Taste of the past
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A wood-and-glass front door takes you back in time while the rest of the decor reminds me of the China Club and China Tang in London.
High ceilings, slow-turning ceiling fans, chandeliers, mirrored walls and matching table lamps for booths - it's art deco chic, taking you back to 1950s Hong Kong.
Even the utensils, silver teapots and glass seasoning bottles are reminiscent of those used by old Chinese restaurants.
The restaurant's name is borrowed - the Chinese restaurant at the Furama had used the name Island Tang before the demolition of the hotel. In those days, I visited the restaurant so often that I considered it my own canteen.
Island Tang offers extensive items on its menu, from dim sum, snacks, side dishes, soups and fine dried seafood to congee, noodles and rice. You can eat like a king or adhere to your own budget.
At lunch time, the place is usually packed with office ladies who are wooed by the reasonable prices. Businessmen and politicians also find the eatery a fit place for networking over the course of a meal.
The executive lunch is priced at HK$308 (minimum two persons). It offers Island Tang dim-sum delights, Chinese soup of the day and three side dishes from a choice of 12, including baked spare ribs marinated with dried shrimp paste, stewed wagyu beef
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A more luxurious treat is the gourmet lunch at HK$408. Aside from the three-dish choices, you also get barbecued pork and roasted pork belly and luxury soups.
My pick of the signature dishes is roasted pigeon leg stuffed with preserved liver sausage (HK$58 per piece).
The stuffed meat delivers aroma right at the bite. It is a bit oily but to the right extent. It will make the experience a lot more interesting to abandon all forks or knives.
The dish is reasonable considering the amount of work that goes into preparing it.
The baked chicken with sesame in rock salt will not disappoint either. The chefs invest a lot of time in the baking so the saltiness permeates the chicken.
For those who did not manage to stock up enough salt, fret not. Just order a few more for compensation.
Island Tang is an elegant eatery, enticing patrons to talk about the good old days. Every once in a while, order a basket or two of dim sum, baked pork chop with rice or wok-fried rice noodles with sliced beef to allow memories of the past to come through.
Post-50s folks like myself will taste something more than just food under the slow-turning fans.
Stephen Ip, the retired economic development and labour secretary, is enjoying a second career as food critic.