A journey through Wuyi: Rare teas and refined Cantonese at Lai Ching Heen

Continuing its legacy as one of Hong Kong’s most distinguished Cantonese restaurants, Lai Ching Heen presents a refined tribute to the heritage of Wuyi Mountain with a limited-time tea tasting menu available from July 21 to September 21. This six-course lunch experience artfully pairs rare Chinese teas with elegant Cantonese dishes, offering guests a sensorial journey through one of China’s most storied terroirs.

Helmed by executive chef Lau Yiu Fai, head chef Cheng Mang Sang and tea sommelier Kelvin Mok, the Lai Ching Heen team collaborated with Winston Lau, founder of Mindful Sparks sparkling tea, and Candy Lau, Tea Master of Yuan Yuan Tang Tea House. Together, they travelled to Wuyi Mountain, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, to source premium ingredients and exceptional teas directly from their origin.

From the crisp sweetness of mountain-foraged bamboo shoots to the succulence of whole zucchini and the finesse of a Da Hong Pao tea pastry, each course has been designed to express the harmony between Wuyi’s natural bounty and its centuries-old tea traditions. Thoughtful pairings such as sparkling Da Hong Pao with white peach, Zheng Shan Xiao Zhong: Lychee From Miles Away, and Unbelievable: Shuijingui Rock Tea reveal the nuance and depth of Chinese tea when placed at the heart of the culinary experience.

Shuijingui rock tea with wok fried bamboo shoot in cooked shrimp sauce (Photo: courtesy of Lai Ching Heen)

Tea selection by Lai Ching Heen team in collaboration with Winston Lau and Candy Lau (Photo: courtesy of Lai Ching Heen)

The journey begins with a sparkling interpretation of Da Hong Pao, paired with white peach, a bold yet refreshing prelude that highlights the legendary oolong’s deep roasted aroma, brightened by the luscious sweetness of stone fruit and herbal notes of red muscat.

From there, the menu introduces two rare teas from the heart of Wuyi Mountain. The first, Zheng Shan Xiao Zhong: Lychee From Miles Away, is served alongside a refined dim sum selection and steamed scallop, tofu and egg white with Wuyi zucchini. Crafted in Tongmuguan, the birthplace of black tea within the Wuyishan National Nature Reserve, this amber-hued infusion is prized for its lychee-like perfume and a smooth, mellow finish—a tea steeped in legacy and complexity.

Then comes Unbelievable: Shuijingui Rock Tea, a poetic brew named after its glistening, turtle-like leaves. With floral top notes, a hint of caramel, and a rounded depth, it finds harmony with wok-fried bamboo shoots in shrimp sauce, salted grilled Kagoshima Wagyu, and Inaniwa noodles with garoupa in a delicate fish bouillon—an elegant crescendo of umami and aroma.

The experience concludes with a medley of textures and temperatures: a chilled dessert of yellow fungus, longan, water chestnut, salted wild tangerine and nuts, followed by a Da Hong Pao tea pastry served with aged tangerine peel and rock sugar–stewed lemon. The lemon, sourced from the volcanic soils of Sicily’s Mount Etna, is slow-stewed for 13 hours to achieve its nuanced, bittersweet finish.

This six-course tea tasting menu is priced at HK$1,398 per person, plus 10% service charge, and is available at Lai Ching Heen from July 21 to September 21.

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