Hong Kong - Mandy's Private Kitchen

It's not just a dining experience, it's an excursion in itself.  A recent Sunday excursion with some like minded foodies turned out to be so grand we ate for almost 6 hours..  But set against what is probably Hong Kong's most scenic district, you don't do yourself justice if you're just there to eat.  Even in Hong Kong, where the food scene is so varied, you'd be hard pressed to find, let alone learn about Caribbean cuisine so it's a bonus when you meet Mandy and her husband, who've lived there and even have Trinidadian roots.

From my limited experience with food in that region, I did find a lot of Indian influence in what was served.  And I suppose from a historical perspective, that shouldn't be a such a surprise.  But the presence of Rum is probably what keeps it unique to that part of the world!

Rum Cooler

Step in from the summer heat and humidity, and Mandy offers you a Rum Cooler.  Quite a reprieve, and makes you wish the beach was a lot closer so you can dip yourself both in rum and the sea at the same time...  But Mandy's starters are a nice way to get the gastro juices churning...

Mango Salad

A deceptively mildly spicy and tangy mango salad is addictive and you only realise a little later when the heat kicks in, that it's all worth the pain.  If not for what my Chinese physician warned about eating too many mangoes, I could have finished this one easily.

Chick Pea and Tomato Salad

I love Chick peas.  Add anything and it'll still be good.  This one was good from the sweet cherry tomatoes and fragrant from the spring onions and coriander generously interspersed within.

Pakoras

Here's the Caribbean/Indian answer to French Fries.  Slightly healthier (I convince myself) from the use of gram flour, they are as addictive as french fries or even more so since the spices used give it a third dimension so you don't tire of it easily.    

Home-Made Condiments

Mandy goes the whole hog and has a good variety of condiments she does herself.  My favorite was the Scotch Bonnet pepper based one and the Mango and Raisin Chutney.  Really quite out of this world.

Caribbean Corn and Honey Bread

There are many cultures out there that do corn bread as a staple of their diets.  Mandy's version has a hint of sweet from the honey but is not overly cloying.  It is less moist than the Western versions which tend to be a little bit more cakey so some might find this too crumbly.  I liked the taste and perhaps might have preferred it a tad more moist but the upside is feeling a little more healthy eating this version.  And it is even good after a few days if you warm it and spread a good butter across.

Breaded chicken breast

I'm no fan of chicken breast but this turned out better than I thought it would.  The chicken was actually still quite moist but the winner was the batter it was coated in.  A tasty version quite similar to the pop corn chicken KFC introduced some time ago, but of course this was made better with the Caribbean spices which spiked the batter.

Leg of Lamb

This was the piece de resistance by a long shot.  So good I packed a fair bit with me to go (the only upside to 2 others not showing up)!  According to Mandy, this was only marinated for 4 days instead of the usual 5, before being slow-cooked over a charcoal fire.  That just makes me want to go back to try the real McCoy soon.  I had fun with the packed lamb and even gave my colleagues something to enjoy by heating it up in the office microwave (much to the disgust of those who don't eat lamb..) and adding generous amounts of fresh mint for a real breakfast treat!  No brushing required..

Fish Curry

I was totally distracted by the lamb and had little of everything else served afterwards.  But I did remember the fish curry to be a twist to the usual types we have though.  This was a tangy version and rather appetising.  A refreshing change which Mandy claims she's still working on.  It was already pretty good I thought..  such a perfectionist.

Spinach

This was my favourite after the lamb.  I know it doesn't look like much but Mandy painstakingly takes off the stalks and only uses spinach leaves for this.  It is way better than creamed spinach.  This is pure spinach leaves stir fried with garlic until it is almost of puree consistency.  And that's just how good it was.  With little else, the combination of the 2, mixed with spring onions and coriander is just nature's garden at its best.

Pumpkin

Pumpkin was decent too but again I was too distracted at this point by the spinach and lamb given I had limited capacity left...

Coconut flavored rice

This was actually quite good, very similar to Nasi Lemak for people familiar with it in the South East Asia region.  This is actually a much wetter version and is a tad heavy but it was actually quite good with the tangy fish curry.

Rum cake and fruit jello

By this time, we were already trying to keep from rolling on the floor from a big feast.  But no feast is complete without dessert and Mandy's rum cake and a rum-laced fruit jello did the trick without sugar overload.  If I didn't have to eat and run, I would have savored it with a good coffee.  But I did leave happy though...

@deeseebeaucoup, thanks again for organising the awesome meal and it was a pleasure to have met @cheekyangelHK and @thefakefrog over cool chat and great food from @MandysPKitchen.  Can't wait to do it again..

http://www.mandysprivatekitchen.com/ 
5 minutes away from Sai Kung Town Centre
Tel: +852-98169946

Hong Kong - Sing Kee Seafood Restaurant 勝記海鮮酒家

For city folks, it's not often that you get a chance to get out to the New Territories to enjoy a touch of nature and eat by the water.  Saikung isn't far from the madding crowds since it's become such a popular weekend destination for local families, especially those with dogs.  I swear there are more canines than humans walking on the Saikung promenade.

Of course, Saikung also promises some of the best hiking trails in the territory, and of varying levels of difficulty so there's something for everyone.  You can also take the boat to Kau Sai Chau for a game of golf on the 2 scenic courses a mere 10 minutes away on the water, if you can secure a booking, that is.

Late risers that we are, and it being Easter Monday, gorgeous sunshine beating down with a subtle breeze, it was a brilliant top-down drive day and perfect for a late and lazy seafood lunch and stroll (perhaps dodge since the crowds were out in full force).

View from sitting outside of Sing Kee

All these years, I've only tried the crowded restaurants along the promenade and was no longer impressed after the first experience more than 10 years ago.  This time, we decided on the far end of the promenade, supposedly where Sai Kung's promenade should have started decades ago.  Sing Kee looks out onto boats docked in what looks like a makeshift marina, but it is all rustic and set the backdrop for a lovely al fresco experience.

白灼蝦 or quick blanched Prawns

This is almost the quintessential starter to any seafood meal in Hong Kong.  It may look boring (and it is if executed poorly or if prawns are not as fresh as they should be) but Sing Kee's version was actually very good.  The meat of the prawns left the shells with one flick (sign of ultra freshness) and the quick blanch did not age the meat, retaining a fresh, natural sea-sweetness that was very enjoyable.  So good that it was easy to forget the usual soy dip that accompanies the dish.

豉椒聖子 or Steamed Bamboo Clams with Black Bean Sauce

Again, the clam was very fresh and cooked to the perfect point that is crunchy without being chewy.  The sauce was very tasty although the consistency was a touch heavy.

椒鹽鮮鮑 or Salt/Pepper Baked Abalones

This was the favorite of the afternoon.  A huge dilemma whether to stuff ourselves with more than 2 each.  Any fears that the abalone would be tough was quickly put to rest.  Our teeth sank into a crunchy, sweet sucker from Dalian, China, that had layered on textures of tasty crispiness from the deep fried bread crumbs laced with salt and pepper.  So easy to pop into the mouth, chew and savor.  This alone, would be good reason enough to visit again.

豉油皇炒麵 or Dry fried egg noodles with Premium Soy

To finish, one of my favorite Hong Kong carbo dishes.  This is definitely all about execution.  Sing Kee's version was tasty but paled in comparison to Yuet Wah Hui in Causeway Bay.  It was definitely tasty, with hints of the smoky wok it was in, but a tad greasy.  Perfection should leave the base of the serving plate dry, and only slightly stained from the dark soy.  Still enjoyable though, just had to leave the base layer untouched.

Original Flava with Mochis and Cookie Crumbs

And in the spirit of the froyo movement, we went to Mr. Froyo to pick up dessert.  Original flavour with toppings of mochi balls coated in sawdust, and cookie crumbs.  Not bad, but not as good as Yogo.  Still made for a sweet ending to a relaxing afternoon.  Perhaps next time, we might think about doing the hiking thing first before stuffing our faces...

Sing Kee
G/F, 33-39 
Sai Kung Tai Street
Sai Kung
Tel: +852-2791 9887


Mr. Froyo
Shop 65, Sai Kung Villa
Fuk Man Road
Sai Kung
Tel: +852-2388 7848

Hong Kong - Kitty's Kitchen 三姐海鮮飯店

Make sure you have GPS to get here.  This is not in the midst of shops and therefore not easy to locate, especially if it's your first time.  Snuck into a low rise apartment block in an all residential area, one would never have guessed to look for dinner here.  And there are NO SIGNS either.  So about 45 minutes later, of which 20 were spent circling Tseung Kwan O, we arrived pretty tired and hungry.

The prompt arrival of the starter revived us though.  The sesame-based sauced drizzled with chopped tomatoes over "crystal noodles" (麻香水晶粉）served chilled were brilliant.  The noodles were interesting, almost like wedges of coconut scraped out from the fresh fruit and therefore fragrant in itself. Add on the cool sauce and fresh tomatoes, this was an excellent way to resuscitate ourselves from the travel.

Contrast the baked shrimps with fried garlic bits.  Baked to a crisp but retaining the fresh, firm and sweet flesh on the inside, this was competently done, even for me - I generally am not a huge fan of this dish.

The soy-braised chicken (秘製豉油雞）was also one of the better ones I've had.  Aromatic from the soya sauce, and still retaining its tender juiciness, this chicken is perfect with a bowl of white rice.  And for some of us, the bonus was that it was served with intestines and liver.  As most know, chicken intestines have been hard to find, on account of the cleaning process, which is long and intensive to get the final clean crunch.  That in itself was novelty for me.

This was one of the most impressive dishes of the night.  It is actually a patty made from hand-chopped squid colloid laced with crunchy vegetables and chestnuts, then lightly deep fried to a light golden brown to offer a crispy outside to a crunchy inside.  Glorious!  Just don't be confused by its apparently unconnected name of 窩貼小唐菜.  If you're there next, please ask Kitty（三姐）why it is so named.

The Chinese-style pork steak was also very good.  Tenderised without losing the flavor of the meat, and totally absorbing the very appetizing sweet and sour sauce, and topped with lightly cooked tomatoes, it is less cloying than traditional sweet and sour pork and much healthier, especially since this one is not deep fried first.

The other dish which left an impression was the Flower Crab steamed with egg white and Chinese Huadiao wine （花雕蛋白蒸花蟹).  Crabs were fresh with fall-off-the-shell meat.  And sweet and fragrant from the wine, and just a touch of creaminess from the egg white.  Happiness..

The "tempura" of bittergourd and pumpkin was surprisingly good too.  Well fried to reflect no trace of oil, sprinkled with more fried garlic (which pleasantly did not steal the show), this would have been great as a starter with ice cold beer but it came nondescript in the middle of the meal, while we were distracted by the other dishes.

Minced fish congee（魚蓉粥）was very good too.  Generous bits of fish (likely grass carp) and dried orange peel to lend fragrance and lift it to the next dimension, the congee was boiled down to a smooth finish and needs no chewing.  Enter the mouth, and just use your palate to slowly enjoy before swallowing.  Comforting goodness.

The stir fried rice cakes were an "ok" - tasty but overshadowed by everything else.  It was reminiscent of a non-spicy version of Korean rice cakes.  Not a favorite.

What was surprisingly most disappointing were the vegetables.  Our stir fried Chinese spinach were tasty but the vegetables were too old and overly fibrous.  To Kitty's credit, she tried to salvage it with a quick stir fry which made it more tasty but did nothing to revive the old stems.  The make up dish of shrimp paste water convulvus was better but a little too salty as a last dish, when we had run out of rice and congee.  Oh well, but it was a nice gesture though.

Bad reviews of this place seems to have stopped from about 2 years ago.  And with this experience, I can see why.  Despite the distance, it is worth the trudge (it really isn't so bad once you've figured out how to get there), and Kitty is worth supporting.  And she is great to talk to too!  About food of course..

G/F, 34 Tin Ha Wan Village
Tseung Kwan O
Tel: +852-27013136