Macau - one night at the Grand Lisboa

So somebody had a last minute "bright" idea to spend a night in Macau to celebrate a birthday.  Hmm...  I'm not a huge fan of the ex-Portuguese enclave but ok there is some pretty decent F&B action there.  Where would we stay though?

When I got news that it was going to be the Grand Lisboa, I thought to myself "oh boy, here we go...". Apart from being in the heart of the city, and not having to battle for the shortage of taxis in the city now teeming with visitors from its new motherland since 1999, the hotel is not the most pleasant to stay at unless you are a fan of wading through crowds taking photos in the public areas of the hotel, which are decked with some museum-worthy sculptures and other feng-shui pieces.

The Casino

Of course the crowds are also there to take their chance at being a tycoon, much to the happiness of the tycoon owner I'm sure.  

Room with a view

Checking in was a slightly painful affair since we strongly insisted on a non-smoking room and almost got "duped" into taking a "treated" room on a smoking floor.  After all the haggling and a 45 minute wait, we got upgraded to a pretty decent room.  A big win considering occupancy rates seemed high for Sunday afternoon.  Rooms are styled in dark wood and while decent in size, had a pretty tight shower stall.  But Hermes toiletries are a plus.

"Dan Dan" Noodles with Minced Pork and Peanuts Paste in Chilli Sauce
四川擔擔湯拉麵

Since we had to wait for our room, we ventured to the Noodle and Congee Corner for a late lunch of Dan Dan noodles and pork pie.  While the pie was pretty forgettable the Dan Dan noodles were actually very good, with al dente hand pulled noodles (which we would see from the open kitchen) in an addictive spicy and crunch peanut butter like soup that had the consistency of a thick sauce.  Added to this some minced pork and fresh julienned cucumber made me think they did a cross over with Beijing's famous "Zha Jiang" noodles.

Dinner was a 10 minute walk from the hotel at 陶陶居海鮮火鍋酒家.  A re-decked but old world restaurant serving traditional Cantonese seafood dishes.  Decent food but the MSG attack afterwards which lasted a night didn't seem worth it unless you are accustomed to or do not react to MSG.

Senado Square

Even a walk around Senado Square afterwards nor dessert of Yee Shun's famous milk pudding did not take the pain away.

Fresh Water Crab Congee

The best cure to waking up to a hangover Chinese style is congee.  And what better congee than the famous Macau specialty of fresh water crab congee for room service.  It was surprisingly good value and yummy in taste.  The crab had little meat but was flavorful enough to breathe life into the congee, which became almost the milky sea where the crab might have been swimming in not too long ago.  The dough fritters were dense but fluffy, a combination hard to execute, and salted duck eggs made the meal complete with a yolky richness.

Fresh French Beurre

But no amount of breakfast was going to stop us from enjoying our hard-earned reservation at the 3-starred Robuchon au Dome, which we scored after a myriad of unsuccessful attempts via phone and a face-to-face "begging" session the night before.  Service was impeccable from dealing with a difficult situation, and turning it into a win for both guest and restaurant.  A rarity these days worth complimenting again.  I should have remembered our manager's name but cannot but want to accord her with a big "thank you" again for making the experience memorable.  The world class training at the restaurant extends to our servers who were not only polite but also as knowledgeable as they could be considering their backgrounds.

Amuse Bouche

Of course, the food was definitely awesome and at very decent prices for lunch, it is no wonder that the restaurant is booked for months ahead.  Our amuse bouche was a refreshing gazpacho over a creamy bufala base.  The contrast in flavors made for an excellent tease on the palate before we started lunch proper.

Bread Basket

It is easy to go overboard with a very good selection of breads, especially the brioche and bacon baguettes so pace yourself.

French mussels in white wine and cream

These have to be the best mussels I've had in any long or short term memory.  The consistency in each mussel's sea-sweetness and even size was amazing.  The deceptively light sauce served to enhance each  shellfish.  Served with a gold leaf and flower on the top, it has also got to be the prettiest way to serve this dish.

Caramelized upper guinea fowl thigh with pan fried foie gras and marinated cherry

My choice of the fowl, foie and cherries was also perfection in execution.  What could have otherwise been a rich dish was appropriate for lunch by the clever use of cherries.  Unlike other berries which can be too tart, the freshly sweet fruit made bolder by its marinade complimented the fowl and creamy foie well.

Dessert Trolley

No French meal is complete without dessert and I was happy to see they still use the trolley here.  Needless to say, there was a lot of good choices, and what was outstanding was the Cherry Cheese Tart and the Napolean.  Just a perfect sweet finish with a shot of Espresso.

If you can leave aside a rough ride from the ferry terminal, and battling the crowds who can get rowdy, the one-night staycation at the Grand Lisboa wasn't too miserable.  Especially since the F&B within the hotel more than makes up for everything else.  I might just brave it again if I scored another reservation at the Robuchon au Dome.

Avenida de Lisboa Macau
Tel: +853-28283838

Hong Kong - Yung Kee 容記小菜王

Not to be confused with its English namesake in Central, Hong Kong for a certain style of goose, this is  right in the heartland of Kowloon.  Sham Shui Po was developed commercially very early on but has mainly become an old residential area now with one of the most well known computer centers in the territory.  The other attraction is Apliu Street where electronics are traded in big volumes.  All the hustle and bustle means folks gotta eat and there is no shortage of choice in the area.

Packed even at 10pm

Yung Kee, as the Chinese name suggests, serves up a myriad of home style dishes, with a twist, says its owner.  His philosophy of less salt, less oil and less MSG, is apparent in the food, all designed to make you feel like you're dining in a Hong Kong home away from your own.  Small, tight, spartan and with the air-conditioning way too cold.

Old style tea pot and tableware

We went way too late to try any of the specialties but what we got, we came away pretty satisfied and look forward to going back next time, and pre-ordering the specials, especially now that we know that Mr. Chatty Boss knows one of our cohorts for many a decade..

Preserved vegetable and pork congee 菜乾豬骨粥

Cutting back on carbs meant I passed on rice, also so I could try a lot more of the dishes ordered.  But to warm myself from the North Pole A-C, I settled on the congee which was nicely done.  And yes, tasty but not salty so you feel can drink this endlessly without any guilt.  Smooth with just a little bite from the broken grains. 

Pan fried Pork Patties 鹹魚茸煎肉餅

By far the winner of the night, these were as good as any I've ever had, and I've had quite a few.  Bouncy insides and a subtle hint of salted fish for that added umami.  Any thought that this was too big a pattie each for one person was thrown out the window, since I could have done with more than half a pattie after they halved it.  

Stewed pork trotters in Italian Balsamic 意式豬腳薑

This was my other fave for the night.  Presentation was underwhelming since the vinegar looked thin and tasteless, but the taste was definitely there.  Unlike traditional ones which tend to have a caramelly finish to the tartness, this had a cleaner sweetness and we were told by Mr. Chatty Boss himself that he combines balsamic with fruit vinegars to keep it light.  He insisted we drink every last drop of the gravy, and I had no difficulties complying with the order.  The ginger had some heat to offer a kick but not overly so as to take away from the dish so you can literally polish this off without remains (save for the bones).

Steamed tripe 薑蔥牛珀葉

This is one of those touch and go dishes since I give up if the tripe has the texture of tyres.  But this one was executed to perfection, crunchy but not chewy.  Oh so easy to pop, especially in a sauce that has hints of sesame oil, and a dip that is soy, spicy chillies and fresh garlic.  

Other dishes were competent but less to write home about.

Sweet sour pork ribs 菠蘿生炒骨

With just enough sauce to quote and ribs still "juicy" as Mr. Chatty Boss calls it, yes, this was delivered almost to perfection although I like my pork pieces just a tad crispier.

Stir fried little cabbages with fermented tofu 椒絲腐乳白菜仔

These vegetables are usually just fried without much else or served in a roasted garlic bulb laced superior stock.  This way was different and darn tasty.  LIKE!

Stir fried lettuce with dace 油麥菜炒鯪魚

Even those who don't like to eat the greens would enjoy this.  Always a tad oily since that's how they preserve the dace but just pretend it's spinaci with anchovies, then it's all good again.

Chicken and pork liver casserole 

Since the special chicken was sold out, this was recommended as an alternative.  Tasty and good with a bowl of rice, chicken was succulent and gives you a hint of what they can really do with their own farm-reared chickens which we were assured were not from north of the border.  Pork liver slices were done just nice to be tender and soaked up the essence of the gravy.

Tofu barrel 竹筒肉碎豆腐

This was where the dish didn't live up to its looks.  What I conjured up in my mind when I  saw the wooden barrel was a rustic beany taste from the tofu in a robust sauce.  What I got on my palate was just regular tofu pieces with ground pork and Chinese mushrooms.  Won't be a repeat order from me.

One more thing: Mr. Chatty Boss raves about his home made soup which goes on the boil forever.  I found it a little tasteless and thin.  If you don't get access to soups often because of your lifestyle you might make do but otherwise skip it since it ain't cheap compared to everything else.

That said, I will venture back to the heartlands to sample his supposed specialties of crispy roast pork, steamed chicken with secret sesame sauce, and his vegetarian tofu rolls.  Stay tuned.

G/F, 118-120 Fuk Wa Street

Sham Shui Po, Kowloon

Tel: +852-2387 1051

Hong Kong - Wu Kong Shanghai Restaurant 滬江大飯店

It's an institution in Hong Kong.  It is as the cliche goes: tried and tested.  It is also a great bet, as I've learnt, to get modern renditions of traditional tastes from the Shanghai region without feeling like you've sold out.  And the late-ish Friday night craving for a hairy crab set menu didn't disappoint.  Set A, that is.  Yes, it's more expensive but it was good value compared with my similar hairy crab meal at nearby Shanghai Min a couple of weeks ago.  

Braised Hairy crab and Sharks' Fin

Un-politically correct but a nice way to warm the soul after sitting at a freezing salon for 3 hours.  Not the best bowl of fins I've had but it was generous for the crab roe and tasted more like roe soup than sharks fin.  With a dash of vinegar, we were off to a good start.

Stir fried hairy crab on steamed glutinous rice with stir fried Dou Miao

Although I found the glutinous rice a tad sweet, the stir fried hairy crab was just unadulterated goodness concentrated.  With a different vinegar laced with smashed ginger, same but different.  Very enjoyable.  An accompanying bowl of dou miao (pea shoots) ensured we got our fiber intake for the day.

Hairy Crab Xiao Long Bao

I'll be honest.  I'm not a big fan of XLBs.  I don't generally like eating the unknown and many a meals which I've had on the mainland guessing to myself what meat they use in the XLB filling...  This was was generously laced with hairy crab meat and actually quite good.  My benchmark is Din Tai Fung, which I still crown as my fave.

My trick for eating the XLB without sacrificing the soup is to actually nip a little hole at the top, pour in some vinegar, then pour all the liquid onto a spoon and drink.  I devour the rest slowly.  Not the most traditional way, but hey, I get the goodness first then decide if I want to even eat the rest.  For the record, I finished this one.

The real McCoy

Not the biggest..  but get real, this is a prix fixe offering.

Dissected

Could do with a little more roe but at least this one tasted real and good.  Roe was flavorful and rich.  Out of this world with yet another vinegar that was sweet - think balsamic.  Very good.  A little deeper into the season when the crabs are pregnant with more, and we're talking serious business here.

Glutinous rice balls with a sweet sesame filling in ginger broth

To finish, a typical dessert of glutinous rice balls stuffed with a sweet sesame molten paste hits the spot. Although the skin was not thin and chewy, the filling was pretty good and made up for a thick, powdery skin.  Ginger broth was milder than the last cuppa ginger tea, which had enough heat to chase any Yin-ness away from the crab.  

Yes, Chinese believe hairy crabs are extremely Yin by nature and so to harmonise the body during and after consumption, a lot of ginger is introduced (in sauces, teas, and desserts).  What we didn't order at this eat-and-run was an aged bottle of Huadiao, a Chinese yellow wine typically consumed with preserved plums, which also provides enough Yang-ness to balance.  And for those who are dying to ask, no, dining with a male companion is not enough.

Unit B, 17/F, Lee Theatre Plaza

99 Percival Street

Causeway Bay

Tel: +852-2506 1018

Hong Kong - Above & Beyond 天外天

It's not out of this world but it certainly is above and beyond.  It is above and beyond what most other Chinese restaurants who seek to modernise Chinese cuisine for today's palate offers.  It is the use of better ingredients that translates into better enjoyment of the produce, something which has been lacking on the Chinese food scene even in the upper middle echelons, which is a real disappointment since it doesn't translate to better value pricing.  

Above & Beyond in my 2 recent visits at least tries to deliver on the promise of good value pricing.  And based on tastes and views alone, is pretty much up there in the clouds, sitting atop the new-ish Hotel Icon in TST East, oddly enough.  But it is perhaps the slightly out of the way location which allows it to deliver.  

Smoked Bresse Pigeon with Oolong Tea Leaves

All dishes were enjoyable but perhaps the standout was the smoked pigeon.  Not a huge fan of pigeon, but this changed my opinion.  Not the skinny dry ones I've had in Shatin, but a tasty (not gamey) bird that was juicy and had hints of fragrant Oolong coming through.  

Suckling pig trotters in abalone sauce

Of the appetizers we ordered, the collagen fix from the baby pig trotters were juicy and tender.  The sauce was good although I didn't get much of a whiff of abalone.  

Steamed crab with glutinous rice

The Rice

The steamed crab over glutinous rice was good but in my opinion, nothing beats the crab and rice combo at Xin Dau Ji.  The glutinous rice here was a tad too soft for me, but that's just personal since I prefer my grains very separate and apart.  The crab was definitely good quality and full of meat and roe.   

Fried shrimp patties with basil

Spareribs in plum sauce and poached pears in red wine

Spareribs well deep fried but I was sold on the pears in red wine.  Great way to lift an otherwise heavy dish.

Stir fried shrimps with lychees

Another dish to use fruit to give it a natural sweetness and freshness.

Chilled Mango Pudding

Sweetened almond cream with egg white

Baked sago pudding

Desserts were surprisingly good, especially the mango pudding in summer.  Good quality and naturally sweet, unlike the often used artificial mango puree these days.

It's not a cheap place but it offers great value.  Even dim sum at lunch is a treat.  My only complaint at lunch is a less than attentive service you get for dinner.  But you can only blame it on having to share the attention with like minded customers who swamp to what is an obscure area to me to lunch above and beyond TST.

28/F, Hotel ICON
17 Science Museum Road
Tsim Sha Tsui
Tel: +852-3400 1318

Hong Kong - Kowloon Tang 九龍廳

The Elements Mall is not a mall I frequent.  And frankly, I haven't been all that impressed with the F&B scene there so it really is a tad much effort to trudge there for lunch even though it isn't all that far away.  A chance errand required me to get there and so with E, we decided to try out the of late, much reviewed Kowloon Tang. 

The restaurant is beautifully fitted to look like a posh dining hall from 1930s Shanghai.  Stepping in, it smacks of nothing like the Chinese restaurants Hong Kong has come to know.  It was quiet, very quiet.  No doubt we were early for lunch but still, no clanging of tableware nor loud chatter from the staff.  Makes for an excellent venue to have quiet client meals.  Service is trained efficiency although it did lack a little warmth.  I didn't get the happy staff feeling but oh well, who am I to judge. 

We weren't looking for a lot to eat since we needed to manage time and our appetites.  But what we had was actually quite decent, and not overly re-created, and still true to its Chinese roots.  Many reviews had raved about the Peking duck here but perhaps one duck between 2 people would have been a little too much to handle.  

Goose liver in Huadiao

 This was chilled, creamy and exuded alcoholic fragrance.  Couldn't ask for a better starter on a hot and humid summer's day.    

Steamed crab meat and egg white dumplings

This looked quite ordinary when it showed up at the table, but one bite and we were suitably impressed with the freshness of the crab meat and the natural sweetness which filled the dumpling.  And of course, as true Cantonese demand, the skin was thin, yet had the requisite bite.  Quite good, really.


Deep fried spring rolls with taro wrapped in a steamed rice flour roll

This was a good twist to the usual steamed rice rolls.  For crisp, they are usually stuffed with dough fritters.  This one, however, was stuffed with a high quality spring roll which was well deep fried and drained of grease, and in turnr stuffed with a creamy taro mash and other vegetables for crisp and crunch.

Wok fried four angled beans with crispy pork lard and garlic

For greens, we decided to forgo the usual leafy greens to try this more sinful one.  It was an interesting vegetable we don't normally have in Hong Kong.  The closest I've ever had is the winged bean we eat with sambal in Peranakan food, but this was bigger, and required a little more effort to bite.  Using lard, fermented black beans and garlic bulbs flash fried together to release a heavenly taste and aroma is quite a clever way of making this vegetable palate pleasing.   

Overall, a very pleasant experience.  Very decent surrounds so you can actually hear yourself and your companion without fear of losing your voice.  And the food was pretty good too.  So I will make it a point to go back and try the duck.  Afterall, many have proclaimed it the best in Hong Kong.  So I might just break my rule of never eating the bird outside the capital.

Shop R002-003
3/F, Roof Deck, Elements
1 Austin Road West
Tsim Sha Tsui
Tel: +852-2811 9398

Hong Kong - iDelicious 好知味菜館

Once in a while, you find a restaurant which resonates with your past and brings a certain familiarity that is welcome.  iDelicious reminds me of many a Chinese restaurant I've dined at on the mainland, which tries to bring you the chef's take on the food that is representative of the cuisine of popular cities like Beijing, the greater Shanghai area and of course spicy Sichuan.

The place isn't fancy, like those many mainland eateries, but was comfortable with the air-con working overtime.  The exhaust isn't the best since we came out still smelling like dinner afterwards.  But the servers were a fun and friendly bunch, egging you on to order the specials while trying to do so via a witty repartee.

We got a private room, which looked more like a store room with space for a table of 12.  No ventilation, no decor, just a large table with chairs to accommodate us all.  We sat away from the main dining area which boasted apple green walls and black and whites of old Hong Kong.

What to order:

口水花甲 Steamed clams with a Sichuanese soy/sesame sauce

Served cool, this will as the Chinese name suggests, get you salivating immediately.  Not as spicy as its true Sichuanese cousin, this still packed a punch and is an excellent starter.

酒醉鵝肝 Goose liver in Huadiao wine

This was another awesome starter.  The liver was so smooth and captured the essence of the Huadiao perfectly, with which it was easily to have quite a few pieces.  If you have a big group, you'd probably do better friendship wise, if you have 2 orders.

酒醉乳鴿 Pigeon in Huadiao wine

If for some reason you don't like liver, there is a pigeon version.  But really no match for the liver.

菜乾豬肺湯 Dried bokchoy and pig's lung soup

An old Cantonese fave, they did this one pretty perfectly.  While it may sound gross to the uninitiated, this is really a richly packed soup full of umami flavors one would not ordinarily experience.  This is the combination of sun-dried vegetables, lots of lean pork and the slightly crunchy slightly fatty slightly chewy goodness of lung.  Even if you don't eat any of the ingredients (not uncommon) I'll bet you will enjoy the soup itself.

紳士雞 Gentleman's chicken

The signature of the restaurant and a great photo opportunity.  More a novelty than anything else, I've had better roast chicken elsewhere.  Not bad but perhaps compared to other things on the menu, it may not be what I'd order on a repeat visit unless I was bringing first-timers.

Other dishes that weren't bad but not a wow:

Crispy Brisket

This was lightly battered and deep fried, to retain a tender brisket inside.  Enjoyable.

Stir fried Hangzhou Tiger Chillies with thinly sliced pork and scrambled eggs

Good with a bowl of rice and there's enough heat to keep tongues wagging, that is if you're brave enough to eat the chillies too.

大澳三寶 Deep fried vegetable trio

This was a Chinese take on yasai tempura - with long beans, eggplant and yam.  Definitely a fun way to eat your vegetables even if not the healthiest.

水煮魚 Sichuan fish pot in hot oil

The taste on this wasn't too bad, obviously milder than in Sichuan, but for some reason, the consistency was a tad thick and gooey.  The fish wasn't bad but it was actually the mung bean noodles slathered in the flavored oil that was the addictive part of things.  An "ok".

While execution wasn't perfect in every instance, the variety here made for an enjoyable experience.  A great option if you're in the vicinity.  And if you're into name dropping, the chef is apparently the apprentice of a famous chef from an established Chinese resto group in Hong Kong and has won quite a few awards.

G/F, Wang Fung Building
31A-B Chi Kiang Street
To Kwa Wan
Tel: +852-2364 1220