Hungry Lawyer: Dragon Noodles Academy dishes out Instagram-ready food that isn’t black belt-level yet

Central’s newest restaurant, the kung fu-themed Dragon Noodles Academy (DNA for short) seeks to give traditional Cantonese dishes a modern makeover while retaining their essence: their DNA, if you will. Whether Dining Workshop, the restaurant group which brought us the anthropomorphic buns of Yum Cha succeeds in this quest, is not yet clear. The makeover part of the equation is evident with Instagram-ready presentations littering the menu. Taste, on the other hand, remains inconsistent.

I visited DNA twice in the past two weeks and tried a variety of dishes. For indecisive diners, the buy-two-get-one-free deal on starters is a good way to try an array of the cold dishes. The Toasted Coconut Corn Cob (HKD59) consists of three half ears of skewered corn on the cob, coated with toasted coconut and sea salt, and served with lime wedges for extra flavour. The dish reminded me in concept of the delicious Sriracha street corn at Mrs. Pound. However, while Mrs. Pound’s corn is served hot and packs a punch, the corn at DNA is crunchy but not as appetizing served cold, resulting in a dish that tastes somewhat plain, especially without the lime.


Cauliflower Florets with Zero Fat Yoghurt

Also somewhat underwhelming were the Cauliflower Florets with Zero Fat Yoghurt (HKD59). This was basically a bowl of raw cauliflower lightly coated in non-fat yoghurt, with a few pieces of purple cauliflower thrown in for colour. My problem with this dish was two-fold. Firstly, it’s not clear to me how it captures any essential Chinese culinary tradition. Secondly, it tasted bland, with the non-fat yoghurt lacking sufficient flavour or texture to counterbalance the after-taste of the raw vegetable.

Better, if not fantastic, were the Sous-Vide Spicy Chix Rolls (HKD59). This dish was like a watered down version of the traditional Sichuan cold dish of chicken with chilli sauce. At DNA, the chicken is cooked boneless in a contemporary sous-vide style. The slow-cooking method results in pleasantly tender poultry but lacks the full flavour of meat cooked on the bone. The chilli sauce is also too mild compared to the traditional version.

Osmanthus Lotus Roots

Better still were the Osmanthus Lotus Roots (HKD59). The bright pink roots were both visually arresting on the plate and pleasant on the palate with a good crunch, accented by the tangy taste of the osmanthus flower, which is more often found in Chinese desserts.


Crispy Lobster Puffs

Moving on from the starters, the best dishes overall were the Crispy Lobster Puff (HKD69 per piece) from the dim sum menu and the Lobster Wonton Soup Noodles (HKD119). The lobster puff was a large piece of ridged Chinese puff pastry, with the puff sandwiched between a decorative lobster head and tail to look like the eponymous crustacean. The pastry itself was stuffed with a rich and creamy mixture of chunky lobster meat and starch for a filling package reminiscent of the hearty puffs you might find in traditional dim sum halls. The noodle soup was similarly hearty and satisfying, with a broth as rich as lobster bisque and filled with DNA’s handmade noodles and dumplings. 

The mains from the “chef’s special” menu on the other hand were again somewhat disappointing. The Salt and Pepper Frog (HKD99) was impressive in that the frog’s legs were large, meaty and tender. But the salty, garlicky breading was too strong and served in too great a quantity, overwhelming the subtlety and quality of the meat after only a few bites. The Mock Shark’s Fin (HKD119) looked great and was prepared tableside like a Caesar salad in a 1970s steakhouse.


Mock Shark’s Fin

The texture and look of the mock fin was well rendered but the excessive salty egg yolk, a flavour I normally love, overwhelmed the dish. This might work with prawn or bitter melon but felt wasted with the expertly rendered shark fin substitute.


Coconuts Sticky Purple Rice Garden

Moving onto sweets, the Coconut Sticky Purple Rice Garden (HKD69) truly looked like a miniature planter with actual little green herbs sprouting from a dirt of crushed cookies, covering a rich and creamy pudding of sticky rice and coconut milk. The result was a tasty and satisfying dessert, though the greenery is better removed so as not to detract from the creamy textures below the “soil”.


Flowering Tofu

In contrast, the Flowering Tofu (HKD79), a creative take on traditional tofu fa, consists of a flower-shaped mass of tofu fronds floating atop a sea of syrup. The tofu flower is pretty but the ratio of syrup to tofu is off, so that instead of the syrup flavouring the soft tofu as in a traditional tofu fa, the cloying sweetness of the syrup itself predominates, turning the tofu into more of a picturesque aside.

In the end, I don’t mean to be too critical of the infant DNA. A number of dishes miss the mark on taste but a lot of effort certainly has gone into formulating the creative presentations. When the taste matches the presentation, it’s a hit. If not, it’s just another photo on Instagram. Some selective gene therapy would help ensure that this DNA is passed on and not just a one-off mutation.

Dragon Noodles Academy, Shop G04, G/F, Man Yee Arcade, Man Yee Building, 64 Des Voeux Road, Central (Google Maps)

About the Hungry Lawyer: Marc Rubinstein, born in Baltimore, USA, has been in Asia for nearly 20 years with 13 of those in Hong Kong. He has split his career between banks and law firms, and is currently the general counsel of an Asia-based real estate and alternative energy investor. Marc is a co-founder and co-chair of the Hong Kong Gay & Lesbian Attorneys Network, and previously chaired the Nomura Gay & Lesbian Network, Asia. In addition to being a hungry lawyer, he has run three marathons, eight half-marathons and completed the Hong Kong Oxfam Trailwalker.

Other columns from the Hungry Lawyer:

Hungry Lawyer: Le Pain Quotidien’s Alain Coumont on humble beginnings, his plans for expansion, and ‘pedicured’ chicken feet
Hungry Lawyer: An oasis of elegance in Soho at Tate Dining Room & Bar
Hungry Lawyer: Cinta-J dishes up Philippine comfort food on Hong Kong Island
Hungry Lawyer: Hairy crab season is here; try them at Tien Heung Lau for an essential experience… at a price
Hungry Lawyer: Stay warm in the cooler months with Chesa’s hot cheese
Hungry Lawyer: Café Malacca – more than just the best Malaysian restaurant in Hong Kong
Hungry Lawyer: Maison Libanaise, a welcome addition to the Middle Eastern restaurant scene
Hungry Lawyer: Little Chilli in North Point offers Sichuan cuisine with no frills and maximum flavour
Hungry Lawyer: Five great restaurants for a first date
Hungry Lawyer: Sushi Imamura for sushi that can truly claim to be Japanese
Hungry Lawyer: My favourite French bistro, Les Fils à Maman​
Hungry Lawyer: Chicken on a Pole at Kowloon’s Tai Chung Wah
Hungry Lawyer: Man Wah, an elegant alternative for dim sum at the Mandarin Oriental
Hungry Lawyer: Beefbar, a Monte Carlo meatery that does beef right
Hungry Lawyer: La Cantoche, a hipster bistro in Sheung Wan that needs to up its game
Hungry Lawyer: Indian Village, a hole-in-the-wall in the heart of Mid-Levels
Hungry Lawyer: Bashu Garden, a Sichuan gem in a quiet part of Sai Ying Pun

 


Got a tip? Send it to us at hongkong@coconuts.co


 



Reader Interactions

Leave A Reply


BECOME A COCO+ MEMBER

Support local news and join a community of like-minded
“Coconauts” across Southeast Asia and Hong Kong.

Join Now
Coconuts TV
Our latest and greatest original videos
Subscribe on