I love Shanghainese food, so I choose to have a Shanghainese lunch on my birthday. Xiao Nan Guo used to be one of my most favourite Shanghainese restaurants in Hong Kong. For some reason I haven't been there for some time and today when I come, I notice a few changes here.
Although the restaurant's Chinese name remains 小南國, its trade name is changed to 1987 Shanghai Min. Well, this restaurant was opened in Hong Kong in 1987, so the name change is understandable. The second change is the location. Luckily it only moved from 12/F of Time Square to 11/F, so I still manage to find it. The third change is somewhat strange - their most famous signature dish 'grandmother's pork' disappeared from their menu!
No wonder people always say 'the world is changing'. This I can understand, but a restaurant stop selling something highly reputable and in high demand is beyond my understanding. In fact, 'grandmother's pork' is one of my most favourite Shanghainese dishes, and I come to Xiao Nam Guo because of it. Luckily the waiter told us there was a replacement dish called 'braised pork with bamboo shoot'. Very juicy, tender and delicious. Even if your grandmother is a meat lover but her teeth didn't perform well, she can still enjoy this dish without a problem.
Braised Pork with Bamboo Shoot (HK$298)
Chinese usually eat noodle on birthdays. I'm not quite sure of the reason behind, but could be a matter of longevity, due to the length of the noodles.
Green onion stirred with Soy Sauce is one of my favourites from Xiao Nan Guo, very yummy.
Noodle Stirred with Green Onion and Soy Sauce (HK$48)
Qi vegetable is flown in from Shanghai direct. Its availability is quite depend on the season, luckily it is available today. It is a cold dish cooked with dry tofu - very healthy
Qi Vegetable with Dry Tofu (HK$58)
Drunk Chicken (HK$80)
Undoubtedly good! I even drank a few spoons of the soup with very fragrant Chinese wine. No worries, no one will get drunk with a drunk chicken.
Deep Fried Mini Yellow Fish (HK48@)
This appears on almost every table. They are really wonderful! Very crispy outside, soft and tender inside. Price wise, not too expensive.
One thing I want to mention is that they have an area dedicated for 2-person tables. It is relatively quiet comparing sitting at the main dining area - quite a good idea!
Anna's 2-person Birthday Lunch at 1987 Shanghai Min
HK$705 (c.US$91)
inclusive of tea, pickle and 10% service charge
11/F, Time Square, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong
Tel: 2874 8899
Hong Kong Food Blog - Shanghainese Birthday Lunch
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