Autumn Achievements - Hairy Crab

This year's hairy crab season was enjoyed entirely outside of the home.  A touch of lazy, a touch of convenience.  No messy steaming, no messy washing up.  Smiles..

Go traditional at Hong Kong Lao Shang Hai, one of Hong Kong's oldest Shanghai restaurants, where waiters are still in the traditional white shirt and black trousers, but both garments are washed thin and have seen better days.  But the knowledge of the waiters on the food is unsurpassed and if you find one that's friendly enough to share, he is going to tell you what the real deal is and you shall follow his bid and enjoy a traditional Shanghainese meal in the heart of Wanchai.

Goose liver pate smeared with Zhejiang vinegar and honey

Yes, even the Chinese know a thing or two about their foie.  And this is one fine way of enjoying it.  Smooth liver paste served chilled and given a breath of acidity from the vinegar and honey "jam" over the top.  Not greasy and very enjoyable.  Only complaint - it's a mighty small serving.

Steamed hairy crab

Then the real McCoy arrives.  And yes, please Mr. Waiter, I would like you to help open it up.  And this one does not disappoint.  The golden yellow hue of the roe is a sight for sore eyes and the accompanying crushed ginger in Zhejiang vinegar is an excellent way to cut through the richness of the roe.

Shanghainese pulled noodles with stir fried hairy crab

A wonderful way to retain the taste of the hairy crab is to have more of it - finishing with stir fried hairy crab, generously slathered over an al dente hand pulled noodles.

Glutinous rice dumplings in Osmanthus and Fermented rice syrup

This is probably one of the best of its kind.  Extremely fragrant and without the usual cloying and tongue clinging sugariness in lesser bowls.

Xin Ji Shi's hairy crab bowl

For those really lazy and happen to be in Shanghai, just go to any Xin Ji Shi restaurant in the city and order a bowl of hairy crab.  No peeling, snipping and digging necessary.  It's all right there, stir fried with a hint of ginger and served in a generous deep terracotta bowl celebrating the crab.  Just open up and say aaaaaaaah........

For those who want a touch of swank, with awesome views from within the No. 1 Peking Road building, another Shanghainese brand has set up its "premier" outlet there.  Unfortunately, the Xiao Nan Guo in Hong Kong is not anywhere close in food standards to its Shanghainese mother.

Stir fried river shrimps with hairy crab

Spicy rice topped with hairy crab in a stone pot

The quality of the hairy crab used was unlike its name.  It certainly wasn't premier since it didn't taste or smell like the crustacean we are used to.  So despite clever creations, the punchline wasn't delivered and the joke was on the diner.  Quite unfortunate.

A decent enough season but lesson learnt - enjoying hairy crab season is an aged old Shanghainese tradition which can only be enjoyed at timeless places.  Forget the swank and just get down and dirty.  You'll be a lot happier.

老上海飯店 Hong Kong Lao Shang Hai Restaurant

UG1, Novotel Hong Kong Century, 238 Jaffe Road, Wan Chai

Tel: +852-2827 9339

新吉士酒楼(久光店) Xin Ji Shi Restaurant (Jiu Guang Department Store branch)

静安区南京西路1618号久光百货8楼(近静安寺) 

8th Floor, Jiu Guang Department Store, No. 1618 Nanjing Xi Lu, Jing An District (near Jing An temple)

Shanghai
Tel: +86-21-62883658

小南國壹號 Xiao Nan Guo Premier
10F, 1 Peking Road, Tsim Sha Tsui
Tel: +852-2527 8899

Beijing - Grand Hyatt

Beijing was sunny and cheery this week.  Despite the haze, the sun could still be seen and the crisp, cool air reminded us that spring is still in the air, one of the better seasons to visit Beijing.  Although my days were filled with meetings, I looked forward to catching up with old friends, after hours.  

Mr. Bob Dylan and Band at Workers' Stadium

One of the great things a friend did was to get me a ticket to see Mr. Bob Dylan, his first concert in China.  We heard that there was much work behind this first show ever in China, but glad that it all came through, and from the screams and cheers from the near capacity crowd at the Workers' Stadium, they were really glad too.  Although I'm not a fan, the concert was highly enjoyable.  Mr. Dylan has immense stamina for his age.  With no breaks in between, he went from keyboards, to guitar, to harmonica and did vocals all night.  Amazing.  Hats off and full respect.  And the band, well it was nothing short of awesome.

This time, I stayed at the Grand Hyatt, which I hadn't in a while, in favor of the newer Park Hyatt.  But I had spent a big part of 2005 and 2006 at the Grand Hyatt, then subsequently getting a serviced apartment managed by them.  So it was very much like coming home.  It was THE place  and the huge mall with everything right in the basement is a plus.  And of course, the F&B at the Grand Hyatt is easily one of the best that Beijing has to offer.

It is most famous for Peking Duck at its Chinese Restaurant Made In China first reviewed here, then here.  I eat there almost every visit and the duck never disappoints, as with the Beijing traditional eats.  Seasonal things, are hit or miss though.

And the Cafe is great for international favorites.

Burger with Fried Egg, Bacon and Cheese

The burger is easily one of Beijing's best, with a thick juicy patty that chockfull of beefy goodness, and appropriately lean to be meaty but not dry.  And of course, it is topped with the works - although I didn't care as much for them as the burger itself.  Served with a choice of fries or salad, why would anyone go for the salad?  The fries are a thin crisp coating around creamy potato and worth the calories.  And you can dunk them in the ketchup from the cute little Heinz ketchup bottles.  A real woman's lunch.

In the evenings, the Red Moon bar is also a loungy place to kick back, enjoy a glass of something stronger, and listen to the live singer.  Not quite the calibre of Mr. Dylan, but she can hold a tune without interfering with conversation.  The wine list is pretty impressive and if you get hungry, the sushi rolls are quite good too.

So if you're looking for a place to crash in Beijing, the Grand Hyatt ain't too bad a choice at all, despite its age.  Service and F&B is certainly still very much up there with the best.


1 East Chang An Avenue
Beijing
People's Republic of China 100738 
Tel: +86 10 8518 1234

Hangzhou - Farmhouse cuisine (农家菜)

For better or worse, one of the things to try in Hangzhou is farmhouse cuisine.  It's pretty much hit and miss.  It's become more restaurant like in recent years, but I think the whole experience is dynamic.  Every part is moving so if all the parts come together, then it's a wow.  You never know whether grandma, mom, first or second aunty, or even uncle is going to be the one helming the wok on the day.  You never know if the lake is going to offer up a fresh catch or that the free-range chicken was an athlete before ending up at the slaughterhouse.

On our short trip, we had one hit and one miss.  However, our miss occurred after a 2.5 hour hike at Taihuyuan, so even cardboard would have been tasty.  But one thing's for sure, it's so home style that you will never get the same in a restaurant, even in these parts.

The use of vegetables that we've never seen - how can anything that looks so much like bean sprouts taste so different - full of fluids from a crunchier stem and with a taste almost pickled.  We longed for a better chef who used less MSG and who could bring out all the interesting flavors better.

But we were thankful for our "hit" in the Meijiawu district, after an educational morning learning about Long Jing tea nearby.  LiGengTang offered up the ambiance of a restaurant which could be a pictorial out of the days of dynasties gone by.  Old wooden doors that have weathered storms and seen better days add to the mystique of the place.  Wandering minstrels and fortune tellers ply the street - pay and you'll have an uninterrupted meal.  Don't and they will try to drop subtle hints about your destiny as you eat.  So we chose to listen to a tone-deaf minstrel belting out HanHong's 天路, while enjoying our tea and lightly roasted melon seeds before the food arrived.

Our food at Li Geng Tang was very decent.  Quick blanched lake shrimps in a superior stock, farm fresh vegetables, and my favorite, a quick-braised chicken with Long Jing tea.  Nothing beats a free-range lean chicken that's chock full of chicken flavor and goodness.  None of that bland overly meaty chickens we buy from our run-of-the-mill jaded supermarkets.  This was definitely a sprinter in its time.  Although the tea was too subtle, it was a still very tasty akin to Hakka-style salt baked chicken, and the cause for my eating one more bowl of rice than I should have..

礼耕堂中餐厅 (Li Geng Tang Chinese Restaurant)

西湖区梅家坞 203号(近梅灵南路)  No. 203 Meijiawu, Westlake District

Tel: +86-571-87094726

Hangzhou - Dong Po Pork (东坡肉)

Perhaps the most famous dish to come out of Hangzhou? If you like belly pork, this has got to be the definitive pork belly dish in the Jiangnan region. (I qualify since Southern Chinese love their roast belly pork!) As natives in Hangzhou say: this dish is absolutely healthy as the cooking process squeezes out whatever bad oils that are latent in the layers of pork fat so that what remains is pure and unadulterated, soft and wonderful goodness. 

I like that a lot of the dishes in Hangzhou have folklore behind them. This dish is named after the famous poet Su Dong Po (苏东坡) from the Song Dynasty. There appears to be a few stories as to how this dish came about but whichever story you believe, they all point towards the desire to dedicate the dish to him to commemorate his good work as an officer of the court. In response, Su even composed a poem about how best to eat pork. Word has it that he was a great chef himself.  

黄州好猪肉，价钱如粪土。 

富者不肯吃，贫者不解煮。 

慢着火，少着水，火候足时它自美。 

每日起来打一碗，饱得自家君莫管。 

During our visit, we had our taste at the Hangzhou institution of Lou Wai Lou (楼外楼) and although the presentation was a little rough around the edges, it is probably close to what Su had in his time? The pork lived up to its reputation of soft layers of fat interspersed with meat that is tender from the baking and steaming process, to the point that both require no chewing at all. Of course, topped off with a gelatinous skin that is rich in collagen and taste. The lone vegetable garnish was probably just for colour and did nothing to alleviate our guilt in tucking into this sinful dish (irrespective of what the locals say).  Just open up and say mmmm..... 

No. 30 GuShan Road, Westlake District 

西湖区孤山路30号(近平湖秋月) 

Tel: +86-571-87969682 / 87969023

Hangzhou - Long Jing Tea (龙井茶)

Long Jing tea – literally tea from the dragon’s well, hails from the West Lake area of Hangzhou and is supposed to have a history in excess of 1200 years.  The best of breed is from ShiFeng（狮峰）, followed by Meijiawu (梅家坞).  We had the good fortune of visiting Meijiawu on beautiful autumn day, and admiring the endless tea plantations set against the hilly terrain.  Gorgeous.

Although it isn't tea harvesting season, our guide Jack, who has his own tea plantation, was game enough to give us a demonstration of how to "fry" tea.  It’s a hard and tedious process from harvesting the tea leaves in spring, to drying them, then frying them in a hot pan by hand with the oil of the tea flower.  Given the labour intensive process involved, it is no wonder that the best teas cost about RMB1200 for 500g.  And it is a lot of planning to do it just in time.  As the local saying goes, doing it a day early is ok, but do it late and it’s like harvesting grass. 

As the Chinese saying goes: 住在杭州，吃在广州，死在柳州。 The people of Hangzhou are known to enjoy life, and do take time out even in this day when life in China is hectic.  They work hard to make enough to be able to spend and enjoy then do it all over again.  One of their favourite pastimes is to sip tea and savour little snacks, whilst playing cards in a tree-lined garden and enjoying the temperate weather outdoors.  

As tourists, we chose to do it at an ancient teahouse (太极茶道)  and pay tourist prices – RMB60, where you get a cuppa with 3 plates of preserved plums and other similar snacks。

But the ambience within an ancient setting reminiscent of all those tea houses you see in old kung fu movies is worth the treat, and of course “tea masters” donning their old garb adds to the whole atmosphere too.  

No wonder even the famous Lu Yu (which the famous teahouse in Hong Kong Luk Yu Tea House is named after) was a huge fan of tea...

太极茶道

上城区河坊街184号(近吴山广场)  

Tel: +86-571-87801791

Hangzhou - Long Jing River Shrimps (龙井虾仁)

Picture taken at Jin Sha, the Chinese restaurant of the Hangzhou Westlake Four Seasons Hotel.

Quintessential dish of Hangzhou (the capital of Zhejiang province) which marries its renowned young tea leaves with the fresh sweetness of the river shrimps.  Apparently, the leaves must be harvested around the time of Chinese all souls’ day (清明节).  The result: a subtle dish that is fragrant from the leaves and appropriately textured from the sweet crunch of the shrimps, and a visual that is almost virginal. 

Folklore has it that the Qing emperor Qianlong fell in love with this dish on his “undercover” visit to the region in his time.  The dish was apparently an accident created by an anxious chef who mistook the tea leaves for scallions, scattering them over stir fried river shrimps for color and fragrance.

Jin Sha

Four Seasons Hotel Hangzhou at West Lake

5 Lingyin Road

Hangzhou

China

310013

Tel: +

86-571-88298888

浙江省杭州市灵隐路5号

Beijing - Hatsune

It's a pretty hip place.  But it's not pretentiously so.  It's casual, it's fun and has a huge menu.  So you get a nice representation of all things modern Japanese, but with a huge emphasis on rolls.  Yes, you get more than just the Californian here.

And of course, gimmicks make it fun.  To start, you get to choose your tools for the night.  In Japanese dining, that means chopsticks.  Even if this place is Californian in feel.

A balanced diet should start with a salad.  The Tobiko salad seemed tasty and it was.  With enough saltiness from the roe, and of course great texture from them popping on the tongue, then crunchy julienned daikon, carrots, cucumbers, alfalfa and crabstix lightly married with Japanese mayo made for a light and refreshing start to the meal.

The white fish carpaccio was reminiscent of eating raw fish in the good 'ole days, with a squeeze of lime and sesame oil.  A testament to the adage "why fix it if ain't broke".  The lime and oil bring out the freshness of the fish here, and the vegetables add crunch to each bite.

Carrying on our raw theme, we thoroughly enjoyed the quality of our beef.  Thinly sliced, and well done  so as to dispense with any need for chewing despite an only slightly marbled cut, this was excellent for its beefiness in taste.  I am not a fan of raw garlic so I passed on them, but any fears of mad cow diseases were put aside for this.  Excellent.

Our finale of course had to be a roll - they have like a gazillion varieties so it took us a while to settle on this one. Actually D was just kind enough to give me the veto vote.  Of course, I cannot remember the name of the roll, but the combo of crab meat, shrimp tempura, topped with Uni, flying fish roe and chives is good enough to make any mouth water.  Finished with a sweet sauce akin to what they use for basting eel with, this was yummy.

There's a lot going for this place, especially if they keep the service friendly and happy (harder to get nowadays in China), fresh ingredients, and spacious interiors that have clean lines and cute paraphernalia from Japan.

• 
  
• S8-30 (opposite Element Fresh), Bldg 8, Sanlitun Village South
• 19 Sanlitun Lu, Chaoyang District
• 朝阳区三里屯路19号三里屯Village南区8号楼S8-30
• Tel: +86-10-6415 3939
• 
  

Beijing - China World Summit Wing's The Lounge

One of the best things I got to do in Beijing recently was hang out with my buddy D from school.  Needless to say, especially for those who know me, that's quite a while ago.  And even more precious, D changed her flights to get home a day later so it turns out to be a great time together, even after all these years..

Given her line of work, we had every excuse to sit on the 80th level of the new China World Summit Wing and enjoy a glass of Rose, Moet of course.  With rumbling stomachs, reminiscing wasn't enough so...

We took a while to convince our server to get us a snacks and bites menu, which I think they finally took from the neighboring wine bar.  Apparently, the lounge had their own menu but we didn't think that scones and cakes went with the alcohol..

The order of deep fried salmon skin was a decent start.  The size of each piece, aside from convincing you that the skin is from a big fish like the salmon, was thin and crisp although the chef could have drained it a little better since there were oil droplets at the bottom of the bowl, making those parts less than crispy.  The tangy and laced-up ketchup was a nice break to the grease but not enough to make this go the distance.

We much preferred the Jamon Iberico ham with melon.  The twist to the usual is the slightly dehydrated and preserved melons sprinkled with olive bits to make it slightly savory but not overly so to detract from the natural sweetness of the melon.  Our only complaint was that there wasn't enough ham to go round - thin and long but definitely not long enough to make up the lack of girth.

A nice new place to hang and look out into Beijing city from a bird's eye view.  A clear day would have been a bigger bonus although one cannot complain by Beijing standards.  Just don't expect blue skies and white cloud all the time.

Level 80
No.1 Jianguomenwai Avenue
Beijing 100004
China
Tel: +86-10-6505 2299

Shanghai - 點石斋小宴 Dian Shi Zhai Restaurant

  

It's an interesting name to begin with.  But as CG's wife E explains over a pretty poor phone line, Dian Shi Zhai used to be a comic tabloid in the old days of Shanghai..

.. and so the explanation for the boy and girl caricatures at the entrance, etched onto old-style glass.  So in literal terms, it's a comic dining party.  The joke ends there though.  As you enter, it's like visiting a middle-class Shanghai family home in the '30s.  There is eager anticipation as we walk up 3 flights of stairs to our dining area, and happily to a table by the window.  As you soak in the atmosphere, you can almost imagine what it would have been like 70 years ago..

Since it was my first time, and I got the privilege of ordering, I chose some Shanghainese staples to test the place out.  After all, it would be such an anti-climax if they don't even do the classics right.  

The appetizer of chilled jelly fish heads were competently done.  However, unlike most places which deliver it tossed with a vinegar-based dressing already, this version came separate.  Interesting.  Chinese eat jelly fish heads for texture - it's also more expensive than the body for its slightly softer crunch.  Jellyfish is tasteless and so it acquires the taste of whatever it's dressed with.  In more cases than not, it is served cold and with vinegar which is dressed up, in this case, with soya sauce and a touch of sesame oil.  The dressing is a little bit more salty than usual but nevertheless went well.  

The deep-fried little yellow fishes were excellent and while done to a perfect crisp, it had a slight sweet-finish marinade which made it even tastier.

  Perfect with the aged Hua Diao wine we ordered, if only our servers remembered to bring it timely without our reminders.  It is the middle of summer but on a rainy day, it was cool enough to still enjoy a smooth yellow wine which I like for its almost herbal qualities, and a very subtle alcoholic finish.  

Our favorite appetizer was the bean curd sheets, a Shanghainese specialty, which were done the thinnest I have ever seen but still retaining enough elasticity to lend towards a chewy texture and soaking up the clean flavors of simply sauteed Chinese mushrooms, and made fragrant with Chinese parsley and sesame oil.  So simple but so very well executed. 

Our first mains was the quintessential dish which marries both the fresh river shrimps and the flash-fried crab meat, painstakingly extracted from crabs in nearby local lakes.  The freshness of the dish is apparent from the extreme crunch from the prawns and the creamy flavorful crab mixture.  My only complaint is that it seemed to lack much taste - perhaps after the good appetizers - that I thought the ginger in the crab overpowered everything else and became inadvertently bland.

However, the shrimps were still a lot better than the only disappointment of the night.  Our lion's head in a similar crab meat mixture was awfully bland, and unfortunately did not deliver the expectations we had placed on this - yet another Shanghainese classic.

For fibre, I get my favorite local loosely-translated into chicken-fur vegetables.  I never got round to asking why they are such and can only imagine its the way they look when plucked.

To finish, the Shanghainese noodles tossed in simple scallion oil and made even tastier by the adornment of deep fried dried shrimps.  阳春捞面 or Yang Chun Noodles is definitely a flavorful staple which any Shanghainese should be proud to call his/her own.  Such a simple way to blend otherwise none-too-exciting ingredients together for a brilliant taste.  

Overall, I thought it a great place to enjoy a local Shanghainese meal that wasn't too oily at all, and especially great for people looking for a touch of the old Shanghai.  If you're lucky, you might even catch a glimpse of the neighbor enjoying his shower, modest only through very frosted glass.  The only thing you might not like is that China still allows smoking in restaurants, and it's not a big enough place for the smoke to not get in your eyes..

徐汇区永嘉路 320号 

(No. 320 Yong Jia Road in Xu Hui District)

Tel: +86-21-54650270/1 

Beijing - Cafe Europa

According to DL, this is the story of a Chinese boy who grew up in Austria, then goes back to his roots and brings Austrian cuisine with him.  And it is pretty good food, I must say.  Not too adulterated on account of the location but rather home-style comfort food in an extremely casual setting.  We were there in the evening, and there isn't much to look out of the full-glass walls of but in the day-time and on a sunny day, I can imagine it can be pretty nice to wile away a long lunch. 

My main of Angler fish grilled in bacon, set on a bed of mash, served with sun-dried tomatoes, was very tasty.  The bouncy-textured fish, flavoured by the smoky bacon and tomatoes, then kindly neutralised by the creamy mash was an exciting burst of flavours and textures.  And just what I needed after a plane ride - not too heavy nor greasy.  

Especially since I can finish comfortably with dessert, a lovely pear tart.  Perfectly baked pears, with a hint of juicy crunch on a hard crust.  Although cold from sitting out - it was surprisingly still cold in Beijing this time of year - it was still very good and a nice finish to a long day.  

Worth a visit if you're ever in the vicinity.

Jianwai Soho West, Building 11, 1st floor #1113
39 3rd Ring Road, Chaoyang District, 

Beijing 100022
Tel: +86-10 5869 5663

Beijing - Park Hyatt

What's better than 2 nights in Beijing?

2 nights in Beijing at the spanking new Park Hyatt.  So new even cabbies don't know it.  It's not quite Park Hyatt Tokyo in service or Park Hyatt Chicago in coolness, but it is a Park anyhow, and whatever they lack in service, slight maintenance issues is made up for in a decent location, ergonomic design and crazy views from the top (or anywhere within the hotel).  

Here's mine from Room 3904, where you can see the traffic on Chang An Avenue on a clear day.  

Wake up to the smell of gourmet coffee with the Nespresso machine in your room - they even have 3 flavours for you to choose from, and you can go on caffeine extreme if you consume all 6 capsules they give you daily.  No need to even add water (they do it for you).  Just insert capsule and press the button - just don't forget to receive coffee with your cup!

F&B in the hotel is very commendable also.  The China Bar is a loungy place to enjoy some "cool factor" down time over drinks and soak in the bright night views of the city.  

With limited time, I ate twice at the Lounge, which is part of the lobby on the 63rd.  The description says it all - it is comfort food, both Asian and Western styles.  The spicy beef noodles was brilliant, and can match the one at the Cafe of the Grand Hyatt down the road, and the pot stickers are the healthiest and you can actually see the pork and prawn divide in the fillings.  And you can wash all of these down with their variety of health shakes and smoothies.  

Great place to stay and it could well be my regular provided the "corporate rate" is available!

2 Jianguomenwai Street, Chaoyang District
Beijing
100022
People's Republic of China
Tel: +86 10 8567 1234 

Shenzhen - Futian Shangri La

The Futian area of Shenzhen has really developed quite nicely - or anything in comparison with LoWu has got to be heaven.  Very metropolitan and the collection of decent hotels in the area are testament to the quality of the area.  I was in week long meetings held at the Futian Shangri La - newly launched so even their Italian restaurant Angelini wasn't open - only complaint is that I had to walk all the way to the other wing to find that out!

The view from 2618 wasn't bad..  I was fortunate to be there with clear blue skies and white cloud, not often captured in South China.

People like staying in good hotels for the buffet breakfasts in the morning.  The spread here won't disappoint.  Good variety and decent quality.  Juices are made fresh to the order, and yogurt jars are tempting - I had one every morning I was there.  There was even a station offering up fresh oysters scramble, which is a dish I quite love, and although not typically a breakfast food where I hail from, was a delight to savour with the congee and pastries on offer.  So thoughtful are they that you can even grab pastries at the exit and a coffee to go before you hit the work day.

What is most carefully thought out are the little sticks at your table with your table number on it, so you can take it to the different stations and leave it with the chef with your order, which miraculously shows up at your table minutes later, unlike many hotels which have disappearing orders at peak breakfast hours.

At the end of the day, I worked out at their very decently equipped gym and had room service, which was surprisingly good as well.  The Caesar salad has crisp Romaine, and pancetta bits, although the cheese wasn't the best.  The Foccacia stick was also a tad stale.

But the giant ear pasta shells with a Bolognese sauce was great comfort food and tasty.  Shells were also nicely al dente.

Overall, a decent hotel with decent F&B to boast of.  Good option if you're in Shenzhen for business.