Wakayama

It seems like lately two new high-end ramen (Japanese soup noodle) restaurants have popped up on the island - Mist? in Causeway Bay (which I hope to be trying soon) and Wakayama, in IFC.









Definitely not your Beppu or Ajisen Ramen place. This upscale ramen shop on the 3rd floor of IFC has a sleek, modern decor. You can see the kitchen from the dining area.
























The tenderous rib ramen - basically a braised cartilage rib (lots of collagen, good for bones and skin!) so tender that it falls apart when you try to pick it up with your chopsticks. I chose the chicken and bonito broth, but you also have the option of choosing a pork-bone based broth. The chicken and bonito broth had a "sweet" (in the context of Chinese soups) clean flavor: there was the savory depth from the bonito but the sweetness of the chicken. It was definitely lighter than the pork-bone counterpart. Don't overlook that egg - it was perfectly cooked with a slightly coagulated yolk. Of course, there were the standard accompaniments of bamboo shoots, bean sprouts and seaweed. The noodles were slightly chewy (the way I like it), but don't leave it in the soup long because it starts to get soggy pretty fast.

For $125 + 10%, the set also includes a choice of a side dish of either the daily sushi or the gyoza. The gyoza were okay, nothing special.










Aside from the tenderous pork rib noodle, you also have choices such as Wagyu Beef, Japanese BBQ Pork, Sakura Shrimp, etc. Prices are from $100 - $160 for the set. There are a la carte items as well, such as Wagyu Beef sashimi, but I was pretty full just with the noodles and the gyoza.

The pricing's not outrageous for a lunch in Central, and not over the top given the quality of ingredients. Hopefully I will try Mist? to compare ramen soon!

The Gong Cha 貢茶 Hype

I'm supposed to be listening to a lecture, but blogging about my drink seems to be more important :)

Lately I've noticed a bunch of hole-in-the-wall bubble tea shops cropping up everywhere, but apparently the most famous one is Gong Cha (貢茶) from Taiwan. They have a reputation for using good tea. I know of someone who wants to get their hands on a franchise too.

Before this blog, I've bought drinks at Gong Cha before - the classic bubble tea, milk tea with tapioca pearls 珍珠奶茶, and the green tea with milk "鮮奶綠茶". The bubble tea was alright, green tea with milk was...watery? You could taste the milk and the tea, but it was pretty watered down.


Anyway, a friend from Taiwan came to visit, and we passed by a Gong Cha. She tells me that Gong Cha is actually known more for its Tea with Milk Lid (奶蓋茶). I was a bit skeptical at first, thinking that the "lid" would resemble a cappuccino foam, and would basically taste like the watery green tea with milk. I went for the Green Tea with Milk Lid 奶蓋綠茶.

You have the option of ice, a bit of ice, no ice, as well as how sweet you want your drink. I don't like ice melting and making my drink all bland, so I skipped the ice and went with a reduced amount of sugar.








Instructions on how to enjoy the drink: 1) take off the cap and have a sip of the tea and the milk lid, then 2) insert the straw to taste the tea, 3) stir it all together and enjoy the mix of the fragrant milk and tea






This is what it looks like after it's all shaken up!

The "milk lid" was THICK. I felt a slight resistance when I was pulling off the lid. On first sip, the "milk lid" had the natural dairy "sweetness" but was savory at the same time. Sipping through the thick lid comes a rush of refreshing green tea. It was a very interesting combination.

I skipped the step about poking the straw through to the bottom. The milk lid and tea are hard to stir together, so I kept the lid intact so that I could put it back on and shake up the tea to get it mixed well. The savoriness goes away when it's all shaken up.

For $12, this huge drink is a good deal and worth trying. If you're not a fan of dairy + tea, then Gong Cha has other choices that you could try. Most drinks cost between $10-$20, and you can customize your drink by playing around with add-ins for just a couple dollars each.

Gong Cha website, list of drinks: http://www.gong-cha.com.tw/category/ptlist_125606.htm
Locations: Causeway Bay (on Hennessy Road across from the Fire Department), Mong Kok (on Dundas Street), Tsim Sha Tsui (in Star House)

The World's Cheapest Michelin Starred Restaurant - Tim Ho Wan

The first time I came to this place, I was super hungry after waiting outside the shop for an hour and a half (weekday lunch), so I ate without even thinking of blogging it.

The strategy this time: grab the ticket, go shopping, call the shop to check the number, and make your way back when it's about time. This time, the wait was 2.5 hours and they suspended handing out tickets a couple times. This ex-Four Seasons dim sum chef sure has everyone's attention with his 1-star Michelin eatery.

My partners-in-crime and I ordered a ridiculous amount of food so here goes...

The dishes worthy of writing a blurb are:

Honey BBQ Pork Buns (酥皮焗叉燒包): The "must-order" dish at Tim Ho Wan. They take the longest to get onto your table because of the high demand and the waiting needed between batches. The bun was nice and soft, the sweet crust crumbles when you bite into it, and the sweet and savory filling oozes out. This time the filling was a bit too sweet - last time I came here it was just right. I don't quite know why they call it "Puff Pastry BBQ Pork Buns", but it's basically a "sweet crusted bun" (菠蘿包) with the honey BBQ pork filling. Tip: if you want some of these to-go, order them right at the beginning, otherwise you'll have to wait a really long time outside the place AFTER you eat for your take-out.



Shrimp Dumplings (晶瑩鮮蝦餃): The dumpling skin isn't too thick, and when you bite into it you actually see pieces of shrimp. I hate shrimp dumplings and wontons where the shrimp are over-processed and blitzed into a paste.






Turnip Cake (臘味蘿蔔糕): You can actually taste the turnip, accented with the preserved meats. Texture was good - there were detectable pieces of turnip, and there was more turnip that the flour paste that binds it. That's what turnip cake should be, not the steamed flour paste with turnip that's served at most places.





Steamed Beef Meatballs (陳皮牛肉球): Classically combined with cilantro, a hint of dried citrus peel and Worcestershire sauce, the beef was really tender and had a soft "bounce". It wasn't saturated with the bicarbonate-tasting tenderizer powder that's pretty common.






The dishes that were of good quality but tasted fairly standard:

Rice flour rolls (腸粉) - Shrimp, BBQ Pork, Beef - although the rice flour sheet was smooth and not too thick, it was a bit skimpy on the filling. Pictured is the BBQ Pork rice flour roll.






Pan-fried Glutinous Rice (腊味糯米飯) - a bit greasy, but that's expected of pan-fried glutinous rice. It's also very filling, so beware!







Chiu Chow Dumplings (潮州蒸粉果)








Steamed Molasses Sponge Cake (香滑馬拉糕)








Steamed Chicken Feet ( 豉汁蒸鳳爪)








Garlic, Cheese and Shrimp Spring Rolls (金蒜芝士蝦春卷)








Steamed Spare-Ribs (豉汁蒸排骨)








Steamed Pork and Shrimp Dumplings (鮮蝦燒賣皇)








Fried Pork and Vegetable Dumplings (家鄉鹹水角)








Spicy and Sour Dumplings (酸辣雜菜餃子): It kind of tasted like Korean kimchee wrapped by the Chiu Chow Dumpling skin.







Bean Curd Wrapped Enoki Mushroom and Beef (金菇牛肉腐皮卷):








We haven't seen this before and thought it'd be worth trying, since it sounded like a spin on the Japanese Beef and Enoki rolls. It wasn't that great though because the filling was a bit too salty.

We almost ordered every single steamed dim sum item available, and amongst us three it was only $264, including 2 more orders of the BBQ Pork Buns to go. Can't really complain about the environment and over-worked staff when you're paying less than $100 per head to eat that much food of good quality.

I would say if you had the time, and had some shopping objectives in Mongkok, have a go at Tim Ho Wan. To avoid standing in front of the store with other equally frustrated and tired patrons for 2+ hours, use the above-mentioned strategy. Also, don't order too many big starchy items like rice or congee, because basically after eating that there isn't room to try anything else.

If you don't have the time, I don't think it's a big deal. For all foodies out there, yes, it is worth trying once to check it off your list of Michelin-starred restaurants to try. For the people who don't have the time and/or don't want to wait, you can always go to Lei Garden - I would say their dim sum is of comparable quality, no crazy waiting time, service and environment are much better, just that you would be paying a bit more.

Tim Ho Wan Dim-Sum Specialist 添好運點心專門店
Shop 8, Tsui Yuen Mansion Phase 2, No. 2-20 Kwong Wah Street, Mong Kok
旺角廣華街2-20號翠園大樓2期地下8號舖

Transportation: I took the MTR to Yau Ma Tei, Exit A2. Walked north on Nathan Road and then took a right on Dundas Street. Walk almost to the end of Dundas Street and Kwong Wah Street will be on your left. Look for a huge crowd of people.

(This review will also be posted on Open Rice shortly)

My First Food Blog!

I'm absolutely addicted to food and I can tell you that I have more cookbooks than school books, more food magazines than gossip magazines, and more photos of food than photos of people. I've wanted to blog about food for the longest time, so here it is!

This blog will mostly cover food in Hong Kong, but every now and then I'll blog about food in other countries when I'm off traveling. I have a backlog of posts and photos to put up from Napa Valley **including the ultimate Michelin three-star restaurant, The French Laundry**, Joël Robuchon in Las Vegas, and a recent trip to Hokkaido and Tokyo!

Stay tuned!