Mama: What do you want to be when you grow up?
LB: An animal doctor.
Mama: Great! What kind of animal?
LB: I want to be a dinosaur doctor and dinosaur hunter.
Dada: Then you won't find a job because there are no dinosaurs mwahahahha
LB: Ok, then I just want to be a dinosaur.
Mama: What do you want to be when you grow up?
LB: A crocodile
LB: How about you Mama what do you want to be?
Mama: I am something already. What's my job?
LB (mulling it over): Um, you teach.
Mama: Good answer! How about Dada, what does he do?
LB (with no hesitation): He does basketball work.
Ouch Dada! Better hide the xbox and basketball shoes.
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Looking forward
to next week.
making Marcella Hazan's bolognese recipe
a low-carb shepherd's pie using the bolognese and mashed cauliflower
lasagna and roast chicken for a friend wer'e having to dinner
lotsa seafood stuff my from fave seafood cookbook!
maybe I'll take pics.
making Marcella Hazan's bolognese recipe
a low-carb shepherd's pie using the bolognese and mashed cauliflower
lasagna and roast chicken for a friend wer'e having to dinner
lotsa seafood stuff my from fave seafood cookbook!
maybe I'll take pics.
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Cravings...
Like a preggy lady, I am craving for the following, in no particular order:
Inihaw na baboy (grilled pork belly) with atsara (pickled raw papaya) and ensaladang talong (eggplant salad) or ensaladang dahon ng camote (sweet potato tops/leaves salad) to be eaten on a banana leaf by the seashore
Authentic curry laksa and Singaporean chili crab with hot steamed buns
Lobster noodles at Federal Chinese Restaurant in Olympic
Rellenong alimasag (Stuffed Crab)
A really chunky, "stuffed with chewy bits of brownies or chocolate cake" ice cream
Seafood paella
Garlic prawns from Fernandos in Macau
Peking duck
Fried pigeon
Machang (Triangle-shaped wrapped pieces of sticky rice, Chinese-style)
My auntie's siomai
My mom's kidney-misua soup and Chinese lumpia (fresh vegetable spring roll is puting it mildly, you have to wrap it and stuff it in your gaping maw to believe it)
WAAAH, so hungry!
Inihaw na baboy (grilled pork belly) with atsara (pickled raw papaya) and ensaladang talong (eggplant salad) or ensaladang dahon ng camote (sweet potato tops/leaves salad) to be eaten on a banana leaf by the seashore
Authentic curry laksa and Singaporean chili crab with hot steamed buns
Lobster noodles at Federal Chinese Restaurant in Olympic
Rellenong alimasag (Stuffed Crab)
A really chunky, "stuffed with chewy bits of brownies or chocolate cake" ice cream
Seafood paella
Garlic prawns from Fernandos in Macau
Peking duck
Fried pigeon
Machang (Triangle-shaped wrapped pieces of sticky rice, Chinese-style)
My auntie's siomai
My mom's kidney-misua soup and Chinese lumpia (fresh vegetable spring roll is puting it mildly, you have to wrap it and stuff it in your gaping maw to believe it)
WAAAH, so hungry!
New Food Books!
Come August, my 2 new books and I will be united forever! Thank you, Amazon.
Chocolate and Zucchini, a cookbook-cum-journal based on a Parisian's famous blog.
The Art of Eating, by the incomparable MFK Fisher.
Woohoo!!!!!!!
Chocolate and Zucchini, a cookbook-cum-journal based on a Parisian's famous blog.
The Art of Eating, by the incomparable MFK Fisher.
Woohoo!!!!!!!
Friday, July 06, 2007
Dinner Parhh-tees and other ramblings
I'm a dinner party sort- I like setting the table, entertaining, cooking and conversing over glasses of wine or my drink of choice, the sedate and boring Minted Iced Tea.
Sometimes I'm in the mood for formality, and wish for a huge dining set seating 12-20!, with crystalware, sterling silver, fancy shmancy napkin folds, maybe personal butlers even? Nah, that's too fancy for me (the butlers, I mean. I still want the rest. :))
Most of the time I gather close friends and neighbors for dinner on Fridays, and if I'm too lazy to set up, then I use my "everyday" dinnerware and go casual. It's the food, company and conversation that count anyway. Plus I may have beautiful napkin holders, but I don't have starched napkins to go with them!
So far I've served the following during these get-togethers:
* Grilled Pork Neck, Beef Tadyang, Butternut Squash, Okra and Eggplant in Coconut Milk, Fried Boneless Bangus, Garlic Rice
* Baked Potato Skins with Chive and Truffle Salami Studded Sour Cream, Mushroom or Seafood Risotto, Cream of Pumpkin-Carrot or Broccoli with Cheese Crisps
* Minced Roast Goose/Duck with Pine Nuts and Puffed Vermicelli on Lettuce Cups, Asian-Style Chicken with Tortilla Wraps, Spicy Pork Ribs
* Calamari with Dill Dip, Mediterranean Style Farfalle with Sun-dried Tomatoes, Spaghetti Scampi Tossed with Pesto and Cherry Tomatoes
* Nachos with Spicy Minced Beef, Sour Cream, Salsa and Jalapeno, Chilli Con Carne
* Patola Shrimp Soup, Baked Beef Ribs, Prawns in Garlic or Prawns with Aligue
* Tomato and Barley Salad, Truffle Salami and Brie on Melba Toast, Scampi in White Wine Cream Sauce or Spaghetti Marinara/Arrabiata, Roast Herbed Chicken with Gravy and a side of Mashed or Baked Baby Potatoes
* Beef Sukiyaki, Japanese Fried Rice or Tonkatsudon, Cold Udon Crabstick Salad
* Caramelized Onion Beef Burgers with Home-Made Potato Chips
* Lokal stuff like Pinaputok na Kesong Puti, Crispy Tadyang, Aligue Pasta, Mango Taho, Kangkong Atsara, Chicken Sisig, Fried Fish with Mango Curry Glaze, Green Rice
I really miss: baking my own pizza. Yes I used to do that, let the dough rise, knead it, shape it and lovingly bake it on a pizza stone. I even had a paddle back home!
I also miss: a barbeque grill with outdoor cooking area facing a pool!
And Kesong Puti! And Laing!
Last night we tried this Laksa Boxed Set (HKD 27 for 2-3 servings). For an instant meal it wasn't bad at all. It even came with laksa leaves and sambal chili paste. I just added shrimps, chicken and tofu fish blocks. Hubby enjoyed!
Sometimes I'm in the mood for formality, and wish for a huge dining set seating 12-20!, with crystalware, sterling silver, fancy shmancy napkin folds, maybe personal butlers even? Nah, that's too fancy for me (the butlers, I mean. I still want the rest. :))
Most of the time I gather close friends and neighbors for dinner on Fridays, and if I'm too lazy to set up, then I use my "everyday" dinnerware and go casual. It's the food, company and conversation that count anyway. Plus I may have beautiful napkin holders, but I don't have starched napkins to go with them!
So far I've served the following during these get-togethers:
* Grilled Pork Neck, Beef Tadyang, Butternut Squash, Okra and Eggplant in Coconut Milk, Fried Boneless Bangus, Garlic Rice
* Baked Potato Skins with Chive and Truffle Salami Studded Sour Cream, Mushroom or Seafood Risotto, Cream of Pumpkin-Carrot or Broccoli with Cheese Crisps
* Minced Roast Goose/Duck with Pine Nuts and Puffed Vermicelli on Lettuce Cups, Asian-Style Chicken with Tortilla Wraps, Spicy Pork Ribs
* Calamari with Dill Dip, Mediterranean Style Farfalle with Sun-dried Tomatoes, Spaghetti Scampi Tossed with Pesto and Cherry Tomatoes
* Nachos with Spicy Minced Beef, Sour Cream, Salsa and Jalapeno, Chilli Con Carne
* Patola Shrimp Soup, Baked Beef Ribs, Prawns in Garlic or Prawns with Aligue
* Tomato and Barley Salad, Truffle Salami and Brie on Melba Toast, Scampi in White Wine Cream Sauce or Spaghetti Marinara/Arrabiata, Roast Herbed Chicken with Gravy and a side of Mashed or Baked Baby Potatoes
* Beef Sukiyaki, Japanese Fried Rice or Tonkatsudon, Cold Udon Crabstick Salad
* Caramelized Onion Beef Burgers with Home-Made Potato Chips
* Lokal stuff like Pinaputok na Kesong Puti, Crispy Tadyang, Aligue Pasta, Mango Taho, Kangkong Atsara, Chicken Sisig, Fried Fish with Mango Curry Glaze, Green Rice
I really miss: baking my own pizza. Yes I used to do that, let the dough rise, knead it, shape it and lovingly bake it on a pizza stone. I even had a paddle back home!
I also miss: a barbeque grill with outdoor cooking area facing a pool!
And Kesong Puti! And Laing!
Last night we tried this Laksa Boxed Set (HKD 27 for 2-3 servings). For an instant meal it wasn't bad at all. It even came with laksa leaves and sambal chili paste. I just added shrimps, chicken and tofu fish blocks. Hubby enjoyed!
Friday, June 15, 2007
My Week in Food
Am quite pleased with our meals at home, and with the way my classes at the Y are going. Might teach Baking for Beginners but need to brush up first and study cake decorating.
We had, over the past week:
Shrimp Monggo and Fried Pampano
Tempura Shrimp and Beef Sukiyaki
Hainanese Chicken Rice with Chinese Spinach and Beancurd Soup
Arroz A La Cubana with Fried Potato Wedges
Home-Made Pesto Pasta
Tonight we're having Pork and Chicken BBQ with Java Rice and Ginataang Veggies and my comfort food: radish and carrot atsara like my mom makes. We've found a yummy "timpla" for the BBQ. Not quite like my fave back home but good enough.
Saturday is hubby's day so for lunch we're doing the Shake 'Em Buns experience with Chili Dogs and Nachos with the works, then for dinner it's Roast Garlic Chicken with Haricot Verts and a Salad.
All home-made!
Sunday is eating out day!
Next week I might grill some Lemon Prawns and make Chicken and Mushroom Pasta.
Beth is really good at cooking already and I like buying her cookbooks. She likes poring over them too.
We had, over the past week:
Shrimp Monggo and Fried Pampano
Tempura Shrimp and Beef Sukiyaki
Hainanese Chicken Rice with Chinese Spinach and Beancurd Soup
Arroz A La Cubana with Fried Potato Wedges
Home-Made Pesto Pasta
Tonight we're having Pork and Chicken BBQ with Java Rice and Ginataang Veggies and my comfort food: radish and carrot atsara like my mom makes. We've found a yummy "timpla" for the BBQ. Not quite like my fave back home but good enough.
Saturday is hubby's day so for lunch we're doing the Shake 'Em Buns experience with Chili Dogs and Nachos with the works, then for dinner it's Roast Garlic Chicken with Haricot Verts and a Salad.
All home-made!
Sunday is eating out day!
Next week I might grill some Lemon Prawns and make Chicken and Mushroom Pasta.
Beth is really good at cooking already and I like buying her cookbooks. She likes poring over them too.
Sunday, June 10, 2007
SO NOT TASTY
Its name is a misnomer, that's for sure.
Heck, we ate lunch there this afternoon and after an interminable wait, we were ushered to a booth and given the menu to scan. Prices range from 24-45 for the noodle soups and stir-fried noodles, and from 36-lower hundreds for congee. While I wasn't surprised at the numbers, given that the place is in high-rent and high-end IFC Mall, the tiny portions were disappointing, to say the least. Chee Kei in Russel St., Causeway Bay, which I wrote about a long time ago, charges much less but with double the quantity and definitely better quality.
Little boy was famished so we hurriedly ordered the wonton noodle soup, and chose the large bowl (HKD36). When the waiter arrived with the tray there were 3 similar-sized bowls with the same amount of noodle and soup in them. He asked us if we ordered the large and upon hubby affirming he took one of the bowls and placed it on the table. We asked what the other bowls were and he said they were small orders but I SWEAR they all looked the same. I cook so I'm pretty much attuned to weights and quantities and the large and small were one and the same! Unfair!
Obviously Little boy finished the whole thing but was still hungry, so we ordered the noodle in soup (HKD24) which arrived in a small bowl, again, with noodles so pathetic it would take less than 3 times for a chopstick to lift it all up. Little boy made short work of this order, which I feel is highway robbery.
Hubby ordered the stir-fried noodles with pork in soybean paste which looked, in the picture, quite generous and similar to Chee Kei's Spicy Pork noodles. This one cost a whopping HKD45. What arrived was a "platitoful", in a small plate whose size was better fit for leftovers.
We also had the rice rolls stuffed with barbeque pork. The sweet soy sauce that came with it was familiar and satisfying, the rice rolls were not. I ordered the shredded pork and century egg congee (HKD 36) but the pork was stringy and dry, like unmanageable hair full of tangles. I've tasted better congee, in larger bowls and at cheaper prices, in Causeway Bay. Beef brisket is a favorite of mine, so I had to try the beef brisket noodle, which, while tender enough, tasted so ordinary.
Hubby was still hungry so we tried the deep-fried wontons with sweet and sour sauce. A few tiny, shriveled up balls arrived, tasting too salty for their own good, with a washed-out sauce that tasted neither sweet nor sour. When the bill arrived I was shocked and wounded to find out these shriveled excuses cost HKD40! No way will I recommend this resto to anyone. I am so happy we ate at Union Bar last night with friends instead of Tasty. Not that Union Bar was spectacular, but at least it wasn't as distasteful. I totally wasted my time waiting for a seat at this place. Maybe expansion isn't good for them. Sometimes staying small and out of the way is the secret (They have branches in Happy Valley and Hung Hom which I'm sure is nowhere as flashy as the IFC one). If there's one redeeming factor to this rant, though, it's the HKD22 cha siu bao with runny sauce that I saw one table devour in seconds. I'll try that next time, but only that, and probbaly a long time from now.
Heck, we ate lunch there this afternoon and after an interminable wait, we were ushered to a booth and given the menu to scan. Prices range from 24-45 for the noodle soups and stir-fried noodles, and from 36-lower hundreds for congee. While I wasn't surprised at the numbers, given that the place is in high-rent and high-end IFC Mall, the tiny portions were disappointing, to say the least. Chee Kei in Russel St., Causeway Bay, which I wrote about a long time ago, charges much less but with double the quantity and definitely better quality.
Little boy was famished so we hurriedly ordered the wonton noodle soup, and chose the large bowl (HKD36). When the waiter arrived with the tray there were 3 similar-sized bowls with the same amount of noodle and soup in them. He asked us if we ordered the large and upon hubby affirming he took one of the bowls and placed it on the table. We asked what the other bowls were and he said they were small orders but I SWEAR they all looked the same. I cook so I'm pretty much attuned to weights and quantities and the large and small were one and the same! Unfair!
Obviously Little boy finished the whole thing but was still hungry, so we ordered the noodle in soup (HKD24) which arrived in a small bowl, again, with noodles so pathetic it would take less than 3 times for a chopstick to lift it all up. Little boy made short work of this order, which I feel is highway robbery.
Hubby ordered the stir-fried noodles with pork in soybean paste which looked, in the picture, quite generous and similar to Chee Kei's Spicy Pork noodles. This one cost a whopping HKD45. What arrived was a "platitoful", in a small plate whose size was better fit for leftovers.
We also had the rice rolls stuffed with barbeque pork. The sweet soy sauce that came with it was familiar and satisfying, the rice rolls were not. I ordered the shredded pork and century egg congee (HKD 36) but the pork was stringy and dry, like unmanageable hair full of tangles. I've tasted better congee, in larger bowls and at cheaper prices, in Causeway Bay. Beef brisket is a favorite of mine, so I had to try the beef brisket noodle, which, while tender enough, tasted so ordinary.
Hubby was still hungry so we tried the deep-fried wontons with sweet and sour sauce. A few tiny, shriveled up balls arrived, tasting too salty for their own good, with a washed-out sauce that tasted neither sweet nor sour. When the bill arrived I was shocked and wounded to find out these shriveled excuses cost HKD40! No way will I recommend this resto to anyone. I am so happy we ate at Union Bar last night with friends instead of Tasty. Not that Union Bar was spectacular, but at least it wasn't as distasteful. I totally wasted my time waiting for a seat at this place. Maybe expansion isn't good for them. Sometimes staying small and out of the way is the secret (They have branches in Happy Valley and Hung Hom which I'm sure is nowhere as flashy as the IFC one). If there's one redeeming factor to this rant, though, it's the HKD22 cha siu bao with runny sauce that I saw one table devour in seconds. I'll try that next time, but only that, and probbaly a long time from now.
Thursday, June 07, 2007
Monday, June 04, 2007
Wish I Could...
Check this out!
I need tons of money to rent a flat with a large air-conditioned kitchen, a built-in oven and storage space for my ingredients.
The business registration will only take half a day, there are weekend bazaars to join and birthday parties to cater to, but I need my KITCHEN AND OVEN! ARRRRGGGGGGHHHHHH!
I used to have a food delivery business, called Peppermill Catering, which was reborn as The Food Factor (I know, ugly names). My specialties included beef lasagna, rellenong manok (stuffed chicken) for Christmas, several cheese-based dips with breadsticks, 2 salads whose recipes were handed down by my grandmother, my mom's famous old-fashioned apple pie, beef pie and paella, and rum truffles for dessert. Later on I added Pinaputok na Kesong Puti and Mango Pannacotta. At one time I dabbled in baking and selling my mom's secret butter cake by the slice. When I stopped catering my best friends and I started Pastry Haven, specializing in bite-sized desserts for low-budget weddings and Christmas giveaways. We offered our services to several big caterers. Our bestsellers were a fudgy chocolate almond bar, peanut paisley brownies, lemon squares, food for the gods, my friend's amazing chocolate chip cookies, snickerdoodles, and my mango cream cake. We were poised to study cake decorating and enter the lucrative world of wedding cakes and high-end pastries when one of my partners left for the States, the other had to back out and I eventually got married.
So I really, really miss that time of my life when I was in the kitchen, surrounded by the smell of freshly-baked sweets or roasts, rushing about fulfilling orders, waking up at 3 am to start cooking for my weekend retreat clients, going off to various markets and haggling with my "sukis" (choice vendors), buying catering stuff in Quiapo (a quaint, eclectc, noisy place in old Manila), delivering goodies and seeing the smiles on client's faces, planning menus and inventing new stuff, testing recipes on my family and friends, researching, reading, buying cookbooks....
It had its downs, of course. I worked weekends, holidays, nights. I received complaints at times, I made enough to survive but I could see my corporate peers getting more. I applied to various malls for spots only to be turned down or offered pathetic locations because I wasn't McDonalds or Jollibee or Red Ribbon. I was dead tired. But I was happy. Like the former corporate slaves in the NY Times article above who are struggling with their cupcake businesses.
I like what I'm doing now, teaching, cooking and experimenting a bit, developing recipes. But it lacks the chaos of the kitchen. Even in Canada I lived a crazy life cooking breakfast for 100 people on my own.
Call it a third-life crisis (I am past quarter-life and far from mid-life). I'm suddenly wishing for a home-based food business (I don't want the expense, headache and overhead of an outlet) where I can flex my cooking muscles, and get my son involved in two of my very first loves - FOOD and CHOCOLATE. I get to see him often, shut down the biz anytime I want, and live the best of both worlds. Too much to ask? Maybe, maybe not. One day I know the stars will align, and I can take up my dream 7-month intensive course at the CIA (with hubby and kids by my side, of course; and if possible, a year apprenticing in France haha I wish) and start cooking up a storm.
I need tons of money to rent a flat with a large air-conditioned kitchen, a built-in oven and storage space for my ingredients.
The business registration will only take half a day, there are weekend bazaars to join and birthday parties to cater to, but I need my KITCHEN AND OVEN! ARRRRGGGGGGHHHHHH!
I used to have a food delivery business, called Peppermill Catering, which was reborn as The Food Factor (I know, ugly names). My specialties included beef lasagna, rellenong manok (stuffed chicken) for Christmas, several cheese-based dips with breadsticks, 2 salads whose recipes were handed down by my grandmother, my mom's famous old-fashioned apple pie, beef pie and paella, and rum truffles for dessert. Later on I added Pinaputok na Kesong Puti and Mango Pannacotta. At one time I dabbled in baking and selling my mom's secret butter cake by the slice. When I stopped catering my best friends and I started Pastry Haven, specializing in bite-sized desserts for low-budget weddings and Christmas giveaways. We offered our services to several big caterers. Our bestsellers were a fudgy chocolate almond bar, peanut paisley brownies, lemon squares, food for the gods, my friend's amazing chocolate chip cookies, snickerdoodles, and my mango cream cake. We were poised to study cake decorating and enter the lucrative world of wedding cakes and high-end pastries when one of my partners left for the States, the other had to back out and I eventually got married.
So I really, really miss that time of my life when I was in the kitchen, surrounded by the smell of freshly-baked sweets or roasts, rushing about fulfilling orders, waking up at 3 am to start cooking for my weekend retreat clients, going off to various markets and haggling with my "sukis" (choice vendors), buying catering stuff in Quiapo (a quaint, eclectc, noisy place in old Manila), delivering goodies and seeing the smiles on client's faces, planning menus and inventing new stuff, testing recipes on my family and friends, researching, reading, buying cookbooks....
It had its downs, of course. I worked weekends, holidays, nights. I received complaints at times, I made enough to survive but I could see my corporate peers getting more. I applied to various malls for spots only to be turned down or offered pathetic locations because I wasn't McDonalds or Jollibee or Red Ribbon. I was dead tired. But I was happy. Like the former corporate slaves in the NY Times article above who are struggling with their cupcake businesses.
I like what I'm doing now, teaching, cooking and experimenting a bit, developing recipes. But it lacks the chaos of the kitchen. Even in Canada I lived a crazy life cooking breakfast for 100 people on my own.
Call it a third-life crisis (I am past quarter-life and far from mid-life). I'm suddenly wishing for a home-based food business (I don't want the expense, headache and overhead of an outlet) where I can flex my cooking muscles, and get my son involved in two of my very first loves - FOOD and CHOCOLATE. I get to see him often, shut down the biz anytime I want, and live the best of both worlds. Too much to ask? Maybe, maybe not. One day I know the stars will align, and I can take up my dream 7-month intensive course at the CIA (with hubby and kids by my side, of course; and if possible, a year apprenticing in France haha I wish) and start cooking up a storm.
Thursday, May 24, 2007
More foodtrips
Not happy.
That pretty much sums up how I feel about Harlan's and H One. When Harlan's first opened, hubby and I ate a fantastic Good Friday dinner there. On our next visit, I swore never to return (if I had any choice at all in the matter). Then H One opened amid hype and fanfare so we decided to give it a try, seeing as it was still new and we might get a repeat performance of that first Harlan's dinner. The menu was disappointing- very similar to Harlan's with a few Asian dishes thrown in for good measure- imagine a mishmash of steaks, curries, Thai and Italian. I am very suspicious of restos that try to serve a little bit of everything, never mind if they have a wood-fired oven or a seriously authentic Indian chef. I can get my Indian fix anytime in HK, at any number of wonderful, authentic establishments.
I started my meal with a truffled tea broth that was a bit too bland. I was served a similar starter at Caprice and that was divine. Smooth, silky and decadent, but light on the tummy all at the same time. We tried their pizza, two of them in fact, and both were soggy. Did I love my FAMOUS HG Burger with truffles and gouda? Not really. 'Like' is more the word. The toasty bread was buttery, the burger medium well, as I'd requested, but it didn't taste extraordinarily good, just average. I'm not going to wax poetic over it anytime soon. Nor did I experience the shivers-- which happens whenever I ingest a sublime treat. So the "best burger in town" myth is exactly that, a myth. A friend ordered the Thai roast chicken, and proclaimed it good but a bit too dry. Their lobster pasta was the highlight of my evening. Imagine a richly-flavored lobster bisque tossed with al dente pasta and served with soft and fleshy lobster meat.
We didn't even bother to try their desserts. Good thing they don't charge astronomical prices and their waitstaff are very professional and friendly- Pinoys, in fact. Still, I'm not going to be back in the near future.
*************************************************************************************
I've been in HK for almost 4 years, and while I am aware that there are many professional Pinoys based here, I've only met a few, and hang out with the Thursday Group and some neighbors and that's it. So last week we decided to have a foodtrip Saturday and asked friends to invite other friends until the group grew in number, and 12 of us tried to squeeze into Lin Heung's cramped, chaotic, noisy dining room for a late dimsum lunch. We ate half a roast goose, a huge platter of shredded pork fried noodles, 22 kinds of dimsum, more than half a dozen cups of rice, and paid a mere HKD 55 per person! Talk about cheap! The food was ok, not spectacular, but tasty enough, and with a price tag like that who wants to complain, right? The setting is not for the faint-hearted though. Hygiene-wise I wouldn't recommend it to those with squeamish stomachs or a taste for glamour and luxury.In other words,the place is "pang cowboy". We had fun, though, and transferred to Pacific Coffee afterwards where the atmosphere was more relaxed and conducive to conversation amongst new friends. While it poured outside, our rowdy group chatted, laughed, warmed ourselves with coffee and stories and generally enjoyed being with fellow Pinoys.
*************************************************************************************
Last night was another Pinoy (plus a Chinese-Thai and Swiss) gathering at I Caramba, with some people from the Saturday foodtrip present, and some I'd never met before. Hubby and I were just going to stay for dinner but ended up enjoying ourselves so much we got home way past our curfew :)- midnight, a bit tipsy from the endless glasses of sangria. HK is feeling more and more like Manila now, when I used to go out a couple of times a week and have coffee or drinks with friends. Now there are junk trips, barbeque parties, karaoke parties, beach trips and foodtrips to look forward to. When the Thursday Group ladies and their hubbies start joining these gatherings, it will be even bigger and better. Connecting in HK has never been so much fun. And you find real friends too, those you keep in touch with after settling down elsewhere.
That pretty much sums up how I feel about Harlan's and H One. When Harlan's first opened, hubby and I ate a fantastic Good Friday dinner there. On our next visit, I swore never to return (if I had any choice at all in the matter). Then H One opened amid hype and fanfare so we decided to give it a try, seeing as it was still new and we might get a repeat performance of that first Harlan's dinner. The menu was disappointing- very similar to Harlan's with a few Asian dishes thrown in for good measure- imagine a mishmash of steaks, curries, Thai and Italian. I am very suspicious of restos that try to serve a little bit of everything, never mind if they have a wood-fired oven or a seriously authentic Indian chef. I can get my Indian fix anytime in HK, at any number of wonderful, authentic establishments.
I started my meal with a truffled tea broth that was a bit too bland. I was served a similar starter at Caprice and that was divine. Smooth, silky and decadent, but light on the tummy all at the same time. We tried their pizza, two of them in fact, and both were soggy. Did I love my FAMOUS HG Burger with truffles and gouda? Not really. 'Like' is more the word. The toasty bread was buttery, the burger medium well, as I'd requested, but it didn't taste extraordinarily good, just average. I'm not going to wax poetic over it anytime soon. Nor did I experience the shivers-- which happens whenever I ingest a sublime treat. So the "best burger in town" myth is exactly that, a myth. A friend ordered the Thai roast chicken, and proclaimed it good but a bit too dry. Their lobster pasta was the highlight of my evening. Imagine a richly-flavored lobster bisque tossed with al dente pasta and served with soft and fleshy lobster meat.
We didn't even bother to try their desserts. Good thing they don't charge astronomical prices and their waitstaff are very professional and friendly- Pinoys, in fact. Still, I'm not going to be back in the near future.
*************************************************************************************
I've been in HK for almost 4 years, and while I am aware that there are many professional Pinoys based here, I've only met a few, and hang out with the Thursday Group and some neighbors and that's it. So last week we decided to have a foodtrip Saturday and asked friends to invite other friends until the group grew in number, and 12 of us tried to squeeze into Lin Heung's cramped, chaotic, noisy dining room for a late dimsum lunch. We ate half a roast goose, a huge platter of shredded pork fried noodles, 22 kinds of dimsum, more than half a dozen cups of rice, and paid a mere HKD 55 per person! Talk about cheap! The food was ok, not spectacular, but tasty enough, and with a price tag like that who wants to complain, right? The setting is not for the faint-hearted though. Hygiene-wise I wouldn't recommend it to those with squeamish stomachs or a taste for glamour and luxury.In other words,the place is "pang cowboy". We had fun, though, and transferred to Pacific Coffee afterwards where the atmosphere was more relaxed and conducive to conversation amongst new friends. While it poured outside, our rowdy group chatted, laughed, warmed ourselves with coffee and stories and generally enjoyed being with fellow Pinoys.
*************************************************************************************
Last night was another Pinoy (plus a Chinese-Thai and Swiss) gathering at I Caramba, with some people from the Saturday foodtrip present, and some I'd never met before. Hubby and I were just going to stay for dinner but ended up enjoying ourselves so much we got home way past our curfew :)- midnight, a bit tipsy from the endless glasses of sangria. HK is feeling more and more like Manila now, when I used to go out a couple of times a week and have coffee or drinks with friends. Now there are junk trips, barbeque parties, karaoke parties, beach trips and foodtrips to look forward to. When the Thursday Group ladies and their hubbies start joining these gatherings, it will be even bigger and better. Connecting in HK has never been so much fun. And you find real friends too, those you keep in touch with after settling down elsewhere.
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Cococabana
A rare sunny Sunday saw us and 2 more families heading off to Deepwater Bay Beach for an afternoon of food and fun.
It was Mother's Day and we were supposed to have brunch at The Verandah in Repulse Bay, but it was full. I read about a casual, al fresco Mediterranean place with killer views and supposedly fresh, satisfying food so lunch was at Cococabana.
The deck was breezy and bright, with white furniture and tablecloths glinting in the sunlight. I was happy with my choice until the harrased waitress showed us our table, which had 7 chairs instead of the 9 I had requested. So much for making reservations if they don't get it right. I had to get the menu myself twice, and almost had to get glasses, utensils and clean plates for the extra 2 covers THEY MISSED OUT ON. The kitchen was behind us so I could see the action. I thought the French chef-owner would be cooking, but it was his second doing all the work- and he was a grumpy one, this chef, who told the waitress, albeit jokingly, that he wanted EASY orders for the day. Hey, jokes are always half-meant, and he shouldn't have said that with me within earshot. I could tell he wasn't passionate about his cooking. 2 points against the place, and we hadn't started ordering!
I didn't mind that the menu was limited and full of seafood and salad choices, because I love Mediterranean food. The men were none too happy though. No grilled meat, burgers and just ONE steak choice (TOUGH AND OVERCOOKED) is not their idea of a great restaurant. And the service sucked. One waitress seemed so confused with my order -- they only have at most 6-7 entrees so it's not understandable. At least the head waitress seemed to be in control, although our entrees arrived more than 20 minutes after we finished the starters.
Anyway, there were some delicious items that I enjoyed, and I ate more goat's cheese in an hour than I have my entire life. So if you can forgive the complaining chef and poor service, and if you don't particularly like steak but enjoy fresh seafood in a beach setting, then Cococaana is worth trying. ONCE. It's not a place I would visit again.
mezze platter with hummus, spicy flatbread crisps, stuffed vine leaves, hard-boiled egg topped with an extremely salty tapenade, marinated cheese and couscous
Greek salad with a refreshing, sweetish balsamic dressing
a generous serving of piri-piri prawns, perfectly done, sweet and juicy with Jamaican spice undertones
warm goat's cheese and bacon salad with honey which everyone loved
grilled sea beam, doused with liquor and fired up at the table. the dancing flames excited the kids. it's stuffed with garlic slivers, fresh herbs and onions, and served with a lemon wedge. it was the best dish that day.
We were also served grilled chicken, which was undercoked and bloody, but the kitchen was professional enough to replace it with new cuts when I asked them to cook it some more. The mashed potatoes they came with was a hit! Buttery and rich, it was gone in a jiffy.
Next:
another disappointing Harlan G experience
newfound friends and a foodtrip
It was Mother's Day and we were supposed to have brunch at The Verandah in Repulse Bay, but it was full. I read about a casual, al fresco Mediterranean place with killer views and supposedly fresh, satisfying food so lunch was at Cococabana.
The deck was breezy and bright, with white furniture and tablecloths glinting in the sunlight. I was happy with my choice until the harrased waitress showed us our table, which had 7 chairs instead of the 9 I had requested. So much for making reservations if they don't get it right. I had to get the menu myself twice, and almost had to get glasses, utensils and clean plates for the extra 2 covers THEY MISSED OUT ON. The kitchen was behind us so I could see the action. I thought the French chef-owner would be cooking, but it was his second doing all the work- and he was a grumpy one, this chef, who told the waitress, albeit jokingly, that he wanted EASY orders for the day. Hey, jokes are always half-meant, and he shouldn't have said that with me within earshot. I could tell he wasn't passionate about his cooking. 2 points against the place, and we hadn't started ordering!
I didn't mind that the menu was limited and full of seafood and salad choices, because I love Mediterranean food. The men were none too happy though. No grilled meat, burgers and just ONE steak choice (TOUGH AND OVERCOOKED) is not their idea of a great restaurant. And the service sucked. One waitress seemed so confused with my order -- they only have at most 6-7 entrees so it's not understandable. At least the head waitress seemed to be in control, although our entrees arrived more than 20 minutes after we finished the starters.
Anyway, there were some delicious items that I enjoyed, and I ate more goat's cheese in an hour than I have my entire life. So if you can forgive the complaining chef and poor service, and if you don't particularly like steak but enjoy fresh seafood in a beach setting, then Cococaana is worth trying. ONCE. It's not a place I would visit again.
mezze platter with hummus, spicy flatbread crisps, stuffed vine leaves, hard-boiled egg topped with an extremely salty tapenade, marinated cheese and couscous
Greek salad with a refreshing, sweetish balsamic dressing
a generous serving of piri-piri prawns, perfectly done, sweet and juicy with Jamaican spice undertones
warm goat's cheese and bacon salad with honey which everyone loved
grilled sea beam, doused with liquor and fired up at the table. the dancing flames excited the kids. it's stuffed with garlic slivers, fresh herbs and onions, and served with a lemon wedge. it was the best dish that day.
We were also served grilled chicken, which was undercoked and bloody, but the kitchen was professional enough to replace it with new cuts when I asked them to cook it some more. The mashed potatoes they came with was a hit! Buttery and rich, it was gone in a jiffy.
Next:
another disappointing Harlan G experience
newfound friends and a foodtrip
Friday, May 11, 2007
Another Solitary Lunch Hits the Spot
My lunch: Thinly-sliced, boiled and braised beef shin resting on a hot broth where long, thin scallions, crunchy beansprouts, pickled mustard greens, and ground meat were scattered here and there. You could see the chili oil in places. The white noodles were firm to the bite.
Where: Nam Kee Noode House along Jaffe Road, where at 12 noon they've already served 120 customers, both for dine-in (the place accomodates maybe 50 at most, and that's a tight fit) and take-away (HK equivalent of take-out).
Nam Kee is right in front of Mang Ambo, a famous Pinoy "carinderia" in Wanchai known for their pork bbq. I was turned off by the woman manning the fort though. She was rude to a prospective customer (me) when all I wanted to know was whether they had the bbq or not. It's good but I've tasted better. And that attitude just makes it so much worse, in my opinion.
Happy with my HKD 23 lunch though. Next time I'll get the beef brisket soup.
Where: Nam Kee Noode House along Jaffe Road, where at 12 noon they've already served 120 customers, both for dine-in (the place accomodates maybe 50 at most, and that's a tight fit) and take-away (HK equivalent of take-out).
Nam Kee is right in front of Mang Ambo, a famous Pinoy "carinderia" in Wanchai known for their pork bbq. I was turned off by the woman manning the fort though. She was rude to a prospective customer (me) when all I wanted to know was whether they had the bbq or not. It's good but I've tasted better. And that attitude just makes it so much worse, in my opinion.
Happy with my HKD 23 lunch though. Next time I'll get the beef brisket soup.
Saturday, April 28, 2007
Another Solitary Lunch
Yesterday smartly-dressed office workers and ladies who lunch gave me the once-over when I entered Cafe Des Artistes in Lan Kwai Fong. Not that they have a dress code or anything, but I was in my summer best- spaghetti-strap top, capris and slippers! Plus I was all alone. Anyway I didn't care and set my butt on a corner table. I wanted to try their braised Wagyu beef cheek, simmered for hours in a red wine-rich sauce with potatoes, carrots and cubes of chewy bacon. It was served on hot plate with turned green and yellow zucchini, baby turnip, broccoli and snow peas set on a splash of jus.
For starters I had their fish soup served with grated parmesan and rouille (olive oil, breadcrumbs, garlic). I placed some cheese and rouille in the soup, and used the rest of the garlicky mustard yellow rouille on the crisp tiny baguette slices that came with the soup. I thought the soup would be chunky and thick, but it was slightly watery and came with no chunks of anything- more broth than soup, really. I was disappointed and thought about ordering the endive salad with citrus fruits and honey dressing but I was starting to get full. A bread basket came while I was halfway through my soup. There were 3 kinds of bread, 2 slightly too sweet and all 3 not as warm or fresh as I would have wanted.
I was starting to regret my decision to spend lunch here when the beef dish arrived, set in a white soup bowl and concealed by a golden brown, crumbly, thin pastry sheet dotted with poppy seeds. Intrepid me was poised to shatter this delicate sheet with my fork and as soon as I broke the surface the hot, fragrant steam billowed out. I inhaled deeply then dug in. The beef is meltingly tender, and slides like silk on the tongue. Rarely can you swallow a chunk of beef without chewing but it is a possibility here. I broke off pieces of bread -the one that wasn't sweet, and dipped it in the sauce. Was this proper or not? Again I didn't care. The sauce was there, the bread was there, a spoon wasn't. So what's a girl to do? Enjoy her meal any way she can.
Washed down with a glass of plain water, my entire bill came out to HKD 379.50. Expensive for lunch, yes. And I could've done without the soup. I highy recommend the beef cheek though. But share it. And order their other regional specials like the cassoulet and snails.
For starters I had their fish soup served with grated parmesan and rouille (olive oil, breadcrumbs, garlic). I placed some cheese and rouille in the soup, and used the rest of the garlicky mustard yellow rouille on the crisp tiny baguette slices that came with the soup. I thought the soup would be chunky and thick, but it was slightly watery and came with no chunks of anything- more broth than soup, really. I was disappointed and thought about ordering the endive salad with citrus fruits and honey dressing but I was starting to get full. A bread basket came while I was halfway through my soup. There were 3 kinds of bread, 2 slightly too sweet and all 3 not as warm or fresh as I would have wanted.
I was starting to regret my decision to spend lunch here when the beef dish arrived, set in a white soup bowl and concealed by a golden brown, crumbly, thin pastry sheet dotted with poppy seeds. Intrepid me was poised to shatter this delicate sheet with my fork and as soon as I broke the surface the hot, fragrant steam billowed out. I inhaled deeply then dug in. The beef is meltingly tender, and slides like silk on the tongue. Rarely can you swallow a chunk of beef without chewing but it is a possibility here. I broke off pieces of bread -the one that wasn't sweet, and dipped it in the sauce. Was this proper or not? Again I didn't care. The sauce was there, the bread was there, a spoon wasn't. So what's a girl to do? Enjoy her meal any way she can.
Washed down with a glass of plain water, my entire bill came out to HKD 379.50. Expensive for lunch, yes. And I could've done without the soup. I highy recommend the beef cheek though. But share it. And order their other regional specials like the cassoulet and snails.
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Merveilleux!
Makes me want to do these right away:
catch the next flight out to France!
buy the books!
cook the dishes!
catch the next flight out to France!
buy the books!
cook the dishes!
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
FOOD FRENZY
From a Word Mac file of mine: a list of HK eateries, some venerable, distinguished and multi-awarded; some in unknown alleys with no pedigree to speak of. I've already checked many items off this list, and yet it grows. So much food, so little time.
Here are the ones I haven't tried.
HK RESTOS TO TRY OUT
HOTELS:
Grissini – Grand Hyatt
One Harbour Road – Grand Hyatt
Niccholinis- Conrad
Gaddis- Peninsula
Felix- Peninsula
Mo Bar- Mandarin Landmark (Burgers)
Pierre Gagnaire- Mandarin Landmark
Chinnery- Mandarin Landmark
Felix- Peninsula
The Pizzeria- Kowloon Hotel
JW’S California- Marriott
Sabatini
Nobu – Intercon
Spoon – Intercon
Amber – Mandarin Landmark
The Steak House - Intercon
Angelini – Kowloon Shangri-La
Inagiku- 4 Seasons
MIDDLE EASTERN:
Habibi/Habibi Café
Marouche- Cochrane Street 25418282
CHINESE:
Shui Hu Ju
American Peking
Taste of Beijing
Hutong
Kung Tak Lam – CWB
Lei Garden Resto
Xiao Nan Guo – Times Square
Peking Duck
Ning Po – LKF 25230648
Dong Lai Shun – Regal Hotel
Spring Deer – Mody Road
Fook Lam Moon
Hei Kee – Crabs, Wan Chai
Fishball – 80-82 Old Main Street Aberdeen
HK Old Resto – Miramar 27221812
Kau Kee 21 Gough St. – beef brisket
Yu Sin – 98 Ivy St. Tai Kok Tsui 36202660 (Three Knife Fish, Soups)
Mala – 35 Peel St. 28181236 (Rendang beef curry, Hainan Rice)
Sang Kee Congee – 7-9 Burd St. Sheung Wan 25411099 (Chick congee)
Peking Resto – 227 Nathan Road Yau Ma Tei 27351316
Wang Fu Beijing Dumpling – 98 Wellington St. (Veg dumplings in hot and sour soup)
Boat Dweller Fish Balls – 135 Belcher St. Kennedy Town
Wing Cheung Resto – 2 King Kwong St. Happy Valley (roast meats)
Yun Fu – Basement 43-55 Wyndham 21168855
Under Bridge Spicy Crab- 414 Jaffe Road and 401-402 Lockhart Road, Wan Chai 28346818 28931289
Wu Kong Shanghainese – Food Forum Times Square (shredded chix with bean curd sheets, lion’s head meatball)
DIM SUM:
Dim Sum – 63 Sing Woo Road Happy Valley 28348893
Lin Heung Tea House – 160 Wellington 25444556
Yung Yuen – 53 Belcher St. Kennedy Town 28557738
SEAFOOD:
Fai Kee – Po O Toi Pier Sai Kung 27199129 (fried octopus, sashimi)
Chuen Kee – 53 Hoi pong st. Sai Kung 32861779
HAIRY CRAB:
Imperial Kitchen – CWB 25772018
Avenue Joffre- CWB 28826001
YunYan Szhechuan – Miramar 23750800
Green Willow – CWB 28816669]
Peach Resto – Wan CHai 21100363
Lung King Heen – 4 Seasons Hotel
Dong Lai Shun – Regal Hotel
ITALIAN:
Gaia – Sheung Wan 21678200
Aqua Roma
Tuscany By H 25218116
Aspasia- 1/F Luxe Manor, 39 Kimberley Road TST 37638800
Peccato – Elgin St.
Cecconi’s Cantina- Elgin St.
JAPANESE:
Fuji
Sae Culinary
Kun – Cheerful Court 1-5 Shing Ping St. Happy Valley 28933917
Koi Sushi – 25378332
Kiyotaki – 13 Gough St. 28771772
Asian Ghetto- Jap Ramen 30 Tai Wong St. Wan Chai 23383498
Nishimura – Marco Polo HK 27356899
Chura – Unit A B1 The Toy House, 100 Canton Road TST
31058950 (okinawan cuisine)
PRIVATE KITCHEN:
Xi Yan – 25756966 3/F Hang Wai Comm’l Bldg 231-233 Q. Road East, Wan Chai
Yellow Door- 28586555
Chez Les Copains – 117 Pak Sha Wan, Sai Kung 22431918
Wo Tai Ju – B5 9?F Kingston Bldg. 2-4 Kingston St. CWB (Thai and Jap)
Alcove- 55 Peel St. 29759788
KOREAN:
Chang Won
Sorabol
Jin Luo Buo- CWB 28953986
Secret Garden
HOTPOT:
Little Sheep – 463 Lockhart Road, CWB 28938318
Tao Heung Seafood Hotpot – 338 Hennessy Road 28383097
FRENCH/CONTINENTAL/FUSION/DELI:
Robuchon – Landmark 21669000
Café Des Artistse
Gough 40
Goccia – 21678181 (devil pizza)
Ingredients- 25445133 23 Wing Fung St. Wan Chai
The Verandah
Orange Tree
Peak Café Bar
Bizou
Mezze
Harmony Café –CWB
Lawry’s – 29072218
Pearl at The Peak
Percy’s- 68 Catchick St. Kennedy Town 28551882
Green T. House- Cyberport
Agnes B. – Leighton Road, CWB 25772718
Lux
Agura- 13/F Henry House, 42 Yun Ping Road, CWB 25042929 (Jap-Italian)
Bricolage- 62 Hollywood Road 25421991 (duck confit)
The Press Room
Cococabana – Deep Water Bay 28122226
Armani Restaurant- Chater House
VIETNAMESE/THAI:
Song
TRU- 25256700
O Sip Hah – 36223222 Old Bailey St.
Wong Chun Chun Thai – 442 Prince Edward Road, Kowloon 27160099 (tom yum)
Chili Club
Noble House- 73 Wellington St. (Tom Yum)
ASIAN/INDIAN:
Nepal
Viceroy
VEDA
Tandoor
Kohinoor
Masala- Sheung Wan 25819777
Katong Laksa – Sheung Wan 25434008
Nepal
Woodlands – 61 Mody Road TST 23693718
Gaylord – 1/F Ashley Center 23-25 Ashley Road TST 23761001 (North Indian)
Sangeet – 17-23 Minden avenue TST 23675619
Indonesian 1868 – 28 Leighton Road, CWB 25779981 (ox tongue stew and rendang beef)
OTHERS:
1. Sai Kung
- Under The Pier
- Anthony’s Catch 27928474
- 131 27912684
- Scarecrow 27910888
2. Au Belge – Belgian 11 Old Bailey St. 25481818
3. Electric Road, Tin Hau
- Poppy’s 1 A Tsing Fung St. CWB
- The Fresh Soya Shop 74-48 Electric Road
- Te Se Kitchen 69 Electric Road (sweet dumplings)
- Tin Hau Laksa 81 Electric Road
- Shun Fung Noodle House 87 electric Road (Pork Chops)
4. Kin’s Kitchen – 9 Tsing Fung St. Tin Hau 25710913 (fried wonton skins with shredded duck meat)
5. Discovery Bay
- Hemingway’s 29878855 (Carribean, BBQ)
- Manta Ray 29872298 (seafood)
- Fagara 29876222 (Sichuan)
6. Ooh La La – Pui O Beach, Lantau
Here are the ones I haven't tried.
HK RESTOS TO TRY OUT
HOTELS:
Grissini – Grand Hyatt
One Harbour Road – Grand Hyatt
Niccholinis- Conrad
Gaddis- Peninsula
Felix- Peninsula
Mo Bar- Mandarin Landmark (Burgers)
Pierre Gagnaire- Mandarin Landmark
Chinnery- Mandarin Landmark
Felix- Peninsula
The Pizzeria- Kowloon Hotel
JW’S California- Marriott
Sabatini
Nobu – Intercon
Spoon – Intercon
Amber – Mandarin Landmark
The Steak House - Intercon
Angelini – Kowloon Shangri-La
Inagiku- 4 Seasons
MIDDLE EASTERN:
Habibi/Habibi Café
Marouche- Cochrane Street 25418282
CHINESE:
Shui Hu Ju
American Peking
Taste of Beijing
Hutong
Kung Tak Lam – CWB
Lei Garden Resto
Xiao Nan Guo – Times Square
Peking Duck
Ning Po – LKF 25230648
Dong Lai Shun – Regal Hotel
Spring Deer – Mody Road
Fook Lam Moon
Hei Kee – Crabs, Wan Chai
Fishball – 80-82 Old Main Street Aberdeen
HK Old Resto – Miramar 27221812
Kau Kee 21 Gough St. – beef brisket
Yu Sin – 98 Ivy St. Tai Kok Tsui 36202660 (Three Knife Fish, Soups)
Mala – 35 Peel St. 28181236 (Rendang beef curry, Hainan Rice)
Sang Kee Congee – 7-9 Burd St. Sheung Wan 25411099 (Chick congee)
Peking Resto – 227 Nathan Road Yau Ma Tei 27351316
Wang Fu Beijing Dumpling – 98 Wellington St. (Veg dumplings in hot and sour soup)
Boat Dweller Fish Balls – 135 Belcher St. Kennedy Town
Wing Cheung Resto – 2 King Kwong St. Happy Valley (roast meats)
Yun Fu – Basement 43-55 Wyndham 21168855
Under Bridge Spicy Crab- 414 Jaffe Road and 401-402 Lockhart Road, Wan Chai 28346818 28931289
Wu Kong Shanghainese – Food Forum Times Square (shredded chix with bean curd sheets, lion’s head meatball)
DIM SUM:
Dim Sum – 63 Sing Woo Road Happy Valley 28348893
Lin Heung Tea House – 160 Wellington 25444556
Yung Yuen – 53 Belcher St. Kennedy Town 28557738
SEAFOOD:
Fai Kee – Po O Toi Pier Sai Kung 27199129 (fried octopus, sashimi)
Chuen Kee – 53 Hoi pong st. Sai Kung 32861779
HAIRY CRAB:
Imperial Kitchen – CWB 25772018
Avenue Joffre- CWB 28826001
YunYan Szhechuan – Miramar 23750800
Green Willow – CWB 28816669]
Peach Resto – Wan CHai 21100363
Lung King Heen – 4 Seasons Hotel
Dong Lai Shun – Regal Hotel
ITALIAN:
Gaia – Sheung Wan 21678200
Aqua Roma
Tuscany By H 25218116
Aspasia- 1/F Luxe Manor, 39 Kimberley Road TST 37638800
Peccato – Elgin St.
Cecconi’s Cantina- Elgin St.
JAPANESE:
Fuji
Sae Culinary
Kun – Cheerful Court 1-5 Shing Ping St. Happy Valley 28933917
Koi Sushi – 25378332
Kiyotaki – 13 Gough St. 28771772
Asian Ghetto- Jap Ramen 30 Tai Wong St. Wan Chai 23383498
Nishimura – Marco Polo HK 27356899
Chura – Unit A B1 The Toy House, 100 Canton Road TST
31058950 (okinawan cuisine)
PRIVATE KITCHEN:
Xi Yan – 25756966 3/F Hang Wai Comm’l Bldg 231-233 Q. Road East, Wan Chai
Yellow Door- 28586555
Chez Les Copains – 117 Pak Sha Wan, Sai Kung 22431918
Wo Tai Ju – B5 9?F Kingston Bldg. 2-4 Kingston St. CWB (Thai and Jap)
Alcove- 55 Peel St. 29759788
KOREAN:
Chang Won
Sorabol
Jin Luo Buo- CWB 28953986
Secret Garden
HOTPOT:
Little Sheep – 463 Lockhart Road, CWB 28938318
Tao Heung Seafood Hotpot – 338 Hennessy Road 28383097
FRENCH/CONTINENTAL/FUSION/DELI:
Robuchon – Landmark 21669000
Café Des Artistse
Gough 40
Goccia – 21678181 (devil pizza)
Ingredients- 25445133 23 Wing Fung St. Wan Chai
The Verandah
Orange Tree
Peak Café Bar
Bizou
Mezze
Harmony Café –CWB
Lawry’s – 29072218
Pearl at The Peak
Percy’s- 68 Catchick St. Kennedy Town 28551882
Green T. House- Cyberport
Agnes B. – Leighton Road, CWB 25772718
Lux
Agura- 13/F Henry House, 42 Yun Ping Road, CWB 25042929 (Jap-Italian)
Bricolage- 62 Hollywood Road 25421991 (duck confit)
The Press Room
Cococabana – Deep Water Bay 28122226
Armani Restaurant- Chater House
VIETNAMESE/THAI:
Song
TRU- 25256700
O Sip Hah – 36223222 Old Bailey St.
Wong Chun Chun Thai – 442 Prince Edward Road, Kowloon 27160099 (tom yum)
Chili Club
Noble House- 73 Wellington St. (Tom Yum)
ASIAN/INDIAN:
Nepal
Viceroy
VEDA
Tandoor
Kohinoor
Masala- Sheung Wan 25819777
Katong Laksa – Sheung Wan 25434008
Nepal
Woodlands – 61 Mody Road TST 23693718
Gaylord – 1/F Ashley Center 23-25 Ashley Road TST 23761001 (North Indian)
Sangeet – 17-23 Minden avenue TST 23675619
Indonesian 1868 – 28 Leighton Road, CWB 25779981 (ox tongue stew and rendang beef)
OTHERS:
1. Sai Kung
- Under The Pier
- Anthony’s Catch 27928474
- 131 27912684
- Scarecrow 27910888
2. Au Belge – Belgian 11 Old Bailey St. 25481818
3. Electric Road, Tin Hau
- Poppy’s 1 A Tsing Fung St. CWB
- The Fresh Soya Shop 74-48 Electric Road
- Te Se Kitchen 69 Electric Road (sweet dumplings)
- Tin Hau Laksa 81 Electric Road
- Shun Fung Noodle House 87 electric Road (Pork Chops)
4. Kin’s Kitchen – 9 Tsing Fung St. Tin Hau 25710913 (fried wonton skins with shredded duck meat)
5. Discovery Bay
- Hemingway’s 29878855 (Carribean, BBQ)
- Manta Ray 29872298 (seafood)
- Fagara 29876222 (Sichuan)
6. Ooh La La – Pui O Beach, Lantau
Commercial Break No. 1
Let's take a break from food-centered ramblings to take an irate look at HK weather.
gloomy, doomsday view from our window, April 24, 10:30 am
are the dark, Mordor clouds here to stay?
argh! big fat droplets of rain pouring down from angry skies
gloomy, doomsday view from our window, April 24, 10:30 am
are the dark, Mordor clouds here to stay?
argh! big fat droplets of rain pouring down from angry skies
Monday, April 23, 2007
Bon Appetit!
I am currently reading Bon Appetit! Travels Through France with Knife, Fork and Corkscrew by Peter Mayle, author of A Year in Provence.
In one part of the book, he says that what distinguishes the French from other nationalities is their utter love of food; from the way it is grown, harvested, and prepared, to the way it is served and eventually partaken of. The French take a rapturous, sensual delight in food, and this is best witnessed during Sunday lunch, when everyone is leisurely perusing the menu, taking their sweet time and "...mentally tasting the dishes on offer. You can almost hear the flutter of taste buds."
I must have been French in my past life. When I read that passage I silently said, bingo! I always take my time in restaurants, visually imagining each and every dish, composing a picture in my mind, my taste buds emboldened, my senses on full alert, my heart racing as my salivary glands go on overdrive, seeking and longing that first bite, bursting with life and flavor.
In one part of the book, he says that what distinguishes the French from other nationalities is their utter love of food; from the way it is grown, harvested, and prepared, to the way it is served and eventually partaken of. The French take a rapturous, sensual delight in food, and this is best witnessed during Sunday lunch, when everyone is leisurely perusing the menu, taking their sweet time and "...mentally tasting the dishes on offer. You can almost hear the flutter of taste buds."
I must have been French in my past life. When I read that passage I silently said, bingo! I always take my time in restaurants, visually imagining each and every dish, composing a picture in my mind, my taste buds emboldened, my senses on full alert, my heart racing as my salivary glands go on overdrive, seeking and longing that first bite, bursting with life and flavor.
Hutong
Had a lovely dinner at Hutong (28th Floor, 1 Peking Road, Tsim Sha Tsui), a glamorous Chinese restaurant rife in atmosphere and artistic food presentation, with stunning harbor views.
Hubby and I admired the decor, especially that of the restrooms, but we would be scared silly to look at ourselves in the mirror and "do our thing" if we had as dark and eerie a room in our own home.
Eye candy for me were the wooden trays, hand-painted bowls and lacquer servingware where the inventive dishes reposed.
To start with we had:
- poached cold drunken pigeon and crispy roast pigeon which little boy finished most of so we had to order again
followed by:
- crabmeat rolled in thinly-sliced radish, in one perfect row, with a black sesame dipping sauce. bland but refreshing
- mixed vegetable spring rolls, crisp and very tasty
- deep-fried battered eggplant with a minced prawn and lotus root filling, served with fresh minced garlic
- bamboo clams steeped in rose wine and chili sauce
then came the main courses:
- a boneless lamb rib, Hutong-style, fried to perfection and served with warm, thin pancakes, slices of leek and a garlic dipping sauce
- soft-shell crabs hiding like cowards under a fierce mountain of fried fiery hot Szechuan red peppers - beautiful to look at, served in a red wooden receptacle with handle
- roast pork ribs topped with fennel seeds
- squid sauteed with lofty sea urchin (uni)
- braised sea cucumbers wading in a rich brown sauce redolent with golden scallions and prawn roe
- Mandarin fish fillet smartly dressed in a heap of crunchy garlic
- chunky green asparagus stir-fried with salted yellow croaker
- steamed taro balls with prawn roe sauce
- eggwhite fried rice with spring onion
Some of us with adventurous tastebuds and possibly alcoholic tendencies tried the Jia Qing Tung Pao- one small lychee placed in a clay pot (like those for dipping sauces) where a heady, sweetish concoction of lychee liquor, gin and soda water is poured. An extraordinary way to sip one's alcohol.
The kids, little boy and his pretty friend, each ordered noodle soup with diced shrimp, but shared in the adult's fare as well. My son took one sip of my strawberry-lime shake and never let go of the glass. He seemed to be suffering from endless thirst so I ordered a peach shake for him but he turned his nose up at it. I should've known, he's a darn good actor for a 4 year old.
After dinner we all walked to Knutsford Terrace and ended the night canoodling with a vanilla souffle, molten chocolate cake, nougat parfait, apple crumble and pistachio creme brulee.
Hubby and I admired the decor, especially that of the restrooms, but we would be scared silly to look at ourselves in the mirror and "do our thing" if we had as dark and eerie a room in our own home.
Eye candy for me were the wooden trays, hand-painted bowls and lacquer servingware where the inventive dishes reposed.
To start with we had:
- poached cold drunken pigeon and crispy roast pigeon which little boy finished most of so we had to order again
followed by:
- crabmeat rolled in thinly-sliced radish, in one perfect row, with a black sesame dipping sauce. bland but refreshing
- mixed vegetable spring rolls, crisp and very tasty
- deep-fried battered eggplant with a minced prawn and lotus root filling, served with fresh minced garlic
- bamboo clams steeped in rose wine and chili sauce
then came the main courses:
- a boneless lamb rib, Hutong-style, fried to perfection and served with warm, thin pancakes, slices of leek and a garlic dipping sauce
- soft-shell crabs hiding like cowards under a fierce mountain of fried fiery hot Szechuan red peppers - beautiful to look at, served in a red wooden receptacle with handle
- roast pork ribs topped with fennel seeds
- squid sauteed with lofty sea urchin (uni)
- braised sea cucumbers wading in a rich brown sauce redolent with golden scallions and prawn roe
- Mandarin fish fillet smartly dressed in a heap of crunchy garlic
- chunky green asparagus stir-fried with salted yellow croaker
- steamed taro balls with prawn roe sauce
- eggwhite fried rice with spring onion
Some of us with adventurous tastebuds and possibly alcoholic tendencies tried the Jia Qing Tung Pao- one small lychee placed in a clay pot (like those for dipping sauces) where a heady, sweetish concoction of lychee liquor, gin and soda water is poured. An extraordinary way to sip one's alcohol.
The kids, little boy and his pretty friend, each ordered noodle soup with diced shrimp, but shared in the adult's fare as well. My son took one sip of my strawberry-lime shake and never let go of the glass. He seemed to be suffering from endless thirst so I ordered a peach shake for him but he turned his nose up at it. I should've known, he's a darn good actor for a 4 year old.
After dinner we all walked to Knutsford Terrace and ended the night canoodling with a vanilla souffle, molten chocolate cake, nougat parfait, apple crumble and pistachio creme brulee.
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
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