We started with a number of appetizers, and actually had to cancel one or two for fear of over-ordering.

Malantou (馬蘭頭, chopped Indian aster and tofu) - I thought it would be interesting to introduce this dish to people who aren't Shanghainese, as it's really not easy to find this outside of Hong Kong. The flavors are so distinctive and refreshing.

Smoked duck egg (薰蛋) - halved with wonderful yolk, the smoky flavor was a bit lighter than I would have preferred. But it's been a while since I've had this so I was pretty happy.

Pig trotter jelly (肴肉) - this was pretty good since it's not as salty. The trotter meat was delicious and there was enough gelatin to make the texture interesting.

Drunken pigeon (醉鴿) - very nicely done here, both in terms of the presentation as well as the taste. The meat was very tender, and the taste of the Huadiao (花雕) wine was good without being overwhelming.

Strange flavor chicken (怪味雞) - spicy and very much atypical in terms of Shanghainese tastes.

Stir-fried freshwater shrimp (清炒蝦仁) - the shrimps were medium-sized and not as small as some of the ones you'd find at other restaurants, but it was still nicely done.

Honey-soaked ham (蜜汁火腿) - now this is something I haven't had for ages! The slice of ham was paired with a piece of deep-fried tofu skin, then sandwiched between the two halves of a steamed bun. Not bad at all. We should probably have had left the plate on the table, so that I could dip the bun into the sweet and sticky syrup...

Stir-fried freshwater eel (炒鱓糊) - the classic Shanghainese dish where the eel is shredded and stir-fried with yellowed garlic chives (韭黃).

Fish fillet in rice wine (糟溜魚片) - one of my favorite fish courses in Shanghainese cuisine, this is prepared with lots of starch (which both coats the slices of fish and makes up the sauce) and some Chinese wine. The accompanying jelly ear fungus (黑木耳) adds a contrasting texture to the fish.

Stir-fried crab with rice cake and edamame (毛豆年糕炒蟹) - the sweet taste of the sauce and the sweet crab went very well together.

Raw-fried buns (生煎包) - a nice way to finish the meal, and I couldn't resist having two of these...

For dessert we had the usual glutinous rice balls in fermented rice wine (酒釀丸子), and much to my surprise my stomach wasn't on the verge of bursting. I think our host ordered very well.

original blogpost with notes on wine: http://chi-he-wan-le.blogspot.com/2009/03/hk-chowdown.html

We started with a quartet of appetizers: vegetarian goose (素鵝, deep-fried tofu skin), kaofu (烤麩, another tofu variant) with mushrooms, asparagus lettuce slices (萵筍) and deep-fried freshwater eel (炸鱔魚). These are all comfort food for me, and things that I'd order at any Shanghainese meal.

There was a request for smoked chicken (燻雞) so we ordered one. I thought it was deliciously sweet while the smoky flavors were kinda nice. The crab stir-fried with egg yolk and rice crispies (蛋黃鍋巴炒蟹) was really nice. The crab was covered with a layer of salty, mushy egg yolk, as were the blocks of rice crispies. This is a very classic Shanghainese preparation.

We had a large pot of chicken soup with wontons (雞湯餛飩) - again a classic Shanghainese dish. I liked the wontons because they were a bit different - flatter than normal and a bit like the Taiwanese variety (扁食).

I ate very little of the sweet and sour fish (松子魚) because it really isn't my favorite. I must admit that the execution here was pretty good, even though I always found the dish to be very "gweilo/angmo." Instead I chose to save my stomach for some stir-fried leaf amaranth (清炒莧菜).

We then had a series of savory dim sums that loaded us up with carbs. First there was the deep-fried scallion cake (炸蔥油餅), which was of the chubby variety (instead of the flat, pancake-like variety.) This was deeped to be overly salty and therefore inedible, and was sent back to the kitchen. We got some homestyle pancakes (家常薄餅) as replacement, which were much more to my tastes.

There was also a basket of xiao long bao (小籠包, steamed pork buns). These looked really good, with the skins being very thin and the interior filled with natural juice from the pork. I said "looked really good" instead of "tasted really good" because I didn't have one. Someone (who shall remain nameless) decided to have two of these wonderful things, thereby depriving me of one in the process. Oh well...

The puff pastry stuffed with turnip (蘿蔔絲餅) was excellent. The exterior was perfectly crispy, while the shredded turnip inside were moist and not too salty. The pan-fried potstickers (鍋貼) were pretty good, again with good amount of juice sealed inside.

I think the bunch of dim sums really put us over the edge, so that we were too stuffed to have dessert. But I was happy...and glad to have gone back "home."

original blogpost: http://chi-he-wan-le.blogspot.com/2009/02/revisiting-old-friend.html

This was the last night that my friend would be in town, and I promised to take him to a Hong Kong institution - Sheung Hing Chiu Chow Restaurant (尚興潮州飯店). It's a well-known, local place (read: no decor nor service) which serves up simple and homey Chiuchow fare, together with some expensive seafood items.

We sat down on the ground floor at one of the three locations which are next to each other (No. 37), in full view of the chopping station. A couple of geese and a bunch of large crabs hung on the racks in front of the window, awaiting clients' orders.

We started with a cold crab (凍蟹) - one of the signatures of this place. We didn't get one of the big ones hanging in the window, since it wouldn't have made sense for the two of us. The captain was kind enough to persuade the guys at the chopping station to produce a smaller crab for us at half the price. A very straight forward dish - fresh seafood served cold so the texture and the sweetness of the flesh is just perfect. I didn't need to use the dipping sauce.

You can't come to a Chiuchow place without having some marinated mixed platter (鹵水拼盤). The goose was so-so today, with some pieces being a bit tough. The tofu was not bad - the skin was nice as it had been deep-fried before - but it was too salty from soaking up the soy sauce on the plate.

The big bowl of prawns with dishrag gourd (水瓜煮蝦) was very delicious. I never realized that there was a variant of my favorite ridged gourd (絲瓜), which is just as yummy. It's cooked in soup with minced pork and glass vermicelli along with some large prawns. The overall taste if very nice, and the addition of minced pork with the seafood seems like the classic Chiuchow touch.

One of the comments I had read online mentioned that this place doesn't know how to do fried oyster pancake (煎蠔餅) right, and I have to agree. It was simply too greasy and soggy. As soon as I had some of this, my stomach felt like it hit a brick wall and I felt really, really full. I wish it was more crispy and didn't soak up as much grease...

Despite being pretty full by this point, I decided to have some crispy pan-fried noodles (糖醋麵). The portion was HUGE. I guess since they want to charge HKD 50 and there's nothing but plain noodles (they throw in the vinegar and sugar for free), they need to make sure there's enough of it.... The noodle comes out in a giant "cake" and one side is crispy. Sprinkle some sugar and with a few drops of vinegar, you've got a pretty yummy product. I packed most of the noodles into a doggie bag so it won't go to waste.

Just when we thought we could fit nothing more into our stomachs, the waitress brought us bowls of mung bean soup (綠豆爽) as we were paying the bill. The husks have been removed so only the centers were used. Pretty decent.

Food was pretty good, but there were definitely some misses. Maybe I do need to come back with some friends with deep pockets to try the high-end dishes. Then I'll be able to judge whether it's worthwhile to spend money here. Service was non-existent as expected, but happily none of the staff was rude to us and chose to shout at each other instead. In fact the captain was pretty friendly to us, and gave us their business card so we could call ahead to book tables next time. Maybe I will...

original blogpost: http://chi-he-wan-le.blogspot.com/2009/02/hearty-meal-for-two.html

A dear friend of mine is in town for a couple of days, making his last rounds in Hong Kong before moving out of Asia. I agreed to hit some restaurants with him, and tonight it was Tim's Kitchen (桃花源). I haven't been back there for a few years, and now that the restaurant's received a coveted Michelin star, it was certainly time to pay another visit.

We took the earlier seating at 6:30pm, and I had pre-ordered all the dishes when the reservation was made. The small restaurant was mostly empty when I arrived, but would soon see most of the tables occupied.

We started with the stir-fried giant glass prawn (玻璃蝦球), which came with a small slice of Yunnan ham (金華火腿). One of the signature dishes at the restaurant, I actually thought it was slightly overcooked. It was just a teeny bit bland, so it's a good thing we've got the slice of ham and the shrimp paste.

A giant crab claw poached with winter melon (冬瓜蟹拑) arrived in front of me. Another signature dish of the restaurant, I chose the winter melon preparation instead of one steamed with egg custard or deep-fried. This was absolutely wondeful. The shell has been removed and more crab meat has been stuffed into the claw to make it extra plump. The flesh was tender, the starched sauce and winter melon made the flavors delicate.

Remembering a meal we had together in San Francisco where we had tripe at A16, I ordered stir-fried tripe with mixed vegetables (七彩炒肚尖). The tripe was fabulous - sooo crunchy and chewy. The mix of celery, red bell peppers, bamboo shoots, sweet pickles, Chinese parsley and pine nuts made for interesting textures as well as flavors.

Braised pomelo skin with shrimp roe (蝦子柚皮) is a humble but classic Cantonese dish, and they do it well here. Nice texture, and I eagerly scooped up the starchy sauce so I won't miss a bit of that wonderful shrimp roe.

I'm glad I decided to order only one fried pigeon (炸乳鴿) because it was pretty darn big one. Very yummy. Crispy, fragrant skin with just a bit of fat underneath to make it tasty. Lots of flavor here.

Thinking we have a bit more room, I ordered one bowl of the snake soup (太史五蛇羹) to share. This was really nice, starting with the excellent knife work that one sees immediately. Light and delicate flavors, enhanced by the usual condiments. One of the best snake soups I've had, but I confess I am no connoisseur...

I'm feeling full by now, and decide not to order any dessert. This has been a wonderful meal, because the food has been really well-prepared and at the same time very simple and straight forward. With the simple decor and the ho-hum service, the quality of the food really stood out, and the Michelin star is well-deserved

The theme of the dinner was...cheese! Anyone who has been to Caprice would probably have been introduced to their amazing cheese selection, many of which have been sourced from the famous affineur Bernard Antony. Nowadays the restaurant has a cheese room where Jeremy the maître d' stores his precious babies.

We nibble on some cheesy puff pastry, as well as a plate of jamon iberico. What a nice way to start dinner... After chatting for a while, we finally moved to the chef's table behind the kitchen, where we had direct access to the aforementioned cheese room.

We started with an amuse bouche of tuna - raw and seared tuna with some black olive dressing. The flavors from the herbs on top worked to balance things out.

Next came a platter of 4 cheeses, each paired with a different wine to compliment the flavors:

Galet de Bigorre - from the département of Hautes-Pyrénées, this was a very creamy and smooth goat cheese, with nutty flavors and a slightly bitter aftertaste.

Chaource - from the département of Aube southeast of Paris, this was first salty then a little acidic on the palate. Very nutty. The flavors were really enhanced by the Champagne, as the acidity and the carbonation neutralized the salty taste.

Colombier Fermier - this Burgundian cheese starts with a touch of salt, followed by a little acidity and then, amazingly, a sweet aftertaste in the mouth.

Tomme de Brebis Corse Bio - this organic cheese from Corsica had a distinctive smoky nose, and the flavors were a bit mild and slightly acidic. Thi was also paired with some fig jam.

We took a break from the cheese, and had some delicious leg of lamb. The Pyrénées lamb was fed on freshly sprouted leaves of grass. The meat was pink and tender, and just fatty enough to have that distinctive flavor. The exterior has been rubbed with some rosemary for the classic combination. We also had some salad and a delicious helping of orzo, cooked Provençale-style with black olives, zucchini and red peppers.

Unfortunately, I'm pretty stuffed at this point...as was most of the party. I wasn't able to finish the lamb, as I wanted to save room for some more cheese.

Time for the second platter, which again consisted of 4 different types of cheese individually paired with wines. The flavors of these would be much stronger than the first four.

Mimolette extra vieille - from memory this is aged for 18 months. I have always liked this cheese, but today I would experience a revelation.

Munster - this wasn't the average Munster that you'd find in your supermarket. From the Alsatian département of Haut-Rhin, this was a pretty stinky and salty cheese. The nose reminded me of Chinese fermented tofu (腐乳), or even a little bit of durian...

Comté - my favorite cheese at Caprice. This has been aged for 4 years, and Jeremy tells us that he's got the last two wheels produced in 2004 by his supplier. He is looking to age some for an additional year and see what it would taste like. We watched him use a steel wire contraption to cut a slice from the wheel, and I realized that what's he's holding in his hands is actually a garotte that is capable of decapitating someone...but enough about that. Love the intense flavor and the crystalline salt here.

Roquefort Le Vieux Berger - very strong blue cheese from sheep's milk made by one of the few producer who isn't part of the Société. I only nibbled a little bit as I'm almost bursting by now.

Some of the group also sampled the wonderful Epoisses. Unfortunately I just didn't think I could take it. I was content to have a double espresso to help with my digestion...

This was an awesome dinner. We were able to sample the best selection of cheese from Caprice, and given the quality of their goods that is saying a lot! Now that I know it's possible to plan a dinner entirely revolving around fine cheeses (and wines of course!) I look forward to returning for another round... perhaps in a different season in order to get some different varieties.

original blogpost with notes on wine pairing: http://chi-he-wan-le.blogspot.com/2009/02/cheesy-dinner.html

This meal was on the VIP floor (4th floor).

One always starts a meal at Yung Kee with some century eggs (糖心皮蛋). These things may look gross to some people, especially those who aren't Chinese, but it's kinda like manna from heaven for those who have acquired the taste.

Right off the bat we were served the dish that we came for: fatty char siu (肥窿叉燒). This was pretty awesome stuff. The pork had lots of fat, both on the edges as well as in the middle, like five layered pork (五花肉) but without the top layer of skin. The roasting process caramelized the fat, which makes it very, very delicious. The taste is similar to that of roast pork jerky (豬肉乾) that one finds in Taiwan or Singapore. This was a good start.

Next came the most expensive dish of the meal - freshwater shrimp stir-fried with crab roe (禮云河蝦). The shrimps were tender and bouncy, while the crab roe was creamy and delicious.

I had pre-ordered the double-boiled roast duck soup with Chinese parsley and preserved orange rind (香茜陳皮燉鴨湯), and they decided to give us half a duck since there were only four of us. I guess they have no idea of the voracious appetite of this group... Anyway I still love the soup. It's a bowl full of the parsley and orange rind, but the flavor of the roast duck is already in the soup. We did end up having most of the duck meat that was served separately on a plate.

The steamed egg with conpoy (瑤柱水蒸蛋) is a real homey dish, although as someone remarked, you probably wouldn't add any soy sauce when you do this at home.

Another plate of stir-fried pea shoots (清炒豆苗) as it's still the veggie of the season.

Finally we have the stir-fried glutinous rice with winter meats (生炒臘味糯米飯). Now this is a place that knows how to get this right! The rice is relatively dry and chewy, and the grains stick together and don't fall apart when you pick them up with your chopsticks. The last few times I had this rice elsewhere have been a little disappointing, and I'm glad that Yung Kee still knows how to get it right.

For dessert I did not get my own bowl of red bean soup or black sesame soup, but I did have a few pieces of white sponge cake (白糖糕) as well as red bean cake with osmanthus (桂花紅豆糕).

original blogpost with notes on wine: http://chi-he-wan-le.blogspot.com/2009/02/tonight-we-had-cozy-gathering-of-ex.html

I went back to Cuisine Cuisine (國金軒) tonight for a gathering with some friends. The central location was ideal, and it has been a few months since my last visit, and I wanted to give it another try.

We started with deep-fried pig's intestine stuffed with glutinous rice (糯米炸釀大腸). Amazingly, my fellow Taiwanese friend didn't want any. I was somewhat surprised because the intestine was actually just a thin layer on the outside, rather than the thick and chewy ones that I am used to. This version was fairly similar to the glutinous rice sausage (糯米腸) that I would find at street markets in Taiwan, except that this is deep-fried instead of grilled.

Roasted crispy duck breast served with blinis (層餅脆皮燒鴨胸) was definitely a fusion dish. The duck breast was presented like one would expect in a typical French restaurant - magret de canard - except that it was prepared with Chinese spices and served with steamed Chinese blinis. The breast was well-done like the Chinese normally do, instead of being a little pink in the center as the French would do. I like it.

The braised eel with pomelo peel (柚皮風鱔煲) came in a claypot that contained lots of veggies and tofu skin. I'm not a big fan of big eel, but the veggies with the starchy sauce were pretty good.

I really liked the braised seasonal vegetables with bamboo pith and shrimp roe sauce (蝦籽竹笙扒時蔬). The seasonal veggie now is pea shoots (豆苗) which were delicious. What really made the dish was the addition of shrimp roe in the starched sauce, which transformed the dish from something ordinary to make it stand out. Shrimp roe is one of my favorite ingredients in Cantonese cuisine, as it is so intensely flavorful. Yummy!

The stir-fried glutinous rice with assorted preserved meats (生炒臘味糯米飯) was pretty yummy. The rice grains were still a bit soft but I didn't mind too much. I think I've been having this dish quite a few times this winter...

Just when we were getting full from the rice, our final dish arrived. Pan-fried rice vermicelli with beef brisket in curry sauce (咖喱牛坑腩煎米粉) is a dish that I keep ordering here. Somehow I just really like the combination of the pan-fried vermicelli and the curry sauce. Greasy, yes, but delishhhh!

We finished the meal with some pan-fried stuffed glutinous balls. I was pretty satisfied with the meal in general, and my only minor complaint is the corkage that we were charged. I'm sure I could get it waived once I become a frequent customer...

original blogpost with notes on wine: http://chi-he-wan-le.blogspot.com/2009/02/canto-with-twist.html

A new place opened in my neighborhood recently, so naturally I was eager to check it out, especially since it's supposed to be a good place for comfort food. Gusto is apparently opened by the people behind Volar, so expectations are that it would be kinda hip.

The space is pretty small, although there is a second floor. In fact it feels like a bar, with banquettes, bar stools and high tables. We were seated are one of the regular tables where I spent a couple of hours in a backless chair (there was some cushioning against my lower back) and my friend sat on the banquette. The square table between us was so ridiculously small the waiters soon realized that they had to give us an extra table in order to fit the third dish, since the two of us were sharing and not having individual dishes. We really couldn't understand why they didn't see fit to give us a couple of more inches on either side of the table...

We ordered 3 starters and 2 "main courses" to share:

Macaroni with 3-cheese gratin - I love mac'n'cheese, and one with a crust would be even better. This is nice but a bit dry, and I wish it were more creamy and cheesy. The crust does make it more interesting, though.

Skewered scallops with chorizo - classic combination of scallops paired with pork. The presentation here is kinda Japanese. The chunks of chorizo were nice and spicy, and the chewy texture provided a nice contrast to the tender scallops.

The chicken wings were interesting because they took each wing apart and prepared them separately. The marinate provided some nice flavors, with rosemary showing prominently. It would be even better if the flavors had reached the meat on the inside, but this is still pretty yummy. Ranch dressing was OK, but we were bemoaning the absence of celery and carrot sticks...

We wanted to try the ratatouille with cous cous since it most certainly will not show up on the menu of fine dining restaurants. This was OK but could use some tweaking. First of all the ratatouille itself is not watery enough, and could use more tomato. The serving of cous cous suffered from being too dry at the top, while the middle and bottom of the heap was OK.

The last dish was probably my favorite - rigatoni bolognese. The tube pasta was cooked well with just a hint of chewiness for that al dente touch. The beef ragù was nice with some chewy lumps, and it was on the drier side so easy to pick up with a fork. Homey comfort food indeed.

We couldn't resist ordering the Nutella panini, even though we were both pretty full. This was a bit of a let-down. Yes, the Nutella was nice, especially after being heated. But they shouldn't have used thick, hard panini. We both thought that very thin slices of toast (crusts cut off) would have been perfect. Oh well.

I'm pretty glad that I have a new neighborhood restaurant that I can go to, in addition to all the other good casual places around. The food is decent and I'm sure that I'll pop in once in a while to get my fix on something. But I wonder whether I would make many return visits if I lived elsewhere and had to jump into a car to get here...

original blogpost with notes on wine: http://chi-he-wan-le.blogspot.com/2009/02/mucho-gusto.html

The food was pretty decent and interesting. We started with aragosta e fegato d'oca in albanella affumicata. Lobster and pan-fried foie fras is indeed an interesting combination, made even more interesting by being smoked in a jar. Seems like lots of restaurants in town are "smoking" their dishes these days... Later on the chef came to show us the contraption that he made to inject the smoke into the jars, and he is apparently selling these things!

Capesante ai tre modicon tartufo, caviale e fegato d'oca was an interesting presentation of three scallops, each prepared differently. The first one with saffron sauce with caviar seemed to be alright, but the one with foie gras was much better, as the creamy sweetness of the foie blended well with the taste of the scallop. The truffle flavor dominated the last scallop, and the pancetta was pretty nice.

I really liked the risotto ai porcini, bigolo con puttanesca all agnello because I have never had pasta presented this way before. The risotto with porcini and truffle was OK - al dente but a little dry for my liking. It was the bigolo that really caught my interest. Not only was the textur of the pasta interesting, the strong flavors of the lamb were also amazing. I looove lamb, and this was so tasty that I wish I could just eat this all night!

The main course of cosatata brasata e guancia di wagyu su polenta al tartufo in salsa ai vini was pretty rich, as both pieces came from wagyu. The beef cheek was as expected - soft enough to melt in your mouth - and topped with some foam. The short ribs were also very tender, served on top of some truffled polenta that was just fragrantly delicious.

5 different types of cheese comprise the formaggi selezionati, each paired with its own different housemade jam. The ubriaco was interesting in that it was covered with grape must so that the flavors of the wine soaked into the cheese. The pecorino was nice, and the 36-month parmigiano was very good.

original blogpost with notes on wine: http://chi-he-wan-le.blogspot.com/2009/02/dinner-with-antinori.html

Another Friday Lunch Club gathering - the first for the Year of the Ox. Appropriately a steakhouse was chosen as the venue, and we visited Dakota Prime for the first time. I had heard a lot of good things about this place, both from friends as well as some reviews on the internet, so I was pretty eager to try it for myself.

The 3-course set lunch was a real bargain, and I decided (for once) to go the cheap route and did not upgrade to a better cut of beef. All my research told me that the meat was good even with the cheap cuts...

I started with the mini lump crab cake crayfish remoulade. It is indeed very mini, but I thought it was pretty well done. It was mostly crab meat, and you can really taste it. There was a good amount of seasoning so the natural sweetness isn't as prominent. The capsicum purée around the crab cake provided the sweetness to balance the savory flavors of the crab. A good start to the meal.

The grilled USDA Prime flat iron steak - at 10oz a pretty decent size for lunch - was as good as other netizens claimed. Even though it's not a fillet, strip or ribeye, it's still marbled enough to be classified as USDA Prime. I asked for medium rare, and what I got was slightly more done than I wanted, but it was still very juicy and tender. In fact with every cut made by my Laguiole knife, more jus came running out of the steak... Surprisingly it was the center of the steak that was more done than the edges. But honestly, I'm not going to complain given the price that I'm paying here. The roasted potatoes were very good, as was the side of sautéed onions, tomato and red peppers. The tiny sauce pan came with (what else?) some sauce that seemed to be based on tomatoes and peppers, which was a lighter alternative to the classic Béarnaise.

I actually finished the steak without feeling stuffed, which was quite a surprise. Maybe all the eating I've done in the last 2 months has stretched my stomach? I was actually pretty eager to dig into the Anjou pear poached in red wine and raspberry sauce. Someone remarked that the pear slices - dyed red on the outer edge while the inner edge remained a little white - resembled slices of char siu (叉燒)... Well...they kinda do. Anyway the pear was delicious, with a bit of orange flavor on top of the obvious raspberry. It was gone in no time.

It was a really good lunch, and one that was extremely good value for money. I was completely satiated, not stuffed to the point of discomfort, and no "food coma" ensued - much to my amazement. I would definitely return very soon to try out the other cuts of beef, as well as the burger...drool...