Upon entering Exchange Square, a complex that houses a ton of offices, the Hong Kong Stock Exchange and the odd cafe or coffee shop, you wouldn't think there'd be much to eat in here, let alone something good anyway. Well, think again, as The Square offers great Cantonese cuisine that boasts both tradition and innovation that you need to try if you haven't already done so. We're talking about a menu backed by the experience of seasoned chefs and a constant flow of locals and Cantonese food connoisseurs proving that this restaurant is doing something right.
The most recent menu we tried is the Ocean Premium menu (currently offering a special rate of $2,480; original price: $3,980; blackout dates apply) made up of the finest seafood paired with sommelier-selected wines. The menu, which is designed for four people, begins with luxury in the form of lobster dumplings and barbecued Iberico pork along with sauteed lobster with ginger and spring onion and fish noodles, served with Champagne no less.
This is followed by a brilliantly grilled and crisp pan-fried scallop, which is soft in the middle, topped with crispy deep-fried shallots and caviar that comes plated with the thinnest pancake so you can wrap it almost Peking duck style, which is fun to make and even better to eat, complemented by a glass of Billaud Simon Petit Chablis.
The main event, however, is the incredibly fragrant Spanish red prawn simmered in Hua Diao and chicken oil atop the silkiest steamed egg which absorbs all the fresh sweetness and deep umami from the seafood, rice wine and oil. Steamed sea bass with Puning bean sauce is then paired with a glass of Vincent Girardin Bourgogne Rouge Cuvee Saint Vincent which completes the seafood showcase. You really do need to save room for the dessert though because the chilled sago mango cream is really worth the belly space.