Crystal Lotus is a fine-dining restaurant at the Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel, which is located near Hong Kong Disneyland on Lantau Island. It serves Chinese dishes inspired by the cuisines of Guangdong, Sichuan, Beijing, and Shanghai.
Where to Eat at Hong Kong Disneyland
Crystal Lotus is the signature restaurant at the Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel. It is also arguably the best restaurant at the Hong Kong Disneyland Resort.
The restaurant’s menu is inspired by four of China’s most popular cooking styles: Cantonese (Guangdong), Szechuanese (Sichuan), Pekinese (Beijing), and Shanghainese (Shanghai).
Many of the dishes served at the restaurant have won awards at prestigious culinary competitions in Hong Kong.
Award-winning Hong Kong Menu
Journalists on a MICE Showcase Media Tour were invited to a mouth-watering seven-course Hong Kong-style Chinese banquet at Crystal Lotus, one of the best restaurants in Hong Kong.
The following dishes were served at the banquet, including three dishes that had won prestigious awards.
Starter
Crispy Yunnan Ham and Suckling Pig with Sweet Sauce, Deep-fried Lobster with Cheese and Mango Puff
- Gold with Distinction Award – Dim Sum, Gourmet Master Chefs 2014
Soup
Baked Seafood Soup in King Coconut
- Gold Award – Soup, The Best of the Best Culinary Awards 2011
Beef
Pan-fried Wagyu Beef Fillets served with Mickey’s Glutinous Pancake
Pork
Braised Pork Loin in Whole Chinese Pear
- Silver Award – Pork, the Best of the Best Culinary Awards 2009
Vegetables
Young Seasoned Vegetables Taro Basket
Fried Rice
Fried Rice with Black Truffle, Canpoy, and Diced Duck in Lotus Leaf Wrap
Dessert
Chilled Sweetened Fig and Avocados Sago Cream, Chicken Little Steamed Lotus Seed Puree Bun, and Seasoned Fruit
The Restaurant Menu …
Crystal Lotus serves a menu inspired by the diverse cooking styles of the Chinese provinces of Guangdong and Sichuan and the Chinese cities of Beijing and Shanghai.
Dishes run from barbecued and poultry to vegetarian and fresh seafood.
Signature dishes include Wok-Fried Shrimp and Disney Root Vegetables, Tasmanian Crab and Pumpkin Stuffed in Whole Crab Shell, and Double-Boiled Sea Whelk and Stuffed Whole Dried Scallops in Mickey Winter Melon Soup.
Twin Fish Dumplings in Lotus Pond Dish is one of the restaurant’s most renowned dishes, having won the prestigious Gold with Distinction Award in the Dim Sum Category at the Hong Kong Tourism Board’s Culinary Awards.
The mouth-watering dish must be ordered at least 48 hours in advance.
Disney Dim Sum
Everyone loves dim sum, and what could be more lovable than dim sum that looks like your favourite Disney and Pixar characters?
The master dim sum chefs at Crystal Lotus have dreamed up a whimsical assortment of Disney Dim Sum that is a feast for the eyes as well as the mouth.
Here’s a quick guide to what’s on offer …
- Mickey’s Seafood Glutinous Pancake
- Three Little Pigs Barbecue Pork Bun
- Duffy & ShellieMay Steamed Sweet Bun
- Little Green Men Pork and Vegetable Bun
- Baymax Bun
- “Olaf” Steamed Red Bean Bun
- Mickey’s Double-Layer Turnip and Taro Pudding
- Tsum Tsum Chilled Pudding.
Disney Dim Sum must be ordered in advance. It must be ordered for lunch at least 24 hours in advance on weekends and public holidays and at least 48 hours in advance for for lunch Monday through Friday.
Roasted Goose
Executive Sous Chef Leung Shu Wah’s version of Roasted Goose with Lotus Seed is popular with locals and tourists alike.
Roasted Goose with Lotus Seed can be consumed at Crystal Lotus or taken home, and that is exactly what many visiting tourists like to do.
The mouthwatering bird must be ordered at leaset 48 hours ahead of time, and payment must be made in advance.
Secret Sauce
Many of Hong Kong’s better Chinese restaurants produce their own XO Sauce, and Crystal Lotus is no exception.
Chinese Chef de Cuisine Leung Shu Wah came up with the recipe for “Crystal Lotus XO Chili Sauce” in 2015, and it was an instant hit with diners.
Ingredients include Conpoy, Yunnan Ham, Shrimp Roe, and Red Chili. There are no added artificial colourings or preservatives.
The Ambiance …
The contemporary decor of the restaurant’s dining areas was inspired by the five Chinese elements: wood, metal, earth, fire, and water.
The elements are reflected in the furniture, wall paper, cutlery, china, carpeting, and chandeliers.
The restaurant’s lotus motif greets diners in the elegant glass walls at the entrance and continues throughout the public areas.
The Verdict …
Dinner was served in elegant surroundings in a secluded area of the restaurant’s lovely dining room.
The menu was well-paced, highlighting several of Chinese Chef de Cuisine Leung Shu Wah‘s award-winning dishes.
I particularly liked the Deep-fried Lobster with Cheese and Mango Puff, the Baked Seafood Soup in King Coconut, and the Young Seasoned Vegetables Taro Basket.
The lobster with cheese and mango was a marriage made in heaven. The texture was especially pleasing.
The pastry covering of the seafood soup made for a very silky texture when mixed with the broth.
And the taro basket was pure joy. Forgive me if I couldn’t resist breaking off pieces of it and eating them like potato chips!
The Braised Pork Loin in Whole Chinese Pear was an interesting concept.
I loved the fruitiness that the pork added to the pork, but the pear – while delightfully presented – had a rather peculiar flavour.
MICE Showcase Media Tour
I was part of a MICE Showcase Media Tour, which was organized to familiarize journalists with the world-class facilities that Hong Kong Disneyland has to offer organizers of meetings, incentives, conferences, and events (MICE) as well as wedding planners.
Both the Hong Kong Disneyland theme park and the three Walt Disney Hotels located nearby were included in the tour.
Our group comprised journalists, food critics, and travel bloggers from China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan.
We spent a total of three days and two nights at the Hong Kong Disney resort. We are dinner at the restaurant on the second night of our two-night, three-day tour.
The Hours …
Crystal Lotus opens from 12 noon to 2.30 for lunch and 6 pm to 10 pm for dinner Monday through Friday.
The restaurant opens from 11 am to 3 pm for brunch and 6 pm to 10.30 pm for dinner on Saturday, Sunday, and holidays.
Always double check hours before heading to the restaurant.
The Other Outlets …
Crystal Lotus is one of four food and beverage outlets at the Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel. The other eateries include …
- Enchanted Garden – a buffet style restaurant, Enchanted Garden serves Chinese and international dishes at breakfast and dinner.
- Walt’s Cafe – serving international classics, Walt’s Cafe is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
- Sea Breeze Bar – overlooking the swimming pool, Sea Breeze Bar serves light Western-style dishes and signature cocktails.
Where
Crystal Lotus – Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel, Lantau Island, Hong Kong. Tel: (852) 3510-6000.
A complimentary shuttle bus operates frequently to and from Hong Kong Disneyland, the other two Hong Kong Disneyland hotels, and the Sunny Bay Resort Line of the Mass Transit Railway (MTR).
This is the fifth in a series of six Hotel Restaurant Reviews at Hong Kong Disneyland.