Price: $$$
Cravingness: ★★★☆☆
Nested on Wellington street is a new modern Chinese restaurant called Ngau Saam Gun. "Ngau" meaning cow in Chinese which automatically draw our focus on beef. Ngau Saam Gun gurantees the freshest beef possible as one of the owners is a beef supplier. Playing on Modern Chinese, Ngau Saam Gun uses Western Spices on all of the dishes aiming to surprise our palate. "Local" beef is being used here, and by local, they actually mean cow from China. It got to our nerves for a bit as we all known how unreliable China's food is, or at least to me. Yet after my dinner tonight, I can tell in confidence that their beef quality is legit.
Ngau Saam Gun is much smaller than I expected, probably can hold 15 diners max at once. From the outside, Ngau Saam Goon looks like a nostalgic dim sum shop with a modern rustic touch, a crackingly cream white stone wall contrast with metallic black frames with studds. The interior continues the theme, using greyish wood floor tiles, dark wood tables creating softness to the eyes and to make a contrast against a beautiful burgundy 3D cow mural.The ceramic coaster was another beautiful piece that I like in the restaurant.
Menu is easy to read two page menu offering abundant choices. Like many Chinese menu, it is well categorised in cold and hot dishes, main, soup, rice and noodles and dessert. Wine and Sake lists are available and extensive but we only have tea tonight. Interesting items such as Beef Carparaccio is on the food menu, but knowing the cows are sourced from China, I think I will pass.
We started with Deep Fried Beef Dumpling - HKD100 for 5 pieces, rather pricey if you asked me. The filling looked like a beef ball but tasted like beef patty with bold beef flavour. I was disappointed as the filling was rather dry, sauces are definitely needed. This is an average dish to me but the boys loved it.
Cold Beef Trio - HKD160 is a cold appetiters with cow organs cooked in three ways. First we had bible in pesto sauce. Pretty average bible, rather chewy in texture and not strong in pesto flavour. Second bowl was tribes braised in a tomato and basil broth. The tribes were very fatty and tender. Third bowl held the tendon which tasted splendid, utterly tender and glutinous after braising in cinnamon and five spices for 10 hours. An excellent cold beef trio indeed.
We also ordered the 5-Veggie Tofu Cake - HKD80, a heathy but boring dish which went nicely with spicy sauce.
Next came the long awaited "The Bucket" - HKD210, Rosemary Short Rib served in a wooden bucket. The short ribs were very tender after 11 hours of braising, but seriously the best was the caramelised carrots and the extremely glutinous tendon! totally feeling the collagen in it!
Spicy Minced Beef Noodle - HKD70 was my favourite dish at Ngau Saam Gun. Savoury minced beef, caramelised onions, crisp ebi and springy noodles! One of the best in Hong Kong! Highly recommended!
The Three-Way Mini Pig - HKD250 came in last cut into pieces and served in three interesting sauces, namely honey mustard, plum and pesto with garlic and onion. The pig was nicely roasted with crispy skin and tender meat. It was however a tad gamey which was unexpected. Sauce wise, the honey mustard and plum were both nice, but the pesto doesn't go with garlic and onion in my opinion.
The dessert option is limited, we wanted to try the osmanthus glutinous cake but it was not available the day we went. So we went to somewhere else for dessert.
Overall I was not too impressed by Ngau Saam Gun's interpretation of Western spiced Chinese dish as I found them not flavourful enough. Yet I really enjoy the quality of beef here. It is rather difficult to get such flavourful beef nowadays. Having said that I also found Ngau Saam Gun quite pricey, where I can easily get better food at Man Wah. The only thing that could get me back to visit Ngau Saam Gun can only be the delicious spicy minced beef noodles.
Ngau Saam Gun is much smaller than I expected, probably can hold 15 diners max at once. From the outside, Ngau Saam Goon looks like a nostalgic dim sum shop with a modern rustic touch, a crackingly cream white stone wall contrast with metallic black frames with studds. The interior continues the theme, using greyish wood floor tiles, dark wood tables creating softness to the eyes and to make a contrast against a beautiful burgundy 3D cow mural.The ceramic coaster was another beautiful piece that I like in the restaurant.
Menu is easy to read two page menu offering abundant choices. Like many Chinese menu, it is well categorised in cold and hot dishes, main, soup, rice and noodles and dessert. Wine and Sake lists are available and extensive but we only have tea tonight. Interesting items such as Beef Carparaccio is on the food menu, but knowing the cows are sourced from China, I think I will pass.
We started with Deep Fried Beef Dumpling - HKD100 for 5 pieces, rather pricey if you asked me. The filling looked like a beef ball but tasted like beef patty with bold beef flavour. I was disappointed as the filling was rather dry, sauces are definitely needed. This is an average dish to me but the boys loved it.
Cold Beef Trio - HKD160 is a cold appetiters with cow organs cooked in three ways. First we had bible in pesto sauce. Pretty average bible, rather chewy in texture and not strong in pesto flavour. Second bowl was tribes braised in a tomato and basil broth. The tribes were very fatty and tender. Third bowl held the tendon which tasted splendid, utterly tender and glutinous after braising in cinnamon and five spices for 10 hours. An excellent cold beef trio indeed.
We also ordered the 5-Veggie Tofu Cake - HKD80, a heathy but boring dish which went nicely with spicy sauce.
Next came the long awaited "The Bucket" - HKD210, Rosemary Short Rib served in a wooden bucket. The short ribs were very tender after 11 hours of braising, but seriously the best was the caramelised carrots and the extremely glutinous tendon! totally feeling the collagen in it!
Spicy Minced Beef Noodle - HKD70 was my favourite dish at Ngau Saam Gun. Savoury minced beef, caramelised onions, crisp ebi and springy noodles! One of the best in Hong Kong! Highly recommended!
The Three-Way Mini Pig - HKD250 came in last cut into pieces and served in three interesting sauces, namely honey mustard, plum and pesto with garlic and onion. The pig was nicely roasted with crispy skin and tender meat. It was however a tad gamey which was unexpected. Sauce wise, the honey mustard and plum were both nice, but the pesto doesn't go with garlic and onion in my opinion.
The dessert option is limited, we wanted to try the osmanthus glutinous cake but it was not available the day we went. So we went to somewhere else for dessert.
Overall I was not too impressed by Ngau Saam Gun's interpretation of Western spiced Chinese dish as I found them not flavourful enough. Yet I really enjoy the quality of beef here. It is rather difficult to get such flavourful beef nowadays. Having said that I also found Ngau Saam Gun quite pricey, where I can easily get better food at Man Wah. The only thing that could get me back to visit Ngau Saam Gun can only be the delicious spicy minced beef noodles.
Rating
Food - ★★★☆☆
Service - ★★★★☆
Ambience - ★★★★☆
Overall - ★★★☆☆
Ngau Saam Gun (牛三館)
Food - ★★★☆☆
Service - ★★★★☆
Ambience - ★★★★☆
Overall - ★★★☆☆
Ngau Saam Gun (牛三館)
Address (E) Shop A, G/F., 148 Wellington Street, Central, Hong Kong
Address (C) 香港中環威靈頓街148號地下A舖
☏ 2865 6899
Opening Hours: Mon - Sat: 12pm-3pm | 5pm - 12am. Closed on Sun.
Closed on Sun
Reservation Available? Yes
Walk In Possible? Yes
Bill Per Person (Dinner inc. Beverages) - $$$ $300 - $500
Address (C) 香港中環威靈頓街148號地下A舖
☏ 2865 6899
Opening Hours: Mon - Sat: 12pm-3pm | 5pm - 12am. Closed on Sun.
Closed on Sun
Reservation Available? Yes
Walk In Possible? Yes
Bill Per Person (Dinner inc. Beverages) - $$$ $300 - $500
Ngau Saam Gun is simply delicious! The food and presentation are both impeccable - a must visit.
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