Wong stays true to her dedication to homely and wholesome cooking through the menu at Roots, featuring dishes that are French in execution, often with flavours familiar to the Cantonese palate; such combinations complement each other, all the while creating a new breed of reinvented classics. We began with shrimp toast with house-pickled onions and salmon roe. Inspired by the classic Cantonese dish, the shrimp toasts were impeccable, as the shrimp-topped bread base stays crispy, while the heat brings an almost-melting texture to the salmon roe topping. Comte cheese gougeres with kale chips and Iberico ham were dainty, filled with a warm cheese filling and unctuous Iberico ham as topping.  

The foie gras terrine a la Peking Duck is a true fusion of French and Chinese, where a well-executed foie gras terrine is served alongside Chinese fritters—the type often served at breakfast with congee. Unfortunately, the fritters quickly turned soft and imparted the taste of oil they were deep-fried in. The terrine, however, was great with moderately sweet cherry compote and a handful of seasonal black cherries. 
 
Spicy creamy local clams with black bean chive oil is Wong’s rendition of the supper classic ‘stir-fried clams with fermented black beans and hot chillies’. Roots’ version is a brothy revamp, with tender, just-opened clams enhanced by mildly hot broth dotted with fermented black beans and a hit of grapefruit juice. 

Rib-eye steak with salted egg yolk crumble is a surprise among the selection of mains. USDA prime rib eye is seared on both sides, yielding a succulent texture and richness served with its jus, as well as a melting crumble of salted egg yolks. The braised endives brought bitterness which cuts through the richness from the egg yolk and steak. Maitake mushroom risotto with haricot verts and black truffle sauce is a great alternative to meaty mains. However, we would recommend a lighter hand in the black truffle sauce, as that could overwhelm the lightness of maitake mushrooms and fresh haricot verts. 
 
Desserts are relatively simple at Roots. We ordered the pistachio cardamom financier with black sesame ice cream to share. Inspired by Wong’s travels to Turkey, the chef recreated the financier with chopped pistachios and a touch of green cardamom, while pairing the popular French treat with a black sesame ice cream, which was on the icy side but rich in nuttiness. 

French and Italian bottles dominate the wine list at Roots, with four each of whites and reds available by-the-glass. There is a Chinese chardonnay on the by-the-bottle selection but on our visit was yet to be available. While wines are served at the right temperature, it would benefit if the staff can offer suggestions for pairing with food. 

Service is keen at Roots, as the small front of house team share their duties in explaining of the restaurant’s concept and dish offerings to the guests. Some  need to be more familiar with the food and drinks, but most are friendly and attentive enough to assist throughout the meal.  
 
With a strong following, the restaurant has been full-house on weeknights since its opening. Roots is a good example for aspiring chefs to polish their craft and have a go at chasing their dream on opening a restaurant in Hong Kong. It shows a marvelous effort on the chef’s part and hopefully, an audience that appreciates hard work with such tasty returns.  

A dinner for two including wines and service amounts to HK$1,400.

Rating: 4/5 

How we rate
Each of our reviewers score restaurants based on four main criteria: setting, food, service, and drinks, taking into account more than 35 different points of reference including manners of staff, usefulness of the wine list, and whether or not the restaurant makes an effort to be environmentally aware. 5/5 indicates an exceptional experience; 4-4.5/5 is excellent; 3-3.5/5 is good to very good; and 2.5/5 or lower is average to below average. Before visiting a restaurant, the reviewers will book using a pseudonym and do not make themselves known to restaurant staff, in order to experience the venue as a regular guest—if this is not possible, or if we are recognised, we will indicate this in the review.