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If you’ve ever wanted to dine like an emperor but lack the patience for someone to invent a time machine, Chinesology’s new ‘Tales of History’ tasting menu – created in collaboration with the Hong Kong Museum of History – has just the imperial feast you’re looking for.
Led by chef Saito Chau, the menu uses contemporary Cantonese techniques to recreate the opulence of a Manchu-Han Imperial Feast, a famously extravagant banquet from Chinese history where over 100 dishes are served over multiple days. Specifically, it draws inspiration from the legendary Golden Dragon Restaurant’s 1960s menus, a rare artefact currently on display at the museum's newly upgraded ‘Hong Kong Story’ permanent exhibition. To ensure everything is historically accurate, the restaurant has also sought the help of culture and history scholar Dr Sonia Ng Shui-hing, as well as Master Wan Tat Kong, who notably contributed to the 1977 Manchu-Han Imperial Feast once served at the historic Kwok Bun Restaurant.
So, what’s on the menu? While this exclusive dinner won’t require a multi-day commitment, the condensed lineup is no less impressive. The feast includes dishes like stewed geoduck in a Chinese marinade sauce, where fresh elephant trunk clams are steeped in 20-year-aged Huadiao wine to lock in a crisp texture; a slowly simmered bird’s nest with Japanese lily bulb hearts; and braised pork with shiitake mushrooms and dried sweet plum that’s cleverly shaped to mimic a bear paw.
Other stunning plates on the lineup include a tender braised sea cucumber simmered in a rich abalone sauce, and a roasted Ningxia beach lamb that pays homage to traditional techniques and promises zero gaminess. You can also expect silky braised fish maw and Chinese yams with homemade sauce, a dish inspired by the auspicious ‘Nine Auspices Offering Blessings’, followed by a clear chicken consommé with quail egg to round out the whole banquet.
The exclusive menu is available from now until July 31 for dinner service only. Diners can opt for a 10-course experience for $16,128 per table of six guests, or an eight-course version for $12,528. Due to the extreme level of preparation required for these dishes, reservations must be made at least seven days in advance. If you book ahead via the Mira eShop, you’ll also get the usual service and tea charges waived. To top it all off, every guest will walk away with a limited-edition box of aged tangerine peel as a little souvenir (available while supplies last).
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