PawPrints in Pizza Sauce: Hong Kong November 2010

Showing posts with label Hong Kong November 2010. Show all posts

Tuesday, 25 October 2011

Wah Fung Restaurant @ Central, Hong Kong

We stumbled upon this restaurant while looking for breakfast options. Apparently it's famous for roast meats but we didn't know that and just went in for some classic Hong Kong style breakfast.

Iced Coffee

Luncheon Meat + Fried Egg on Polo Pau

This classic combo of luncheon meat and fried egg with yolk waiting to ooze out can never go wrong. Sandwiched between a Polo Pau aka Pineapple Bun (ingredients do not include pineapple, it is just shaped like a pineapple), the taste was absolutely delicious. The sweetness and crispiness of the Polo Pau really complemented the savoury filling, much better than plain buttered toast.

L: Char Siu Macaroni, R: Fried Eggs on Buttered Toast

Did not really try these but macaroni is the usual cheesy salty kind one usually encounters in Hong Kong and fried eggs and toast is a no-brainer.

Char Siu Instant Noodles

Usual instant noodles with the addition of fried egg and char siu. Wasn't too bad.

Pork Chop and Ham Scrambled Egg Toast Set

Pork chop for breakfast? O.O Yup, you saw right =) Goes really well with the tomato based gravy. Eaten together with a piece of buttered toast and a mouthful of scrambled egg and ham, it makes me feel so contented <head in the clouds> Of course this is not an everyday breakfast but if you're looking for something to fill you up for a hectic day, this dish is the one <thumbs-up>

Ham and Fried Eggs Toast Set

Didn't try these but don't think the taste will vary much...at least you're guaranteed of no unpleasant surprises =P

Sorry, no price indicated as starting a food blog was the last thing on our minds then =P But it wasn't too expensive - average, I'd say. This is the last of our Hong Kong food posts. Hope you enjoyed them =)

PawPoints: 3 Paws

Wah Fung Restaurant
Central MTR Exit D2
112 - 114 Wellington Street
Central
Hong Kong

Tel: 2544 3466
Daily: 7am - 10pm

Thursday, 22 September 2011

Tai Hing Roast @ Citygate Outlets, Hong Kong

I was wondering how we were going to slot Tai Hing Roast into our trip as all meal slots seemed to be taken up but luckily we spotted a branch at the Food Republic of Citygate Outlets and so wasted no time in hurrying over to order the roast meats =P

We both had the Two Roast Combination and among the choices of roast meats were BBQ pork (aka char siu), roast pork (aka siu yuk), roast suckling pig (aka yu chu), roast goose (aka siu ngor,) plain chicken, supreme soy sauce chicken, squid, pork knuckle and red sausage.

Roast Pork + Roast Suckling Pig Combo (HKD 44)

Roast pork had an extremely crispy skin and the meat was lean with appropriate amount of fat.
Roast suckling pig also had an extremely crispy skin with lots of fatty meat.

BBQ Pork + Roast Goose Combo (HKD 44)

BBQ pork was well grilled and flavourful.
Roast goose was juicy with a slightly crisp skin.

Overall, the roast meats we chose were really good, much better than the local versions and of course back home, you can't even find small pieces of roast suckling pig for sale individually. I felt that the price was a bit steep for roast meats. Nevertheless, I'm glad we went to Tai Hing just to have the siu yuk and roast suckling pig =)

PawPoints: 4 Paws

Tai Hing Roast Restaurant
Tung Chung MTR Exit C
Counter R1, Food Republic
Shop 261-270, Level 2
Citygate Outlets
20 Tat Tung Road
Tung Chung
Hong Kong
Tel: 2109 2208
Daily: 10.30am - 10.30pm

Wednesday, 21 September 2011

Dim Sum @ Maxim's Palace, Hong Kong

What a posh place! It was a ballroom full of hanging crystal chandeliers and elegant tableware. The dim sum were more daintily made than usual but not to the extent of fine dining daintiness. Taste-wise, it was good but not extraordinarily outstanding. I wish we had gone to sample Tim Ho Wan, the world's cheapest Michelin-starred restaurant, for comparison =(

Char Siu Bao

Scallop Cheong Fun

Prawn Cheong Fun

Steamed Vegetarian Dumpling

Beef Cheong Fun

Steamed Beef Balls

Har Gau aka Prawn Dumpling

Steamed Pork Ribs with Black Bean Sauce

Wu Kok aka Yam Puff

Char Siu Sou aka Char Siu in Chinese Puff Pastry

Fried Custard Dumpling

A few blogs have commented on the confusing directions in getting to City Hall where Maxim's Palace is located at and I have to agree too. Also note that the ballroom is located on the upper levels of City Hall so do not mistake the cafe bearing a similar name on the ground floor as serving dim sum =)

PawPoints: 3 Paws

Maxim's Palace

Central MTR Exit J / Hong Kong MTR Exit A
2nd Floor, Low Block
City Hall
5-7 Edinburgh Place
Central
Hong Kong
Tel: 2521 1303
Mon - Sat: 11am - 3pm, 5.30pm - 10.30pm
Sun: 9.30am - 3pm, 5.30pm - 10.30pm

Tuesday, 20 September 2011

Tsui Wah Restaurant @ Causeway Bay, Hong Kong

We had our 1st meal since we touched down at Tsui Wah Restaurant as recommended by the concierge at our hotel. It is a typical Char Chan Theng with prompt service and was packed with customers when we reached.

Shop Front

Herbal Tea

Iced Coffee

Fishball Noodle Soup

JS ordered the Fishball Noodle Soup which I found surprising since we're at Hong Kong, not Ipoh! But after reading some reviews on Tsui Wah recently, I found that it's actually the trademark dish! JS, do you have some sensitive nose or something?

The kuey teow (aka hor fun) noodles were slimmer than those served back at Malaysia and were quite nice according to JS. He also thought that the soup was flavourful but had a bit too much MSG in it. The fish balls and fish cake were fresh and bouncy.

Stewed Pork Ribs Noodles

Looked very yummy and tempting but I didn't try it =( Looks like it can be replicated at home with Maggi Mee though =P

Pork Chop Bun

The Pork Chop Bun was quite yummy with juicy meat, mayonnaise and fluffy flour-dusted buns.

Beef Fried Rice

This is one of the star dishes we had. Very fragrant fried rice with fluffy rice grains coated with sufficient oil and eggy bits. The beef added a robust flavour to the yummy fried rice. I wonder why is it that I still can't replicate Hong Kong-style fluffy fried rice at home T__T

Beef in Tomato Sauce Rice

This is also another yummy dish. The beef is really tender and the scrambled eggs is similar to Australia Dairy's, very fluffy and light and both absorbed the flavours of the tomato sauce fully, making it a very appetising and mouth-watering dish that goes well with rice.

PawPoints: 4 Paws

http://www.tsuiwahrestaurant.com/eng/menu_e.html

Tsui Wah Restaurant
Causeway Bay MTR Exit D1
Ground Floor
483-499, Jaffe Road
Causeway Bay
Hong Kong
Tel: 2892 2633
Daily: 24 hours

Sunday, 18 September 2011

Congee @ Sang Kee Coffee Shop, Hong Kong

We originally came here to try their famous Dace Ball and Beef Congee but when we reached the shop around 9.30am, we were told it wasn't ready yet. Nevertheless, we decided to stay to try the other congee varieties as there were lots of newspaper review clippings taped to the shop's window. The shop was packed with people and it took a while to get a table to fit 6 of us.

Yau Char Kwai aka Chinese Cruellers (HKD 5)

As is the norm, we ordered some Yau Char Kwai (aka Chinese Cruellers) as accompaniment to the congee. They were very fresh and crispy but not extraordinary.

Hong Kong Style Milk Tea

Some of us ordered a cup of Hong Kong's famous See Mat Nai Cha which translates literally to Stocking Milk Tea, indicating the silkyness and smoothness of the milk tea. The tea was very concentrated with a strong tea taste which no amount of sugar and milk can help dilute. It does take some getting used to but I think it'll taste nice after your tastebuds have adapted to it. The long teaspoon looked like it belonged more in a glass of cold milk tea than on the saucer =P

Sliced Beef and Pork Ball Congee

Unfortunately, we were too busy digging into our respective congee to snap pictures of the other varieties -_-"
I had the Pork Ball and Fish Ball Congee and it came in a bowl smaller than a ramen bowl but bigger than the small orders you get at Sushi Zanmai. The congee was very smooth and the rice grains were all boiled down to a concentrated swirly mixture as Hong Kong congees usually are.

The pork balls and fish balls were HUGE and I'm not exaggerating here...they're the size of ping pong balls! I think I was given 3 pork balls and 4 fish balls so imagine 7 ping pong balls in your tummy lol. The pork balls were very compact, full of minced porky goodness and very flavourful. The fish balls, on the other hand, were translucent in colour and very pasty. I wasn't a big fan of it.

The congee comes with an individual serving of ginger slices and spring onion in superior soy sauce. It was served in a tiny bowl smaller than the average rice bowl and you can opt to pour as much as you like into the bowl of already flavourful congee. Check out the picture below for a (blur) picture of the condiments.

Condiments *taken from OpenRice

All in all, the congee was good, serving was large as is typical in Hong Kong and meatballs were huge. It was a shame we weren't able to try the famed Dace Ball and Beef Congee.

PawPoints: 4 Paws

Sang Kee Coffee Shop
Sheung Wan MTR Exit A2
7-9 Burd Street
Sheung Wan
Hong Kong
Tel: 2541 1099
Mon - Sat: 7am - 9pm

Friday, 16 September 2011

Wantan Mee @ Tsim Chai Kee, Hong Kong

On our last day in Hong Kong, we hopped over to Tsim Chai Kee to try their legendary wantan mee. The shop at Central is warm and cosy unlike the other slightly rundown versions of famous Char Chan Thengs in Hong Kong. Clean wooden tables and stools greeted us as we stepped in.

Prawn Dumpling Noodles (HKD 16)

Portions were much bigger compared to Mak's Noodles and the prawn dumplings given were huge in size, much larger than the typical wantans in Malaysia. They were also fresh and full of flavour. The noodles were good and sufficiently springy although they turned a little soggy towards the end (maybe it's because I'm a slow-eater =P). There was a slight alkali aftertaste though. The broth was a little cloudy but still full of prawny and porky essence. A little saltier compared to Mak's though. I felt the abundant chopped spring onions detracted the flavour of the soup a little...a sprinkling of chopped scallions is good, a handful of them is not -_-"

To be honest, Mak's was of higher quality - springier noodles, crunchier prawn dumplings and clear broth with the right amount of seasoning - but I would definitely return to Tsim Chai Kee as the difference in quality is minimal and they serve a much larger portion at a much lower price.

PawPoints: 4 Paws

Tsim Chai Kee
Central MTR Exit D2
98 Wellington Street
Central
Hong Kong
Tel: 2850 6471
Daily: 9am - 10pm

Thursday, 15 September 2011

Mak's Noodles @ The Peak Galleria, Hong Kong

We were pleasantly surprised to find Mak's Noodles at The Peak as we planned to go to the main shop at Central so without having to worry about overpriced, touristy food at The Peak, we headed in to Mak's. Not to say that Mak's isn't touristy with its expensive price tag and unbelievably small bowl of wantan noodles but at least it came with the guarantee of being delicious =P All 6 of us had the trademark Prawn Wantan Noodles which costs HKD 28 per bowl.

Prawn Wantan Noodles (HKD 28)

All wantan noodles come in one size only - small =.= Each bowl is the size of the average rice bowl so you can imagine the amount of noodles it can contain. Each serving comes with three prawn wantans so I guess that kind of makes up for it. The portion is actually just nice, sufficient to fill you up but not to the maximum level of fullness. Guys might have to order two bowls though =P

The wantan noodles were very delicious, definitely not overrated. The noodles were springy and fresh with no jelak aftertaste. The soup was very clear and full of prawn essence. The prawn dumplings boiled in stock were fresh and crunchy. "How can prawn dumplings be crunchy?" you ask. Well, I'm not too sure myself -_-" I guess the prawns must be really fresh to actually be bouncy and crunchy haha. The wantan skin was paper thin which added to its crunchyness.

Watch this space for our review on Tsim Chai Kee - Mak's Noodles' competitor <dundundun> :D

PawPoints: 4 Paws

Mak's Noodles
Central MTR Exit J2, Peak Tram Lower Terminus
Shop 1, Ground Floor
The Peak Galleria
118 Peak Road
The Peak
Hong Kong
Tel: 2854 3871
Daily: 10am - 10pm

Monday, 12 September 2011

Monster Burger @ Hong Kong

Ah Monster Burger! It was an accidental find. We had initially wanted to go for Roast Pigeon at Tai Ping Koon Restaurant but we were short of time as it takes one hour (!) to cook the tiny pigeon =.= Also, the price was exorbitant...about HKD 60 for half a pigeon but I guess it was to be expected since the restaurant exuded old world charm and all the potential customers seated looked posh and important (well if they didn't have to work on a Friday, they must be quite rich =P).

Anyway I'm rambling about our adventures again =P So out the door we went and we decided to stop at this tiny outlet called Monster Burger. To be honest, the name attracted me first, followed by proclamations that they sell pork burger <grins>

Pork Chop Crunch Burger Set (HKD 43)

The Pork Chop Crunch Burger came with a thick and juicy, slightly sizzling, crispy slab of pork chop wedged between two heavily dotted sesame buns. I think it was slathered with Thousand Island sauce and fibre sources came from onions, tomatoes and shredded cabbage.

If the burger doesn't wow you, the chips that came with the set definitely will. Hot and crispy, there was a hint of Cajun seasoning on the thick cut fries. The chips were very fresh and you can taste real fluffy potato within. I, who was coming up with a sore throat, couldn't resist the fries at all. Both JS and I agreed that this is the best fries we ever ate <four thumbs-up> :D

Juicy monstrous burger

I'd say it beats even Grill'd from Australia with the juicy burgers and crispy yet fluffy chips.

Monster Burger Creature *taken from OpenRice

PawPoints: 5 Paws

Monster Burger

Central MTR Exit D2
21 Stanley Street
Central
Hong Kong
Tel: 2526 1526

Sunday, 11 September 2011

Egg Tarts @ Tai Cheong Bakery, Hong Kong

Did some research and found that this place serves awesome egg tarts! The bakery itself goes way back, more than 50 years if I'm not wrong. The route to the bakery however is treacherous >.< We had to hike up super steep slopes but thankfully it was located just a few roads away from the MTR station. I think the walk helps to gear you up in anticipation of the wonderful egg tarts =P Bad point: you feel hungry after making it back to the main road =.=

Piping hot egg tarts

Close-up of egg tart (HKD 5)

The freshly baked egg tarts were wonderful, the smell absolutely fragrant, the tart buttery, the egg custard silky smooth and eggy <two thumbs-up!>

We actually returned to the shop again on our last day in Hong Kong just to sample those divine egg tarts once more <drools thinking about them now> I can guarantee no place in Malaysia makes egg tarts as good as Tai Cheong's. Apart from egg tarts, the bakery also sells a variety of buns and Chinese pastries. They also have packaged items such as Hong Kong egg rolls which we bought as souvenirs.

PawPoints: 5 Paws

http://www.taicheongbakery.com/tc/

Tai Cheong Bakery
Central MTR Exit C
35 Lyndhurst Terrace

Central
Hong Kong

Tel: 2544 3475
Daily: 7.30am - 9pm

Saturday, 10 September 2011

Australia Dairy Company @ Jordan, Hong Kong

What a deceiving name! One would have thought this place serves Western food instead of it being a Char Chan Theng aka HK-style coffeeshops. Nevertheless since it was famous for its silky smooth Zhong Nai aka Steamed Milk as well as Scrambled Eggs, we headed to Jordan for a meal before going to watch the Symphony of Lights at Tsim Sha Tsui. Pleased be warned that the staff are well known for not being polite...We experienced it first hand... =(

Steamed Milk (HKD 20)

The signature dish was indeed very smooth and creamy with a hint of ginger taste.

Scrambled Eggs & Cheese Toast

Another trademark dish and it was every bit as good as I imagined. The bread was toasted just nice and complemented the scrambled eggs and cheese perfectly.
I have to give the scrambled eggs alone a 5 Paws rating as they were firm with multiple layers of egg and a moist, ever so slightly runny center. No hint of pepper which, to my surprise since I love black pepper, suited it just fine as it was very flavourful with a hint of butter.

Scrambled Eggs & Ham Toast

This is another version of the scrambled egg toast with an addition of a slice of ham. Think it was pork ham which was very yummy with the scrambled egg. Totally felt like we were eating breakfast when in actual fact, we were there for dinner =P

PawPoints: 4 Paws

Australia Dairy Company
Jordan MTR Exit C2
47-49 Parkes Street
(Off Austin Road / Nathan Road)
Jordan
Hong Kong
Tel: 2730 1356
Daily: 7.30am - 11pm