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2019-06-28
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Dai pai dongs are outdoor street restaurants that used to be found throughout Hong Kong. Sitting in semi permanent tables a chairs where there is no air conditioning and absolutely filthy conditions, you will hear the loud sound of the fire hitting the wok as the food is cooking away. Something called wok-hei in Cantonese. These restaurants opened late into the night and was filled with people, happily eating and drinking bottles of beer. It was a staple of Hong Kong food culture. But as the con
One such restaurant is 杜老誌大飯店 (English name: Tonnochy Food & Beverage). I saw a few photos from a magazine of the place and was curious. Was the design really that good? Or was it like some places we've been to where it was just a wall and that was it. So, we came here to try it out. It's a good thing we arrived early as it the whole place filled up very fast! By the time we left at 8 PM, it was full house.
The restaurant was really well designed. I was impressed. Every corner, every wall had a bit of what Tonnochy Road was all about. The neon signs. The love hotels. The night clubs. It was the best designed restaurant I've been to in a long time!
The room that looked like a video game parlor actually had old video games!
And you need to go to the washroom! They look like elevators.
And inside it looked like an elevator and the buttons really lit up when you pushed it.
The menu is in Chinese only. There is no English. But it's filled with classic dai pai dong items. Big enough to share with a group.
Boyfriend, feeling nostalgic ordered a malted vitasoy as it was in a bottle. We noticed you can order beer and it's served in bowls.
Black Bean Pepper Sauce Clams on Crispy Vermicelli Rice Cakes ($138). When at a dai pai dong, one must order some sort of seafood that is cooked over a hot wok. And that is always clams. No matter what. It must be clams. These clams were great. Cleaned well and fresh tasting. The sauce was a good blend of black bean and pepper. Strong yet not overly salty. The vermicelli was on the bottom and was one crispy layer that was easily broken apart.
Roasted Pigeon ($78). I love roasted pigeon and when I see it on the menu, I must order this. Even boyfriend noted this. Piping hot, the meat was tender and well seasoned. The skin was crispy. Dipped with a bit of salt and pepper, it made it even better.
Deep Fried White Bait ($78). This is boyfriend's must eat item at dai pai dongs. Deep fried white bait. I think I only had one piece and next time I looked, it was all gone! I can't believe he didn't leave me a bit more! Understandable, I guess as it was pretty good. Like eating chips but with fish meat in it. Crispy and heavily seasoned. This is where you need something cold to drink.
Assorted Seafood Vermicelli Vegetable Pot ($88). The pot was a healthier choice after all the fried items. The seafood was squid and shrimp which there was a lot found throughout the pot. A good variety of choi sum and bok choy was there as well. The broth was sweet and boyfriend drank it all.
Baked Pineapple Bun Tapioca Pudding ($28). We wanted to order the baked tapioca pudding for dessert but it was enough for big groups. As there was only two of us, we decided to skip it but then the staff mentioned they had a single serving version for $28 each. We shared one as we were getting full but I still wanted dessert. Their tapioca pudding is different. It's covered with the coating that is found on pineapple buns. That's probably why they called it pineapple bun tapioca pudding. Having this made it feel like a pie made of tapioca pudding. Definitely interesting and different.
Breaking off the top, the tapioca is found underneath. Sweet and gooey. Just as tapioca pudding should be.
Food was delicious. Service was amazing. Like when we asked why it took so long for the pudding and feared they forgot about it, the waitress just looked at us and knew that's what we were asking and actually followed up on it! She returned back to tell us the order was put through and it's still baking. I haven't had that service at ANY Chinese restaurant before. Place was clean and tidy. The design was also impressive. Everything was well thought out and not lazily slapped together. I seldom give full marks for design but here I will. I'm so impressed by this place that I told boyfriend we have to come back and do a friend gathering to try out even more food. So, yes, I will be back!
张贴
