Stellar House 星月居 [Hong Kong] - Shunde style Cantonese Cuisine in Wanchai

  Stellar House opened a few months ago in Wanchai area,  and perhaps not surprisingly it has attracted the attention of many foodies or family diners within a short period of inception,  since Chef Chan Yat Sang used to head the kitchen at Shunde Fraternal Association 順德聯誼總會.  The restaurant here works on a Reservation basis,  with Tables and Seasonal Dishes offered at HKD $6,000 for a table of 10-12 people.  It works more like a Banquet than a private kitchen restaurant.

Crab Meat Soup -

We started with fresh picked crab in soup with melon. 

Stir Fried Milk with Crab Meat,
and Fried Pork Fat Rolls -

The Chinese name for the fried item says it's 'Chicken' but like many Cantonese dishes,  it's actually made with Pork and pork fat to emulate Chicken,  as Chicken was expensive back in the days.. These two dishes are staples when eating in Shunde region in Southern Canton.  The taste and flavors are quite authentic here,  overall I preferred my Fried Pork Rolls to be slightly drier though..

Roasted 14 Days Old Baby Pigeons -

The best dish of the night for me personally,  this was moist inside but the external skin coating had a nice maltose like marinade,  which crispened up nicely with a tan.  Very addictive and even better than the Pigeons famous in Sha Tin region in Hong Kong.

Scrambled Eggs 'Osmanthus' Style with Yunnan Ham, Bean Sprouts & Imitation Shark fin -

桂花炒素翅

A dish that tests a Chef's wok frying skills to make them look petal shaped, there's always been a poor men's Cheung Yuen noodles version and a Shark Fin version. Nowadays due to our Voluntary ban on eating Shark Fins (unless u know which fish or shark type they're from), shops tend to call them imitation Shark Fins which in theory have more crunch

Fried Carp Fish Mouths with Ginger and Scallions -

This is another Shunde dish,  and keen eyed foodies said the addition of the Ginger & Scallions is usually for another steamed carp fish recipe,  but here combined into one recipe yet still makes sense since they are used in Cantonese recipes to nullify any 'fishiness'...  This paired well with the Whiskies we brought

Braised Goose Web & Sea Cucumber with Pomelo Skin - 鵝掌海參炆抽子皮

It is said that Pomelo Skin & Rice/Congee represents Shunde Food, which had humble beginnings. The washed Pomelo skins are usually cooked in a soupy stew after the very tiny amount of Meat or Fish they could afford to chop up and make the base stew and broth, before other ingredients absorb in every single drop of the precious Liquid flavours afterwards as stomach fillers. The very liquid-y peasant versions are less photogenic than this Banquet version here, yet there is no doubt you can feel the linkage to the soulful Shunde food presented before us tonight..

Wok Fried King Prawns with Soy Sauce -

A family style dish, these were quickly flash fried in hot oil first.  When making these at home,  usually we just throw them into the wok and cook evenly on both sides with the sauce coating..

Braised Oxtail with Red Wine and Carrots, Vegetables -
The oxtail were served 'skin on', which is rare to find nowadays.  The sauce was viscous and goes well with rice,  I probably prefer it to be slightly less gelatinous as it had some floating fat bits,  like the se-abura in a greasy Japanese tonkotsu ramen.  The red wine sauce could also be slightly stronger!

Preserved Meat with Fried Glutinous Rice -

The other Signature dish I liked here best, the rice was cooked from raw rice grains to absorb in the flavors and retaining a bite.  I was saying that Keung Kee downstairs is also famous for this dish and inevitably we will make comparison!  This upscale version here has a good amount of oil fragrance from the diced cured meats..

Price:  Around $500 to $600 + 10% Per Person,  Reserve a Table for 10-12 People at HKD $6,000.  Corkage Charge $150 per bottle  (Meal Preview Organized by Stellar House)

Food:   ♕♕♕♕ to ♕♕♕♕ 1/2

Address: 3/F, Chuang's Enterprises Building, 382 Lockhart Road, Wan Chai
灣仔駱克道382號莊士企業大廈3樓
Ph: +852 37021882