Tucked behind a sea of mobile phone booths buzzing with vexing salesmen on the fourth floor of China Plaza, Amy Kitchen – a conspicuous baby blue presence with minimalist decor – seems gracefully out of place.
Originally from Vietnam, chef and owner Amy Nguyen spent most of her childhood in Hong Kong, where she started Italian culinary training at age 15. She soon acquired an immense passion for cooking, and has pursued the art for the past 13 years. It’s normal for Nguyen to spend 10 hours in her kitchen, wrestling with the composition and flavoring of dishes.
After working at several restaurants in Hong Kong, Nguyen recently resolved to start her own brand, and Amy Kitchen was born.
Sticking to its Vietnamese roots, Amy caters to the adventurous with a boneless chicken feet salad (RMB24, and yes, it really is boneless), featuring a bed of lettuce topped with celery, tomatoes and carrots. Cradled in a white porcelain bowl and adorned with mint, the salad is as alluring in presentation as it is appetizing in taste.
The Vietnamese snacks assortment (RMB39) includes spring rolls, Vietnamese steamed ravioli and roasted pork neck meat with cucumber and lettuce on the side. The spring rolls boast a crisp crust stuffed with diced mushrooms, shrimp, pork and vermicelli, while the ravioli – topped with scallion oil and crushed peanuts and filled with a delicious mix of mushrooms, water chestnuts and vegetables – makes a hearty vegetarian snack. The pork neck meat, eaten either with or without lettuce and cucumbers, is tender and chewy.
For mains, Amy Kitchen offers several cold vermicelli dishes, all of which come with slices of carrots and lemongrass, coriander and mint. The beef vermicelli (RMB28), spiced with a sweet and sour nuoc mam (Vietnamese for dipping sauce), is refreshingly filling.
Nguyen, who is concerned about the safety of food on the mainland, claims that all ingredients are imported – another reason you may decide to visit, and often.
Snug and simple, it’s the perfect place to pack in a hearty snack and explore all kinds of delectable Vietnamese nosh.
Price: RMB50
Who’s going: Stylish couples, ravenous shoppers
Good for: Light Vietnamese meals, healthy, imported refreshments
> See listing for Amy Kitchen.
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