canucklehead

that looks so f-king beatiful!

Vikram Vij writes a terrific cookbook review in my favorite magazine - 'The Art of Eating" - which has been awol from my mail box for many months.

Went to Shore Club for lunch - very nice space - obviously alot of money was spent. Most of the lunch crowd was packed into the bar area - a little tight but had a nice clubby feel. Had 16oz bone in rib eye - nicely done with a good crust. However - its $40 a la cart. Add fries and green beans and a drink and you are sailing north of $60 bucks. Here's the weirdness - the shoe string fries looked beautiful - very crisp outside, fluffy inside. However - they tasted completely of vinegar - like a bag of salt and vinegar chips. I was told that they are the house marinated vinegar fries - but I'd never heard of that before. Not sure if they are my kind of thing - is this the latest offering in steakhouse dining?

Dejah - you rock. What a great thing to do. I guess with dim sum - the tough part is steaming - what is going to be your plan of attack? Also - is noodle cake the Chui Chow dish? Thin egg noodles fried into a disk - cut into wedges and served with sugar and vinegar?

Will - glad you enjoyed Fernando's. I used to go all the time - but I had heard things had slipped (good to see there has been a turnaround). I loved their spicy crab hot pot, roast crackling pig, and the sardines that you had above. Prawncracker - unless someone goes before you - the HK food photo baton is passed onto you!

Thanks for the compliments on the photos! Very much appreciated. I'll see if there are other pictures I can post. Usually - I've wolfed things down before I snap the pictures. Ha!

Is the smoking crust right beside La Buca? Here's their website:Smoking Crust Crappy website - but waiting for my table at La Buca - I've always been curious about this place.

I don't mean to hijack this thread - but I did not think it was worth it to start a new thread just for one entry. I added a side trip to Tokyo to my visit to Hong Kong earlier this month. I have been to Kyoto and Osaka - but this was my first time in the Capital. I loved the trip! What a great city - so full of energy but it never felt exhausting. Went all over the place but one of the biggest highligts for me was the fish market - absolutely amazing. I am CBC and don't speak a lick of Japanese - but everyone was friendly and tried to be helpful when I had questions. Had a great lunch at the lunch at Toufuya Ukai beneath Tokyo Tower. Best tofu and soya milk I have ever had in my life - and this is after living in HK and Shanghai. Great value for money to boot. Otherwise kept the eating very low key - ramen, tempura, and visited the first curry house Japan. Add the french style bakeries and a visit to Pierre Hermes - and I didn't really have a bad meal while I was there. Looking foward to my next visit.

Great pictures! The village house is very cool! Your Central location gives you access to all the places I love. Have you tried the egg tarts at Honolulu? The Central location is the best... There is a restaurant accross from Yung Kee - that has been nicknamed the "Snake Pit" (I can't remember the real name) - cause all the office workers go there to hide out and be lazy ("fong sai" or "sai wong" - litterally releasing snakes or to be the king of snakes). Hong Kong and its weird little places - crazy.

The restaurant that immediately comes to my mind as applying Chinese techniques or ingredients in an unsual way is Susur (in Toronto). Hong Kong chef trained in both Chinese and French techniques. But I would not call it anti-traditional or fusion. He takes flavours that I am used to in a Chinese setting and uses French techniques to refine and sharpen the flavours. It all works in a harmonious and intelligent way. For example - as part of a dessert plate - he served what looked exactly like a salted duck egg - but when you bit into it - luscious cake and custard. Very funny and clever if you are in on the joke - but still worked as a dessert if you did not 'get it'.

Visited Tai-O over the weekend - billed as the Venice of Hong Kong - which is pretty misleading. Much more rustic - and much more real, it was a great way to see rural life in Hong Kong, and how people continue to lead simpler lives in the midst of Hong Kong's frenzy. Had some delicous grilled dried cuttlefish and 'pissing' shrimp And some simple sweets of hand pulled sugar. The little guy is enjoying something that looked like a sticky 'goh' or cake. Well that's about it from me - I heading to Japan for a few days, and then leaving for Vancouver pretty soon after that. I really enjoy visiting HK - and thanks to all of you for letting me sound off. Later!

Went to a great dai pai dong off of the Central escalator. Apparently - this dai pai dong got the last licence and there will no further ones granted. They are famous for their HK style coffee. How do they fit so many people into such a tight spot! Great iced coffee, jam and peanut butter toast. Pork chop bun - surprisingly good. These little dai pai dongs are such a part of the HK streetscape... it will be strange to see them slowly disappear.

It was nice to hit Victoria Harbour at SHK. I really love their flower crab with chinese wine and their xia long bao with hairy crab roe. What I think really makes those dishes is the vinegar they use... it is thicker and stronger than normal chekiang vinegar - not sure if they doctor it, or if they have a special source. Started with a plate of pei dan (century eggs) - hated them as a kid, love them now. Glorious xiao long bao. Flower crab - golden sauce of chinese wine and chicken fat (there must be eggs also - otherwise it would have too greasy. The sauce was tossed with e-mein - delicious!

aprilmei - I hoping Farmhouse turns it around also, but I've heard the same thing from a number of people. It's not that the food is terrible - but things are not as spot on as it should be (considering the prices and reputation of the place). I wonder if the restaurant has changed hands. Ce'nedra - the wings are a signiture dish at Farmhouse - usually stuffed with plump sticky rice - but this time, the stuffing was stringy and drier. Not sure if this is a winter menu change - but not as succulent as I remember. *sigh

I finally made it out to Farmhouse and checked out their new digs - and I know it sounds picky - but I came away a little disappointed. A little more cramped - dining there now feels less expansive. But more importanly - the food seemed a little off - a little less lively and less attention to detail. Not sure if its on my 'must go to' list anymore. Though nice - the chicken wings seemed a little dry. I ordered the steamed eggs, pork jowl with perserved vegetables, and soup also - all a little flat. What saved the meal was the incredible steamed papaya with coconut milk. Finally something that made the table go 'aaahhhhhh'. Fantastic.

Checked out the new dim sum restaurant at the Four Seasons - Lung King Heen The space itself is a knockout - beautifully finished , georgous views. Service is attentive - but the wait staff seemed unsure of itself, like they were afraid that you were going to yell at them or something (which in HK, is unfortunately not an uncommon occurance). Ordered a range of steamed items including lobster & scallop dumplings, prawns sui mai, and xiao long bao with crab meat. These were generally a disapontment - all of the bottoms were oversteamed and soggy. The xiao long bao broke despite the clever little baskets - and the broth lacked any real flavor. The whole ablone tart was excellent though - tender and sweet, and the pastry was incredibly flaky. Pea shoots in clear broth was nice and fresh. The 'eight treasure' fried rice was tremendous - and included roast duck, taro root, and cured meats. The rice is stirred fried, and then put into a clay pot to bake with the 'eight treasures' - the resulting rice was very flavorful, and there were some crispy bits to boot. The other big winner were the desserts - all crispy and light. Mini sesame mochi balls stuffed with custard. The walnut pastries were fantastic - buttery crust enclosing a sweet chopped walnut filling (all shaped like a little walnut - very clever). It was a very civilized lunch. However - the poor execution of the steamed dim sum is kind of a black eye - I mean, most dim sum items are steamed. Otherwise it would have been a top notch dining experience - I still think Fook Lam Moon is better.

For dinner - went to a street side place in Kowloon, just off the flower market - called "Ngau Kee" or the Ox. Its a very popular local spot - and as the night progresses, more and more tables are set up along the sidewalk until the whole street is the dining area. Best dish was this deep fried fresh water fish from Thailand. In Chinese - the literal name is Bamboo Shell - but I am not sure what the proper name is. Perferctly fried - super crispy outside, meltingly tender on the inside. Pepah ('Lute') tofu. Beef fried noodles - thin ho fun, but greasy. Otherwise excellent 'wok-y' flavor.

Big Guilty Pleasure. Tai Ping Koon. Open since 1860 - the food is that pseudo-european cuisine that people of my parent's generation though of as "Fancy". In reality - the food is stodgy, overcooked, and full of frozen vegatables. But I can't help myself - I love the 70's Mah Jong Glamour style of the Tsim Tsai Tsui branch. I half expect Bruce Lee to walk in an all white denim suit. The soy sauce chicken wings (Swiss Wings) are quite good if over priced at $120 for eight wings. But who cares... have a little fun I say.

Holy shit - you are a serious eater! I love the egg tarts at Honolulu also. Will be going to Victoria for dim sum in the next day or so - I agree that dinner is better at Farm House - where I am heading tonight. I always order the clay pot rice - even when there are only a few of us. I have the rice wrapped up - and then have soup added to the crunchy rice bits - heaven! ahuacatl - you are right about the exchange rate. 1US$ = 7.8 HK$... I had the math backwards (and... I am a Chartered Accountant - how sad is that?)

I just wish we were in town at the same time... the steamed cake is "tsin chun go" or 'thousand layer cake'.

I don't think its hard at all. The entry fee is only HK$ 20. When my mother told people it cost her 20 bucks to join, everyone thought she was using slang - and that it actually cost 20 thousand to join. Uh - no, 20 dollars - that's about US$ 7. Ask a waiter how to join next time you are taken there.

When I visit HK - one of my Holy Grails is having dim sum at Fook Lam Moon. A real bastion of old school traditional Cantonese dim sum. Service and food are stellar - everything fresh and pristine. Not a single dish disapointed. Crispy spring rolls (not a hint of greasiness), sweet fresh har gow with house hot sauce. Steamed char sui bow (the filling was tremendous), Steamed cake with salted egg custard. Tried a classic winter dish - snake soup. Toppings included crispy wonton skins, cilantro, chrysanthemun petals, and thin strips of kaffir lime leaves. Fantastic - great broth (not too gloppy) and clean sweet flavors.

Hong Kong MTR (subway) on a quiet day.

Recently my mother joined the 'Ninpo Residents Assocation' even though she is not from the Shanghai Region. She joined for the restaraunt which is just off of Lan Kwai Fong in the Central District. The Shanghainese have had a major impact on HK - many of them immigrating during the Communist takeover. The food was very good - and seemed very true to Shanghainese cooking, with salty and sour notes more present (which is felt to bring out the sweet fresh flavours of good ingredients). Braised soft boiled eggs, deep fried eels. Both were excellent. Shrimp stirred fried with salted duck egg yolks (rich and sweet). Tea Smoked Duck (succulent and juicy) The service staff and cooks all buzz around speaking Shanghainese - in fact, after decades of living in HK, their Cantonese is still heavily accented. It's amazing how different Chinese dialects are from eachother.

Between Central and Sheung Wan is a beef noodle shop "nine". It is very famous and obviously very popular. The originator of "tsin tong" beef brisket - were the broth is much cleaner and beefier tasting than the brown gravy stewed version. The line ups are insane but things move quickly. I like it with 'yee mein' which helps soak up the beefy juices. There are many places that now serve this style of beef brisket noodles (some arguably better) - but I like coming back to the original. When "Nine" first opened - the owners were offered millions (HK$) to divulge their recipe. They turned down the money.