Hidden amongst the hustle of Wan Chai is Flower Drum, a private restaurant dedicated in quality Cantonese cuisine.

The mastermind behind the exquisite restaurant is Nansen Lai, son of head chef at the famous Asiania Restaurant. It’s therefore not hard to imagine how Nansen develops such meticulous taste for food.

After pursuing his education in Australia, Nansen returns to help run his father’s restaurant. He was then invited to lead the Chinese restaurant at the Four Seasons Hotel in Egypt. All these contributed to Nansen’s wealth of expertise in Chinese cuisine, and paved the way for his first restaurant.

Nansen started Flower Drum for one uncomplicated cause: to create fine taste with the simplest ingredients.

Their signature dish is Chicken Rice with Termite Mushroom and Shredded Cured Ham in Soup, a flavoursome dish made with exquisite steps. Half of the deboned chicken is put to simmer with dried shallot, ginger and shredded cured ham. The thick and sapid broth is then used to stew the rest of the chicken. After cooking the rice in an iron pot, the chicken broth is poured over to create a texture similar to that of an al dente risotto.

The termite mushroom adds quintessential flavour to the dish. Extracted from termite nests in Yunan, the fungus is extremely seasonal. To prolong its aroma, it is stir-fried with vegetable oil and Sichuanese peppercorn. Poured over the chicken before serving, the mushroom adds a relishing shimmer to the dish.

Flower Drum takes its name from a Chinese restaurant in Melbourne Nansen worked at as a student, and now a token of the passion and tenacity in his cooking.

菜香不怕巷子深，隱於灣仔的私房菜館「鋒膳」，亦只專心一意做好精緻粵菜。

創造鋒膳的，是富豪飯堂「富萬年酒樓」總廚之子黎兆鋒 (Nansen)。從小受飲食文化薰陶，Nansen對味道自然別有一番追求。於澳洲學成後，Nansen回港助父親打理酒樓，更到埃及的四季酒店管理中菜部。年月間融匯了各式中菜烹調心得，造就了鋒膳的誕生。

對Nansen來說，開餐廳的原因再純粹不過：以簡單的食材，做出傳統而精緻的味道。

招牌菜是「油雞樅菌腿絲皇湯雞飯」，製作的過程殊不簡單。原隻新鮮黃雞去骨拆肉，一半雞肉先連同乾蔥頭、薑、和金華火腿絲煮成濃郁雞汁，再用作炆雞。就連在米飯上也看得出心思，着意以生鐵煲煮成。飯面上淋上雞汁，做出義大利飯般的煙韧質感。

油雞樅菌是菜式的精髓。 雞樅菌 (Termite Mushroom) 季節性很短，更要從雲南的白蟻窩萃取而得，是以尤其珍貴。 雲南人則巧妙地以菜油花椒炒的方法，讓雞樅菌更持久。上菜前灑上飯面，更添色香味。

鋒膳英文取名「Flower Drum」，正是 Nansen當年在澳洲兼職的中菜館，見證的是一份對烹調的熱愛及執着。

———————————————————————
Flower Drum鋒膳
? Shop B, 2/F, Linway Court, 69-71 Stone Nullah Lane, Wan Chai, Hong Kong
灣仔石水渠街69-71號年威閣2樓B號舖
? +852 22670288

#FlowerDrum #privatekitchen #tastingmenu #cantonesecuisine
#鋒膳 #私房菜

source