Hong Kong, Food x 866

What do you do when a food guru told you that he is making time for you during your 2 day visit to Hong Kong ? That he will analyze your work schedule, noting the places that you will be at and then plan your meals around them?

You do not hesitate but accept whatever he is saying of course !

Thanks David for accommodating to my schedule and stuffing Mark and me with lots of “wan-tai-fook” (wonderful in cantonese lingo of the past) food. By the way, David is a strong advocator of old classic, traditional way of cooking. You can see all his research and recipes on his blog, Gastronaut, as well.

Whats 866 ? We were there 2.5 days. We had 8 meals on the first day, 6 on the 2nd and another 6 meals on the last day. Disgusting, i know…….. 🙂 Am no food reviewer or blogger, but just to share some of the more memorable places we went.

Mark, who cooked for us in previous posts, is the photographer this time round. He had a hard time deciding to eat or to take pictures….Dilemma indeed. 🙂

Kau Kee Beef Noodles.九記牛腩

Soup is surprisingly clear and tasty. Noodles are great.

Chan Kan Kee 陳勤記鹵鵝飯店

No doubt this is the best braised goose i have ever come across in my life. Fragrant, gamey, salty and sweet at the same time with soft textures of goose meat. Its not too fat as well. The other dishes are forgettable and its a one-star michelin restaurant ? Not impressed.  Need to try their more of their other dishes to tell better…..

Ser Wong Fun 蛇王芬

This is funny, i remember this place well as i visited sometime back. Its serves a really nice snake soup which made me lost my voice and gave me a nose bleed. hahaha…i was little sick then and this “heaty” soup just tips me over. But really, nothing should be taken away from this. See the thin slivers of snake meat ? David told us that it is still cut by hand, not machines. And not many chef has the skills to do so these days.

The chinese sausages are out of this world, especially the liver ones. The aroma of chinese wine just shoots up your nose when you take a bite and you can actually still feel the soft texture of the mince livers. Unlike the “baton-like” chinese sausages that you find in Singapore that can be use during the 4x100m races 🙂

I made an oath never to tell anyone about this place. So no names and no address. Only the regulars and the residents there know about them. Hahaahha. You have to be there at 730pm sharp because the roast gooses are sold out in 15 mins. Chef makes only a limited number as he has only a small shop…a one man show. That crispy skin with a thin translucent layer of fat, a clear winner !!

And we had chicken intestines as well……a first time ever for me. Chewy and buttery. Its like eating a mouthful of chicken skin with all its gelatinized fats. Didn’t feel very comfortable after that……. 🙂

Lin Heung Tea house 蓮香樓

Very good dim sum and not too touristy. Good place to observe daily life of Hong Kongers. You have to pro active to get your food here. By the time the food trolleys come to you, some items may have already run out 🙂

Traditional Teochew Kuehs or Cakes. You can hardly find them these days. Alot of recipes have changed but these guys still stick to the old traditional ways. Many just use a short cut and mix flour with colourings. See the black one ? Its skin is made using a kind of wheat, not food flavorings. Think its called pepperwort. No shop name ? Yeh……secret again….dont worry, i will bring you guys there myself 🙂

Ji Ji 鸡记潮州面食

Worth a try, the noodles are al dente without a hint of alkaline water. I like the handmade cuttlefish balls though.

Wong Chi Kei

This is a interesting plate of noodles. No meat, no wontons but just prawn roe. Interestingly, if you are on close terms with some dry seafood suppliers, they can fry the roes for you and sell it to you in a bottle. Just add some to your noodles or pasta, you guests will go crazy wondering whats it that makes the noodles taste so good !!

Mark was crazy over this dish. I forgot the name of the place…..maybe he can highlight to us here. Claypot beef topped with an raw egg.

And of course !! We could not leave without having hairy crabs(大閘蟹) !! Yes, cause its claws looks like they have hairs on them. The season last from maybe Sept till Dec and the best time to eat is now. I was told to choose a male crab (thats cause its with yellow roe) and not too heavy at 220-250g/pc.

Make sure you go to a reputable restaurant. It must be the crab from the famous Yang Cheng Lake (阳澄湖) Anywhere else, its considered an imitation. So be careful before paying top dollars, could be USD200 per crab for the real thing…. You can get imitations for USD15.

A very rushed trip. But if we can do a 886 amidst work, you can do it as well !

Enjoy !