Despite living in Boston for over twenty years, I only heard the Boston Symphony Orchestra a handful of times. As a student at MIT I could have gone for free, and yet I hardly took advantage of the opportunity (probably because school-related things always felt more urgent).
Ironically, it took a pandemic (and a violinist friend) who got me back into the concert hall. The past 6 months, Bryan and I have already gone to the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra THREE times (!).
The Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra plays in Tsim Sha Tsui in a concert hall right along the harbourfront. They have one of the best views in Hong Kong.
About a month ago, we decided to gift a friend tickets to the HKPhil orchestra together with a pre-show dinner for her birthday. This friend really loves Chinese food, so Bryan started hunting around for excellent Chinese restaurants around the concert hall. I was thrilled to discover The Queen, a new upscale Chinese restaurant that opened during the pandemic in 2020.
The Queen Restaurant
The Queen is located inside FWD HOUSE 1881, a historic building in Hong Kong’s vibrant Tsim Sha Tsui neighborhood. It served as Hong Kong Marine Police Headquarters from the 1880’s until 1996 and is now a historical landmark that has been redone beautifully. The buildings have now been converted into a boutique hotel and several restaurants, including The Araki, a high-end sushi restaurant, and The Queen Restaurant.
The Food
The Queen Restaurant serves Chinese food from a variety of different regions, including Guangdong (Cantonese), Shanghai, and Sichuan. The food is decidedly high end and carries a bit of fusion influence (hello black truffle crispy chicken!).
It’s not surprising, considering that the head chef (Ki Pak Chan) previously came from Wing Lei, 1-Michelin star Cantonese restaurant a Wynn Macau. Chef Lee Chi-Kwong came from Sichuan restaurant Chuan Palace, and chef Saito Chau from the popular modern Chinese restaurant John Anthony.
It’s definitely worth trying some of their signature dishes, such as the impressive Sichuan style lobster and tofu (main dish) or the creative and delicate Japanese watermelon with Sichuan spicy sauce (appetizer).
The fusion dishes are certainly creative, artfully presented, and fun to try. However, even the simple, classic dishes, like Cantonese scrambled eggs with crystal prawns, were executed flawlessly.
Sweets and Snacks
General Thoughts – The Queen Restaurant FWD HOUSE 1881
I found the food to be quite exciting, solidly representing different regions of China yet bringing a refreshing twist. Everything was exquisitely prepared, and we really enjoyed our meal. This is a great place to enjoy a fantastic Chinese meal before going to an event at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre in Tsim Sha Tsui. Even if you aren’t going to a show, I think the food at The Queen Restaurant is worthy of a visit in its own right.
I’ll be back!
The Queen Restaurant FWD HOUSE 1881
G/F, FWD House 1881 Main Building, 2A Canton Road, Tsim Sha Tsui
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