Imperial

Exemplary of the private underground dining phenomenon sweeping Hong Kong, Imperial built its reputation by word of mouth and is now drawing a steady crowd to its unusual premises in the converted King Win Factory Building along King Yip Street in Kwun Tong. It’s an out of the way location, but with exceptional Chinese-Cantonese cuisine on the menu and all the exclusive trappings of a private kitchen setup, reservations at this family-friendly restaurant are highly sought after.

Imperial’s private dining paradigm proposes different dinner sets for 2, 4, 6 or twelve guests, each involving a broad range of Chinese dishes. And, with Cantonese cookery the focus in this Kwun Tong kitchen, Imperial has quickly become a favourite dining destination. Highlights at Imperial are undoubtedly the fresh seafood dishes that are proving hugely popular among Hong Kong gourmets. Fish head and tofu soup served in a stone pot, fried giant grouper with egg yolk, steamed razor clams with garlic served on a bed of bean vermicelli and the steamed eggs with fresh clams all come highly recommended.

While Imperial maintains a tight focus on traditional Chinese-Cantonese and Hong Kong-style cuisine, unusual fusion dishes make an appearance on their menus, which thanks to the exclusive private dining concept that prevails here in the King Win Factory Building down King Yip Street, just ten minutes walk from Kwun Tong MRT, is liable to change with every booking. If you’re lucky you might get to sample unusual options like the spare ribs prepared with strawberry or the melons carved into the shape of strange mythical beasts, their mouth stuffed with a range of other fruits and bedded down on lettuce, or the brokeback lobster with secret gravy. Reservations are essential.