Foodie Issue 70: May 2015

issue 70 | may 2015 www.afoodieworld.com

Home Brunches Locally-sourced recipes from the brothers at Twins Kitchen

Sai Ying Pun Sauntering This hipster haven is also a foodie heaven

Jamie’s Hong Kong

The prolific chef unveils his newest restaurant in our city

Jamie’s Hong Kong

CEO Lily Ng CTO Derek Kean Editor-in-Chief Alicia Walker Editor-at-Large Celia Hu Digital Editor Keshia Hannam Creative Director Helen Griffiths Designer Robert Li Foodie Club & Events Manager Hannah Chung Account Executives Joseph Kwok, Kathryn Riley

Jamie Oliver, the lovable chef that has ruled television screens and cookbook shelves for over a decade, has more recently been unrolling his brand of casual Italian eateries across the globe.

His first Jamie’s Italian hit Hong Kong last summer to crowded queues around the block, and he recently hit Hong Kong shores to unveil his second venue in Harbour City, opening its produce-filled doors later this month. We found his stance on food education inspiring, and his salt of the earth demeanour refreshing in the culinary world that’s so often filled with the bravado of kitchen greats as with their cooking talents. We also speak with another humble cook, the Spanish chef with the most Michelin stars in the world, Martin Berasategui, as he stops over in our city for a quick chat about Hong Kong’s cuisine. We whip up brunch recipes at home, and start a food war over the best roast chicken in the city. Our Food Nomad travels to Okinawa and makes our mouths drool in the process. So read on, there is much to devour in this delicious issue!

Photographer Sophie Jin

Recipes

Stylist Jo Lorenz

Alicia Walker Editor-in-Chief editor@afoodieworld.com

Contributors Kelly Yau, Faye Wai Interns Windie Tsoi, Faye Wai

Foodie Panel

Food-loving folk who’ve helped us this month:

Published by Foodie Group, 16/F, Chao’s Building, 143–145 Bonham Strand, Sheung Wan, HK www.afoodieworld.com Printed by Teams Printing Co., Ltd.

Foodie is published monthly, 12 times a year. The contents of the magazine are fully protected by copyright and nothing may be reprinted without permission. The publisher and editors accept no responsibility in respect to any products, goods or services that may be advertised or referred to in this issue or for any errors, omissions or mistakes in any such advertisements or references. Foodie and the Foodie magazine logo are trademarks of Foodie Group Limited. All rights reserved.

Martin Berasategui

Caleb and Joshua Ng

The Michelin-starred Spanish chef rolls through Hong Kong p.22

The boys behind Twins Kitchen share their favourite brunch dishes p. 40

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Jamie Oliver The celebrity chef comes to check up on his first restaurant in the 852 p.24

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afoodieworld

C onte nt s 20 FOOD WAR

Foodie Quote of the Month There is only one right way to eat a steak - with greed in your heart and a smile on your face.”— Soumeet Lanka

We rounded up the best roast chicken in town to discover which topped our taste buds list

22 CHEWIN’ THE FAT… with Martin Berasategui, the Spanish chef with the most Michelin stars

30 SAI YING PUN SAUNTERING Take a wander through the streets of this hipster haven to discover a foodie heaven

34 FOOD NOMAD Celia Hu eats her way around Okinawa

40 HOME BRUNCHES Recipes to get you through that awkward time between breakfast and lunch

Kelly Yau turns up the heat with her hearty potsticker recipe

24 JAMIE’S HONG KONG Jamie Oliver’s recent visit unveiled his philosophy, hopes for the future of food, and a brand new restaurant in HK

Did you know...

Brunch originated with one Englishman’s hangover. Guy Beringer first suggested the mid-morning meal in 1895 as a way to ease Sunday mornings after a night of overindulgence. He proposed a hybrid meal of pastries that would later segue into heartier dishes, thus easing uneasy stomachs. He went on to suggest it as the perfect platform to discuss debauched tales of the night before. Looks like things haven’t changed much!

facebook.com/foodiehk // may 2015

48 CHINEASY

Cover story

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for starters

This month’s hottest news bites

KERALA COFFEE

Devotees of Indian coffee may find their noses turning in the direction of Nespresso’s latest Grand Cru, Monsoon Malabar. Beans from Southern India’s Malabar Coast are transformed into this silky, powerful and rich brew that has an intensity of eight and is recommended to be enjoyed with milk due to its cereal and biscuit notes. $67 per sleeve. www.nespresso.com

NEW BREW

The Captain’s Bar at the Mandarin Oriental has unveiled their brand new HK brewed lager. Captain’s Bar Beer is now available on tap from the gifted brew masters at Young Master Ales. This exclusive tipple is a craft lager made with all German malt and a blend of European style hops for a crisp, clean taste and refreshing finish. $98 per pint served in a frosty silver tankard.

Captain’s Bar, Mandarin Oriental, 5 Connaught Road Central

CUP OF KNOWLEDGE A new intelligent cup has been unveiled to add a bit of wisdom to your daily drinking habits. Vessyl is a nutrition-tracking tumbler with sensitive technology that detects what beverage it is holding and can even tell the difference between brands to tell the drinker the calorie count, sugar, fat, sodium and caffeine content as well as estimating a person’s unique hydration needs and keeping track of daily beverage consumption. Also equipped with a spillproof lid and discrete display screen, Vessyl uses a charging coaster to juice up for a full week’s use. This techno-cup will set you back $137USD including shipping charges to Hong Kong. www.myVessyl.com 04

WASABI WARRIORS This leading Australian sushi chain has opened in Hong Kong bringing its brand of healthy and eco-friendly Japanese fast food with it. Providing white rice rolls at affordable prices, their slogan is “Eat Good, Do Good, Feel Good”. The HK branch uses organic free-range chickens, Norwegian farmed salmon, high quality pearl rice and organic vegetables from local farms here in the city. With 12 different rice roll flavours, including Peking duck, teriyaki beef and crumbed prawn with avocado, as well as a variety of sushi, their offerings only use small amounts of oil, making them a hit with the health-conscious. www.wasabiwarriors.com.hk Unit F, G/F, World Trust Tower, 50 Stanley Street, Central, 2323 1512

Foodie App of the month Angelina Draper talks tech with one of the top food apps on the virtual market FOODSPOTTING

twitter.com/foodiehk // may 2015

Foodspotting is an app that focuses on food rather than establishments, allowing users to upload pictures, search for and rate specific dishes instead of restaurants.

Launched in 2010, Foodspotting has won various app awards and accumulated an immense database of four million dishes. The app’s popularity around the world makes it an ideal guide to have when travelling for pleasure or business. There is of course a social aspect to the app (‘cos, hey, who doesn’t want to brag about a good find?) that allows users to share their Foodspotting posts on all major social media apps–as well as within the Foodspotting community. Various celebrity chefs–such as Tom Aikens and Wolfgang Puck–have their own accounts, as do most major food guides, making it a great all-round foodie app. The design feels a little tired and could do with an update, so could the navigation, which lacks a main menu and is not immediately intuitive. Overall, however, the app is packed with lots of information, is fast and really will help you find ramen in Delhi within seconds.

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the best of the bloggers

Q. If you were to have a type of food tattoed, which would you choose to have inked on your skin forever?

Michelle Ng www.chopstixfix.wordpress.com

Ale Wilkinson www.thedimsumdiaries.com A Venezuelan arepa. This is partly to do with displaying my heritage, and partly because I’m bored of trying to explain to people what exactly an arepa is. To say “it’s a round, flat type of cornbread that’s kind of like a pita but nothing like a pita” just does it absolutely no justice whatsoever!

I’m a total noodle fiend, so I would choose to have a tattoo of a bowl of soup noodles and chopsticks at the ready! If the noodles prove too difficult to tattoo, I might opt for sushi with a smiley face on my arm!

Stephanie Ko www.stephs852diary.com

Sharon Maloney www.jasmine-ginger.com

Weirdly enough I was discussing whether to get another tattoo with my friend, and this very question came up. While I love tattoos, I’m not keen on food ones, but I have seen quite a few kitchen utensil ones which I think are hilarious and more fitting. If pushed, I think I could go for a vintage fork on my forearm. Jury’s still out.

I absolutely adore food and a large part of my life revolves around food. However, when it comes to getting inked, I am not sure if I would want any particular food item to form part of my skin - I mean, am I supposed to wake up in the morning and drool at the sight of the burger tattoo on my arm? Therefore, my choice would be a bunch of elderflowers - they look pretty, and technically count as food!

FEATURED FOODIE Every month we highlight one of our most prolific and viral content contributors from our afoodieworld community. We have chosen Faye for May, whose latest post on the best dodgy eats from the streets had readers snickering and shaking a tail feather on down to sample for themselves.

Here’s an excerpt from: Really Good Foods at Really Dodgy Places by Faye Wai: Situated next to a dodgy underground camera shop and an area of sex merchandise, San Kee is a treasure known only to the real foodies of Hong Kong. Its signature cheese instant noodles are a secret recipe, and have started many celebrity addictions; tens of photos of the hottest local stars are stuck on its windows. We also loved its Swiss sauce chicken wings, tender to the bite and so sweet and loving with a dash of homemade goodness.

San Kee, Champagne Court 16-20, 13-14, Kimberley Road, TST To read the entire article, please visit: www.afoodieworld.com 06

the social foodie

Tempting Foodie-grams and funny food tweets we giggled over this month

Cake from Butter Crumbs

@JCautomatic

Wife: Do you fancy coming home at lunchtime for a quickie?

Me: It’s pronounced quiche.

@afoodieworld @Erik_Bergstrom @Fact

Warm colours such as yellow, orange and red make you hungry - which is why many fast food restaurants are yellow, orange and red

Food trucks are pretty popular, but I don’t know if I trust a restaurant with a get-away plan.

Beetroot risotto at FINDS @frenchprinter

Knowing that you have a bunch of leftover pizza is probably the same feeling as being super wealthy. @afoodieworld

“SPARKLING, STILL............ or tap?” every waiter

Get Involved! Join the Foodie community

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Foodie World #foodiehk

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afoodieworld

www.afoodieworld.com // may 2015

@rejected jokes

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foodie club

Foodie Market We set up shop at Opendoor Cafe one sunny Saturday for our first ever Foodie Market featuring 20 vendors selling a variety of hot and cold foods. We didn’t expect the sheer volume of people that turned out and all the vendors did a great job of pleasing the masses with Hawaiian sashimi bowls from Pololi, gorgeous grilled cheese from 3/3rds, hot dogs from Golden Pig and pork neck sandwiches from Bread & Beast. There were plenty of tea and coffee options from TeaCha and Porch The Coffee Merchants, sweets from Papabubble, Sunday Bakeday, Cake Minstrel and popcorn from Shamrock, as well as pies from Tai Tai Pie Pies, and healthy options from Green Vitamin and nood food. ChopCookDine were there selling handmade aprons and oven gloves and Buonissimo sold a selection of fresh produce and high quality olive oils, along with MySnappyCart who explained how Hong Kongers can have groceries delivered to their door within two hours. There were Italian craft beers from Craftissimo and Purple 9 Wine delighted patrons with their reds, whites and rosés.

Out in the courtyard, Invisible Kitchen provided a selection of their canapés and Nice Pops rocked it with their alcoholic ice lollies.

It was great foodie fun for all, stay posted for our next one!

Photo by: Daniel Wong

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foodie club

The ABC’s of Cooking There are many things we like about ABC Cooking Studio, from their pristine and well equipped studios to their experienced tutors and advanced cooking classes on offer. The classes are carefully presented in clear steps with illustrated recipe cards to take home and you can join a one-off class or sign up for a course of six. ABC have recently launched their kids’ program with a set of kid-friendly dishes that children aged four to eight can learn to make. Kids can join a trial class now for $380 and the studio provides a set of chef’s whites to wear for ample photo opportunities. We got our foodie kids involved for a trial lesson where they were thrown in the deep end and made their own strawberry marshmallow and custard pudding, making the custard from scratch and even homemade marshmallow! That’s pretty impressive stuff for these mini masterchefs.

ABC Cooking Studio (PMQ)

ABC Cooking Studio (K11)

H110-112, 1/F, Block B, PMQ, 35 Aberdeen Street, Central, 2915 1022

1/F, K11 Art Mall, 18 Hanoi Road, TST, Kowloon, 2336 7022

Photos by: Daniel Wong

50 Shades of Rum at Post 97

Post 97

Bacardi Legacy

UG/F, 9 Lan Kwai Fong, Central, 2810 9331

www.bacardilegacy.com/

www.afoodieworld.com // may 2015

Post 97 has gone back to 1897 with their revamped décor and a drinks menu to match. Their menu is European-influenced where you’ll see bellringers such as burgers, bubble n’ squeak and juicy ribs. The running theme is the prevalent use of fresh herbs, inspired by the Victorian botanist concept of the era. With three dashing mixologists on the night: Kervin Unido of Flint Grill & Bar made his Padre Blanco, a zingy mix of guava, agave nectar and lime leaf, and Bruno Santos from 21 Sky Bar in Macau shook up a ‘Voyager’ made of lemon, tawnyport spices, and egg white. The winning Bacardi Legacy mixologist, Devender Seghal from 8 ½ Otto e Mezzo Bombana served his signature the ‘Optimist’ made with basil, honey, ginger and yellow Chartreuse. Our winning Foodie Clubbers took home bottles of Bacardi and our specially curated Foodie hampers. A great night was had by all; join us for our next mixer!

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foodie club

Simplot Baking Competition As a new initiative, Simplot teamed up with the Washington State Potato Commission last month to hold a unique and creative baking competition where chefs and foodies across Hong Kong were challenged to make a potato mooncake with a twist.

The challenge was to incorporate Simplot’s products from the Washington State of America such as potato starch or dehydrated mashed potato into a mooncake recipe. The eight finalists were invited to bring their potato mooncakes to be judged at The Mixing Bowl in Sheung Wan where they also learned how to make potato gnocchi with homemade pesto sauce and chocolate potato cake while their mooncakes were being examined.

With the simple addition of hot water, Simplot’s dehydrated potato granules transform into quick and easy mashed potatoes.

This ingredient made the recipe challenge less time consuming and more convenient than having to make mash potatoes from scratch. The Simplot potato starch was also a useful binding ingredient for the mooncakes, making them a great replacement to other gluten options of flour.

There were some delightful concoctions, from a pandan interpretation, to fruity banana and honey filled potato mooncakes. What impressed the judges the most was a char siu savoury mooncake where the crust was crumbly with a rich buttery taste and the filling of char siu gave a great flavour to the entire potato mooncake. From the texture, colour and form, this was the mooncake winner and Samantha Tam won the grand prize of a trip to the US and HK$3,000 in supermarket coupons.

First runner up was a very original shepherd’s pie potato mooncake by Naomi Rebecca that cleverly gave a nod to the traditional mooncake by having a quail’s egg centre. By being a shepherd’s pie, these cakes were half-filled with meat and halffilled with potato, then surrounded by a crumbly and light pastry, making this the most unique creation of the competition.

Photos by: Daniel Wong

http://www.simplot.com/

http://www.potatoes.com/

Mixing Bowl 10

5 Shin Hing Street, Central, 2213 6613

promotion

promotion

What’s Your Beef?

If you’re gearing up for barbecues in the summer sunshine or romantic suppers at sunset, Mexican Beef has flavourful cuts perfect for any dining occasion

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The cuts

The flavour

Customer requirements for cuts of meat change over the years depending on the methods of cooking that are currently trending with chefs and shoppers. The current demand popular among patrons are for smaller portions of each cut. Mexican Beef’s cuts are all butchered based on these market changes resulting in a product that suits the global consumers modified demands and provides the customer with exactly what they want. Mexican beef is produced with fattening methods based on a balanced diet for the cattle created by specialised nutritionists, which ensures a leaner fat to meat ratio and marbling that is favoured with modern tastes.

The facilities that produce Mexican Beef products all use the natural surroundings as well as a range of experts that supervise the feeding process. This ensures a product with the best quality and the corn-rich diet the cattle are fed gives the meat an especially appealing flavour.

www.facebook.com/MexicanBeef

The quality Mexican Beef invests constantly in process improvement, with a high priority on safety, health and hygiene as well as striving to find the most efficient ways to create an optimal environment for the livestock. All of Mexican Beef’s products have passed strict national and international safety standards, have several certifications and are all approved by international regulations.

@MexicanBeef

www.mexicanbeef.org

www.afoodieworld.com // may 2015

WWW.SAGARPA.GOB.MX

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tried & tasted

New! Braza Churrascaria 3/F, Grand Progress Building, 15-16 Lan Kwai Fong, Central, 2890 9268 中環蘭桂坊15-1號協興大廈3樓 Firey beast: The latest endeavour by Dining Concepts, this hearty steakhouse adds to the restaurant group’s line-up of carnivore joints including Gaucho, Tango, and Bistecca. Unlike typical steakhouses, Braza is inspired by the churrascaria of Southern Brazil, where the tradition of sizzling meat over charcoal on giant skewers has been popular since the early 1800s. The “Rodizio” style of all-you-can-eat tableside carving adds to the festive atmosphere.

Waiters arrive at each table holding sword-like skewers of meat and carve them right in front of diners’ eyes. There’s no traditional menu, but rather, a feast directed by sight. Guests pick from an assortment of tantalising skewers paraded around their tables including luscious cuts of beef, lamb, pork, chicken, sausage and seafood. Not to be overshadowed, a sumptuous salad and buffet bar heaving with veggies, ceviche, cold cuts, carreteiro rice, feijoada and fruits further seduces appetites. Braza head chef Diego Fernando Sanchez, originally hails from Colombia, but spent his formative years in Argentina before making his way to the Fragrant Harbour.

A toast to good times: One way to get the party started is with the national drink of Brazil 14

Churrascaria meat

– the caipirinha. We started our lunch with refreshing glasses of a strawberry and passion fruit version, which oozes longing for lazy afternoons lounging poolside.

For starters: Lunch started with an assortment of Brazilian appetisers, including fluffy Coxinha potato croquettes stuffed with chicken, fried bananas, a sautéed dish of pork belly, corn, and mushrooms called Farofa, and a heart-stopping bubbling tub of melted Provolone cheese topped with chimichurri sauce. We loved the sweet and savoury contrast between the crunchy banana fritter and the vinegary pineapple and persimmon relish, and we groaned like the happy gluttons we are at the indulgent vat of melted cheese. The Farofa, dusted with toasted cassava flour, was a great accompaniment to the grilled meats that were to come.

Bring it! Sizzling giant skewers of luscious meat soon arrived at our table glistening with flavourful juices. Some highlights include the citrus marinated prawns, the Picanha (topsirloin), and the bacon-wrapped turkey. The latter was a pleasant surprise, as we usually steer away from turkey due to its relative dryness, but the bacon-wrapped version at Braza was fork tender and bursting with delicious juiciness. The house-made Brazilian sausage, with a blend of pork and veal, was grilled to perfection with a crispy, blistered skin and rich flavour.

Sweeten the deal: To “cleanse our palates”

we indulged in grilled pineapple, dusted in cinnamon. The heat from the grill somehow enhanced the juiciness of the fruit, and we couldn’t stop asking for more. As if the pineapple wasn’t enough, we also tried the Cocada ($68), a coconut mousse dotted with dark rum jelly, and the Purim ($68), a velvety condensed milk flan topped with dulce de leche, accompanied with poached figs and white quinoa pudding.

Our favourite was the silky flan, which melted effortlessly with the dulce de leche.

“Rodizio” style: Since this is an all-you-caneat type of restaurant, guests are given round table cards with either “I am still hungry” or “No more thank you” written on the sides. If you keep the card turned on green, then the meat will keep on comin’! The only way to beg for mercy is if you flip it to the red side. It’ll be hard for any restaurants in Central to beat the reasonable price and quality ingredients of Braza. Lunch is priced at only $168, which includes free-range on the salad bar as well as three types of grilled meats. Dinner includes a buffet, specialty Brazilian appetiser and unlimited meat at the very reasonable price of $388. And kids under five eat for free at both lunch and dinner.

Verdict: This is where you’d want to spend your Friday nights. The relaxed yet lively atmosphere, coupled with juicy cuts from the meat parade, makes for a great evening to unwind with friends, and to toss back a caipirinha or three. We have a feeling we’ll be back very soon.

New!

Lobster pad thai, Soi 7

Soi 7, 57 Wyndham Street, Central, 2840 0041 中環雲咸街57號地下 New spin on old classics: A new kid has arrived on the rowdy block above chaotic and (in)famous LKF. A transformation from the old Koh Thai, is the new Soi 7, owned and operated by the same restaurant group but offering a very different spin on Thai cuisine. The bones of the menu remain true to its Thai roots, but Soi 7 is a modern interpretation of the muchadored culinary genre. The décor reflects this rejuvenated ethos with rough brick walls, bold murals and old school movie posters capturing a vintage industrial-chic feel. We adored the woven rattan ceiling, which adds a touch of Asian charm to the trendy atmosphere.

Bacon-wrapped turkey, Braza

Modern thai: We started our meal with crunchy “tacos” made from fried wonton skins, packed full of zesty tuna tartare and drizzled with homemade sour cream and roasted chilli-lime sauce ($145 for 5). We loved the sauces, and

twitter.com/foodiehk // may 2015

Bottoms up! A stone’s throw from party central, it’s no surprise that the venue has plenty of tantalizing libations on offer. We were particularly entranced with the Mango Chilli Martini which encompasses the classic Thai flavours of sweet and sour, with a blast of heat.

The Tamarind Martini is both tart and sugary at the same time, and goes down like a charm.

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tried & tasted

the light wonton “taco” shells somehow made us feel like we were eating meat instead of fish – a trick of the mind, indeed. The spicy Thai buffalo chicken wings brushed with sticky red pepper glaze ($115) were finger-lickin’ good.

Each morsel was so juicy and tender that the meat almost fell off the bone, and with one of the bones in the wing conveniently removed, the wings were dangerously easy to inhale. Crunchy tempura shrimp smothered in Sriracha aioli ($138) made for another delectable bar snack.

We kept on declaring that each bite of plump shrimp was our last, but couldn’t resist going back for more. Having fallen in love with Chiang Mai-style sausage whilst vacationing there, we rejoiced to find this spice-filled wiener on Soi 7’s menu cleverly served in a Thai “haute” dog ($145) with ginger, shallots and Sriracha aioli.

The crowning glory was the lobster pad Thai ($298), which came with morsels of an entire deshelled Boston lobster peaking out between an addictive stir-fry of noodles, bean sprouts, garlic chives, tofu and peanuts. The flavourful noodles were the perfect companion to the slow-cooked beef red curry ($188) a creamy mix of 12-hour sous vide Wagyu shoulder and intoxicating spices.

Value hunter: We were impressed with the flavours and quality of each dish, and also with the relatively reasonable price range, considering it is smack in the center of the priciest real estate in town. Lunch sets range between $108-$148, with plenty to select from in terms of appetisers and mains. We will certainly be back for more.

Fish tacos, Soi 7

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Misuju Wagyu at Yakiniku Great

New!

Yakiniku Great Manhattan Avenue, 255 Queen’s Road Central, Central, 3565 6129 中環皇后大道中255號Manhattan Avenue地下 1號舖 From Japan, with love: There’s a new kid in town and he’s flashing a lot of flesh around.

And by flesh, we refer to juicy slices of marbled snowflake fat-laced Wagyu. The first overseas venture for the renowned Japanese chain, we lucky Hong Kongers are the first to taste Yakiniku Great’s signature buttery Wagyu outside the Land of the Rising Sun. Specialising in Kuroge Wagyu, a specific breed of blackhaired Japanese bovine, the carefully selected menu by Chef Shoji Tsugawa is full of exotic and tantalising cuts. Every culture has their own ways of butchery, and the Japanese are no different. Hovering above the open kitchen studio, are two giant murals of cows, illustrating the various ways to enjoy these divine creatures.

When it comes to Wagyu, images of luscious fat-laced cuts of buttery beef automatically materialise, although, Yakiniku Great also offers leaner cuts of Wagyu to challenge this widely perceived notion. Fattier cuts are labeled on the menu with black stars, while the leaner slices are marked with red stars.

tried & tasted

Yaki-shabu-wagyu beef dipped in “egg soufflé”

grilled up these precious slices for us. The texture of the meat can only be described as euphoric.

Each bite felt like biting into a buttery pillow of succulent meatiness. This is really the pinnacle of meat experiences. Luckily, we got to experience this over and over again with the Kyoto-style yaki-shabu, a similarly textured rib roast in sukiyaki sauce, grilled and then dunked in an “egg souffle” bath. The Wagyu over rice was a thick juicy cut of prime beef, grilled tableside and dipped in a sweet sauce before resting on a bed of rice. The buttery, meaty juices blended well with the rice, and we were asked to only eat half the portion before a savoury tea was poured over the rest. The result was the best Wagyu rice congee soup ever! Although decadent, we didn’t feel particularly guilty after our meat escapade, as Wagyu beef is full of monounsaturated fats that actually reduce cholesterol and heart disease...so you can say, we were eating purely for the health benefits! We concluded our memorable feast with subtle matcha pudding and brown sugar ice cream.

Verdict: This is a true carnivore paradise.

Yakiniku Great is where beef is done right, where only the best quality Wagyu is served. So far, this is the best representation of Japanese yakiniku we’ve seen in Hong Kong.

twitter.com/foodiehk // may 2015

Meat Orgy: Even before we ordered, we were offered complimentary Wagyu aburi sushi to entice our appetites. Each blushing pink morsel melted into the vinegary rice. There are some usual suspects that we always order when it comes to yakiniku, so we couldn’t resist the kalbi, the chuck roll and the beef tongue, all in prime thick cuts. Our server was wonderfully attentive, and explained to us the various ways of grilling before buttering up our sizzling grill with a thick piece of Wagyu fat that literally melted away before our eyes. The texture and fine marbling of the meats can definitely rival the finest establishments in Tokyo and Kyoto, two cities we love frequenting for their refined cuisine. As a counterbalance to our guilty meat indulgences, we also crunched on refreshing Japanese tomato salad as well as a grilled up assortment of vegetables alongside a small saucepan of garlic cloves simmered in sesame oil and butter. The latter was the perfect sweet complement to the beef. The highlight of the meal has to be the Misuji, the most popular cut of beef in Japan. The category A5 Wagyu with characteristic snowflake marbling was cut wafer thin and only needed three seconds on the grill for each side. In fact, our server was so particular that we get the grilling right that she

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tried & tasted

minced boar scotch egg ($98), which oozes with yolky goodness. Mains in the evening vary with IPA beef pie ($188) and Lincolnshire sausages ($188) followed by moussey chocolate pots ($78) and sweet and crunchy banoffee pies ($78).

New!

The Saint

The Saint 55 Elgin Street, SoHo, 2522 2646 中環蘇豪伊利近街55號地舖 What is it? A brand new gastropub serving up casual and comforting British fare with modern cocktails.

The menus: Serving a free flow two-course brunch at $306, or $188 without the free flow, it’s a steal of a deal that’ll get your morning started with a full belly and a spring in your step. Four healthy starters of baby spinach salad ($98) that’s overflowing with a delicious combination of beetroot and goat cheese, or the delicate and lovely watercress and pea shoot salad ($98), mixed fruit granola ($78) or the soup of the day ($68) is the perfectly light way to begin what will inevitably result in a stodgefilled main. The mains on offer range from crispy, beer battered fish and chips ($168) that’s made with light and buttery pollock coated in a heavily seasoned shell, and Cumberland sausage ($148) to eggs Benedict ($138) and a breakfast burger with a fried egg on top ($188) served swiped with a sweet and complementary baconaise. Their set lunch is two courses for $138 and includes options of homemade chicken pie ($128), wild mushroom tagliatelle ($128) and seared buttermilk spring chicken ($128).

And their dinner menu offers starters like the gooey goodness of fried risotto balls ($88) with a hint of Shropshire blue cheese in their congeelike interiors, and the ultimate take on the traditional British favourite, the bacon-wrapped 18

The drinks: We were not expecting this to be the most impressive part of the meal but we were blown away by the carefully prepared concoctions from their well-thought-out cocktail menu filled with in-house infused gins and bottled craft beers. We sampled the Earl of Clover ($98), a gin cocktail with Earl Grey raspberry syrup that was even more pleasant than it sounds, and prettier too. The Victorian Mojito ($98) is made with apple gin and elderflower and is glorious, and then the Eastside ($98) is simply a well-made blend of gin, cucumber, mint and lime. All the drinks were divine and they have plenty of “innocent” drinks available too, like the lemon and ginger float and the rhubarb and rosehip that make not imbibing feel just as fun.

The place: Just off the escalator on Elgin Street, with an open shop front for people watching while you eat and comfy seats and bench booths around the central bar. A metal spiral staircase leads up to the sports-watching area equipped with screens and stools for proper pub entertainment.

The verdict: A cool new addition to the Hong Kong gastropub scene with a good standard of British pub fare and a great crop of cocktails.

Bacon-wrapped boar scotch egg

New! The Continental Unit 406, 4/F, Pacific Place, 88 Queensway, Admiralty, 2704 5211 金鐘金鐘道88號太古廣場4樓6號舖 What is it? Chef Rowley Leigh is a bit of a legend. This UK chef, writer, restaurateur and all round nice guy is poised to win Hong Kong over as Swire expands its restaurant portfolio with Chef Rowley at the helm of a new polished but affordable modern British restaurant.

At the Continental, service is affable, gregarious and knowledgeable. Drawing on the elegant surroundings, we were graced with a Charles Heidsieck Brut to consummate the Fines De Claires oysters ($180 for 6). Following on in fine procession, the raw yellowfin tuna ($135)

with Asian accents of ginger and soy were no let down, and paved the way for the other two highlights, “L’Imperial” pigeon with pea purée, pancetta and croutons au jus ($365) and Australian shoulder of baby lamb (for 2) with garlic, pimenton and chickpeas ($685). The lamb particularly is worthy of mention, with tender, flavourful meat falling off the bone and into the chickpeas that line the bottom of the roasting pan in which it is served.

The desserts: You might as well don those eating pants right now; a visit to the Continental is incomplete without sampling, nay, engulfing, the cheese cart or the dessert trolley. Who are we kidding, try both. If you really can only fit one, let it be the salted caramel and chocolate tart, whose pastry we’re convinced is mixed with some variety of addictive explicit stimulant.

The verdict: Sophisticated charm of Europe’s grand cafés is what the box says, and on this occasion, is precisely what’s delivered. The Continental is an elegant all-day restaurant that is spacious and improved even further with the alluring view of the CBD. The design by David Collins Studio complements Rowley Leigh’s celebrated cuisine most attractively, and we feel this stylish but humble dining establishment is a new must dine destination when in Hong Kong.

www.afoodieworld.com // may 2015

The food: With the opening of the Continental, Rowley’s first Asian venture brings the champions of British and European cuisine in the way that many others have sought, but failed, to execute. What’s great about this restaurant is although it has all the fingerprints of high end eating, the prices are shockingly reasonable.

A first course tagliatelle with artichokes and pecorino will go for $115, and the Dingley Dell pork chop with polenta, swiss chard and sage butter just $255. In this city, in a restaurant of this quality, we mark that as close to scandalous.

Australian lamb rack

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food war

Playing We sampled four roast chickens around

BESICTE CHO

HEALTHY CHICKEN Shop A2, Khuan Ying Commercial Building, 87 Wellington Street

Manhattan Avenue, 255 Queen’s Road Central, Sheung Wan

中環威靈頓街87號群英商業大廈地下A2舖

上環皇后大道中255號Manhattan Avenue地

The price: $108 including two sides

The price: $140 including two sides

Look: Served in a leaky box that didn’t travel

Look: This gleaming golden-brown bird is the

well and upon opening, our half chicken and

biggest/priciest and is served in foil to retain

sides resembled a late-night kebab with the

heat, with the sides in paper tubs and then

spinach salad and rice sides mixed up with our

packaged in a substantial box and bag that feels

half chicken and the salsa verde salad dressing

luxurious but over the top. It’s very effective

creeped onto our meat.

however and travelled the best.

Texture: The gloopy mush of rice was very

Texture: Easiest to cut with the accompanying

unusual and the sticky chicken glaze was a little

plastic utensils as it was so tender and buttery.

off putting but the bird was a decent size albeit with very tiny wings.

Flavour: This rustic spit-roasted poultry was perfectly juicy and the roasted potatoes were

Flavour: It tastes like chicken. Nothing more,

soft on the inside and crispy on the outside.

nothing less, clean and unmodified but with

A wonderful vegetable mix included turnips,

a slight paprika tang to the skin. Nice enough

carrots, peas, zucchini, broccoli and pumpkin

white and dark meat but nothing special. A very

and portions of both were extremely generous.

strange selection of sides that all seemed to be Mexican-themed.

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LA ROTISSERIE

Verdict: There is a reason why their outlets have queues around the block. Although the

Verdict: We liked the calorie count information

queue may be long, the wait is not, as they have

but overall weren’t terribly happy. It just didn’t

an efficient system that gets you that succulent

feel like something to crow about.

chicken before your feathers get too ruffled.

Foodie rating:

Foodie rating:

Chicken town to find out who rules the roost

CHICKEN ON THE RUN Shop A, 1 Princes Terrace, Mid-Levels 半山太子台1號地下A舖 The price: $138 including two sides

Look: Comes simply in a paper bag that is eco-

OLIVER’S Shop 201-205, 2/F Prince’s Building, 10 Chater Road, Central 中環遮打道10號太子大廈2樓201-205號 The price: $75 (plus $15 for broccoli)

friendly but not so easy to eat if you’re without

Look: Wrapped up in a plastic clamshell

dishware. Served up the smallest offering in both

that kept its offering nice and warm. The bird

chicken and sides, but not price.

was nearly as big as La Rotisserie and had an

Texture: A nice sheen and colour on the outside and moist on the inside.

Flavour: Crispy and delicious skin with a natural poultry flavour inside. The extensive selection

attractive herbaceous skin.

Texture: Although the white meat was moist and tender the drumsticks were slightly overcooked and a bit stringy.

of sides made choosing rather difficult but we

Flavour: Tasted strongly of dried rather than

opted for the roasted pumpkin with feta and a

fresh herbs so this chick wasn’t our top bird in

delectable Coronation-style rice with apple,

the taste stakes. The veggie side was a bit boring

celery, raisins, sundried tomatoes and cashews.

but there were plenty of other individual sides

Verdict: The best sides for taste and selection

we could have chosen from.

Verdict: Given the chicken feed price and

meal but not the best value for money and you

decent flavour, we would buy this again but

may find yourself squawking that you’re still

wouldn’t put it at the top of our pecking order.

hungry.

Foodie rating:

Foodie rating:

Join the debate and tell us which is your favourite on our Facebook page.

facebook.com/foodiehk // may 2015

and a nice all round flavour on the take away

21

chewin’ the fat

Chewin’ the fat with...

Martin Berasategui He is known as the Spanish chef with the most Michelin stars, that’s 7 altogether, across his restaurants in Spain. He chats with Foodie about his heritage, his cooking and his thoughts on Hong Kong’s cuisine What makes the region of Basque an amazing place to cook in? The Basque Country has a privileged geography bathed by the Cantabrian Sea, which provides us with exceptional products that makes everything in the kitchen much easier. It is well known that the kitchen reflects the produce that is available and 22

in the Basque region we have wonders from all sides, in the sea, mountains, orchards, etc. It is also a society drenched in gastronomy and that is also an incentive when cooking; people really appreciate the effort we make to innovate and pursue excellence.

Do the people of San Sebastian have different wants to other regions of the world you have cooked in? The Basques generally live through the kitchen, both physically (in that it is the main room of the house) and restoratively. Almost everything revolves around a table and its pleasures.

We received a very rich heritage, with quality products, and I think we have been able to add to that. This is also due to the bond that exists between the cooks, the desire to improve, to know what was done and to learn and improve.

Where are your favourite places to eat in the world? There are many. I have the good fortune to be able to travel frequently due to my job and have tried exciting cuisines in many parts of the world. I am fascinated by, among others, Italian, French, Spanish food (of course), Chinese, Japanese, and I was amazed during my last trip to Hong Kong at the culinary level that pervades the city, very cosmopolitan and open to many influences, making it truly unique.

What is your favourite ingredient to cook with? Extra virgin olive oil seems to be one of the foundations of our kitchen.

What is the worst thing you have ever plated up? I’ve never plated something I do not like. I do plenty of testing to come up with the formula so there is very little room for mistakes in our kitchen.

What is your guilty pleasure? There are times when I get home late after a night service with a voracious hunger and I prepare sandwiches like sardines with fresh cheese - yummy!

Do you have one piece of advice for aspiring chefs? Working with passion and great discipline - these are the two ingredients any chef worth their salt needs to bring their dreams forward.

facebook.com/foodiehk // may 2015

What do you think of Hong Kong’s dining scene? Being by the sea and drinking in many influences makes it a very rich and extraordinary place. The cuisine is vast, almost incomprehensible, and something that also caught my attention was a passion for fresh products, another incentive for a really interesting dining scene.

Which chefs do you feel are truly doing something different with their cuisine? There are countless chefs who do extraordinary things that reflect their personality, their way of seeing things and life. Creative and innovative cuisine has taken a giant leap in recent decades, Spain is a great example of this, there are so many chefs recognized in this field that it would be impossible to list them all.

23

Jamie’s Hong Kong Jamie Oliver recently visited Hong Kong to see the sights, sample the flavours and check in on his little venture called Jamie’s Italian

24

“I’m so excited to meet Jamie, I grew up watching him on TV!” was the most frequently heard utterance amongst the crowd of journalists as we eagerly awaited the first press conference with Jamie Oliver in Hong Kong. The phrase does somewhat date Jamie (and at 39, he’s not exactly old), but it also conveys the popular sentiment that, for many, their relationship with food “grew up” with Jamie.

From his early days as a fresh-faced young chef cooking for his mates on his first TV show, The Naked Chef, growing into his rustic-style home cooking on Jamie at Home and then easy quick recipes on Jamie’s 30-Minute Meals, to his passionate community outreach programmes for disadvantaged youths in Jamie’s Kitchen and his revolutionary School Dinners series, Jamie, in a sense, also grew up with us.

Today, with 30 shows under his belt, 19 cookbooks and a name brand that spans the globe, Jamie has truly built himself a culinary empire. But the man behind the brand remains humble to his roots, and maintains that he is first and foremost, a chef.

Dressed in his signature casual ensemble of jeans, t-shirt and casual jacket, Jamie Oliver made his first press appearance in Hong Kong at Causeway Bay’s Jamie’s Italian this March. Perched casually on a bar stool, the incredibly affable Jamie chatted away with the press about his humble beginnings, his love of food, and his passion to pass on the knowledge of good cooking to future generations.

Jamie’s Italian in Causeway Bay

On how Jamie’s Italian came about: We started Jamie’s Italian seven years ago in the UK, but it was really a project I’ve been dreaming about since I was 18. I started work in a famous Italian restaurant in London called Neal Street and worked with Gennaro Contaldo, who is like the James Bond of the Italian kitchen. To this day, we still work together on Jamie’s Italian.

I think, chefs tend to make things too flashy, too worked and too expensive, but at Jamie’s Italian, it’s really about having something very comforting, family friendly, beautiful yet accessible. It’s not elitist and is good value. We make all our beautiful pastas here every single day, and our own antipasti; it’s a very social kind of environment, similar to the local dining culture in Hong Kong.

On why he decided to open a restaurant in Hong Kong:

facebook.com/foodiehk // may 2015

I never thought we’d come to Hong Kong, never ever thought it’d happen; but I was approached

by Big Cat Group who came out with a plan to translate what Jamie’s Italian is about to the Hong Kong market. When you have a restaurant in another country, it’s like you’re giving your baby away, and you only want to give it to someone you trust. We have a very tight, close-knit team in Hong Kong, and we’re just about getting ready to open the Harbour City location by the end of May to early June.

25

Jamie’s Hong Kong

Jamie and his Hong Kong team

On worries about brand dilution with increased restaurant expansion: The reality is, when you open multiple restaurants, after the second one, you’re physically never going to be in that restaurant like the first one. That’s why I only work with people I can trust. I have a bible on how we cook the food, on how we train and hire staff, so even if I can’t be there with every member of the team, it’s about “What would Jamie do?”

I don’t dream of any global domination. I’d rather stay steady, make sure it’s done right, and choose the right partners. We are teeny tiny compared to other restaurant groups, and the person on top is me, who is a chef. I think differently than a businessman, because for a businessman, food is not in their veins, money is. We are not in a rush to do things, but go at a good steady pace.

oil and the chartecurie from Italy. There’s plenty of fish in Hong Kong but we can’t buy all of them because some are not Amnesty approved. But we do try to get as much locally as possible, and it does take time to build up a relationship with the local producers.

On not attending the opening of Jamie’s Italian in Hong Kong and it being joked about

by Gordon Ramsay: First of all, there’s only one of me, and I think it’s fair to say that I run more consistent and

On championing locally-sourced foods in his restaurants, and where the produce in Hong Kong’s Jamie’s Italian is sourced from: Sourcing in Hong Kong is quite mixed. A lot of the campaigning we do focuses around ethical issues, such as sustainability, traceability, and the avoidance of certain pesticides. For Hong Kong, we source both locally as well as from the US, Europe and Australia. For example, we’ll get the olive 26

Jamie outside his new Harbour City location

Jamie’s Hong Kong

efficient restaurants than Mr. Ramsay. He’s the type of guy that would turn up for the launch, do the jazz hands, and disappear. I’m much more honest. In England, I pay for every single one of my restaurants. I write the menus, engage with the chefs. That’s what I do – I’m a chef, a CEO, a MD, it’s a bit of everything.

I try to get to the launches, but the actual fact is that it’s not very useful as all it does is put extra pressure on the team at a time when they should be focused on the launch. I’d like to act like an owner rather than pretending to be a celebrity chef. You’re not going to see me on the line in the kitchen, so let’s just be realistic about it and not pretend I’m there every day.

(We talked to the team at Jamie’s Italian afterwards, and they noted that Jamie has been to Hong Kong on previous occasions to work on the restaurant, but did not want the added attention of a press conference.)

On his favourite food moments in Hong Kong: I really enjoyed our dinner at Under Bridge Spicy Crab last night, and the cocktails at Brickhouse

Speaking to the Hong Kong press

were great – the tequila really hit the spot. I also loved the traditional breakfast this morning with all sorts of different congees. The blood congee is my favourite, and those little fried doughnuts you dip in to the congee were really nice. I’m really looking forward to visiting the local markets this afternoon.

When I’m back home, I love dim sum on Sundays for brunch, it’s just the best. The diversity is just incredible.

On his favourite Cantonese ingredients: It’ll have to be ginger. Ginger is like one of my best friends in the whole world. There’s just so many ways of using it, from sweet and savoury dishes to drinks and soups, ginger’s just got massive range. I had some beautiful congee with the most amazing hit of ginger this morning. Also, it’s quite hard to grow ginger in England, so it’s romantic to have access to something I can’t grow.

Investigating local ingredients

The first proper meal I cooked was probably a Sunday roast, with potatoes and roast chicken. I was about eight or nine at the time. I was born into a restaurant; I lived above one. Our family owned a restaurant and my dad put me to work early, prepping vegetables, sweeping floors, and cleaning toilets starting from when I was eight. He had me

facebook.com/foodiehk // may 2015

On the first thing he ever cooked:

27

Jamie’s Hong Kong

Jamie’s Italian Hong Kong

in bins, up chimneys, anywhere he can fit me in that the men wouldn’t be able to get into.

times a month, and educate children on the various types of produce and how to cook simple meals.

On his Food Foundation campaign:

On what he feeds his children:

Ten years ago in Britain, we were serving low quality, processed foods to six million children in schools between the ages of four to 18. We had the most unhealthy population in Europe and it was a real struggle to get access to the government to talk to them about improving food programmes in schools. After our first documentary came out, the response was amazing and I could get a meeting with the Prime Minister within a week. Ten years ago, if I wanted to produce food for school children, there were no standards, but if I were to produce dog food there were legal papers by the stacks.

Today, standards have improved, they are still not where we want them to be, but are much better.

Good is a moving target, and we are always pushing for better.

I’ve got a thirteen year old, a twelve year old, a five and four year old at the moment. They are pretty good with food, and like most kids, they have their good and bad weeks. We try to have a lot of fun around food. We go to the markets with them

Last September, after six years of campaigning, Britain passed a law that allows every child to learn how to grow food and gain practical cooking skills in school. This year, on Food Revolution Day on May 15th, we want people to sign a petition to put into law that children must be taught in schools about food, where it comes from and how it affects their bodies. We believe it’s a child’s human right to learn how to grow and cook nutritious food at school. At Jamie’s Italian, we host school groups at least three 28

Jamie with his Causeway Bay team

Jamie’s Hong Kong

and let them decide what we’re going to eat that week. A lot of the time we have to put back their choice of crappy sugary snacks though. I really do try to instill in them the openness in trying new things, and we have a simple salad every day. Sitting around the table and having that time together is important, and we do that more on the weekends because I work long hours during the week. My advice to parents – don’t think about what they don’t like to eat, but concentrate on what they do like.

On adding to his brood: I have four children, and my home is...well, it’s carnage. My wife does want another baby, but I’m really trying hard not to make that happen. She’s chosen all the names of our children so far, and they’ve all been centred around flowers – Poppy, Daisy, Petal and Buddy. If we do have another child, I really want another boy, and I want to call him Elvis.

On the future of food: Definitely, more research will be published about the link between unhealthy eating and dietary diseases, which is already responsible for

Jamie checking out the local dried seafood shops

facebook.com/foodiehk // may 2015

68 per cent of health issues in the Western world.

As countries get richer, meat consumption will increase. We already eat way too much meat, so getting people on a more plant-based diet and at the same time, respecting good quality meat but just eating it less often, will be key. In the past two years, almost everything I post on Instagram and Twitter has been largely vegetarian focused, not because I am a vegetarian – I love meat and fish, but because the public are interested to learn more ways to love vegetables. It’s probably better in Hong Kong as I’ve seen a lot of vegetables done in different ways, but in England, America and Australia, it’s still very much a heavy carbohydrate and protein-based diet. Last year, for the first time in world history, more people died from eating too much of the wrong things than having too little to eat. I strongly believe food education is the solution to these problems.

29

Sai Ying Pun Sauntering We go for a jaunt around one of the hottest hoods to check out all the cool places we want to be putting food in our bellies and drinks in our hands

30

Sai Ying Pun Sauntering

In honour of the opening of the latest MTR stop on the map, we take a ride over to Sai Ying Pun and pick out some of the food and drink hotspots that should entice any foodies to make a trip down the tracks.

La Paloma 1/F, SoHo 189, 189 Queen’s Road West, Sai Ying Pun, 2291 6161 西環皇后大道西1樓 Newly opened and located at SoHo 189, adjacent to the station, La Paloma brings another splash of Spanish cuisine to Hong Kong following the continued success of FoFo by el Willy in Central. La Paloma is built around a fun, affordable, value for money and interactive dining experience. There is an open kitchen with full view of live paella stations and the “Asador”, a traditional clay oven with temperatures up to 300 degrees Celsius that is ideal for their roast suckling pig, pigeon, lechazo and more.

Glow

wines, fresh seafood and an intimate atmosphere make it perfect for dinner dates and cozy conversations.

La Viola

Shop C, 1 Second Street, Sai Ying Pun, 3460 5226

Shop 9-10, Island Crest, Second Street, Sai Ying Pun, 2503 3325

西環西營盤第二街一號東祥大廈地下C舖(東邊街夾 第二街)

西環第二街縉城峰地下9-10號舖

This curiously named hotspot (short for Grill Lounge Ocean Wine) offers a mixture of European cuisine with a dash of Australian thrown in. Inexpensive

If you’re after beautiful food in a modern setting, La Viola is the Sai Ying Pun party you’re after.

The southern European cuisine translates into reasonable lunch sets and high-end evening pastas, meats and delectable desserts. The large bar also makes it ideal for people watching and enjoying a sophisticated glass of wine.

Ping Pong 129 Gintonería 129 Second Street, L/G Nam Cheong House, Sai Ying Pun, 9158 1584 西環西營盤129號南昌樓 twitter.com/foodiehk // may 2015

It’s official - Ping Pong 129 is the coolest place in town. This underground getaway is all about the neon billboard and exotic vibes. Being a Spanish gin and tonic bar, it literally sports half a hundred gins from around the world on the face of its menu. Nibbles come in the form of roasted Padrón peppers, cured meats and smoked anchovies.

31

Sai Ying Pun Sauntering

Locofama 9-13 Fuk Sau Lane, Sai Ying Pun, 2547 7668 西環西營盤福壽里9-13號地舖 This chilled eatery is on a mission to serve sustainably-sourced meat and fish dishes. Their menu also has a host of veggie and gluten-free options that all use organic produce where possible and there is a sweet alfresco area as well as a spacious interior to enjoy all the mindful goodness.

Grassroots Pantry and Prune 12 and 14 Fuk Sau Lane, Sai Ying Pun, 2873 3353 西環西營盤福壽里12號, 西環西營盤福壽里14號 Another clean-living option in Hong Kong’s hipster central are the vegetarian delights whipped up by passionate chef Peggy Chan at Grassroots Pantry and Prune Organic Deli. The plant-based menus use seasonal, locally-sourced produce and are as everchanging as the weather. A touch of haute cuisine comes out in every dish at these two venues with interiors that are as charming and peaceful as the meals are delicious and unique.

Stack 1 Third Street, Sai Ying Pun, 2549 9787 西環西營盤第三街1號地下 Brought to SYP by the cool brothers behind Twins Kitchen is this flash pancake house; flipping up everything from ordinary breakfast rounds to complex creations like short ribs perched on pancakes and duck eggs Benedict with pancakes

as the base. With cool and contemporary surroundings, you’ll instantly feel hip just knowing about this place.

La Rotisserie 71 Third Street, Sai Ying Pun, 857 0818 西環西營盤第三街71號地下 Acting upon its initial success in Sheung Wan, La Rotisserie opened up in the Pun for its second outlet.

We love this chicken a lot. Do not expect comfy seats or fancy cutlery, they serve you take away or eat in with fold-up paper boxes. But behold, inside these casual containers are the finest grade A free-range chickens, slow-roasted until they are gleaming golden.

Yuan Is Here 阿元來了 73 Third Street, Sai Ying Pun, 3579 2460 西環西營盤第三街73號地舖 Cheap Taiwanese food equals crowds of students during lunch time. Yuan Is Here perfectly recreates the real-life gist of a typical Taiwanese stall. We ordered the braised pork rice with pickles (魯肉 飯)which had the ideal amount of fat making the dish seriously aromatic and moist. Although hand diced, the meat pieces were not minced, which won points for texture. The salt and pepper chicken (鹽 酥雞) was crispy outside and tender on the inside, which is something that mainstream restaurants often miss.

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Sai Ying Pun Sauntering

Craft Brew & Co 36 High Street, Sai Ying Pun, 2559 0498

family-friendly brunches and dinners in a relaxed environment. Their huge menu caters to all tastes with their variety of Australian fusion cuisine.

西環西營盤高街36 號

Uncle Padak

If you’re looking for beer and bites, Craft Brew’s new location on High Street might be the spot you’re after. This brew house is on a mission to serve unknown beers full of character to the thirsty crowds of HK.

Shop D, 59 High Street, Sai Ying Pun, 2117 9792

Metropolitain 46 High Street, Sai Ying Pun, 6271 6102 西環高街46號地下

High Street Grill Shop 4&5, Hang Sing Mansion, 48-78 High Street, Sai Ying Pun, 2559 2638 西環高街48-78號恆陞大廈地下4-5號舖 From the people pleasers at Oolaa comes this buzzing and well-loved restaurant that offers up

We suspected Uncle Padak would be popular exclusively to the likes of K-culture fans, but attracted by the magnetic flavours of crispy tender fried chicken padak (paired with a glass of icy cold beer, of course), we’re fans now too. It’s no wonder that Koreans themselves often conquer a large proportion of this 26-seater restaurant; its authenticity and indigenous flavours are a pure delight.

The Awakening 1 Ying Wa Terrace, Sai Ying Pun, 2858 0005 西環西營盤正街63號英華臺6號地舖 Set near the top of the slowest outdoor escalator known to man, The Awakening is worth taking the time to get to. Previously a diner serving American comfort food, it’s now full of gluten-free, paleo and vegan dishes. They do exceptionally good salads, guilt-free sweets, and steaks served on a brick of pink Himalayan salt, all in a casual and quirky setting.

www.afoodieworld.com // may 2015

Our go-to French bistro, Metropolitain is a rustic dining experience for residents in the area. We were in awe of their lunch set’s beef skirt with dauphinois potato, but we were even more impressed with the gorgeous pan fried halibut, which was tender and flaky. The white wine sauce as well as the spinach, mussels and clams have won our hearts entirely. Its duo de tartares is a perfect starter; salmon and beef on the same plate is always a winner.

西環高街59號地下D舖

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the food nomad

Celia Hu takes her taste buds through the flavours of Okinawa, Japan

Okinawa; my fascination with Okinawa began in elementary school, when my best friend brought back a bottle of star-shaped sand from her hometown visit. Since then, I’ve been riveted by her tales of crystal clear waters teeming with colourful fish and a tropical Japan so different from the rest of the nation. Okinawa, home to the most centenarians per capital than anywhere else in the world, is a strange and wonderful mix of cultures. Formerly the Kingdom of Ryukyu, and a tributary of China, the local culture is a mix of Chinese and Japanese influences. In 1879, Japan annexed the archipelago and tried to force assimilate the Ryukyu Kingdom, but the population resisted and today, Ryukyu culture is very much alive and celebrated. The Americans added their cultural influence following the Battle of Okinawa, the bloodiest ground warfare on Japanese soil, where it claimed more casualties than the atomic bombs of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Okinawa remained in American military possession until 1972, and there are still several military bases in operation on the island.

Come along as we sink our teeth into juicy Agu pork, slurp up chewy Okinawan soba, gorge on pineapple cakes and purple yam tarts, munch on sea grapes and kelp and wash it all down with the local favourite, goya juice.

ASHIBIUNAA 琉球茶房 2-13 Shuritonokuracho Naha, 903-0812 +81 98 884 0035 www.ryoji-family.co.jp We stumbled upon this quaint little Ryukyu teahouse after our visit to Shuri Castle. Located on a quiet street across from a little temple nestled in a small reservoir bordering the Okinawa Prefectural University of Arts, the wooden cabin serves up mouth-watering Ryukyu dishes in traditional settings. Shoes are stored in wooden cabinets before guests walk barefoot into the old house, complete with tatami rooms and zen garden. We slurped up the regional favourite, pork soba, topped with either fall-off-the-bone tender pork ribs (soki) or sticky collagen-rich pork trotters (tebichi). Okinawan soba 34

Sticky collagen-rich pork trotters, Ashibiunaa

the food nomad

differs greatly from those found in the rest of Japan, and contains chewy, thick noodles made from wheat rather than buckwheat. This gives the noodles a fantastic, hearty flavour, especially when soaked in a clear pork bone and chicken broth. The flavour is reminiscent of those from my beloved Northern China. We loved this place so much, we returned a second time for lunch. And a little tip – try to be seated on the open-air podium overlooking the zen garden, these are the best seats in the house.

UFUYA 百年古家大家 90 Nakayama, Nago City, +81 980 53 0280 www.ufuya.com This irresistibly charming old estate is one of the best places to savour Okinawa’s famous Agu pork.

Brought from China 600 years ago, these small black piggies are renowned for their tender flesh and succulent buttery fat. Ufuya is the perfect lunch spot on the way to Churaumi Aquarium and is so popular that it is strictly a “no reservation” venue.

Made up of several centuries-old restored wooden houses from the Asato, Aragusuku and Takushi families, the main house faces a moss-covered landscape with a cascading waterfall. We devoured bowls of Agu pork soba and lightly seared pork over rice, covered with fragrant minced ginger. Another

Sanpin tea & Okinawan pastries at Shuri Castle

favourite is the mozuku appetizer, a tangy blend of slippery local seaweed steeped in ponzu. Cap off the meal with fluffy giant cream puffs filled with rich brown sugar cream, or the pari-pari pudding with a crème brulee crunchy top. The best seats in the house are on the outdoor podium facing the waterfall, so be sure to wait for those prized tables!

TSUKINOHAMA 月乃浜 101-1 Maeganeku, Kunigami-gun, Onna-son, 904-0414, +81 989 82 5301 www.tsukinohama.com

www.afoodieworld.com // may 2015

Ginger Agu pork rice at Ufuya

We wanted to sample the local Awamori liquor one night, so opted for the highly recommended Tsukinohama, a short walk from our hotel at Kafuu Resort. We were greeted by the earnest grin on a big Agu pig statue upon entering the little wooden structure. The two-storey house is all rustic weathered wooden beams and grey stone, and specializes in shabu shabu. Instead of beef, the highly coveted Agu pork is the meat du jour here. We started our meal with crunchy local sea grapes (umibudo), which popped with briny juices then washed it all down with fiery glasses of awamori. Our pork shabu shabu feast started with creamy tofu broth which, after a slow simmer, solidified into lusciously silky spoonfuls of tofu. Buttery slices of pork were accompanied by a variety of mushrooms,

35

the food nomad

that was introduced from China 600 years ago, in the soothing tatami room while sampling an assortment of Okinawan sweets. The tempting spread includes intricately shaped hanaboro cookies, sesame paste filled kunpen cakes, steamed chiirunkou sponge cake and buttery chinsukou cookies reminiscent of shortbread.

RINKEN’S KITCHEN 8-11 Aza Mihama, Nakagami-gun, Chatan-cho 904-0115, +81 98 926 3008 www.rinken.gr.jp/kitchen There are plenty of Okinawan specialty

Matcha ice cream at Ma-Suya

vegetables and a wooden trough of minced fish paste. Each thin wafer of pork came capped with a generous layer of creamy fat that made each mouthful literally burst with porky aroma.

SHURI CASTLE TEA HOUSE 1 Chome-2 Shurikinjocho, Naha, 903-0815, +81 98 886 2020 As the former palace of King Sho Hashi, unifier of the three principalities of Okinawa and the founder of the Ryukyu Kingdom, Shuri Castle has seen its share of turmoil. Originally built in the 1300s, it served as a royal residence and court, as well as the trade and administrative center of the kingdom. However, the castle was burned down several times during battles, the last of which was during the Battle of Okinawa, when American forces bombed the structure for three consecutive days and completely burned the palace to the ground. It was later restored to its former glory in 1992, and today, the palace welcomes visitors with more peaceful intentions. Surrounded by gardens, the tearoom is situated in the kusarikorekan, an area once used by the king for studying and receiving foreign dignitaries. We loved savouring the fragrant sanpin tea, a flowering jasmine blend 36

restaurants spread across the archipelago, but we particularly enjoyed our meal at Rinken’s Kitchen, not only because of the delicious offerings, but because it was one of the few appealing options available near the garish American Village. This unassuming restaurant sits next to the beach and is the ideal place to sample all the local favourites. Between gulps of iced sanpin tea, we tasted the famed goya champuru, a stir-fry of local bitter melon, eggs and tofu.

There was a plate of “taco rice” which could best be described as American Japanese fusion with steamed rice topped with minced beef, shredded lettuce, cheese and taco sauce. Our favourite was the indulgent fried pig’s trotters, which struck the perfect balance between the gooey stickiness of the collagen and the crisp, well-seasoned exterior skin; my mouth waters just thinking about those crunchy pig’s feet.

Fried pig’s trotters at Rinken’s Kitchen

the food nomad

FOODIE PICKS: Big Fish – Be mesmerized by the three resident whale sharks alongside manta rays and giant trevally at the Churaumi Aquarium. If you arrive during feeding time, you can see these gentle giants guzzle down kilos of shrimp – they are filter feeders just like baleen whales!

The adorable dolphin show is equally memorable, so make sure to check the website for show times. www.oki-churaumi.jp/en Uncle Sam – The US military bases have certainly instilled their influence in Okinawa culture. For a touch of Yankee kitsch and exaggerated campiness, head to American Village for some contrived Americana. Be sure to dig into a few scoops of ice cream at Blue Seal.

Our favourite flavours: Okinawan salt cookies, chocolate brownie and Okinawa Ta-imo cheesecake! www.en.blueseal.co.jp Kokusai Dori – Head to lively International Street to stock up on souvenirs and regional delicacies.

Okinawa is famous for its yukisio (snow salt), which contains 18 minerals and is reputed for its sweet aftertaste. The soft-serve salt ice cream at Ma-Suya is a must and be sure to top it off with the various salt powders such as hot chili and matcha! The unusual salt mixture actually accentuates the creaminess of the milk ice cream. www.ma-suya.net

YAKINIKU HANA 1-12-5 Matsuyama, 1/F, Naha 900-0032 098 866 1133 http://www.yakinikuhana.com There are plenty of yakiniku restaurants in Okinawa, but Hana stands out in quality. Located in Naha city, it was our first dinner upon arriving on the island.

It came highly recommended by friends for the top quality meat, and we were keen to feast on meat grilled over charcoal - the yakiniku restaurants in Hong Kong can only use gas grills due to safety codes. Hana specializes in prime cuts, and one of the specialities is Ishigaki beef. Perhaps less well known than Kobe beef, Ishigaki is also a type of Wagyu –literally meaning Japanese cattle. The cattle are raised in Ishigaki, a region of Okinawa, and the beef is characterized by the fine snowflake marbling that defines Wagyu. Although decadent, Ishigaki beef is full of monounsaturated fat, which helps to lower cholesterol and reduce heart disease.

We sizzled and grilled plates of buttery Wagyu kalbi, thin, intricately marbled misuji and succulent rounds of ox tongue before concluding our meal with the local favourite – Agu pork. The pork platter was served in three grades, starting from thick slices of almost pure fat, and ending with the leanest cuts.

Hana is a carnivore heaven.

facebook.com/foodiehk // may 2015

Potting about – An offshoot of International Street is the quiet Tsuboya pottery street, where you can get all sorts of quirky clay works, including the Shisa, a mythical lion dog that guards every house in Okinawa. We particularly love the adorable pottery at Yocchi & Moon, and Cafe Chataro is a quaint little spot to stop for a bite. www.cafe-chataro.com

Agu pork shabu shabu at Tsukinohama

37

BUSINESS

Brothers

The pair of culinary and kindred twins behind Twins Kitchen have made a name building their own F&B brand, as well as helping others to build theirs

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Joshua and Caleb Ng are the owners of the cool and cosy café Common Ground found on a quiet side street in vibey Sheung Wan. Serving up casual, comfort food with an Asian twist, this neighbourhood hangout is popular with all the cool cats in the city. The twins then went on to open Stack in Sai Ying Pun, a retro pancake house serving up savoury and sweet versions of the fluffy American favourite.

Joshua’s passion for food stemmed from childhood and after travelling frequently to Napa Valley, he decided to introduce Californian wine to Hong Kong customers, who were still unfamiliar with the product at that time. Thus began his first F&B business, a wine trading company. Joshua and Caleb then extended their work to food and wine pairing and started their first café, Common Ground, and then Stack, which quickly turned into the hottest places in their ‘hoods.

Not content to only make their own culinary dreams come true, the brothers went on to set up their Twins Kitchen consulting enterprise to help realise the F&B businesses of those with less experience in the sector. “We are not just restaurateurs, we are dream-makers!” Joshua says. Founded in 2011, they began what they like to call their “holistic consulting house”.

The brothers like to think of themselves as the McKinsey of F&B, solving problems associated with starting a new restaurant or helping companies add F&B elements into their existing business, as well as dealing with different problems and hiccups they will likely encounter such as licensing, recruitment and choosing a shop location.

Common Ground

Joshua and his team developed a scoring model to assess various locations for a new restaurant taking into account factors such as the revenue of restaurants nearby, neighbourhood, pedestrian flow, number of parking lots, and then formulate a score for several possible locations. Joshua says “A prudent choice of restaurant location can make your restaurant run more than halfway to success. This is particularly true in Hong Kong.” With a team of in-house interior and graphics designers and F&B operational professionals, the brothers aim to design with logistics consideration in mind so the design can help smooth the operation chain and ultimately save money.

One of their past clients includes Kennedy Town hotspot café Ethos. “We helped Ethos with interior design, recruitment and also the whole menu design. This is a typical example of the holistic consultancy service we offer.” says Joshua. They’ve also consulted on Anything but Salad, Casa Capriz, Wheatfield, and Pololi.

www.afoodieworld.com // may 2015

The brothers say it usually it takes a quarter for a new restaurant to be launched but in such a high rent area like Hong Kong, a quarter with no business can really burn through funds, so they aim to shorten that period for their clients by considering everything beforehand. They do as much preparation in advance as possible with tools like their research and development studio, where their chefs create the whole menu with costs and benefits calculations down to utensils inventory and storage.

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recipes

HO ME BRUNCHES The brothers from Twins Kitchen, Caleb and Joshua Ng, walk us through six of their favourite recipes using ingredients gathered, as much as possible, from their own ‘hood in Sheung Wan styling by Jo Lorenz of lamaisondelorenz.com, photography by Sophie Jin of www.todaytomorrowphotography.com

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BACON MUSHROOM BURGER Serves: 1 Prep time: 10 mins Cooking time: 15 mins

Ingredients: • 28g sliced mushrooms • 1 bacon rasher, cooked and chopped • ½ tbsp sliced spring onions • ½ tsp Worcestershire sauce • ¼ tsp soy sauce • ½ tsp black pepper • ½ tsp salt • 113g ground beef • 1 hamburger bun • ¼ cheddar cheese slice • Sliced tomatoes (optional) • Lettuce (optional) Method: 1. Mix the first seven ingredients in a large bowl. Add beef to mixture and combine well. Shape into a patty.

2. Lightly coat a grill with cooking oil. Grill patties over medium-high heat for around 10 minutes, turning once.

3. Just before taking off the grill, place cheese slice on the patty. Serve on bun with lettuce and tomato.

EARL GREY PANCAKES Serves: 2 Prep time: 20 mins Cooking time: 10 mins

Earl Grey pancakes

Method: 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

facebook.com/foodiehk // may 2015

Ingredients: • 1 cup whole milk (or coconut milk) • 1 tsp loose leaf Earl Grey tea • 1 tsp baking powder • 1 tsp baking soda • 2 tsp sugar • 1 egg • ½ tsp vanilla extract • ½ cup almond meal (or flour)

Heat the milk in a small saucepan over medium heat until simmering. Remove from heat and add the teaspoon of Earl Grey, allowing to steep for 5-10 minutes or until the milk is tinted brown and fragrant. Remove the tea leaves using a fine mesh strainer and keep aside to cool slightly.

Mix together baking powder, baking soda and sugar in a bowl. When the milk tea mixture is cool enough, whisk the milk with the egg and vanilla until well combined.

Add the wet mixture to the flour mixture, then stir until combined and let rest for 10 minutes.

Heat oven to 100°C to keep pancakes warm after cooking.

Heat non-stick frying pan over a medium-low heat and spray with oil. Drop 1 ½ tablespoons of the mixture at a time into the pan. Cook until tiny bubbles appear on the surface and the edges appear slightly dry (about 2-3 minutes), flip and continue cooking the other side for 1-2 minutes.

Serve immediately with syrup, butter, whipped cream or berries.

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recipes

BRÛLÉE LEMON TART WITH PISTACHIO Servings: 2 persons Prep time: 20 mins (1 hr freeze time and 2 ½hrs chilling time) Cooking time: 1 hr 10 mins

2.

Ingredients: Pistachio crust • ½ cup unsalted, shelled pistachios • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour • ½ cup confectioner’s sugar • ¼ tsp sea salt • 130g unsalted butter, cut into small cubes and frozen • 1 large egg Filling • 1-2 lemons, rinsed and dried • 1½ cups sugar • ½ cup unsalted butter, cut into chunks • 4 large eggs • 2 tbsp cornstarch • ¼ tsp sea salt

3.

4.

5.

Brûlée top • 1-2 tbsp granulated sugar • sprinkling of chopped pistachios Method: 1.

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Prepare a baking sheet, spread pistachios on it and roast for 5 minutes until they are fragrant. Remove and grind into a fine powder.

Mix the pistachio powder, flour, sugar, and

6.

7.

salt together in a large bowl. Cream in the butter. Add in the egg and blend until smooth.

Remove mixture from bowl and wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 2 hours.

Roll the dough into a 12-inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Transfer to a 9-inch tart-pan, press into the sides and corners of the pan.

Trim dough so there is a ½-inch overhang and then fold the overhang in to make the sides thick. Poke the bottom and sides of the tart dough with a fork and freeze for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 180°C. Butter the shiny side of a piece of foil then press tightly against the crust. Place tart pan on a baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes. Remove the foil, using the back of a spoon to press down all the bubbles. Bake for 5 more minutes uncovered.

Set aside and let the crust cool.

Slice lemons into thin rounds, removing end pieces and seeds. Place slices into a food processor together with sugar and butter chunks, and blend until the lemon is fully pureed. Then add the eggs, cornstarch and salt and process until a smooth batter is formed.

Pour into the crust filling until level with top of the crust. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until the edges are brown and only jiggle slightly.

Let cool for 30 minutes then chill fully in the refrigerator.

Right before serving, sprinkle an even layer of granulated sugar on the top of the tart, then caramelize the sugar using a kitchen torch.

Sprinkle with pistachios and serve.

Kimchi scrambled eggs

KIMCHI SCRAMBLED EGGS Serves: 1 Prep time: 5 mins Cooking time: 10 mins

Ingredients: • 3 medium eggs • 2 tbsp milk or cream • ½ tsp salt • sprinkling of black pepper • 25g butter • 1 pot of water • 2 tsp butter or olive oil • 2 slices bread • 2 tbsp kimchi • 1 tbsp goat cheese or cream cheese, crumbled • 1 tsp chives or scallion greens, thinly sliced

ESPRESSO LEMONADE WITH SALTED KUMQUAT Serves: 1 Prep time: 35 mins Cooking time: 5 mins

Ingredients: • 3 tbsp agave or honey • 1 ½ cups water • 3 lemons • 2 shots espresso • 1 salted kumquat Method: 1. Boil the agave/honey and half cup of water, then simmer for a few minutes.

2. Rest the mixture. When it becomes cool, squeeze all the lemons and combine the lemon juice and the mixture into one cup of water. Then add two shots of espresso. Mix well and add ice or refrigerate until chilled.

3. Add salted kumquat right before serving.

twitter.com/foodiehk // may 2015

Method: 1. Crack the eggs, beat with milk, salt, pepper and half of the butter in a small bowl. Lightly beat with a fork or a whisk until combined.

2. Boil a pot of water and place a saucepan over for a bain-marie style. Add the rest of the butter to the saucepan over low heat.

3. Add both pieces of bread to toaster.

4. Once the butter is melted and foamy, swirl it around the pan so it covers the entire

5.

bottom surface. Pour in the beaten egg, giving a constant, gentle stir on very low heat. The eggs will get firmer and firmer. Remove from heat when they get to your preferred consistency.

Top eggs with kimchi, cream cheese, chives and serve with toast.

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recipes

Espresso Lemonade with Salted Kumquat 44

recipes

CHICORY AND ASIAN PEAR SALAD Serves: 2 Prep time: 15 mins Ingredients: • •

• •

1.

2.

3.

Heat vinegar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add membrillo, whisking to dissolve, then whisk in mustard. Season with salt and pepper; let cool.

Toss pears and chicories in a large bowl. Whisk oil in the membrillo mixture; season with salt.

Drizzle over salad and toss to coat; season with salt and pepper.

Serve topped with walnuts.

If you want to taste the brothers’ dishes in person, they can be found at Common Ground in Sheung Wan and Stack in Sai Ying Pun. www.facebook.com/TwinsKitchen

facebook.com/foodiehk // may 2015

• • • • •

75ml Sherry or red wine vinegar 2 tbsp membrillo (quince paste) or orange marmalade 1 tbsp Dijon mustard Kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper 2 medium Asian pears, cut into bite-size pieces 8 cups mixed chicories (such as radicchio, escarole, and/or frisée), torn into 2 inch pieces ¼ cup olive oil ½ cup walnuts, coarsely chopped

Method:

45

New Nibbles

Redefining Artisan Coffee As the new coffee merchants in town, Porch Coffees is redefining your coffee experience.

Brighten up your mornings or liven up your hectic day with a personal drip coffee that will bring you to a relaxing place – sitting on the front porch with a flavourful cup of coffee and a good book under the sun. www.porchcoffees.com

@porchcoffees

Porch - The Coffee Merchants

@PorchCoffees

Fresh Ideas At Invisible Kitchen, we innovate every-step-of-the-process to make your life easier and more delicious.

Sit in the park on a sunny day and receive delivery of a 7-course Picnic Basket brimming with a fresh feast. Organising a party? Take a look at our brand new canapé menus – each with its own theme, so you can simply choose, order and await the perfect menu for your party. Or how about a unique chef’s BBQ – with our artisan marinated meats and finessed grill chefs?

If you’re into trying something new: try our award-winning food.

See the menus @ www.invisiblekitchen.com Contact: office@invisiblekitchen.com – 2711 5788

For marketing opportunities contact our account executive: kathrynriley@afoodieworld.com 46

this month

on afoodieworld.com

Web News & Online Features Our overseas bloggers have us pining after brunch in Melbourne and the best mac and cheese in London, while here in town health-savvy nutritionists offer recipes for light gluten-free lunches and tell us all about the cocoa content of chocolate nowadays. Make sure you keep an eye out for a compendium of the best coffee spots in Hong Kong, traditional xiao long bao recipes and some of the best desserts around Hong Kong, due for release in May. Every week we feature a new Hong Kong food startup, always brimming with passion, and also offer insight into the increasingly crammed entrepreneur market of HK. In the last two weeks, we’ve detailed the journeys of craft beer companies, raw vegan health epicures, and Hong Kong’s fastest grocery delivery service.

Next Month in Foodie

Subscribe and never miss an issue again www.afoodieworld.com/subscribe

facebook.com/foodiehk // may 2015

Our eagerly anticipated Foodie Forks Awards issue! Who are the hottest restaurants and bars of 2015? Who will be voted as your chef of the year? And which restaurants will win the grand cash prizes from hot new app iPick totalling $200,000? Find out all these answers and more great new places to eat and drink in the June issue, which always becomes Hong Kong foodies go-to guide of the latest and greatest eateries around.

47

chineasy food

Foodie’s kitchen scientist Kelly Yau experiments with recipes in her tiny Hong Kong kitchen

CRISPY PRAWN AND CHIVE POTSTICKERS Makes around 30-40 potstickers Prep time: 2 hours Cooking time: 5-10 minutes

1

2

3

4

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Ingredients:

•

½ tsp sesame oil

•

450g dumpling wrappers (the white ones)

•

1 ½ tbsp corn starch

•

1 tsp Chinese rice wine

•

680g large prawns, de-shelled and vines removed

Dipping Sauce

•

225g Chinese chives, finely chopped

•

1 tbsp light soy sauce

•

2 tbsp Thai sweet chilli sauce

•

3 tbsp light soy sauce

•

1 tbsp Worcester sauce

•

½ tsp pepper

•

½ tsp chilli oil (optional)

Method: 1. Split half the prawns and put them into a blender until smooth. Chop the remaining prawns into 2 or 3 pieces.

2. Combine the prawn pieces and prawn paste in a bowl with the chives, soy sauce, pepper, sesame oil, corn starch and rice wine. Chill the mixture for 1-2 hours.

3. To make the potstickers, put 1 teaspoon of the prawn mixture in the centre of the wrapper. Make sure there’s at least one chunk of prawn in each. Dampen the edges of the wrapper with a little water to make sticky. I used a dumpling utensil (a white clip that folds the potstickers and crimps the edges), which you can buy at any Chinese cookware shop.

If you are not using this, fold the potsticker in half and crimp the edges by hand.

4. To make the dipping sauce, combine all the sauces and mix well.

5. To cook the potstickers, drizzle a little oil and heat a large pan on medium heat. Add the dumplings to the pan and add ¼ cup of water. Put a lid on the pan and cook until the water has fully evaporated. Continue to brown until crispy. Serve immediately.

KELLY’S TIP: • You can vary the fillings each time you make these. Try prawns and shitake mushrooms, prawns and squid with chives, and prawns with celery and bamboo shoots.

• I made these potstickers especially for my friend Emma who is a pescetarian and loves dumplings. She loves spicy dipping sauces and her favourite sauce mix is chilli bean, sweet soy sauce and black vinegar.

• The potstickers freeze very well but make sure they do not touch each other when you put them in the freezer. They can be cooked from frozen.

To see more of Kelly’s fun food experiments, check out bit.ly/KellyYau