Modern China Restaurant - Chinese, Hong Kong

Best: Tan-Tan Noodles

1 Matheson Street, Shop 1002, 10/F, Food Forum, Times Square,Causeway Bay, Hong Kong
2506 2525

Last Visited: November 21, 2010

Food: 4 stars

Atmosphere: 4 to 5 stars

Service: 2 to 3 stars

Price: $$ to $$$$

There are three Modern China Restaurant locations in Hong Kong.  One in Causeway Bay (the one I tried), one in Tai Kwok Tsui, and one in Ma On Shan.  Modern China is known for good food, nice settings, and high prices.  The best time to go is during tea time when they offer two special set meals with smaller portions for a reduced price, but still present a variety of dishes in these set menus.  Menus are also available in English, so if you're a tourist, or can't read Chinese, it's great.

One of Modern China's main features is their tea selection.  Today, they offered two set menus, each at a different price with different choices available on each menu.  Both menus feature a pot of tea and two courses each.  The first course is usually an appetizer such as spareribs and drunken chicken, while the second course includes choices like Shanghai noodles, dumplings, and fried rice.

As we sat down, we appreciated the nice atmosphere, but our impression of service was tainted from an experience earlier in the day.  With their doors wide open, we entered the restaurant before lunch, and even though staff was in the rear, they never came out to tell us that they weren't open yet.  We sat around for twenty minutes, and finally learned they weren't open for another hour.  We decided to have a lighter lunch so we could come back and try the tan-tan noodles which my aunt had raved about after returning from her most recent visit to Hong Kong.

We ordered two variations from the same set menu.
- Seasoned Noodles with Chicken - Also known as 'fun pei,' you're basically getting fun (think crepe, but rice flour is the base of the batter) that has been cut into thin strips.  Served with the fun is shredded chicken that squash, bean sprouts, and sesame seeds, all with a peanut sauce.  The different strips of ingredients create an interesting mouth feel - both soft and slightly crunchy.  Good.  It's a small plate, so you definitely will have room for more. 

- Tan Tan Noodles - My aunt raved about these noodles.  The noodles are rolled very nicely and served just a little softer than al dente.  The bowl is topped with fresh peanuts, ground pork, preserved greens, and fresh scallions.  While it's a completely different style than the other tan-tan noodles I tried at another famous local spot, it was still really good.  I enjoyed it quite a bit, especially with the addition of the peanuts.

From the second menu, we ordered the following:

- Deep Fried Chicken Wings - Three chicken wings are marinated in a salt and pepper batter, fried until golden brown, and served with five spice salt and a sweet sauce.  These came out very hot in temperature and had a lot of good flavor - very delicious and worth getting again.  I wouldn't have minded a double portion.

- Dumplings in Soup - While the presentation of the egg omelette strips made the five dumplings in soup look quite lovely - those beautiful yellow ribbons floating in the soup were pretty much the highlight of the dish.  The dumpling wrapper leaned on the thick side and the meat filling was pretty standard.  The broth was nicely flavored and light.  Considering what's available at other Hong Kong establishments, you could do better elsewhere.

The tea was nicely brewed and well-labeled.  The pots are fairly small which equates to calling on the server more frequently if they're not paying attention. 

When I visited, the two menus were $42HKD and $52HKD which equates to about $6 to $8 depending on the exchange rate. 

Modern China offers an enjoyable experience for trying different types of tea in a westernized setting.  The table arrangements are fairly spacious and the English menu makes it easier to make selections if you're unfamiliar with the food and language.  The service is pretty slow and could us some improvement; we had to flag down the server several times, but if you're going to try the tan-tan noodles, doing so during the afternoon tea time offers you the best value.