Yin Yang

After 2 days of posh indulgence, it's time to taste the real hk. And what better way than a private kitchen?

Private kitchens have now become a staple in the Hong Kong foodie scene, often found in buildings with inconspicuous entraces and hard to find stairwells. What started as a home owners cooking for guests years ago has now become a food culture that hong kongers are proud of. The interior makes you feel like you're a guest in someone's home.

So here we are today at Yin Yang kitchen where I have prearranged for a chef omakase menu. 

Based on my budget of 400hkd, the chef customised the menu accordingly.

Autumn Wild

A medley of appetisers kick started the meal, beginning with a light egg custard scattered with truffle bits and truffle shaving on top, followed by fresh sweet potato leaves tossed with a beetroot dressing and a olive oil vinagrette. We saved the best for last. To complete this dish, a beautiful prawn in chicken consommé jelly with pear. 

This was my favourite. The crunch yet sweet pear, the smooth savoury jelly and fresh prawn made for an interesting taste surprise. 

Yellow earth chicken

This is one of Yin Yang's signature dishes. Made from 'music chicken' cooked on a terracotta stove, the meat is succulent and juicy. The skin is oily with a slight layer of fat that melts in the mouth. It's as good as chicken gets in it's most earthy state. The reason for the name of the music chicken, is because there is one farm in HK where the chickens reared do actually listen to music. 

Organic stone ground tofu fish soup

(We missed a picture for this)

Broth is light and flavourful, reminds me of my grandma's cooking. The stone ground tofu has a silken texture yet posseses a raw edge quite unlike the usual processed tofu. There's a sense of home, like the dish could have made entirely from ingredients in your own backyard.

New Moon

Prawn in a lime consommé, limes freshly grown by the kitchen. The consommé radiates a natural sweetness, almost like a japanese yuzu with a slight plummy note. 

Red Hot

Terracotta stove cooked baby pig. Paired with the sweetness of the accompanying fig purée and sauce, it was perfect. The wonderful aroma stopped us all in our tracks when it was served.

Wagyu beef and crab yin yang rice

This was probably my least favourite. Although the ingredients used were premium, especially the wagyu, I found the flavours too rich and the taste too heavy, but that's just a personal opinion.

Our organic vegetables

A beautiful display of morning glory, spinach and bak choy arrived at our table. It was a refreshing end to the savoury part of our meal

As for dessert, we had an organic guava sherbet with star fruit.

This dish was enjoyed by a friend with dubious peranakan roots, but I was not accustomed to the rough texture. I think I'll stick with Haagen daaz ice cream. 

This was an enjoyable rendition of a private kitchen performance. Healthy home inspired dishes with indulgent flair.

Yin Yang

18 Ship St (turn in from Jordan St)

Wanchai Hong Kong