Hong Kong - Gin Sai 吟彩

Gin Sai is part of the trio of restaurants in the new and luxurious Oakhill apartments in Wanchai, that have opened to "critical acclaim", owned by the Lai Sun group, perhaps known first and foremost for the prices of their establishments, but impossible to get last minute reservations.  (Yes, I suppose Hong Kong is still very much thriving.)  So I was pleasantly surprised to have been able to get into Gin Sai on a Friday night.  It wasn't that new when I first visited but it looked to be a "fly-swatting" night, at least on ground level.  But having valet-ed the car, it was a little too late.

Oden

I am not a huge fan of oden, a broth based dish served in wintry Japan comprising a variety of ingredients depending on where you eat it, but fish cakes, tofu and boiled radishes seem to be the order of most days.  Being one of their specialties, I actually enjoyed the very tasty but light broth which I finished.  My choices of radish, a steamed squid and meatball dumpling, alongside a deep fried tofu with chopped vegetables and ground fish were actually good.  Fresh and obviously not processed unlike some places.  Serving it with a dollop of mustard on the side added a little pungency and kick to an otherwise mild dish.

Hokkaido Potato Salad

Having traveled the week and not having eaten less than healthily, I thought a salad would be good.  But I had no difficulty succumbing to the recommended potato salad, which was bound together with a fragrant and addictive eggy dressing.  So much for fiber.  I guess the consolation is that they had lettuce on the side.

Tempura crab claw and sea urchin

This was just appropriately decadent for the lazy.  No peeling of crab necessary and lightly battered and deep fried.  Any uncomfortable heat taken away by the creamy topping of cool fresh sea urchin, the sea sweetness accentuated by a little soy sauce.  Gone too quickly...

Robatayaki ox tongue

This was supposedly French.  Whichever French ox it came from, it was pretty tender with a bite.  Just lightly seasoned and grilled to perfection, good with a little wholegrain mustard, and cold sake if you get some.

Chicken meatball

However, I didn't enjoy this as much since I too like my meatballs only lightly seasoned and with enough crunch from the cartilage they infused it with.  This one was distracting with hints of ginger and garlic.  Not overwhelming but obvious enough for it to be distracting.

Seasonal claypot rice

This was by far my favorite dish of the evening.  And we had to wait a good 45 minutes for this.  Thank goodness for free Wifi.

Claypot rice cooked to perfection with sea urchin, crab meat and egg white, laced with fresh chopped scallions.  And bonus?  More fresh sea urchin.

The result?  A sea-tasty bowl of well formed rice with a little crunch from the slightly charred bits of rice nearest the base of the claypot.  Rice was high quality and well cooked to be separate and distinct - an important factor for me.  Mouthfuls of varied textures and tastes, all different depending on what you pick up with your spoon.  So good I doggy-bagged the leftovers and had it 2 days later.  It was still good.

Dessert

They had an interesting array of Western style desserts rather than the usual Japanese offerings, probably because it is the same pastry kitchen as Wagyu Takumi, the French-Japanese restaurant member of the same group.  We selected swiss rolls topped with different berries.  Use of good ingredients here ensured the result was a lightly sweet end to a decent dinner.

While prices aren't low, the plus is a comfortable and quiet dining experience away from the world of Suzie Wong that is not far away.  A big bonus in an overcrowded Hong Kong these days.

Shop 3-7, G/F The Oakhill, 

32-38 Cross Lane

Wanchai

Tel: +852-25741118

Hong Kong - Mirror Restaurant

After a long week, I had no reservations for Friday night.  O.M.G.  I called 10 places before I got lucky.  And surprisingly so that I couldn't react momentarily when the voice on the phone enquired "What time should we expect you?".  Such luck since I had been unsuccessful twice before.  Too bad I forgot to take a pitstop at the Jockey Club..

Although there was signage when we exited the lifts, we almost thought we should either ring a doorbell (which we didn't find) or knock the opaque wooden door before entering.  Inside, soft lighting and plush chairs await and it's comfortable chic without any pretentiousness.  The elevated open kitchen is the main feature of the dining room, manned by 5 men in whites, under the watchful eyes of Jeremy Biasiol.  The chef has an easy manner about him and camaraderie he appears to have with his team provides a casual yet disciplined approach he has to running the restaurant.  The other talking piece of a curtain made from hanging cutlery gives the room its playful charm too.

There are only 2 menus - a signature menu and a tasting menu.  After much deliberation, we decided to try both.  But before that...

Bread and Butter

they spoil us with bread.  Extremely well baked (from left to right): baguette, whole wheat baguette, and the awesome bacon twisty, with salted and unsalted butter on the side.  It was tempting to ask for another serving..

Amuse Bouche

A lemongrass risotto with clams and a touch of sour cream.  A clever twist to the usual made for a light start despite the creamy look.

Both menus were good in their own right, which was why it took a while to decide since there was stuff on both menus which were exciting.

Tiger shrimps jelly, roe sauce, Oscietra caviar, flowers, green apple

It sounded a little more exciting on the menu but certainly was a visually captivating starter.  Perhaps I didn't care for too much mousse.  But loved the sweet freshness of the shrimps.  Unbeatable.

Salmon lightly cooked, roasted cauliflower and puree with grenobloise sauce

Perfectly cooked salmon.  Enough said.

Thin tomatoes soup, pan seared tomatoes with balsamic vinegar and pesto sauce

This was probably the least exciting in the tasting menu.  It wasn't bad but it didn't do much for me except perhaps lighten my palate and prep me for the veal ahead.

Veal in 2 ways, the sweetbreads and the round, carrots, pearl onions, summer black truffle in brunoise, veal sauce

The winner in the tasting menu has got to be the veal.  Rightly recommended to be had in the pink, this was a truly good piece of meat.  Tender, fragrant and full of flavor despite its youth.  Even though I'm not a fan of carrot, the understated accompaniments did allow the veal to come through.  Perfect.

French cheese platter

The cheeses were actually very good.  But I was pretty up to my eyeballs in food.  I might have preferred some dried fruit to lighten things up but again, the baguettes were too good to resist.  Oh well, so I left half of everything.  Sigh..

Overall, I thought the signature menu was a little more put together despite the lower price.

Slow cooked egg, frog legs poached, garlic cream and watercress sauce

Perfectly cooked frog legs.  Everything else was just a bonus.  Surprisingly light despite all of the cream and egg bound together.

English peas veloute, crispy bread, lemon ginger olive oil and roasted peas

Great base stock and what awesome crispy bread.  Given what we've been spoilt with to start, can't say we were surprised.

Scallops steamed, bacon and leeks confit, leeks emulsion

Great execution but I just prefer scallops done this way to have a little sear to it.

Pigeon lightly roasted, port and red wine sauce, potatoes, brussels sprouts and herbs

This was the winner in the signature.  You can't see it from the picture but there was added sauce underneath reminiscent of a solidified mushroom soup which was pretty astounding.

Mango dessert in 3 ways served with vanilla ice cream

Other than a perfectly naturally sweet and ripe mango, this wasn't terribly exciting as far as desserts go. The base cake was a tad dry but produce saved the day.  Where did they get the mangoes from??

Petit fours - blueberry macaron

This was so blue that my tongue was still blue hours later.  Playful way to end, befitting the restaurant's theme.  It also matched the blue plush chairs.  Great ending to a great story.  Definitely a sequel to this one.

6/F, Tiffan Tower
199 Wanchai Road
Wan Chai
Tel: +852-2573 7288 

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

Hong Kong - Sijie Sichuan Dishes 四姐川菜

It's labeled as a private kitchen in some places, but it's not that kind of place.  Housed in a building which looks like every other building in Wanchai (or known in some quarters as the World of Suzie Wong), the only hint of a restaurant behind the door is the bunch of of red hot chili peppers hanging on the front door.  Inside, it is as spartan as spartan can be with tables of varying sizes lined along what looks like 2 units leased by the restaurant.  But the smells are mistakably Sichuanese.  You can almost feel yourself immersed in an oil of Sichuan peppers, deeper and deeper as the night progresses, especially as Sijie whips up a storm in the kitchen.  Tip: do not wear clothes which have to be dry-cleaned or carry any leather bags to dinner.. 

Service is extremely friendly and helpful.  I had to call ahead for directions and parking facilities and the dude who answered very patiently guided me through the streets of Wanchai, which for those living here will know, is not car-friendly.   

The focus is on the food here since there is little else except for Sijie's chugging antics at the end of a long night.  Refined cuisine is not on offer either.  What you get is a piece of Sichuanese authenticity tucked in central Hong Kong and all the fiery robustness of what makes a hearty Sichuanese meal.

The huge bonus of eating in a big group, and a group of like-minded foodies is that you get to order almost everything on the menu.  Pricing works on a per person basis and so depending on how many people you have, you are allowed to order the number of dishes for that price.  No more, no less.  

Cold noodles tossed in Chili Oil

This was the quintessential Sijie appetiser which kicked us off and was easily the unanimous favourite of the evening.  Chilled al dente pulled noodles tossed in an addictive spicy oil with all the classic ingredients of a Sichuan spicy oil, complete with a kick from the chilies and a numbing madness, it was definitely the way to get us all started on an excited note.

And with most Sichuan appetisers, the rest become variations and subsets of the same spices but provided with different platforms/textures to bring out different notes of spice.

Salivating Chicken

This is meant to make you salivate as the name suggests but sometimes, there may be so much numbness created that you may temporarily lose control over tongue and degenerate into a drool but fortunately, none of that occurred here but just the pleasurable sucking and slurping you are supposed to do when savouring wine..  no need to spit though.

Slices of Husband and Wife's lungs

Textures here are a little crunch, a little beefy meatiness...

Thinly sliced pork in a garlic based chili oil

Then a more pungent delivery through the fragrant garlic-laced oil, complementing the thinly sliced pork, allowing the flavours of the spices to come through without too much of a porky flavour.

Cucumbers tossed in a chili oil

Refreshing cool crunch from the cucumbers as temporary halfway house..

Steamed eggplant in mild spicy sauce

Sweetened with juicy eggplants in a comparatively mild sauce with a sweet finish..

Crunch pig ears in numbing oil

Then, a finale of crunch again this time from pig's ears, which are slightly gelatinous around a crunchy cartilage, given taste by the sauce only.  One of my all-time faves.

Mandarin fish in boiling oil

The main courses started with the classic Sichuan dish of what it literally "boiling water cooked" Mandarin Fish.  As you probably figured out, it's not really water but oil.  And lots of it.  There as a medium for cooking and not to be drunk (no it's not gravy).  This allows for the fish to be just cooked without being overly so.  The fish is sweet and succulent and good with a bowl of steamed rice.

Beef slices in boiling oil

Beef is the other popular choice for this dish and beef soaks up the spices and is therefore extremely flavourful.  Sijie's renditions were competent but can't beat some of those I've had in China where the spices are more apparent than the oil.

Salt and pepper Shrimps Sichuan Style

Very well fried so you can crunch on the shells too.  Extremely tasty and very good with the ice cold beer on offer..

Sauteed crab in Salted egg yolk

This was my favourite main dish of the evening.  Every bit of the crab was generously coated with the fragrant salted egg yolk mixture and complemented the fresh crab very well.  The priceless bits were the salted egg yolk over the crab roe.  Cholesterol from hell but all things bad are good...

Deep fried chicken with dried chillies 

This was well done too although the chicken bones were a little too bashed up and made eating a tad difficult since you need to be careful with splinters.  Otherwise, step aside KFC Hot & Spicy...

Twice fried Long beans with minced pork

Tasty but a tad oily...  although this dish rarely isn't.  It is after all deep fried then stir fried to give it that creased but glistening look and extra crunchy texture.

Sauteed eggplant in sweet chili sauce

Good with a bowl of rice and a nice reprieve from all the heat.

Deep fried battered pork

This was tasty but unfortunately the meat was too tough and it just was a let down given the other goodies.

Mapo Tofu

I had the pleasure of taking this one home after "winning" the table spin prize.  Too much ginger and garlic bits and detracted from what I usually prefer is the numbing chili goodness of the sauce.

Rice Crispies with a seafood sauce

Rice crispies are always fun to eat but this one was only an "ok" since the sauce wasn't very exciting.  Can be missed.

Sweet Cooling Tea

Being what they call a "hot-based person" I downed 2 cans of this stuff through the night.  Still didn't prevent a series of pimples from surfacing... oh well.  It was good for the sugar anyway.  Next time, I follow in Sijie's footsteps.  She beat every hot blooded male in the room in a beer chugging competition at the end of her illustrious night in the hot kitchen.  And you know what?  She has flawless, poreless complexion despite her exposure to all that heat.  The magic of beer...

All in all, an extremely fun night with foodie friends, eating and laughing the night away.  Thanks to @g4gary for organising!

Shop 289, 2/F, Ko Wah Building
285-291 Lockhart Road
Wanchai灣仔駱克道285-291號高華大廈2樓289號舖
Tel: +852-2802 2250

Mont d'Or Cheese - 'tis the season..

Dim Sum Mont d'Or.. created by Jason 

One of the great things I did this week was to join a group of like-minded individuals to enjoy an evening of cheese and wine.  This season's cheese and Vacherin to be exact.  Available only from the fall, this seasonal soft cheese may be made with pasteurized or unpasteurized milk either from French or Swiss cows, depending on which side of the border they're grazing.

The cheese is more liquid than it is solid when ripe, and is definitely a "soft" cheese.  We started off with a cold or more accurately, un-warmed version first (should have been left breathing at room temperature for several hours prior to serving).  I turned up late so it must have already been breathing for at least an hour by the time I got there.

Soft and creamy, and rich but not overly pungent, it was perfect with the warm and chewy baguette slices that it was served with.  Classified's baguette was especially crusty on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside.  Just the way I like it.

Served warm from baking, the cheese is even more enticing, with the aroma filling the room easily, sending swooning faces towards its direction as it's being brought out.  We wait in eager anticipation as it is set down with its usual condiment friends of green apples, bread cubes, and potato cubes.  The use of sweet potato cubes was also a clever addition here.

The folks dig in with their fondue forks, pitching it into one of the condiments, dunk and enjoy.  Washed down with a sweeter Gewurztraminer, the room is once again filled with appreciation.

Wonderful experience and of course, meeting new folks who know how to take time out to enjoy a mid-week party made it even better.

Thanks to Geoff for organising the party.  So nice to see @g4gary and @fernandogros again.  And so good to have finally @jasonbonvivant.  Also, a hello again to @3starbackpacker @designgalhk @tomeats @yeelim @timho @marsha_h, folks that I met at the party (did I miss anyone??).  Hope to see you all again soon. 


Classified Mozarella Bar
G/F, 31 Wing Fung Street
Wan Chai
Tel: +852-25283454

Hong Kong - La Maison

Every once in a while, private dining is nice.  Something different from the mainstream, more likely to be a residential address and therefore akin to visiting a friend for dinner.  Private dining is really a hit and miss.  There are some really good ones and then there have been awful reviews on some.  So you have to want to do it in a forgiving mood and accept it for what it is - passionate people who want to share the fruits of their labour with anyone from the public who's willing to give them a chance.

La Maison was a little bigger than I expected.  However, you still need a pretty good GPS to get there on account that Swatow Street is not signed at the Queen's Road East end, which is where the restaurant is nearer to, and that it does not have a street-level presence.  The dim lighting added to the French country feel but would be a bitch for photos.

The food was between a good to an ok.  The 3 starters we ordered to pick at definitely gave us high expectations.

The pan-fried foie gras with peach was crispy on the outside but a little too runny on the inside.  While I like the insides creamy, runny was a tad much.  But taste wise, the canned peach and balsamic did a competent job to cut through the richness of the liver.

Escargot de baroque (Snail with Garlic Butter & Potato Puree) was yummy with the garlic fragrant but not overpowering, a nice balance with the herbs.  The molluscs were suitably firm but easy to work through and absorbed the flavors well.  What was most impressive, surprisingly, was the bed of mash the snails sat on.  Smooth but not losing potato flavor, one would do well to have a mouthful of the slug and puree together.  

The fresh mussels steamed in white wine sauce used the tinier mussels from France and therefore more akin to oysters.  We made sure to ask before we order since we all didn't like the fatter NZ variety which are too meaty and lose the slightly springier texture of these lil ones.  The stock was not creamy nor garlicky as with most places but of the herbier chicken stock variety.  Makes it lighter and easy to lap up although just a tad salty.

Where soups are concerned, the french onion soup beat the crab bisque hands down.  Even then, unless you must have soup, you may be better off with more appetizers to share since they seem to better excel in that department.  Soups were overall thin and weak.  The french onion soup won only because it had the gratinated Gruyere on a slice of french bread.  (Note: breads were were pretty low quality - the airy kind.  So a waste of the yummy herb butter and pate they serve them with).

For main courses, the grilled Angus Rib Eye with truffle and black olive sauce was an "ok".  The taste was decent but the meat was a little tough for me.  But overall, the ladies enjoyed it enough to finish a pretty sizable portion.

My main of the Confit de Canard (duck leg with green apple salad) was enjoyable.  It wasn't the best I've had since the skin wasn't crispy as I usually like it and the green apple salad wasn't enough to neutralize the salt content of the cured duck.  Might have been better with a Pinot Noir.  

Desserts were certainly competent although the dark cherry clafoutis was the most outstanding.  Akin to a dark cherry souffle, this traditional French dessert is a little heavier than a souffle and in my opinion, yummier in texture and eggier in fragrance.  And because you cannot get it at most places, the better it was.  

The french fudge chocolate cake was pretty good too but because it's been done to death, the chocolate alone wasn't enough to divert our attention from the clafoutis.  The apple crumble was "blah" at best and I have to say, crumble is best done by the English - let's just fuel the Anglo French rivalry once more!

Overall, an enjoyable dinner and at very reasonable prices.  No service charge too, mind you.  Our friendly and patient host was great and so you know, there will be new items on the menu soon.

1/F, Mountain View Mansion
2 Swatow Street, Wan Chai
Tel: +852-26283888