Food and Drink Awards: Best Regional Chinese
Yau Yuan Xiao Jui
We literally tossed and turned for nights trying to decide who to give this award to. In the end, it was this one humble eatery that left the biggest impression on us this year, winning us over with its unique Shaanxi dishes and its charming homestyle preparations. Don’t come here if you’re queasy with your calories – Shaanxi cuisine is proper working’s man food loaded with carbs, meats and flavoured oils. We’re especially crazy about the chewy ‘biang biang’ noodles – wide, half-metre-long flour sheets that are slicked in homemade chilli oil with scallions, spices and sprouts. It’s beautiful with a side of slow-cooked spare ribs. We’ll also wax lyrical about the minced mutton and shallot dumplings, which are swelled with a healthy spell of meat and scallion oil. Yes, we love our Shanghai, Beijing and Sichuan restaurants but we’re especially thankful to Yau Yuan for bringing a different taste of China to our dining scene.
38 Ferry St (entrance on Sai Kung St), Jordan,
5300 2682. Daily 11am-10pm.
Runner up
Liu Yuan Pavilion
Liu Yuan pays tribute to traditional Shanghainese food and it does so magnificently. The smoked eggs with liquid yolks are a must. 3/F, The Broadway, 54-62 Lockhart Rd, Wan Chai,
2804 2000. Daily noon-2.30pm & 6pm-11pm.
Readers' Choice
We’re not surprised that it was a toss-up between Shanghai and Sichuan. Your pick? Crystal Jade for the former (citywide, including shop B221A, B2/F, Times Square, 1 Matheson St, Causeway Bay. Hours vary by location) and Chilli Fagara for the latter (51A Graham St, Soho, 2893 3330; www.chillifagara.com. Daily 11.30am-2.30pm & 5pm-11.30pm).
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