Reports on Hong Kong dining

[magic168]

I have 3 days in Hong Kong, staying in TST area...what're some "must haves" in these categories:

- Dim Sum

- Snacks/Desserts (Egg Custard Tarts, etc.)

- Dinner? I'd like to stay mainly with Cantonese style food, including a keen interest in Peking Duck.

- Lunch and PERHAPS dinners in Macau?

Looking forward to recommendations! Thanks!

[insomniac]

An oldie but a goodie for peking duck and other Pekinese food etc is Spring Deer 42 Mody Road ( up the stairs).

my dim sum favs are on the island...I'm sure someone will step in with TST recommendations.

for egg tarts I personally prefer the Portuguese ones in Macau, there's a bakery in the village of Coloane that makes sublime tarts, Lord Stows...........also like Litoral near A Ma temple and the famous Fernando at Hac Sa beach for dinner, the latter is a sort of sand between the toes experience, can bus it or chicken out and take a taxi. (Haven't been to Macau for 2 yrs, apparently the Vegas casinos have changed its face, no more spitting on the carpet and hookers in shredded stockings on the prowl)

[SMMiller]

There are plenty of very good places for Dim Sum all over HKG. I'll assume you want a differentiated experience that you will not find elsewhere.

You should make reservations in advance for these gourmet dim sum options:

Yan Toh Heen at the Intercontinental in TST

http://hongkong-ic.dining.intercontinental...honic/di01.html

Lung King Heen at the Four Seasons on HKG island

http://www.fourseasons.com/hongkong/dining..._king_heen.html

If you are looking for the bustling dim sum house with the carts; Maxim's in City Hall is a good choice. You won't be wowed by the dim sum like the ones above, but you will certainly enjoy the grand room & view and very good dim sum that is the same quality as the best places in NY or SF or Vancouver.

Enjoy your trip!

[annachan]

Spring Deer is what I grew up with. Peking Duck is what it's famous for and you used to see celebrities stand in lane waiting for tables there. The original owners have left and it's not as popular anymore. But still, reservations are recommended.

For Egg Tart, there's this place in Central called Egg Tart King. I don't know the exact location. It's on a small street/alley way. Perhaps it's possible to look it up in Yellow Pages in HK.

For snacks, Causaway Bay has a lot to offer. Right in the center of the shopping area, there is a triangular shop that is opened up on two side of the streets. The last 2 times in HK, we stayed closed by there and would get snacks there almost everyday. Waffles (filled with butter, sugar, condense milk and peanut butter), egg puffs, pan-fried chive dumplings, fish balls, siu mai, stuffed vegetables (peppers, eggplants, etc.), and more! Also, there are many other food/snack stalls in the area where you can find roasted chestnuts, grilled dried squids, rice rolls, etc. I believe there is night markets around the area as well that offers up late night eats.

Another option for snacks is to go to various bakeries. In Causeway Bay, there are bakeries inside the Japanese department stores that usually have good pastries and breads.

I'm not too familiar with TST, but I believe that you can find snack options on the street.

[SMMiller]

Found this great report on Chow Hound. Now I'm looking for another good excuse to go back to Hong Kong!

http://www.chowhound.com/topics/385412

[insomniac]

Found this great report on Chow Hound.  Now I'm looking for another good excuse to go back to Hong Kong! 

http://www.chowhound.com/topics/385412

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Have to agree with China Club for yum cha on the weekend...good luck with the reservation

[greenspot]

The Tai Cheong bakery on 35 Lyndhurst Terrace, Central, does tasty egg custard tarts. You usually have to buy four, but they're so yummy, it's still worth buying them. I can eat two or three in a row easily! It's a good place to stop if you're exploring the Soho area (near Mid-Levels escalator).

As insomniac says, Fernando's on Coloane island, Macau. is a good, inexpensive option for Portuguese food. The location by the Hac Sa beach is wonderful. I always have the garlic chilli prawns there. Mmm....

If you don't have time to go all the way to Coloane, A Lorcha (Cantonese: Suen Uk) on the Macau Peninsula is another good place for Macanese and Portuguese food. It's run by a Macanese family. I recommend the clams with coriander and garlic.

Address: 289a Rua do Almirante Serigo, Macau (round the corner from the A-Ma Temple in the south peninsula)

Here's a link with the name of the restaurant and address in Chinese:

http://www.macautvl.com/eating/alurcha.html (useful for showing the cabbie)

Lord Stow's is really good but if you can't make it to Coloane, there's a conveniently located Portuguese cafe - Cafe Ou Mun - on Travessa de Sao Domingos, a tiny alley right next to McDonalds in the Leal Senado square in central Macau. It's an okay place to stop for a galao (milky coffee in a glass) and nata.

A Leiteria I Son, in the Leal Senado square (look out for the cow sign) serves hot or cold Cantonese steamed ginger milk pudding and boiled double-skin milk pudding. They're really tasty!

Enjoy your trip!

Edited June 19, 2007 by greenspot (log)

[magic168]

Thanks everyone for the replies -- I will keep all these in mind. How much does yumcha cost in one of the fancy places in a fancy hotel?

I'm staying at the intercontinental grand stanford...do you guys think the concierge there will be able to get me a spot at the China Club?

Keep the ideas coming!

[bethpageblack]

Thanks everyone for the replies -- I will keep all these in mind.  How much does yumcha cost in one of the fancy places in a fancy hotel?

I'm staying at the intercontinental grand stanford...do you guys think the concierge there will be able to get me a spot at the China Club?

Keep the ideas coming! 

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I just wrote a long post, but my computer froze.

Anyways, briefly -

The restaurant in your hotel is pretty good - Hoi King Heen. My girlfriend's father eats there about 3x/week. The steamed grouper is my girlfriend's favorite. I like the soup.

Yung Kee - gotta try the roast goose. However, I think that's the only thing they make that stands out. Everything else is ok, but not something I would go out of my way for.

Beef brisket noodle soup - Kau Kee, on Gough Street. Unruly waiters, cramped sardine like conditions and a line out the door almost like the men's room at Yankee Stadium right after a playoff game. But it's all worth it.

Egg tarts - I usually go to this cha chaan taeng called Honolulu Coffee Shop on Hennessey Road about 75 meters or so east of the Wanchai Computer Centre (Wanchai station exit A4 I believe). It's weird; I only eat egg tarts when I'm at this place. Any other time I don't eat them. Egg tart with a yeet ngai cha (hot milk tea) is what I order. They strain the tea through pantyhose to make it stronger. Goes well with the richness of the egg tart and is a perfect mid afternoon snack.

Dim sum - haven't been to a nice hotel for dim sum in a long time, but it really depends on how exotic (in terms of ingredients) your dim sum selections are. I'd say $200 HKD (7.75HKD:1USD) per person should be enough for a moderate meal at a nice hotel for dim sum. I rarely eat dim sum, but the last time was at Maxim's at City Hall, and it was about 600 HKD for 4 people. Not cheap, but not too expensive. As for Maxim's, IMO, great view, dim sum is so-so. I did, however, arrive at 2PM. I should try it again during prime hours.

Hope this helps. Let us know how your trip goes.

[The Blissful Glutton]

Bumping the thread. I am going to be there for a couple of days in September. Any more recommendations?

[The Blissful Glutton]

What luck! Bourdain just did a show on Hong Kong. Talk about timing. I don't know what the guidelines for posting articles is here, but here is the summary from the website with lisitings.

http://travel.discovery.com/tv/bourdain/tr.../hong-kong.html

Highlights From Hong Kong

Hong Kong is a wonderland of colors, lights and speed. A marriage of modern and traditional. It is also a mecca of food in Asia. Tony arrived in Hong Kong, ready to take the plunge into all things edible.

Upon arrival, Tony met up with John, a Hong Kong blogger and fellow food enthusiast, to indulge in some famed Hong Kong street food. The two dined on hot fried rice cooked in steaming clay pots, a wintertime comfort food on the streets of the city. Noting Tony's disinterest in the Chinese sausage accompanying his rice, John took Tony to a place that was sure to strike a chord: a backdoor noodle shop owned by a trio of body-building brothers! Tony and John enjoyed beef noodle soup, before heading out to sample one more street food snack -- fried intestine on a stick.

The next day, continuing on their foodie quest, John and Tony indulged in roasted meats, a specialty of Hong Kong. Tony was in awe of the tradition involved in creating such exquisite treats. One man, two specialties, two absolutely delicious plates of steaming goodness -- roast suckling pig and roast goose legs. Not only were John and Tony in search of perfect meats, they wanted to find the perfect noodle. So John took Tony to witness the tradition, care and recipe of an old-fashioned noodle maker, who worked out of a tiny home workshop. His ancient methods and simple ingredients made for the most wonderful noodles Tony had ever tasted.

Needing to digest before delving into another cacophony of Hong Kong feasts, Tony spent the next afternoon at the local racetrack. After losing the majority of his money on a bum horse, Tony encountered Frank, a Hong Kong chef. Frank offered to introduce Tony to a street food wonder of Hong Kong. His hunger tearing at his insides, Tony gladly accompanied Frank to a Dai Pai Dong restaurant (Hong Kong style restaurant), an indoor, upstairs fantasy land of loud patrons, cold beer and dozens of food stalls. Chef Bobby, a famed street food cook, joined Tony as he sampled some local favorites: mantis prawn in noodles, fish heads, squid balls and squid-ink pasta. Tony enjoyed the pig knuckles, an unexpected treat. After Tony greeted some rowdy fans and had a couple of more beers he and Frank headed out.

The next day, Tony and Frank trekked to a typhoon shelter, a place for boats to remain safe from storms. There they discovered typhoon shelter crab, a traditional dish made with crab and soy, scallions, salt and fried garlic. Their next stop brought them to Bo Innovation, home to Alvin Liung, the "Demon Chef." His intense love of food fueled his gastronomic deconstruction. Meat and rice ice cream, Szechuan lobster in dumpling skin, gummies made from flowers, egg tarts and passion fruit. Each dish amazed Tony more than the one before. Alvin Liung is a modern light in a world of tradition.

Taking a short break from the food, Tony checked out the Hong Kong film scene, particularly the special-effects industry. Channeling his inner-Jackie Chan, Tony found himself hoisted into the air by pulleys and ropes and performing flips and stunts with none other than Jackie Chan's own stunt team. Tony and the crew worked up quite an appetite and decided to come together for lunch. They enjoyed a steaming plate of pun choy. Made with chicken, seafood, mushrooms and other vegetables, this traditional delight was exactly the satisfaction Tony's stomach had been waiting for. Filled with Hong Kong flavor, Tony said goodbye and retreated to the hotel.

On his last day in Hong Kong, Tony was treated to a dim sum brunch by Denny, a tour guide from Hong Kong, and Matt, a friend Tony met while dining at Bo Innovation. As their plates of steamed beef dumplings, radish cakes and pork buns whizzed by the tables, with diners calling out orders and requests, Tony couldn't help but relate the scene to the city of Hong Kong as a whole. Small spaces, lots of people, bright lights … and amazing food in every direction.

Sights/ Landmarks/ To Do

Hong Kong Jockey Club, Happy Valley Horse Racing: Tony took in a night of betting and racing, before sitting down to another huge meal.

Address: One Sports Road, Happy Valley, Hong Kong

Phone: 852-2966-7468

Web site: www.hkjc.com

Food/ Restaurants/ Bars

Chuen Kee Seafood Restaurant:On his first day in Hong Kong, Tony and friend Josh enjoyed a meal together at this restaurant, located in the New Territories. Tony ate razor clams, cellophane noodles with soy and bamboo shoots, stir-fried cuttlefish, conch dipped in chicken stock and horseshoe-crab soup.

Address: G/F, 87-89 Man Min Street, Sai Kung

Phone: 852-2792-9294

Four Seasons Clay Pot Restaurant: Tony and Josh enjoyed traditional Hong Kong clay pot rice and assorted sausages.

Address: Temple Street, Yaumatei

Long Kee Noodle Shop: At this restaurant run by brothers, Tony enjoyed some spicy beef brisket noodles.

Address: G/F, 10 Hak Po Street, Mongkok

Phone: 852-2390-3990

Tung Po Seafood Restaurant: At this dai pai dong restaurant, Tony dined on various types of delicious seafood consisting of deep-fried mantis shrimp, fish fins, black-ink squid balls with noodles, stir-fried prawns and clam soup.

Address: 99 Java Road, North Point, Cookedfood Center

Yat Lok Barbecue Restaurant: Tony and Josh ate a delicious meal of various roasted meats, including goose with rice, suckling pig and pork belly.

Address: Po Wah House A, Tai Ming Lane, Tai Po, New Territories

Bo Innovation: Tony had an innovative, creative, delicious meal at this Hong Kong gem. It included sausage ice cream with rice crisp, toro sushi with air-dried foie gras, lobster with Szechuan sauce and har gao pasta, and wagyu beef with shrimp and scallop broth.

Address: Upper Ground Floor, Ice House, 32-38 Ice House Street, Central Hong Kong

Phone:852-2850-8371

The Grand Stage: Tony met with some Hong Kong natives to enjoy a tradition ... shark head soup.

Address: Western Market

Typhoon Shelter Crab: Tony sampled this traditional Hong Kong dish (crab with soy, scallions, salt, fried garlic) for the first time at this waterside restaurant. Tony also enjoyed fried mantis shrimp and clams in spicy black bean sauce.

Address: Under the Bridge Spicy Crab

Phone: 852-2573-7698

Lin Heung Teahouse: Tony and friends experienced traditional Hong Kong dim sum at this popular teahouse. Tony ate pork liver shu mai, barbecue pork bun, Chinese-style steamed sponge cake, steamed crab meat with fish maw and har gao (shrimp dumplings).

Address: 160-164 Wellington Street, Central

Phone: 852-2544-4556

Accommodations

Intercontinental Grand Stanford Hong Kong

Address: 70 Modi Road, Tsimshatsui East, Kowloon, Hong Kong, P.R. of China

Phone: 852-2721-5161

Email: grandstanford@interconti.com

I am totally checking these spots out when I am there this month.

[aprilmei]

I hope the episode is more accurate than the blurb about it is. The "John" food blogger is none other than Josh, aka chaxiubao. Frank isn't a chef, he's a restaurateur (although they might be portraying him as a chef; not sure since I haven't seen the episode). And Alvin's surname is Leung, not Liung.

[The Blissful Glutton]

I have yet to watch the episode. That quoted text was from the Travel Channel website.

[insomniac]

I ate at Under Bridge Spicy Crab last month with some friends.....it's not exactly waterfront in Wanchai but a pretty memorable meal and brought back memories of taking the kids to eat in the Causeway Bay typhoon shelter long ago from floating kitchen 'restaurants'; just beware of seafood due to recent health scares, ask locals to fill you in, but please don't let that snippet of info put you off, HK is still foodie heaven to me

[aprilmei]

I have yet to watch the episode. That quoted text was from the Travel Channel website.

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Yes, I realise that. I wasn't criticising you, I was making comments on the blurb.

Under Bridge Spicy Crab (the correct name) got its start in the typhoon shelters but those floating food vendors have been closed down. Frank says for the episode, he persuaded the owner to go back to his roots and cook the food in a sampan in the typhoon shelter (says it wasn't difficult to convince him), which is where Tony ate. If you go to Under Bridge Spicy Crab now, you'll eat in a regular restaurant. There are four branches and the newest is quite posh. The first branch is really casual (and it really is under a bridge) and the next two are a little nicer - all four branches are very close to each other.

Typhoon shelter crabs are fried with a heap of garlic and chillies (you can order different levels of spice). Be sure to order a bowl of congee (my preference) or rice to eat with all that garlic. I would also recommend clams cooked in a clay pot with lots of pepper and mung bean noodles, the fried beancurd and pissing prawns (so called because they squirt water).

[hzrt8w]

..... and pissing prawns (so called because they squirt water).

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I thought they were so-called because the color of their belly is more yellow than others.

[PCL]

I was just in HK two weeks ago, and here are some of the places we ate at:

Marco Polo Hotel in TST, next to Harbour City Shopping Center, it's massive, you can't miss it... the Ye Shanghai Restaurant is fantastic.

Intercontinental Hotel in TST, The Steakhouse is totally fab.

Superstar Seafood, NAthan Road, TST, above a closed down Watsons... great place for dim sum if you want atmosphere. Get there before 12 for brunch, open daily.

Yaginiku at Four Seasons, IFC in Hong Kong... Sushi Bar is a great place to dine, service, and quality of sushi/sashimi. Sake menu very extensive. About HKD800 per person. Wagyu set meal is a bargain in my opinion at around HK1250 for multiple courses including seafood tepanyaki.

And of course, Mak's Noodles, Yee Wo St, Causeway Bay. The wonton noodles and soup are simply iconical and refined.

Next door, or rather, a couple doors down is a small shop selling tofu.. meaning grilled tofu, tofu-fa (a dessert) and soy bean milk. EXCELLENT...

[Cha xiu bao]

..... and pissing prawns (so called because they squirt water).

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I thought they were so-called because the color of their belly is more yellow than others.

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That's mantis prawns, mostly from Vietnam or south of China; at times you may come across some giant ones containing in plastic bottle, those are from south of Malaysia. There's a good resto in Nathan Road called 'Hing Kee' selling the same styled typhoon shelter crabs, cheaper and roomier so it's worth a try.

I can't believe they wronged Josh for John in the blurb; that's even worst than grannies in-laws mistaking Josh for George.

The stunt team behind the pole flying and Matrix hack is the same one for Jackie Chan; Lou the ringleader, formerly a cook in Sydney (his specialty was roast duck), is quite famous in Japan for his stunt work (the Japanese are crazy for all thing Jackie Chan). I still have no idea at all how could I land these guys for the producer, given the fact that my job has nothing to do with showbiz at all...

The Lin Heung Teahouse part was shot during peak lunch hours on sunday. It is always super-crowded over there but sunday lunch is utterly different: during weekdays it's mostly white collars from Central so they still carry themselves with a certain level of civilization, in their ties and heels and all; whereas on sundays it's by and large family and friend gathering -- this is when and where No Reservations for your food really shines -- it's very physical and no-hold bar. The newspaper reads 2007 but all the thing from the setting to the waiters to the fight for your food to, of coz', the dim sum -- pork liver siu mai! are all very 80 years ago!

And what a shame they didn't include PingKee Wonton Noodles in the blurb. Of all the eateries it listed, PingKee is the best. I break my heart every time I talk to Mr. Choi about his noods, who kneads 3 hours for his noodles with bare hand (and pole, as in his case) 7 days a week for the past 40 years -- I just keep asking myself the same question: where does he get his drive? Can I ever be as passionate for my food as he does?

[HKDave]

There's a good resto in Nathan Road called 'Hing Kee' selling the same styled typhoon shelter crabs, cheaper and roomier so it's worth a try.

Josh, where's this Hing Kee on Nathan Rd at? There's a place called Hing Kee on Temple St, but that's a clay pot rice place, I don't think they do typhoon shelter crab... and there's another old chili crab place on one of the side streets just north of Kowloon Park - Woosung St or Temple St or one of those - but I'm pretty sure it's not called Hing Kee.

[rxrfrx]

And what a shame they didn't include PingKee Wonton Noodles in the blurb.

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CXB-

I visited Ping Kee last time I was in Tai Po, thanks to a review you posted a couple years ago. It was pretty cool seeing the dude on TV and remembering I had seen him at his stall, making me food. I got won ton noodles and fish ball noodles. I thought that although the noodles were good, these dishes weren't good showcases for the noodles. The broth was nearly pure water, and the won tons didn't have much flavor.

On the TV program you ordered some dry noodles- is this the best way to enjoy those noodles? Are there any other dishes there you'd recommend?

[The Blissful Glutton]

After I graduated from college, I packed my bags and headed to China for a solo trip. It was a crazy experience as a Western (and broke) woman, but I loved it. I mainly ate greasy (but good) noodles off the street and dim sum, but I vowed to return. Coming back 10 years later with a little more spending money and a better sense of the area is thrilling.

Choosing restaurants in a food destination like Hong Kong can be tough so I was excited to see that Anthony Bourdain had just covered Hong Kong on his show. I decided to follow Tony's lead and hit a few of the spots the locals took him to.

Tonight, we went to Under the Bridge Spicy Crab located in the Wan Chai district of Hong Kong. The specialty here is their typhoon crab. The place was packed and we had a small wait, but the host was cool and served us some beer while we waited on the street and chatted with some folks visiting from Singapore.

We started out with some fried squid at my sister's request. It was banging. The sauce was good, but I just ate it on its own.

Our next dish was some greens in garlic and ginger. Greasy and good. We had to have something good with all the fried seafood!

Clams with spicy black bean sauce. So frickin good. The heat was a gradual burn and the clams were super fresh.

Next was some fried rice with pork for some contrast. Yum. One of my favorite dishes to eat at Chinese restaurants and much better than the soy-heavy version you get in most places in the States.

We ordered some of the fried mantis shrimp which reminded me of langoustines. They were so sweet and the garlic was like candy--just as Bourdain said. Not much meat per order, so get one for each person.

Sorry guys, but I am hungry...

The main event: typhoon crab. The table was silent except for the sound of moans. Need I say more?

The aftermath...

Tony did not disappoint. The place was so laid back and the food was amazing. A must-try if you are ever here. Tomorrow, we do dumplings. Shanghai soup buns here I come! Stay tuned.

[Ce'nedra]

Your photos are mouth-watering -WELL DONE!

OMG the typhoon crab looks sooo good! It reminds me of Malaysian food for some reason mmm....

My sister went on a trip to HK earlier this year as well and she said she never realised how much she loved Chinese food until she got there

I hope you don't mind me posting but I just wanted to share this -my sister ate at a Teo Chiu restaurant, in honour of our (half) roots and also because she (and I) shamefully don't know much about the Teo Chiu people or food at all

You can see the oyster pancake, a Teo Chiu specialty (apparently). I was told it was truly delicious.

[hzrt8w]

Fabulous pictures, Jennifer! I look forward to viewing more from your trip.

Like many other metropolitans, visiting Hong Kong can be as inexpensive as can be, or as expensive (five-star everything) as can be. Once you get a plane ticket over there... some people stay in "hostals" such as those in the Chung King Building - a place to sleep on a bunker bed basically - for as little as US$20 a night? Something like that? There are many eateries that offers day to day meals quite inexpensively. Unless you want to have seafood dinner every night or eat at Yung Kee every day.

Edited September 26, 2007 by hzrt8w (log)

[infernooo]

A recommendation from my last visit - Tai Woo in causeway bay (http://www.taiwoorestaurant.com/eng/) They have won looots of awards:

Gold with Distinction Award - 2005 Best of the Best Culinary Awards - Sauteed Sea Whelk with Special Spicy Sauce.

Gold with Distinction Award - 2005 Best of the Best Culinary Awards - Supreme Mushroom on Crunchy Served with Crispy Rice & Soup

Gold with Distinction Award - 2004 Best of the Best Culinary Awards - Crunchy Shrimp Ball & Mini Lobster in Casserole

Gold Award - 2004 Best of the Best Culinary Awards - Deep Fried Pastries in Two Tastes

Gold with Distinction Award - 2004 Best of the Best Culinary Awards - TScrambled Egg Ehite w / Crab Meat Served w/ Prawns in Salted Egg Yolk

Gold with Distinction Award - 2004 Best of the Best Culinary Awards - Crispy Juicy Stewed Beef

Gold Award - 2003 Best of the Best Culinary Awards - Braised Garoupa's Fin with Bean Curd Skin

Gold Award - 2003 Best of the Best Culinary Awards - Braided Vegetables with Taro and Pumpkin Paste

Beef - Gold with Distinction Award - 2004 Best of the Best Culinary Guide

[mkjr]

having seen the Clams with spicy black bean sauce I am so craving some of that.