Hong Kong food diary

Visited Hong Kong for the first time with Jon back in November. I wanted to catch Clockenflap (a music festival) and since Jon was coming down to Kuala Lumpur for a visit, it was most opportune that we explored HK together. We flew coach on Malaysia Airlines and while not mind-blowing, the inflight meals were adequate. Ok maybe just my nasi lemak; Jon's sweet and sour fish noodle was terrible.

Malaysia Airlines' new design and colour scheme for their dinnerware/tableware looks appalling; grey toned and very hospital-like. I also felt that the cost-cutting was made very apparent judging from the meals alone. 

We arrived late afternoon and after checking in, it was dinnertime. Not wanting to walk too far, we settled on Genki Sushi. We had it in Malaysia for a brief period in time until they ceased operating; possibly due to the lack of patrons or just a really poor menu. The one in HK was a small location tucked in the upper floors of an office building right off Nathan Road, one of the main thoroughfares in Kowloon. 

The restaurant was packed and we had to take a number. There was a nifty little machine (that I didn't take a pic of) where patrons could enter their names and phone number so that when it was their turn to be seated, they'd get a message sent to their phone. Pity that it was entirely in chinese script so we did it the manual way of taking a ticket (we really wanted to have a go at it!).

When it was finally our turn, a waitress (or presumably the host) brought us to our table and had the most plastic smile plastered on as we were seated, which vanished as quickly as it appeared, as she went away. All the waitstaff were moody and whenever serving us, would just slide our dishes over in a flurry on to their next table (some landed with a thump). Not to be discontented, I attributed the treatment to them just being typical Hong Kongers perhaps and that the service wasn't at all personal (we had mixed treatment from Hong Kongers and generally find most to be a little rude and insensitive towards patrons but some were really friendly). 

The prices were on the steep side for a sushi chain (after conversion to Canadian dollars and Malaysian ringgit) but everything tasted amazing and was of good quality. Our bill came up to over MYR150/CA$50 for just these few dishes (plus some sushi and another plate of sashimi not pictured).

Poor Jon. Maybe just hungry Jon.

No picture-taking was allowed but I managed to sneak in a few shots of the menu :)

The music festival was on day two and we headed over later in the afternoon. The start of the day was spent exploring and I bought a pack of a dozen or so Vitasoys (soybean milk) from the local supermarket as I had never tried them before and know they're to HK what Yeo's soymilk is to Malaysia. 

There was a good variety of food at the festival and we had to buy HK100 sheets of vouchers as currency. Needless to say, all food was overpriced but it was really fun buying piping hot food in the cold outdoor weather. Some tasted ok but we made a grave mistake buying overpriced siew mai (pork dumplings) that, after tasting, were so obviously the mass-produced frozen kind sans any trace of pork (they were probably flour-laden fish paste siew mai). They'd do that in HK; motherland of dim sum? Eeeugh. Okay the vendors were obviously expats but it was sacrilege.  

A sheet of HK100 vouchers in hand each, we scouted the festival grounds for what was to be the prelude to our dining experience there. It's always preferable to start off with something that wouldn't kill your appetite the rest of the evening, right? That's were I jinxed myself. Jian bing. Long has this Chinese breakfast staple eluded me— I was in China and spotted a vendor but before I could get to the stall, it had rained and he had to pack up— so I decided on jian bing as my starter. They had the original, peking duck and char siew on the menu that night and I went with the original: 

...upon first bite I cringed. Spicy. Second bite. Oh so very spicy. My mouth was on fire and I guess it was my fault for saying I wanted the spicy sauce but I didn't know it was going to be that spicy and I usually love spicy (fact: I eat birds eye chilies in soy sauce with rice & noodles no problem). Also having seen a jian bing feature in a documentary, I really thought it was going to be mind-blowingly good just like how a savoury crepe is. Sadly the filling at this particular jian bing seller just wasn't all that special; it was missing something, a certain umami that simply did not exist amid the blandness of it all. It was mostly a folded pancake slathered in chili sauce and bean paste; the stingy portion of just one small egg haphazardly strewn across the cooking batter was lost; and the fried cracker was plain and unseasoned. 

Having finished the entire jian bing when the smarter albeit more wasteful approach would've been to just toss it, I needed to dull my senses a little and the cheapest solution was a Kronenbourg 1664 blanc. None of that diluted cranberry-vodka mixer crap most of the ladies seemed to be into that night. 

Walking along the festival grounds, we spotted a cool german wiener. He was cool alright, manning the grill like he downright owned the thing. Well, he did but...yeah never mind. Mr. Wolfgang's stall had a great buzz of activity and we joined the queue. Though full on jian bing, and now beer, it was hard to resist so we shared one. It was amazing. The crusty buns were piping hot and so fluffy inside and the frankfurters were a mile long and tasted rich of herbs and spices. Sauces were self-serve and were in gigantic german bottles (well, they were german sauces): ketchup & curry mustard. 

After the festival we headed to the after-party where Kevin Baird of TDCC was supposed to have a DJ set but as they cancelled their entire Asia tour, I did not see them at Urbanscapes KL, Clockenflap HK & their DJ set at Socialito (a club in Central HK). We went there anyway since I had paid for tickets which included a drink each, and it was probably the most miserable experience during the entire trip. 

On our way back to the hotel we spotted a 7-11 right across the road and I bought a bowl of Sze Chuan sour and spicy noodles. They were incredible for what was technically a TV-dinner (asian style!). All you had to do was peel back a plastic sheet and empty the soup onto the meat and noodles, then microwave as per the instructions on the label (7-11 food in HK is the bomb). We then trotted back to the hotel, piping hot bowl of noodles in hand (cleverly insulated by my scarf). 

The next morning we slept in and skipped the complimentary breakfast spread. The beds at Eaton are seriously the comfiest ever! We were held prisoners in bed over the next two days and gave up catching the breakfast buffet altogether. But with food everywhere, a meal was only a short walk away. This time we explored Kowloon for a famous wan tan noodle shop called Mak's and giving in to hunger, we settled for noodles at a random stall first. I had the wan tan noodles and Jon had fishball & fishcake noodles. It was only HK$25–28 a bowl which was pretty cheap by HK standards. The fish paste items Jon had were amazing in both taste and texture; probably one of the best I've had anywhere. 

 

After more walking and a trip to a telco provider, now armed with a tourist sim-card & google maps, we finally found Mak's. Good thing the portions were TINY as we were still full from the noodles beforehand. I think they were around HK$30 a bowl. Despite it's popularity and them catering to tourists (having an english menu available), service was rather cold. 

After this we caught the light show by the harbour and visited one of the many malls in that area. It was there that I chanced upon Ladurée and decided once and for all to buy into the hype and get myself an assortment of macarons.

We chose a box for eight (around HK$240) and proceeded to select from an array of flavours. I think we had: rose, vanilla, pistachio, salted caramel, praline, raspberry, coffee and one other seasonal flavour. Upon first bite, I found them to be immensely sweet. Granted I do not have a sweet tooth or a liking for macarons, I began to question this impulse purchase. I am glad though, to have finally tasted the hype and am lucky to see that I am not one of the many people out there with such an affinity for this overly sweet (and overpriced) French confection. 

On the walk back to the hotel, we spotted a food stand selling these egg-like pancake things. They resemble kaya balls but are just without filling and made of a chewier dough. We initially bought one from a different stall and after spotting this apparently famous one, we bought another to taste the difference. This blew our minds. We wanted to toss the former stale one we had bought earlier but being me, I ate the remaining few "lumps" (I don't know how to describe these).

I do not know the name of the stall but they're along Nathan Road, in between shop lots with pictures of local celeb-customers advertised on its walls. Usually seen in the evening with a queue on the sidewalk.

We made a second stop at 7-11 to sample more of the TV-dinners and this time I chose a rice bowl with a patty of squid and minced pork. I was given a packet of sweet soy by the friendly aunty at the counter to compliment the dish and everything was soooooo yummy. Not as whole a dish as the noodles but if you brought this home and added a fried egg or a veggie stir-fry to this, it'll be as complete as any zhap fan meal gets. 

On our last day, we checked in our bags at the train station and ventured off in search of a famous dim sum chain located at a certain corner of Hong Kong station. Seeing a crowd of people was a huge help in spotting the place. I think it reads as Tim Ho Wan and they have been regarded as one of HK's best dim sum places for years now. There was a mix of locals and tourists in the crowd, though less of the latter, but the menu came in english and getting seats wasn't a problem. We had to walk up to the host and be issued a paper menu on which we would choose what we want while waiting for our number to be called. While waiting a friendly local talked to me in english and we had a good chat about the dim sum place. She says she hardly ever eats in and prefers takeaways as they're much faster; definitely not kidding there. 

There were sauces on the table and adding some to the rice made it insanely good. The oil and juices from steaming the lap cheong (waxed sausage) and chicken permeated the rice below making everything really tasty despite the lack of seasoning or sauce in the rice.

The siew mai was beyond this world.

The mango and shrimp spring rolls were a pass for me. Nothing really special about them and I'd recommend sticking to the steamed dim sum...like har gau (prawn dumplings)! The prawns were nicely marinated and had a crunch/ spring to each bite. One gripe I have with the place is that tea is charged on a per head basis so even if you're having a drink on the side, you will still be charged for tea (it is self-serve from a communal pot on the table). 

Oh and regarding seating, we were packed in with other diners sharing the same table so Jon was sat beside me while I faced two other diners. The tables in the centre are long and connected so you will be dining in a canteen fashion. Seating at these tables don't bother me but it may be inconvenient for families and larger groups; so you may have to wait longer for individual tables by the walls to free-up. 

Right by Tim Ho Wan was a sushi place that seemed nice so we gave it a try after dim sum. We had time to kill and this would be our last chance for meals in Hong Kong so we figured why not. The menu was impressive and we just ticked our orders on a paper menu but flipped through the digital version just for fun. The prices here were slightly higher than Genki Sushi and the taste and quality of the food was slightly lower for some dishes. While the seafood was fresh, I found the anago sushi lacking in flavour and a tad dry. Coming here was a mistake and we would've been better off stuffing ourselves full of dim sum. 

This was supposed to be a cucumber and crab salad but was mostly cucumber (how anyone could skimp on shredded simulated crab is beyond me). The miserable mound of mango did nothing and the dressing was tasteless.

I was so excited to see this on the menu and ordered it without hesitation. While it looked impressive, it didn't taste anything like how anagozushi should; the eel was cold despite being torched, the eel was chewy and would you just look at the tiny amount of sauce they gave me? Ideally anago wouldn't need sauce as anago used in sushi would be simmered in something flavourful but this anago was tasteless and desperately needed some kabayaki sauce. 

So yeah that's about it with the pictures. We had much more to eat but I don't know why I didn't take pictures of everything. Jon contributed only one picture here (the waffle balls) and I guess we were just being very lazy travellers and would've been even worse food bloggers if we were indeed serious food bloggers. 

My weird-but-awesome fish ball curry recipe

Curry fish balls are known to be a popular Hong Kong street snack and the dish has spread to other regions in Asia. In Malaysia where I am, curry fish balls can be found at night markets (pasar malam), certain food court stalls and some Hong Kong cha chaan teng outlets that have opened locally. 

                

Most HK-style curry fish ball recipes call for minimal ingredients and can be prepared so the fish balls are left loose to cook in the curry, or skewered with a curry sauce poured over. I prepared mine leaving the fish balls in a pot of curry and my recipe calls for a little more effort than most other recipes I've come across, but the result is pretty darn amazing. Not to brag but this was also my first time making this dish and it was mostly improvised with whatever I can find in my kitchen. I'm not always this lucky in the kitchen, aha; but I love cooking like a mad woman this way (crucial: taste as you cook). 

Warning: may be spicy depending on your curry powder mix

Ingredients

2 shallots (small red onions); diced

2 garlic cloves; crushed and chopped

2-3 stalks coriander; chopped finely, leaves and stems (used as garnish before serving -or- added to curry while cooking)

20 fish balls* (here I used small, white ones; you can use any kind you prefer)
1 cup sliced cabbage 

*Feel free to add other ingredients like fried bean curd skins (foo chuk), fish cakes, simulated crab sticks and other little morsels Asians snack on. 

1-2 tablespoons olive oil

4 teaspoons curry powder (I used a commercial blend for fish curry)

1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder (optional)

1 teaspoon garam masala powder (optional)

1 teaspoon paprika 

2 teaspoons sesame oil

1 teaspoon chinese sweet soy (I used Lee Kum Kee's)

1 teaspoon fish sauce 

1 chicken/ fish stock (bouillon) cube; dissolved in 2 cups of water

2-3 teaspoons soy sauce

2-3 teaspoons brown sugar (white sugar is fine)

2-3 teaspoons apple cider vinegar (white vinegar is fine; alternatively, lime juice. Yeah lime juice would be great)

1 cup milk (I used low-fat but you may use any other)

Method

1. In a bowl, add curry powder, turmeric powder, garam masala, paprika, sesame oil, sweet soy and fish sauce. Mix well until a dry paste forms. Add teaspoon of water if necessary. Paste should be moist but still crumbly. Set aside.

2. In another bowl, add stock cube and dissolve in 2 cups of water. Set aside. 

3. Heat olive oil in medium to large sauce pan (pot). Add chopped garlic and red onion and stir until fragrant. Without browning them, add the curry paste and stir well. Fry until fragrant.

4. Add sliced cabbage and fish balls and fry with curry paste until well coated. Keep frying until ingredients are cooked. 

5. If paste starts to dry, add milk in small increments, as necessary. 

6. Once all milk is used, add the prepared chicken/fish stock. Stir well and bring to boil. Once boiling add soy sauce, sugar (a teaspoon at a time to adjust for sweetness), and apple cider vinegar (also a teaspoon at a time, to taste).

7. At this stage the curry should not be too thin nor thick. If more liquid is needed, mix 2 teaspoons of the curry powder in hot water (2-3 teaspoons to a cup of water) and add to the pot.
8. If you like the curry creamier, add some coconut milk or cooking cream. Use the sugar and vinegar and additional curry powder to adjust to taste.
9. Once fish balls look plump, add chopped coriander and stir well.
10. Ready to serve as is, or with rice or rice vermicelli (or any other noodle of your choice)

Yeah it's a pretty ballsy curry fish ball recipe when most other recipes call for just soy sauce + curry paste + corn starch but if you're up for it, this makes a good alternative (I'd like to believe so at least, aha).