Old Bailey Restaurant 奧卑利, Hong Kong

Old Bailey Restaurant in Hong Kong

Located within the rejuvenated JC Contemporary of the Tai Kwun building sits Old Bailey 奧卑利, a Chinese fine dining restaurant serving Jiangnan cuisine. The restaurant is unique in the sense that it serves a number of specialty dishes from the Jiangnan region, but with an elevated experience. Their signatures include specialties such as the Shanghainese Mala Iberico Xiao Long Bao and Hangzhou Longjing Tea Smoked Duck, and because of this, you can see why this fine eatery is making its mark on the Hong Kong fine dining scene.

What is Jiangnan Cuisine?

Jiangnan refers to the large region south of the Yangtze River that includes Shanghai, Nanjing, Hangzhou, Yangzhou, and Suzhou. Unlike fiery Szechuan in the southwest or salt-loving Shandong in the north, Jiangnan cuisine has a sweeter palate with a focus on clean, light flavours. Compositions traditionally speak to health and seasonal eating, an approach reinforced with pickled and fermented foods as well as aged vinegars.

Old Bailey is part of the JIA Group founded by Yenn Wong, and having spent time in Shanghai in the early days of JIA Group, Wong fondly recalls exquisite meals in private homes prepared by chefs whose culinary secrets had been passed down through generations. Executive Chef Wong Kwan Man, a Jiangnan native, will oversee Old Bailey’s menu comprising pure, home-style fare and technically complex dishes reserved for special occasions. While chef will embrace traditional cooking techniques and Jiangnan-related ingredients– from vinegar and poultry to pastries and seafood – his presentation will align with the contemporary setting to incorporate modern touches.

“Food critics and international chefs are recognising that Chinese cuisine deserves the same level of respect as haute Japanese, French or Italian cuisine. Our intention with Old Bailey is to elevate Chinese cuisine and introduce dishes that are rarely appreciated for their complexity and cooking techniques. In launching Old Bailey now, we have an opportunity to promote the diversity and authenticity of regional Chinese cooking”. — Wong Kwan Man, Executive Chef of Old Bailey Restaurant, Hong Kong.

Old Bailey Restaurant Hong Kong Menu

The menu consists of a number of different offerings depending on time, and patrons are able to choose upon their fancy. The menus are as follows: –

Old Bailey Food Menu

• Old Bailey A La Carte Menu
• Old Bailey Afternoon Tea Menu
• Old Bailey Brunch Menu
• Old Bailey Chinese New Year 2019 Menu

Old Bailey Drinks Menu

•  Old Bailey Lounge Drinks Menu
• Old Bailey Wine Menu
• Old Bailey Happy Hour Menu

The first course, an appetiser, was the Tea Smoked Bean Curd Sheet Stuffed with Organic Vegetables 烟燻素鹅. The bean curd sheets were crispy and made a nice starter filled with well-seasoned vegetables. The smokiness of the sheets adds a nice deep umami flavour.

The second course, an appetiser, was the Cucumber Peel Roll in Organic Apple Cider Vinegar 有机苹果醋青瓜卷. The appetiser was sweet and sour, yet refreshing opening the palate to the dinner.

The third course, a soup, was the Hot and Sour Seafood Broth 海皇酸辣羹. The soup was nice and piquant, with a strong umami flavour from the briny sweetness of the seafood laced with crab and prawns, and was much more impressive than it looks. This dish is highly recommended.

The fourth course, a small plate, Mala Iberico Pork Xiao Long Bao 麻辣黑豚肉小笼包. The Shanghainese signature dish is also one of Old Bailey’s signatures, with a nice sweetness from the Iberico pork which intensifies the flavour. The addition of Szechuan peppercorns also adds a nice spicy tingle to the dish, further elevating the experience. This dish is a must try.

The fifth course, a small plate, was the Red Braised Lion’s Head Pork Meatball 红烧手剁有机猪狮子头. The lion’s head pork ball is also a Shanghainese speciality that appears on the menu, and the ones here served were juicy and meaty, without being dry. The flavour of the red braised sauce adds a nice sweetness to the dish, making it another fan favourite.

The sixth course, a fowl dish, was the Longjing Tea Smoked Pigeon 龙井茶皇烟燻乳鸽. The smoked pigeon is an iconic Jiangnan dish hailing from Hangzhou, with its high-grade longjing tea, one of the most expensive green teas in the world. The pigeon meat was gamey, with lovely smoky undertones, giving a deep umami sweet flavour balancing the dish well.

The sixth course, a rice dish, was the Steamed Rice, Salted Pork and Chopped Organic Seasonal Greens 上海咸肉有机菜饭. The rice dish was served with salted pork bits with the greens adding a nice freshness to the dish, but the best element of the dish would be the flavoured oil used which coated each grain of rice in flavour.

The seventh course, a dessert, was the Jujube Crispy Crêpe 枣蓉酥饼. The dessert was a nice ending to the meal, with sweet flavours from the jujube enveloped in extra flaky skin.

The Old Bailey Restaurant Experience

There are many high-end restaurants littered all over Hong Kong, which offers a wide variety of fare, but Old Bailey has managed to elevate very traditional dishes to a new level. The high-quality ingredients which are all sources carefully ensures that each dish is complete with a great experience in delivering to its patrons one of the best elevated dining you can find in modern Hong Kong. Do give this restaurant a try for some classics taken to a new level, and this is not taking into account the beverage menu with its wide list of wines and tea inspired cocktails.

_{| PHOTOHRAPHY BY : JIA GROUP, PANDA PHOON & NICHOLAS NG | WEBSITE: OLD BAILEY RESTAURANT |}