Recipes

March 28, 2018 China

Seasons Coconut Chicken Hot Pot 润园四季椰子鸡 - Shenzhen China

We're doing a mini-series where we are exploring a few regions in mainland China. We started with Shanghai and today are moving onto the southern city of Shenzhen!

Hello Shenzhen!

Shenzhen is less than an hour away from Hong Kong by car, and is the closest big city in the Mainland to Hong Kong. The city is best known as the center of China's rapidly expanding tech industry (home of Chinese tech giants TenCent, Huawei, and the like). However, this southern coastal city also boasts an ever-changing landscape of architecturally stunning skyscrapers as well as an intense, optimistic buzz from its ten million residents who have descended upon this city for its numerous jobs and opportunities.

What's crazy is . . . this tech giant of a city was a mere fishing village some 30+ years ago. Its population exploded after the Chinese government marked it as the first of its four Special Economic Zones in 1980. As a result, Shenzhen is comprised mostly of "immigrants" from other parts of China who moved to the city for better opportunities. Mandarin is spoken here, unlike the rest of Guangdong province where Cantonese rules.

From a food perspective, this means that Shenzhen doesn't really have much of its own local, traditional cuisine. However, Shenzhen does have some specialties that have sprung up in more recent years. One of the most famous is the coconut chicken hot pot.

The coconut chicken hot pot originated from Hainan but was made popular by the Shenzhen group of restaurants called Seasons Coconut Chicken Hot Pot or 润园四季椰子鸡 (rùn yuán sìjì yē zǐ jī). Seasons has been around since 2009 and focuses on three main Hainanese specialties: coconut chicken hot pot, clay pot rice, and a number of cold dishes.

Their restaurants are decorated with a Southeast Asian feel. Diners get their own semi-private "rooms" where they can enjoy their hot pots in a cozy and quiet space.

The restaurant originally imported all its coconuts from Hainan, but due to increased demand (there are now many other "copycat" restaurants serving basically the same concept), they started importing coconuts from Thailand.

Seasons still imports all its chicken from Hainan. The chickens are "Wenchang" free-range chickens. The restaurant also uses fresh coconut juice as the hot pot soup base (and it's sooooo good).

Once they put the chicken in the hot pot, they give you an egg timer to ensure that you don't over-cook the chicken. In short, once the timer runs out, it's time to start eating the chicken!

I was not sure what I would think of coconut chicken hot pot, but I was surprised that I really really liked it! Even Bryan, who can't stand coconut water, really enjoyed the hot pot. The coconut water adds a pleasant and fragrant sweetness to the broth, and the chicken imparts the much needed umami. The whole meal felt light, healthy, and restorative.

I liked the "ponzu"-like sauce that we could optionally used. Frankly speaking though, the coconut chicken and coconut soup was so fragrant and flavorful, I ended up just eating it on its own.

We also ordered another one of the restaurant's Hainanese specialties, claypot rice with Chinese sausage and mushrooms. Though we were so full from the coconut chicken already, it was still nice to enjoy some rice and added variety to the meal.

All in all, I had a fantastic time enjoying this unique Shenzhen specialty at Seasons. I liked it so much I even tried making my own version of coconut chicken soup at home by poaching some chicken in boxed coconut water. It wasn't nearly as good as the version at Seasons (I think their use of fresh coconut water and high quality chicken is key), but it still reminded me of the flavors I had enjoyed.

After returning to Hong Kong, I realized there are several restaurants in Hong Kong who have also adopted the same concept. I have yet to try any of them yet, but I am quite curious to see how they compare.

In short, if you are in Shenzhen, I would highly recommend trying coconut chicken hot pot at Seasons. Average cost per person is 100 yuan / $16 USD for the coconut chicken hot pot, which is quite reasonable considering how much coconut water is used! There are many locations in Shenzhen (see links below), so it should be relatively easy to find one that is close by.

I have since visited Shenzhen many times and have dined at many different places, but this meal is still one of my favorites to date.

The Details
Restaurant Name in Chinese: 润园四季椰子鸡 (rùn yuán sìjì yē zǐ jī)
Restaurant Name in English: Seasons Coconut Chicken Hot Pot
Find locations at this OpenRice link or this Dianping link
If you don't speak or read Chinese, you can show the taxi driver the address on your mobile phone and they can usually punch in into their GPS.

For more information, check out this article

March 21, 2018 China

Mr. & Mrs. Bund Shanghai

Hello Shanghai!

The Bund is Shanghai's waterfront and is probably one of the most famous and recognizable skylines in the world. Mr. & Mrs. Bund Shanghai, the Asian-inspired French restaurant located right on the Bund, is one of the most celebrated and recognized restaurants on this famous strip.

The awards are endless: Mr. & Mrs. Bund has been named numerous times in The World's 50 Best Restaurants and Asia's 50 Best Restaurants lists. Various local outlets, such as Tatler China, Ideal Shanghai Daily, That's Shanghai, and City Weekend have recognized Mr. & Mrs. Bund as one of the best restaurants in Shanghai.

The menu is huge, both literally large to hold and also full of pages and pages of items. There are many many options, and the restaurant encourages dining "family style", meaning dishes are meant to be shared. There are also several set menus (meant to be shared between two people), that highlight various aspects of the menu.

Since it was our first time, we opted for the Paul Pairet Classics Signature, a nine-course tasting of some of the signature and classic dishes from the menu (688 RMB per guest). ...

March 20, 2018 Hong Kong

50 Posts in 50 Days Postlude

Hi friends,

Sorry for the silence this past week! I think after being "on" for almost two months by having to post daily, I really needed to take a nice, long break. Can't believe it's done, but all 50 posts have been published! I feel like I have caught up a TON from my backlog, and during the course of the journey, I've learned a lot more about all the places I had visited in the past. I'm continually learning more about local Hong Kong food as well as the local restaurant scene (which is ever changing!).

I have updated Jen's Guide to the Best Places to Eat in Hong Kong for Visitors with several new updates based on these last 50 posts. Definitely check it out if you plan on visiting Hong Kong!

I have updated the Original Post with a handy list (with hyperlinks!) that lists each of the 50 restaurants as well as which neighborhood it's in, and what kind of cuisine (if it's not obvious from the name). Of course to see all Hong Kong posts, just click on the Hong Kong tab to get a photo gallery of all the restaurants in the blog.

If you managed to follow along and stay with me all the way to the end, thank you so much for your support! That's a tremendous amount of material to digest. And yet still, I have barely scratched the surface of this rich, culinary city.

After 50 straight days of Hong Kong, I thought it might be kind of nice to "travel" to other parts of the world, for a change. Up next, I'll publish a few posts on my autumn trip to Tokyo, winter trip to Boston, spring trip to Sonoma, and some of my trips to mainland China. Enjoy the whirlwind tour of the world. We'll return back to Hong Kong soon enough . . . my backlog is already starting to grow again!

Jen

March 12, 2018 Hong Kong

Sushi Shikon Hong Kong - 3 Michelin Stars

Sushi Shikon Hong Kong - November 2017 — Sushi Shikon Hong Kong

This is one of many posts that are part of the series Jen's Guide - Best Places to Eat in Hong Kong for Visitors. This is also post #50 (!!) part of my #50PostsIn50Days personal challenge to document my first 100 days in Hong Kong. Other posts in this series may be found at the bottom of the original post.

If someone were to ask me what my absolute favorite restaurant in Hong Kong is, of course I would have a hard time answering it. I might have a favorite dish at a particular restaurant, or I might really like the vibe at another place. Sure, there will be places I'm always happy to visit, but picking a favorite anything is really hard.

Having said that, I think Sushi Shikon would definitely be one of the top contenders for that place.

Sushi Shikon is the second location of Sushi Yoshitake from Tokyo. Originally also called Sushi Yoshitake, the Hong Kong location changed its name to Sushi Shikon after confusion arose from people booking at one location and showing up at another (oops!). I first heard of Sushi Yoshitake from Bryan, actually. After eating there solo a couple years ago, he couldn't stop telling me about what he declared to be "the best dish I've ever eaten in my life."

!!!

This was Sushi Yoshitake's signature dish, its steamed abalone with abalone liver sauce (more on that below . . . .)

I was lucky enough to be able to dine at Sushi Yoshitake myself about a year later, and the hype is real. It was divine. That abalone with liver sauce is something, and I discovered another love: aged uni! That stuff just blows my mind.

Imagine our utter excitement when we found out that Yoshitake had decided to up a second location in Hong Kong . . . and that we would be moving to Hong Kong too!!...

March 11, 2018 Asian

Bo Innovation Hong Kong - 3 Michelin Stars

This is one of many posts that are part of the series Jen's Guide - Best Places to Eat in Hong Kong for Visitors. This is also post #49 part of my #50PostsIn50Days personal challenge to document my first 100 days in Hong Kong. Other posts in this series may be found at the bottom of the original post.

This wasn't just any milestone birthday.

This was a milestone birthday that occurred right after we had moved internationally, relocating to the other side of the globe. We hadn't made new friends yet, and all of our old friends were really, really far away. Despite those obstacles, a whole group of Bryan's closest friends, eight in total, made a special effort to fly all the way out to Hong Kong (from Boston!) in order to celebrate this special birthday with him.

It was hard to choose a place that would be fitting. We wanted it to be special (Bryan likes his fine wining and dining) and unique as well. Some of our friends are reasonably well-traveled and have dined at their fair share of fancy French restaurants. I was looking for something different.

We ended up at Bo Innovation, a restaurant serving uniquely Hong Kong-focused "X-treme Cuisine" inspired by traditional Hong Kong classics using modern, "molecular" techniques. We thought the Hong Kong focus would make it special for our friends, and the innovative cooking would be fun for everyone....

March 10, 2018 Asian

Australia Dairy Company - Traditional HK style breakfast

This is post #48, part of my #50PostsIn50Days personal challenge to document my first 100 days in Hong Kong. Other posts in this series may be found at the bottom of the original post.

Ask anybody where is the best place to get an authentic, iconic, Hong Kong breakfast, and you're bound to hear Australia Dairy Company in Jordan. Australia Dairy Company is a typical Hong Kong style cha chaan teng located only minutes from the Jordan MTR station. Their most famous dish is anything made with their scrambled eggs, such as the scrambled egg sandwich, scrambled egg toast, or just straight up scrambled eggs.

You can also order other typical cha chaan teng fare here, such as macaroni soup with ham, steamed milk pudding, and Hong Kong style milk tea.

The scrambled eggs are HEAVENLY. They are luxuriously soft, full of flavor, and absolutely addictively. I can see why this place is so famous for this one dish....

March 9, 2018 Asian

Trusty Congee King Wan Chai

This is post #47, part of my #50PostsIn50Days personal challenge to document my first 100 days in Hong Kong. Other posts in this series may be found at the bottom of the original post.

Congee is one of Hong Kong's greatest comfort foods.

In general, I am fiercely loyal to the comfort foods of my Taiwanese upbringing. I think there's nothing better than my mom's rice dumplings (zhongzi, batsang,粽子), Taiwanese oyster omelets are the best, and I constantly crave good old tea eggs and Taiwanese grilled corn.

Having said that, I will concede that I actually like Hong Kong style congee better than the Taiwanese variety.

I can't believe I just said that!

Now I do love Taiwanese congee, plain white rice porridge with my favorite toppings (pork floss, thousand year old eggs, and my favorite, fermented tofu "dofu ru"). However, there's something about the rich, broth-based nature of Hong Kong style congee that I find irresistable.

...

March 8, 2018 American

The Butcher's Club Burger Hong Kong

This is post #46, part of my #50PostsIn50Days personal challenge to document my first 100 days in Hong Kong. Other posts in this series may be found at the bottom of the original post.

The Butcher's Club was started by a group of meat enthusiasts with a passion for creating high quality dry aged beef in Hong Kong. They import Black Angus beef from a farm in New South Wales Australia and dry age the meat in Hong Kong for various lengths of time, minimum 30 days to "as long as their customers would like . . ." (perhaps we can request a Hong Kong version of the famous 9-month aged Riserva steaks??)

I have yet to visit the butcher shop, but I've visited one of their more recent concepts, the Butcher's Club Burger, which first opened in Wan Chai in 2014 and now boasts five locations throughout Hong Kong (Wan Chai, Central, Tsim Sha Tsui, Quarry Bay, and Wong Chuk Hang), as well as a new location Beijing.

The fast casual eatery focuses on hand crafted burgers (made with a blend of rump, chuck, and brisket that is dry-aged and then ground), beer, and bourbon. It's simple, but it works. The beer selection is good, and the burgers are delicious....

March 7, 2018 Hong Kong

Seventh Son Wan Chai

This is post #45, part of my #50PostsIn50Days personal challenge to document my first 100 days in Hong Kong. Other posts in this series may be found at the bottom of the original post.

Fook La Moon is a well-known, very established upscale Cantonese restaurant that has been in Hong Kong for quite some time. The city's rich and famous regularly dine there, and it has many locations throughout Asia. Seventh Son is one of several restaurants in the Wan Chai neighborhood that came out of the Fook La Moon family following a dispute some years back. Seventh Son is named such because it is opened by the youngest (seventh!) son in the family. Several of the chefs at the restaurant originally worked at other Fook La Moon locations before coming to Seventh Son.

The Michelin Guide recommends this restaurant as a "good standard" of cooking.

We came here as strangers, new to Hong Kong and new to our own neighborhood. A seasoned local who had lived in Hong Kong for over 20 years was our host, and ordered many of his favorite dishes for our table of eight to share. It was nice not to worry about what to order, and instead to trust in our host....

March 6, 2018 Cuisine

Paper Moon Hong Kong - Italian food and pizza in Harbour City

This is post #44, part of my #50PostsIn50Days personal challenge to document my first 100 days in Hong Kong. Other posts in this series may be found at the bottom of the original post.

Paper Moon originates from Milan but has locations all around the world. In celebration of its 40th anniversary, the Italian pizza restaurant opened a new location at the new Ocean Terminal wing in Tsim Sha Tsui.

The views from the restaurant are stunning. You get the best of Hong Kong's glitzy skyline. Because we were unable to secure a reservation for a table last minute, we had to sit at the bar, which faces away from those tall windows with the magnificent views.

Our meal was mixed, at best.

Pizza was the best part. We ordered the Pizza Porcini e Tartufo, a vegetarian pizza topped with porcini sushrooms, mozzarella, rocket (arugula), and generous shavings of black truffles ($238). The pizza was big enough to share. It had pleasant mushroom and truffle flavors as well as a nice, chewy crust made in an authentic 1.4-tonne Ambrogi pizza oven (flown in directly from Italy!)....

March 5, 2018 Asian

The Square Hong Kong

This is also post #43, part of my #50PostsIn50Days personal challenge to document my first 100 days in Hong Kong. Other posts in this series may be found at the bottom of the original post.

It's funny. When Bryan and I were living in Cambridge, the same city as our alma mater MIT, we never attended any MIT alumni events. I'm not sure if it's because we had no need, or we were just too busy with lives, or what, but it was just something we never did.

Perhaps there's something about being really, really far away from the familiar world that we know, but we found ourselves at an event sponsored by the MIT Club of Hong Kong. Here we were, halfway across the globe from our alma mater, networking with other MIT graduates.

I really didn't expect anything of the food, but I was pleasantly surprised when I walked up to the location. Really? A high end Cantonese restaurant that had been awarded a Michelin star from 2009 to 2015? I looked, and this restaurant from the Maxim Group, called The Square, is currently still recommended in the Michelin Guide as having "a good standard."

Located inside Exchange Square, the restaurant offers both lunch and dinner, including a nice list of dim sum items. The focuses is on fresh ingredients "cooked a healthy way." Our meal was located inside a private room (since it was a private event which included a speaker), and we enjoyed a tasting menu. I don't know how much it would cost to cater this event, but I do know that our cost for attending the event was only USD $70, which is quite reasonable considering how many courses we got!...

March 4, 2018 Asian

Megan's Kitchen Hong Kong

Megan's Kitchen Wan Chai — *Megan's Kitchen Hong Kong*

This is post #42, part of my #50PostsIn50Days personal challenge to document my first 100 days in Hong Kong. Other posts in this series may be found at the bottom of the original post.

Who doesn't love hot pot on a chilly winter's day?

Although winter here in Hong Kong is nowhere near the (literally) freezing temperatures I used to endure in Boston, it still does get quite chilly here. Consider that most homes (including ours) don't have central heat, chilly damp days actually feel quite bone-chilling.

I've been loving having hot pots during these cold days, and our new favorite place is Megan's Kitchen, conveniently located in Wan Chai not too far from our new apartment.
Megan's Kitchen is predominantly a hot pot restaurant, though it does have special Cantonese tasting menus you can pre-book for events and such. For most walk-in visitors, however, hot pot is the only option. The restaurant has won its fair share of awards, including receiving Bib Gourmande status from the Michelin Guide as well as being listed under Hong Kong Tatler's list of Best Restaurants.
They are famous for their contemporary and creative broths. We didn't go wild this time and ordered two broths: Sichuan Spicy Tofu broth ($168 HKD) and Coriander and Preserved Duck Egg ($98 HKD). Some more unusual ones on the menu include tomato and crab soup, fresh lobster borsch soup, apple and corn soup with spareribs, and double boiled French spring chicken stuffed with porcini mushroom and quinoa. You can see the whole list in my photos of the menus here and here....

March 3, 2018 Cuisine

Le Bistro Winebeast Wan Chai

This is post #41, part of my #50PostsIn50Days personal challenge to document my first 100 days in Hong Kong. Other posts in this series may be found at the bottom of the original post.

Hidden on the second floor of a wine shop in Wan Chai is a lovely, cozy French restaurant called Le Bistro Winebeast. I love the concept. You can purchase any wine from the shop and enjoy it with your dinner without any corkage fee (woo hoo!). The wine prices are quite reasonable, and they have a nice selection of wines at various price points.

The sommelier is Cristina Ducroquet and the executive chef is her husband Johan Ducroquet. Before coming to Hong Kong, Chef Ducroquet trained at several Michelin-starred restaurants in Paris and ran several other kitchens in France, Spain and South America.

The a la carte menu is divided into Frapas (French "tapas"), Starters, and Main Courses. Frapas cost $38 HKD for one, $68 HKD for two, $98 HKD for three, and $128 HKD for four. Starters range between $118 HKD and $188 HKD, and main courses range between $228 HKD and $278 HKD.

We decided to order three frapas and two main courses, foregoing the appetizers this time around. It was plenty of food!...

March 2, 2018 Asian

Crystal Jade Jiang Nan

This is post #40, part of my #50PostsIn50Days personal challenge to document my first 100 days in Hong Kong. Other posts in this series may be found at the bottom of the original post.

Crystal Jade is a well known, very popular dim sum group of restaurants originating out of Singapore with locations around the world. We've been to the ones in Singapore, Shanghai, and Hong Kong, and have always been impressed with their authentic Cantonese dim sum, roast pork, noodles, and other Chinese specialities.

The new concept Crystal Jade Jiang Nan was born in 2016, the 15th anniversary of the original Crystal Jade restaurants. You can think of Crystal Jade Jiang Nan as the contemporary, more health-conscious cousin of Crystal Jade. Crystal Jade Jiang Nan offers both traditional and modern takes on Jiang Nan cuisine, as well as healthier and creative interpretations of classic Chinese dishes.

Jiang Nan, which literally means south of the Yangtze river, refers to a region of China that includes Shanghai as well as parts of Jaingxi, Jaingsu, Zhejiang, and Anhui province. Signature Jiang Nan dishes that Crystal Jade Jiang Nan offers include homemade wine flavored egg (from the Jaingsu and Zhejiang regions), braised pork belly, and braised pork ribs Wuxi style.

We have visited Crystal Jade Jiang Nan a few times and we like it a lot. We like how the menu has a nice variety of Crystal Jade classics such as xiao long bao (soup dumplings) and noodles, while also incorporating Jiang Nan fare and the newer, contemporary dishes. The environment is classy and modern, and the food is all quite good. Here's a look at some dishes we've enjoyed....

March 1, 2018 Asian

Yung Kee Restaurant (Yung Kee Roast Goose)

This is post #39, part of my #50PostsIn50Days personal challenge to document my first 100 days in Hong Kong. Other posts in this series may be found at the bottom of the original post.

Roast goose is one of those quintessential Hong Kong foods that definitely falls on the "must-try" lists for any visitor to Hong Kong. Goose is generally hard to find in a lot of countries. In the US, I hardly ever see it in the super market or on restaurant menus. Even in Hong Kong, it's noticeably more expensive than duck or chicken, so it's still a special treat here too.

The most iconic, historic, and well known roast goose restaurant in Hong Kong is Yung Kee Restaurant.

Founded by the late Mr. Kam Shui Fai in 1942, Yung Kee Restaurant has served all sorts of people for generations and is synonymous with roast goose in Hong Kong. The historic building has one of Hong Kong's only charcoal fired ovens (grandfathered in before new regulations) and its roast geese have that unique flavor.

Yung Kee imports its geese from a very specific farm in China. The restaurant uses traditional cooking techniques passed down from founder Kam Shui Fai.

Yung Kee was awarded one Michelin star in 2009 but lost it in 2011, and has failed to regain it since, though it is still recommended in the Michelin guide. An ugly battle between the founder's two sons following his death in 2010 may have contributed to this alleged drop in quality. You can read more about this in my post about Kam's Roast Goose, one result of the "split" that occurred after Mr. Kam Shui Fai's death.

We booked lunch at Yung Kee Restaurant because we had a large group of visitors from the US. We needed a place that served an excellent version of Hong Kong's quintessential roast goose yet also took reservations for large parties (in our case, including a 5-year old child). Yung Kee fit the bill perfectly. The restaurant is large (two stories!) and has lots of larger tables that can easily accommodate a group our size. Furthermore, the service is good and we had plenty of space to spread out....

February 28, 2018 Asian

Pho Bar Hong Kong - Central and Causeway Bay

This is post #38, part of my #50PostsIn50Days personal challenge to document my first 100 days in Hong Kong. Other posts in this series may be found at the bottom of the original post.

Pho is starting to get more and more popular in Hong Kong, especially with the recent openings of more modern, "trendy" pho joints opened by those with European or western influences.

Brothers Norman and Russell Stradmoor, who are self-proclaimed "quarter British", decided to open up Pho Bar because a friend's space in Central had become available. The friend's business was shutting down but the lease wasn't over yet, so the brothers decided to try opening a pho restaurant in that space since they thought they had a pretty good recipe. The Central location opened on January 15th, 2016.

Interestingly, Norman and Russell Stradmoor's main focus is in fact their coffee business, Omotesando Koffee in Wan Chai. However, Pho Bar has been so successful, they have opened up another location in Causeway Bay....

February 27, 2018 Asian

Duddell's Hong Kong

This is post #37, part of my #50PostsIn50Days personal challenge to document my first 100 days in Hong Kong. Other posts in this series may be found at the bottom of the original post. This is also one of many posts that are part of the series Jen's Guide - Best Places to Eat in Hong Kong for Visitors

Imagine visiting the well-designed home of an avid art collector, whose gorgeous home happened to also have a lovely outdoor terrace as well as a dining area offering Michelin-starred Cantonese cuisine. This is what it might feel like if you were to visit Duddell's, a high-end Cantonese restaurant located on Duddell Street on top of Shanghai Tang mansion in Central Hong Kong.

Not only is the entire interior beautifully designed, the space hosts regular art exhibitions and screenings as well. There are private dining rooms, a library, and a showroom for art and cultural talks. Most importantly (for us food-focused people, that is), there is the restaurant which offers all sorts of top notch, high-end Cantonese fare.

Executive chef Siu Hin Chi, formerly at T’ang Court, runs the restaurant, which had two Michelin stars from 2015 to 2017 and one Michelin star in the 2018 Guide.

There is a massive a la carte menu with all sorts of classic, high-end Cantonese fare (roast meats, abalone, double boiled soups, shark's fin, Iberico pork, sea cucumber, bird's nest, just to name a few . . .) as well as several tasting menus. Since there were only two of us, we decided to order two tasting menus in order to try more dishes.

We ordered two different tasting menus: one priced at 1480 HKD per person and one priced at 1980 HKD. There was also one priced at 3380 HKD per person, and you could also upgrade the abalone to nicer varieties as well.

Below are the two tasting menus, described separately. General thoughts are at the end....

February 26, 2018 Asian

Yu Chu Jian Bing Wan Chai 御廚煎餅 - Hong Kong

Yu Chu Jiang Bing Hong Kong — *Spicy chicken jian bing from Yu Chu jian bing*

This is post #36, part of my #50PostsIn50Days personal challenge to document my first 100 days in Hong Kong. Other posts in this series may be found at the bottom of the original post.

When I visited Beijing over seven years ago (wow, time flies!), one of the snacks my expat friends kept telling me about was jian bing, the Chinese version of a crepe made with eggs, crunchy wonton crisps, and a flavorful sauce.

I never got the chance to get one on the street of Beijing with my expat friend. However, during one of our last days in Beijing while hiking the Great Wall of China, Bryan and I found a vendor selling jian bing right at the Great Wall. At this point, we just wanted to try it, after having heard so much about it.

Yum! And that was the last time that I tasted a jian bing.

Soon after I moved to Hong Kong I began my search for jian bing again. I figured Hong Kong was so close to Mainland China, it had to have all of the various snacks and delicacies you can get in China, right? It turns out not to be that way, exactly. In fact, jian bing is not that easy to find in Hong Kong.

At first I was sorely disappointed to learn that the one very popular jian bing place called Mr. Bing had closed shop in Hong Kong not too long ago and had moved to New York City - grrrrrr.

But then I found Yu Chu Jian Bing, which, as luck would have it, was just down the street from my apartment!...

February 25, 2018 Cuisine

La Rambla IFC - Spanish Restaurant

This is post #35, part of my #50PostsIn50Days personal challenge to document my first 100 days in Hong Kong. Other posts in this series may be found at the bottom of the original post.

As I continue to explore Spanish food here in Hong Kong, I can't help but be really, really impressed.

La Rambla is a new spin-off from the very popular restaurant Catalunya, located on Morrison Hill in Wan Chai. Located in the International Finance Centre (IFC), this Catalan-focused restaurant serves all sorts of small plates (tapas, pinxtos) as well as paellas, suckling pig, seafood from Japan, as well as 90-day and 120-day aged Galician beef from Spain. The restaurant focuses on fresh, seasonal ingredients, flying in ingredients twice a week from Japan and Europe

Chef Ferran Tadeo, who is also executive chef of Catalunya, was mentored by Albert Adrià (el Bulli) and Sergi Arola (Arola).

La Rambla IFC has only been open since November 2017, but it already seems to be doing quite well. I came during lunch on a weekday and there were plenty of diners, likely the office crowd enjoying a high quality lunch in between work.

The best part about lunch is the gorgeous buffet spread of all sorts of small bites. It's one of the options of the three course lunch (which is the only option during lunchtime).

If you don't want the buffet spread, you can get a soup or another starter, but trust me . . . you want the spread....

February 24, 2018 Hong Kong

Limewood Repulse Bay Hong Kong

Limewood Repulse Bay

This is post #34, part of my #50PostsIn50Days personal challenge to document my first 100 days in Hong Kong. Other posts in this series may be found at the bottom of the original post.

I still remember the first time I saw the islands off the coast of Hong Kong. Their lush green peaks jutting out of the vivid blue waters instantly reminded me of Hawaii. I was totally floored. I had always pictured Hong Kong as this dense, urban jungle. Never did I know this other side that was so beautiful, peaceful, and idyllic.

I have since learned that there are several beautiful beaches in Hong Kong. One of the most popular beach areas is Repulse Bay, a community on the south side of Hong Kong Island. People love Repulse Bay because it's really nice (one of the most expensive places to live on the island!) as well as very convenient from Central Hong Kong.

Though it's less than a 30-minute car-ride to get to Repulse Bay (or maybe 45-50 min if you take one of the several buses or minibuses), it really feels like a different world down there. We felt like we had arrived at some sort of resort town. The vibe was more relaxed, and the whole area was less dense. In fact, we felt like we had gone far away for a vacation, even though we had only traveled about five miles.

There are several restaurants that face the beach at Repulse Bay. Limewood is a beachside barbecue restaurant with influences from South America, Southeast Asia, Hawaii, and the Caribbean (yes, all warm-weather places that evoke thoughts of beach vacations!). It comes from the Maximal Concepts Group, the same folks behind Brickhouse, Mott 32, and a number of other restaurants in Hong Kong and around the world.

Limewood is right on the beach at Repulse Bay and right next to The Pulse, the new shopping center that's on the beach. There's a bar area on one side and a dining area on the other. The feel is definitely resort-like and relaxing. There are great views of the beach as well as the ocean.
...

February 23, 2018 Hong Kong

Qi House of Sichuan Hong Kong

Qi House of Sichuan Wan Chai Hong Kong — *Qi House of Sichuan - Wan Chai, HONG KONG*

This is post #33, part of my #50PostsIn50Days personal challenge to document my first 100 days in Hong Kong. Other posts in this series may be found at the bottom of the original post.

I learned a mind blowing fact the other day.

Did you know that Sichuan cuisine was not always spicy? Hot chili peppers are not native to China. The people of Sichuan have always loved bold, flavorful foods, but used local Sichuan peppercorns, the numbing spice that is still broadly associated with Sichuan cuisine, as well as garlic and scallions to achieve these flavors.

South America introduced China to hot chili peppers in the late 1500's. The pepper slowly made its way up the Yangzhe River, reaching Sichuan, Hunan, Hubeo, and Guizhou, provinces that are all associated with hot, spicy food today.

Today, the word Sichuan is virtually synonymous with hot and spicy food. Sichuan cuisine is celebrated all over China as one of the eight great cuisines. Furthermore, it has made phenomenal in-roads around the world.

Hong Kong has its fare share of great Sichuan restaurants. Because the Cantonese palate is lighter than other fiery parts of China, some restaurants tame down the fiery spice levels of Sichuan food in Hong Kong in order to appease the local taste buds.

We had a Chinese friend from Jiangxi province visiting us in Hong Kong. Although Jiangxi cuisine is less known outside of China, within China they are known for eating some of the spiciest and most intensely flavored foods. They even eat stir fried chili peppers straight as a vegetable (!).

We decided to take our friend to Qi House of Sichuan, a one-Michelin starred Sichuan restaurant in Wan Chai that was well-regarded for its authentic Sichuan dishes....

February 22, 2018 Cuisine

La Piola Wan Chai - Italian Restaurant

This is post #32, part of my #50PostsIn50Days personal challenge to document my first 100 days in Hong Kong. Other posts in this series may be found at the bottom of the original post.

Piedmont has a special place in my heart.

I have very fond, nostalgic memories of Alba and the surrounding wine-growing regions of northern Italy when Bryan and I visited a couple years ago during white truffle season (the best!). Not only is the entire region absolutely stunning (definitely check out Barolo and Barbareseco!), the food is unique and absolutely delicious.

It's been awhile since I've had any northern Italian food, which is why I was thrilled to discover that La Piola, a restaurant focusing on Piemontese cuisine, had many of the special dishes that totally reminded me of my trip in 2015.

Despite the fact that its in a trendy happening location (which always makes me suspicious of food quality), Bryan and I were both tickled and pleased to discover that the food is quite authentic (one of the owners is Piemontese!) and very, very good....

February 21, 2018 Chinese

Tsui Hang Village Hong Kong

This is post #31, part of my #50PostsIn50Days personal challenge to document my first 100 days in Hong Kong. Other posts in this series may be found at the bottom of the original post.

Tsui Hang Village is a well-known Cantonese restaurant specializing in food from the Guangzhou region, more specifically Hakka and Shunde cuisine, as well as Cantonese roasted meats. In fact, their signature honey glazed BBQ pork is fantastic - a perfect combination of rich flavor and ultra tender meat.

"The best charsiu I've ever had," proclaimed Bryan after tasting it for the first time.

Although we haven't eaten at all the top roast meat places in Hong Kong, we've had several top notch charsiu, including a fancy iberico version at Man Wah, as well as many excellent versions at Fu Sing, Kam's Roast Goose, and Joy Hing.

Tsui Hang Village has been around since the 1970's, and was THE place for "movers and shakers" as well as top celebrities to dine and do business meetings while dining on high end Cantonese fare (shark fin, abalone, bird's nest and the like). Many new places have popped up since then for that purpose, but it's still well-known locally.

The restaurant, named after Dr. Sun Yat-sen’s birthplace, is run by the Miramar Group and has been recommended by Michelin Guide as having a "Good Standard".

We stopped by this bustling place during Saturday lunch, the time when it seems like all Cantonese families come out for dim sum. Thankfully, the place is huge and lines move quickly. We waited only about ten minutes for a table....

February 20, 2018 Cuisine

Pici - Italian food in Wan Chai - { Pici Wan Chai Hong Kong }

This is post #30, part of my #50PostsIn50Days personal challenge to document my first 100 days in Hong Kong. Other posts in this series may be found at the bottom of the original post.

I fell in love with Pici even before I entered the restaurant.

I was meeting a friend there and she had told me that we should line up about 15 minutes before the 11:30AM opening time, since the restaurant doesn't take reservations and it's really popular.

As I walked up the steps of a narrow sidewalk in this hillier, steeper area of Wan Chai filled with narrow streets, tight corners, and small eateries, I couldn't help but be drawn to this quieter, off-the-beaten-path corner of Wan Chai. Standing in line I essentially people-watched, falling in love with the quaint neighborhood as well as the bustle of activity going on inside the kitchen....

February 19, 2018 American

The Steak House winebar + grill Hong Kong

The Steak House winebar + grill - Intercontinental Hong Kong — *The Steak House winebar + grill Hong Kong*

This is post #29, part of my #50PostsIn50Days personal challenge to document my first 100 days in Hong Kong. Other posts in this series may be found at the bottom of the original post.

We have a cousin who lives in Hong Kong and visited the US for a college-touring trip about two years ago. We thought it funny how our cousin and his dad kept seeking out American steakhouses everywhere they went. It was as if they don't sell beef in Hong Kong.

We were really curious, so we had to ask them why.

Their explanation was that US beef tastes different, and it's really expensive in Hong Kong.

After moving here, I see there's some truth to that. However, I actually think there's more steak in Hong Kong. Yes, perhaps US steak is more expensive in Hong Kong, but Hong Kong offers all sorts of different cuts of Japanese beef, steaks from Australia and New Zealand, and of course, USDA prime beef as well.

After being in Hong Kong for a couple months, we were hankering for a good steak so we decided to visit The Steak House Winebar + Grill located on the lower level of the Intercontinental Hong Kong in Tsim Sha Tsui....

February 18, 2018 Asian

HAKU Hong Kong

This is post #28, part of my #50PostsIn50Days personal challenge to document my first 100 days in Hong Kong. Other posts in this series may be found at the bottom of the original post.

Sometimes it feels overwhelming to live and eat in Hong Kong. The city is buzzing with so much food activity it's virtually impossible to keep up. It still blows my mind how many top chefs have set up shop here, and how many new top chefs continue to arrive.

Additionally, because for months we lived right above Harbour City and the newly opened Ocean Terminal wing, it felt like new restaurants were popping up almost weekly right within walking distance of our home.

We've made a valiant effort to try many of these new places, including HAKU, probably one of the hottest and most anticipated restaurants to open in Harbour City this past year....

February 17, 2018 Asian

Dim Sum Bar TST - Harbour City

Dim Sum Bar TST
This is post #27, part of my #50PostsIn50Days personal challenge to document my first 100 days in Hong Kong. Other posts in this series may be found at the bottom of the original post.

It used to be that you could only get dim sum in the morning, or during weekend brunch hours. However, more and more dim sum focused restaurants, many with a modern Chinese twist, are opening up around the city.

It's true that most traditional Cantonese restaurants still only serve dim sum during the day. However, there are no shortage of restaurants serving dim sum at night now. One place we visited recently was near our old apartment in Harbour City: Dim Sum Bar, which is located at the Gateway Arcade of Harbour City, but has a separately outside entrance....

February 16, 2018 Chinese

Chilli Fagara Sichuan Central

This is post #26, part of my #50PostsIn50Days personal challenge to document my first 100 days in Hong Kong. Other posts in this series may be found at the bottom of the original post.

Chilli Fagara is a family-owned restaurant from third-generation restaurant owner Tracy Wong. Tracy grew up in Vancouver where her family ran several restaurants in the city. In 2005 she decided to open up a restaurant focused on the cuisine of her heritage. The dishes are based off of her mother's recipes, and focus on the flavor profiles of "ma" (numbing), "la" (spicy), and "tang" (neutral).

The restaurant received a Michelin star in 2011 and maintained it through 2013. The restaurant re-appeared in the guide as a recommended restaurant in 2017 and 2018.

The menu is divided up into three main sections: "ma" (numbing), "la" (spicy), and "tian" (neutral). Additionally, there is an entire section in the back devoted to vegetarian dishes, also with the same three categories. It's easy to recognize which section is which. In short, the green text denotes vegetarian, the red text denotes the regular menu.

For fun we decided to try something from each section in order to get a sense of the entire menu.

"Ma" (Numbing)

The salad of crunchy wood ear and Chinese celery ($68 HKD) comes with fresh wood ear mushroom and celery lightly tossed with white sesame oil and infused Sichuan peppercorn oil. I really enjoyed the fresh wood ear, which is something I don't get as often in the US. Though the dish was on the "ma" section of the menu, the flavors were more "la" and not as "ma" as we had hoped.

The mapo tofu ($118 HKD) was a lovely dish, topped with a generous dose of Sichuan peppercorns (my favorite!) to give it a nice, "ma" flavor along with the house made chili sauce.

The server suggested that we try the Chilli Fagara Chicken, a signature dish from the "La" (spicy) section that consisted of boneless chicken pieces stir fried in a dark soy sauce and topped with deep fried basil leaves. In all honesty, this dish tasted quite "westernized" in style, with its soy-based, thick gooey sauce and boneless chicken pieces. The dish itself was quite salty yet didn't really have the strong, fragrant, chili aromas I associate with fiery Sichuan cuisine.

"Tian" - Neutral

Surprisingly, I ended up liking the restaurant's non-spicy food a lot better than the spicy ones.

One of their most popular dishes is the Crispy Caramelized Shredded Beef ($108 HKD) made with thin slices of beef that have been caramelized with a garlic and ginger glaze. I loved the sweet and savory caramelized edges. I swear it's almost like eating beef as a candy.

We also enjoyed the intense flavors of the Jasmine Tea Smoked Duck ($168 HKD for a half portion). The flavors were rich, smoky, and perfectly seasoned. The skin was crispy, though the duck meat itself was a bit dry.

I think the best dish of the night was the simple Potato Starch Noodles stir fried with egg and cabbage, a dish from a separate card featuring Chef's Recommendations / Specials. It was a simple dish, but the texture of the potato starch noodles was so fun to eat, and the flavors were nicely balanced.

Stir fried bok choy with garlic was solid and provided nice balance to the spicier, more intensely flavored dishes.

General Thoughts - Chilli Fagara

Purists will argue that the food at Chilli Fagara does not reach the searing spice levels of authentic Sichuan food. Most customers would be relieved to hear that, since the slightly modified spice levels still pack a major punch for most. As a foreigner, I certainly thought the spice levels were fine, and I happily ate most of the dishes without having to stop completely. {I contrast that to House of Qi in Wan Chai, which was suuuuper spicy. Our friend from mainland China loved it while I struggled to taste anything in my fiery mouth!}

Still, our experience at Chilli Fagara was mixed. On the one hand, there were some really enjoyable dishes, like the potato noodles or crispy caramelized shredded beef. At the same time, execution for certain dishes, like the Chilli Fagara chicken and the tea smoked duck, could have been improved. Prices are quite high for the portion size, so this place definitely caters more for business wallets.

My general take-away impression is that this place caters to foreigners. The space is beautifully decorated, the menus are in English, and the food is modified to suite western tastes. Interestingly, the day we went, every single person in the restaurant was a foreigner (we heard tons of English being spoken). It was clear this was a popular expat hangout.

If I'm looking for good, authentic Sichuan food, this would not be my first choice. However, if I'm looking for a foreigner-friendly restaurant with enjoyable food and nice ambiance (and I don't mind paying more for that), this is still a perfectly fine choice.

Chilli Fagara
7 Old Bailey St, Central
HONG KONG
2893 3330

February 15, 2018 Chinese

Hee Kee Fried Crab Experts - Hee Kee Typhoon Shelter Fried Crab

This is post #25, part of my #50PostsIn50Days personal challenge to document my first 100 days in Hong Kong. Other posts in this series may be found at the bottom of the original post.

In general, I find Cantonese food to one of the more recognized cuisines to those in North America. Due to the predominance of Cantonese restaurants in many Chinatowns across the United States, most Americans are familiar with classic dim sum staples like fried turnip cakes, steamed shrimp dumplings, and rice rolls. I definitely had my fair share of egg tarts in the US, and I loved pineapple buns (or polobuns) and charsiu roast pork.

However, there are so many other types of Hong Kong specific dishes that I didn't discover until I moved here (and I'm still constantly exploring and learning about new dishes every day!).

One absolutely delicious specialty I discovered recently was the typhoon shelter fried crab.

A very, very iconic Hong Kong local cuisine, typhoon shelter crabs supposedly arose from boat dwellers that used to live around Causeway Bay. They brought in fresh crabs from the Harbour and set up shop in typhoon shelters, frying up these mud crabs with loads of garlic and spices.

The resultant dish is intensely flavorful and downright addictive.
...

February 14, 2018 Hong Kong

Sushi Uehara Causeway Bay

This is post #24, part of my #50PostsIn50Days personal challenge to document my first 100 days in Hong Kong. Other posts in this series may be found at the bottom of the original post.

Sushi is incredibly good in Hong Kong.

Hong Kong is one of the few places (outside of Japan) where the combination of (1) distance from Tokyo and (2) available money allows high-end sushi places to offer fish flown same-day from Tsukiji Fish Market in Japan.

Of course, flying sushi in same-day is very expensive, and therefore only the highest end restaurants do it. However, being close to Japan still has its benefits, and Hong Kong is still able to access much more fish from Japan at lower price points than places that are further away.

As a result, I definitely have found many more restaurants in Hong Kong that serve traditional, authentic edomae style sushi than I ever did in the States.

One of my local Hong Kong friends (a fellow sushi fanatic whom I actually met in Japan while dining at Sushi Ya), is always on the look-out for good sushi places in Hong Kong. If schedules line up, we try to explore some of these new sushi places together.

The first sushi place we tried after my move to Hong Kong was Sushi Uehara, one of his top choices for a very reasonably priced sushi lunch. Sushi Uehara is a small counter-style sushi bar located on the edge of Causeway Bay. Diners face the sushi chef as they eat, which allows them to experience sushi the more traditional way - one piece at a time.

Chef Uehara worked at Sushi Hiro for eight years before setting up shop on his own. His dinner omakase is much pricier ($1700 HKD /$218 USD), but at lunch there are lower priced options, such as the the Deluxe Lunch (12-pieces of sushi and 1 roll for $480 HKD / ~$60 USD); the Premium Lunch (8-10 appetizers/sashimi plus ~6 pieces of sushi for $800 HKD /~$100 USD); and various types of chirashi and donburi (seafood over rice) for $380 HKD a bowl (~$49 USD).

Because we really just wanted to eat sushi, we opted for the the 12-course, which gives you more sushi (even compared to the Premium lunch)....

February 13, 2018 Chinese

Crystal Jade La Mian Xiao Long Bao

This is post #23, part of my #50PostsIn50Days personal challenge to document my first 100 days in Hong Kong. Other posts in this series may be found at the bottom of the original post.

Two restaurants in Harbour City always have the longest lines: M & C Duck and Crystal Jade La Mian Xiao Long Bao. I guess it's not a surprise, considering these restaurants serve Peking duck, hand-pulled noodles, and dumplings.
"La Mian" (拉麵) means "pulled noodles" in Chinese, and Xiao Long Bao (小籠包) means little steamed dumpling. Crystal Jade is a well known restaurant chain that comes from Singapore which features Sichuan, Shanghainese, and northern Chinese specialties. The restaurant has locations all over Asia, including Singapore, China (Beijing, Shanghai, Hangzhou), Hong Kong, Thailand (Bangkok), Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur), Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh City), Korea (Seoul), Indonesia (Jakarta) and Japan (Tokyo). There are many location in Hong Kong, including one inside Terminal 1 at Hong Kong International Airport! The location in Harbour City, with the words "la mian xiao long bao" in its name, is more specific in its focus, honing in on hand-pulled noodles and dumplings.

I personally love Crystal Jade La Mian Xiao Long Bao for a couple of reasons. First, they do make a really good soup dumpling as well as great noodles. Additionally, they have a pretty diverse menu that features a lot of other things, so you don't get bored just eating the same few items every time. Finally, they like to rotate in fun seasonal items to vary things up. The overall quality of their food is quite high, so you don't worry too much when you're exploring the menu. It's likely to be quite tasty!...

February 12, 2018 Cuisine

Ham & Sherry Wan Chai Spanish Tapas Bar

This is post #22, part of my #50PostsIn50Days personal challenge to document my first 100 days in Hong Kong. Other posts in this series may be found at the bottom of the original post.

Tapas!

I'm surprised at how many Spanish restaurants there are in Hong Kong, especially in Wan Chai. Several people had recommended to us the very popular 22 Ships by British Michelin starred Chef Jason Atherton (Pollen Street Social; Social Eating House in London). Its lesser known cousin is Ham & Sherry, another Spanish tapas bar located just across the street (also on Ship street) which is a collaboration between Chef Jason Atherton and local restauranteur Yenn Wong.

Ham & Sherry distinguishes itself from other Spanish tapas restaurants by boasting Asia's largest sherry list (over 50 varieties and styles).

It's a good casual place to grab a drink, enjoy a few snacks, or commit to a full dinner. It was the perfect venue for a quick bite with one of my friends, who had to leave at 8PM for another appointment, as well as for a 3-hour night of hanging out with a larger group another evening....

February 11, 2018 Hong Kong

La Locanda by Giancarlo Perbellini - Harbour City HONG KONG

La Locanda by Giancarlo Perbellini - Dentice, Crema di Patate e Guazzetto ai Crostacei Red Snapper, Parsley Mashed Potatoes and Shellfish Broth. ($278 HKD) — *La Locanda by Giancarlo Perbellini*

This is post #21, part of my #50PostsIn50Days personal challenge to document my first 100 days in Hong Kong. Other posts in this series may be found at the bottom of the original post.

Before I moved to Hong Kong, a friend who grew up in Hong Kong kept telling me how great the Italian food was. Even though Boston is known for its Italian food, my friend told me that the Italian food in Hong Kong was at least as good, if not better.

Our first several months in Hong Kong were spent at Harbour City in Tsim Sha Tsui. We lived at a serviced apartment attached to the biggest mall in Hong Kong. As a result, we had plenty of opportunities to just walk out into the mall to try new restaurants if we didn't feel like stepping outside. Trust me, during those super hot humid days in the summer, it's a blessing.

I didn't have much expectation for the food in the mall. After all, how good can mall food be?

I soon realized I was very, very mistaken, especially when it comes to Harbour City. Harbour City is one of the most dynamic and happening dining spots in the city. Many, many celebrity chefs as well as global restaurant groups try to open up in Harbour City. There are multiple celebrated Michelin-starred chefs, Tokyo's most sought-after sushi and ramen restaurants, Taiwan's well known noodle shops, and on and on and on.

There are several Italian restaurants. Because Italian is probably Bryan's all-time favorite cuisine, and because Bryan often didn't want Chinese food after spending a week in China, we ended up exploring almost all of the Italian restaurants inside Harbour City.

La Locanda, by the Dining Concepts group in collaboration with Italian chef Giancarlo Perbellini, was one that I enjoyed quite a bit.

...

February 10, 2018 Chinese

The Chairman Hong Kong - 大班樓

This is post #20, part of my #50PostsIn50Days personal challenge to document my first 100 days in Hong Kong. Other posts in this series may be found at the bottom of the original post.

Traditional high end Cantonese restaurants in Hong Kong typically offer dishes made with expensive, exotic ingredients such as shark's fin, abalone, and bird's nest. They tend to make excellent roasted meats, like charsiu pork made with Iberian pigs or roast pork with perfect crispy skin. There are flavorful double boiled soups and oftentimes excellent Peking duck. There's usually exquisite dim sum, only offered on weekends.

After visiting several of these types of restaurants, they started to meld together in my mind because they were so similar.

This is why The Chairman was so refreshing and felt like a breath of fresh air.

The Chairman immediately struck me as different. The food was lighter, yet just as flavorful. Each dish was made with precision, focus, and care. The ingredients were top notch an the flavors outstanding. To top that off, the service was extremely warm and attentive. I fell in love with the place.

I later found out that The Chairman cares A LOT about ingredients. They actually source their chickens and pigs locally from The New Territories in Hong Kong. They have their own little farm in Sheung Shui, where they cure their meat, pickle their vegetables, and grow some organic produce. They work with local fishermen who bring them fresh fish and shrimp (caught that morning!) straight from the South China Sea.

The restaurant says that it serves no shark's fin, sea cucumber, or bird's nest on its menu, partly because it finds them less interesting, but also because it's less sustainable or "eco-friendly."

We visited The Chairman one Sunday during lunch. We had wanted to eat dinner there, but the place books out so far ahead (I'm talking weeks!), the only spot that was open was lunch. Thankfully, the dinner menu is also available (more or less) during lunchtime.
...

February 9, 2018 Cuisine

Sushi Ta-Ke Causeway Bay - Hong Kong

This is post #19, part of my #50PostsIn50Days personal challenge to document my first 100 days in Hong Kong. Other posts in this series may be found at the bottom of the original post.

Sushi is very, very popular in Hong Kong, and it comes in all different forms and at all different price points.

Since moving here, I've been on the lookout for really authentic, traditional sushi places that remind me of Japan. We started at the top, visiting 3-Michelin starred Sushi Shikon a few times already. That place is phenomenal, and easily one of my favorite restaurants in all of Hong Kong. However, at $3500 HKD a pop, it's reserved for very, very special occasions. I've only begun exploring, but a friend recommended Sushi Ta-ke as a good choice for authentic Japanese sushi.

Sushi Ta-ke, which is part of the 1957 & Co hospitality group, appointed Chef Kaoru Mitsuhashi as its new executive chef at the end of 2017. Chef Mitsuhashi, who has over 2o years' experience, focuses on Edomae sushi, the traditional Tokyo-style sushi that emerged in the late 1800‘s in Japan. Edomae literally means “in front of Edo”, which refers to fish that come from Tokyo Bay. In the olden days, Tokyo was called “Edo,” and raw fish over vinegared rice became a popular item sold on the streets near the fish market in Tokyo. Because of the lack of refrigeration back then, raw fish was sometimes cured with soy sauce or vinegar in order for it to keep longer. Today, you'll inevitably find some cured fish as part of any edomae sushi omakase.

Fish is flown directly from Japan, and a lot of the produce and other ingredients also come from Japan.

The restaurant is located in the Cubus building right on the edge of Causeway Bay. The space is pretty big, with a sizable sushi bar, plenty of tables, and even a private room. One of the owners is an interior designer, so the interior is really pretty, with a bamboo theme and thoughtfully-placed lighting.

Dinner is a pretty extensive affair, with omakase menus ranging from the "Ume" omakase at $1200 HKD all the way up to consulting Chef Mamoru Sugiyama's omakase at $1680 HKD. You can also order dishes a la carte, whether it be appetizers showcasing seasonal ingredients, sushi, sashimi, or various premium grilled items (A5 wagyu, swordfish belly, lobster, and the like).

If you want to just try to sushi, consider coming at lunch, where there are lower priced set menus that include only sushi and sashimi. That's what I did. My friend and I went at lunch and ordered the Deluxe Sushi Platter, a lunch omakase with 9 pieces of sushi plus appetizers for $348 HKD. ...

February 8, 2018 Cuisine

Akrame Hong Kong - Michelin Starred French Food in Wan Chai

This is post #18, part of my #50PostsIn50Days personal challenge to document my first 100 days in Hong Kong. Other posts in this series may be found at the bottom of the original post.

Sometimes it feels like you don't need to leave Hong Kong to eat the world.

These were Chef Akrame Benallal's thoughts when he chose to expand his 2-Michelin starred eponymous French restaurant to Hong Kong . . . and only Hong Kong.

He saw Hong Kong as one of the most international cities in the world. So many foreigners travel through this Asian port city. Not only would he be among a dizzying array of global restaurants, he would be able to reach people from all around the world just by setting up shop in Hong Kong.

And thus Akrame Hong Kong was born in 2013, two years after the huge success of his Paris restaurant, which had opened two years earlier.

Chef Benallal, who was greatly influenced by his mentors Pierre Gagnaire and Ferran Adria, sees his dishes as an ever-changing pieces of art that he continually tries to perfect.

Interestingly, once it's perfected, he gets bored and removes it from the menu. This could explain why he changes his menu so frequently (at least monthly). The food is decidedly French, and almost all of the ingredients are sourced from France.

Lunch starts at $280 HKD per person (Tues - Thurs only), and goes up from there: $480 HKD for a four courses and $580 HKD for a six-courses. Sunday brunch is $680 per person. Dinner you can get either six courses for $888 HKD (so Chinese, such lucky numbers!) or eight courses for $1188.

We came here for dinner one evening as a "break" from Chinese food after Bryan had spent almost a week doing business in China....

February 7, 2018 Hong Kong

Peking Garden TST - traditional Peking duck ( 北京樓 )

This is post #17, part of my #50PostsIn50Days personal challenge to document my first 100 days in Hong Kong. Other posts in this series may be found at the bottom of the original post.

It's always fun to see where people who used to live in Hong Kong like to visit when they return.

A couple months ago, one of Bryan's long-lost aunts came to Hong Kong to visit us. This aunt lived in Hong Kong for over twenty years, and is almost like a local (she worked in Hong Kong and is fluent in Cantonese even though she's from Mainland China). This aunt loves Peking Garden and often comes here when entertaining groups of people.

It makes sense that she would be familiar with Peking Garden. After all, Peking Garden is a well-known, old school Chinese restaurant that has been around in Hong Kong since 1978. There are three locations in Hong Kong (Central, Admiralty, and Tsim Sha Tsui), and it is quite popular, especially with larger groups.

We visited the one in Tsim Sha Tsui ("TST"), which is located on the third floor of the Star House on Salisbury Road, only steps away from the TST Ferry terminal and the entrance to Harbour City. The space is huge, mostly filled with large tables filled with big groups. It seems like a good place for family gatherings. The loud atmosphere makes it family-friendly, and we definitely saw at least one (if not two) birthday parties being celebrated.

Because we were a much smaller table (heh, just a party of three!), a duck was pretty much all we could manage. Bryan's aunt even said, if we had had a larger group, we could have ordered some other stir fry dishes. Alas, a duck was plenty for us.

And boy was she right.

The ducks here seem even larger than ducks I've seen elsewhere. This duck was HUGE!...

February 6, 2018 Cuisine

22 Ships Wan Chai - Spanish Tapas {HONG KONG}

This is post #16, part of my #50PostsIn50Days personal challenge to document my first 100 days in Hong Kong. Other posts in this series may be found at the bottom of the original post.

One of the joys and benefits of living (and eating!) in Hong Kong is that you don't really have to travel to enjoy food from the world's top chefs and restaurants. They come to you.

Hong Kong has outposts of many of Asia's well-known restaurants, from Taiwan's famous Din Tai Fung and Singapore's well-loved Crystal Jade to high end Japanese places in Japan like Sushi Yoshitake (re-branded as Sushi Shikon in Hong Kong to avoid confusion) and Ryugin.

Many of the world's top chefs have opened restaurants here, like Joel Robuchon, Gordon Ramsey, and Alaine Ducasse (just to name a handful).

Chef Jason Atheron, Michelin-starred chef from the very popular Pollen Street Social in London was thrilled to open his first restaurant in Hong Kong. He saw Hong Kong as a melting pot of diverse cultures that really made the city come alive.

His first endeavor, a casual Spanish tapas bar called 22 Ships, has been tremendously successful. The food is good, the prices are reasonable, and the vibe is fun. This place is super popular, and lines can get long, so we stopped by one evening around 7PM (considered early in Hong Kong!), and grabbed one of the few remaining open seats for a nice, casual Spanish dinner....

February 5, 2018 Asian

Joy Hing Roasted Meat Wan Chai

This is post #15, part of my #50PostsIn50Days personal challenge to document my first 100 days in Hong Kong. Other posts in this series may be found at the bottom of the original post.

Hong Kong lines don't lie.

If there's a long line outside of a restaurant, chances are its really, really good. Furthermore, if a restaurant has been able to survive in Hong Kong's uber competitive food landscape, you know it's doing something right.

Joy Hing Roasted Meat has been around since the late Qing Dynasty (late 1800's) when it was a family-run business in Guangdong China. The business moved to Hong Kong in the early 1900's and has been running more or less non-stop, with the exception of the period around World War II.

The place is probably one of the most famous roast meat places in all of Hong Kong. The Michelin guide has given it a bib gourmand status, and Anthony Bourdain is a huge fan (publicly hoping that a branch of this famous place would open in his proposed international food market in New York). Local Hong Kongers, via OpenRice (community-supported food rating site), voted Joy Hing as the best restaurant in Wan Chai from 2008-2011 and 2013-2014....

February 4, 2018 Cuisine

The Optimist Wan Chai - Spanish food Hong Kong

This is post #14, part of my #50PostsIn50Days personal challenge to document my first 100 days in Hong Kong. Other posts in this series may be found at the bottom of the original post.

Even after a month living in Wan Chai, I am still amazed at the number of Spanish restaurants within a 5-minute walk of where I live. Hong Kongers like Spanish food, apparently, and the multiple ones that exist all thrive.

The Optimist is a Spanish restaurant that focuses on what they called asador-inspired menu. The word asador means "spit" and refers to restaurants that focus on the grill.

It's no surprise that this second restaurant by the Pirata group is Spanish. After all, the co-owners of the Pirata group are Christian Talpo from Italy and Manuel Palacio from Spain. Their first restaurant, Pirata, was and is a roaring success (it's one of my favorite local Italian places). Their second endeavor, located in the same building but on the first three floors, is The Optimist, which opened in 2015.

The restaurant includes a bar on the first floor and dining space on the second and third floors. There's the massive grill on the second floor. The focus, of course, is the grill. You choose the meat or seafood by weight, and then they grill it for you.

Portions are big. This is the type of restaurant that's great to visit with a larger group so you can order the heftier meats to share as well as sample several tapas/pintxos.

Since it was just the two of us, we opted for their Classic Tasting Menu, which would at least allow us to sample a variety of dishes throughout the menu. The tasting menu has a minimum participation of two people and costs $480 HKD per person.
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