Hong Kong’s very own Southern food guru, Jack Carson, strikes again! His latest venture sits on Staunton Street and features the kind of delights that made him famous in the first place, but in a more relaxed setting. While the interiors don’t seem to have changed much since the location’s days as The Drunken Duck, the menu definitely has and we’re keen to dig in.
To start, we go for straight for the baked oysters ($140), which despite lacking much seasoning are decidedly tasty when dolloped on a cut of crunchy baguette. Of the three varieties, the Rockefeller with spinach and cheese is definitely the winner.
Given the reputation chef Carson carved out for himself at Restoration, the Southern fried chicken ($158) is a no-brainer. And it doesn’t disappoint – the bird is every bit as good as the version on Wyndham. In fact, we’re not sure if there’s any difference at all. Regardless, this is some of the best fried chicken we’ve had. Crispy, herbaceous, tangy and all things delicious on the outside. It’s also ridiculously tender inside and hits the spot. The accompanying aioli and pickled watermelon also pairs superbly.
For a filler, we the opt for the smoky tasso and green onion mac ‘n’ cheese ($96). This works unbelievably well with the fried chicken and we love the smokiness of the Louisiana ham. However, it would work better if the consistency were a little more creamy and used a less artificial type of cheese.
We conclude the evening with a key lime pie ($68), which we can confidently say puts other such pies to shame. Bursting with limey, zesty goodness, this is a spectacular end to the meal.
There’s some darn tasty grub here and given the cult following for chef Carson’s fried chicken, we’ve no doubt The Parish is where the city’s chook lovers will congregate. Alice Jenkins