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Remember my previous post about finding good food in the diviest of places? Well, if you thought Sister Wah was already a strange place to find good eats, then our choice of dinner spots was even more so. Recommended by my uncle, Gi Kee is not really a restaurant at all. In fact, it is takes over the food court at the Wong Nai Chung Municipal Services Building during after hours. Cordon Bleu trained head chef Chan Chung-Fai puts out food that is beyond the plastic stools and scummy floors of the run-down food court. However, this is the setting and as such, the prices are very reasonable for fresh seafood and carefully crafted signature dishes.
We started off with a big plate of Garlic Fried Mantis Shrimp which was a real treat. These were aromatically crispy on the outside while the tail meat was still moist and springy on the inside. It was naturally sweet, briny and there was an appealing taste of the sea. This was amped by the boatload of fried garlic and peppers which added the necessary savoury umaminess. Hot on the heals of the shrimp was the Stir-Fried Clams in black bean sauce. These buttery and plump clams had a tender chew to them. They were briny and sweet which worked well with the salty and garlicky sauce that had a touch of spice.
The Garlic Fried Chicken was attractive too due to its rich deep hue as well as the mound of fried garlic on top. It ate very well with rendered crispy skin and tender lightly-brined meat. The dark meat was juicier than the white meat, but it wasn't too dry. The plethora of garlic meant that the umaminess was kicked up a notch. My favourite dish of the meal was the Steamed Razor Clams with garlic and vermicelli. These were buttery and plump with a firm rebound. They were naturally sweet and briny with the benefit of another mound of garlic.
For our vegetables, we had the Red Fermented Tofu Buddha's Feast sporting vermicelli, eggplant, baby corn, bean curd skin, bak choy and mushroom. I found the veggies on the softer side including the vermicelli. Flavours were sweet and mild where I thought the amount of fermented tofu was too conservative. I was a bit apprehensive of the Salad Spareribs as I'm not a huge fan of anything mayo with my meat. Well, this wasn't any different, but at the very least, the pork ribs were tender and the sauce was slightly sweet.
Lastly, we had the Baked Oysters with onions and peppers. I found the oysters to be really large, plump and briny. The starch coating got a bit gummy from the moisture during baking, so that wasn't appealing. In terms of flavour, it was rather mild with only some savoury elements and some pepper. Again, for the kiddies, we got them both a fried rice and some Yee Mein. There was not much to say about the rice, but the yee mein was pretty average since it was rather wet. It did taste okay though as the seasoning hit the right balance between salty and sweet. For a place that is located where it is, Gi Kee offers up some pretty good eats and supremely fresh seafood. If you can make it out to Happy Valley, it is certainly worth a try.
The Good:
- A good selection of live seafood
- Pretty solid eats
- It's got that secret divy location thing
The Bad:
- Not the most glamorous dining arrangements
- Don't expect a lot of service
Often, the best food can be found in the least appealing places, in terms of appearance. That would the be premise behind shows such as Triple-D's, but for me, they have strayed from their original focus (and besides, some of the places are actually not very good). So being in Hong Kong, it is almost a given one would find good eats at a dive because they exist everywhere and anywhere. One place I had on my radar was Sister Wah right on the outskirts of Victoria Park. If one wasn't looking for the place, they would probably walk right past it.
For a group of 11 that consisted of 4 kids, the small little restaurant was probably not the best choice, but the kiddies do love their Brisket Noodles. That we did order and it was good as advertised (well, they don't really advertise it, but you get the idea). We had both the lean version with wonton-type noodles and the fatty version with flat rice noodles (ho-fun). The lean was more beef-shank than brisket. Therefore, it was soft, gelatinous and tender. Chewy with an appealing elasticity and rebound, the wonton-type noodles were completely on point. We found the clear soup to be clean-tasting with the sweetness of daikon and hit of star anise. The fattier meat was definitely brisket and it had tender type of chewiness especially from the connective tissue.
For me, I had to get some variety and ordered the Tripe Lo Mein (mixed dry noodles). It was lightly doused with broth so that the noodles remained moist and did not stick together. Exactly like the previous bowl, the noodles were texturally on point. I found the neatly sliced tripe to be also well-prepared being buttery with a slight bite. It was only mildly gamy and lightly seasoned from the braise. Viv went for the Brisket Dan Dan Noodles that sported a thin peanutty broth. It had a vinegary hit to it as well as a mild spice. I would say that it wasn't really that impactful where it needed a bit more of everything. As for the noodles, they were slippery and not overdone.
On the side, we got an order of the Sliced Braised Beef Shank and it was served neatly arranged on the plate. It was sliced thin enough that it was meaty and tender. There was no absence of flavour from the usual 5-spice and sweetened soy braising liquid. The Fried Pork Chop (Rib on the menu) was another solid side where it crispy and hot while easy on the grease. The meat was completely tender and juicy with a good rebound texture. There was also a sufficient amount of seasoning as well. We were treated to an order of the Fish Balls (and sliced fish cake) by the owner and they were really good. Lightly sweet with an airy bounce, the texture was very appealing. In general, we enjoyed most things we tried and wouldn't hesitate to eat it again when in Hong Kong.
The Good:
- Well-prepared brisket and shank
- On point noodles
- Nice owner
The Bad:
- Not a place to linger, just eat and leave
- Not as cheap as one would think
Okay, I must admit some of my restaurant choices can be on the "touristy" side of things. Hey, nothing really bad about that since some are popular for a reason. However, I try to stay away from actual tourist traps that usually included a gimmick of sorts (ie. a view, location, recognizable name or been on TV). Well, the Jumbo Floating Restaurant satisfies nearly all of those criteria and more. It wasn't my idea as Uncle Willy suggested it (sheepishly), but hey, I was game since I'm no food snob. So we made our way out there after a day at Ocean Park.
Arriving at the pier, we took the short tender to the restaurant (part of the experience) along with the predictable tourist groups. We ordered a la carte starting with the Peking Duck. Carved table side, this was a pretty large duck that yielded plenty of usable skin. It was in a nice lacquered hue and was more or less crispy. However, the layer of fat was noticeable and some of the fattier pieces were not crispy. We found the crepes to be excellent being thin, tender and not dried out. The 2nd course was the usual Duck Lettuce Wrap which was subjected to a good wok fry. Flavours were mild and caramelized, but the duck itself was pretty dry.
I enjoyed the Bamboo Pith with egg whites and crab roe as the flavours were sweet, a bit briny and restrained. This was key as this dish was delicate and too much salt would've destroyed it. The egg whites were soft and fluffy and the amount of crab and crab roe were impactful. On the other hand, there were far too many crab shells which meant we had to pick them out of our mouths. Presented as a large portion, the Chinese-Style Beef Tenderloin was prepared medium-rare to rare. This was okay by me because that meant the beef was moist and fairly tender. There was just enough sauce to coat each piece, but it needed more tang.
For some strange reason, I liked the Braised Silky Tofu with mushrooms and Shanghai bak choy. I'm usually quite the meat eater, but the texture of the fried tofu was appealingly meaty and buttery at the same time. The oyster-based sauce was silky and not overly salty. There was a good amount of tender shiitake mushroom as well. As much as the Deep Fried Chili Salt Squid looked super flavourful, in reality it was not. It was crispy though, but in a dry manner (where the batter was a touch mealy). The squid itself was tender and had a nice chewiness though.
For the kiddies, we ensured that they were taken care of with the Yeung Chow Fried Rice (without any greens). I do enjoy nutty dry rice, but this was taking it a bit too far as it became cumbersome to eat at the end. The rice was just too hard and didn't go down very well. Too bad as the wok fry was good and there was plenty of lean BBQ pork and crystal cold-water shrimp. Lastly, we had the Stir-Fried Yee Mein with flowering chives. This was pretty good with chewy noodles with the bright crunch of the chives. To the right of the noodles in the picture was a plate of sliced pork rolls which were a bit dry, but still soft and tender. Overall, Jumbo pretty much met expectations - being a touristy, overpriced and average-tasting restaurant. Go there if you must, but not really necessary.
The Good:
- Nice location
- Cool tender ride to the restaurant
- Decent service
The Bad:
- Hit and miss food
- Expensive
- Tourist trap
Alright, we were not scheduled to make a visit to any location of Tim Ho Wan despite earning a Michelin star. Besides, it seems like they throw that designation around pretty carelessly in Hong Kong. According to many, the place does indeed serve up decent Dim Sum for a reasonable price, but it is not really a destination restaurant since there are so many other great places to go in Hong Kong. The real reason we made a visit to the North Point location was due to the fact it was convenient for our large group prior to heading out to Ocean Park.
We settled in and made a point of it to leave quickly, but that was easily arranged as that's how they operate anyways. Food came out expeditiously as expected beginning with the Rice Noodle Rolls (Shrimp, Beef and BBQ Pork). The rice noodle was medium-thickness and buttery in texture. It still retained a slight pleasing elasticity. All of the fillings were pretty good including the buttery shrimp that was decent in size and quantity. I did find the seasoning a bit too aggressive though. The beef was tender and had a nice rebound texture. There was a modest amount of cilantro which didn't overwhelm. Lastly, the BBQ pork was fairly lean and there was a good meat-to-noodle ratio.
Although they looked rather tiny, the Ha Gau (Shrimp Dumplings) were fairly pleasing. Featuring a thin and chewy elastic dumpling wrapper, it encased a shrimp filing that was in big chunks. There was a buttery and moist snap which was accented by enough sesame oil. One thing I didn't like was the amount of seasoning as the dumpling was pretty salty. I thought the Siu Mai were also over-seasoned where the saltiness needed to be tempered by hot sauce. However, it was on point texturally with moist chunks of bouncy pork, shrimp and flavourful shiitake mushroom. Other than the saltiness, the rest of the flavours were apparent and pleasing.
On the topic of salty, the Phoenix Talons (Chicken Feet) were the most affected by far. One bite and the sting of salt rang through my taste buds (the salt-tasting buds that is). In terms of texture, the outside was plump with a slight bite. Underneath, the cartilage was on the crunchier side while the tendons were tender while not melted. Once again, the saltiness continued with the Steamed Pork Spareribs as that was the only seasoning (other than the garlic) that we could taste. There was an appealing rebound texture to the tender meat where most of the pieces did not include cartilage or fat.
Onto some carbs, we got the Lo Mei Gai (Sticky Rice) which was presented ol' skool style as one large portion rather than the 3 minis we see these days. Hence, the sticky rice was more moist and the flavours seemed to be even more in balance. There was almost a even ratio between tender ground pork, shiitake, sausage and chicken with the rice. This was probably my favourite dish of the meal. We also got the Steamed Chicken Rice and it was also decent. The rice was nutty and dry (a good thing) with a fair amount of tender dark meat chicken on top. Again, it was aggressively seasoned, but in this case, it was fine as the rice needed seasoning.
Another solid dish was the Beef Meatballs as they had nearly the perfect texture where there were meaty portions blended and bonded by bouncy beef mousse. Therefore, the meatballs were buttery and appealingly chewy at the same time. Furthermore, the amount of cilantro was just right and for once, the seasoning seemed to be just enough. We didn't get any Worcestershire sauce though. As much as I enjoyed the Deep Fried Dumplings, they were just too oil-logged on the bottom. Hence, only half of the dumpling was crispy. Inside, there was just not enough filling to make much of an impact.
Something that was just plain weird was the Spring Rolls with fish and mayo. The result was a slimy mess inside the greasy, yet crunchy exterior wrapping. The combination of the savoury fish and sweet mayo made for an interesting mix of flavours. We felt this didn't work. For dessert (in a way), we had their signature Baked BBQ Pork Buns with a sweet crispy topping. The buns were fairly soft and a bit yeasty while the topping made the entire thing more of a dessert. Inside, the lean pork was also bathed in a sweet glaze that only had some savoury elements. These were the best dish in my opinion. Otherwise, everything else was okay but far too salty. If you are visiting Hong Kong and have limited time, Tim Ho Wan could be a destination, but there are many other choices.
The Good:
- Reasonably-priced
- Freshly-made dim sum
- Those BBQ Pork Buns...
The Bad:
- Hit and miss
- It is a rushed experience
- It's got a Michelin Star?
For the love of... Another buffet??? My original plans did not call for any buffets, let alone 3 of them. However, I am not adverse to visiting the occasional one as it does provided plenty of choice and can be fun for the kiddies. However, this is mainly based on Vancouver buffets, which can only be described as terrible. For a serviceable buffet, we normally have to travel South into Seattle. But in Hong Kong, they seem to take buffets much more seriously as evidenced with my visit to Playt in the Park Lane Hotel. For this buffet adventure, we didn't have to look far as we just went downstairs to the Garden Cafe in the City Garden Hotel.
I must admit, the spread was pretty impressive including an array of Seafood including crab, mussels, snow crab legs and conch. Nothing particularly amiss here other than the fact that the seafood needed some condiments as they were not inherently seasoned. Now the seafood didn't end there as we were treated to intermittent limited time offerings such as the seafood steamer tower where all the juices trickled down to the bottom section filled with congee. The Scallops on the half-shelf, shrimp and clams were all topped with minced garlic, which also made it into the congee. As a result, the broth was sweet, briny and garlicky without the need for excess salt.
There was also a limited time offering of large Scallops baked in the half-shelf with a truffle cream sauce and cheese. These were buttery and tender while completely woodsy thanks to the ample black truffle. Not completely sure if so much was necessary, but I liked how they didn't skimp. The sauce was a bit starchy, but the good amount of melted cheese on top added body and texture. Also on the same plate was seafood from the grill-to-order section including Prawns, Scallops and Fish. I waited for the seafood to be prepared, so when I got my selection, it was cooked just right.
Similar to Playt, there was a selection of Sashimi and Sushi. For the sashimi, there was a choice of tako, salmon, hotate, tuna and tai. I went for the hotate, salmon and tai as well as a few pieces of maki sushi and one nigiri. Catching me by surprise, the tai was the most appealing as it was buttery and tender with a bite (normally, crappy tai can be chewy and sinewy). The hotate was buttery and sweet while the salmon was decent. I found the sushi rice to be a bit dry, but not terrible. Onto red meat, I tried the Leg of Lamb and Prime Rib. Both were tender and well-prepared accompanied by a silky and flavourful jus. I picked up a piece of grilled Shortrib as well and it was on point too.
There was also a selection of cooked dishes where I sampled a few including Stewed Pork Knuckle, Ox-Tail, Chinese Pork Rib and Curry Chicken. I thought the pork knuckle was fine being tender, gelatinous and well-seasoned while the ox-tail was also quite flavourful from the braising liquid. It could've been slightly more tender, but it was still fine. Although the pork rib was nicely charred and sufficiently tender, the sauce was too sweet for me. I found the curry chicken to be tender, but pretty mild. Right to the corner of the hot food were bowls of Old Flame Soup consisting of conch, dried scallop, pork, chicken, longnan and dates. This was super sweet and flavourful.
Onto Desserts, there was an impressive selection which included many different flavours of Macarons. These were actually quite good with a crispy exterior. Inside, it was a bit dense for my liking. Taste-wise, I found them not too sweet. As evidenced in the picture, there was something for everyone including hard ice cream, cakes, and little treats for the kiddies. All-in-all, the buffet at City Garden was pretty extensive with many seafood options. Quality seemed to be fairly good and things were generally refilled quickly. Service was pretty solid as well. Compared to Playt, I would say they are pretty similar except for a few dishes here and there.
The Good:
- Plenty of seafood prepared in different ways
- Quality was good for a buffet
- Fairly attentive service
The Bad:
- If you were snoozing, the limited time seafood offerings were gone quickly
Before I headed off to Hong Kong, I had a list of places I wanted to visit while I was there. However, not all of the spots aligned with our schedule and besides, some restaurants were chosen for us by the relatives we were meeting up with. Moreover, the "best" places sometimes are overrated and possibly far too busy for us to even attempt to eat at. So when Sharon posted an IG story about the multi-flavoured XLBs at Paradise Dynasty located in Causeway Bay, I added it to my list. It turns out, we were able to make it out there for lunch.
Of course, we had to order their signature item being the Specialty Dynasty Xiao Long Bao consisting of all 8 flavours including Original, Garlic, Ginseng, Foie Gras, Szechuan, Cheese, Crab Roe and Black Truffle. These were beautiful to look at and in fact, pretty delicious in general because the taste was impactful and representative. My favourite was the original featuring DTF-esque thin dumpling wrapper encasing plenty of sweet and meaty soup. The meat was a touch gritty and loose though. I thought the ginseng was pretty herbal and strong while the stringy cheese was subtle but we could taste it. The foie was fatty and strong in flavour while the Szechuan was noticeably spicy. Sporting actual black truffle, that XLB was super woodsy. Lastly, the crab roe was sweet, but not overly so.
We also had other dishes including the Chilled Jellyfish atop cucumber with a soy sauce vinaigrette. Viv and I really enjoyed the texture of the jellyfish as it was buttery but impactfully crunchy. It was a bit bland on its own, but the strong acidity in the vinaigrette created a lasting impression. Underneath, the large chunks on cucumber was refreshing with a nice crunch. In addition to the XLBs, we tried the Pan-Fried Shanghai Pork Buns which were seared up appealingly brown underneath. The bun itself was a bit dense and thick, but it wasn't a deal breaker. Soft and moist with a light buttery bounce, the meat filling was adequately seasoned and not inundated with green onions.
When the kiddies spotted the Wok-Fried Rice Cake with Pork & Vegetable Shanghai Style, their eyes lit up. Fine, it is their favourite, so I got it despite it being a carb-heavy dish. I thought the wok heat was good as there was caramelization in terms of colour and flavour. The liberal use of dark soy helped the cause too. However, the rice cake itself was a bit too soft for our liking. Our last dish was the La Mian with Braised Pork Pork Belly in Signature Pork Bone Soup. If there was a Chinese version of Japanese Ramen (ironic since the reverse is actually true), this would be it. The soup base was silky, porky and rich. A touch on the softer side, the noodles were slippery and had soaked up the flavour of the broth. We found the meaty and only lightly fatty pork belly to have penetrated sweet soy flavours while being tender. For the dishes we tried, it was pretty obvious to us it was all about the XLBs. So much so, we ordered 3 steamers.
The Good:
- Solid XLBs
- Decent service
- Spacious seating
The Bad:
- Other dishes are average
- Pricey
Posts
Remember my previous post about finding good food in the diviest of places? Well, if you thought Sister Wah was already a strange place to find good eats, then our choice of dinner spots was even more so. Recommended by my uncle, Gi Kee is not really a restaurant at all. In fact, it is takes over the food court at the Wong Nai Chung Municipal Services Building during after hours. Cordon Bleu trained head chef Chan Chung-Fai puts out food that is beyond the plastic stools and scummy floors of the run-down food court. However, this is the setting and as such, the prices are very reasonable for fresh seafood and carefully crafted signature dishes.
We started off with a big plate of Garlic Fried Mantis Shrimp which was a real treat. These were aromatically crispy on the outside while the tail meat was still moist and springy on the inside. It was naturally sweet, briny and there was an appealing taste of the sea. This was amped by the boatload of fried garlic and peppers which added the necessary savoury umaminess. Hot on the heals of the shrimp was the Stir-Fried Clams in black bean sauce. These buttery and plump clams had a tender chew to them. They were briny and sweet which worked well with the salty and garlicky sauce that had a touch of spice.
The Garlic Fried Chicken was attractive too due to its rich deep hue as well as the mound of fried garlic on top. It ate very well with rendered crispy skin and tender lightly-brined meat. The dark meat was juicier than the white meat, but it wasn't too dry. The plethora of garlic meant that the umaminess was kicked up a notch. My favourite dish of the meal was the Steamed Razor Clams with garlic and vermicelli. These were buttery and plump with a firm rebound. They were naturally sweet and briny with the benefit of another mound of garlic.
For our vegetables, we had the Red Fermented Tofu Buddha's Feast sporting vermicelli, eggplant, baby corn, bean curd skin, bak choy and mushroom. I found the veggies on the softer side including the vermicelli. Flavours were sweet and mild where I thought the amount of fermented tofu was too conservative. I was a bit apprehensive of the Salad Spareribs as I'm not a huge fan of anything mayo with my meat. Well, this wasn't any different, but at the very least, the pork ribs were tender and the sauce was slightly sweet.
Lastly, we had the Baked Oysters with onions and peppers. I found the oysters to be really large, plump and briny. The starch coating got a bit gummy from the moisture during baking, so that wasn't appealing. In terms of flavour, it was rather mild with only some savoury elements and some pepper. Again, for the kiddies, we got them both a fried rice and some Yee Mein. There was not much to say about the rice, but the yee mein was pretty average since it was rather wet. It did taste okay though as the seasoning hit the right balance between salty and sweet. For a place that is located where it is, Gi Kee offers up some pretty good eats and supremely fresh seafood. If you can make it out to Happy Valley, it is certainly worth a try.
