Dining and Wining ...
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Where Not To Go
 

The restaurant is 41 years young … and it is still going strong. 

Chesa of Peninsula Hongkong must be one of the most-consistent restaurants in the Hongkong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). 

It is consistent because the quality of its fare is superior to many other, stand-alone restaurants and food outlets of hotels in the territory. 

It is consistent because the service is superior to most other stand-alone restaurants and food outlets of hotels in the territory.  

It is consistent because it is, always, reasonable value for money although it is far from being the cheapest dining establishment in the territory. 

Many of the old staff of this European-styled restaurant with a Swiss flavour has long gone since TARGET (泰達財經) first visited Chesa, many years ago, but thanks to good management at The Pen, as the hotel is, often, lovingly referred to, the service continues to be excellent, by and large. 

On the evening that TARGET wandered in, using a false name, this was that which this medium ordered: 

The only real disappointment, as far as TARGET is concerned, was the Swiss Sausage Salad because it was a nothing salad, with the so-called, Swiss Sausage, being insipid, and the vegetables, having been smothered in a type of mayonnaise. 

The other dishes, however, were excellent. 

For lovers of cheese, the Raclette du Valàis will be an absolute treat because, as far as this medium can ascertain, only Chesa serves this dish. 

And, happily, it is still served in the traditional Swiss style – as it, always, has been served. 

A word of caution: This dish is very fattening and very filling, even if one orders the appetizer portion. 

The Rősti aux Champignons etc is another dish which is rarely served anywhere else in the HKSAR. 

It, too, is true to Swiss form, however, perhaps a little too much oil had been used in its preparation. 

The height of the evening’s meal was the simple, grilled calf’s liver, which had been cooked to absolute perfection. 

This is not to suggest that the pork knuckle dish is to be sneezed at, not at all, but, in the opinion of this reviewer, the calf’s liver was exceptional even in its simplicity. 

Without boring TARGET Subscribers with a detailed, dish-by-dish account of the 4-course dinner, suffice it to say that, for the amount of money that one pays for a really satisfying meal, complete with excellent service, Chesa is high up there with the best. 

Chesa could never be considered a fine-dining establishment, however, because it is not that kind of food outlet. 

It has the ambiance of a home-styled restaurant, tucked away in a small European village, where mom and dad run the show while family members serve the guests. 

Chesa only seats about 50 people so that one has to book in advance in order not to be disappointed. 

The restaurant serves an excellent Champagne, named Deutz, although it is dubbed Peninsula Champagne.

This is a sweetish Champagne which has, as far as TARGET can remember, been the pouring Champagne of this fine hotel for many, many years. 

The Chesa chef is Mr Wan Kwok Chung, a Chinese gentleman, trained in Germany, who, sadly, was absent when TARGET visited his outlet. 

There are no gweilos, working in Chesa, with all of the cooking staff, being Chinese nationals, all of whom, clearly, know their eggs … or should that read, know their European cuisine?