Revamped Space: The historic former Marine Police Headquarters, previously known as 1881 Hullett House, recently rebranded as FWD House 1881, and its former Chinese restaurant, Loong Toh Yuen, has been revamped as The Queen. The new restaurant features delectable dishes spanning the eight culinary regions of China, including fiery spices from Sichuan and delicate dim sum from Guangdong.

Look & Feel: The restaurant interior remains fairly untouched from its former life as Loong Toh Yuen, and opens up to an al fresco courtyard within its Victorian-era architecture. Dark, intricately carved wood panels and moon door frames add touches of mystic and intrigue.

On the Menu: Start the meal with a touch of zing from steamed dumplings with spicy broth ($58). The numbingly delicious mala flavour is a refreshing take on the classic Shanghainese steamed dumplings. Similar to crispy green onion pancakes, the pepper crisps with minced pork and shrimp ($58) has the same addictive crunchiness with the added bonus of numbing peppercorn. For garlic lovers, there are the pork belly rolls ($138) with pungently addictive garlic minced so finely, it resembles whipped cream. The hot and sour seafood soup ($98 per bowl) is packed with umami flavors and hits the comfort food sweet spot. Highlights include the Sichuan peppercorn stewed Mandarin fish ($438), which comes in a giant serving bowl brimming with tender slices of fish and bamboo shoots, and the sizzling prawns casserole ($368) on top of a bed of crackling white peppercorns. The intoxicating aromas whiffing out of the claypot is truly a welcomed assault on the senses.

Jeng: Mouthwatering, well-crafted dishes at a reasonable price makes us crave for a return visit. The diverse flavors on offer means we can pluck our favorite dishes from various culinary regions.

Not So Jeng: The interior is a tad dark for us since we love a bit of natural light, especially for photo taking!

Meet the Chef: A trio of chefs are behind the diverse regional dishes at The Queen. Headed by Chef Ki Pak Chan, who previously was at Wynn Macau’s Wing Lei, the team also includes Chef Saito Chau from Maximal Concepts’ now-closed restaurant John Anthony, and Chef Lee Chi-Kwong, who hails from Chuan Palace in Mongkok.

Great For: A satisfying, well-crafted meal when you have a hankering for authentic Chinese food in a historical setting.

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This writeup was based on a complimentary media tasting. The Loop HK doesn’t guarantee/sell restaurant review coverage. See our editorial policy here.