HKG: Canteen II @ HKUST [Main Menu]
Succulent steamed catfish in black bean sauce!
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I forgot to ask this particular question in the previous post. Does anyone know why Canteen II is named so? Was it really the 2nd canteen built in HKUST? Anyway, I've noticed that the food menu there is changed less frequently, which was the reason why I didn't dine there very often.
Fried Noodle in Sizzling Plate Set HK$22.00 (~S$3.65)
(set includes a choice of coffee, milk tea or soft drink)
Taste: 8/10
The crispy fried noodle came with spare ribs which were pretty tender, drenched in black bean sauce which was savoury and somewhat spicy. I enjoyed the huge chunks of onions and green peppers which were naturally sweet.
Pork Cartilage with Ramen in Soup HK$24.00 (~S$4.00)
Taste: 8/10
The above-mentioned ramen only appeared before the start of the semester. I guess it was supposedly a dish which would only be available during winter. The cloudy broth of collagen was good enough to the last drop. The oh-so-tender pork cartilage was well-marinated, thus bursting with flavours.
Stir-Fried Rice Noodle with Sliced Pork Set HK$26.50 (~S$4.40)
(set includes a choice of coffee, milk tea or soft drink)
Taste: 8.5/10
Although I prefer sliced beef to go with the flat rice noodle, I still gobbled down Canteen II's version which had quite a generous amount of lean pork meat, as well as scallions. The rice noodle was pretty oily, but delicious with its chewiness nonetheless.
Braised Rice of Sliced Chicken and Octopus in Abalone Sauce in Casserole HK$29.00 (~S$4.80)
Taste: 7.5/10
A dish of rice cooked together with a bit of chicken cubes, slices of octopus and cucumbers, it was bound together with abalone sauce which was adequately rich in taste. It was a pity, though, that the rice wasn't really fluffy.
Roasted Duck and Poached Chicken with Rice HK$21.50 (~S$3.60)
Taste: 7/10
While the roasted duck had a distinctive aroma from various spices used to season the meat, the poached chicken was kinda tough and chewy. I guess they could be more generous in ladling the soy sauce.
Roasted Pork and Beancurd with Chili with Rice HK$22.00 (~S$3.65)
Taste: 7.5/10
The roasted pork wasn't excessively fatty and had somewhat crispy skin, although not crackling. The mapo tofu, beancurd swimming in the sea of bean paste sauce, was pretty smooth, but it wasn't really spicy.
Baked Rice with Pork Fillet and Mushroom in Cream Sauce Set HK$20.50 (~S$3.40)
(set includes soft drink)
Taste: 6/10
Frankly speaking, there wasn't anything to rave about the baked rice, although it was very much edible. It came with a few slices of pork, carrots and broccoli as a garnish. The cream sauce was light and didn't have any particularly interesting taste.
Pan-Fried Fish Fillet Set HK$36.00 (~S$6.00)
(set includes rice, soup and a choice of garlic or black pepper sauce)
Pan-Fried Fish Fillet - Taste: 7.5/10
Cream of Corn Soup - Taste: 7/10
Accompanied by french fries and cabbages, the fish fillet was lightly coated with egg and flour mixture before it was fried. It was tender, but not entirely moist. I chose the garlic sauce to go with my fish which had a nice sweet and sour balance and a strong enough garlic taste. The cream of corn soup was adequately thick with a bit of corn kernels inside, but it could be seasoned better.
Two-Dish Rice HK$21.50 (~S$3.60)
Steamed Catfish in Black Bean Sauce - Taste: 8.5/10
Sweet and Sour Pork - Taste: 7.5/10
From the list of six dishes, I chose the catfish with beancurd which was really succulent and almost melt-in-the-mouth tender, steamed with an intense black bean sauce without being overly salty. Besides that, I chose the sweet and sour pork slices which was nicely coated with flour before they were fried, although I wish they could be a little bit sweeter.
Wagon Noodle HK$20.00 (~S$3.30)
Taste: 8/10
Whereas Gold Rice Bowl serves Yunnan rice noodle, Canteen II serves wagon noodle with a selection of carbohydrate sources and accompanying items. I chose the thin egg noodle which was al dente, along with seasonal vegetables, fish dumplings and pork belly. The fish dumplings were kinda small, but savoury, while the pork belly was pretty sinful.
Melon's Rating
Taste: 7.5/10
Ambience: 7/10
Overall: 7/10
Pika's advice: Don't forget to get condiments such as chili (quite lovely) and black vinegar if you wish. Whenever I spotted the steamed catfish in black bean sauce, I'd always go for the two-dish rice!
Canteen II @ HKUST
Clear Water Bay Road
LG1/F HKUST
Kowloon
Hong Kong
(Daily: 7.30am - 9.00pm)
*Prices quoted are nett prices.
Have a nice meal,
Cliff(y)
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