Pak Loh Chiu Chow Restaurant Celebrates the Spirit of Family Reunion with Glorious Festival Tasting Menus at Times Square and Elements Starring Beloved Classics

(30 December 2024, Hong Kong) Pak Loh Chiu Chow Restaurant, a legendary name in Hong Kong for authentic Chiu Chow cuisine, fosters family and community togetherness into the Lunar New Year with three lavish festival tasting menus at branches in Times Square and Elements operated by Buick Management, as well as traditional puddings for heartwarming home gatherings and gifting.

The spirit of family reunion has been a cornerstone of Pak Loh Chiu Chow since it opened in 1967 on Hysan Avenue, Causeway Bay. For nearly six decades, the Bui family has upheld the culinary excellence and authentic flavours that set Chiu Chow cooking apart. During Winter and the Spring festival, the two branches buzz with joy as tables fill with groups celebrating good health and fortune over expertly prepared classics.

Rejoice at Blissful Family Reunions with Harmonious Tasting Feasts Ushering in Good Fortune

Now overseeing Pak Loh restaurants on both sides of the harbour – in Times Square, Causeway Bay and Elements, West Kowloon – the family-led Buick Management proudly marches into its 58th Lunar New Year by presenting a trio of exceptional menus specially curated by acclaimed Chef Hui Mei-tak that embrace timeless recipes and reflect timely auspicious rituals.

Affording loved ones, businesses and groups the opportunity to mark the New Year in the uplifting Chiu Chow tradition, these glorious 10-course celebrations are served until 13 February 2025 (closed on Wednesday, 29 January 2025, the First Day of the Lunar New Year). Prices start from HK$3,980 for 6 people, plus 10% service charge and the customary levy for tea and pre-meal snacks.

The Welcome Spring Set (HK$3,980 for 6 people; HK$7,980 for 12) begins with the comforting, crunchy appetiser of Deep-fried Crispy Noodles Roll Stuffed with Minced Shrimp, Pork and Fat Choy – the latter ingredient of sea moss, or ‘hair vegetable’, conjures familiar associations of good luck and riches in the year to come.

Chiu Chow Salty Chicken and Pig’s Trotters combines the succulent house signature of chicken delicately coated in coarse salt with the New Year must of pork knuckle – whose Cantonese name, ‘waang choy jau sau’, alludes to money flowing in easily and unexpectedly. The tender chicken absorbs the savoury essence of the salt in the marinade while retaining its natural juiciness, which not only gives this family-favourite rustic dish a perfect balance of flavours but also makes it incredibly moreish.

Braised Supreme Seafood with Bamboo Pith, and Braised Sliced Abalone with Goose Web bring the luxe vibes of premium delicacies to the table, while Crispy Chicken with Chilli Pepper enlivens the taste buds with its crispy texture and piquant spice. A Lunar New Year classic, Braised Dried Oyster with Vegetable and Fat Choy signals prosperity through its combination of ‘ho si’ (oyster), meaning business is good, and the traditional festival salutation of ‘kung hei fat choy’ (wishing you wealth).

The Prosperity Set (HK$4,980 for 6 people; HK$9,980 for 12) is led by two of the restaurant’s most outstanding dishes. Soyed Goose Meat and Sliced Cuttlefish showcases the Bui family’s cherished 58-year-old soy marinade – passed down over three generations since they first welcomed guests in the late 1960s, it encapsulates the soul of Chiu Chow cuisine. Infused with aromatic spices such as dried tangerine peel, liquorice and star anise along with new ingredients added over the years to ensure the unique authenticity of its flavours, the brine sauce base is used to baste the region’s native lion-head goose – a breed celebrated for producing richly flavoured and smoothly textured meat. The ‘king of geese’ comes with the classic festival pairing of succulent sliced cuttlefish.

In the skilled hands of Chef Hui, the Chiu Chow culinary tradition of Golden Oyster with Crispy Noodles is a stunning sight. Delectable layers of oyster, bean curd, nostoc (star jelly) and shrimp paste are wrapped in a noodle web and deep-fried – they resemble artful prawns, beautifully crisp and golden.

Other dishes evoking nostalgic memories to draw loved ones together include Braised Supreme Seafood with Fish Maw; 6 catties of Stewed Abalone with Goose Web in Oyster Sauce; and the all-time Chiu Chow favourite of Crispy Chicken with Loosestrife, contrasting the softest meat with delicate greenery deep-fried so it melts in the mouth. The auspicious delight of Braised Courgette with Conpoy and Fat Choy marries the sweetness of the vegetable, the umami of precious dried scallop, and the nutritious goodness of the algae, while reflecting the wordplay of ‘reunion’ (conpoy) and ‘money coming in’ (fat choy).

The most luxurious of the reunion tasting menus, Pak Loh Set (HK$7,880 for 6 people; HK$14,980 for 12) opens with the decadent Chiu Chow Glorious Appetiser Platter, a medley of festive delights embracing lion-head goose slices dressed with the Bui family’s special soy marinade, alongside cuttlefish, pork belly with the perfect ratio of meat, fat and crispy skin, and rich braised egg

Headlining the parade of desirable dishes is the all-time favourite of Steamed Giant Grouper in Traditional Style – fish (‘yu’ in Chinese) signifies abundance and prosperity – as well as Chiu Chow Smoked Duck with Bagasse. The crushed sugarcane stalks (bagasse) imbue a sweetness to the duck, whose flavours and aromas intensify during the smoking ritual.

Braised Sea Cucumber with Sliced Abalone and Vegetables; and Braised Dried Oyster and Conpoy with Vegetable and Fat Choy are hearty dishes ideal for the winter season. They both comprise sumptuous ingredients that are not only prized but also embody the blessings of the Lunar New Year.

The four final dishes of each feast offer satisfying carbs, sweet notes and refreshing citrus to cleanse the palate. Decoratively wrapped in a golden web with a crisscross opening, Fried Rice with Minced Pork and Preserved Vegetables features Chiu Chow’s iconic pickled veggies paired with juicy minced pork in a warming dish that wards off winter chills. The festival mainstay of Pan-fried Golden Sticky Rice Cake is a glowing extravagance made with top-quality local cane sugar, while the ever-popular Chiu Chow Glutinous Dumplings in Sweet Soup is said to ensure family harmony. A Seasonal Fruit Platter rounds off these wondrous sets for all the family to enjoy together.

Exquisite Festive Puddings That Bind People Together During Chinese New Year

Pak Loh Chiu Chow Restaurant proudly presents two delicious, own-recipe Lunar New Year puddings lovingly crafted from the finest ingredients. Made wholly in Hong Kong with no additives, they are the ultimate in luxury gifting or home indulgence to delight family and friends.

Adhering to a traditional recipe passed down since the restaurant’s early days, Superior Prosperity Golden Rice Cake (HK$228, 1.5 catties) is enriched by premium local sugarcane – one of the secrets to the subtle sweet taste and chewy texture of this beloved glutinous rice treat (nian gao) ready to slice, pan-fry or steam, and share.

A savoury temptation for Chinese New Year sharing, Ingenious Classic Conpoy Turnip Cake (HK$228, 1.5 catties) is a succulent sensation starring an array of prized ingredients, including conpoy, air-dried shrimp and air-dried Chinese sausage, blended with turnip and shiitake mushrooms.

The puddings can be picked up from the Times Square and Elements branches or from Pak Loh Chiu Chow Private Kitchen in Central, or Moon Lok Chiu Chow in Citygate, Tung Chung (collection between 1 and 27 January 2025; no delivery service is available).

“I am delighted to present a choice of three splendid menus for celebrating Chinese New Year that showcase the beloved dishes of the Pak Loh kitchen and the exceptional dining heritage of my native Chiu Chow region,” says Buick Management Group Executive Chef Hui Mei-tak. “All our creations are labours of love, designed to bring harmonious and heartwarming flavours of harmony to our guests during this meaningful family festival.”

“Family reunions hold a vital place in the hearts of Chiu Chow people, highlighting our deep respect for family and tradition,” says Alexa Bui, Marketing Director of Buick Management. “We welcome you to come and share in the joy of the festival season over extraordinary menus laced with luxurious ingredients and favourite dishes from our 58-year legacy in Hong Kong. What’s more, our deluxe New Year Puddings extend this spirit of rejoicing to homes all over Hong Kong.”

Since opening Pak Loh Chiu Chow Restaurant in 1967, the Bui family has revolutionised Chiu Chow cuisine in Hong Kong, transforming it from rustic dining into a refined culinary journey. By introducing authentic recipes and premium ingredients, they elevated the cuisine to cater to business entertaining alongside family gatherings and spread its many joys to a wider audience. Today, with Alexa Bui and Jonny Bui, and Chef Hui Mei-tak – one of the most respected chefs in Chinese cuisine with more than 30 years of experience – at the helm, Pak Loh Chiu Chow Restaurant continues to set the standard for excellence in traditional Chiu Chow dining.

For more information or enquiries, please visit https://buick-hk.com/.

Pak Loh Chiu Chow Restaurant locations and contacts:

Pak Loh Chiu Chow Restaurant Times Square

Address: Shop 1002, 10/F, Times Square, 1 Matheson Street, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong

Tel: (852) 2577-1163

Opening Hours: Monday to Friday – 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.; Saturday, Sunday and Public Holidays –10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.

Pak Loh Chiu Chow Restaurant Elements

Address: Shop 1028D, 1/F, Elements, 1 Austin Road West, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong

Tel: (852) 3691-9168

Opening Hours: Monday to Friday – 10:45 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.; Saturday, Sunday and Public Holidays – 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.

Like and connect with Pak Loh Chiu Chow Restaurant on:

Facebook – www.facebook.com/PakLohChiuChow/