Local's Guide to Hong Kong

Shopping for Quirky Home Decor

2011-09-22T06:44:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday after soaking up the sun on Deep Water Bay and lunching in the newly opened Classified in Stanley Plaza, we drove up to Horizon Plaza in Ap Lei Chau to shop for home décor.

The industrial building houses many high quality furniture shops and a fashion outlet is a haven for shopaholics, especially those who love to make ‘home improvement’ regularly.

Grab a copy of the directory from the Ground Floor reception before starting your hours long tour as it’s a 28-storey building with large floor space.

Here’s a list of my favourite shops:

Indigo for contemporary home décor and furniture. Visit both of their flagship store and discount outlet.
Tequila Kola for bling-bling home décor and oversized furniture pieces for Hong Kong standards.
Shambala for a huge selection of quirky home décor. Just love their vintage style pictures/posters and knick-knacks in the gift corner.
Sift for a break and their legendary black velvet cupcake!
Land Crawford Outlet for discounted designer clothing for both men and women and home décor. Got a stylish ottoman cut down from HK$2200 to HK$600 here, an absolute bargain!
Monde Chocolatier for a warm cup of rich hot chocolate and their home-made chocolates.

If you still have time, you may also want to visit the Prada outlet located near the Ap Lei Chau bus terminus.

[ Buddha statues and vintage posters from Shambala ]

Japanese BBQ

2011-09-22T06:32:00.000-07:00

I am a big fan of Japanese cuisine and luckily we have plenty excellent Japanese restaurants in Hong Kong! Iroha have branches all over Japan specializes in yakiniku (Japanese BBQ). For a small number of diners, I would recommend their dinner set for two which includes pickled vegetable, a platter of high quality beef, bacon, seafood and root vegetables.

I enjoy a meal with a bit of interaction – I know you are sort of cooking your own dinner at this kind of restaurants but it’s more intimate and generally the smoke and the smell create a great atmosphere! I especially like the tatami style tables in Iroha's Tsim Sha Tsui Branch, it has a very authentic taste of Japan.

My favourite dish of the night was the black pork marinated in ginger and scallions. Bacon in particular tastes really nice on a Barbie and as the pieces of meat are in bite-size and thinly sliced. I can indulge myself without feeling guilty of eating too much.

Best Full English Breakfast in Town

2011-09-22T06:22:00.000-07:00

There are many places you can get full English breakfast in Hong Kong such as the popular Flying Pan in Wanchai and my all time favourite Wagyu on Wyndham Street. However, if you fancy something more up-market, then try the one in Alfie’s by Kee (owned by Alfred Dunhill the boutique).

[ Domestic helpers having a break ]

My favourites were the mushrooms which had an intense nutty flavor and the eggs benedict with home-made hollandaise sauce. Although the serving size in general was right for me, I think it’s a bit stingy that they only give you one small sausage. I’d have like to swap another one with the black pudding as I am not a fan of it.

The restaurant is decorated tastefully with lots of dark wood and brass. I also found the service was good and staff were friendly.

Molecular Gastronomy Chinese Style : BO Innovation

2011-09-08T22:54:00.000-07:00

Alvin Leung dubbed himself ‘the Devil Chef’ and brought the concept of ‘molecular gastronomy’ into Hong Kong around six years ago. His 1-Michelin star restaurant, Bo Innovation, serves ‘X-treme Chinese fusion food’ and has since won many awards.

I had the pleasure to be taken to the restaurant for the first time on my birthday and was totally blown away by the experience. Compared to most restaurants that charge a similar price, the restaurant by no means looks glam or tasteful. I think they could do with a bit of help in this area, maybe put a few art pieces around rather than everything just being ‘monotone’.

We sat in the alcove between two groups of big families, whereas the few smaller tables in the larger room were empty. I wasn’t entirely happy with the arrangement but luckily the families were very conscious about the noise they made so we didn’t need to shout at each other.

The service was very good and the staff were friendly and knowledgeable about the food. It wasn’t hard to choose what to eat. They have three Tasting Menus starting at HK$850, which includes seven small courses, one main plus dessert. The other two menus serve 12 and 15 mini courses respectively. Most diners chose the Tasting Menu, so all those of us sitting at the three tables in the alcove were pretty much were served at the same time.

I have always found the ‘future’ food is a bit ‘theatrical’ and not very filling, but the richness of every small course really is taste-provoking. When you are served each course, the waiting staff will explain the ingredients used and how the dish should be enjoyed.

First course was a plate of different types of cherry tomatoes cooked in three different ways. One was injected with ‘Pak Chun’ dark vinegar (the type you use to make ginger, pork knuckles and eggs stew, which is traditionally consumed by postnatal women - it looks revolting and has an acquired taste); the second was an Italian green cherry tomato wrapped in a piece of very fine pastry with Chinese pickled olive sauce (lam kok). The blending of the carefully selected Asian and Western ingredients was harmonious and really complemented each other. I hate to think how many tomatoes were wasted before the perfect plate was created.

Second course was Iberico ham with vermicelli and gazpacho foam. This dish looks a bit like a snail vomiting but the taste was absolutely delicious. It was a very small portion but the aftertaste of the ham lingered for a while.

Third course was a bit 'controversial'. It was roast foie gras with vegetable pickle ice-cream (muay choi) and 'rice paddy herbs'. The 'rice paddy herbs' had a distinct flavour. Japanese often use the leaves of the plant to decorate sashimi dishes. Even though the dish was incredibly tasty, I am a bit ashamed that I finished it because I have vowed never to eat foie gras anymore. My only excuse was it was a small piece (a quarter of a normal serve).

Fourth course was pan-fried cod with seaweed. The fish was cooked to perfection, just wished it would be a bit bigger.

The presentation of the scallop dish was mesmerizing. Not only it was beautifully presented, the sweet, sour and spicy sauce to go with the scallop was sensational. My favourite was the bright green kaffir lime sauce.

The sixth course was 'xiao long bao' (steamed pork dumpling). It's actually a molecular dish. The minced meat and soup was replaced by a reduce essence and the intense flavour just exploded in my mouth! The seventh course, century egg with pickled ginger, was a fun dish (below). Another molecular dish. The essence really captured the flavour of the century egg and pickled ginger. The reduced liquid was poured above a small piece of dry ice which was placed at the bottom of the cocktail glass. When the liquid mixed with the dry ice, it created an eruption. I must admit it wasn't my favourite dish and would actually prefer the real ingredients but it was indeed a novelty dish.

My main was slow-cooked suckling pig with apple and fresh sweet peas. The dish not only looked beautiful, it was a very fine dish. However I did find the apple a wee too sweet, the fresh sweet peas were gorgeous though.

My partner's dish was langoustine with salty duck's egg, a dish recommended by the waiting staff and was indeed a very popular dish amongst the other diners.

Th dessert was a little bit disappointing, especially the 'ying-yang' (coffee and milk tea) which was actually a new creation. I don't think the restaurant should include this in the menu. The yellow bun ice-cream was a bit blend but the pineapples were very tasty. Shame there were only pathetically three tiny pieces.

Overall it was a great experience and I will definitely go back and try other dishes again.

G.O.D

2011-09-05T22:46:00.000-07:00

The most popular homeware store in Hong Kong gotta be the Swedish conglomerate Ikea. Their store located in Causeway Bay on the weekends is always heaving with shoppers and lovey-dovey young couples fantasizing having their own space*.

If you aren’t keen with disposable home furniture and can afford a bit more, I’d recommend the local lifestyle brand G.O.D (Goods of Desire). Founded by two young architects, G.O.D offers modern and funky ‘East meets West’ style furniture and cheeky knickknacks with a local influence. Their signature ‘Delay No More’ range of clothing, boxer shorts and stationery will bring a smile to any Cantonese speakers as it derived from the phonetic translation of the Cantonese foul language ‘Fxxk Your Mother’ – not exactly sophisticated but I like their twist of humour. Another great creation is adapting the classic ‘red / white / blue’ nylon bags, which we normally use when moving flat, into shoulder bags. G.O.D is a very fun brand transforming things about Hong Kong which are significant but been long forgotten by us. Visit their shop & street culture museum in the Jockey Club Creative Art Centre.

G.O.D

[ Jockey Club Creative Art Centre ]

[ G.O.D Street Cultural Museum ]

The best places to shop for quirky home décor items and modern designer furniture are Homeless and Aluminium.

Aluminium Furniture

Homeless

If you are into Chinese wooden furniture, you can either go to the multi-storey Horizon Plaza or try the small furniture shops in Sai Kung town centre where you could possibly get a better deal.

Horizon Plaza

NOTE: The ability to climb up the property ladder is the current hot topic in Hong Kong. Property prices in Hong Kong have reached rocket high surpassing 1997 levels, whilst our government has imposed new policies in Q4 2010 targeting at investors, not much has been done to help calming down the smaller units market. The rental market has also continued to go up, hence young people worried that they will never be able to buy their first property.

HK Property News Jun 11

A Brunch with a View

2011-09-05T06:40:00.000-07:00

Too often restaurants in touristy spots aren’t great as they don’t need to worry too much about not having enough customers. Thank God the F&B sector in Hong Kong is extremely competitive and due to higher rent, standards need to be met in order to survive.

My favourite restaurants on The Peak, the must see tourist spot in Hong Kong, are Peak Lookout and Café Deco. They probably aren’t the best secrets of Hong Kong, however, it’s what you order that makes the difference!

Peak Lookout opened for business in 1947 has a big open terrace overlooking the sea – a rare spot in Hong Kong! It’s a beautiful place to soak up the sun in autumn and a romantic place for dinner during hot summer nights. Only half an hour drive from Central, it’s a great place to get away from the hustle and bustle. Food here is international but the Indian menu is what you come here for! The same actually applies to Café Deco. Both restaurants funnily enough not of an Indian theme but serve great Indian food, especially the hot and soft naan bread from the Tandoori oven on premises – JUST YUM!!

My usual order at Peak Lookout includes the pear and spinach salad with blue cheese, Tandoori chicken with naan bread and a glass of rośe. As you would expect, price is a bit steep in this restaurant. So if you would like to enjoy a good view with a better value for money, try the Sunday brunch starts at 11am in Café Deco.

They occupy 2-storey in the Peak Tower, the home of Madame Tussards and Ripley’s Museum. I must say it’s more family-oriented. Their brunch is an impressive mouth-watering spread of seafood, Indian, sushi (also of very good standards in this restaurant!), hot food station and of course desserts and more. For a quieter time, they also serve reasonably priced lunches (considering where they are located!) during the week and on Saturdays.

Last Saturday I had the lamb kebab which proved ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’ is right, juicy and tender lamb wrapped with salad and soft ‘just come out of the oven’ roti – the combination is just simply fulfilling - that’s something I didn’t expect! Has it ever occurred to you that when you really have the urge to recommend to the tourists sitting on the next table what to order? Knowing that I probably won’t be back to the same restaurant again, I wish the locals would be bold enough to tell me when I travel. I couldn’t help ear-dropping what the fellow diners sitting next to us would order, they were four young sailors from the US Marine. Of course, I was too polite to say a word! When the food arrived, they applauded the freshness of the sushi and I think they also made the right choices for ordering the grilled Angus beef steaks and an Indian curry with saffron rice. It makes a big difference eating with satisfied and happy diners. Book early if you opt for the Sunday brunch.

[ Look is not everything! ]

Peak Lookout

Cafe Deco

Best Dim Sum Restaurant in Town

2011-09-05T06:29:00.000-07:00

Many Hongkies will agree with me that Lei Garden are an all time favourite for dim sum. They have several branches spreading out in HK all in prime locations. The one I often go to with my colleagues is at Shatin New Town Plaza in the New Territories. Comparing to other Chinese restaurants, Lei Garden’s dim sum are done more exquisitely – even their ‘chicken feet in abalone sauce’ (LOL).

My favourite dim sum is their fried ‘cheung fun’ (rice rolls). A long and round plain ‘cheung fun’ is normally used for this dish but here they make them flat so when fried, they are slabs of crunchiness. Don’t forget to dip the ‘cheung fun’ in the soya / sweet brown / peanut and sesame sauce - it’s okay to mix together.

I often tell western friends on the dining table that there aren’t that many dining etiquettes with Chinese. Just a few to remember: 1) always pour tea for people around you first before serving yourself; 2) use the serving spoon & chopsticks and 3) only take a small portion of food in your bowl, you don’t want to seem to be greedy, it’s alright to have seconds (or thirds) later.

The other divine dish Lei Garden offer is the roast pork belly. Each bite-size is scrumptious layers of crackling, translucent fat and tender meat. The dainty size might be deceiving but definitely is a heart-attacker dish, so make sure you have a cup of strong Pu’er tea to down with it.

Back in the old days, people liked to use clay pots to cook rice because when it’s cooked, the rice is a bit burned and cracked at the bottom of the pot. People (generally the older generation) loved to soak the base of burned rice with boiling water, it really brings out a unique flavor. To adapt the same principle, Lei Garden has invented another signature dish - rice crackers in a seafood broth served in a clay pot - only available through pre-ordering. It’s a generous serve so it’s a dish to be shared.

Lei Garden

For a more 'authentic' dim-sum experience, go to Maxim's in the Central City Hall where dim-sum are ordered from the trolleys.

Maxim's

Din Tai Fung

2011-09-03T06:59:00.000-07:00

Although the one Michelin star restaurant doesn’t really serve traditional Cantonese style dim sums, it still scores high on my list in this category. Not only famous for their ‘siu long bau’ (piping hot steamed pork dumplings), their small dishes are exquisite and refreshing - a fine choice for a change if you find Cantonese style dim sums too oily. The only downside is the dim sum menu isn’t huge but I tend to focus on quality no quantity.

[Siu Long Bau]

To start with, my personal favourite dish is ”香干馬蘭頭”- a finely chopped vegetable called Kalimeris indica (Ma Lan Tou in Chinese) with dried tofu. Din Tai Fung serves the best Ma Lan Tou! The flavor is subtle yet gets stronger after every bite. Other great dishes include the cold noodles with shredded chicken and cucumber in a peanut and sesame sauce – again here’s the best place to try this dish as the dressing is just right; braised “cow-fu” – it has an acquired taste so may be not for everyone; wanton soup and of course the ‘siu long bau’. All these dishes mentioned are served in thousands of other restaurants but Din Tai Fung just do them very well. Hence they are so successful and have branches all over the world. Their best-selling dish steamed pork dumplings have a semi-transparent pastry, not doughy like most restaurants do because with soup inside the dumplings, it’s easy to split when you try to lift the dumpling up with a pair of chopsticks if the pastry is too fine. The dumplings are made in bite-size so the soup won’t ooze out and burn your mouth when you try to eat it. Don’t forget to eat it with dark vinegar and shredded ginger, it cuts the fat and brings out the flavor of the minced pork.

[Top: Drunken Chicken. Bottom From Left: Shredded Seaweed and Beancurd Sheet Salad; 'Cow-fu"; "Ma Lan Tou"]

[Steamed Vegetable Dumplings]

["Dan Dan" (Peanut Sauce) Noodles]

[Wonton Soup & Sweet Red Bean Buns]

For the ambience, it's what you will expect from any Chinese restaurant - it's frequented by families. It's bright and noisy but somewhat feels intimate. Although the long queue to get into the restaurant is long, it's also a hint that it's worth trying so don't be intimidated by it! Average waiting time for a table is half an hour.

Din Tai Fung