Legendary Classics by Legendary Hong Kong

Legendary Classics by Legendary Hong Kong is a Hong Kong-style restaurant in a black-and-white colonial bungalow at Rochester Commons. It serves dim sum, roast meats, congee and noodles, plus the comfort food of a Hong Kong cha chaan teng, or tea cafe. The menu is long, with close to 200 items.

The restaurant belongs to the Legendary Hong Kong group, which started in Singapore in 2014. The founders brought in eight chefs from Hong Kong, each focused on one part of the menu. Its sister restaurants are in shopping malls such as Jurong Point and Tampines Mall. The Rochester outlet stands apart for its heritage setting, and the group says it serves some dishes found only here.

What to order

Come with a group so you can share several plates. The menu covers three broad styles of Hong Kong eating: roasts, dim sum and cafe food.

• Roast meats: the signature is a roast duck made with Silver Hill duck from Ireland. Crispy roast pork belly is another favourite.
• Dim sum: look for pork dumplings topped with abalone, mushroom dumplings coloured with blue pea flower, and turnip cake fried with XO sauce.
• Cafe classics: Hong Kong-style French toast, pineapple buns, egg tarts and rice plates with luncheon meat and fried eggs.
• Noodles and congee: wonton noodles with shrimp-filled dumplings, and a golden pumpkin congee.
• Desserts: traditional herbal jelly, known as guilinggao, and osmanthus jelly with longan.

There are also bar snacks and drinks. The team pitches the space for relaxed after-work catch-ups as well as family meals.

The setting

The restaurant fills a two-storey colonial house set among trees in the Rochester Commons enclave. Inside you will find chandeliers, mosaic tiles, indoor plants and plush booths. Long tables suit big family meals, and there are around 112 seats in all. The group also promotes the two-level space for celebrations and private events.

There is also an alfresco area outside, which is where guests with pets are seated.

Good to know before you go

• Pets are welcome in the alfresco area, but not inside the dining room.
• Booking ahead is wise for weekends and larger groups. Reservations are made online through the official Legendary Hong Kong website.
• Pork appears in several dishes, so ask the staff if you avoid it.
• With so many dishes, it helps to look at the menu before you arrive and plan a mix of roasts, dim sum and noodles.

Getting there

The nearest MRT station is Buona Vista, about a seven-minute walk away. A taxi or ride-hailing car can drop you right at the door.

Nearby

Rochester Commons is a leafy cluster of old colonial houses, several of them now restaurants. French bistro Les Bouchons is a close neighbour on Rochester Park. For a walk after your meal, Kent Ridge Park and Haw Par Villa are a short drive away. You can find more places in our list of restaurants in West Coast and Buona Vista. For more Cantonese food, browse our Chinese and dim sum restaurants or read the dim sum and Cantonese guide.