wife and I there at Lung King Heen. It is definitely some excellent food as you have experienced it yourself and we all enjoyed our night there. Only problem are the Michelin stars. Three? Serious? On our table (we were 4), we all had that exact same reaction: 3 star Michelin is way too much for this, however excellent that was. We would not have minded the Michelin stars…the problem is that it impacts the $$$. During that stay in HK, we kept having far superior food than this at lower $$$, at modest non michlin starred places and we kept thinking how those same places could have just moved in more luxurious settings and would have deserved claiming more than 3 stars, Lol. I know, this situation happens everywhere else but I thought constructive to add my opinion. Again, we loved our meal there but we have experienced same food, done way better (which could have justified 3 stars, actually) and that left a little interrogation mark on the way. Have a great one!