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2010-08-05
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1st of all, apologies if anyone felt slightly offended by my previous reviews preceding this one as it probably went a bit overboard with the Subject Title ~ its just that a friend and I were on the phone sharing our usual wicked sense of humour whilst discussing the Miss HK Pageant Contest outcome and what's the point of it nowadays, when no one really pays attention to nor remember the winners names! Well thinking it was Monday, when I hardly ever get recommendation, I thought it'll be hila
NOREN to me is a fairly special shop. Though 'Noren' in Japanese could mean the fabric dividers which adorn the shop front, its modern day meaning can also encompass the meaning of the Goodwill of a Business. The Japanese Boss is quite a special gentleman, the business model seems a bit out of the norm from whichever angle you approach it ~ despite advertising itself as a お食事処 which normally serves ordinary everyday meals, where customers revitalise their stamina for the rest of the day/night, there is actually nothing very ordinary about Noren.
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豚丼 -
One of 2 signature dishes, the pork meat is selected from the loin section along the back well known for fatty marbling and tenderness. The 3 pieces of imported Japanese Pork are grilled slightly and together with its balanced cooking sauce makes for a formidable combination when combined with the pearl rice underneath.
This method of topping a 豚丼 with large thick slices of loin meat is rare to find even within Japan. Although not entirely cooked to perfection as they can be slightly over-grilled and borderline dryish, the beautifully sweet sauce and that good pork flavour still managed to impress! The small detail of a seemingly non belonging Shishito green pepper somehow lifted the bowl to another level in terms of elegance. What's interesting is that instead of 紅生姜 (Red Ginger), the boss decided to pair the donburi with a 生姜の甘酢漬け (Vinegar Pickled Ginger), the type usually associated with eating sushi. Whether its because he aimed to take a bold approach and went down the unconventional path and own special interpretation or just to satisfy us Hong Kong customers, which reminds one of HK Yoshinoya which has changed to the same over the years - you will need to ask him directly for the ultimate answer. 4.2 / 5
焼咖哩漢堡飯 (焼きカレーハンバーグセット) -
焼きカレー is the latest fad and has been all the rage in Specialty Curry Houses in Japan for the last couple of years. Unfortunately, somehow Hong Kong never caught on with this idea somehow as I have yet to see this offered in other local Japanese restaurants, even including the newly opened Coco Ichibanya serving the more typically traditional curry dishes. This also brings you back to my point when I felt the Japanese owner here is not as simple as it appears on the surface. He somehow understood full well and had planned well ahead with his two main weapons in this shop, aiming them at that missing niche market in Hong Kong. Perhaps its because he loves these 2 dishes a lot himself and got frustrated at not finding them locally, not forgetting he also has a rare to find curry soup on the menu? Its certainly not that simple a 食事処 if we think about it. I mean even his choice of pickles falls somewhere outside the norm expected.
The Yaki-Curry however kind of disappointed in a way, because the delectable versions I ate in Japan are baked in proper Terracotta dishes like those used in Spanish or African cuisines, not the 上海街特產 '十蚊兜' stainless steel baking dishes. They are also supposed to be more salamander Top Grill Gratinated to form a slightly Browned skin on top, rather than overall radiant heat baked in a convection oven, which will make it more baked than grilled... The curry sauce was thickish, which is technically correct, but it lacks a complex spice layering influence minus the heat which makes for a good Japanese curry. It tasted just like those roasty Yokohama ready-made curry powders or blocks. The cheese slices were Kraft commercial quality, the so called Pork Hamburger ordinary, a very dense compacted cake of white meat rather than higher quality ones made from that mixture of really great quality, fluffily soft 挽き肉 consisting of both pork and beef. I must say I had real trouble appreciating this 2nd signature dish of Noren ~ it is not remotely as good compared to the best Yaki-Curry dishes offered in modern curry houses in Japan! 2.8 / 5
薯仔沙律 (ポテトサラダ - 北海道産ポテト使用) -
Again, what surprised me was that this ain't no ordinary Potato Salad. Its becoming clear to me by this point that perhaps Noren's boss is kind of like me, slightly rebellious in nature! Normal Japanese potato salads are usually less chunky and mixed in with some thinly sliced cucumbers and carrots with Japanese mayonnaise. The one here is completely opposite, it is partially mashed but mostly remaining in whole chunky pieces, with a lazy dollop of mayo slopped on top. This ingenius execution idea might have worked really well if the Hokkaido potato carries a lot of potato taste, but unfortunately and we were flabbergasted that its sterile and plain somewhat in potato taste, lacking that depth of balmy or earthy flavouring. I actually quite liked this cooking recipe idea and also appreciate the fact the boss imported these Hokkaido potatoes ~ yet, the mouthfeel doesn't lie and I found it to be ultimately lacking that genuine potato taste. Its a shame isn't it ?.. 3.0 / 5
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Summary:
A lovely little Japanse eatery which after two visits, I had really come to appreciate rather than falling in love with at this stage. I really enjoyed their Pork Rice (if it could just be cooked a little softer and moist!), I liked the fact they are probably the first shop to have introduced Yaki-Curry to Hong Kong, but overall that dish has lots of improvements to be made..
I felt the Owner is probably hoping to make his bold statement by opening his shop right opposite that locally operated 萬豚屋 which has a perennial queue lining outside, which happens to serve similar food in terms of pork, udon and curries as a theme. But who's to say, as everyone has differing opinions ~ not only between different eaters but also between the proprietor and the customers. May be I came carrying my own expectations from this little food shop but whether the owner ends up listening to my opinion in the end, is probably not really relevant, right?
张贴
