Bayi — Restaurant in Hong Kong Island

Not to add more hype as this place probably already has enough of it (go check out their array of Michelin awards proudly plastered on the walls), but damn is the food here amazing. At first I was turned off by the queue of people lining up for the restaurant to open, but it's what you gotta do to get a seat here. First thing that hits you upon entering the restaurant is the aroma of roasted lamb. Next is the chaos of the staff getting people seated. They will only seat you if your full party has arrived. Otherwise you will be firmly turned back by the majestically fierce battle hardened staff. Once I checked the menu I was also put off by the price. But everything changed when the food arrived... First, the Tofu and century egg. It's a simple dish of a few ingredients. Tofu that has been masterfully sliced into little strips topped with century egg and a splash of soy sauce and sesame oil. Delicious. Next, the mutton dumplings. We expect a small serving, but that wasn't the case at all. Each dumpling was an extended mouthful.. that multiplied by 15 served on a massive steaming tray. Again, delicious. Finally, the roasted lamb leg. It's hard to describe in words. When it was served the thin pieces of skin is literally glistening as the melted fats twinkle in the overhead lights. The source of that aroma that first hits you upon entry is now on the table. I was so stunned I forgot to take a photo as my hands were too busy bring each bite to my mouth 😅. The dish itself is as simple as it can be. A roasted piece of meat. But this was a superbly roasted piece of meat that's really perfected the texture and taste. Again, it's really amazingly delicious. Coming back to the price. It seemed expensive at first glance, but once I tasted it, it's really reasonable. Big portions, incredible experience on...

Quite disappointed, saw a few media reviewed this restaurant so was excited we were able to get a seat from walk-in.

We ordered the stewed lamb, lamb kebab and lamb dumplings. the stewed lamb was huge and tender but it was so bland it tasted like meat you get from boiled soup. I could not even tell if it was lamb or not. Similar with the lamb kebab, there was barely any taste of lamb. The meat was rough not sure if our pieces was more leaner cuts. Lastly the lamb dumplings wasn't our liking, it had way too much pumpkin and onions inside it overpowered the lamb and tasted more like a sweet dumpling with all the pumpkin filling. If you don't like the gamey taste of lamb this might be the place for you, but if you want more pungent lamb taste avoid here.

Service wasn't too good either, we asked for a glass for our beer they said they didn't have any more cups, when they eventually found one they gave us a tea cup. We then asked for a soup spoon to eat our dumplings, and again they said they ran out of spoon and gave me a teaspoon for coffee/tea. They didn't even bother to go into the kitchen to find one...

Venue: 6-9min walk from HKU/SYP MTR station. No reservation for lunch. Come early to avoid queue up. 2-3 High tables outdoors. Xinjiang style decoration. --- 7.4/10 Service: to be seated. A stack of utensils, cumin powder, and a thermal of tea are placed on each table. Acceptable waiting time for food during rush hours. Given the bill after all dishes almost finished. --- 6.8/10 F&B: traditional Xinjiang dishes. Simple Bilingual menu. Tidy presentation. Good portion. Resonable prices (+10% service charge). Tea fee $5pp. -Roasted Leg of Lamb, $368: served with potato & Vermicelli crispy crackling, reminded adding some herbal powder onto meat. Meat texture was ok. It really needed herbal cumin powder. --- 8.3/10 Stir-fried Sour & Spicy Shredded Potato, $68: crunchy shredded potato with capsicum and chili. --- 8/10 Xinjiang Style Toasted Toss Noodles, $68: noodles were al dente. Toss with lamb, onion, and capsicum. Slightly spicy --- 8.3/10 Lamb Rice with onions, $80: sprinkled with sesame. Stronger flavor of...