gracecheung604 | write on time: Koon Bo revisited

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Koon Bo revisited

It's been close to a year since my last visit to Koon Bo, and it was high time for a revisit. With some friends from out of town visiting, it seemed like a good idea. Koon Bo is known for several "must-have" dishes and we didn't stray far off that path. 
IMG_4213 First up, you'll recognize the House Special Shredded Chicken 手絲雞, which you'll see at practically every table. It's a mixture of shredded chicken, pickled & preserved veggies, jellyfish and shredded wonton crisps in a sesame oil and soy sauce. I think there is a bit of chili oil too, because I could taste a mild hint of heat. The flavourful sauce and the multitude of textures makes this a crowd favourite. IMG_4218 Another common sight is the Deep Fried Stuffed Bean Curd 琵琶豆腐. The stuffing is a blend of silky tofu and veggies, which is then battered and deep fried. The texture combination of cripsy on the outside and smooth on the inside is good, however, I find that the taste itself was rather bland. But I guess that's why they give you the dipping sauce, right? It's a sweet and sour sauce, although chili paste/oil could come in handy here too!
 IMG_4219
I am a huge fan of BBQ Duck but because it's rather fatty, I don't have it as often as I want. That said, when someone else orderse it, well, it can't be helped, right? I actually love the bony pieces, so I spent most of the dinner working on these. Honestly, I think I ate about a quarter of this dish. IMG_4224 First of all, let me apologize for the blurriness of the next few images. I had to take these super fast, as the guests at the table aren't used to me and my picture-taking ways. This is the Tung Choy (or On Choy). In Cantonese, this literally means hollow vegetable. It was simply stired fried with galic and a bit of shirmp paste. The aroma is stronger than the taste, but I still found them a touch oily.
IMG_4222 I'm not a huge fan of Sweet and Sour Pork but I realize there is a large group of people who love this stuff. I actually looked up a recipe for this dish once, wanting to recreate it home. However, once I found out that you had to deep fry the pork, it was off limits for me.  The sauce is thick and gooey, making it a great addition to plain old jasmine rice. I did pick off lots of the peppers though! 
IMG_4230 Another type of dish that goes well with plain rice is the Hot Pots, specifically, this is the Braised Beef Shank Hot Pot. The cooking method ensures that the flavourful sauce stays in the dish, and each piece of meat is meltingly soft. I wished there were a few more veggies in this dish, but that's a minor complaint. IMG_4226 Pan Fried Beef with Pickled Vegetables and Young Ginger. I liked this dish because the beef was really well marinated. The veggies had a slight bite to them still, which was really nice. The ginger taste is quite mild, you can tell that it's ginger, but there isn't the usual bitterness that usually accompanies dishes with lots of ginger.  IMG_4229 Ah, when this Assorted Seafood in Bird's Nest was placed at the table, everyone was busy eating, so I managed to get a decent shot. The presentation is cute, with wonton wrappers deep fried into a serving bowl. There were scallops, squid, shrimp and lots of white fish too. The peas and carrots were a bit overpowered by the celery, but I loved it all. Crunchy veggies all day long!! IMG_4233And this is another popular dish, their Baked Sago Pudding with Taro and Lotus Seed Paste. Those familiar with this dish will notice that it's actually missing the taro on the bottom. We asked for this specifically, since not many of the group were fans of taro. It was nice that they accommodated us. I missed the crust that some places serve this with, say Fortune GardenAll in all a solid meal, a good blend of poultry, seafood, veggies and meat.

Take Note:


  • Closed on Mondays
  • Order the Baked Sago and BBQ Duck ahead of time to avoid disappointment (they can run out)
  • Also know for their Squab and Fresh Seafood but can be quite pricey

Koon Bo Restaurant 冠寶美食之家 on Urbanspoon

1 comment:

  1. Anonymous7:20 PM

    They have one of the better shredded chicken and jellyfish dishes we've had. I've heard they have a taro duck dish here but I haven't tried it yet.

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