Quest For Stars - I'm on TV

I was interviewed for this TV show about Michelin starred restaurants in Hong Kong and Macau.

Quest for Stars - Now-TV Channel 516 - LiTV ~ Life Inspired


Date: Two-part series: Sundays, March 20 & March 27

Time: 9 pm

Where: Now TV Channel 516 (Li TV), subscribe now HKD 21/month

Li TV website: http://litvchannel.com/hot/

Summary:


With over 11,000 restaurants in Hong Kong alone – and even more in Macau – diners have plenty of choice when it comes to eating. That’s why it’s become one of the favorite pastimes for residents.


In 2008, the famed Michelin Guide made its debut in both Hong Kong and Macau.

Since then, the 478 page bi-lingual guide has been the source of much controversy and questions abound:

•How did Hong Kong end up having the world's cheapest one star restaurant?


•Are Michelin reviewers biased towards Western restaurants?

•And finally, do Michelin stars truly matter to the 69 restaurants selected?

This two-part series, hosted by prominent food writer Reggie Ho, will answer many of these questions and more via interviews with world famous chefs, prominent food critics, bloggers, Michelin star recipients and future would be hopefuls.

In providing a balanced look at the cause and effect relationship between the Guide and local restaurants, the series will also show how the area's established scene forced changes on the traditional ways that the Guide operates.

The series will then conclude with a look at what Michelin may do in the region to change perceptions of its brand as well as how venues, diners and critics feel that the pursuit of the elusive star may affect the local food scene. It promises to be a revealing look at a revered institution and a program that regional foodies can love and learn from.

RTHK's Hong Kong Heritage Program with Annemarie Evans

Tune into my interview with RTHK's Annemarie Evans as we chow down on dumplings.  On-site at a dim sum restaurant we talked about etiquette, history and ordering amongst the interruptions from waitresses, cellphones and chattering neighbours (15  mins).  Click below:

RTHK interview with Annemarie Evans' Hong Kong Heritage program

Vegetarian dim sum at its best - Lok Cha Tea House

Hong Kong is an extremely difficult city to navigate for vegetarians.  There are many hidden meats, soup stock and lard in the dishes here.  Some of my vegie friends who are a bit more adventurous try to communicate with the local staff as best they can but many are frustrated with the cultural difference that most Cantonese are meat-eaters and pure vegetarian dishes just doesn't register on their radar.  When caught with the offending morsels in their food, my friends rightfully protest only to hear the waiter's denial that 'it's only a little bit'.  How relaxing it is to sit down at a restaurant and not have to worry about what you can eat and what you can't eat. 

Lok Cha Tea House not only serves excellent tea (Feb 2010 blog entry) but all of their dishes are vegetarian.  Being a strict omnivore, I was a little hesitate to like the food here.  But let me tell you, I have been converted!



Anhui Yellow Tea $38



White rose white tea $38

Starting with the deliciously fragrant teas, the ritual of making the teas really set the mood for our lunch. Although the restaurant was full with the lunch crowd, everyone here is quiet, respectful and dare I say, more cultured.  This is definitely not the construction worker crowd or even the rushed office worker crowd.  The dark woods, the Chinese screens and the soft lighting sets this apart from other dim sum restaurants.

Fried mushroom dumpling $25

The dim sum menu and tea menu here changes daily but I can assure you that everything is cooked fresh. There are no factory-made dumplings shipped from Kowloon to be served here. The Fried Mushroom Dumpling was filled with finely chopped mushrooms, it's delicate. I thought I would miss the meat inside the dumpling but the funny thing is that the mushrooms are 'meaty'. The dough is light and crispy on the outside and just the right amount of thickness. The balance between the dough and the filling was perfect, neither overwhelmed the other.



Fried stuffed eggplant $19

Traditionally stuffed with minced fish, these lovely morsels were stuffed with a soft cabbage mixture (almost the same consistency as sauerkraut but without the tartness).  Again the pan-fried eggplant was crispy on the outside and once you sink your teeth into the filling, the softness of the cabbage fills your mouth.  What a great sensation!

Steamed savory sticky rice in lotus leaf $25

The Sticky Rice in Lotus Leaf were moist and succulent, filled with mushrooms and bamboo shoots.

Bean curd skin roll $28

The Bean Curd Skin Roll resembled a vegetable omelet.  The crunchy vegetables in the middle added more texture to the dish and this dish is the only one where I felt like it's a vegetarian meal.

Glutinous Flour Dumpling with Cashew Nut & Peanuts $15

Purple Glutinous Rice Pudding $16

The Purple Glutinous Rice Pudding was fair but not a clear winner.  My favorite dessert was the Glutinous Flour Dumpling because being freshly made the 'mochi' was so soft and tender.  More so than at the street stalls in town.  The added ingredients of cashews made the dumplings a bit more luxurious as well.

The servings were small compared to other restaurants but I felt they took extra care in preparing their dishes so my tastebuds felt more satisfied.  I walked out of the restaurant feeling full but not overly so.  A wonderful feeling after a dim sum meal.  Lunch came to $250 for two.

Lok Cha Tea House
Ground Floor, The K. S. Lo Gallery
Hong Kong Park
Admiralty
Hong Kong
Ph: 2801-7177
Reservations highly recommended.  English speaking staff.

Opened 7 days a week 10 am - 10 pm.
Closed every first Tuesday of the month.

Michelin Magic - Tim Ho Wan

Signature dish - Baked bun with BBQ pork $12 for 3!

Ever since hearing that this hole-in-the-wall joint was awarded a Michelin star for their excellent dim sum, I wondered if the food really matched up to the hype.  C'mon, so the owner, Mak Pui Gor, was a chef at the Four Seasons Hotel, does that mean it translates to excellent food and cheap prices in a rush?  What about the rumoured 3-hour waits?

Treasure Hunt aka How to get there
Finding this restaurant was an adventure in itself. If you take the MTR, get off at Yau Ma Tei station and take the A2 exit. As you come out of the exit, Nathan Road is behind you, turn right on Nathan (towards Mong Kok) and then turn right on Dundas Street (about two blocks).  Walk past the Ladies Market on your left hand side and keep going until you reach Kwong Wah Street (on left).

You can't miss it for the crowds

Surroundings
Located in a non-descript area of town full of motorcycles, we arrived to find a crowd at 10:30 in the morning.  Even at this early hour, we had to wait 45 minutes for a table. Ladies, wear flats, not heels and bring your small shoulder bags as it's a tight squeeze inside.  As soon as you arrive, take a ticket from the hostess at the front and they will call out numbers.  The restaurant itself seats only 30 people.  When they called our number, I couldn't go in with my friends since half of our table was still occupied!  I had to wait outside until they had paid and left.  Tip: while you wait outside, ask for their bi-lingual paper menu so you can pre-order your food.

Just put the number of servings in the box provided, hand over to waitress when you are seated.

Tip 2: The bathrooms have no soap so bring wet wipes.

This is truly a place for locals, our neighbors ranged from super-nice to super-grumpy.  One woman barked at the waitresses because they poured her some pu'er tea.  She had brought her own ginseng tea (in a thermos) and didn't want the inferior restaurant house tea.  Be prepared for a real local experience!

* Cramped but happy!

Food
Must try: Baked bun with BBQ Pork, get 2, 3, or 4 servings. You won't regret it. These melt in your mouth buns are definitely the star of the show and everything else pales in comparison. I reckon the Michelin star was awarded for this dish alone.

Oozing deliciousness

You may ask what sets this chef apart from the thousands of others in the city?  It's the glorious sauces. They taste as if they have gone through a reduction process, so concentrate was the flavour and so rich were they that it was definitely a Michelin experience on my palate.

Glue Rice (Sticky Rice) Dumpling wrapped in lotus leaf - $20

The same can be said for the sauce in their Glue Rice Dumpling.  However I was chided by the waitress for trying to eat this one first.  As the first dish to arrive at the table after a 45 minute wait, I was ravenous.  But our server said not to unwrap this as it should be eaten last in the meal. Yes, of course.

Steamed Mushroom stuffed with Fish and Black Bean Sauce - $14

An unusual dish we tried was the Steamed Mushroom stuffed with Fish and Black Bean Sauce, the mushroom was tender and meaty, the fish-paste was good except but you must be someone who likes the taste of cilantro.

Other recommendations include:
Deep fried Dumpling filled with Meat, Steamed Dumpling in Chiu Chow Style, Rice roll stuffed with Shrimp, Pan-fried Turnip Cake (wonderful Chinese sausage flavor), Steamed Egg Cake (sweet), .

Rice Roll Stuffed with Shrimp - $17

Steamed Dumpling in Chiu Chow Style (with peanuts) - $10

Pan-fried Turnip Cake with chinese sausage (tastes like chorizo) - $10

Steamed Egg Cake - $10

Deep Fried Dumpling filled with meat (pork) - $12

The desserts consists of hot soups. I opted for the Double Boiled Pear Soup with Snow Fungus ($10).  The snow fungus is a type of mushroom and valued for their crispness.  Like all chinese soups, this particular brew promises clear and hydrated skin, beneficial especially for the winter season.

* Better than a facial?  The small white pieces are chinese almonds

My friend opted for the Sweet Chestnut and Pumpkin Cream, she said it was the perfect finish to her meal.

Pumpkin cream - $10

Payment
Contrary to other small establishments, the staff wants you to pay at the table, not at the front desk.  This entire meal came to around $50 per person, great stuff!

Address:
Tim Ho Wan
2-20 Kwong Wah Street
Mongkok
Hours: 10 am - 10 pm
Tel: 2332-2896
(No reservations)

Second location:  Seats 150, over 10,000 square feet, no waiting (according to staff), but I have not yet tried this one out
G/F 9-11 Fuk Wing Street
Sham Shui Po
Hours: 8 am - 10 pm
Tel: 2788-1226
(This branch DOES take reservations)


Have been dreaming of the Baked Bun with BBQ Pork ever since, see you in line!


* Photos by Wendy A and Leslie R.

Award winning noodles in Causeway Bay

Small shop front - 60 year history

When I first noticed this small noodle and congee shop, it was because there were 30 people lining up outside of it ... at 9pm at night!  I wondered why this place was packed, even for dinner, so one day at their 11 am opening time, I was able to sneak in for a quick meal. Ahhh, the broth, it was sooooo good!

Wonton Noodle Soup - $28

This simple little restaurant with 9 booths, 3 tables and seats only 44 people is a little Mom-and-Pop affair.  Their menu consists mainly of noodle soups, Lo Mein (dry noodle dishes with various meats), congee, Singaporean noodles, sticky rice and fried wantons (wontons).    Priced fairly high for local fare, you can tell it's a higher income class of clientele than the regular office workers who regularly frequent noodle and congee shops.  They don't need to advertise for business, their customers are usually regulars and they have won several awards.  You may be asked to share a table when you enter because of the limited seating. Don't worry, everyone gets their own 'docket' with your order.  When you finish, just bring the 'docket' to the cashier at the entrance and she will tell you the price of your meal.

Simple Chinese menu

As the menu is only in Chinese, ordering is going to be a little difficult but trust me that the Wanton Noodle Soup (Won Ton Mien), Fried Flat Noodle with Beef (Gone Chow Au Hall), and the Singapore Fried Vermicelli with Curry Powder (Sing Chow Mai Fun) from pages 87, 88,  89 of my Dim Sum: A Survival Guide book are very good choices in this establishment.  The wontons are a little peppery, the noodles are al-dente!  The 'Ho Fun'  - flat noodles, were a little on the greasy side but they needed to be otherwise, they would all stick together.  There was a generous portion of beef filet, so tender and delicious.  This restaurant charges more because they use better ingredients.

Fried Flat Noodles with Beef - $58

There is a small jar of pickled Japanese radish and carrots at each table and there is no service charge. If you wish to leave a tip, there is a small money box at the cashier's desk for you to deposit your gratitude. Lunch came to under $100 for two.

Free pickles

Ho Hung Kee Congee & Noodle Wantun Shop
2 Sharp Street East
Causeway Bay
Hours: 11:00 - 23:30
(Located on the block between Times Square and G.O.D.)

P.S. Ho Hung Kee just awarded one Michelin star in the 2011 edition.  

Romantic Charm - King's Cuisine

Entrance from escalators, the double height ceiling of the lobby is so welcoming

Hidden away on the 6th Floor of the Windsor House (I didn't even know there was anything else higher than Toys R Us), King's Cuisine is a fresh new Cantonese restaurant that is ready for the wedding parties.  There are two entrances, one from the escalators, if you have the patience to ride up from the Ground Floor.  The other entrance leads from the elevators, but make sure you catch the correct set, there are two.  One set leads to the lower floors (retail shops)  and the other shoots up to the upper office floors.

Entrance from the elevator banks

The romantic decor in in white with flower motifs is a winning combination.  This restaurant is still fairly new so the carpets, wallpaper, and chairs are still fresh.  Tables are fairly spaced out so you get some elbow room.  There is also a lovely terrace with a lovely view of Causeway Bay which is ready with a tent and chairs for a wedding ceremony.

Must be the best 'Char Siu' in town!

Their signature dish is the King's BBQ Pork (Char Siu $38), absolutely THE BEST. It's moist, a little crispy on the outside, with just the right (small amount) of fat to make it tasty.  I don't know what the secret ingredient is but the BBQ chef at this restaurant has added one more flavor to the usual recipe here and it works like magic.

Crispy Roasted Pork

Their bi-lingual order card contain a 'thumbs-up' icon that denotes their Signature Dish.  Here is one of them, the Crispy Roasted Pork ($48).  I want to meet the BBQ chef because this guy knows what he's doing. Selecting the right ingredient is half the battle and he selects pork which is not too fatty and roasts it until the skin is crisp but the meat is tender.  Another excellent dish but the Char Siu is slightly better although it didn't get the Signature Dish icon.

Fukien Fried Rice

I loved their Fukien Fried Rice, which is a saucy version of the ubiquitous Yeung Chow Fried Rice.  With the Fukien Fried Rice, it is served with a wonderful gravy on top with bits of shrimp, chicken, pieces of carrots and green vegetables.  this dish was so good, I could taste the 火气 (transl. Fire air).  There is no English equivalent to this term, other than you can taste the way that the chef fired it up in his wok, because of the high heat, it tastes totally different from it would if it was cooked on a stovetop at home.

Shrimp with Spinach Dumpling

Mixed Vegetables Dumpling

The dumplings were a treat, especially the Shrimp Dumpling with Spinach and the Mixed Vegetable Dumpling.  We also tried the Steamed Rice Roll with King Prawn (very firm prawns) and the Steamed Rice Roll with BBQ Pork,  the BBQ Pork Buns and the Sweet Potato Buns (made with Purple Yams, actually) they were very nice, not outstanding but entirely adequate.

Sweet Potato Buns, fluffy

Congee with Chicken and Mushrooms

Another outstanding dish was the Congee with Chicken and Mushroom.  I was most pleasantly surprised to find that the congee was the tastiest I have had in years!  Sprinkled with Goji berries on top and served with fried wonton skins, the flavor was excellent. Again I could taste the 火气 (transl. Fire air).   Chinese people believe that Goji berries are especially healthy for women (replenishes the blood) and congee is breakfast/lunch and comfort food.

The meal came to under $80 per person because, like most restaurants in Hong Kong now, if you pay for the bill before 12:30, they offer a discount.  They work hard at this place, opening daily at 7 am for dim sum breakfast until late night.

King's Cuisine
6th Floor, Windsor House
311 Gloucester Road
Causeway Bay
Tel: 2332-9090
(They take reservations.)

Made it to the UK!

Self-billed as the 'Home for Fanatics of Little Pieces of Heart', Dim Sum Pop is a brand new UK-based website dedicated to Dim Sum merchandise.

Click below to view their recommendation:
http://www.dimsumpop.com/blog/entry/dim_sum_a_survival_guide

If you're based in the UK, you can purchase my book for £5.73 through the Dim Sum Pop site to access Amazon.com.uk.  Cheers!