K.I.S.S. Keep it Simple Stupid

Quite a while ago an Italian deli opened in the heart of Sai Kung.

Thelma, the proprietor, is an enchanting and energetic lady from the Philippines who speaks fluent Italian with more fervor than natives. She sells every Italian grocery you can imagine and stocks a kitchen that can whip up a few wicked bowls of pasta. Apparently she can out-swear her Italian husband in his own language too...

Upon a recent weekend re-visit, the place was thriving. I guess the secret is out.

Hungry as ever, an antipasti misti, formaggio and prosciutto platter came and went quickly. The highlight was a simple trofiette with pesto which looked and tasted like nothing but the real thing from Tuscany! What a pleasant surprise to find this in Sai Kung, of all places. Turns out from later experiences that the chef is a tad temperamental and inconsistent with his cooking – but hey, that’s the charm of the place, in a way.

Indeed I suppose the best thing about this place is that there is nothing pretentious in the package, from food to décor. The food didn’t need to be perfect. Simply it was more about having a rustic, hearty and homey dinner surrounded by racks of wine and pasta galore. As vintage 80’s Duran Duran and Human League chanted from background speakers, the whole experience fell into place.

I cannot forget to mention the Lavazza espresso they served was fragrant and yummy too, biscotti included. Sure beats the hell out of that bland, 1849 HK$40 stingy cup place at the IFC!

Appetito
T: 2791 5666

Ode to Mom 世上只有媽媽好?!

Lately I have been trying to encourage my mom to move with the times and learn internet surfing. Her resistance is a blessing in disguise since she will not (yet) be able to read what I am going to write about her here.

Cooking a nice meal for the family is a common thing most mothers do everyday, but in my family this is one of a few limited ways affection is shown. I have learned to accept this with great appreciation and not take a decent meal for granted. And why not since mom's cooking is the best in the world (isn't it always?!).

Broad beans are in season so tonight mom whipped up her famous Shanghainese-style green bean dish with green onion and a litte bit of sugar. She used to do a mashed version but nowadays does only a skin-less version. Perhaps the beans are not pretty in presentation, but they are soft and sweet when warm, and are a great snack with congee when cold. Plus, they ain't greasy like what you get in restaurants. Comfort food that is healthy, what a concept.

The dish reminds me of my beloved grandma too. Her version was simply the best that I have ever had, and she would cook it for me whenever I wanted as a child. Grandma always left the skins on. While instant gratification is great sometimes, there is just more texture and fun eating through the skins because of the tasty gravy that gets trapped in between.

Forget about restaurants and their fancy presentations. The best food in this world only needs to be cooked with love.

Mahler and a Vietnamese Baguette Sandwich in Kowloon

What does a Bohemian-Austrian composer have to do with a Franco-inspired Vietnamese street snack? Not as far-fetched as one may think if you are very hungry after a moving (albeit sad) and scintillating performance of Mahler's Symphony No. 5 by the London Symphony Orchestra at Tsim Sha Tsui's Hong Kong Cultural Centre.

Desperate for some uplifting consolation but wary of an ailing stomach that should rest after 10.30pm, partner-in-crime Golfess and I went on a mission to locate a nice snack somewhere in the nether regions of Kowloon, some 5 to 7 minutes from the Cultural Centre by car.

After a couple of turns, stops and map consults, a small, bright, hole-in-wall joint called "Tim Kee" (添記) finally peered out of a dark and mouldy side street off a series of vibrant dai-pai-dong's. Pretending to be old-timers, we ordered a "big one" and a "small one". Cutting open 2 self-baked baguettes, the maestro proprietor deftly stuffed each with 3 types of Vietnamese sausage concoctions (扎肉) and baked them in an industrial oven. After a few minutes, the baguettes enjoyed nuoc mam-marinated carrots and cucumbers as garnishes, and were finished off with dashes of pepper and alas - Maggie Sauce! =)

The result was complex. Just like how Mahler's Fifth went from horns and banging cymbals in C sharp minor to A minor to D major......each bite offered its distinct stimulus from a slow, careful initial crunch into a frenzy of pepper sting, sausage jus and carrot tang. Bread flakes were flying everywhere in the car, and the devouring took less than a milli-fraction of the First Movement.

"Sha sha nong" Golfess for a wonderful snack discovery together, and enduring an evening of cackle.

Address: 添記, 26 Man Yuen Street, Jordan, Kowloon. T: 2385 7939.

“Softbank” in Central

I have long relished an opportunity to sample a much-raved private kitchen in Central that serves traditional, bona fide Cantonese banquet dishes ("dai sung" as opposed to "siu choy"). Lucky me I finally had the chance last week. I think the chef descended from the famous “Liu Chong Hing” (now “Chong Hing Bank”) house chefs.

The restaurant was tucked away secretly next to the Softbank Building and looked contrarily unappetizing. After deciding whether to take 4 dangerously narrow flights of stairs or spend 10 seconds in a death-chamber elevator that stank like hell, I entered a pleasantly decorated private room, greeted by the overwhelming aroma of a rare, 30-year Chinese “fa diu” wine (花雕) courtesy of my generous cousin. So, Italians made wines from sangiovese as such because they go well with their predominantly tomato-based dishes. I think “fa diu” is analogous for the Chinese, but why can’t most people in modern times appreciate this simple idea? I don’t believe in, for example, a “perfect Riesling for Sichuan food”.

Since I couldn't drink much, allow me to jump to the appetizer – 3 big slices of giant conch (螺片), cooked to perfection. Flavourful and softly chewy, small dashes of shrimp paste sauce made it even better. The baked crab shell was another classic flawlessly executed. It was all fresh crab meat and contained no distractions like onions or mushrooms. Rightly suggested by my cousin, eating without the accompanying Worcestershire sauce was a superior option.

Then I had the traditional “glass prawn” (玻璃蝦). Almost 2/3’s the size of a tennis ball, it was fresh and almost crunchy in texture. "Tim's Kitchen" (of Hang Seng Bank house chef fame) in Sheung Wan does a great job with this dish as well, but I think tonight Liu Chong Hing won out.

Top quality clear conch soup, stir fried shark's fin (貴花翅), Cantonese-style fried chicken (炸子雞) and veggies all came and went in a swift. Even though I was quite full by then, I just could not resist the final satay beef "cheung fun" (腸粉 rolled rice noodles) and lotus leaf rice. The cheung fun was smooth and slurpy, but I absolutely cherished the rice because its rich lotus fragrance reminded me of my favourite dish when I was little. How I miss this "gau sung" (traditional, old dish) flavour versus dingy nouvelle Chinese cuisine today.

Regrets I did not have a camera with me, but pictures would not do the food justice. Maybe I should wish for the day when we can capture the smell of food on bits and bytes.

Address: 3/F and 4/F, 4 Pottinger Street, Central.

Lei Garden @ IFC, Hong Kong

Celebratory dinners used to mean rowdy gatherings at fancy western or ethnic restaurants, but now I prefer a traditional Chinese meal with family and friends. I suppose this is some innate “Chinese clock” clicking in, and I can relate much better now as to why my mom and aunts insist on Chinese food when traveling even if it is awful.

Such was the mindset as I approached a birthday occasion at IFC's Lei Garden. I have come to enjoy Lei Garden’s consistency in food and quality, especially since the MSG dosage at this place appears somewhat reduced. The night’s menu had some highlights:

A crispy suckling pig complemented by a small, soft flour pancakes. I would be just as happy eating plain pancakes only.

Fresh geoduck slices (cooked by pouring hot fish soup over it) and lobster bits, crackers with noodles were both flavourful yet light on the palette.

The jumbo longevity bun was always a nice touch.

My only complaint is that prices are somewhat unreasonably expensive because of the location. Personally I always feel Lei Garden’s Wanchai counterpart is better value and even tastier.

Address: 3/F, IFC Mall, Central. T: 2295 0238

"Happy Meal": A Night of Delight at Kahala

Having been fortunate enough to sample some, by no means all, so-called fine dining locally and abroad, I find myself increasing tending towards old comforts like barbecue pork rice, which never seems to tire like haute cuisine. Maybe in this age of celebrity chefs, too many “me-too” eateries and menus have surfaced, watering down quality and the “wow” factor.

Then I thought of Kahala, an ~8-seat counter-only restaurant hidden in the heart of Osaka, under the façade of a non-descript wooden door. Three of us spent an evening there with a creative chef who cooks with his heart.

Inside, the 35-year-old restaurant had a well-kept, traditional décor. Dark wood dominated and we sat in front of teppanyaki grills. A decorated glass panel separated a small area for drinks preparation.

We took the second seating of the evening and were served ~10 courses, chef’s choice. Yoshifumi Mori-san was the main man, supported by a female sous chef and a young, friendly male assistant. The food was Japanese-French, my friend who visited before told me.

The first course was a bowl of Chinese “jin hua” ham with okra and aloe followed by a red rice pasta dish with fresh mushroom. A platter of 5 dishes were presented next that consisted of Japanese potatoes topped with cheese and dark chocolate flakes, black coal marinated garlic cloves, whale with peppercorn, fried white Japanese shrimps, and another marinated Japanese fish. I liked the potatoes and garlic very much.

Then a pan-fried shark’s fin garnished with Taiwanese “long vegetable” and noodle squash appeared. To me this was a classic example of Mori-san’s creativity, surprising me with a French-style preparation of an Asian ingredient.

Chef Mori further demonstrated his skills in a bubbling awabi (abalone) fondue composed of gruyere, emmanthal and blue cheese. Even though the dish was seriously heavy, all of us enjoyed it to the last bit including the sticky crunchy piece of hardened cheese at the bottom of the mini stone pot.

To lighten things up, a bowl of egg and mixed and fresh mushrooms soup was served next. By now I was very appreciative of Mori-san’s interplay of ingredients.

For the main course, Chef Yoshifumi prepared Japanese teppanyaki steak for us himself. The innocuous looking beef was actually a mille-feuille version composed of 5 wafer thin layers. This was the piéce de resistance, eaten with a daikon sauce, or a wasabi variety. Both were yummy but I thought the wasabi allowed the beef’s flavour to shine more.

An accompanying black sesame, greens and radish salad thoughtfully neutralized the greasiness of the beef, and allowed me to tackle the ensuing rice with fish flakes.

For dessert, we had a refreshing pear puree then egg white custard with figs and honey, a dream combo. Finally, we capped off the meal with a rich cup of masala tea, Indian candies included.

Japanese-French? We even had Indian tea that tasted authentic. And you know what - Chef Mori has never travelled outside Japan! But ultimately it was Chef Mori’s dedication and humility in his craft that impressed me the most. What a happy meal –expensive, but worthwhile.