The best of HK...

...some of them, in my (and my friends') humble opinion(s) :)

Actually, it is because I have a few things from HK I would like to share still, and I decided to lump them all under one post.

Street Food

Frankly I didn't have enough street food (so many more I would have loved to try...but I wasn't feeling very well for that whole month there...plus, too much to eat, too little time) but here are a (very) few...including the HK must-try ---> smelly tofu!!


this is the one on 'goldfish street' in Mongkok...literally...lined with shop after shop selling fishes (plenty of goldfish)...and you will be able to smell this stall from far away :)


a closer look...before adding the sauces

Despite smelling quite bad from far away (like a rubbish dump)...the smell got less bad nearer (maybe it is just me)...and after coating the tofu with different sauces (don't know what they were...probably chilli & sweet sauce), I thought it tasted quite GOOD...haha. A layer of crispy skin, soft on the inside that melts in the mouth. Definitely wouldn't mind having it again! Haven't tried it anywhere else...so it could be the stall that is good...which is the famous one, apparently.

Another famous street food stall we visited was the one somewhere between Jordan and Tsim Sha Tsui (TST). This one is famous for 雞蛋仔 ('gai dan zai' in cantonese)...which is something I would describe as something sweet made with flour cooked into oval-ish shapes - crispy on the outside and pancake like on the inside.


a lot of newspaper clippings with famous HK stars!! must be good...haha...it IS a well-known stall, really


the 'gai dan zai'...really good actually!


the same stall also sells other types of street food...and we did have the curry fishballs as well (another typical HK street food...always being mentioned in TVB dramas :)) which were the BEST ones I had in HK...the texture was just right...yum!

And something I always enjoy on a cold winter night (or day for that matter)...warm roasted sweet potatoes!! Sooo good :)


the colours are so pretty as well!


both were sweet and lovely...but I prefer the purple ones

Egg tarts

Another HK trademark food. I am personally not a fan of egg tarts but for people who like them...HK is an egg tart heaven. After talking to the locals, these are 2 places recommended for the best egg tarts.


somewhere in Mongkok...we had a hard time finding it...it is under some pedestrian bridge (I think) but there are a lot of bridges in that area


the egg tarts ;) they do look really good! (I just don't like biscuity things much)

The other place, best portuguese egg tarts...at KFC!! Surprised? I was.


recommended by our classmates

Milk tea

Can you believe it? There is a 'best milk tea' place!! (I do miss the milk tea in HK...used to have one with every meal...) Anyway, this place holds the record for selling most glasses of milk tea in a day or something like that. We went there after class hoping to try their egg tarts and 'po lo pau' (pineapple bun...which is a type of bun with a crusty top with criss-crosses hence resembling a pineapple...no pineapple involved in its production) but we were too late!! Apparently they run out of those early afternoon. So, we sat there and savour the milk tea. Didn't think it was too special...but good nevertheless.


famous milk tea

This place is somewhere in Wanchai...I am sorry that I don't remember its name :(

Noodles

One of the staples in HK. I love all kinds of dumpling soups...but of all the places I tried, my favourite has to be 樂園 (Lok Yuen). They have a few branches but the one that I've been to 3 times was the new one in Mongkok, opposite Argyle Center on Argyle Street. Why? Just because it is new, with a modern and trendy interior (rather than hawker style) and the food tastes as good. Price...perhaps just a couple of HK$ more...totally ok with me.


my favourite - fish dumpling noodles...even the skin of the dumpling is made from fish...very nice!! where are can I find this?? *sob*

Also, I love to have noodle soup with some deep-fried fish skin. I don't have a photo but they are really good just on their own, or after a quick soak in your soup :)

Lok Yeun is apparently famous for their 'exploding beef balls', which are beef balls with hot soup in the middle once you bite into it. They are good but fish dumplings are still the way to go for me! :)

HK cafe

Ahh...Australian Dairy Co. Many locals love this place. If you are not familiar with the asian culture at all, be prepared for some serious culture shock. This place is SO popular that if you go at lunch time, there will be a long queue...but not to worry because one will not have to wait long.

One of the many (they have SO many workers for a shop of that size) waiters will get you at the door to ascertain the number of people he will need to seat. With seconds, one will be ushered into the cramped and crowded shop where you will be expected to stand in any small space you can find, hovering over people who are still eating.

The idea is to stare as much as possible so people will get uncomfortable and eat faster so they will be able to leave as soon as possible and you will get your seat...I'm kidding actually...but who knows.


their popular tea set...good value for money at HK$26(ish) everything you can see in the photo...including a hot milk tea/coffee


another thing people go there for...too sweet for me to finish on my own...but oh-so-smooth

The staff...though not the most polite bunch, were certainly entertaining!! :)

And this brings me to the end of my 'best of' post!!

Hui Lau Shan :)

I am sure any one who has been to HK would know Hui Lau Shan (from now on known as HLS)...and if you love mangoes, it will be your favourite place :) I went almost every day! For me, the combination of mango and coconut is simply ingenious!! And speaking of, there is such a combination at Boost juice (tropical storm?) but nothing beats HLS! (Actually I just had it this morning and it is no where near :P)

Anyway...let's go through some of the things you can find HLS ya? :) A collection of pictures from my month long stay in HK, and frequenting (is there such a word even?) the place with my friends!


'guai leng gou', mango juice (thick, from fresh mangoes!), coconut milk, topped with mango cubes...yum! My favourite 'on-the-go' HLS :)

Speaking of, they have an extensive take-away menu, inlcuding other yummy non-mango drinks...spoilt for choice really. Oh...I have to share this story here! One day, we were waiting for a table in HLS (at Tsim Sha Tsui I think!) and finally a bunch of people left so we started making our way in. A caucasian man was on his way out and as he walked past the counter, he said to one of the ladies (who was working there) 'Thank you very much' I think she didn't know what to say or how to react because I swear, no one in HK would do anything of that sort. So while she looked really puzzled, he continued 'Thank you, that was the BEST dessert I've had in my life' I swear that was exactly what he said, including the 'in my life' bit. I think HLS is great, but I wouldn't go that far ;)

But wait, that was not it :) He then walked past a container with a bunch of straws...those thick ones for drinking pearls/jelly/whatever else (illustrated in the photo above)...held one up and commented 'what is this?!?!' My friend who was walking past said 'that's a straw' He looked at her and said 'thank you', with a smile.

It was just quite funny, to me at least :)



fresh mango & crystal jelly in mango juice, topped with mango ice cream - 2 different views :)
This...is a favourite of many of my friends, including a scottish guy who would frown at many of the different HK food we tried to get him to sample - chicken legs & smelly tofu were a couple that left him horrified. But HLS, he loves. His parents were going to visit him in HK after I left so I asked him where would he be bringing his parents to...and he immediately answered 'mango dessert'...hehe...he's cute!


black glutinuous rice & coconut milk with mango pieces & pomelo sacs - this is one of MY favourites because I love everything in it, maybe except for the pomelo


a variety :) the one at the corner of the left-hand side has mango pudding in it, which is also a favourite of many


'yong ji gam lou' - which combines mango and pomelo


fresh fruits in mango juice


fresh fruits with mango ice-cream


fresh fruits + glutinuous balls in your choice of fruit juice (mango and watermelon is my favourite combo :D)


fresh fruits + mango ice-cream in bird's nest dessert



if you can't make up your mind :)

And, if mango is not really your thing...


papaya and almond dessert


bird's nest in coconut


erm...taro maybe? with spicy radish cake (which is yummy!!)

...plus plenty of other things!!



HLS is all over the place in HK (except Central!! That was a horrible night because we couldn't find dessert...even KFC ran out of portugese egg tarts...which by the way, according to people, are the one of best around!) You will love it :)

Japanese food at Causeway Bay

Just before I retire for the night, I'll quickly share a few more photos...from a Japanese restaurant in Causeway Bay (銅鑼灣). I must say that it has been a long long time since then and I do not remember where this place was (i.e. name of restaurant/address) :( The place was pretty, the food was pretty (especially the ones on display) and hence I like! The taste...I would say average but they did have some interesting things...and I love the ambience!

We were at a lost when it came to deciding where to go for dinner...given that it was our first/second night there. We strolled along the streets of Causeway Bay and wandered into this plaza (a Wellcome supermarket was nearby I remember) with quite a few restaurants...and the pretty window display of this japanese restaurant caught our attention...girls...:)




THIS is incredibly cute...almost wanted to order it...:P


our booth...


We went for the set dinner at HK$99, which includes entree, main, a drink & dessert...pretty decent, though expensive compared to food at the good old HK cafes.


for entree : tofu salad with black sesame sauce...

What I find interesting about this place (and I haven't come across anywhere else) is their seven colour (or more?) curries. Basically, they have curries of all colours including red, yellow, green, purple, black, orange, brown (etc?).


orange (pumpkin) curry with eel


purple (yam) curry!! (doesn't look that great but interesting taste!)



hmm...looks like I had brown curry?? Why am I so unadventurous?? Isn't the glass pretty?


more pretty glasses


ice cream for dessert


Pretty food makes me happy :D

If any one knows where this place is, feel free to remind me :)

Hui Lau San up next!

yum cha in HK...

Hi all! This is MM guest blogging :) The owners of this blog have been really busy and do feel bad for neglecting their ironeaters...so seeing it is now officially school holidays, I said that I would put up some new posts...mainly pictures of food...coz that's what I like...haha...

Anyway, why Hong Kong? I was there a while ago for a month long elective course and had the good fortune of having great food around me all the time!! I sure miss the cafeteria at Queen Mary Hospital...where, I quote my friend 'serves the best char siu (BBQ pork) in HK!!' :)


my last meal there - some kind of steam rice...not the best choice...but looks good ya? cheap too! I miss HK :(


some one else's meal...roast duck with noodles...the drink was from 7-11 and by the way is really good (my friend's favourite find in HK)


a picture of the char siu, though I am sorry there's not much of in view...not the best for me personally coz I like mine leaner...but my friend's absolute favourite :)

In case you happen to be in HK and would like to taste this fabulous char siu...I must let you know that you DON'T have to go all the way to QM Hospital in Pok Fu Lam...hehe...the cafeteria there is actually '大家樂/Tai Ka Lok' / Cafe de Coral, which is a HK fast food chain and their stores can be found at almost every other block (I would be exaggerating)...you can't miss the bright yellow signs with the red words on them!

Ok...I digressed. YUMCHA!!

I was there for a month and only went twice...I know...stupid. However, given my limited experience, I have to say that the yumcha in Melbourne is just as good if not better! AND we get the little wheely carts here (apparently only a handful of places in HK still keep the tradition, and one of them is Maxim's Restaurant at some highrise building (maybe hotel?? sorry, forgot where exactly) and that place is expensive) I shall talk about Federal Restaurant where we took more photos of the food (西九龍海庭道18號奧海城二期一樓126-127號舖 : that roughly translates into 'Hoi Ting Road, 18 Olympian City 2, 1F shop 126-127)

Anyway...food pictures? :)


ahh...but first, photo of the restaurant...


decor wins sharks fin house (that's my favourite place in Melb) hands down though


extensive menu...in chinese!! such impressive names...but not much help with visualing the food...that's the carts are better! :)


the must-have - egg tarts! (not my favourite food in the world, unfortunately)


peanut sweet soup with glutinous rice balls


red bean pancake


eaten glutinous rice - one of my favourite items :)


'siu mai', another yum cha usual for most (but again, not my favourite...man, I'm picky)


deep fried oysters with eggs?? (something like that) too oily!!


'kun tong gao' - some fancy dumpling...I can't translate this...the owners of this blog may translate in the future :)


'sin chuk kuin' - some kind of meat (pork?) wrapped in beancurd skin (haha...I am having so much trouble thinking what exactly are the ingredients...coz I only eat them...I am not made to write a food blog!)


'siu long bao' = 'little dragon buns'...haha...too literal eh? yummy! I love :) the best 'siu long baos' are still the ones my dad brought home from shanghai...I'll never forget them...if anyone happen to go there, don't miss out! apparently the restaurant is very famous and you have to pre-order...so ask around! (I haven't a clue where it is coz I haven't been there)


some buns...probably custard? looks good anyway (though I don't like buns...you must be thinking I don't like most things...)

But...I do love dumplings!! so here are some...I shan't caption each photo because I don't remember what they were exactly...but they were good (not exceptional)






other things...


'zha leong' - definitely better at sharks fin house!!


'lo pak gou' - fried radish cake...yum!


erm...dessert...


mango pudding! ok I guess...but speaking of mangoes...I will write a 'HUI LAU SAN' post soon!! My FAVOURITE place in HK!! We went almost every night...some rich person should start a franchise here...I would go every day...provided the price is not ridiculously expensive...but probably it will be because this is Melb and mangoes are expensive :(


I still have a couple more photos but blogger won't let me upload them so I guess this brings me to the end of my post!



I think we overdid it ;)

P.S. I must credit my friend for taking all the photos...I was concentrating on eating :)