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 - Fa Zu Jie 法租界

Another day in Hong Kong, another private kitchen, if you can find it that is.  Tucked in a non-descript building, inside an alleyway off D'Aguilar Street, expect to get it wrong the first time, and you'll be fine. All part of the adventure.  Once you find and open the sign-less white door, enter into a swanky open kitchen area along one wall and tables on the other, set against a backdrop of a long side cupboard topped with opened wine bottles.

Menus are tucked into a little story book, so you look quite learned while poring through the menu.  I saw the menu before I arrived so I pretty much knew what I was going to be eating, produce wise.  But I was still pleasantly surprised by what was served.  Just remember the tagline on the menu is "滬味兒裡賞洋風景" literally translated to mean that one should enjoy a western scenery from the Shanghai tastes within.

黑海。探險

Black Sea. Exploration.

First course - a chilled jelly made from the black vinegar that Shanghainese love to cook, drizzle or douse most of their food with.  But this was the first time I've had it in gelatinous form.  Given the acidity, it wakes the palate immediately and you want to be fed instantaneously.  Sprinkled with what looks like crispy Japanese seaweed, it is actually freeze-dried Snow Vegetables, a Shanghainese household staple of preserved vegetables they use in stir fried or soup noodles typically.

吐司。上海調子

Toast. Shanghai Style.

Course 2 was another interesting take on Shanghainese staples.  The use of 烤夫, which is made from fermented gluten and is typically braised in a dark and sweet soy with beans, bamboo shoots, etc. till the spongy texture absorbs all the taste from the gravy, then served chilled as an appetiser.  Here, it is toasted, then in the foreground, slathered with a Snow Vegetable laced cream cheese, and the other in the background is a yummy eggplant puree.  The cream cheese was a little odd, but oddly pleasant enough.

After appetisers, we were suitably excited about what was coming next and were recommended a well-chilled Gentil de Katz 2009 from Alsace.  Crisp but easy to down, it did go pretty well with the food, and when we saw the bill much later, it was a very reasonable price to pay.

鵪鶉小姐。 讚岐先生 。蓮霧。杞子。都半醉了

Miss Quail. Mr. Sanuki. Wax Apple. Wolfberry.

All are Half Drunk.

This was easily the star of the evening.  And from what I've seen they acknowledge it too and is almost a standard on all their menus, even if the other items change regularly.  So simple, so classic yet so perfectly executed.  Miss Quail was lightly braised to retain a touch of pink, leaving her succulent, juicy and had the right degree of gaminess to confirm you were eating quail but not as to make it overpowering.  Mr. Sanuki (a Japanese udon) was perfectly al dente and soaked up the aged Huadiao wine broth very well.  Wax apples were a nice touch of fresh and crisp while the wolfberries were plump and sweet.

穿上天婦羅的黃花

Yellow Croaker. Tempura Outfit.

There were 2 courses to this one.  Shanghainese in the use of the yellow croaker, the first was a croaker liver wrapped in Perilla leaf, then tempura-ed.  Excellent.  Second was the croaker fillet also tempura-ed.  Nothing western here but the Japanese influence was clear to see.

大蝦。糕

Sticky Prawn.

This was probably the most Shanghainese in cooking style although we were told that the chef got his inspiration from a shrimp based risotto he is used to making.  Wherever the inspiration came from, it was good.  Ironically, and as admitted by the host, the star is actually the Shanghainese glutinous rice cakes and not the shrimps themselves.  All the essence from the shrimp heads culminated in a rich umami laden sauce that was utterly consumed by the rice cakes making each bite a burst of shrimpy goodness.

奶凍。東方調子

Panna Cotta. Oriental touch.

I thought this would be weird but it was actually very good.  The use of a very good milk probably helped and the chef's French training came through in a panna cotta which was ultra smooth and fragrant.  The use of Osmanthus kept him true to his Shanghainese roots and brought the meal home for us.

What the menu lacked in exotic goodies, was more than made up for by the chef's blend of creativity, marrying Shanghainese  roots with French training, and most importantly, the ability to execute it as close to perfection under a tagline.  Well worth a repeat visit.  Thanks KM and WN for introducing us to this place!

1st Floor, 20A D’Aguilar Street
Central, Hong Kong
T: +852 3487 1715

Singapore - Taste Paradise 味之樓 (ION Orchard)

A year ago, my first visit to Taste Paradise wasn't bad at all.  Close to a year later, I thought it would be a great place to take M & R who had been wonderful in helping with various things for me in the last few months.  Unfortunately, the repeat visit didn't live up to expectations.  

What we thought was a great corner table turned out to be awkward and caused more discomfort than anyone would have thought, with servers crossing over our heads to serve and clear.  Personal space is so underrated these days that's it's a pet peeve of mine, and all the more so at a restaurant touted to be more exclusive than the others.  You can take the girl out of public housing but you can't....

Jellyfish with a spicy sauce

Starters began uneventfully, with a chilled and crunchy jellyfish dressed in a tangy spicy sauce.  Ordinary but in a pleasant way, and a nice way to cool down from the humidity out there.

Century egg with a lime sorbet

Then, this one got me.  5 diners, 4 servings.  Despite repeated instructions and Q&As, we were finally told, after being served, that each order only has 4 servings and the kitchen cannot add one more measly spoon on the plate.  I have heard that you cannot size down a standard order, but surely you can size up based on the number of diners.  For an establishment of this supposed calibre, quite appalling.  Their solution was to bring us another order with 4 servings, to which I said "forget it".  While we were being polite waiting for the 5th spoon which never came, the sorbet had melted away to a watery slush, making this a non-event.

Classic sharks' fin in superior broth

As some say: Saved by the bell.  We were distracted by the next course, which is their signature specialty. A wholesome bowl of non P.C. sharks fin soup served in a stone pot.  Still good after a year and a generous serving of fins (even if not the top notch dorsal kind), the broth is really the winner.  Perhaps I thought it a tad less impressive than the first time around since I was sub-consciously seething from the previous non-event.

Braised beef cheek with Foie Gras

This is a tried and tested combo.  It's hard to go wrong especially if you have a good piece each of the cheek and the foie.  While they were both admittedly pretty decent cuts, I thought the accompanying glace was a tad too glazed, almost oily, but without the undertones of a good reduced stock.  So you leave this with a sense that there were shortcuts involved.

Seafood and black truffle noodles

This sounded awesome on the menu.  And when it came, I thought "wow", that certainly looks like something even a good Italian restaurant would have to seriously contend with.  Alas, a bite and all is given away.  It was greasy, indicating a much lesser grade than extra virgin oil was used.  Truffles were underwhelming and was the bits of seafood.  While I was grateful for the small portion since I was getting full, I thought that neither the quality nor the quantity merited the price tag.  Disappointing.

Jelly cubes in Calamansi and sour plum 

This is a nice finish but again, if you compare to presentation from a year ago, you can see the lack of effort in even trying to dress this up.  A bland looking dessert although they left the tacky dry ice effect intact.  Ah well, since we are meant to go beyond skin deep, perhaps we might forgive the fact that this girl came out for a date looking her worst but thankfully was smart enough to be able to allure with enticing conversation. But, really?

We were pretty well fed for the price, but would I go again?  Well, it really depends.  I think they have to up their game to be able to compete in an increasingly tight market of improving Chinese cuisines in Singapore.  If I know I have better options of service and food, the location alone is certainly not enough to entice.

2 Orchard Turn
#04-07 ION Orchard
Tel: +65 6509 9660 

Hong Kong - Da Dong comes to Man Wah

It's official.  The Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong is bringing in the team from Da Dong from Beijing for a week in April - the 11th to the 17th to be exact.  Although Da Dong isn't my favorite duck restaurant in Beijing, I still thought the concept of bringing in the duck experts into one of Hong Kong's best Chinese restaurants will definitely create some fireworks.  I wasn't wrong, and I was glad to have been lucky enough to score an invite from the Hotel, along with other foodie writers/bloggers for a preview.

So this is NOT a review since it was on the Mandarin's tab.

We sat down to an excellent 1989 Pu'er Tea, which I very much enjoyed.  A well-aged Pu'er is nothing like the stuff you get at your average Chinese restaurant for yum cha.  Pu'er is a prized tea which like wine, is better with age.  It was almost poetic sipping tea and poring through Mr. Dong's collection of recipes and in particular, the artistic photos of his culinary creations, which are almost painting-like rather than plain photos of food.  His food dressing skill is definitely on par with some of the world's best.   Note to self: get copy of recipe book when available.

Our decadent 9-course lunch started with a trio of appetizers.

話梅淮山 Chinese yam with preserved plum

The first being 2 types of yam, steamed, mashed then formed into one scoop from both ends to allow the 2 colors to be distinct and separate.  The more commonly found purple yam on the left, and the now trendy Chinese yam in white on the right, believed for a long time to have medicinal qualities.  Both hand-mashed to allow bits of yam to chew on means you can savor the distinct flavors.  Dressed in a "thick cut marmalade" sauce of preserved plum, the fragrant rinds strewn over provided a bittersweet finish.  Sweet but not cloyingly so, this was a pleasant way to break fast and get the juices going.

水晶鵝肝 Goose liver aspic

This is as famous as Da Dong's duck and exquisite in taste and presentation.  Creamy livery smoothness delicately encased within a layer of aspic, then topped with delicate pieces of tangy mango and caviar.  

麻辣膀絲 Shredded duck wings Sichuan style

And just to keep things interesting, a spicy hit with shredded duck meat from the wings of the duck, and tossed in a spicy numbing Sichuan pepper laced sauce.  Enough heat to keep you tingling but not so that you would break into sweat.  

清湯鴨舌羊肚菌 Duck tongue and morel mushroom soup

As gross as it may sound, I am one of the millions that love duck tongue.  The chewy gelatinous texture with a crunch from the cartilage around the area makes for a great many renditions of appetizers, unless you're in the "Western World".  But in soup, this is a first for me.  The delivery of a bowl of clear consomme with copious amounts of Morels, is not exactly a pretty sight despite the classy bowl in which it is served.  But taste wise, each spoonful is chock full of flavor encompassing the essence of morels and the duck tongues had a flavor reminiscent of duck fat but with a much more enjoyable bite.

大董“酥不膩”烤鴨 DaDong “SuperLean” Roast duck

And so here is the reason why we are here.  Da Dong's "Super lean" roast duck.  The chefs even brought their own poultry all they way from Beijing.  Apparently, only their littler ones will do.  The ducks available in Hong Kong are too big and fat to qualify..  

And Da Dong's signature condiment dish, 3 times the size of the competition.  Of course, the traditional cucumbers, Hoi Sin Sauce and julienned leeks are present.  But as aside from these, there are pickled vegetables, pink radish, sugar and a garlic puree if you want additional heat.  

The sugar is especially critical for the very crispy duck skin, which is fabulous on its own but made better when dusted in sugar crystals.  We also learnt today that in the old days where emperors ruled, the empress, concubines and consorts were not allowed to use anything else but sugar for fear of offending the emperor with "dragon's breath".

Like all traditional Peking duck, one is expected to wrap the thinly sliced duck, complete with a little meat, fat and skin into the thin pancakes, and choice of condiments.  The skin that Da Dong prepares is unique in that it is steamed into smooth, moist and chewy wraps, unlike a more common version which may be drier and fluffier than this.  No right or wrong, it's a matter of personal preference.  

董氏燒海參 Chef Dong's braised sea cucumber

This was the prettiest dish at lunch.  The artistry was just brilliant and instead of focusing on the food itself, I wanted to accentuate the art instead.  Given the less-than-optimal lighting and the limitations of my camera, I had to choose.  A much better rendition is available in Mr. Dong's book.  The effects are difficult to achieve with brush on paper alone, let alone in a kitchen.  And the tastes did not disappoint either.  A traditional Northern Chinese way of braising the sea cucumber until it is so soft you can feel the collagen infusing into your skin as you eat it, and the roast scallions are a nice break of spicy sweetness.   

燒四寶 Sauteed four delicacies

Then, back to the duck with a piece of duck sauteed with duck gizzards, and then accompanied by a guest, a piece of chicken.  The sauce is addictive and would have been fabulous with a bit of white rice, but then again, I'm not the genius who thought to serve this dish with little jelly cubes made from Champagne and vinegar.  These were fun to eat and a great time to give the timmy a little reprieve from the all that good stuff prior, and to steady ourselves for more.  My only complaint: the chicken was a tad dry and chewy, but perhaps that wasn't the point.  

紅花汁栗子白菜 Braised cabbage with chestnut 

For those who like the Chinese cabbage, don't forgo this.  It's possibly one of the better renditions I've had and more unique than the usual braised versions in chicken oil and/or Yunnan ham superior stock.  This slightly thickened gravy, prepared with the premium spice Saffron, with bits of chestnut and wolfberries, complemented the natural sweetness of the cabbage.  Although thicker than a soup, it was still good to the last drop.  The glazed chestnut was also a nice way to end the course like a French Marron-glace can.

And then a timely switch of teas.  This was even better than the first varietal and much older that even our knowledgeable server was stumped.  All she could confirm was that it is older than the 1989.  And yes, it was that much more mellow and smooth.  Calling it a superior Pu'er does not do it enough justice.  

鵝肝粒香米飯 Rice with diced goose liver 

The chefs probably knew by now that we were almost reaching our limits and gave us each a half-bowl serving.  But I'm glad we still got to eat this.  The goose liver was ultra fragrant, and less greasy like foie gras, so that it didn't make the rice oily.  I would have personally preferred the rice to be a little more fluffy and distinct from the next grain but overall, this was still a A- in taste.  

椰汁桂花豆沙湯圓 Sweet red bean glutinous dumplings 

in coconut 

Another one of those desserts I don't typically care for since it's hard to get very good young coconuts in Hong Kong.  But this was delightfully fresh, with none of the coconut rancidness one typically expects from coconut cream.  This is the real McCoy and not processed.  The glutinous dumplings filled with a smooth red bean paste were also very good although I was quickly reaching my limit and had to reluctantly leave the last one untouched.

Beijing petit fours (clockwise from foreground) - sweet yellow bean cake, sweet rice dumpling, glutinous sesame roll and fresh milk roll

Traditional Beijing snacks served to end a wonderful meal.  I wished I had capacity to try them all but alas, I only bit into the sweet yellow bean cake and sweet rice dumpling.  They're good but perhaps not my thing.  Paired with a good tea served at tea time and I might have enjoyed them a lot more.  At the end of a wondrous meal, and they were underwhelming.  Fairer comment next time perhaps.

A big thank you to the @MO_HKG for organizing the event, and a big shout out to my fellow foodies whom I enjoyed the meal with - @jasonbonvivant, Patricia Wong, @geoffrey_wu, @yummymummyasia, @mochachocolata and Wilson Fok from WOM.  


25/F, Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong
5 Connaught Road
Central
Tel: +852-2825 4003

Hong Kong - The Chinese Restaurant 凱悅軒

One of the perks we get at work is an assigned budget to spend any way we like with our department colleagues to team build or eat on in some cases, both converge into one thing.  This year, we decided to eat again, but go and try a new place.

The Chinese Restaurant at the Hyatt Regency in TST is set in modern surrounds, unlike a traditional Chinese restaurant.  Quiet and serene, plush seats for comfortable seating, and plenty of privacy given the distance between tables.  I would go again if I had to entertain over Chinese food.  Only snag, it is lacking any view through its floor to ceiling windows, an unfortunate function of the hotel location and height of the restaurant.

Since we had a budget to meet (and it was some challenge getting there), we skipped the dim sum options and ate like we wanted the dinner of no return.  Food wise, we thought that overall, it was a decent experience although there wasn't anything really outstanding that we would remember this place by.  Here's what we had and what we thought were "hits" or "less than hits".

Char Siu or Roasted Pork with a sweet glace

Hit: one of the better Char Sius out there.  Served warm (albeit probably microwaved), it was the perfect cut of loin with enough fat to moisten but not overwhelm.  Sauce was a nice fragrant soy base but with enough of a sugar glace to lend a sweet aftertaste.   

Smoked Braised Chicken

This was well executed and  a nice take on the usual soy braised chicken you get from most roast meats stalls in Hong Kong.  The fragrance and smokiness from the tea leaves came through and the chicken was braised well to retain its own moistness.  But somehow, wasn't a wow with me and we got distracted by the other dishes which came fast and furious.

Hot and Sour Soup

A surprising winner.  This won't win accolades for traditionality in Sichuan but it won on its unusual sourness over heat.  Well neutralised for Hong Kong taste buds, although a perfect appetiser for its piquant tartness but not face-scrungily so.  And generous chockful of ingredients from seafood to Yunnan ham shreds to bamboo shoots.  

Buddha Jumps over the Wall 

This double boiled soup contained the works, not forgetting the pretty large abalone (discounted some since we're pretty sure it was canned rather than of the sun-dried variety).  It's one of the clearest versions that I've had, with others usually thicker and collagen filled from the fruits of the sea used to make this over hours on the boil.  This version had the abalone, sea cucumber, fish blubber, sharks' fin and lean pork.  You can taste the goodness of the ingredients but the umami was somehow missing.  Folklore has it that even the vegetarian Buddha jumped over the wall of his monastery to attack his neighbour's concoction, but I'm pretty sure this version, while good, won't have the same effect.

Deep Fried Large Wanton

This is a gigantic wanton.  The largest I've ever had.  I like deep fried but I can't like it for too long since the grease is too much.  Well, I ate the whole thing.  The fritter was surprisingly fragrant and had a subtle touch of sweet.  The pockets were filled with different things.  Mine had a bit of Char Siu, yes the winning piece we started with.  

Sweet and Sour Sauce

And here's the reason I finished the whole wanton.  The accompanying sweet and sour sauce filled with larges pieces of char siu and whole scallops and tomatoes and bell peppers.  This has got to be the freshest tasting sweet and sour sauce I've ever had.  Typically, you expect traces of ketchup.  Not in this one.  This one tasted like the tomatoes were reduced from freshly plucked to the consistency of ketchup.  Slathered over the wanton, you would want more wanton just to have more sauce.  A vicious cycle for anyone on a diet. 

Stir Fried Mung Bean Vermicelli

This one was great at first bite.  Then the aftertaste of ginger lingered on for a little too long, and masked the yummy ingredients of crunchy bean sprouts, omelette and mung bean vermicelli.  From great to good, this was.

Stir fried egg white with shrimps

Perfect with the bowl of rice we did not have.  Ask for vinegar (of the Zhejiang variety) if you order this since it wasn't served with.  The egg whites are more milky than the traditional version but some like that.  To each his own.  

Garouper done 2 ways: 1. Stir fried slices

This was a passable "ok".  The fish was fresh and therefore the chef's slightly heavy hand marred the execution.  It was a little salty, a little too brown, a little too much ginger.  So a little too bad. 

Garouper done 2 ways: 2. Steamed garouper head

The steamed version was a little better but too much garnish again spoilt the fresh fish.  If I came again, I won't order this since for the price, you are much better off with a whole steamed fresh fish where you can enjoy the natural sweetness of the fish.

Herbal jelly with Pomelo and Sago

To end, I was happy with my choice of the herbal jelly in a pomelo and mango sago.  Very fresh and light and a good way to end off a heavy meal.  This version is a slight twist over the usual ala Fatt Kee (a popular dessert joint in the territory and most famous for the sago concoction).  I can't recall if it won an intellectual property suit in the local courts against a competitor over who invented this first, but whatever it is, this has become a national dessert, and also well known in the Chinese speaking community around the region.  

Overall, The Chinese Restaurant was a lovely place to just bond with the team in nice quiet surrounds, with inane conversation outside of the work place.  Food was enjoyable and I would go back just to try the other regular dishes.

3/F, Hyatt Regency Hong Kong
18 Hanoi Road
Tsim Sha Tsui
Tel: +852-2311 1234