Where To Eat

After an absence of many a year, TARGET (泰達財經) made an impromptu return visit to The Bostonian Restaurant, the main dining room of The Langham Hotel, Hongkong, located at Tsimshatsui, Kowloon. 

And, Oh! What changes have been made since the last visit. 

The Bostonian Restaurant has all the appearances of being larger than this medium recalls, but it is only the appearance of the large hall that gives one that feeling because, in terms of décor, there have been very few changes. 

But that is not the case with regard to the food, being served at this unashamedly unpretentious eatery. 

On Friday evening, June 20, 2014, at about 6:30 pm, TARGET’s team of three reviewers entered the near empty, cavernous room down a flight of steps, a room that has a maximum capacity of 90 patrons. 

Within about one hour of arrival, The Bostonian was filling up, so much so that the five serving staff were finding it exceedingly difficult to keep up with their respective duties. 

On studying the wine list, this reviewer noted that G.H. Mumm, Cordon Rouge was being offered at $HK890 per bottle. 

It is not often that this wine is on a restaurant’s list and, since this Champagne from Reims has long been a favourite, it was quickly ordered with the instructions: ‘Please make certain that it is cold.’ 

The Champagne was not the only surprise that TARGET had noted, soon after entering this restaurant, because, within a few paces from the bottom of the entrance staircase, there was a display of what must have been in excess of 30 different kinds of fresh oysters from a number of places in the world – from Ireland, Wales, England, Australia and, of course, from France. 

With the Champagne, TARGET’s reviewers gulped down six oysters, each, costing $HK984 for the 18, freshly chucked oysters. 

The consensus was that the Irish Rock Oyster and Normande stood out as being the most flavourful of the bivalve molluscs, although the fines de claires could not be discounted for those who prefer a less meaty oyster. 

With half of the bottle of Champagne, having been drunk, it was time to decide on the remainder of the night’s food. This was that which was ordered: 

Baked Onion Soup au Gratin
$HK108 

New England Clam Chowder
$HK118 

The Bostonian Lobster Bisque
$HK138 

Orange and Soy Grilled Pork Baby Back Ribs
$HK348 

Barramundi Fillet
$HK378 

Boston Cape Cod ‘Fish and Chips’
$HK268 

Creamed Spinach
$HK74 

Wild Mushrooms, sautéed in garlic
$HK74 

Sweet Potato Fries
$HK74 

Boston Cream Pie
$HK98 

The Food 

All three soups were delicious and one could not criticise any one of them. 

As for the main courses, however, the Orange and Soy Grilled Pork Baby Back Ribs were inedible. 

What some fool in the kitchen had done was to boil the pork ribs until the meat was nearly falling off the bone and, then, pour some sauce on top of the meat, giving it the appearance (to some extent) that the ribs had been grilled. 

One bite was enough. The dish was sent packing. 

The barramundi fillet, on the other hand, was par excellence! It could not have been better.  

The fish was fresh, not frozen, although, most likely, it had been packed in ice for the journey from whereever the fish had been farmed, to Hongkong. 

As for the ‘Fish and Chips’, well, as one would have expected, it was an oily dish, but it was what it should have been, and the appearance on the dish of the deep-fried fish was very good.  

For people who relish this kind of dish, they would have stated, no doubt, that it was the best of the three main courses. 

As for the four side dishes, they were just that: Side dishes and nothing to write home to Mom. 

The Boston Cream Pie was a dud. It was not that which this reviewer recalls on the last trip to Boston, Massachusetts. 

It was another dish that was sent packing. 

Conclusion 

While The Bostonian makes the claim of being a ‘well-established American restaurant’, TARGET can assure Subscribers that nothing could be further from the truth. 

The bumph about this restaurant should read that, for scrumptious fresh oysters and for a great fish meal, cooked in a European manner by Chinese cooks, The Bostonian is hard to beat in these 416 square miles that constitute Hongkong. 

It seemed to this reviewer that all of the people in the kitchen must have been ethnically Chinese because, in the opinion of this medium, the Chinese are among the best cooks in the world, and, in the preparation fish, they are hard to beat. 

One thing that may put off TARGET Subscribers, who are in a hurry, is that the food outlet appears to have a paucity of serving staff so that, as this reviewer discovered, one is left, from time to time, to pour one’s own Champagne – which, by the way, was delicious.