Travel - Guam (Part 2/5)

As mentioned, Guam is an unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is part of the USA only differ by the fact that the "state / territory" has no voting rights. With almost 40K US troops stationed there, the Guam government received an annual compensation or so-called rent for that part of the land within the island accordingly to my sources. That is a fairly large sum of money for an island of this size and population, so in other words, I say Guam is quite rich! It does make one wonders why the USA want to keep this island under its control repeatedly over the past century or so. Time for some history? Like it or not, I am going to talk about it for a bit before going into details of my trip which include tons of food 24/7 and a few exciting activities such as flying a plane and other water sports. Of course it is a given to be able to see clear blue sky and fluffy clouds almost every single morning!

Travel - Guam (Part 1/5)

Guam is an unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean accordingly to wiki. It has a population of around 180K, about 40K are US troops and approximately 30K Japanese are living here based on my little research. I started with such facts because I do find it quite interesting to see such large population of Japanese living here in Guam. With a monthly average 28K - 30K Japanese tourists visiting Guam, I guess that explains why. The chance is you will see a lot of Japanese tourists at any given moment, Japanese signs are everywhere even in Kmart, public transportation, menus, billboards, fire exit signs and most staff at tourist destinations (both local and perhaps Japanese-Americans) speak fluent Japanese. Come to think of it, NTT DoCoMo Pacific has a branch here in Guam! (beyond excellent mobile 3G reception and great pre-paid mobile data plan by the way) In terms of population density, I am quite certain Guam has more Japanese restaurants than in Hong Kong! Most tourists leaflets are default in Japanese!! I certainly did not expect such a scene prior to my arrival but after just a few days, I started to have the feeling that I am actually in a small city in Japan rather than in Guam, USA! Just in case you are wondering, a lot of the businesses here are also run by Japanese businessmen.

Salt and Peper anyone? (Guam)

Yes, it is quite a random post I have to admit but it is a rather significant post, a post of great importance in my opinion. I have been writing a lot of posts on restaurant reviews but in additions to that I do have many rants piled up to be released regarding food and how we treat, value and respect food we often take for granted. I have been doing quite a bit travel over the past 12 months and most involve taking the plane. While I have a lot to say about plane food, both good and bad of course, that would be for another dedicated post. But just to show you the following iPhone picture I took on my way to Guam simply because I want to express the attached comment and what I learned from the meal.

Whitehead Club - BBQ (Hong Kong)

A much overdue post on my first BBQ of 2011. Of course we are talking about HK style BBQ! It took place back in April on a very relaxed afternoon along the coast somewhere in Hong Kong. It is quite rare to find such a place in HK nowadays where a group of us can sit next to the coast, welcoming the cool breeze from the sea while getting the necessary warmth from the BBQ fire. It is hard not to admit that many in Hong Kong are quite spoiled in a sense, here at Whitehead Club, you only need to arrive with your wallet and the rest are being taken care off. There is no need to start the fire, no need to bring food or drinks because they have all that you need, just name it. (well almost everything.) To be honest, while convenient  such convenience makes the whole experience a bit boring, took out the so-called fun part when it comes to HK style BBQ. Therefore, to make things more interesting, we ordered an entire pig for roasting!

Foodie Magazine - May 2011

“Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet.” This quote by French philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau is one of the key inspirations behind My Favorite Sweet Escape entry for May 2011's issue of Foodie Magazine. Many people spend majority of the day (and night) working hard in their cubicles, often over 10 hours or more. Somehow many consider this long working hours as the norm in Hong Kong but is this the case for improved productivity? A regular break from work would help you recharge and reset, a regular break with sweets would be even a better choice. Exactly how? Check it out <here> and enjoy your sweet break! 

Travel - Macau (Mar 2011)

Macau also known as Macao to many, has become more than just a post Portuguese colony since its handover to China in 1999. It is now known as the Asia's Las Vegas with gambling revenue surpassing the whole Vegas according to many sources. New mega casinos are being built if not already for the next few years and revenue + profits are only expected to increase. I have been to Macau quite a few times over the past year or so but mostly for day trip and solely for food or shows and never really for gambling. Small bets are fun but in Macau, there is no such thing as small bets apparently. Over the years, I have been seeing the minimum bets on a simple Black Jack table increase faster than your heart can handle.  Then again I am not into gambling so not really a concern to me but it is an interesting observation nonetheless. What I am trying to say is not how much the casino industry is booming, everyone knows, but what we have been ignoring is how the huge flood of tourists and development focus have made us forget about the great food scenes in Macau, at least what's left of it. Not to mention how the popularity of some famous eateries have benefited commercially but deteriorated in quality over the years. I was here in Macau over the weekend sometime in March 2011 for my friend's wedding and instead of the popular or upscale eateries (which are over-abundance by the way), I went for some rather down to earth neighborhood joints for my daily food intake.

An Overweight Tale

Recently I wrote a bilingual piece (Chinese + English) on a topic somewhat related to food on my personal blog. It was my first blog entry that contains Chinese and many are telling me that I should do more bilingual posts in the future on this food blog. Honestly, I do plan to do so but please give me some time because doing a Chinese-only post is one thing, doing a translated post from Chinese to English or vice-versa is easier said than done to me. In any case, posted below is the piece from my personal blog, enjoy! :)

Assaggio Trattoria Italiana (Hong Kong)

We all have our stories to tell, be they romantic, humorous or just plain horrific. The point is, similar to food, stories are meant to be told and shared. Located inside the Hong Kong Arts Centre, this Italian Trattoria with views overlooking the harbour is a story of mixed emotions. By day, the dining room is flooded with natural sunlight and by night, the dimly lit atmosphere gives off such a seductive vibe that it’s hard not to imagine yourself as Giacomo Casanova having supper by the window.

Thai Liang Zhi Thai Restaurant 泰娘子泰國餐廳 (Hong Kong)

One thing I realized after my many meals since I started this food blog is the need to step out of the box named "laziness" when it comes to food and try not to surrender to the tempting words of "convenience." I have been a victim of such many times and I am trying to get rid of this bad habits of mine when it comes to a pleasant meal. I am not talking about spending the efforts or money to get myself a fancy meal, I am referring to all sorts of meals, cheap or expensive meals can be equally enjoyable or equally regretful. I had a chance to review a newly opened Thai Restaurant for Timeout Hong Kong and it was another great example of how not to be lazy when you are searching for a decent meal, travel the extra mile please, at least you can leave the restaurant filling slightly satisfied. Check out the review <here>. 

Lau Sum Kee's Noodles 劉森記麵家 (Hong Kong)

Apparently this noodle joint has quite a history behind it and I am ashamed it took me all this long to try their famed noodles. I am not a big fan of Chinese egg noodles because more often than not they contain strong alkaline flavor which I hate so much! However, the type of noodles they specialize here is the so-called Jook-sing noodles (竹昇) which somehow has very little alkaline flavor, was it my lucky day? Either they use very little or I was lucky? Anyhow, Jook-sing (竹昇) or bamboo noodles got its name because the dough is made / kneaded by riding on a bamboo log. I wish I had the chance to see how it is done.

Domani Ristorante (Hong Kong)

Back in Toronto, there are two annual food events, one is the Summerlicous and one is the Winterlicious. For 2 entire weeks during a specific period, food lovers in the city can have the opportunity to satisfy their cravings for special tasting menus at some of the favorite restaurants in town at a much lower price than usual. The New York restaurant week offers similar "food festival" as well. Now Hong Kong is having its first week-long Springalicious food festival starting 27 April - 3 May. You can check out the Restaurant List and Menu <here>, do check often because the list is growing. When I was in Toronto quite a number of years ago, I attended a few featured Summerlicous / Winterlicious high-end restaurants which offer three-course prix fixe menus valued almost 50% discount compared with the usual menus. When the event first started, it was an immediate success but as the festivals carried onto their 2nd / 3rd year, things started to change in my opinion. A common issue experienced by many diners (including myself) was how the food quality and proportion seemed to be watered down along with the special price. When I first heard of this Springalicious event in Hong Kong, I admit I had the same concern and I clearly expressed that to the organizer during a tasting session which I was invited to. I have to say my concern is less relevant at this point because I realized I cannot quite compare this with what is being offered in Toronto for a number of reasons: (1) Springalicious covers more than just Western cuisines but a wider selection such as Japanese, Thai and Chinese; (2) the price discount is not extremely huge in comparison (~ 25% - 30% off) which sort of translates to more standard proportions and more of a reason to maintain food consistency for the participating restaurants; and (3) more than just for marketing purposes, this festival can let some chefs experiment with their creativity with special menus dedicated for it. Of course the above is yet to be seen or proven, but I think it has potential to be something interesting for many years to come in the Hong Kong food scene.

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! :)