Yee Tung Heen, the haute Cantonese restaurant at the Excelsior hotel in Causeway Bay, went under refurbishment for most of 2011, only re-opening in October 2011. After its renovation, the restaurant has taken on a more modern geometric look with a smaller dining room sectioned off from the main space, which along with some circular banquettes give more privacy than is usual in Cantonese restaurants.

If eating at Yee Tung Heen at lunch, Cantonese dim sum is a must. An original baked pastry stuffed with roast goose is a unique and delicious twist on the ubiquitous barbecued pork bun. The siu mai, a pork dumpling with shrimp, is given a boost here with the addition of some premium fungi and supersized. Even the turnip cake, a speciality that is served usually at Chinese New Year, is good any time of the year here. However, bigger dishes are less successful. A duo platter of char siu (barbecued pork) and roast goose contains not one but two disappointments. The pork tastes primarily of sesame oil and not very much of meat. The goose on the other hand, is certainly flavoursome, but its texture is extremely dry and tough. A signature crab claw poached in Chinese wine is better, the claw is gigantic and the meat extremely firm. We also enjoy an assorted vegetable in soup with beancurd sheets: the broth is a superior bouillon that would be great even on its own but the variety of vegetables feels especially healthy. To end, the Yee Tung Heen special fried noodle with abalone and pork is not fantastic. While it is thankfully not oily, it is dry and bland. Make sure to add in a dollop of the restaurant’s homemade XO sauce to pep it up.

Yee Tung Heen has a good selection of wines by the bottle, as well as a decent assortment by the glass. The sommelier particularly recommends a White Haven riesling to go with a majority of the dishes, which is a good pairing. We also enjoyed the slightly stronger white burgundy by the glass.

While they are certainly keen, the staff at Yee Tung Heen border on being intrusive with their tendency to hover and interrupt diners mid-conversation with dish introductions or suggestions. Also, the wait between some of the dishes were long. We were seated 45 minutes and still only one dish had been served.

A meal for two with wine comes to about HK$1,600. Considering it is situated in one of the best hotels in Causeway Bay and you’re paying for the ambience and service as much as the food, this is not too expensive.