“the Chinese love their seafood fresh,” – Donald Lee, owner of Bite of Hong Kong
Last week, I was in Chinatown to explore some delicious Cantonese food. For those of you who don’t know, Cantonese style cuisine comes from the Guangdong province in China and is just one of the Eight Culinary Traditions of Chinese cuisine.
Spearheaded by Chef Fei, an immigrant from Hong Kong, the “Bite of Hong Kong” restaurant is located in the main tourist center of Chinatown and is known for its fresh seafood cooked Authentic Hong Kong Style, with less oil and the delicacy of savory flavors
True to Hong Kong tradition, upon entering the restaurant you can’t help but to notice that the restaurant keeps live fish tanks, which are filled with daily shipments of fresh seafood. Instantly, my dining partner and I decided that we would make our visit to Bite of Hong Kong an impromptu seafood tasting.
Our seafood mission began with a large bowl of Crab meat with pumpkin soup. My dining partner, a Haitian-American, noted that the soup reminded her of the soup Haitians make for New Year, “soup joumou”. Overall, we thought the soup was delicious and flavorful, which was filled with delicious, tender bites of Crab meat.
Next we ordered the crispy bacon with stuffed shrimp rolls for an appetizer. This was delicious and arguably one of the top three items we ordered at Bite of Hong Kong. We also had an order of shrimp dumplings, which were tasty as well.
Our seafood entrées did not disappoint, between the Fried Soft Shell Crabs, the Baked Lobster with Cheese and the Steamed Trout, we were impressed with not only the freshness but also the interesting Cantonese flavors incorporated into each dish. Notably, the broth of the Steamed Trout was simply delicious and drinkable… I literally just wanted to slurp the broth up like you would with a bowl of milk after eating cereal.
Of course we couldn’t’ leave without trying some fried rice, so we ordered the House Special Fried Rice with Dried Scallops. The rice had a delicious sweet and savory combination and the portion was ample, perfect for sharing.
Overall, A Bite of Hong Kong was delicious. With the large portion sizes, the restaurant is perfect for family style dinners. The seafood was amazing, highlighted by our Baked Lobster with Cheese and the soft shell crab. Based on this experience, I would definitely return for a delicious Cantonese meal.
Bite of Hong Kong
81 Chrystie Street (Hester Street) in Chinatown
Cuisine: Cantonese, Seafood
Recommendations: Baked Lobster with Cheese , Whole Peking Duck, Steamed Trout
The Cost: Average $30 per person for dinner, if ordering Seafood
Website here
