My lingering food memory of our trip to Hong Kong is of Lung King Heen’s tender abalone pastries, a surprising discovery of braised pomelo pith from Tim’s Kitchen and one of the best crab dishes I’ve ever had, courtesy of The Chairman. Everyone told us that it was important to book when eating in Hong Kong. There wasn’t enough time to make reservations before our trip and despite this we still managed to eat pretty well at restaurants we walked into late in the evening, or at places where last minute bookings were possible. Out of the 11,000 restaurants existing in Hong Kong, we managed to try these :

Lung King Heen at The Four Seasons
The name means “View of the Dragon”. Rated #93 on the “World’s Best Restaurants” list for 2012 and known as the first Chinese restaurant in the world to receive three Michelin stars, it showcases Cantonese food using occasional luxury ingredients, in a refined setting. Tried and loved the steamed duck liver with abalone sauce, simmered king prawn in crystal sauce and scallops and tofu with crab roe. Complimentary amuse bouche and petit fours bookended this very enjoyable meal. Look out for their tea menu featuring premium teas, and if a phone call doesn’t yield a booking, try the very helpful Four Seasons Hong Kong Twitter account.

8 Finance Street, Central, Hong Kong

L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon
I’d personally prefer a little less gold leaf with my dinner; all that glitters does not necessary taste of anything, but it certainly doesn’t take the shine away from the strength of the dishes. Go for caviar, sea urchin, lobster and foie, or ‘slum’ it with mini wagyu and foie burgers with fries and house made tomato sauce, and show-stopping desserts including a praline and apricot Paris-Brest and a ‘surprise’ chocolate ball encasing intense and silky vanilla ice-cream. Try not to fill up on their very very fine complimentary bread basket.

Shop 315 & 401, The Landmark, Central, Hong Kong

Tim’s Kitchen
I would return to this restaurant in a heart beat. Signature dishes we tried such as the steamed whole crab claw with winter melon and a stunning braised pomelo pith in shrimp roe sauce, left me feeling as though we’d only just scratched the surface of what brilliance this restaurant has to offer. The pomelo pith, somewhat reminiscent in texture (in a good way) of rehydrated mashed potato and gravy, was utterly brilliant. Kick start the meal with a cold appetiser of eggplant with peanut and sesame sauce.

93 Jervois St, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong

Pierre at Mandarin Oriental
This restaurant wasn’t on my short list of places to visit but we were swayed to go on hearing that Pierre Gagnaire himself was going to be in the kitchen to launch his new menu. Typical of Pierre Gagnaire’s style, each course comprised multiple little dishes following a theme. Highlights included several dishes from the ‘French Cheese’ course, namely, shavings of comte and white chocolate served with white walnuts and a grape reduction; a rich onion soup hiding a piece of melting reblochon, topped with thinly shaved croutons; and a Roquefort creme brulee with yogurt soup and caramelised pear. If you’re feeling strong, don’t miss the ‘Grand Dessert’, a 6 course extravaganza featuring dishes like a bowl of smoked milk with coffee jellies and lime sorbet. The take-home chocolate cake given to you as you leave, is also a nice touch.

5 Connaught Road, Central, Hong Kong

Ming Court at Langham Place Hotel
Contemporary Cantonese cuisine with fusion touches. Has an extensive menu which also features the executive chef’s medal winning dishes from Hong Kong’s annual Best of the Best Culinary Awards. We tried the 2010 gold winner of pan-seared chicken, water chestnuts, black truffle and crisp pumpkin, as well as succulent Chiu Chow style roasted goose, stir-fried sliced garoupa with mushrooms and dried shrimp roe, and braised grapefruit peel. Although not usually a marshmallow fan, I also loved the complimentary petit fours of tiny rabbit shaped marshmallows topped with dessicated coconut.

555 Shanghai Street, Mongkok, Kowloon, Hong Kong

Siu Choi Wong
One of the few remaining dai pai dong in Hong Kong, that are gradually being shut down or moved indoors into cooked food centres, for reasons of hygiene. B’s work colleagues took us here to sample typical home-style cooking. Heart-warming dishes with punchy flavours and lashings of garlic.

43 Fuk Wing Street, Sham Shui Po, Hong Kong

Tung Po Seafood Restaurant
One for multiple visits. Friends who live locally chose to take us to this restaurant. It is an indoors dai pai dong with terrific atmosphere and amazing food, a local favourite that has become even busier since Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations visit. Some recommendations from their endless menu : razor clams with black bean sauce, garlic mantis prawns with all the ‘best bits’ of the prawn still attached, wind sand chicken, duck rice in lotus leaf, ultra fresh fish in a salt crust and their signature squid ink spaghetti.

Java Road Cooked Food Centre, 2/F, 99 Java Road, North Point, Hong Kong

The Chairman
We ended our holiday with a meal at The Chairman. Notable for their dedication to using high quality fresh ingredients either made from scratch or carefully sourced. Do not even contemplate visiting this restaurant without ordering their steamed flower crab in aged ShaoXing, chicken oil and flat rice noodles. Our crab which cost around A$100 (market price) fed us very well, leaving us only just enough room to also sample some perfectly smoked ‘Baby Pigeon with Longjing tea and Chrysanthemum’ and sticky ‘Braised Spare Ribs with Preserved Plums in Caramelized Black Vinegar’.

18 Kau U Fong, Central, Hong Kong

[End Notes :
1 This is by no means a definitive list of what Hong Kong has to offer. Rather I think our choices provided us with a broad impression of their food scene. One of the restaurants I regret not getting an opportunity to visit was Yardbird. Given more time, I would’ve loved to check out some congee, claypot rice and noodle joints as well.
2 Some restaurants set the table with double sets of chopsticks. For hygiene purposes, you may opt to use one set specifically for picking up items from communal dishes and the other set for eating with.
3 Steamed white rice is considered filler and is rarely offered unless you specifically ask for it. We didn’t bother with it and frankly, I didn’t miss it at all. ]

Last week with virtually no pre-travel planning, I found myself tagging along on one of B’s work trips to Hong Kong and experienced a completely incredible holiday. Yes as everyone will tell you, Hong Kong is a little bit crowded, a little bit polluted and very humid. But don’t be too quick to dismiss it as a destination like I originally did; it has the capacity to surprise and delight (and not just your stomach). These are the notes and highlights from my trip.

Getting Around : The first thing we did when we arrived was to buy an Octopus card (HK$150 per adult, $50 of which is a refundable deposit), usable in supermarkets, convenience stores and all forms of public transport. Reliable and uncomplicated, the Hong Kong Metro system will be your best friend for the entire duration of your stay.

Staying Connected : Get a prepaid Sim card for your mobile phone, either from the airport or from any 7-11, for a week’s worth of cheap unlimited broadband Internet access. Handy for email, looking information up quickly or navigating with GPS.

Sights : It’s worth visiting Lantau Island (take the Metro from Central Station to Tung Chung) for the cable car ride alone, which takes you to and from the location of the Po Lin Monastery, home to a 26m high bronze statue of Buddha. Paying the admission fee to enter the interior of the statue allows you to view (from a distance) an apparent relic of Buddha. The same entry ticket also entitles you to complimentary tea and snacks, which I didn’t have time to redeem.

A short walk from Central Station is the Peak Tram which you can ride to The Peak for great day/night views of Hong Kong city. Also from Des Voeux Road in Central is the start of the Central-Mid-Levels Escalator, billed as the “longest outdoor covered escalator system in the world”, essentially a series of escalators that takes commuters up to (10:30am to midnight) and down from (6am to 10am) the Mid levels.

Bakeware/Cookware Shopping : Shanghai street is the area to go to for both commercial-grade and domestic kitchen ware. Check out I Love Cake for a great selection of baking frames/molds, cutters and ingredients. Further down the road are stores specialising in Chinese restaurant equipment and tools for dim sum production. A great selection of ‘gourmet’ cookware can be found at Pan Handler Co.

I Love Cake
G/F, 338 Shanghai Street, Kowloon, Hong Kong

Ming Song Steel Bamboo Receptable Co.
Suite F, G/F, 284 Shanghai Street, Yaumatei, Kowloon, Hong Kong

Pan-Handler Co.
318 Prince’s Building, Central, Hong Kong

Supermarkets : Aside from the fascinating outdoor wet markets found all around Hong Kong, one of my favourite things to do in a new city is to visit supermarkets. Go to Wellcome for basics, or Taste and CitySuper for imported items that are impossible to find or too expensive to buy in Sydney. I especially loved CitySuper, for their great selection of imported condiments, chocolates and cookies. Seek out the yogurt section stocked with raw/sheeps/cows milk yogurts from Europe and Japan, most of which are packaged in covetable mini ceramic or glass jars. In the cookware/bakeware section which also has a decent selection of baking ingredients and an impressive range of Le Creuset, I picked up small mason jars and cute Japanese mini baking tins.

CitySuper
ifc mall Level 1, Shops 1041-1049, Central, Hong Kong (and other branches)

Taste
Festival Walk, Tat Chee Avenue, Yau Yat Chuen, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong (and other branches)

Egg Custard Tarts : The most famous bakery for egg custard tarts is Tai Cheong. Check out the Honolulu Coffee Shop for a flaky pastry version of the tart, which I actually prefer. Restaurants like Man Wah also serve made-to-order custard tarts from their Dim Sum menu.

Tai Cheong Bakery
35 Lyndhurst Terrace, Central, Hong Kong

Honolulu Coffee Shop
176-178 Hennessy Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong

Chocolates/Bakeries/Patisseries :

Vero Chocolates
Get a box of liquid caramel chocolates flavoured with rosemary, chilli, lemon, hazelnut or pink salt, or a bar of dark chocolate from their 5-elements collection or some gold dusted chocolate dipped hazelnuts. Or do like we did and get all three.
Shop 236, 2/F, Landmark Atrium, 15 Queens Road, Central, Hong Kong

Mandarin Cake Shop at the Mandarin Oriental
Gawk at the stunning pastry displays and get chocolate brownie sandwiches or a box of their signature “Assorted Metal” chocolates, in the shape of nuts and bolts.
5 Connaught Road, Central, Hong Kong

Sift Patisserie
Their signature chocolate cake is a petite cylinder of intense Valrhona flavours and textures.
Shop 240 – 241, Prince’s Building, 10 Chater Road, Central, Hong Kong (and other branches, including a dessert shop in Sheung Wan)

High Tea at the Peninsula
A friend rated this as her most memorable experience in Hong Kong and insisted I tried it while I was there. High tea is served here from 2-7pm. To avoid excessive queuing, turn up around 1:30pm to be at the head of the line, then sit back, relax, and enjoy the old World luxury of The Peninsula.
Salisbury Road, Kowloon, Hong Kong

Other Shopping : Hong Kong is truly a shopping paradise like no other, with seemingly a Chanel store around every corner. Check out Harbour City for a sticky beak at the flagship stores of all the luxury brands. For a less in-your-face experience, visit one of the Lane Crawford stores to view an edited selection of designer goods. Their home wares store in Pacific Place Mall stocks amongst other things, hard-to-find pieces by Astier de Villatte. Not being much of a clothes shopper, I did however take a stroll through the Ladies’ Market in Mongkok at night and during the day, made a beeline for a Uniqlo store to snap up a few shirts and tops from their Designers Innovation Project range.

Uniqlo
Shop 3231-3232, Level 3, Gateway Arcade, Harbour City, Kowloon, Hong Kong (and other branches)

Ladies’ Market
Tung Choi Street, Mongkok, Hong Kong.

Lane Crawford
Podium 3, ifc mall, 8 Finance Street, Central, Hong Kong (and other branches)

Harbour City
3 – 27 Canton Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong

Dim Sum :

Luk Yu Tea House
One of Hong Kong’s oldest and most famous tea houses. Has an old World/colonial feel. Loved the siu mai, rice and duck meat in lotus leaves and wonderfully light steamed pork buns.
24-26 Stanley St, Central, Hong Kong

Man Wah at Mandarin Oriental
Decent views and an interesting selection of dim sum including taro puffs with abalone, xiao long bao presented in individual baskets, amazingly tender barbecued pork in steamed rice rolls, and heart warming crabmeat dumplings in a supreme broth. The egg custard tarts here are made to order. Complimentary petit fours of coffee jellies and cashew nut cookies.
No.5 Connaught Road, Central, Hong Kong

Tim Ho Wan
Is this poky little restaurant worth it’s 1-Michelin star? Is there a point to the subsequent 2 hour wait for a seat, the sharing of tables with complete strangers and the lack of elbow room? Are their famed cha siu bo lo bao really all that good? Yes, yes and yes. Cha siu bo lo bao, also known as a ‘pineapple bun’ (for it’s appearance) is a baked bun filled with barbecue pork and topped with a sugar cookie dough that when baked, forms a sweet crust on the surface of the bun. Not to be confused with steamed cha siu buns or baked cha siu pastries. Don’t be fazed by the wait. That’s what books or Internet access on your phone is for. By the time your number is called, the anticipation will probably have made you tick every single item on the tiny pre-order form, and once you’ve gained entry through those doors, you may never want to leave. (Note : they have a second branch in the ifc mall which is bigger, so less queuing is involved, but friends have told me the menu isn’t quite the same and the food isn’t as excellent as the original)
2-20 Kwong Wa Street, Mongkok, Hong Kong

Maxim’s Palace City Hall
One of the few places still serving dim sum from trolleys. Think Sydney’s Marigold, with slightly grander surroundings. To skip the queues, turn up early and enjoy a quiet midweek late breakfast or early lunch surrounded by elderly couples doing the same, or other lone diners reading newspapers and sipping cups of tea.
2nd Floor, City Hall Low Block, Central, Hong Kong

Lung King Heen at The Four Seasons Hotel
A must-visit, if only for their abalone pastries. Don’t bother ordering just one. They’re so good you’ll definitely be raising your hand for a second serve. Also try their signature lobster and scallop dumpling. The cha siu bo lo bau here is also very good and not as sugary sweet as the Tim Ho Wan version. Complimentary petit fours of sesame cookies and a beautifully floral osmanthus jelly mark a sweet end to a very refined lunch.
8 Finance Street, Central, Hong Kong

(Next : Hong Kong : Restaurants)

Ever since starting my current job, I’ve been thinking a lot about classic desserts. Obviously there are reasons why they never go out of fashion and why they are so often repeated ad nauseum on many menus around town. Having spent quite a few years working in establishments that strive to provide an experience beyond what is typically expected or what is considered familiar (and that really only feed 5% of the restaurant-going population), it seems I’ve forgotten that most of the people who eat out, seek what they know and what is comforting. Apple pie and lemon tarts are familiar; sticky date pudding is comforting, chocolate fondant is indulgent and creme brulee is just one of those things people always order because they don’t make it at home. So while my first menu change was considered a success by some, it turns out that management didn’t completely share that opinion. Some of the dishes were apparently a little bit strange and too unusual, which came as a complete surprise to me.

Alice Waters said recently that we’ve gotten into the habit of viewing food as entertainment, and instead of needing it to function as an amusement, we should be focusing on making it gratifying, satisfying and delicious.

From the point of view of someone who cooks for a living and bakes at home for pure enjoyment, I think it is possible to achieve both. Dishes can be elevated yet sound and taste familiar. With that in mind, I’m working towards a new menu change and it’ll be interesting to see what people make of it this time. The custard will still hug your spoon, a rubble of soft caramelised apples is offset by crunchy crumble, and the chocolate cake doesn’t look like one but if you were at home, you’d be eating it in your pyjamas.

And since what I do at work always influences the things I bake at home (and vice versa), I’ve been spending a lot of time baking with the classic combination of chocolate and caramel. The Millionaire’s Shortbread (a very fancy and incredibly tasty version of the Twix chocolate bar) comes from William Curley’s Couture Chocolate.

The Pastel Imposible, also known as Chocoflan or Impossible Flan comes from Fany Gerson’s My Sweet Mexico. A custard mixture is layered on top of chocolate cake mix and during the baking process, the dessert does the seemingly impossible by switching sides so the cake rises to the top and the custard sets below. To make this (how could you possibly not want to!) I recommend using David Lebovitz’s adaptation of Fany Gerson’s recipe.

(Also in other news, I am going on a one week holiday to Hong Kong very soon. It’ll be my first trip there and at the moment there hasn’t been much time to organise anything, so I would LOVE some recommendations!)