(crab w/ preserved egg, Peking duck, surf clam in shell)

With the array of restaurants in San Francisco, it can be overwhelming to choose a place to celebrate mother’s day. On a Sunday evening, I enjoyed the seasonal banquet tasting menu at Hong Kong Flower Lounge restaurant with my mom.

Sitting on its opulent foundation, Hong Kong Flower Lounge protrudes boldly on the corner of Millbrae avenue. Customers walk beneath imperial shingles before entering their unpretentious lobby. In the five hundred seat restaurant, the best seat in the house is window side where diners have a panoramic view. The banquet menu offers not only specialties items but also a dining experience. Similar to a well orchestrated symphony, the wait staff work in harmony to provide a grand experience. Dressed in salmon colored jackets, servers load the haute cuisine. The manager, dressed handsomely in a black suit, ladles soup and arranges the dishes so that the spinning tray is free from clutter.

Chefs and manager huddle to assemble a banquet menu. Banquet menu’s are all about balance and uses of flavor. The parboiled giant surf clam was an exciting starter. Served on its four inch half shell, the meaty clam with it sea sweet flavor marries well with the sweet soy sauce. Contrasting the flavors of the first seafood dish, baked oyster with “XO” sauce made a bold statement. The spicy seafood sauce is made from dried scallop and shrimp infused with oil basting in chili, onion, and garlic. However, the oyster was drowning in so much XO sauce that the oyster’s flavor was completely lost. Rescuing my spiced up palate, the braised shark fin soup arrived. Known as a prized delicacy, slender fins swim in a thick soup. The mushroom added a subtle earthy tone. A drizzle of red vinegar rounds out the soup. The shrimp cake was my least favorite of the night. Lacking any grandness, the dish featured a mere compilation of shrimp cake wok fried with mushrooms and sweet bean.

The Peking duck was a do-it-yourself dish. Shaped like plump lips, white pillowy buns surround a neatly assembled duck skin platter. This dish is also about displaying culinary knife skills. Intricately, chefs cut paper thin duck skin that includes fat. Only upon request, the Perking duck includes the duck meat. Lacking presentation, the braised black bass drowned out my excitement. Tofu chunks and bean curd accompanied the fish which did not come together in its thick oyster based sauce. With a nutty taste from roasted garlic, the mound of pea sprouts “doa mui” was a great vegetable dish. The sweetness of the vegetables were amplified by soaking in sweet broth made from hours of brewing. My favorite dish of the night was the crab with preserved egg. Preserved duck egg yolk pan fried with two crabs. Rich in consistency and savory taste, the egg is a perfect addition to the crab meat. The fried rice with fluffy egg whites and dry scallops needed a dash of salt. The read bean soup was a great comfort dessert to end the banquet.

For the entire meal, the total was $350 including tax and tip for ten people. Manager Albert Yau also recommends the papaya shark fin soup and abalone. Aside from the seasonal special banquet, additional haute cuisine can be sampled in the “Buddha Jump Over the Wall” banquet course for $600. The main attraction delivered in banquet courses is a night of tasting authentic dishes that you will not find at your Chinese fast food court.

51 Millbrae Ave
Millbrae
California, 94030
P: 650.692.6666
F: 650.692.0522

Open 7 days a week

Monday – Friday:
11am–2:30pm, 5pm–9:30pm
Saturday, Sunday, Holiday:
10:30am–2:30pm, 5pm–9:30pm

(Prices: $20 and up)