Hong Kong Rundown

[MalibuT]

Since it looks I will be in HK until at least the quarantine requirement is lifted, thought I’d start a HK rundown thread, especially after reading @beefnoguy’s old school Cantonese topic that @hungryhungryhippos directed me to. Hopefully I’ll be able to get to some of the other places and foods mentioned by @moonboy403, @JeetKuneBao, @JLee and @Sgee.

Today was dim sum at Seventh Son (fresh and not in plastic in a hotel room!).

The setting. Note the special logo bag on the side. A lot of the higher-end restaurants give you a bag for you to put your mask in when you take it off and dine. The idea is so that your mask is in a “clean” bag as opposed to just set down on the table and then contaminating the tablecloth. Also you are supposed to put the mask all the way in the bag (mine was poking out just for the photo) and then put the bag away in your pocket or purse. Apparently, there’s a whole bunch of mask etiquette rules. Certainly different from LA’s chin guarders.

The menu. We were here for dim sum but maybe one of these days I can make it back for dinner with a big group to try some of the other items.

Some of these prices! The USD/HKD exchange rate is 7.75. So, for example, the pork stomach filled with shark fin stuffed chicken that was shown in the video that @beefnoguy posted in the other thread is US$1100 for 6 (US$183 pp). Yikes!

Look at all these different grades of shark fin…

Such a simple sounding dish - steamed minced beef with aged mandarin peel but very curious to try this with a copious amount of rice on the side

What we ordered:

Baked BBQ Pork buns these were great, flakier bun than other places

Ham sui gok fried perfectly, not greasy at all and filling was an umami bomb

Har gow Shrimp and lots of it

Char siu cheung fun pretty good but the other dishes were better

Siu mai super juicy

Steamed pork ribs minimal fatty pieces and seasoned well

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I know y’all waiting for the ROAST GOOSE, so here you go!

Plum sauce

Side view of roast goose just because

Sliced breast closeup

Another piece

Skin was divine

Stellar execution of roast goose as one would imagine at a restaurant of this caliber. More roast goose to come but I’m afraid this set a very very high standard.

The dish I was actually enjoyed the most was something new to me - century eggs with pickled radish and a “bargain” at USD21

It’s served with sugar on the side

You’re supposed to layer the egg on top of the radish, and then sprinkle some sugar on top.

The saltiness/tartness of the pickled radish, combined with the funk/creaminess of the egg, and the hit of sugar. Super delightful!!! Kind of hard to describe but it was really delicious and I could see myself making a version of this as comfort/hangover food.

Finally, dessert:

Sweetened walnut cream soup superb rendition, you could really taste the walnut flavor

Sweetened almond cream soup with egg white delicate with a nice almond flavor. not a fan of the egg whites though

That’s it for now. More to come (already planning on the Chow Yun-fat brisket egg cheese sandwich)!

[Sgee]

Off to a great start. Have you seen prices for aged Mandarin peel … $$$$$$$$$. I should age and dry my sumo skins going forward

Here’s another to check out Ho Lee Fook… so pretty
https://www.instagram.com/p/CF1QqvrjBqM/?igshid=yny8limn6pba

[moonboy403]

@MalibuT

Har gow Shrimp and lots of it

You can see how well it’s steamed with the skin being “white like snow” instead of transparent(oversteamed). The classic version like theirs also add a bit minced pork and bamboo shoots in the fillings rather than straight shrimp like most places here in LA.

@MalibuT

Sliced breast closeup

Any cripsy skin?

@MalibuT

some of the other places and foods mentioned

I have a few hole in the wall places that I haven’t tried but highly recommended by a trusted source over any of the Michelin and/or popular recs for food like clear broth brisket, char siu, wonton noodz, etc…once you run out of places to go to, perhaps you can DM me and you can try out these places.

[hungryhungryhippos]

Awesome report keep them coming! Great phots I will live vicariously through your food adventures as who knows when I’ll be going back to HK again.

[MalibuT]

@moonboy403

You can see how well it’s steamed with the skin being “white like snow” instead of transparent(oversteamed). The classic version like theirs also add a bit minced pork and bamboo shoots in the fillings rather than straight shrimp like most places here in LA.

Good point. And any proper dim sum has lard in it as well. Years ago I took a few dim sum making classes with Martha Sherpa and I will never forget the incredible amount of effort it takes to make a har gow from scratch - the skin has to be made just so and then it has to be wrapped immediately and steamed lest it starts drying out and cracking - those classes made me have newfound respect for the dim sum masters.

@moonboy403

Any cripsy skin?

Oh yes, that skin… check out my closeups in my post

@Sgee

Here’s another to check out Ho Lee Fook… so pretty

@Sgee was there when they opened but haven’t been back there for a while (mostly because I didn’t like going down to that basement space) but I do remember liking their food, so will try to make a trip back

@Sgee

Off to a great start. Have you seen prices for aged Mandarin peel … $$$$$$$$$. I should age and dry my sumo skins going forward

I haven’t but next time I’m in Sheung Wan I’ll check them out, I know they have some very old ones - 60+ years!

[JeetKuneBao]

Can you still get Bamboo Pole Noodles? Isn’t there less than a handful doing it?

[MalibuT]

Anniversary dinner at Amber. One of HK’s best modern French restaurants, it was awarded 2 Michelin stars in 2008, and was relaunched last May. The chef is Richard Ekkebus.

The menus:

The “lighter” 7 course Amber Experience HKD2088 (USD269)

What we ordered - the 9 course Full Amber Experience HKD2458 (USD317)

There was also a 9 course Vegetarian Full Amber Experience HKD1998 (USD258)

There are photos of the decor online, suffice to say it was elegant and we also got the requisite face mask bag (not pictured)

Sneaky waitstaff brought the white truffle to our table and IT. SMELLED. DIVINE.

They had a good half bottle selection, so we chose a Bordeaux we like, normally we would wait on this year, but since half bottles age more quickly, we had them open this and decant it. With a little time, it was quite nice.

Amuse bouche red pepper/bottom layer of parsley puree (not shown).

First course: Amberjack ˚ Vanilla Sea Salt ˚ Butternut Squash ˚ Ginger ˚ Extra Virgin Pumpkin Seed Oil ˚ Sea Lettuce ˚ really fresh fish, the balls were intense bits of amberjack dashi, true umami-goodness.

Second course: Aka Uni ˚ Cauliflower ˚ Lobster ˚Daurenki Tsar Imperial Caviar ˚ This is their signature dish, it was my favorite savory course. The cauliflower puree was sooo smooth and rich tasting without being heavy, and enveloped inside the puree was the uni. The interior photo is from another review online, I was so busy enjoying it, I didn’t take a photo of the interior! Accompanied by seaweed crisps.

Third course Scampi ˚ Heirloom Carrot ˚ Curry ˚Fermented Calamansi ˚ Micro Coriander ˚ this was excellent but not terribly memorable. The fermented calamansi (dark puree in photo) was a nice burst of intensity.

Fourth course: Endive ˚ Matsutake ˚ Maple Syrup ˚ Chinkiang Vinegar ˚ Chicken Jus ˚ Vin Jaune ˚ Extra Virgin Pecan Oil ˚ Belgian endive and this was the dish that you could order with the white truffle, which we did but I think it was a mistake. Too many competing flavors that the white truffle got a bit lost with the other strong flavors.

Fifth course: Abalone ˚ Coco Paimpol Bean ˚ San Marzano Tomato ˚ Oxtail ˚Fermented Mushroom ˚ Palomino Fino Sherry ˚ Bone Marrow ˚ Fresh New Zealand abalone and it was delicious. I’m not a fan of abalone (too many unwanted plates from Chinese banquets) but this was fresh and inventive. The oxtail was the crispy bits on top. Just a nice textural celebration!

Sixth course: Pigeon ˚ Fragrant Spices ˚ Clover Honey ˚ Beetroot ˚ Rose Petal ˚ Plum ˚ Banyuls ˚ Abinao Chocolate ˚ My god, best pigeon I have ever had. The sauce was mostly chocolate and really complemented the other flavors.

Seventh Course: Black Fig ˚ Raspberry ˚ Pinot Noir ˚ Black Currant ˚ Long Pepper ˚ Bread ˚ Pansy Flower ˚ Grilled Rapeseed Oil ˚ The first of the sweeter courses. Macerated black figs, rasperry sauce. Good but not particularly memorable.

Eighth course:Pine Nut ˚ Amalfi Lemon ˚ Rosemary ˚ Raw Cane Sugar ˚ Cacao Nib ˚ Fleur de Sel ˚ OK now we are talking!!! This was MEMORABLE. Rosemary ice cream, pine nut crunchies, tuile and an Amalfi lemon custard. Planning to make a version of this somehow…

Ninth course: Gianduja ˚ Jerusalem Artichoke ˚ Yuzu ˚ Arabica Coffee ˚Wet Hazelnut ˚ Raw Brown Sugar ˚ Great flavors and I like the Jerusalem artichoke crisps, but I thought the artichoke puree (ball on right) didn’t add to the dish, at least in comparison to the yuzu marshmallow.

A little mango cake they surprised us with

Petit fours: ** French wine grapes (forgot the varietal), chocolate cookies and buckwheat madeleines with a banana lime jam. Digestif was ume-soju (made in house, 1 year). I love ume so that was the highlight of this part for me.

Overall I thought it was a solid tasting menu, and I really appreciated the nod to Cantonese ingredients while still maintaining the French fine dining sensibility. Also the “old” Amber was known for traditional, heavy French food, but this “new” Amber seems to have lighter fare without losing any of the finesse. Not sure what happened, but they don’t seem to offer bread anymore (or perhaps we had to ask for it?) so I did miss having that part of the meal.

All in all, a nice way to celebrate an anniversary!

[MalibuT]

Hmmm according to this article for September 2019, there are at least 3 places. Lau Sum Kee Noodle in Sham Shui Po is the closest to me, will try to get out there at some point.

[Jalias]

It’s been a little over a year, but my last trip to Lau Sum Kee was solid. Dried shrimp roe noodles with their pickled radish

I highly recommend the fresh, homemade tofu pudding from Kung Wo as a bang (a couple blocks away).

Feeling extremely jealous, thanks for sharing your adventures!

[hanhgry]

@MalibuT

There was also a 9 course Vegetarian Full Amber Experience HKD1998 (USD258)

takes notes and bookmarks for future HK trip

[MalibuT]

Oh yes, will do that bang for sure!

[MalibuT]

Dinner at Chiu Tang in Central. Menu is online here.

The setting:

Typical Chiu Chow starters for the table - boiled peanuts (their version had beans as well) and suan cai
(pickled mustard green)

We started with some dim sum.

Pan-fried Chiu Chow Turnip Cakes a little greasy, but packed with ingredients and very flavorful

Pan-fried Chiu Chow Dumplings very savory, with a nice bounce to the skin

Deep Fried Oyster Rolls Filled with Spring Onions these were so good! Perfectly done oysters with a super crispy crust

Of course, we had the Signature Marinated Dishes. All were quite nice. I especially liked the pig intestine.
Goose, Bean Curd

Goose’s Web and Wing, Goose Intestine, and Pig Intestine

Accompanied by a garlice vinegar chili sauce

Closeup of each item.

Braised Minced Chicken Soup with Vegetables Thick flavorful broth, the green was mostly spinach. Must take so much practice to get it this perfect.

Sharks fin soup Can’t comment on this, the ABC in me is not a fan of sharks fin soup, but the rest of the party seemed to enjoy theirs

Simmered fish in broth not bad, not amazing

Crispy Chiu Chow Noodles with Yellow Chives, Sugar and Dark Vinegar One of my favorite noodle dishes, their version was light and the sauce was good. Important to eat this ASAP before it loses the crispiness

Crispy chicken with jun jiu choi The vegetable jun jiu choi is also known as pearl vegetable, it’s got a nice grassy flavor, they use it a lot as a granish - it’s usually flash fried

Simmered Fish Balls and ‘Shantou’ Baby Cabbage in Casserole

A few desserts:

Green Bean Sweet Soup with Gingko Nuts not very sweet, it was just okay

Steamed Dark Sugar Cane Sponge Cakes these were very good. Intense dark sugar flavor

We were celebrating a friend’s birthday, so I brought an Earl Grey Basque Cheesecake from La Viña Bakery , which opened in August. They reproduce the original recipe from La Viña restaurant in San Sebastian, the cake is absolutely delicious!

[MalibuT]

Breakfast at Maxim’s Hong Kong Day (Maxim is a large HK based food and restaurant conglomerate - Hong Kong Day is their version of a cha chaan teng - HK style tea restaurant/cafe). We usually go to more of a hole in the wall cafes, but with Covid we try to stick to the more sanitary establishments. Our go-to Tsui Wah in Central has closed.

Just thought I’d give you guys a sense of what they do here to manage Covid exposure - most restaurants have a thermometer and hand sanitizer at the entry:

This place goes a bit further with plexi guards between the booths and tables…

…as well as a QR code you are given which you scan and it takes you to a link where you order - minimize contact…

We each ordered a breakfast set

Satay beef with instant noodes perfectly serviceable version of the HK style breakfast staple

Imitation abalone and ham with macaroni surprisingly not bad

Eggs and Toast okay, I prefer my scrambled eggs lighter with large fluffy curds, so the HK style is not my favorite

HK Milk Tea (Hot) good flavor

All in all, a decent place to go and I love how clean they are, but the breakfast menu is very limited, so you have to like the savory HK style breakfasts, they don’t have any of the french toasts or the condensed milk buns or the pineapple buns with butter - if you want those, go to a place with a bigger menu.

[Sgee]

@MalibuT

Crispy Chiu Chow Noodles with Yellow Chives, Sugar and Dark Vinegar

So it’s a chiu chow dish. I had an excellent version (though less refined) at a Singapore zi char. They referred to it as “paratha beehoon”, a local play on words.

That oyster roll looks amazing

[JLee]

Appreciate all the writeups so far, cant decide if I want to do Hong Kong or Singapore as my first trip out of the country when this is all over!

[moonboy403]

Both! They’re only a few hours apart by flight.

[MalibuT]

Second @moonboy403 - it’s a quick enough flight and oh there’s the pandan cake too.

Also you forgot Taipei!!! If they didn’t have a mandatory 14 day quarantine I’d be there in a heartbeat, grazing on all the “little eats”.

[JLee]

I cant close my restaurant for that long!

[moonboy403]

You right. You can’t deprive us FTC’ers of your goodies for too long!

[MalibuT]

Dim sum at Imperial City at Dynasty Club. Dynasty Club is one of the many private dining clubs in Hong Kong, where you have to be or know a member to get a reservation.

Setting. I’m getting used to having the “gong kuai” (serving chopsticks).

Menu:
They change their menu monthly with new specials, but there will always be the usual dim sum. I’m going back there on Monday - any requests for dishes to try?

Ham sui gok (on the menu as glutinous rice dumpling filled with dried shrimp and pork are you guys getting tired of this dim sum yet? It’s my favorite, so I always order it. These were served piping hot and they were delicious!

Har gow I actually think this is the best har gow so far, better than Seventh Son (filling was a bit more flavorful without losing any of that fresh shrimp flavor)

Steamed rice rolls with crispy shrimp roulade I haven’t seen this dim sum anywhere else, only at this place. One of my favorite dishes to get, because I like that contrast in texture between the firm shrimp, the crispy shell and the rice noodle rolls. Second close-up photo shows it with the sweet soy sauce that accompanies it. This dim sum is similar to zhaliang (rice noodle roll with youtiao as the filling), but the crispier roulade and shrimp kicks it up a few notches.

Saw this monthly item "steamed foie gras xiao long bao - BRING IT ON!!! Oh yeah every xiao long bao needs to have a foie gras surprise inside! Skin could have been a little thinner but hey, foie gras!

Shark’s fin dumpling in superior soup

Plate of greens to balance things out. Pea shoots (dou miao) in broth Not on the menu - usually you just ask the waiter what fresh vegetables are available and he tells you, then you specify how you want them prepared. In broth is one of my favorite preparations and they do it so nicely here, the greens are in a nice chicken broth and it’s topped with finely shredded Yunnan ham.

Saw this on the way out. $21-$25 a bottle. @Sgee maybe you can double boil some lemons with your Sumo skins!

From the brochure (translated by google):
One of our best-selling gifts, the above two natural drinks are both hot and cold.
These fashionable drinks are especially helpful for soothing throat discomfort.
Lemon is rich in vitamin C, which can remove toxins from the body and enhance immunity.
Tangerine peel is rich in bioflavonoids, which helps lower cholesterol.