Oriental Curry @ Cooked Deli, Times Square

Dinner Set C

• Fried Ebi Curry
• Salad (shredded cabbage with diced tomato and a squirt of mayo)
• Coke

What tempted me to order this particular set out of all the curry sets at this particular stall out of all the stalls at this City-Super 'Cooked Deli' were the beautifully breaded prawns. They were just so seductive, their soft orange colored shell of batter, dotted densely with minute specks of crisp crumbs, which felt so pleasant to bite into, all the way up to the red white-streaked shrimp tail. Beneath the outer husk was the succulent bouncy meat of the creature, whose light sweetness was just enough to make you want one more bite.

Of course, the curry was a separate part of the meal in itself. After lifting (what was left of) the three pieces of shrimp onto another plate - to prevent their exterior from softening - I took in a spoonful of the soft sticky rice. This was truly delicious curry. It was not spicy at all. Small chunks of soft carrots, potato and bits of onion were mixed into the brown apple-based (I think) gravy, which was generously poured over the genuine Japanese rice - deducible from the distinct short grains which, though individually sticky, did not coalesce with one another, but remained separate as they entered the mouth. This type of rice is perfect for curry, because the juices of the curry, though thick, still manage, with time, to flow in between each grain, making it all the more tastier.

Luckily, the heaviness of this dish was not too pervasive, thanks to the preserved radish which came (freeflow) with any curry, and the salad which came with the set. The red-dyed, crunchy, sour bits of radish - which I thought was ginger at first - helped ease its richness a little. But it was the dry icy cold cabbage salad that really did the reassuring. In the end though, I still emerged a very full, and at the same time, very satisfied customer indeed.

Total cost: HK$52
Rating: aaaaa

http://www.oriental-curry.co.jp/ (in Japanese)

Sidebar: Some notes about this meal...

1. The stall had a Set A and Set C, but no Set B!
2. As with the other 'Cooked Deli', and as customary of any Japanese style food court, I had to go buy a paper ticket first of the purchase (and pay first) before going to collect the food. How hygienic.
3. The face in the logo of the chain looks more African than "oriental".
4. The dash of green powder (I couldn't tell if it was grated coriander or kelp) gave the overall red hue of the dish a nice touch.

Kariyushi @ New Town Plaza, Sha Tin

Really Late Lunch

• Afternoon Tea Set: Seafood Udon
• with Assorted Sushi
• and a bottle of Cream Soda

This restaurant indeed had a special Japanese feel to it. Nestled at the corner of the atrium facing the library at New Town Plaza, it was easy to miss for anyone walking by, but those who knew about it sure went there. Even at 3 o'clock in the afternoon, it was packed; or perhaps we were all here for their afternoon tea sets.

One thing I found cute about the place was that our seats were on this raised platform comprising of deep mahogany planks. We were made to take off our shoes before going onto the wooden stage-like place, sitting ourselves on tatamis, with a dark carpeted hole just below the table for us to wiggle our legs into and dangle our feet. Taking off my shoes somehow felt liberating - it made me feel so welcomed at the place. Maybe it has something to do with the nerves on my toes.

We took our time deciding what to get on the afternoon tea sets menu. They had all sorts of sets to choose from, from ramen to rice to udon/soba to sushi/sashimi. I decided to go with one of their udon sets because I've been eating so much ramen lately.

It didn't take very long for my "Seafood udon in hot pot" to arrive, flanked on the tray with a few pieces of assorted sushi (California! My favorite) and a bottle of Schweppes cream soda. The "hot pot" looked more like a hot metallic (shallower than most) bucket, with a handle right above its opening which I gingerly tapped away with my chopsticks, for I could feel the tender heat radiating from the dark cast iron surface. Inside was a bunch of udon, topped with a single tempura shrimp, a slice of white-pink fishcake, a scallop and a chicken chunk, and a sprinkle of raw green onion - or so I thought. The more I dug, the happier I grew, for underneath the inviting top layer of udon was an even more inviting find. Below were slices of squid, fish, a mussel and a few strands of those unidentifiable Japanese vegetables which look like a cross between beans and fern stems.

Overall, this pot of udon was really good. The stock was just right, clear, not overly salty, emphasizing on the sweetness of fish. Each slurp of udon was a delight, and these were no ordinary strands, they were thinner and denser than usual, the sign of truly skillful preparation - for most udon out there is overdone and when this happens, the strands bloat up and become softer and less dense, making them more akin to Shanghai noodles (not that there's anything wrong with Shanghai noodles, just that the latter is better for fried noodle dishes). And the iron pot made sure the dish was kept warm throughout the meal.

Ahh. It was a great feeling. Slurping up udon with sips of cool bubbly cream soda; wiggling my toes in my socks as I enjoyed every slurp. It was a shame when I had to put on my shoes again.

Total cost: HK$39
Rating: aaaaa

Cat's Street @ Tung Chung

Afternoon Snack

• Portuguese Porkchop Sandwich
• Hot Nai Cha

My grandma lives in Tung Chung, so this wasn't my first time here. The place had an attractive decor, complemented by its nice plates. bowls, cups and utensils. They also had very reasonable afternoon tea sets. I was a bit apprehensive at first on ordering this set because the menu (laminated cards on a flip stand from Ikea; I could recognize it) described it as "deep fried". But what the heck.

The sandwich came unfolded. The two pieces of bun cut in half were toasted nicely - don't be fooled by the color in the photo, which makes it look burnt, for it was not; I just have a lousy camera. On top of the bread was the porkchop, a slice each of lettuce, tomato and cucumber, and a line of mayonnaise squirted lazily. It was beautiful enough to eat, so I went right ahead.

It tasted alright. The bite was overall crispy, thanks to the toasted bun, lettuce and cucumber. The slab of pork was oily, but its heaviness was balanced by the fresh greens. I gobbled it down in three bites, which meant I didn't really had much time to truly enjoy it. But hey, it's only suppose to be a snack - and ordering another one would just be overdoing it.

I really have to stop eating in between meals. But I just can't help it though - too many temptations.

Total cost: HK$23
Rating: aaaaa

Pokka Cafe @ New Town Plaza, Sha Tin

Lunch

• Broccoli, Scallop & Cuttlefish with Rice Au Gratin

This particular restaurant was situated on the ground floor, and from the looks of its dusty 80s decor, it's probably been here for at least 10 years or so, probably since Yaohan closed down - yes, that Japanese department store that went bankrupt in 1997 - and made room for this row of restaurants.

It was a standard Japanese "family" restaurant serving all types of cuisines, from ramen to pasta to steaks, which was a nice thing, because one thing I've learnt eating in Asia all these years is that besides westerners, the only other people who can cook good western style food are the Japanese. It's true. The best French, Italian, English, Irish, etc. restaurants are run by native French, Italians, English, Irish, et cetraishes. Chinese western food just doesn't make the cut, and Indian western food is sadly feeble. It's not that I don't like Chinese or Indian food (I do), but I think the Chinese should stick to Chinese cuisine and the Indians should do likewise with Indian cuisine. But for some strange reason, the Japanese are able to cook western food properly. (See sidebar)

We were seated at a window seat, far away from the smoking section. The food came fast enough. My baked rice looked like any typical baked rice, baked in a circular yellow ceramic bowl. On top of the short grain rice was your layer of cheese and cream (a mixture which I could never really be sure of, for all baked rice dishes), mixed with slices of squid and scallop and chunks of broccoli, with a generous helping of prawn roe spooned on top. The colors matched perfectly - the sunshine yellow of the dish going well with the bright orange roe, calmed by the fresh greenness of the broccoli. Waiting for it to cool down so I could try a bite was such horrible torture.

The taste wasn't too bad. It was bland, as with all baked rice. The broccoli was done with perfect timing, being just hard enough to sink your teeth into such that you're eating regular broccoli. (For at most other places serving baked rice, any vegetable in the dish is usually overdone, but not here.) The seafood also not too strong, bland but good accompaniment to the rice overall. One thing which did stand out, though, was the fact that the rice on the side of the dish wasn't burnt a bit at all, which really showed the effort and research put into creating this.

But in the end, it was its price that killed it. Deserving all too well of three ticks, I just couldn't give it that many. Not at HK$72 a pop.

Total cost: HK$72
Rating: aaaaa

Sidebar: It seems like only the Japanese are able to recreate western cuisine. I have a theory as to why this is so. Firstly, having been conquered by westerners, Japanese taste and cooking techniques are suited for western cuisine.

Second is what I call the "set mentality". Unlike other Asian cuisines who put dishes in the middle of the table to share, the Japanese like to each have their own plate (or Bento, rather) of food in front of them, a trait similar to western cuisine. (Sure, the Koreans do it this way too sometimes, but one must remember they were under Japanese rule - and thus, influence - in the past.) This gives them creative space to conjure individual dishes which are suited for individuals, whereas other Asian cultures just can't accept the idea of "one plate per person", and thus are at a disadvantage subconsciously when creating western dishes for the individual. Just a thought.

Thirdly and lastly is the Japanese's ability to copy and improve on something. No, I'm not saying they just copy everything wholesale, like some other country I know of. The Japanese have a knack of taking a concept and improving on it. Take cartoons for instance. They took the concept from the Americans and made their own anime genre. Now, it's the American's turn to copy back, with little single beads of sweat on a character's temple when they get embarrassed. Think 'Teen Titans' or that spastically laughable series 'Totally Spies'.

But back to Japanese cooking western food. Even though they copy the dishes, they add their bit of fusion into it, with local cooking techniques (such as using a teppan to cook steaks; I think I've mention this before) and ingredients. You should try, for instance, Japanese mayonnaise, which just has an entirely different taste to it. Or Japanese Worcester sauce; same thing.

Wildfire Express @ APM, Kwun Tong

Early Dinner

• Fish Fillet Angel-hair Pasta
• Fruit Salad
• Coconut cream dessert
• Mint Lime Soda

This was by far the most beautiful meal I've ever had in a most beautiful foodcourt. Located in the 'cooked deli by city-super' on the fourth floor (which is actually labeled L1, above UC, C and G, the real ground floor; for more, see link below) which was actually a concrete wood-covered veranda with a greenhouse roof. And lucky for me, I came at the best time to have dinner, which is 6 o'clock. The clouded sunlight of dusk slowly leaked in through the skylight and cast its sleepy glow onto the dark mahogany seating. The whole place had a post-modern Japanese feel to it.

There were a variety of stalls, even one serving Singapore cuisine, if there is indeed such a thing. As usual, each time I come to an unfamiliar food court, I take ages to decide what to eat. After wondering around aimlessly for quite a bit, admiring the decor of the place, which was really indeed beautiful, I chose the Wildfire Express stall. I was a bit ambivalent at first, because its logo was a big red chili pepper in flames and I'm not that keen on spicy food, with my pimples and all, but eventually decided to give it a try. I ordered the pasta set dinner.

It came nicely set out, though on a rather ugly tray (which was removed for the purposes of taking a photo). There was the fruit salad, a simple appetizer to the meal, comprising of chips of apple, celery, cucumber, carrot shreds and various other fruits and vegetables, mixed in a light and milky dressing. I took a sip of the mint lime soda, also a relaxingly fresh piece, with a mint leaf still suspended within the bubbly crystal clear liquid. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I was reminded that mint causes impotency, but didn't really care. This drink was just so cooling, so soothing.

But on to the main course. This came on a shiny plastic plate which at first glance didn't look plastic at all, but ceramic. On it was a bed of angel hair pasta tossed in a green pesto-based sauce, on top of which was a fillet of pan-fried fish (I think it was dory), and on top of that was a lightly toasted slice of baguette with some butter and herbs spread on top. There was an additional sprinkle of greens on top of this, just to enhance the overall greenery a bit further.

The taste was just delicious, quite the opposite of what I'd expected from a kitchen which has a red hot chili pepper in flames for a logo. I just started munching down the piece of garlic bread and mixed the greens in with the pasta. Putting a bunch in your mouth just made you feel so much flavor (- probably something to do with surface area, but let's not get geeky). The pesto with its olive oil support was perfect for the thin strands of angel hair pasta, and the occasional burst of raw freshness from the greens made the flavor even lighter. The fish was also fine, lightly done with only a bit of salt, and not overcooked, such that there was still a trickle of the steamy fishy juices in between the slivers of pure white meat.

The meal was aptly finished with spoonfuls of the milky coconut pudding in the small white cup. I thoroughly enjoyed the entire experience, and it wasn't all that expensive - or spicy either. One lesson learned: joints with red hot flaming chili peppers as logos need not necessarily serve spicy, heaty food.

Total cost: HK$45
Rating: aaaaa

http://www.apm-millenniumcity.com/

Sidebar: For more on APM, click on to my extension blog. (And if' it's not there yet, please do check back later.)

Australia Dairy Company @ Bowring Street, Jordan

Dessert

• Cold Steamed Egg White

As you might have noticed, this place is actually on the same street as 'Muk Mun Gai'. In fact, the Australia Dairy Company is right next to it (see top photo). This is one of the reasons I come here every time I'm in town, because it's a two-in-one deal. And both places aren't bad.

The floor space of the Australia Dairy Company was roughly twice as large as that of its neighbor. And it's menu had about four times the variety. The place served everything you'd expect from a 'cha chan teng' (tea restaurant, directly translated). The cold steamed egg white I ordered came tout de suite, not that much effort was needed. Bowls upon bowls of the stuff had already been steamed and were being chilled in a fridge. All they had to do was take it out and give me a spoon.

Put it in your mouth and you feel the texture of pudding. But the taste is rather different. It reminded me of the custard in a crème brûlée, but without the richness of the egg yolk. (I opted for the steamed egg white in the first place instead of the egg yolk because I wanted a light dessert.) Its sweetness was not too strong either, not sugary, but a natural light sweetness like the kind you get from milk or creams. The coldness of the dish itself also suppressed some of its taste, making it more subtle and palatable.

The serving was really small and I managed to finish it in only a few big gulps. So for $16, if you're looking for something to fill a void stomach, it wasn't exactly worth it. But the taste is just too irresistible - what a great way to end off a meal.

Total cost: HK$16
Rating: aaaaa

Sidebar: Yet another "milk company" - well, close enough.

Muk Mun Gai @ Bowring Street, Jordan

Dinner

• Wanton Noodles
• 'Kai Lan' with Oyster Sauce
• A Bottle of Coke
• 'Sui Gao' Noodles (shared)

This place is my mom's favorite for wanton noodles and I've grown used to coming here at least once every time I come back - more out of habit these days, I have to say. It's located in a misspelled street in Jordan. (Refer to my extension blog.) But there's a good reason to come to the middle of Kowlong for noodles, besides the fact that it's a prime shopping and eating (and almost everything else) district. (More on that in the next entry. And in case anyone's wondering what 'Muk Mun Gai' is in Chinese, see the next entry as well.)

The stall is a rather small one, probably because of the high rents in the area. The food is noticeably more expensive than the Sham Shui Po one. The menu wasn't very extensive either, consisting of only noodle dishes - or bowls rather. But then again, as I always say, stick to what you're good at.

The first thing you think of when you enter is that you've walked into a hospital. Everything in the place is white - and the fluorescent lighting only makes it whiter. All the chairs, table surfaces, stall seats, bottom-tiled top-whitewashed walls, even the uniforms of the people who work there, are white. Only the edges of the stall seats and tables, with their long worn-out dark brown wooden side finishings stood out from all that whiteness. The freezing air conditioning only reinforced this image of sterility. (In fact, it is said that Hong Kong has the coldest average air conditioning in the world for enclosed spaces, according to my uncle. Everywhere you go, it seems like the a/c there is freezing your ass off. But then, I'm not complaining - not in the dead of summer.)

We sat down and put in our orders. If there ever was one, this would be the place for model efficient service. It took about only 3 minutes for them to fill our orders.

The noodles were good - though after so many days here, I have to say I haven't actually been to a place that served bad noodles. Once again, these strands were light to slurp up and springy to bite into. The soup this time, however, was a bit different. Though still fluid, it looked thicker and more like a broth. The sweetness of it was more subtle and mature, coming instead from pig bones instead of prawn parts. (Of course, this depends solely on the proportion of ingredients added for the soup base.) As usual, the fresh green taste of chopped up spring onion sneaked into the background.

The differences in the soup were also reflected in the wantons. Their wanton skin was silky smooth, though a tad (and only barely) thicker than usual. Their filling consisted mainly of pork and less of prawn, making its principle taste salty rather than sweet, though both flavors expressed themselves pretty equally. Biting into it still had a supple bounce to it, with a rush of flavors from the soup nestled inside, but the feeling you get from finally swallowing it is that of consuming sustenance instead of enjoying a delicacy. Either way, it was still delicious.

In the end though, one bowl of this was simply not enough, which was rather a pity. We ordered another bowl of 'sui gao' noodles (the difference being there was even less prawns and more vegetables in the 'sui gao'), which I don't recommend you try should you ever come here. Their wanton noodles is still their best, though not the best, but still deserving of four ticks.

Total cost: HK$19 (wanton noodles) + 11 (vegies) + 8 (coke) + 19 ('sui gao' noodles)
Rating: aaaaa

Sidebar: You might have noticed that every time I eat wanton noodles (or noodles of other sorts), instead of going for my normal 'nai cha', I opt for a coke. The reason behind this is quite simple. The soups for Chinese noodles are actually heavily basic - as in containing alkaline. This is because in the process of giving the noodles that springy and firm texture, they actually soak it in "soap water" (directly translated from 'gan shui' in Cantonese, but I don't think it's really literally soap water).

Of course, some prefer to just add vinegar, which is usually available at the table in small bottles. But this makes the soup a bit watery because of the chemical reactions, and also sour if you add too much, and sometimes, it just screws up the taste. So I prefer the safer (and what I would say is the more appetizing) method, which is to drink something acidic - like coke - to balance it off.

This should also be done when consuming other foods high in alkalinity, such as crabs. That's why the Japanese dip their snow crabs in a vinegar-based sauce. I'm not sure what happens if you eat too many alkali foods, but by logic, it should worsen your digestion by neutralizing your stomach acids.

And anyways, when it reaches your stomach, it all mixes together.

Some stall @ Tsun Wan

Afternoon Snack

• Kai Dan Zai

These are just fabulous! You can find them almost anywhere in Hong Kong in the summer months. (During the winter, it's harder though, but still possible.) The stalls selling them are not that hard to find - all you have to do is to follow your nose. Go for this eggy, freshly made waffle smell and you can't go wrong. Upon finding the stall, you'll notice them making the 'kai dan zai' in these waffle-iron-like things which look like two tennis rackets without the holes. Now, you may also see some pre-made pieces of these treats. Here comes the hard part.

Selecting which 'beng' of 'kai dan zai' is crucial, because if you get a lousy one, you'll regret it. First, don't go for the "hot out of the oven" ones, because they are not necessarily the best ones. When selecting, try to go for ones which have a pure golden yellow color. Don't even think about slightly brown, because those are overdone already. The one I got pictured above wasn't too bad, though it was slightly browner than what it should be.

They will proceed to put it in a brown paper bag. If they give you an extra plastic bag on top of that, refuse kindly, for these things are best eaten on the spot. Upon receiving your 'beng' of 'kai dan zai', feel free to start ripping off pieces and popping them into your mouth. The taste is very subtle, but sensational - a light eggy sweet taste. If you were successful in your selection process, you should bite into a thin crispy shell, beneath which is the soft, chewy, though solid filling of the 'kai dan zai'.

If you come to Hong Kong, this is something you have to try. Along with sticks of satay fishballs, it's the roadside snack of Hong Kong. (Okay, I know that didn't really make sense, but just go and try it!) I never get tired of these things. Maybe it's because my grandma always bought them for me when I was young (and still in Hong Kong). And every time I partake in one of these, it just brings back so many memories.

Total cost: HK$10 (anything more than HK$20 a 'beng', no matter how good, isn't worth it)
Rating: aaaaa

Sidebar: Contrary to the belief of a friend who happen to see this photo before it was published, this is not an enlarged picture of any feature of the human body. Wonder what was going through his mind...

Gong Hwo @ Pei Ho Street, Sham Shui Po

Dessert

• Hot Tofu Fa

This place was old. How could I tell? Well, for one, there was a picture of it's founder on the wall, and mind you, this was a drawing, not a photograph, and he was wearing clothing and a hairstyle from the early 1900s. Its entrance was conspicuous and had a large flat pan in front of it, where this fortyish year old lady was frying 'yong tofu'. We sat down at a long rectangular table which we shared with a few old men, also having their desserts.

I was a bit indecisive at first; I couldn't decide whether to get the hot or cold 'tofu fa' (tofu flower, directly translated). It had been a really hot day, and I wanted to get the cold one for obvious reasons, but my uncle advised me on the hot one, which he said was smoother. I took his advice and saw the guy (after taking our order of 3 hot 'tofu fa') walk past the glass-doored refrigerator filled with neatly tessellated bowls of the cold stuff to this huge wooden with a wooden lid covered in white cloth. As he lifted up the lid, a billow of steam curled up and he quickly used a small plate and scooped out clumps of 'tofu fa' into three small bowls, which were promptly brought to our table.

I stared down at the white jello-like (but softer) piece of tofu. It looked so pleasing, so perfect, that I didn't really want to break it apart. My aunt helped me add a spoonful of yellow rock sugar on top as I snapped an unfocused photo. I did it gently at first, but soon moved on to tearing my spoon through the soft, squishy tofu as I anxiously tried to dissolve all the sugar. The first spoonful was the best. It slid down the throat smoothly as the light sugary taste of the fluid syrup lingered. It was blissful, like eating a cloud.

Wafts of aroma from the frying pan with the 'yong tofu' floated through the air as we finished our bowls of cloud and left. Alas, it was time to go back into the warm, bustling night of the Kowloon street, back on the concrete sidewalks full of crowds under the stench of orange streetlights. I couldn't help but to wonder what the cold 'tofu fa' would've tasted like.

Total cost: HK$6 a bowl
Rating: aaaaa

Cherng Heng Mien Ga @ Ap Liu Street, Sham Shui Po

Dinner

• Wanton Noodles
• Vegies (a plate shared)
• A can of Coke

I just couldn't believe that something so good would cost so cheap! Sham Shui Po is one of the older and more modest districts in Kowloon, which means most things here are cheaper relative to other places. Cherng Heng Mien Ga (noodle family?) was a run down ground floor shop with an open kitchen in the front of the shop and cream colored walls, plastered on which were old posters and paper signs advertising it's specialties. The place was dirty, but only a bit; the sharp yellow-tinged lights and freezing air conditioning helped to ease that feeling. I was with my aunt (third sister of my mom's) and uncle, and we sat down at one of their bright red tables as they gave us our chopsticks and three cups of hot but weak tea in the characteristically small brown opaque cups, which could be found in almost any sidewalk restaurant in Hong Kong. We ritualistically went about washing our chopsticks.

Of course, here, there was nothing else to do but to order the wanton noodles, the reason why we came here in the first place. This stall isn't exactly famous for it, but it's been frequented by my aunt and uncle since they were young (and from what I can gather, they started dating pretty young, so they must've been coming here for years), so if it's been so many years and they are still willing to make the journey all the way here (because they live in the New Territories), then it must be good.

And was it good. The wait was a bit long, because it was just about dinner time and the place was crowded, but you can't rush perfection. The bowl was typical of any bowl of wanton noodles you'd get in Hong Kong. Four pieces of wanton dumplings, which consisted of a mix of shrimps and pork made into balls, wrapped with the thin smooth wanton skin, buried under a bundle of noodles. The soup is special, and usually a secret, but common ingredients in the soup base are prawn husks and heads, pig bones, mushrooms and spices. This particular soup base at Cherng Heng was smoother and had a more potent prawn taste above all, which was just sweet. All this is garnished with a sprinkle of green spring onion - any bowl of noodle would be incomplete without this.

The noodles were perfect. They were springy, thin and light to bite into, and one slurp could gain you some distance. You don't really have to use your spoon, because soup gets trap in between the strands as you slurp them up, which makes every slurp even sweeter (both literally and metaphorically). You could taste the prawns as you ate the noodles. And ever so often, a piece of spring onion would get caught up in the noodles and you'd get a light, clean, fresh taste on your palate.

But in order to really taste the prawns, you'd have to go for the wantons. I eat them by placing one in a spoonful of soup and then biting into it, eating one half at a time. I do it this way because by biting it apart, I get the full taste of the filling in my mouth and the satisfaction is spread over about twice the time. As you sink your teeth into it, you don't feel the skin because it's so thin and smooth, just the bouncy whole pieces of prawn encased by the meat. But your tongue does, and you get the sweet taste of the prawn and pork enhanced by the hot soup, and the smooth texture of the wrapping.

It's pretty hard to describe such a good feeling - just one of those indescribable experiences you have to try for yourself. I could go on all day, but I'd get nowhere. It's like talking sex to a virgin. And yet, at the end of it, after you finally reach the bottom of the bowl, with only some soup left and a few stray green pieces of spring onion floating around, you'd wish you had more. The Cherng Heng people are smart. The serving is sufficiently large so that it'd be hard for anyone to finish two, but one is just short of enough, which makes you want to come back one more time. How deliciously conniving.

Total cost: HK$15 (noodles) + 10 (vegies) + 6 (coke)
Rating: aaaaa

Sidebar: While writing this article, I've managed to kill two mosquitoes with an "Electronic Mosquito Trap" (sic.). I feel so powerful. Muahahaha...

The Hong Kong Excursion Blog

Because Thought for Food is a dedicated flog (food blog), and there's just so much to talk of about Hong Kong, I've decided to set up a separate blog for posts about my Hong Kong trip. So, for those who want to know more about my place of birth, please click on over to The Hong Kong Excursion Blog (http://hongkongexcursion.blogspot.com).

Note: Since I'm only staying for a short time in Hong Kong (and I don't actually know when I'll be leaving), this blog only has a tentative lifespan. But do check regularly. And there are links on both website cross-linking each other.

Fairwood @ Ma On Shan Centre

Lunch

• "Four Treasures" Rice ('sai bo fan')
• Nai Cha

If there was an oriental version of McDonald's, then this would probably be it. Fairwood is just one of the many Hong Kong fast food restaurants serving Chinese fast food. Yup, you heard me right, Chinese fast food! Well, it wasn't really all that fast. They have this ticket system, like the type at Japanese food courts. You buy this ticket at a cashier, then go to a separate counter and give the ticket to the people there, and they put your meal together (while you wait with a queue number in hand) on a tray and you take it back to your table once it's ready.

The presentation was elegant and simple, but not to the degree of sloppiness. Once again, I shall comment on the 'nai cha' (which means milk tea, for those who've been asking) first. This particular cup wasn't too bad. It had a more bitter and less sweet taste, and was less milky than my last one at the pasta place. But excessive ice scored against it, even though it was crushed (like the stuff at MOS Burger). Three or four sips later and everything was gone - except of course, for the ice.

The bowl of rice might've looked small at first, but it was rather deep. On top was the 'char siew', sausage, chicken and 'ham dan' (salted egg), topped with a splash of soy sauce and some chopped up spring onion and ginger. Below these "four treasures" (and mind you, I really had to dig) was the few strands of vegetables and a serving of rice. You'd think that because this is a fast food place, the food would be substandard, but the roasts were better than your normal fare. The 'char siew' was not overly sweet, but one piece did come a bit burnt up. The chicken was not too salty either, which is want of 'you kai'. The "treasure" I liked best were the slices of sausages, though my mom has always warned me of the carcinogenic substances used to dye it red. But one or two (hundred) times won't hurt.

These Chinese-style fast food restaurants don't give fast food a bad name like their western counterparts do. When you walk in, the decor is so much nicer already. (Note the polished wood surface of the table and actual non-disposable containers.) They're definitely not to be confused with your typical unhealthy, uncomfortable, environmentally-unfriendly, tasteless fast food restaurant.

Total cost: HK$30
Rating: aaaaa

http://www.fairwood.com.hk/

Matchtoo @ Langham Place, Mongkok

Early Dinner

• Squid Ink Pasta with Garlic Squid
• (Really good!) Nai Cha

Langham Place is the coolest shopping mall ever! This restaurant is located on it's forth floor called the Atrium, amidst all the other restaurants, alfresco style, jutting out into the air conditioned Atrium. (I'll do a feature on Langham Place if I have the time. I've got some great photos.) We were lucky to get seats outside (well, technically, we were still inside, but..). I felt a bit awkward and at the same time exhilarated by the night life as the hustle and bustle of shoppers passed by. Those rattan chairs were pretty relaxing.

Matchtoo is actually a fusion restaurant, and a pretty good one at that, considering it's one of the few remaining after that fusion fad (what were we thinking?). The items on the menu ranged from Hainanese chicken rice to Italian pastas. I decided on one of their specials, the 'Squid Ink Pasta with Garlic Squid', which was advertised on a dedicated poster on one of the false walls nearby. (Apologies: the photo came out sloppy.)

First came the 'nai cha', which I've gotten used to over the last week or so (see sidebar). But this one was different. This one was strong, the strongest one I've tasted so far on this trip. And it tasted great. I knew the caffeine would keep me awake for hours to come, but who cares. It was the "now" that counted. And I certainly couldn't resist the refreshing silky smooth, light brown quencher, with its creamy feel yet distinctly oriental flavor.

My pasta came in a clean white dish (a proper pasta dish, might I add), and was beautifully presented, garnished with a few sprouts and a sprinkle of finely chopped fried garlic. Now, the black noodles might seem intimidating at first, but there's actually nothing much to it. They just mix in squid ink into the dough when they churn out the pasta. The first time I tried it at this other Italian restaurant, I was a bit apprehensive too when the waiter recommended I order the squid ink pasta instead of the ordinary kind. But after the first bite, I found that it tasted almost exactly like regular pasta, save for the very slight sea salty feeling you get, which makes it go great with seafood-based sauces. Thus the garlic squid.

This Chinese style stirfrying of the squid in garlic and olive oil was the fusion I was talking about. They then mixed it in the pasta and served it as an Italian fusion dish. The taste was just fantastic. It was like a great buildup of taste, with the overwhelming bittersweet garlic hiding the fishy sea taste of the squid. But because it was stirfried (and quickly at that), the flavors of the squid were sealed in nicely. But even after you eat a piece of squid, you have the pasta to wash down any aftertaste from the garlic. And the light touch of olive oil and the small fresh bursts of the sprouts just went to add to the great mix of flavors. Yet out of all this was a very simple taste, not like other fusion recipes which just overspice and over do everything. Here, there was just the garlic flavor, the squid with the squid ink pasta taste of the sea, and the freshness of nature from the olive oil and sprouts. It's what fusion cooking should be all about: simplicity.

Three ticks to a place with style and flavor, and the accompanying service which was prompt and kindly. If you want to get a table, I suggest you go early, because though we had an early dinner, by the time we left, the queue was beyond far. Had it not been for the outrageous cost, I would have gladly given it one more tick.

Total cost: HK$72
Rating: aaaaa

Sidebar: As for the 'nai cha' in Hong Kong. Why am I so addicted to it, you may ask? I've been drinking a cup virtually every meal in Hong Kong on this blog. Well, the truth is, the 'nai cha' in Hong Kong is special.

What's so special, you might ask. Well, the 'nai cha' in Hong Kong is made from Chinese tea. As simple as that may sound, it is not. It is the same comparison from drinking 'nai cha' made from Lipton yellow label (that foul stuff you get in Singapore) and Teh Tarik (which uses a special type of Arabic tea - if I remember correctly - and ginger!). I mean, how can you compare?

So, that's why I drink 'nai cha' so much here, because I know I can't get it anywhere else, and especially so since I'm gonna go off to [undisclosed location] soon, where they'll ask "'nai cha'? What th'ell is 'nai cha'?" (in a very Americany voice, flat tone for 'nai cha'). So, I might as well enjoy it while it lasts. And it is as good as I described it: "the refreshing silky smooth, light brown quencher, with its creamy feel yet distinctly oriental flavor". How absolutely heavenly.

Azabu Sabo @ Miramar SC, Kowloon

Lunch

• Japanese curry with pork cutlet
• Mini Salad
• Fish stock soup
• Nai Cha (Japanese version)

So someone on MSN says that it seems like all I do in Hong Kong is eat. Well, apart from the fact that I need sustenance to survive, I think I knew what he was trying to get at. Why do I go out and eat so often? The answer can be quoted from my uncle - this time my mom's youngest brother. It is obvious once you walk down any typical Hong Kong street. No matter where you are, it will always be lined with restaurant. The food and beverage sector here is so competitive, it's cutthroat. This oversupply, as any good economist would tell you, leads to lower prices. Prices are so low, that it doesn't make sense to go to the supermarket and go home and cook your own meal, because it's just not worth it.

Of course, this Curry Pork Cutlet set is a bad example - still, this price is considered average. But then again, it comes with all these little side dishes and a drink. (I have to say though, the 'nai cha' here isn't the same as the other places - not as strong, which I like.) The place also had a decent decor, not exactly Japanese, but it had a modern, clean feel to it - still based on light wood colors though. The door was a bit odd; it was a sliding door which slid at the press of this vertical button the size of a large chocolate bar. But it couldn't detect people in the way (because it was just a push-button with no sensors), so it kept closing on unsuspecting people, and one of the waiters had to stand guard at the door , making sure that everytime this happened, there'd be someone to quickly press the button and prevent the door from sliding close, crushing the innocent person in the way.

We got past the door and placed our orders. The service was actually quite quick, probably because these lunch sets are so popular. They poured us some green tea first; the nice kind made from green tea powder and not the leaves. I think it's more flavorful if you ground up the leaves; it releases more of the oils which gives the tea its fragrance. I mean, it's the same with coffee (which I'm not a big fan of). Would ungrounded beans in hot water taste better than ground beans?

The tray that came was charmingly set, with everything nicely in its compartmentalized place. I started with the salad - which did taste a bit bland, but nothing a dash of soy sauce couldn't fix - and then moved on to the soup. I was rather surprised when I removed the cover from the bowl to find that it wasn't miso soup, but fish broth. It had a lovely salty sweet taste, and had fine strips of Jew's ears and chopped up rings of green onion floating in the clear broth.

The cutlet curry was by far the best part. The gravy looked oily, but smelled delicious. The pork cutlet was evenly breaded and fried to perfection, and didn't allow the curry to penetrate, not before I bit through the light, crispy outer crust. The rice was nicely prepared, not too sticky but the grains didn't fall separately either. And this was the nice, short grain kind of rice, which went perfectly with the curry. It was so good I didn't notice that with every spoonful, the curry was disappearing rapidly, such that there wasn't enough for all the rice. Must be more careful the next time to proportionally distribute the curry with each spoonful.

A very satisfying meal overall. If only there was more curry..

Total cost: HK$47.8
Rating: aaaaa

Yee Shun Milk Company @ Lockhart Road, Causeway Bay

Lunch

• Porkchop sausage noodles
• Eggnog-like drink (hot)

This was my first meal in a traditional Hong Kong eatery ('dai pai dong') since coming back. According to my aunt, this chain of restaurants originated from Macau. But the food they serve is distinctly Hong Kong fare. (Whenever you see a restaurant calling itself a "milk company", you know they serve steamed egg. More milk company reviews to come..)

I ordered a rather commonplace bowl of noodles - nothing special. In fact, you could get the same bowl of noodles anywhere else in one of Hong Kong's many 'dai pai dongs'. I also got a rather special drink, which has a weird name in Cantonese and even a weirder English translation, so I'll just call it an "eggnog-like drink" for simplicity's sake. We sat there in one of their booths, under the tolerable lighting of the sky-blue tiled room, waiting for our food to come. It was a dirty-looking room, probably due to its slightly less than fully lit attribute, but the chilling air conditioning made it feel more sterile some how.

We got a cup of hot tea and stirred all our chopsticks and spoons in it. This seems to be one of the little idiosyncrasies of Hong Kong people. Unless you're at a really posh restaurant, you wash all your cutlery, cups, bowls, plates and whatnots before using them - even when going 'yum cha'. In fact, the 'cha lous' (tea parlors, directly translated) here have gotten so use to it that they supply each table with this big basin/bowl for you to pour all your used tea in after using it to wash the cutlery and tableware. It's almost become a tradition.

My bowl of noodles came soon enough. The noodles were your regular instant noodle type, but the soup base was special. They add milk into it to give it its special fragrance, and its off-white color. (They do this for macaroni soups as well.) Somehow, with their proficient and mysterious methods, they manage to cook the noodles just right, with a soft yet still slightly springy texture. The noodles feel light when you slurp them up, and it's a great feeling. The portion did seem a bit small, but, according to my aunt who says I eat too fast for my own good, this might just be my relativistic judgment.

The pork chop which came with the noodles, with its richness and tastiness locked in by the deep frying, was savory to the bone. Its scrumptious made you forget just how unhealthily oily it actually was - though only for that one meal. The sausage was okay too, though a bit ordinary. The best feeling came from eating real pork sausages (made of real pork), and real pork chops (also made of real pork), something you don't often get in racially harmonious Singapore.

The eggnog-like drink which came in a bowl (which I didn't expect, since I thought it was a "drink") looked like a bowl of hot milk at first. Poking my spoon below the surface, a roundish delicate-looking yellow egg yolk covered in a thin layer of milk and cooked egg white emerged, with strands of egg white floating around. I couldn't really bear breaking it, but knew I'd have to sooner or later. I used my spoon and punctured the fragile layer, letting the raw golden orange egg yolk gush out, mixing distinctively with the milk. It was gorgeous, the bright orangeness contrasting with the pure white. Its taste, however, didn't match up to its beauty. It was a bit bland, and I had to add a packet of sugar. But its silky smooth texture was a pleasure on the tongue.

Total cost: HK$43
Rating: aaaaa

Crystal Jade La Mian Xiao Long Bao @ New Town Plaza, Sha Tin

Lunch

• Xiao Long Bao (2 "Longs")
• Drunken Chicken
• Five-spice Beef
• Dry Shanghai Fried Noodles
• Pan-fried Dumplings (Gao Zi)
• Chicken Broth La Mian

It's hard to find information about Crystal Jade, so all the info here are just overheard rumors. Nothing personal.

Someone once told me that Crystal Jade Singapore was started by a chef who had failed in Hong Kong. In my opinion, the best chefs in Hong Kong retire early and migrate to Canada, the good ones stay and make great food in Hong Kong (and perhaps expand overseas), and the failed ones move their operations to places like Singapore, Malaysia and Australia and try to rip people off. (Note the difference between the last two.) So, it's no surprise that after making it big in Singapore (because I do believe that Crystal Jade is the best place for Shanghainese food in Singapore, and the only place for decent Cantonese - ie. Hong Kong - cuisine there), the guy decides to come home and prove to those who once scorned him that he can make it - even though if it's only with the La Mian Xiao Long Bao chain. (There are no Crystal Jade Palaces, Kitchens, Cakeries, Restaurants etc. I mean, who would want to eat substandard Cantonese food again. There's just too much competition in Hong Kong for one more Cantonese cuisine restaurant.)

Of course, its branches in Hong Kong do retain some distinct Singaporean features. There's a 10% service charge, which, as expected, made the service horrible for obvious reasons, but for some reason, I thought the service was even worse than its Singaporean counterpart. Strange. There's also the recollection of my aunt's experience at another La Mian Xiao Long Bao branch at Times Square. She and my uncle went there one afternoon for afternoon tea and the entire restaurant was practically empty, save for a few lonely customers. But when the waiter sat them down at a table with other customers already there (ie. they were sharing a table), she asked why the two of them couldn't have their own table, since the restaurant was so empty. The waiter replied that it was "company policy" for them to have customers share tables in order to maximize space usage. How quaintly Singaporean-like of them to pigheadedly follow "the system". A few more of these incidents and the tabloids would be crawling all over them - and they wouldn't last more than a month.

I have to say, the food was horrible, nothing like its equivalent in Singapore, surprisingly. The 'gao zi' weren't crisp at all and their skin was so crusty (almost bread-like) and breakable. The fried noodles were overly oily and you felt stuffed after eating just one bowl. The La Mian wasn't that bad, but the chicken in the broth which came in a separate bowl was overcooked, and the meat was rough and dry, falling off the bone on contact with chopsticks. What a waste of perfectly good chicken drums. The 'xiao long baos', however, did seem a little better. Their skin was thin and that did prove more difficult when picking them up, since you wouldn't want them to break.

If you ever come to Hong Kong, don't bother with this place. You can get better in its Singapore branches. Moreover, there's so much good food elsewhere. A stomach is a terrible thing to waste.

Total cost: [unaccounted for]
Rating: aaaaa