Because Cantonese is unquestionably the most famous and pervasive Chinese cuisine in the Philippines, I tend to skip having it abroad—unless I’m in Hong Kong, of course. But granted a chance to dine at Mei Jiang of The Peninsula Bangkok, there’s no saying no. The place isn’t only what Bangkok millennials call hi-so (high-society), but reviews online regard it as one of the best and finest places that serve Cantonese cuisine in the city. Read more…
Among The Peninsula Bangkok’s seven restaurants and bars, Mei Jiang serves gentrified Cantonese cuisine amid a stunning view of the Chao Phraya. Everything about the restaurant is high-end—the feel of its interiors, the furnishing, the service, and their fine bone china by Nikko, which are works of art by prominent designer Alan Chan made exclusively for The Peninsula.
At the helm of the kitchen is Executive Chef Jackie Ho who started his culinary career in Hong Kong at the young age of 13. He respects tradition, rightfully so, and takes advantage of his Chinese and Cantonese roots to deliver his take on classic dishes creatively.
My lunch started with a dim sum-like amuse bouche, a lightly-fried pork ball with a sweet and sour sauce. It was a great way to get the ball rolling, making me excited of what was to come.
It was immediately followed by a trio of tasty dim sum, which were all a far cry from the run-of-the-mill ones by way of the complexity of the flavors and fine ingredients used. What I first had was the triangular deep-fried scallop and shrimp with Chinese chive crisp, which turned out to be my favorite due to a bias towards scallops. Afterwards, laid on the table was a bamboo basket, showcasing their take on the more classic crystal prawn dumpling, which was wonderfully delicate, and their signature steamed shrimp dumpling and gung choi.
My appetite revved up, I was served one of their most popular dishes, the deep-fried crispy fillet of snow fish with chili salt. It was wonderfully tasty and moist on the inside. It was accompanied by fried rice ‘Mei Jiang’ style, similar to the Filipino favorite Yeung Chow fried rice, and a bowl of steamed broccoli.
Ending the meal on was the chilled sago and pomelo and mango cream, which meshed sweetness and tartness quite well. It was refreshingly good.
Sure, a meal at Mei Jiang at The Peninsula Bangkok may be costlier than eating elsewhere in the city, but it’s surely worth the splurge. The fine food, the classy ambiance, and the spectacular service will make every baht spent worth it.
MEI JIANG
The Peninsula Bangkok, Charoennakorn Road, Klongsan, Bangkok, Thailand
Telephone: +66 2 626 1847
Email: pbk@peninsula.com
Website: bangkok.peninsula.com/en/fine-dining/mei-jiang-chinese-restaurant
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