Reports on Hong Kong dining

[Ohba]

If Ah Leung wants a recommendation and he likes szechuan/sichuan food, I can fully recommend Red Pepper Restaurant 7 Lan Fong Rd Causeway Bay, Hong Kong Phone: 852/2577 3811

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Red Pepper is still good, but the menu is from 30 years ago (which is not necessarily a bad thing!) and the dishes are seasoned to suit more Cantonese or gweilo palates.

For a more authentic mainland-style Sichuan experience that's also cheaper than Red Pepper, I'd recommend Man Jiang Hong in Causeway Bay. 1/f Thai Kong Building, 482 Hennessy Rd. The entrance is around the corner, not on Hennessy; look for the hostess at the little booth with the chili peppers on it. Tel: 2838-8811.

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I didn't want to be the first to say, but I do agree with HKDave on this one. I only went once, but my impression was that Red Pepper was old school Hong Kong. Something about their incessant newspaper ads grated with me, too. I think what some of the more recent Sichuan places are doing is far more interesting and faithful to their origins. Not that I'm any kind of expert.

Those pork photos further up reminded me of a place in Wanchai that does great cha shao. The name escapes me. It's on one of those roads parallel to Tonnochy (or it might actually be Tonnochy), just as you turn off Hennessy left towards the harbour. There's always a queue right out the door at lunchtime. Anyone know the place? I know there are many in the area, but this one is popular, and I thought it was really good.

[prasantrin]

Does anyone else want to vote that Ah Leung not be allowed to leave for more than a day again? I'm anxiously awaiting more pictures!

Ah Leung, when you come back from your hike, can you tell me the best bakery for gai mei bao (sp? The coconut-filled cocktail buns). I'm thinking about visiting HK in the near future, and other than hum sui gok, the only thing I really really want is gai mei bao. And maybe some steamed char sui bao. And maybe some rice rolls filled with char sui. And....oh nevermind. Just eat everything!

Edited December 3, 2007 by prasantrin (log)

[hzrt8w]

Does anyone else want to vote that Ah Leung not be allowed to leave for more than a day again?  I'm anxiously awaiting more pictures! 

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I am back!.... Sorry, my time in HK is very tight. Between family obligations, meeting old friends (haven't seen in 30 years!), revisiting old places and exploring new places... Weekends are my off-line days. I will be on-line til Friday... then time to hop over the Pacific pond to US soil.

Gai Mei Bao... hard to tell. Just try one when you come across a bakery. Pitch it if you don't like it. There is always another bakery shop around the corner!

[sheetz]

Leaving so soon? Time really flies, doesn't it! Are they going to throw you a huge going away banquet before you leave?

[hzrt8w]

Leaving so soon? Time really flies, doesn't it! Are they going to throw you a huge going away banquet before you leave?

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Not huge. We are a small family. Only 4 brothers/sister in the inner circle. Only spouses and their kids. I wish we could all afford to have a banquet at Yung Kee, but... We all grew up in the common's circle. It would only be some "nicer" food.

In today's restaurants in Hong Kong, I feel that most of the restaurants in the Jordan/Yau Ma Tei areas are just kind of so-so in banquet food. The really good ones are probably in the Tsim Sha Tsui area and in hotels. And of course the price tags are accordingly (much) higher. And with Wall Street's subsidy, I hope that one day I can come back and treat all my family to a real abalone/hairy-crab/shark-fin feast. (Read - only HKD8888)

[jmsaul]

Dinner at "Indonesia Restaurant" in Tsim Sha Tsui.  No, really.  That is the name of their restaurant:  "Indonesia Restaurant".  Hmmm... I wonder what style of food they serve?  Italian?

Hey! I've been there! It was about 2 minutes from our hotel!

(Sorry, just amazed that out of all the restaurants in HK, you happened to go to one I've actually been to!)

[hzrt8w]

(Sorry, just amazed that out of all the restaurants in HK, you happened to go to one I've actually been to!)

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Indonesia Restaurant has been around for many, many years. It was one of my favorite restaurants when I lived/worked in Hong Kong in the mid 80's.

[hzrt8w]

And I passed by quite a few coffee shops called "Pacific Coffee Company". I am not sure who (what country) operates it. Keen competitor of Starbucks no doubt. They provide a few Internet access computer terminal at the store. Buy some drinks, you can use the Internet for free. Limit to 15 minutes if there are others waiting.

I have checked eGullet when I browsed the street... At Man Mo Temple, Wanchai, The Peak... Quite amazing... Now if I can upload a picture to post it for you guys in real time that would be awesome!

[hzrt8w]

Look at the bright side; at least you're not at the Harbour Plaza out in Tin Shui Wai in the New Territories! There are 4 Harbour Plazas here now but only one is actually on the harbour.

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When I was at Yuen Long MTR Station looking for the way to transfer to light rail, I saw a few caucasian young ladies lugging their oversized Samsonites trying to read the route maps and figure out how to buy tickets. I feel sorry for them... They probably stayed at Tin Shui Wai... bird lovers may be... It seems an odd place to operate a hotel. Sticking to the hotel transfer bus would be much easier getting to the airport from there...

[hzrt8w]

Day 13 Teaser Pictures:

One thing nice about living in Hong Kong is that there is an amazing assortment of fresh fruit juices. You can buy something freshly squeezed by the store workers. Or you can buy them from the 7-11 convenient stores. There is certainly one near you in Hong Kong.

I love kiwi and guava juices. They are excellent!

(Got to go... to be continued)

[HKDave]

And I passed by quite a few coffee shops called "Pacific Coffee Company".  I am not sure who (what country) operates it.  Keen competitor of Starbucks no doubt.

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It's HK-owned, currently by Chevalier Pacific, a local high-tech company. They were here before Starbucks, which in HK is run by Maxims.

[hzrt8w]

A teaser question:

I swore that I wouldn't step foot in any US-based restaurant chains while I am in Hong Kong... but last night I broke my vow... I dinned at a US-based restaurant. Not because of the food. But because of the view. Which restaurant might it be?

[somemale]

A teaser question:

I swore that I wouldn't step foot in any US-based restaurant chains while I am in Hong Kong...  but last night I broke my vow...  I dinned at a US-based restaurant.  Not because of the food.  But because of the view.  Which restaurant might it be?

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I know of a few Mcdonalds that have great views.....

maybe something at the peak?bubba gump?

[insomniac]

A teaser question:

I swore that I wouldn't step foot in any US-based restaurant chains while I am in Hong Kong...  but last night I broke my vow...  I dinned at a US-based restaurant.  Not because of the food.  But because of the view.   Which restaurant might it be?

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I know of a few Mcdonalds that have great views.....

maybe something at the peak?bubba gump?

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maybe the McDonalds on the old Fenwick Pier(?)(Fleet Arcade) at the Admiralty end of Wanchai on the water with a great view of the harbour.....

ps. there is a Burger King on the Peak in the tower, with your favourite view Ah Leung!

Edited December 4, 2007 by insomniac (log)

[HKDave]

maybe the McDonalds on the old Fenwick Pier(?)(Fleet Arcade) at the Admiralty end of Wanchai on the water with a great view of the harbour.....

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The Fenwick McD's is gone; in its place is a restaurant called Quarterdeck, which has a sister restaurant (also with view and outdoor seats) at Ocean Terminal.

Too bad, it was the only McD in HK that served beer.

[I_call_the_duck]

KFC? I think I heard somewhere that it's popular in Hong Kong.

[hzrt8w]

A teaser question:

I swore that I wouldn't step foot in any US-based restaurant chains while I am in Hong Kong...  but last night I broke my vow...  I dinned at a US-based restaurant.  Not because of the food.  But because of the view.   Which restaurant might it be?

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I know of a few Mcdonalds that have great views.....

maybe something at the peak?bubba gump?

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somemale: You seem to be very familiar with Hong Kong! Yes, you are right. I ate at Bubba Gump at The Peak. I passed on their restaurant in Kona, Hawaii as well as a few other locations in the USA. Didn't think I would end up eating their baby back ribs and fish N chips in Victoria Peak, Hong Kong! The world is getting smaller.

Today I broke my vow for the second time. A soft cone at McD in Stanley next to the Murray House. HKD2.80 for a soft cone. That's CHEAP! (USA price... US$1.00 or so). Same quality. I can't taste any difference.

What's next? Try the Starbuck's coffee? Nah... I love the Hong Kong "cha chun Tien's" (tea restaurant) coffee, with condensed milk and plenty of sugar...

Pizza Hut? KFC?

[aprilmei]

Ah Leung, if you're going to eat at McD's, you should try the spicy wings. They're actually quite good; I get a craving for them about once every three or four months. I don't think they're sold in the States. They're very salty though. Also, the McD fries in HK are still cooked in beef fat.

[hzrt8w]

Boy... I feel that I am such a pig! (But that's my year, hee-hee) I think I have passed the 21 lb mark in this trip and it didn't take 21 days.

After a full lunch of dan dan mein, twice-cooked pork, we went to Deep Water Bay, Repulse Bay and Stanley. At Stanley I had some McDonald's soft cone, and some beef jerky (from Macao). At Causeway Bay, I had some fried dice fish cake with chili pepper (that's hot!), wonton skin and egg plant, and a cup of watermelon juice. Then ate a full-stomachful of hot, hot, hot Sichuan food at Man Jiang Hung (and thanks for the tips, the food tasted great!). They fed me some complimentary Hung Dao Sa. And I still wanted to have some double-skin steamed milk since we were in the area. My stomach went exploded!

Back in the hotel room... some more apples, oranges, tangerines and pomelo (shatin yau)... (I wish you guys can take the pomelo skin to experiment with it...)

Edited December 5, 2007 by hzrt8w (log)

[sheetz]

Go to the hotel gym and do an hour (or more) on the treadmill so you'll be ready for meal.

[hzrt8w]

Day 13 Teaser Pictures (continued):

Day 13 we went hiking at Tai Mo Shan. Time was tight. No time for enjoying an elaborate meal. Went to the temporary food market near Temple Street (Dai Pei Dong). Here is a plate of Beef Chow Fun.

I love the coffee in Hong Kong's Dai Pei Dong. They taste much better than the ones at Starbucks.

My wife wanted some dessert. We grabbed a "Nai Yau Bao" (bread with whipped cream and coconut shreds) at the Tsuen Wan subway station.

We hiked from the Tai Mo Shan Country Park towards Lead Mine Pass, then down on to Tai Po Market. The journey took about 5 to 6 hours. The view was absolutely stunning. And we witnessed many jumbo planes flying above, landing at Chek Lap Kwok. So many... about 1 plane a minute.

Shortly after we passed Lead Mine Pass, it already turned dark. I had been on that trail before many times, though those were over 20 years ago. We hurried and did the best we could in the dark. Then my cell phone kept ringing. At first I tried to ignore it. But it just kept ringing. It was from my high school buddy of 30 years ago. "Leung, where are you???" "Man! I am just trying to find my way to the Tai Po Market in the dark." "Just follow the lights", he said. "Yeah... I HAVE BEEN following the lights. But it's so dark here that I can't see anything more than 3 feet ahead of me!!!!" We cracked a laugh. He said he was just driving back from Shenzhen and would pick me up at the Tai Po Market KCR Station and would go for a meal with us. What a friendship! If I could only survive this dark journey!

But 3 minutes after the phone call, I transitioned from a dirt trail to a cement road. And a mini-bus just came by. Zoom... we were at Tai Po Market in less than 10 minutes. Only in Hong Kong...

While I was waiting for my friend to pick us up, I ran across this street vendor selling "Tong Chung Bang" (Sugar "green onion" cake). I don't even know how to translate this. It is a very traditional Chinese sweet eat. I haven't had this for over 20 years! They wrapped some sugar honeycomb in a piece of rice "cloth". Before wrapping, they scooped a spoon of mixture made from sugar, sesame and coconut shreds. Then they wrapped it up like a tiny burritos. It's just wonderful!

My friend picked me up and drove me to a nearby (Tai Po Market) good eat named "Tung Gong" in Cantonese (East River). They are famous for their salted chicken. We have a whole one (pretty small). They provided one chicken foot. Must be a crippled bird.

This is a "eat on the street" kind of outfit. But their food is really good, no lesser than those in TST area.

This is Pork Chop, salt and pepper style. ("Jill Yim Pei Gwut") Really excellent.

Edited December 4, 2007 by hzrt8w (log)

[Cadbury]

I'm enjoying this tremendously. A McD soft serve is 30c here btw.

[Domestic Goddess]

Here it is less than 50 c. The McD cone that is.

[aprilmei]

Ah Leung, I love those sugar cakes. You have to eat them immediately so all the different textures contrast - if you let it sit around the crunchy cake goes soggy and chewy.

They're not easy to find anymore, though - the government is trying to get rid of the street food vendors.

[hzrt8w]

They're not easy to find anymore, though - the government is trying to get rid of the street food vendors.

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I agree, aprilmei. What I observed in this trip: most of the street food hawkers are gone. I only saw some who came out at night, in the cover of darkness, and sold some small eats like fried chestnuts, salted quail eggs and these Tong Chung Bang kind of small eats.

Instead, there are a lot more small stores (legitimate storefronts and business names) selling what used to be sold by street hawkers: such as fried dice fish balls, squids, beef organs, steamed siu mai's, etc.. Those storefronts must carry very high rents. So they must have made a lot of money just selling small eats. HKD5.0 here and HKD10.0 there... but very lucrative after all because of the high volume. They got thousands of people passing by everyday.

Edited December 5, 2007 by hzrt8w (log)