I am a bit shocked by the reviews here. How come so negative?

I visited Grand Hk 2nd time yesterday (this time for Dim sum) and felt it was rather good.

The dim sum menu was simple but sufficient enough. i guess not for those who want 30 - 40 items like some a la -carte buffet.

The pan fried cha xiu bao was excellent, the skin not starchy at all.

I also like the chicken feet (not too sweet), prawn balls and fish siew mai. I tried to order the usual har kow but they said they dun make them cause they dont have the chef to really really make the skin really thin and good.

the steam and deep fried carrot cake was also a nice combination. and the chilli sauce they make is excellent.

the decor is a little plan and simple but the prices here are reasonable. paid about $65 for 4 pax.

my first visit -  i had dinner there - the fired fish skin, and lobster egg white,  (2 person can share 1) and i think fish maw/seafood soup was great.

service was also alright.

We went to Grand Hong Kong on the strength of the Straits Times' review, and much to our disappointment, the place looked like it needed an overhaul in decor. Mismatched table cloths, napkins,  wall papers and colour of walls, badly spaced tables and counters. I felt sorry for those sitting at the tables positioned near the main entrance and toilets. Very un-grand.

The menu was very limited. There wasn't any dimsum menu, (the menu only listed the mains),  and the usual dimsum items were unavailable.

We also ordered the signature dish-  a white amalgam of lobster, dried scallop and egg white (@$9 a person)- as recommended by the ST's review. Sparks did not fly out of our palate.  The dimsums looked like it came from the freezer to the pan to to our table.Very un-Hong Kong.

Our $60 lunch was not filling and not satisfying.

Nice ambience, good service. Some higher up even informed us and offered to personally select the vegetables for us as the batch that came in that day wasn't as good when we ordered that particular dish, then assuring us that if it wasn't up to standard, we can reject it. Don't know if its value for money though, as I wasn't the one who paid for it. Never been to Hong Kong either, but the food tastes like normal Chinese food.

Only problem I had was with their tea, it tasted like plain hot water. Other than that, the food turned out ok, might be a bit bland for some, but will be good for those who prefer less salty food. Fish was fresh and springy, the vegetables ended up as the best dish IMO. The deer meat was cooked just right with not too much black-pepper and the skin on the roast chicken was pleasingly crispy.

Would have been nice if they had cushioned seats instead of pure wood ones though. Overall its an average place with average food considering its located in Dempsey.