My Favourite Restaurants

For what it's worth, below is a list of my favourite restaurants, in no specific order of preference. My key criteria are that it should represent a memorable meal, and that it would be a place that I like to re-visit again and again.

1. Peter Luger's in Brooklyn - I haven't been to this place for ages, but a TV program just reminded me of my love for the "steak for two" (steak for one somehow just doesn't taste the same). More cholesterol? Yes please.
2. Hugo's at the Hyatt Regency Hotel (now torn down) in Tsim Sha Tsui. In my mind, nothing beats its prime rib. Too bad my favourite fantango bread was long gone before the restaurant was closed. I am looking forward to going back when the new Hyatt opens (whenever that may be, given the current economic climate).
3. Sushi Ichi in Tokyo - refined sushi at its contemporary best.
4. A tempura joint next to exit B3, Kamiyacho metro station, Tokyo. This 12-seat family-run restaurant is my favourite lunch spot but I don't know its name! At the price of 1,300 yen for a tempura teishoku, they use fresh ingredients, proper sesame seed oil and quality sea salt. Thinner batter definitely exists in Tokyo, but I think nothing beats its bang for the buck.
5. Cal Pep in Barcelona - simply the best tapas ever. I remember having the sweetest and most succulent green peppers there, and I don't even like green peppers much.
6. L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon - Tokyo branch. My 2nd favourite lunch spot. I always have the steak tartare with frites, and the dish looks the same year after year after year - I appreciate the reliability and consistency.
7. "Fung Lum" Restaurant (楓林小館) in Shatin, Hong Kong. An institution for me since childhood - salt and pepper shrimp, pigeon, braised bean curd, "yeung chow" style fried rice.
8. Toscana at the Ritz Carlton (also torn down), Hong Kong. I love its authenticity, and hope to see the talented Chef Bombana resurface soon.
9. Kahala - Osaka, Japan. Wonderful creativity and diversity from a chef who claimed to have not been out of Japan.

It is getting late, maybe I will come back and think of my 10th place after some snoozing.

A Short Musing on Cipriani

I have been craving for some decent Italian food for a while, and decided on lunch at Cipriani. It has been eons since I last visited this establishment, so it would almost seem like a first visit this time.

Lunch turned out to be "Tagliolini Day", as my friend and I both picked pasta as main dishes. Mine was a pesto and shrimp version from the set lunch menu, while my lunch mate took the à la carte tagliolni with crabmeat and zucchini flowers.

I thought my pasta tasted generally authentic, and I quite liked the heavier-than-expected, almost creamy pesto sauce. The shrimps tasted strangely Chinese though, crunchy like the Cantonese speciality "glass shrimp". A set lunch compromise perhaps? My friend's tagliolini was spot on taste-wise, and the crabmeat was fresh and chunky. However, given the high price tag I thought one really deserved a bigger portion.

Service was impeccable, as was expected from a restaurant of this calibre; but I wished the air conditioning was not freezing cold, and my single espresso did not come in a regular coffee cup. Nevertheless, I look forward to my next visit.

Cipriani
12/F Old Bank of China Bulidng, Central, Hong Kong.

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