Travel - Taipei, Aug 2011 - (Day 2 / 4)

Typhoon Nanmadol was approaching Taiwan during our stay causing unstable climate and frequent showers. We were afraid we would be stuck in the hotel (not so much about flight delays or cancellation to be honest, really don't mind staying longer), but luckily by the time we got up the early morning shower has stopped and left us with a gloomy sky. I like waking in the rain, it is rather romantic as well but only if it is light rain or shower not heavy rain AND strong winds!

Brat (Hong Kong)

I can be such a brat sometimes, perhaps it was the child within that makes me do foolish things at the wrong time, at the wrong place. It is often the learning process that matters right? My mom once said that I often play with my food when I was young and actually I still do but for a reason perhaps. At the newly opened hot dog shop Brat, I can't help but rearrange my food for the sake of the pictures. For those who know me well, I love hot dogs but in Hong Kong, it is quite difficult to find a good one indeed. I was quite excited to find familiar sausage names on the menu, namely, Italian and Gruyere sausages! So many I wanted to try!

Beijing on the 1st October ...

Showing his love for the country? 

I know this is a long overdue post but I have been quite busy eating around Asia and been sick (from the sudden weather change and not from the food of course!) for a little while as well. I am now back and will be posting accordingly to my old schedule! Anyhow, on the 1st Oct 2010, I spent the long weekend in Beijing, the capital of China (PRC) in celebration of its National Day.  I wasn't out of my mind to visit Beijing on its National Day when I KNOW there were CROWDS everywhere, I knew before departure and I wanted to experience that as well. One of the key events was the Flag Rising Ceremony on Tiananmen Square on 1 October, the morning following the night of our arrival.

Frites - Belgium on Tap

Funny story. I ordered this Kwak beer because I found the name quite interesting on the menu and that was it. Apparently there is a story behind the name of this beer and how it was being served in this special funnel / glass. Half way through drinking from this funnel, the beer will start to flow through the narrow bottle neck with increased pressure pushing from the back towards the smaller opening, creating a crackling "quack quack" noise. Not only would it create such an unique noise, the liquid would start to flow in an accelerated pace without notice. If you aren't careful, prepare to wet your shirt! (unless your mouth is big enough to cover the whole opening while I seriously doubt!) How much truth is behind the story I am not certain but it did make the "quack" noise and I did wet my shirt! Argh ...

La Creperie @ Shanghai

If you find the name La Creperie familiar, it is because there is one in Hong Kong as well located in the Wan Chai district as well. The Shanghai outlet is actually the first outlet of the franchise and I was here to give it a try before I go for the Hong Kong one.

Yang's Fry-Dumpling 小杨生煎馆

I am going to start off my Shanghai series with something simple yet extremely satisfying, Sheng jian bao (生煎包) or what many locals call it Shengjian mantou (生煎饅頭) from Yang's Fry-Dumpling 小杨生煎馆. It is basically a pan fried meat-filled bun. One of the key elements for a good Sheng jian bao is to have golden crisp bottom from the pan frying, at least to my understanding. The amount of meat juice inside the meat would make a big difference as well.

MisoCool

Cool name, but no so cool with it comes to food in my opinion. I mean it was alright, unexciting and boring? description too strong? It was rather boring when it comes to the food but had a great time chatting with friends. The decor at its K11 Mall outlet was trendy and contemporary with what I considered funky paintings and fixtures in this semi-open venue without walls.

Toronto - May 2010 - Day 3 (A Sunny Sunday Walk)

A few years ago I left Toronto for many reasons, one being that I found the life style a bit boring at times. A few years have passed now and only after a few days I started to question why I left because I quite enjoyed the the weather, atmosphere, friendly smiles and leisure activities as simple as a Sunday walk in a park. What happened? I am not too certain what happened but I think it is a different perspective into the understanding of work-life balance perhaps.

Toronto - May 2010 - Day 2 (Wedding Day, not mine of course!)

What happened to Day 2 you ask? Well, it was the wedding day for my friends V & E and it took me a while to sort out all the pictures! The weather was perfect for an outdoor wedding! It was held at the Hart House at the University of Toronto. There are quite history behind the Hart House but the stone structure and timbered ceiling have captured my heart already. The main dining hall for the banquet reminded me of Harry Potter the movie. It looked very much like the great hall indeed!

Tin Tin Bar

I didn't really intend to write a review on this place because it was rather boring. The cocktails were unexciting and the snacks being offered were rather ordinary (although there were some interesting Chinese style snacks on the menu). Then again, I asked myself how often would I experience an exciting meal? or an exciting day for that matter. Life is boring most of the time and it is the occasional excitement that gives us the much needed sparks. Like it or not, boredom of different scale is all around us, so go have some fun whenever possible!

Cocofrans @ TST MTR

Recent renovation at the TST MTR station has added a few new food outlets, right opposite from the ticketing machines and the Hang Seng ATMs. This AREA is a common meeting point (or any Hang Seng ATM at ALL MTR stations for that matter!) and a GREAT location for food and beverages businesses due to heavy pedestrian traffic plus countless "idle" pedestrians waiting for friends. I was waiting for my cousin who was stuck in traffic due to the closure of streets from the heavy rain all day long. I can imagine how frustrated he must have been sitting in the taxi, an idle taxi! I waited for about 45 mins, I wandered around this area for 45 mins, I observed the business traffic of this new quick snack outlet named Cocofrans for 45 mins, I debated with myself for 45 mins on whether I should purchase one to try and at the end I lost to my foodie temptation!!!



I still don't quite understand the power of such snacks because even for those who were in a rush (literally jogging towards the exit), I saw with my own eyes that they would make a sudden stop and take a peek at the offerings. Some would resume their rush while many would buy one and continue their rush. Amazing indeed. (the same scenario applies to the newly opened Mrs. Fields Cookies nearby)

Based on the famous paper figure standing near the store front, it is somehow related to the Beard Papa's franchise, well known for its cream puffs. While it belongs to the Beard Papa's franchise, according to its website, Cocofrans only has a few special items under its unique brand but what are being offered here at this outlet seem to be crossing or mixing with the traditional Beard Papa's offerings which include special custard puffs along with the new and improved type of Beard's cream puffs. My temptation did not make me order any custard or puff items but instead I ordered the canelé. (I think they spell it different on the menu ... humm ... maybe "Canelle" but it means Cinnamon in French ... humm ... have to double check on that one).

(added 19 September 2009: just checked and it was spelled Cannele at the shop, a alternative spelling I guess)

(1) Canelé
This item was on one of the main overhead boards which I assumed is a signature item. (the fact that each Canelé was wrapped with pretty paper ribbon made it very special as well, so it seems) However, from my 45 mins of wandering around this store, the popular items were the custard and cream puffs. A traditional canelé should have a soft custard-like center and a caramelized outer layer, if I remember correctly. While the caramelized layer was there, for some reasons, I don't think the center was soft or custard-like, it was evenly firm throughout. Maybe a fusion version? or was it because it was chilled in the fridge for too long?

Likes:

• Good service actually, very welcoming
• Open-window / workshop style
  

Dislikes:

• Canelé - a bit over chilled and the center was not soft and custard-like

Avg Spending: Below HKD 100 per person

Cocofrans
MTR Station, TST
http://www.muginoho.com/brand/cocofrans/

SOHO No 8

Carrying my bad mood into the evening, the best thing was to go for a happy hour session on this Friday evening. Initially my friends and I wanted to head to Yorkhshire Pudding but it was pretty full so instead we headed to Soho No. 8 next door. To our surprise, tonight was the first day it opened, the opening night! However, they can't serve alcoholic beverages yet unfortunately. Anyhow, we were too lazy to continue our search so we decided to give this place a try anyhow. The place is located right beside the mid level escalator and its logo is pretty catchy to attract attention to those passing by. Being its first opening night, I can still smell the renovation scent flowing in the air.

I could not really point out what kind of cuisine this place is serving, be it English, American or Italian because it serves different varieties. Let's call it international cuisine I guess. We sat on the first floor and we were informed that there is actually another dinning area on the second floor. (I wonder how it looked.) We also discovered that this restaurant belongs to the same group as the Yorkshire Pudding.



(1) Gunner
Since no alcoholic beverages were allowed, I ordered this drink called Gunner (from Yorkshire Pudding's drinks menu). I had no idea what was in there so I asked. Apparently it was a mixture of Ginger Ale + Ginger Beer + Bitters. Bitters is actually a highly concentrated food and beverages flavouring made from herbs and spices. Angostura Bitters was the brand they used. It reminds me of Unicum. I liked it but I think I will try a variation of Bitters drinks next time because I wanted a more concentrated Bitters flavors.



(2) Kaffir Lime Leaf Chicken Satay's
The presentation was nice but it was too salty for some reasons. In addition to the leaf taste, the flavor was more like Thai style herbs and spices. As you can see, it serves Asian delights as well so very international indeed. This dish would be nice to go with some cold beer ! Maybe next time.



(3) Baby Spinach Salad with Seasonal Pears, Feta and Toasted Spicy Walnuts
Since we were only having happy hour, we opted for some light salads while waiting for one of our friends who were still working very hard at the office. The combination of Seasonal Pears and Walnuts were very refreshing, just like what I had for lunch today, the Apple Brie Cheese Walnuts on Rye. A good dish to have on a hot and humid evening. The dish name mentioned about spicy walnut, nut I wonder what it means by spicy because they tasted like normal walnuts too be. O yes, a nice touch to serve the dressing on the side because I like minimal dressing on my salads and I can now pour the right amount to my liking.



(4) Romaine Hearts Salad with Quails Eggs, Crispy Parma Ham and Green Goddess Dressing
(With Grilled Prawns) Yummy quails eggs! The combination of ingredients was again very good. The romaines were crisp and fresh, quails eggs were tasty and the crispy parma hams were salty enough the balance the flavor of the dressing which was slightly sour. I still have no idea what a Goddess dressing is but an interesting name indeed. With the addition of the grilled prawns, this can serve as a main dish in my opinion. (o yes, the prawns were a bit salty as well)



Service wise, it was alright, very attentive but it reminded my of my Habibi experience. The staff came by the clean out our plates and drinks very frequently and ask if we wanted another beverages when my drink is still HALF FULL (maybe to them it was HALF EMPTY). As soon as I had my last sip of my first Gunner (I ordered two Gunners all together), someone came by immediately and picked it up and ask me if I wanted another one. Chill people, chill! There was no need to be that attentive or were they trying to rush us out on their first opening night on a Friday when they don't even allow to serve alcohol. Hmmm ... Anyhow, will go back to try their main dishes when they can serve alcohol !

Likes:

• Comfortable Atmosphere
• Good Salads

Dislikes:

• over-attentive services

Avg Spending: HKD 200 - 300 per person

SOHO No 8
8 Staunton Street,
SoHo, Central
Tel: 2536 9068

Starbucks @ Hung Hom

For some reason, this weekend was rather uneventful. After watching the new Transformer: Revenge of the Fallen movie on Friday, I basically stayed home all Saturday and most part of Sunday. What better to do than head out to a coffee shop to read. I enjoy wandering around town to find some cozy places to read but due to the weather, I ended up somewhere in Hung Hom near Whampoa. With rain starting to fall, I hopped into the nearby Starbucks.

Ordered an Amerciano and later an espresso con panna. Yes, I was tired and in lack of caffeine! Anyhow, what I wanted to write about is the Coffee Egg Tart I ordered. Honestly, I did not taste any coffee flavors at all. This item is one of the local Hong Kong snacks series but I am very disappointed. However, I do have to give them credit for the texture of the crust, it was cookie base and it was pretty crispy and I like cookie crust egg tart !

Likes:

• Cookie based crust

Dislikes:

• No coffee taste at all !

Quest for Food @ Lamma Island & TST

After several days of non-stop raining, it is time to get out of the house and get some fresh air (or at least what 's left of that in Hong Kong). My friend invited me for a little outing to Lamma Island and I accepted without much hesitation. The following blog focuses on the food aspect of my trip and if you are interested in my outing highlights (ie: a cat on a leash?!) , check out my other blog @ http://jason-cestmoi.blogspot.com/.

It was my first time to Lamma Island and i have heard alot about its hiking trails and seafood; but we were not very certain about the quality of the seafood so we decided to go there and check it out first. We started out trip from the Yung Shue Wan (榕樹灣) towards the direction of Sok Kwu Wan (索罟灣). About 15 - 20 mins into the walk, we came by a dessert hut famous for its Tofu Fa.

(1) Kin Hing Tofu Dessert (建興亞婆豆腐花)



This place is famous for its tofu fa but seriously, I really don't see why. In my humble opinion, a good tofu fa requires the following elements: (1) a rich soya taste (2) good texture (smooth but firm as well) (3) a good syrup plus yellow powder sugar. The only element I can find from the tofu fa is the smoothness, that was it. Very light soya taste but strong burnt taste likely a result from the lack of stirring during the cooking process. Also, it was so "liquid" like jello with too much water. I could not even finish the whole thing. Maybe it was just this time that the tofu fa was not up to standard but a single failure of inconsistency is enough for me to have such harsh words. I had better tofu fa all over HK, for example, Tang Dynasty (唐朝) in TST even though it does not offer the yellow sugar powder (make sure you order the bucket one).






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(2) Concerto Inn (浪濤軒)



As we moved along, we passed by the beach Hung Shing Yeh Wan (洪聖爺灣) where we stopped for a little break at a beach side restaurant named Concerto Inn (浪濤軒). Nothing really special about their drinks but the so-called Singaporean Satay Chicken was pretty good. It was a nice little break overlooking the beach. I did not copy down the address but you will find this place for sure because there is only one major path from Yung Shue Wan (榕樹灣) to Sok Kwu Wan (索罟灣).



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(3) Herboland 香草原



After a 45 mins break we continued our walk. Just before we were heading away from the beach, we saw something surprising, something we rarely see in Hong Kong. We saw a little plantation with a cozy hut where people relax and have tea.




By the end of the walk / hike, we passed by the many seafood restaurants but we left Lamma Island without trying the famous seafood because (1) it was pretty early when we finished the walk and there was nothing else to walk around when we reached Sok Kwu Wan (索罟灣); and (2) I really hated those restaurants staffs coming up to your face literally to solicit their seafood and blah blah blah. It was annoying and just pissed me off. So instead of staying there for dinner, we decided to head back to TST to eat Indian at Chung King Mansions (重慶大廈).

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(4) Khyber Pass (咖喱王)

[note: they are all called 咖喱王 there, so the address is important !]
Good that we know our way otherwise it would be a while before we can find Block E. It was my first time here and the place seems cozy enough and of a typical Indian restaurant at Chung King Mansions. It is a bit ghetto but it is as expected so can't really compliant. The first thing I ordered was a glass of Mango Lassi to cure my thirst. We were Nan bread fans so we called both Cheese Nan and also plain Nan. The Cheese Nan was nice but more cheese would be even better. It can be served without anything but itself as a starter if you want. In order to accompany the plain Nan, we ordered the Lamb Masala (med spiciness) and a Fish Madras (little spiciness). The lamb was surprisingly tender while the fish was surprisingly hard. The two dishes were of two different types of curry. The Masala is more like spicy gravy paste while the Madras is the tpyical yellow curry. I personally prefer the Madras curry because it is less spicy but I found the Masala's aftertaste richer, a good match with the Nan.





In addition to Nan, I am also a big fan of Indian Style Basmati Rice (3 colours rice) because I think it goes really well with curry. The Basmati Rice here were cooked with chicken oil which certainly enhanced its flavor. For some reason the grain they used was the shorter kind. Overall it was alright. It was a very fulfilling day indeed. The only negative thing I can think of is that even after exercising / sweating for the whole day, not only did I not lose any weight, I might have gained some from the dinner !!!

Khyber Pass (咖喱王)
Block E, 7/F, Chung King Mansions
Tel: 2739 1177