VEA Restaurant & Lounge

Chinese fusion cuisine in style

Roasted sea cucumber, flowery crab, egg white, 22yrs hua diao wine

Fusion is not easy to get it right, there are so many fusion restaurants out there but few managed to lay down a marker and become truly a household name. VEA is somewhat a success story, the 1 Michelin starred restaurant in Hong Kong is renown for its creative approach in fusion Chinese and French cooking, located on the top floor of a skyscraper in Central with an open kitchen. Chef-owner Vicky trained in some of the very best kitchens in the world, including the then 3 Michelin starred Daniel in The USA. At VEA, using his western fine dining experience, Vicky has come up with a unique concept of making Chinese dishes with an innovative western refinement, aiming to create a special dining experience with a storytelling factor about Chinese food.

Canapes

Shrimps, smoked cauliflower, uni, pistachio

Silver pomfret, Sichuan chili oil, fermented cabbage

Egg, truffle, parmesan, caviar

The restaurant only serves a tasting menu each evening, the highlight has to be the roasted sea cucumber. It was revolutionarily in both taste and concept, stuffed with scallops and crab, topped with a charred sea cucumber to create a seafood umami bomb, it was finished off with some finely aged rice wine. The dish was highly creative and was simply stunning. The Taiyouran egg was another fun and masterfully executed dish, loaded with plenty of truffles, caviar and cheeses, it was another umami bomb but with an earthy edge, truly sensational. The wagyu beef tartar was as the final main course which was somewhat unusual, almost like a pizza once served and paired with some XO sauce fried rice, the beef almost tasted like butter and somehow it worked nicely with the rice when mixed together.

Druken pigeon, phoenix eye fruit, goji berry, bean curd

Wagyu, fox nut, xo chili jam, fried rice

Plum, citrus, lotus seed, meringue

Grass jelly, evaporated milk, pork salt

My dinner at VEA was truly a special, one of a kind dining experience, it was so interesting and unlike any other Chinese fine dining restaurants I have encountered before. It was highly original, fun and the taste was wonderful with a touch of a familiar feel to it, without losing the true Chinese cuisine essence. How the hell is only 1 Michelin star is a puzzle for me, if Vicky has the very same restaurant in the UK, without a question it would be at the 2 stars bracket. The service was fairly decent but a little slow, however the sommelier has done a great job in wine recommendation, and the cocktails were excellent, served by perhaps the best bartender in Hong Kong, Mr Antonio Lai. To sum it up, VEA is really a special fine dining fusion restaurant and perfect if you are a hardcore foodie or for any special occasion.


Food 4.5/5

What I paid: 
£200 per head with wine

Average cost without drinks and services :
£150

29 & 30/F, 198 Wellington Street, Central

http://www.vea.hk/

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