Laduree

Ah... France. I dream of visiting, of walking its streets, OF EATING ITS FOOD!!!!!

I can't just yet, but something from France came to me in the form of Laduree, a 146 year old Parisian institution that started as a bakery, and is now a tea salon/purveyor of luxury food.

A good friend thoughtfully brought over her baby pink Laduree box, and inside 6 macaroons were gently cradled, waiting patiently for a delicate hand to bring it over to not-so-delicate lips smacking with anticipation. I'm not a big macaroon fan myself, but I timidly tried one, and ended up enthusiastically eating 3.



We each had the pistachio, coffee and the revelation of the afternoon: the salted butter caramel. Similar to dulce de leche but less cloying, it was a sensation to the taste buds, a creamy, toffee-like silken creation with salty undertones. I, the not-a-macaroon-fan, could probably eat 3 in one sitting. Good thing there was only 1. After enjoying the macaroons, and while in the throes of utter pleasure, a part of our brain prodded us with the reminder that we had overeaten, that we consumed more sugar and calories in 10 minutes than we should have, so in an act of desperation we drank some hot tea and immediately felt better. I mean, what could be healthier, right? And tea does go so well with macaroons.

Confessions of a Shopaholic

I can't enter a food shop or walk by a market without buying something. Anything. A calorie-filled snack, an unnecessary, expensive ingredient, a kitchen doodad I admire then stick in a drawer, a bar (or three) of chocolate, something I feel my family back home will enjoy (even if I can only give it after several months), an exotic find from a country I haven't been to (now that definitely increases my choices exponentially).

Hubby says I enter with good intentions to just "window" shop, and leave a few hundred dollars poorer. My friends are testament to this predilection/addiction. Which means grocery lists are largely ignored as I tend to purchase far more than I originally planned -- but then aren't most shopaholics this way?

Last week I walked up to the Peak after my class and chanced upon Marketplace by Jason's. Part of the Dairy Farm Group, it's a cross between an upscale, expat-targeted Wellcome and Oliver's in Prince's building. That is to say, it's not as nicely stocked as Oliver's, but is far, far better than your ordinary neighborhood supermarket. I cruised the aisles and found nothing that interesting, plus I really didn't need anything. My freezer was groaning, my fridge bloated, my cupboards barely had an inch of space.

And yet you can guess what happened. The card got swiped, and the goodies lugged home.


wicked! Lindt dark chocolate with chili


worth a try: Movenpick 72%. I love my bittersweets. I love my darks.


The only dark hubby likes: with whole, crunchy almonds


For our families back home: rich, silky truffles


And my happy find: sinamak or spiced vinegar. I'm sure it's not the best brand out there but just look at the floating "silis" and flavorful spices and tell me you don't crave chicken inasal.

WHY I LIVE WHERE I LIVE IN HK

1. I am several blocks away from HK's oldest street market, where I get my weekly supply of fresh seafood and thrice weekly supply of fresh vegetables.

2. I am a few blocks away from 2 Italian delis where I get my deli meats, cheese, fresh bread, fresh herbs and other Italian bottled condiments and sauces.

3. I can count at least 6 private kitchens that I can walk to, if I'm so inclined. One Cajun, 2 Cantonese, 1 Sichuanese, 1 serving Sichuan/Beijing cuisine, 1 French. Pierre Gagnaire's PIERRE and Joel Robuchon's Atelier can also be reached by both my legs, in less time than it takes to eat lunch.

4. I live 20 minutes away from work, and on my way I pass by hidden slices of local life and culture (think stores selling paper houses, cars, LV bags and other material possessions the Chinese bring to the other world; dried seafood and herb stores with abundant displays of aromatic and medicinal bounties of the sea and land; small shops selling extremely inexpensive clothing from Korea and China).

5. There are supermarkets all around me, with one selling prepared sushi, sashimi and Chinese roasted meats.

6. I live 10 minutes away (by walking) from the premier restaurant and cafe district of HK, SOHO and NOHO. I'm a few hundred steps away from innovative food, leisurely Sunday brunches, decadent desserts, dimsum restaurants older than I am, a snake soup shop, the yummiest burgers and thinnest thin crust pizzas, noodles and wontons galore. Oh and did I mention I can have my pick of the following cuisines? Ukrainian, Russian, French, Mexican, Lebanese, Nepalese, Egyptian, American, Chinese regional, Chinese desserts, Finnish, Swedish, Canadian, Thai, Vietnamese, Indonesian, Moroccan, Japanese, Indian, Singaporean, Filipino, Spanish, Australian, Argentinian, Cajun, African, Malaysian, British, Irish...

If visitors ask me where I live, I won't rattle off my address. All they need to know is that if they visit me, they will surely be well-fed.

Pizza! Home-made! Perfect!

A good friend who's also a great cook lovingly made the thinnest pizza crust I've ever laid eyes on from scratch and invited us over for a night of conversation, pizza variations, wine and mojitos, and if that weren't enough, she ended the fantastic repast with a multi-layered mango float.

To start, we had insalata caprese, a slice of red-ripe Australian tomato on top of which rested an oval of buffalo mozzarella, kissed by fresh basil leaves. A few spritzes of extra virgin olive oil and drizzles of balsamic reduction and viola, a beautifully plated appetizer materialized before her (hungry and grateful) guests' eyes.



The 2nd course, a pizza salad or sorts, was simply small versions of the cracker-like crust topped with slivers of mozzarella, with whispers of baby arugula floating about and 2 paper-thin slices of parma ham folded, accordion-like. Balsamic vinegar and olive oil nicely rounded off the dish, and groans of "mmmmm" resounded as the saltiness of the ham mingled with the slight bitterness of the leaves which were offset by the sweetness of the balsamic. Each bite ended with a crunch and pleasurable sounds pervaded.



Three kinds of pizzas followed.
First, Mediterranean-style with pine nuts, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic and artichokes topped with feta and Manchego cheese.



Second, meat lovers with chunks of veal sausage, Andouille sausage, anchovies and garlic on a bed of tomato with roasted capsicum sauce, mozzarella cheese and Manchego.

Third, Hungarian salami with capers, olives, tomato with roasted capsicum sauce and mozzarella cheese.

After the first pizza no one was in the mood to take pictures. We were ravenous and just wanted to savor each slice.

Stuffed as we were that night, no one could resist this sweet ending.



Restaurants in HK are fine and dandy but nothing beats a dinner prepared with passion, served in a beautifully maintained home, with the proper lighting, music and aroma. Next week we veer away from gourmet and hold a proper American and Pinoy barbeque. After that, who knows? We plan to make this a regular thing, with various hosts receiving us into their homes, the food depending on mood, kitchen size and whether a dining table is available or not. Good company, dishes that could rival any restaurant's any day, and stimulating conversation are all the ambiance and inspiration we food lovers need.

* Thanks Acx for the pictures.

Vietnam in Kowloon

Kowloon City, to my mind, is a place steeped in history, hard to find and reach, the Thai quarter of HK. It means fantastic, cheap food; but it also means planning and coordination on my part such as: getting friends together, traveling far from HK Island, searching for the right restaurant.

As usual my OC-ness got the better of me. After eating there last night I realized it wasn't so far after all. Think: a short 10 minute subway ride from Central station to Mongkok on the red line, then a transfer to the green line for another 10 minute ride to Lok Fu, then a HKD16 cab ride to the restaurant. Searching for the right restaurant was a breeze. I had my usual arsenal of magazine clippings and recommendations from those in the know. The only thing that required planning was getting people to go with you so you could order tons of food without looking like a glutton and straining the limits of your stomach. Yet even that was easy. I mean, who can live in HK and say no to an invitation to dinner?

So off we went, 3 friends and I, to try out this Vietnamese/Thai restaurant with 4 branches within walking distance of each other (I thought that privilege was reserved for 7-11 and McDonald's).

What did we order, us 4? Crab in chili sauce, fried soft shell crab, beef cubes with tomato rice, shrimp balls, garlic vegetables, and chicken/pork satay.


fried soft shell crab: a generous portion that was not greasy, seasoned lightly, a gem!


crab in chili sauce: yummy but lacked heat!


beef in tomato rice: looked better than it tasted


beer


the menu


Garisberg and San Mignel beer, anyone? Or maybe you want some Pesi-Coca.


pictures!

What else did we want to order but did not have room for? Tom yum soup (weather was too hot though), vermicelli with crab meat (crab overload!), shrimp and pork rolls (we only saw it after ordering so much already), fried frog with salt and pepper, lamb ribs, all manner of curry and noodle soups.

Evidently we ordered too much and had to suffer a period of moaning and groaning. We walked a few blocks of Kowloon City after the meal and promised ourselves we would be back, to try Combo Thai (Thai/Viet), a hotpot restaurant, an incongruously located French bakery, a place known for typhoon shelter crab.

Read up on Kowloon (Walled) City!

http://www.arch.columbia.edu/index.php?pageData=21536
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kowloon_Walled_City
http://www.lcsd.gov.hk/parks/kwcp/en/index.php

Adventures in a Wet Market

Today was supposed to be food trip day. I had a doctor's appointment planned, then lunch with a fellow food-obsessed friend at this hawker stall in North Point (specialties: duck rice and squid ink noodles), followed by a hot stone massage treatment in Causeway Bay. Ahhh, indulgence, every woman's best friend.

But plans change, and since I couldn't contact Tung Bo and my friend and I met late, we decided to eat at this noodle shop in Central serving a set lunch of 5 pieces xiao long bao with spicy noodle soup and cold soya milk. All for HKD38. Yum!

I headed off to my spa treatment, which happens only twice a year for me here in HK (but daily when I'm in Manila, where prices make me smile), and forgot about my cooked food market obsession for 2 hours. For those who are scratching their heads in wonder, a cooked food market is a series of food stalls selling a variety of cooked (what else?) food, usually located above a wet market. These wet markets are located in a building, with some vendors spilling out onto the street. All manner of items are sold at these wet markets, like meat, poultry, vegetables, noodles, fruits, seafood, desserts, flowers, roast meats, cloths, hardware items, plastic ware and sundry articles. At a second floor accessible by stairs or escalator you will find the food hall or cooked food market. Some sell forgettable stuff swimming in oil, but others are well-known, like Tung Bo at the Java Road Market.

I read about some stalls at the Bowrington Road (the address says Causeway Bay, but it sits in the middle of CWB and Wan Chai, and I always don't know where one district ends and the other begins) cooked food market and after my massage my OC-ness returned full blast and with a painful foot I hobbled out into the smoggy, humid HK outdoors and walked towards Bowrington Road.

A kind vendor showed me where to go, and even gave me a toothy grin with a thumbs up sign when she saw me walking out, my fingers laced around heavy plastic bags filled with food in styro boxes. Inside the market no one could speak English, so armed with a combination of sign language, the article I had cut up, and a determination to seek out good food wherever they may be I sought out three places.

The first is called Qing Zhen. The write-up said they serve roast goose to rival Yung Kee, so I immediately ordered half a goose and was pleasantly surprised to be charged only HKD 70. The old man minding the stall wanted to sell me marinated goose wings but I declined. This stall is over 60 years old!



Next up: Hoi Kee Roast Specialist, which chaxuibao blogged about here. Of course I ordered the curry lamb noodles. HKD 40 for a huge, huge serving.



A short trek across the hall brought me to Kan Kee Vegetarian, whose owner is Buddhist, to get some veggies for our dinner, but they had nothing cooked and I couldn't wait so off I went to the stall by the entrance selling seafood. A guy with a cigarette hanging form his lips greeted me and I asked for an English menu so I could order vegetables. Obviously they had none so he told me to enter their tiny (and dark, and dirty) kitchen and choose what I wanted. What an honor to be welcomed into a sacred place! I was greeted by steam, the odor of cooking food and the odor of those cooking the food, a grand slam in one go! I asked for the tung choi, which is like kangkong, and told the guy to cook it in whatever way he wanted. I also pointed to some sliced eggplant I spied sitting in a basket in the dining area, and he told me he would pair it with pork. Yes, whatever, surprise me!!!! I paid HKD68 for both dishes and trudged home.





So here are the results of my adventure today, costing a mere HKD170 (very cheap by HK standards, considering there's half a goose included).



The verdict? The goose was very meaty, which is a plus, but Yung Kee's skin is crisper and the meat more tender. Their sauce was quite nice, pale but not too sweet. The curry lamb noodles were some of the best I've tasted! And I've been to the popular one in Gough Street where luxury cars park outside waiting for their classy owners to finish up their noodles.(This one is better!) Yes it looks quite oily, but heck we only live once, right? The tung choi was overcooked but the garlic and chili flavors were pronounced and the seasoning, perfect. The eggplants were likewise overcooked, or perhaps they cooked in their own heat during my long walk looking for a non-existent cab and my subsequent trip home, but the pork was tender, and I wasn't expecting much.

In retrospect I should have waited for the vegetarian meal, but with prices and servings like these who am I to complain?


Bowrington Road Market, 21 Bowrington Road, Causeway Bay. All stalls located at the 1/F. Qing Zhen is stall number 5, Kan Kee is number 6, and Hoi Kee I don't remember.

Commercial Break No. 4

Me: You should try to wake up earlier each morning if you want time to play before going off to school.
Little Boy: But mama, it's so hard to get up.
Me: Then you should sleep earlier.
Little Boy: Can't you just plug me in every morning?


I asked him if he was an appliance and he said yes, he needed to be plugged in through his back to summon the energy to get up so early. :)

Too many herbs=Grilled porkchops

Inspired (again!) by Marketman's posts on the thin porkchops he had in Greece, and wanting to deal with the surfeit of fresh herbs in my fridge (I tried using the word "ref" here in HK, but no one understood) begging to be used, I brought out my weapon of choice, my trusty mallet, and pounded away.

Here are pictures of the chops rubbed with dried oregano, fresh thyme and rosemary, drizzled with olive oil and lemon juice, with a touch of salt and pepper. I don't have an outdoor grill and had to make do with my grill pan, so I sorely missed the char marks and burnt, crisp sides, but it tasted good! So good I forgot to take pictures of the finished product.

Favorite Supermarket No More

I went back to Jusco in Taikoo Shing recently, and viewing the supermarket from the eyes of a grumpy hubby, I realized it was too crowded, and the Chinese and Japanese language labels were more of a hassle than an inspiration to re-learn Mandarin. I still love the food stalls, and bought 3 (yes, 3!) Japanese pancakes- one with matcha and adzuki, one with banana chocolate and another with strawberry adzuki.

It's not my number one favorite supermarket anymore. I guess after shopping in cramped stores with a limited selection, you are awed by such cavernous (by HK standards) space, bright, bright lights, and scores of Japanese goodies waiting to be devoured! I realize now that all supermarkets in HK have their limitations, so I'll just go to each one for the good stuff they have.

Jusco or Apita in Taikoo Shing: anything Japanese

Great in Pacific Place: Polaine bread, balsamic vinegar in barrels, beautiful but limited selection of cookware and silicone products, sauces from all over the world

City'Super in IFC, Harbour City: Little Mermaid Bakery for their tantalizing smells wafting throughout the store, a selection of Japanese goods, their cheese and deli counter, chocolate products

Oliver's in Prince's Building: their veal bratwurst from the deli

Three Sixty at the Landmark: reasonably priced deli stuff and fruits

Wet market: seafood, meat, fruits, and vegetables!

My Favorite Supermarket in HK

I didn't use to have a number 1 favorite supermarket or gourmet grocery store simply because living in HK you are spoilt for choice. Three Sixty (The Landmark, Central) has a convenient location, a wide range of organic products and reasonable prices. Oliver's Delicatessen (Prince's Bldg, Central) has very reasonably priced deli meats and sausages, City'Super has many locations and a wonderful-smelling bread shop called Little Mermaid. It also stocks Splenda by the packet, and my trusty fire-engine red silicone utensils. Great Food Hall (Pacific Place) stocks food from all over the world, and always entices me with their expensive "olive oil and vinegar" in barrels selection. They also carry Polaine bread from France. I'll segue a bit and tell you about the avocado oil and avocado oil with lime my friend is raving about. She says it can be found in HK but it's very pricey. She bought hers from New Zealand, where it's made. I can imagine drops of this fragrant oil on salads and pasta. Mmmmmmmmm, I miss the truffle oil an uncle gave me. It ran out ages ago.

So you see? There are so many food shops in HK (I hear the newly-opened Jason's Marketplace is a must-visit) that it's hard to choose just one favorite.

Yesterday though, a friend brought me to Jusco in Taikoo Shing (far away on the Easternmost side of HK Island)and I fell in love. A few of the highlights:

*Wide aisles and bright lighting.
*A lot of Japanese food on offer. And I mean a lot.
*Prices are far better than most.
*The crowd at their ready- meal counter was awful and jostling for space, but this can only mean the food is good.
*I've never seen such a variety of fish on sale.
*A Japanese restaurant inside that serves set meals that look yummy, although I have yet to try it this weekend.
*So many food stalls selling a variety of sweets like Stick Sticks (cakes cut into sticks instead of wedges), Beard Papa (the gourmet cream puff), Antique Tea Room, Maria's (their cheesecake was selling out fast), and Sakura Street (I loved the Japanese pancake filled with matcha cream and azuki and gobbled one up in minutes), to name a few.
*Savory stalls include a Fat Angelo's pizza by the slice and packed salads, 2 long Chinese cooked food counters, 2 sushi counters, a takoyaki counter, Japanese skewers, and so many more.
*If you get tired of grocery shopping, they have several floors of department store above.
*A Macau restaurant across the street that's well-known for their pork chop bun, curry and fried rice.

I ask you then, what's not to like? Probably the fact that there's no fresh seafood stall or a butcher, but I can walk to the Graham Street market (HK's oldest, since 1841)near my home. Most labels are also in Chinese, which means I have to brush up! Despite these negatives, Jusco is officially my favorite supermarket in HK.

Nearby is Apita, (located in Cityplaza, a mall in Taikoo Shing) another supermarket run by a Japanese chain, if you get bored with Jusco. Their prices are slightly higher, though. On the top floor of this mall is the best food court in HK! Their Taiwanese food, Wonton and Congee, Vietnamese Food and Sergeant Chicken (Hainanese Chicken Rice) stalls are famous! I tried the chicken rice yesterday. It was dreamy to be able to eat soft, pliant flesh dipped in soy sauce, chili sauce and the finest ginger, mixed with fragrant rice and soup. Their chicken is boneless! They even have boneless chicken feet.

I have now decided that the eastern side will be the location my next food trip. This includes Taikoo Shing and North Point (haven of Fujian cuisine, the one I grew up eating).

For a list of HK food shops see this link: http://eatdrinkhongkong.com/deli.html.

Wonton vs. Dumplings

A Chinese friend just taught me a food lesson yesterday. She says wontons and dumplings should not be interchanged or confused with the other. Wontons are often crescent-shaped, and fillings are composed of meat, vegetables and crunchy strips of dark fungus. Dumplings are usually round, and filled with meat only.

The Wonton Chronicles

One rainy afternoon I met up with Hiro Sakai of the blog Eating and Cooking. The reason we met up was simple: he had a mission. To try several wonton places in Hong Kong that I previously blogged about here and here.

How we found out we knew each other from long ago is not so simple, and involves convoluted, funny, and scary emails sent back and forth for several weeks. We thought we were each other's "stalkers", and had we not discovered each other's identities we probably would never have met up for an afternoon of eating and talking about food.

A wonton, or wanton, is a type of dumpling filled with savoury minced meat or vegetables. I personally love those with one or a combination of the following: shrimp, prawn, minced pork, minced watercress/spinach/courgette/chives. I've tried one with lamb at a famous hotpot place called Little Sheep. It's a chain restaurant from China, and is so huge it was listed in the stock exchange recently.

Hiro S. told me to prepare my tummy for our feast so I didn't eat lunch. Using a tiny umbrella meant for one we walked around Central and tried the following places:

Tsim Tsai Kee, Wellington Street: We shared a bowl full of steaming soup and generous servings of prawn dumplings and some beef noodles.

Mak's Noodle, Wellington Street: We had a bowl of shrimp dumplings and another with beef brisket and tendon.

Sam Tor, Pottinger Street: Again we had a bowl of soup with shrimp dumplings and shared a huge plate of fried fresh fishball with clam sauce. The clams were tiny, fermented and salty. I've tried fried fishball at so many places but this for me was the best- not fishy, no overpowering Chinese herbs, not greasy.

For dessert we relaxed at this place called Antique Tea Room on Lyndhurst Terrace, and Hiro S. remembered to buy some BBQ pork (cha siu) and roast goose from the famous Yung Kee on Wellington Street.

I'll let Hiro S. blog about this foodtrip (which had the best dumplings, prices , ambiance etc...). He took pictures and he's got a great memory for tastes, prices and food in general. He never wrote anything down so you can imagine how much that memory holds- considering how prolific he is when it comes to restaurant hopping.

Thanks Hiro S., that was a fun afternoon! For those who are based abroad and want to know where to eat in Manila, his is the blog to read.

Greek Salad

Inspired by Marketman's posts on Greece, especially this one about a Greek Salad he tried at home, I decided to whip up my own Greek-style salad for lunch today.




I used these lovely grape tomatoes I found from my neighborhood fruit stand (tomato, is, after all, a fruit), cut them in half, and tossed them in with some leftover lettuce, crispy cucumbers (the small kind, like MM suggests), dried oregano, extra virgin olive oil, white wine vinegar (my red wine vinegar was way, way past its expiry date so I had to bin it), a splash of lemon juice, and I poured in half a pack of cubed feta cheese and kalamata olives marinated in herbs and oil.



Of course I was in a hurry and had to make do. Next time I'd grab some fresh oregano leaves, a huge hunk of feta, some wicked marinated olives from Great, and beautiful tomatoes from the market.

For breakfast today I had some yogurt with Manuka honey (from New Zealand, supposedly with healing properties) and 2 fresh strawberries. How's that for feeling like I'm in Greece?

Kitchenware Sale=Naughty Thoughts

Yesterday hubby and I, along with a male friend, went to the most disappointing kitchenware clearance sale ever!!!!!!

It was held in a tiny hotel function room, and most of the wares were either damaged, detached or downright ugly.

I went to a Le Creuset Clearance Sale and it was heaven compared to this one, despite the 1 1/2 hours I had to endure standing in line.

Maybe it was our fault. We arrived at 3pm, 2 hours to closing time. Maybe bargain hunters scrambled for pots and pans in the morning and left the unwanted items sitting forlornly on the tables, looking old, stale and pathetic.

We saw a silicone spatula, it's head detached from its handle. The head was selling for HKD 2. Hmmm, I wonder if it's truly a bargain to buy it considering you'll have to burn your hands since it didn't have a handle. Or maybe the handle was lying somewhere far away, ashamed to be seen in the company of castaways and mutant utensils.

Out of boredom, and sheer naughtiness, we decided to scrutinize some of the stuff on sale and guess what they were. My friend and I being kitchen buffs, it was easy to rattle off names like nutcracker, potato masher, melon baller etc.. Poor hubby had no idea what they were. We decided to take fun to the next level and describe their uses.

Anyone interested in something that will "mash your potato", "scoop your balls", "hold your eggs", "separate your eggs", or, horror of horrors, "crack your nuts"?

Commercial Break No. 4

My little boy's favorite expressions when he feels pissed, frustrated, resentful, angry, irritated or just plain buggered.

Last year: Aw, pickles! (from Higglytown Heroes on Playhouse Disney Channel)
A few months ago: Aw, Man! (from Swiper on Dora the Explorer)
Now: Tricks in copper bottom! (NOW WHERE DID THAT COME FROM????????)

THE Miele Guide

This is Asia's answer to the Michelin (sort-of, considering ordinary people get to vote, and the the criteria isn't as stringent). And I say, it's about time! Asian cuisine is steadily becoming accepted and even "fashionable" in the West. Europe is not a place everyone can travel to, and even if they could, Michelin-starred restaurants are not exactly cheap, so it excites me that an Asian list is coming out...

For those based in the Philippines, do help put 3 local, outstanding restaurants on the world food map. Just go to www.mieleguide.com to vote! Hubby and I have voted for our favorite restos in the Phillipines, Hong Kong, Thailand, Macau and Indonesia. I'm definitely getting a copy- biased reviews or not, I'm a sucker for any literature that's food-related.

Food Experiments

Spinach artichoke dip



Pochero, complete with ham bones



Seafood cake with Pumpkin Pine Nut Risotto. Lacks a green garnish.

What I'm Loving in HK

Pineapple buns and other "panaderia" goodies



Fluffy omelet and crunchy buttered roll for breakfast from a very local place



Colors of the market: the oranges, pinks, greys of various fish, the depth of green of leafy vegetables, the rainbow colors of fruits in season, the reds, browns and yellows of roasting meat and fowl hanging from hooks



Stinky tofu



Dried seafood



More dried seafood, with dried kumquat (the roundish green thing) that people use in soups for its medicinal properties



Starfish! Wonder what they use this for...



Streetfood: skewered everything



Cuttlefish! Deep-fried and sprinkled with pepper salt. I prefer mine plain and swimming in vinegar.



Deep-fried vegetables, some with fish paste (made of dace)



Fresh fruit shakes/juice. No sugar or ice added! This is one of the nicer-looking fruit stands, by the way. I usually get my fruit fix from a hidden sidewalk vendor who uses maybe 2 blenders and 1 juicer of dubious hygiene for many different types of fruits.



Waffle. Who doesn't love the egg-y smell of this childhood favorite?

More to come...

Phuket Trip

Headache-inducing sunshine greeted us upon arrival in Phuket 1st week of April. Blasted heat and sticky armpits aside, we enjoyed our stay at the Sheraton Laguna, although I must say the very famous Ruen Thai restaurant at the Dusit was only average for me, while the meal we had at Sheraton's Chao Lay Thai Restaurant was superb. And the best eating places? In Patong Beach, where everything was cheap! in-your-face (or should I say in-your-mouth) fresh! delicious!



Who can go wrong with ordering mango with sticky rice for dessert?

Yep, we had Western food. And the burger and seafood pasta were surprisingly good. Little boy ignored his kid's menu bolognese and went for the more expensive, chock-full of seafood pasta dish of the adults. Notice the modern, zen-ish plates? Phuket has lots of handmade stainless steel stores, and I got myself a whole flatware set woohoo!



At a famous seafood restaurant in Patong, we ordered pad thai (a bit too dry but when I added more lime juice it sprang to life), sauteed morning glory which hubby LOVESLOVESLOVES, I suspect the oyster sauce they use is different and the chilies are charred), grilled red snapper fillet (oh my what a revelation, fork-tender, very very tasty without being salty, sensual in its simplicity).



The shrimp in red curry was spicy and went so well with steamed rice. Boy that was a satisfying dinner. And the day before at this hole-in-the-wall in Patong we had the spiciest tom yum ever (it made me cough so often, and I am a chili lover), the spiciest chicken in green curry and again, sauteed morning glory. I was even afraid to venture in at first because they served Western food too and I hate places that try to serve anything and everything, but I had to swallow my trepidation and admit that these eateries around Patong have to serve Western food for the non-adventurous, but their Thai cuisine is still as genuine as ever.



In Patong I saw all sorts of hawkers selling noodles in soup, grilled chicken or fish with the charcoal grill hanging from the vendor's neck, in the street facing a wet market were tables with "add-all-you-can" beansprouts, Thai basil, fresh chili and fish sauce for hungry locals, and of course the fresh fruit stands were everywhere!



Mango shake at one of the many Thai restos we went to.



Phuket has so many Italian and Indian restaurants it was unbelievable! At the Sheraton's Puccini, where we ate twice, I had this gigantic salad the first time, and was so happy with the generosity of the serving. Loved the asparagus, sun-dried tomato, artichokes, wispy flakes of Parmesan, feta cheese, kalamata olives, cherry tomatoes and fresh greens served on a huge, lopsided white bowl. Hubby had the 4-cheese pizza. The crust was crunchy and light at the same time, the interior full of airy goodness. Our next try we had the prosciutto pizza and seafood risotto, both a joy to eat.



At Puccini they try not to starve you so they serve assorted bread in this conical implement along with various dips like pesto, tomato and basil, beetroot, sundried tomato pesto and butter.



I could finish off a whole warm ciabatta loaf, diet be damned!



Little boy was so hungry he took first dibs at the crunchy flatbread!



We ordered this catfish dish at Ruen Thai and immediately regretted it. It was so sweet and caramelized it tasted like dessert! The yellow balls are salted egg yolks. We also ordered beef massaman curry with peanuts and the beef was so tender and the sauce so rich and tasty we decided to forgive the cloying sweetness of the fish. We expected more from this restaurant boasting "Royal Thai Cuisine" though. After this experience we would always ask whether a main dish was sweet or spicy. One should learn from one's mistakes.



This is a famous soup, next to tom yum. It's chicken with coconut milk and galangal. It was very refreshing.




Fried morning glory salad made up our appetizer for the evening. It was average.




At Ruen Thai, the place settings are quite elegant and the accordion-like menu not very extensive.



The omelet for breakfast at the hotel was more scrambled egg whose sides were cooked and shaped into this submarine-like thing. I slathered catsup all over. Not the way I would cook my omelet, which I like fluffy and filled with all manner of vegetables and meat and gooey cheese, but with some toasted rye bread it made for a filling meal.

Other memorable meals with no pictures:
For Little Boy's birthday dinner at Chao Lay we had a lime-based shrimp broth, roasted duck curry with grapes, lychee, eggplants and fresh green peppercorns (the best dish I had in Thailand), sauteed morning glory, fried seafood salad with crabs, prawns and squid.

We also tried this place outside the Laguna gates. We had tom yum, fried rice with prawns, sauteed morning glory (yes, we had it in practically ALL of our meals) crab in red curry sauce, and tons of rice.

I love Thai food and am craving for some as I write this. Kowloon City (Little Thailand here in HK), here I come!