Foodie Magazine - April 2011

Recently I had the opportunity to contribute a piece on My Favorite Sweet Treats in the Foodie Magazine Hong Kong for their April 2011 Easter issue. It is not hard to guess as to which is my favorite place for sweet treats but here it is again if you still don't know, check it out <here>. Happy Easter in advance! May this Easter be a happy and joyful one! Keep smiling and keep eating! :)

Gold by Harlan Goldstein ~ Revisited (Hong Kong)

I blogged about my lunch at Gold by Harlan Goldstein a long while ago and as promised I returned for dinner in celebration of H's birthday. How was the experience? I would definitely return because the food / menu was ... familiar in comparison with that of Tuscany by H under Harlan's management before his current venture into Gold by Harlan Goldstein. Oh by the way, service has improved especially with the pacing in between dishes. The few of us went a bit far with our limits by ordering two starters each followed by the main course and desserts of course!

Riquiqui Dessert Bar ~ Revisit - (Hong Kong)

It is no secret that I quite enjoy going to Riquiqui for desserts for various reasons. One being how it was all desserts, 3-course desserts meal to be exact. I covered it on this blog a while ago and I am blogging about it again because the menu changes every now and then, a very good reason for me to revisit. Alright, just yet another excuse to return but I can't blame myself for having a desserts craving ... every other day right? As I mentioned, guys can have a thing for desserts, just that not all would like to admit in most cases I presume. I am not afraid to admit my love for sweets ... and how my 3rd stomach is always on standby for desserts!

Va Bene (Hong Kong)

I have to be honest here and as mentioned I am yet to appreciate the love for truffles, any sort of truffles for that matter, white or black, winter or summer truffles. It is quite true that perhaps I don't have enough opportunities to enjoy them due to the apparently low supply of them hence the relatively exclusivity to consume. I was very honored to be invited by Va Bene for a media tasting for their soon to launch Winter Black Truffles menu. It was my very first of such event, I mean Media Luncheon. I guess the FEAST event / blogger gathering was of similar nature right? In any case, I took on this invitation mainly because the word truffles came up and this would be a good chance for me try more (and meet more people as the same time). I considered this tasting as a  Black Winter Truffle Appreciation session more or less a personal fulfillment of some sort. Some may question on the true representation of my meal due to the nature of my visit and it is a valid argument which I cannot dispute. Feel free to adjust your expectation accordingly but all I can say is that I enjoyed my visit for what it was and had the chance to broaden my culinary sense regarding truffles.

Gold by Harlan Goldstein (Hong Kong)

By posting my Gold by Harlan Goldstein entry at this time,  I am expected to be yelled at by H and S because we have been planning to come since early Dec 2010. What do I have to say about my rudeness? any excuses? Well, (1) it was brunch that I tried so our upcoming "Golden" dinner at the end of Jan 2011 is still on! (2) as a gentleman that I am (*wink wink*), I have to do a quality assurance to ensure the upcoming experience would be a wonderful one! It was the least I can do to test it out first. (3) I wasn't detoxing HAHA.  Hope H & S can forgive me for what I intended to do. Harlan Goldstein should be a fairly familiar name for many local foodies and his name has been associated with many restaurants in Hong Kong whether he likes it or not unfortunately. Therefore, I should take this opportunity to clarify that Gold by Harlan Goldstein is the only one in Hong Kong that is under his helm, all others bearing his name are simply ... not. I read somewhere that he even said that "The only place you'll find the real Harlan now is at my new venture, Gold by Harlan Goldstein." Quite a bold statement by that just shows his confidence I assume? The following phrase I saw in one of the hanging pictures at Gold further reinforced my assumption: "Why go for Silver when you can go for Gold."

Butao Ramen 豚王

My first visit to this place was back in early Nov 2010, a few days before its prime time TV feature which created the recent hype on this little ramen joint with about a dozen seats. M (from eatshowandtell) and I waited for about 10 minutes only back then instead of the average 1 hour or perhaps 2 hours wait nowadays? It took me this long to blog about it because I wanted to give the rest of the ramen selection a try first. However, any queue for food that requires more than 30 mins wait and less than 10 mins consumption time will likely skip. Therefore, I might as well share my experiences now in the middle of the hype. If you require a more detail insight into the different selection during this hype, please check with e_tingfood.com (also Facebook Fan Page) and tomeatsjencooks.com, both who recently went an hour before it opens on a Saturday morning for its first bowl of ramen. Based on my latest information, the y have limited the supply of ramen per day to 200 bowls ....

Riquiqui Dessert Bar

We often talk about ladies having a second stomach for desserts but I say this applies to guys as well, not that many would like to admit. I have got a soft spot for anything sweets and so a new joint in the middle of Lan Kwai Fong serving just contemporary desserts as its draw naturally attracted me come here whenever possible. Many asked me if I have ever been to this place recently because I did not really blog about it here. The fact is that I have not blogged about it YET. Actually I have been here a couple of times and my first review can be found . I often come here on a weeknight because if I am to go to a bar for a few drinks during Happy Hour, I might as well pick a dessert bar and get sugar high, right?

Bistecca Italian Steak House

Although Bistecca belongs to the Dining Concept group just like Blue Smoke Bar-B-Que, the differences can be quite significant in terms of ... everything, in a positive way of course. It was for lunch and the place was filled with natural sun light and a very clean yet contemporary decor.

Blue Smoke Bar-B-Que

To sum up my review in one word for Blue Smoke B-B-Que, DRY! I am sure Mochachocolata Rita * and Gastronomous Anonymous would agree with me. A fairly new joint located in the heart of LKF, do come here with an empty stomach for some hearty food selection but remember to order some drinks to go along with their rather dry signature ribs.

The Night Market

When someone put "Night Market" and "Food" into the same sentence, all I can think of is the street food and richness of various flavors. But after my recent visit to The Night Market which serves Taiwanese cuisine, I simply miss the necessary evil I call MSG. What really happened the the flavors? or was it my taste buds? Anyhow, the decor was rather upscale and hip, nothing that would reassemble the sort of Night Market I had in mind. 

Union J - Sunday Brunch Finally!

I know! I know! This entry is like my 3rd entries on Union J (1st & 2nd) , but hey, I like this place for being what it is! My foodie friend Babedolphin once mentioned that Union J is one of the few in Hong Kong where the chefs would actually deliver more than what are being described in the menu in terms of techniques and perhaps ingredients used. (Mr. Babedolphin put it in a slightly different way with more details of course, I will let him expand on his take in the comments section below) For me I like the atmosphere, I like the setting and I like how they don't try to pack tables close together even with the open spaces they have.

Did I mention my visit was on a Sunday? Yep, Union J started offering Brunch on Sunday ... wait, I mean they finally decided to OPEN on Sunday! Finally! So what do they offer on Sunday, particularly with its Sunday brunch offering? Well ... basically you can either go a la carte or pick from the list of 17 items! Took us quite a while to select because there were more than 5 items I want! I did not want to give up my Corn Beef Harsh for Smoked Bacon, I want both! I am not going to list all the items out, you can check out the menu below.

After a long 10 mins of thinking, I decided to go with Corned Beef Hash, Classic Egg Benedict, Spiced Pork Sausage, Huevos Rancheros and Bead Basket. Before I bring you to my dish, let us take a look of my friends' orders. I think we ALMOST ordered one of each items from the menu!

Wow, mine was a EGG FEAST! And such an pretty egg! Cannot see the items clearly? No worries, I zoomed in for some of them for your eye's pleasure! :)

The Classic Egg Benedict was pretty good, well prepare with yolk flowing out as it should be! The saltiness of the ham mixed well with the egg yolk and also the hollandaise sauce. Talking about hollandaise sauce reminds me of what Anthony Bourdain said and what I quoted from my breakfast venture at Mandarin Grill +Bar. I still like my hollandaise sauce so more the merrier!

The bread basket consisted of several kinds of bread and I liked the sourdough the most. I was getting a bit full at this point already!

This Huevos Rancheros was something new to me. I did not know what the heck it was when I was ordering it, all I know was that it has eggs and guacamole! Yum. However, it turns out to be rather disappointing in terms of of flavors which were rather weak and confusing in my opinion especially the spicy black beans paste (not spicy at all and very gluey ... interesting texture to be honest but flavors need some work) .... Almost forgot about the Tortilla chip which was ... soggy and almost impossible to cut apart or rip apart! Argh!

Look how pretty the egg was, I almost did not want to egg it and leave it there as it was for my eye's pleasure. Then again, I love eggs, I love food, how can I let decent food go to waste! Never!

Wait a second! Where was the Corned Beef Hash? Good question indeed, it was hiding under the pretty egg!! :) Nice touch! However, the texture was rather firm and flavors a bit too rich, but together with the egg the flavor balanced out so it was alright. Oh yes, the Pork Sausage was alright, no surprises there.

There were some disappointing items but overall it was a good relaxing brunch with good company and good atmosphere so I think I will come back soon to try the rest of their items

Likes:

• Atmosphere / Decor
• Wide selection of brunch items and portion was HUGE!
• Classic Egg Benedict - well prepared with yolk flowing out and flavors were good with the ham and hollandaise sauce

Dislikes:

• Huevos Rancheros - interesting marriage of flavors and a super tough Tortilla chips!
• Corned Beef Hash - texture was a bit too firm
  

Avg Spending: around HKD 250 per person

Union J
1/F California Tower,
30-32 D'Aguilar Street, Central
Tel: 2537 2368
http://www.elite-concepts.com/eatplusdrink.php?id=40


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Hong Kong University Alumni Association 香港大學校友會

This place is one of my favorites and most frequented Chinese restaurant in the Central area. The chef here used to work in Luk Yu Tea House and hence the similar dishes being offered but at around 20% less in terms of price. It was one of the colder days in November this very evening and a few of us wanted something hearty, simple and warm, the best suggestion I had in mind was Hot Clay Pot Rice!

(1) Chinese Soup with Pig's Lung + Almond 杏汁白肺湯
One of my favorite soups of all time! Pig's lungs are very tough to clean nd prepare to my knowledge and so better eat outside than attempt it at home. It wasn't as creamy as I hoped but it was good, it put a smile on my face after the first sip.

STOOPPPP! It was too late, too late indeed! The waiter poked at the egg before I can stop him. My intended picture with the egg yolk floating in the center was ruined!!! Argh! The meat loaf of this Hot Clay Pot Rice with Minced Beef loaf/patty and Raw Eggs was good but texture wise a bit too ... tender? too chewy? bouncy? artificial? too much baking soda? ... I cannot find the right word to describe it but it was not what we expected ...

The same applied to the Steamed Minced Pork Patty with diced Squid 土魷剁肉餅 regarding the texture of the patty which was too ... gluey and Licorice like?? In any case the flavor was good and we finished to the last piece of it. :)

This Chicken and Taro casserole (Chinese style) was perfect to go with rice. Please be reminded that this dish is EXTREMELY filling! It was rather watery, should have been more creamy but flavor was good, not overly salty with rich taro taste in every bite. The three of us could not finish the whole thing because it was just too filling!

Now back to something more healthy and simple, Fish balls and tofu in soup 生菜魚滑豆腐煲. Nothing too surprise about this dish but the soup was heart warming and I just love all kinds of fish balls and meat balls. :)

I guess I need to return again soon to try other dishes again for a better experience especially their sweet and sour pork which is very good!

Likes:

• Chinese Soup with Pig's Lung + Almond 杏汁白肺湯 ... one of my all time favorite soups. Luk Yu Tea House does it better but pretty amazing here already.
• Hot Clay Pot Rice with Minced Beef loaf/patty and Raw Eggs - it was enjoyable but the texture of the patty was just ... too artificial to me.

Dislikes:

• The texture of he meat patties
• requires membership, have to be alumni of HK University
  

Avg Spending: HKD 100 - 200 per person

Hong Kong University Alumni Association 香港大學校友會
Room 101, Yip Fung Building,
2 D'Aguilar Street, LKF, Central
Tel: +852 2522 7968
http://www.hkuaa.org.hk/facilities.asp


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Sushi Kuu 壽司喰 (Revisited)

Sushi Kuu is one of my favorite Japanese restaurants in town. I usually come here for lunch because of its location in the middle of LKF. On this special Sunday evening, I was invited by a friend in celebration of her 2x birthday and it was Sushi Kuu that the whole group of us happily spent the night with plenty of shochu and endless flow of great food! My friend selected the tasting menu (or was it the Chef Menu?) for each of us. I forgot to grab the menu after the meal because after a few glasses of sake & shochu, I was lucky enough to be able to take all these clear, non-blurry and STILL images.



It was an exhilarating start because we were to start with something mushy, something creamy and something I have never tried before in my own life up to now: Cod Fish Sperm Sack! Yes, I did not mistaken it as Roe, it was "shirako" in Japanese aka Cod Fish Sperm Sack or Cod Milt if you like. It was slightly cooked and looked like a tiny human brain but it was all good! The sauce gave it all the flavors, it was the creamy, mushy texture that really captured the undivided attention of my taste buds!



Following the Cod Fish Sperm was the Onsen Tamago with Uni (Sea Urchin) and roes. Wow, it was good! Not only am I a fan of Onsen Tamago (hot spring egg in English), I am a big fan of Uni as well! So what was there not to like from this dish?? The yolk was rushing out as soon as the spoon touched its outer layer, mixed itself with the Uni and roe to create a wonderful marriage of flavors. Thumbs up!



I think it was some kind of sliced pork salad that followed but no surprises here except for the dressing which was rather refreshing with its slightly citrus flavors and hints of sweetness.



The Sashimi Platter was ... delightful and quite colorful as well with various kinds of very fresh sashimi including Hamachi and Toro which are my favorites!



Nothing should be wasted so we asked the shrimp heads to be deep fried!



The Ox tongues looked rather ordinary at first sight but the creamy and mushy sensation immediately returned after your first bite. The texture was surprisingly soft and kind of melt in your mouth. Thumbs up again!



More Uni coming up, yeah! It was Chawanmushi in a crab shell topped with crab meat and plenty of Uni. Great presentation but the egg custard seemed to be a bit undercooked and rather watery as well. The strong flavors of the Uni when mixed together with the steam egg custard, overtook the flavors of the chawanmushi.



Oyster Tempura, nothing too special here. The resulting batter was a bit too greasy in my opinion.



Fish Soup was wonderful! The fish flavor was very rich, deep and intense (if that is the right word to use). Not watery at all, it was ... good and comforting!



More Uni (Sea Urchin)? Why not! Keep them coming please!



Next came Seared Toro Sushi, a wonderful indeed and it literally melt in your mouth as well!



The Wrapped Salmon Roll was something new to me as well and it was quite interesting the way they did it but it was fair in terms of taste. The wrap was pretty loosely rolled together so be very careful not to drop the rice and salmon all over the table like I did!



Totally forgot what these sushi were, I just recall being told to eat without any sauce and that one of them was the right fin of the fish. Ah well sorry about not recalling the names, please blame the shochu!




It was a bowl of thin and chewy cold soba that marked the end of our wonderful meal.



Oh wait, there was a fruit platter of course! and ....



... an ever so delicious homemade Pavlova made by our other friend S who should really think about changing her career! Her cupcakes were wonderful as well!



Likes

• Shirako - Cod Fish Sperm Sac. Something worth trying indeed! Cream and mushy! :)
• Onsen Tamago with Uni (Sea Urchin) - did I mention I love Onsen Tamago?
• Ox tongues & Seared Toro Sushi - both melts in your mouth in their own unique ways; same as the Shirako :)
  

Dislikes

• Chawanmushi in a crab shell - a bit too watery, perhaps undercooked
• Oyster Tempura - a bit too greasy

Avg Spending: Like to take this opportunity to say thank you to the birthday girl, J, who refused to let us pay and insisted on treating us for this wonderful meal! Thank you and happy birthday!

Sushi Kuu 壽司喰
1/F Wellington Place,
2-8 Wellington Street, Central
Tel: 852 2971 0180


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Sushi Kuu 壽司喰

After my rather disappointing visit at Sushi U last time, I was on a quest to find better Japanese restaurants in the LKF area for lunch. My friend and I picked Sushi Kuu as recommended by many of our friends. According to my sources, this joint is run by the chef from Kiku. Once again, we took the bar table because I can get a first hand view of the sushi chef. There were plenty of choices for lunch sets, which most of them being sushi or sashimi dishes. We both picked the sushi platter set.

(1) Miso Soup
As part of the set, it came with Miso Soup. It was very nice indeed. Not many places in Hong Kong would serve miso soup with dried bean curd and sliced onions like they did here. Also, the msio flavor of the soup was not too strong, letting the flavors of the bean curd to stand out as well.



(1) 9 pcs Assorted Sushi
One of the reasons we ordered the sushi platter was because I wanted to watch it being prepared. The fish looked fresh like at Sushi U but here they were being PRESSED RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU! NOT from the tin can. (except for the maki / roll)



The fish were fresh and the the sushi rice were tightly pressed in front of us. Although the maki was picked from the tin can, they were refilled constantly by another chef who only focused on the maki at the other end of the sushi bar. In other words, executing a fine division of labor in front of the customers.



Among the 9 pieces of sushi, I liked the sweet shrimp sushi the most.



(3) Udon in Soup
The set also came with a bowl of udon in soup but because it was served around the same time as the sushi, the udon became a bit too soft by the time I started to eat it after the sushi. No surprises but the soup was nice because it was not too strong and salty. I think this dish should be served closer to the end of the main dish if they have enough resources to do so.

Likes:

• sushi pressed in front of you and not from a tin can.
• ingredients were fresh
• miso soup - not too salty and with the sliced bean curd added for extra flavors.

Dislikes:

• Udon being served too early, making the udon too soft and the soup cold.
• can be quite noisy during peak hours

Avg Spedning: HKD 100 - 200 per person

Sushi Kuu 壽司喰
1/F Wellington Place,
2-8 Wellington Street, Central
Tel: 852 2971 0180


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