Destination Dining: Madame Fu

Madame Fu in Hong Kong has quickly become the city's most Instagrammed venue.

Tai Kwun, No.10 Hollywood Rd, Central, Hong Kong

We arrived … promptly at 7pm on a Friday, having secured a reservation the day before. The website had told us there was no availability but a quick phone call revealed we could be squeezed in - as long as we were out the door by 9pm.

We chose here because … it's inside Hong Kong's newest dining precinct, Tai Kwun, which was once the city's prison complex and has become the place to see and be seen. After opening nine months ago, Madame Fu has quickly earned a reputation as Hong Kong's most Instagrammable restaurant. In a city known for its lavish decor and design, that's quite the achievement. We'd also heard good things about the food, which doesn't always live up to the extravagance of it surrounds in this town.

Our first impression was … wow. This place is stunning. Followed by the briefest of disappointment when we weren't shown to a table on the veranda, with sweeping views over the city. Instead, we were taken to Fu Bar, with its red leather club chairs and buttoned sofas. We later learned this was just one of eight different dining rooms, including the ultra-luxe Pink Room.

We started with …dumplings. Although dim sum are only on the lunch menu, you can still order the beetroot crystal shrimp dumplings as an appetiser, which also come as a gluten-free option. They looked beautiful and tasted ... fine. They may be pretty but were far from Hong Kong's best dumpling.

The beetroot crystal shrimp dumplings at Madame Fu look beautiful - but aren't the best dumpling in Hong Kong.

The highlight was … the Peking duck, which was presented to us whole at the table, as is tradition, before being taken away to be sliced. It was golden, succulent and delicious, accompanied by wafer-thin pancakes and the usual accoutrements.

Dessert was … absolutely not on the cards after we drastically over-ordered and found ourselves asking for half the meal to be packed up to takeaway. Oops.

Come here if … you want to experience the opulence of a bygone era that simply doesn't exist in New Zealand. Be warned, if you're ordering the duck, wait to order any additional mains. You'll be surprised just how filling those delicate little pancakes can be. Also, a word of warning on the appetisers - most of them are served cold, which isn't clear in the menu description and may change how you feel about them.

The Grand Cafe at Madame Fu is just one of eight separate dining rooms at the impressive venue.

The bill … was a little more than $300 for four people, including a whole roast duck, Madame Fu's XO prawns, plus appetisers and side dishes. That may not seem much by NZ standards but in Hong Kong that is a seriously punchy bill for food (and didn't include the champagne or red wine that was also consumed, bringing the total bill to more than $600).