The 852 is no stranger to contemporary fine dining, so when it comes to offering something genuinely new, restaurateurs face a real challenge. VEA, headed by chef Vicky Cheng (Hong Kong born 1 Michelin Star Chef and notably Krug Amabassade), is determined to take this challenge head on. Its recently recognised winning strategy is to offer French-cuisine-meets-traditional-Cantonese-fare atop The Wellington in Sheung Wan.
It’s a bold move and one made all the more courageous by Cheng’s decision to pare down the menu options and offer only a seasonal eight-course tasting menu (with optional wine or cocktail pairings). It’s this kind of bravado, however, that makes VEA all the more unique.
As with its menu, VEA’s interior is notably compact, comprising an elegant 36-seater low-lit, dining room, with many of the diners seated at one of the two bars that overlook its open-plan kitchen. The staff, meanwhile, maintain an atmosphere of convivial friendliness, with each responsible for a different course. They are also ever keen to offer insights into ingredients and flavours as each plate is presented.
The Threadfin Ma Yau, was the first dish to be served. A seasonal delicacy, Cheng said it was best prepared in the winter, the time when the fish is at its meatiest. It would be hard to dispute his assessment. This is one succulent, tender and juicy piece of meat, delicately topped with crisp, crunchy skin. A seasoning of Sichuan chilli oil and a side of fermented cabbage add a delightful hint of spiciness and an endearing texture.
Next up was Cheng’s signature dish – Crispy Sea Cucumber – as fine an example of the chef’s devotion to introducing unusual flavours and ingredients as you are likely to get. Although not the most visually appealing of dishes – the cucumber comes covered in spongy spikes, according to Cheng, a testimony to its rarity – the tastes and textures work exceedingly well together. Surprisingly soft, the cucumber is stuffed with crab, chicken fat and served with delicate jus and rice noodles.
To follow is the rich and creamy Taiyouran egg, an outstanding dish; this is accompanied by truffles, parmesan and caviar, rendering it a fine fusion of haute cuisine and comfort food. Another standout was to follow – Longjing smoked pigeon, a beautifully presented and truly tender piece of meat. Served with preserved plums, adding a satisfying touch of sweetness, a garnish of chicken liver char siu finessed a rich taste, albeit one with a slightly gamey finish.
On to the desserts and these commence with Japanese strawberry, yuzu, elderflower and toasted rice. Diners are typically presented with six different types of strawberry (all from different regions of Japan) and then asked to choose their favourite, which is then whisked away for the pastry chef to work his magic. The result is fresh and sweet, making it a perfect palate cleanser.
Perhaps fatally, each course comes with an accompanying cocktail, all masterminded by Antonio Lai, the restaurant’s executive mixologist who first came to fame behind the bar at Quinary. The standouts here are the shiso lime with apple, the elderflower and gin and the shitake consommé with whisky.
VEA is a lengthy dining experience, running for about three hours in total. A briefer visit, however, would deprive you of the opportunity of savouring its innovative, bold and creatively astonishing menu. And that would be nothing short of criminal.
VEA Restaurant & Lounge, 29 & 30/F, 198 Wellington Street, Central, (852) 2711 8639, www.vea.hk
The full version of this review appears on Gafencu Magazine’s March 2018 print issue as ” La Bon Canton” by Siobhan Brewood-Wyatt. You can download the free app for digital editions of the magazine.