beef stroganoff
frosty mug
Stilton soup

Restaurant Review!

The Chinnery l Central l Hong Kong

Years ago, I had the great fortune of walking up to the wood paneled walls of the Chinnery at the Mandarin Hotel and asking for a table. The maitre’d advised us that there was no table available at the time so we advised him we’d be heading to the bar on the top floor for drinks. A few minutes later, while sipping drinks 10 stories up, we were approached by the bartender who asked us if we were the two gentlemen who had been waiting for a table at the Chinnery. Apparently, our table would soon be ready for us. A few minutes later, the maitre’d from the Chinnery approached our table to walk us the 10 floors back down to our table! We told him we would settle the bill first and meet him at the Chinnery. This is the level of service that has made the Mandarin hotel famous. It’s not about some sort of fawning servitude. It’s a professionalism that leaves you feeling that you were taken care of with respect and courtesy.

I was eager to rekindle that magic as I sat in the deep upholstered chairs of this small dining room. Serving a streamlined menu that focuses on a certain “old boys club” dining sensibility, it took me a great deal of time to choose amongst a wide set of winners. I settled on a horrifying yet delicious stilton cheese soup with crispy fried lardons. Indulgent but surprisingly enough, not overly rich. My main course of beef stroganoff will still remain as the best I’ve ever had. The beef was perfectly seared while the egg noodles had just the right amount of bounce. The meal and room seemed to emanate a quiet perfection. And, who can say no to a beer served in a chilled sterling mug?

Sadly, this old English feel also came with the reminder of Hong Kong’s colonial past. I hate to say it but race matters in Hong Kong. The all Chinese staff definately gave me a different level of service from my Caucasian counterparts. Its somewhat engrained at times and some people here equate western people with an inherent level of culture that calls for a certain level of entitlement. I switched to English when I noticed the difference but that only helped slightly. It may have differed last time as my server was Caucasian those years before but the spell was broken. Though I still love the food and the room, I will always cringe a bit when I walk in, like I’m just not as welcome as others.