(Just a note: Since that last blog post, for some reason the machine broke down, and I went back to exchange for a black one. Top notch customer service, no questions were asked!)

Nary a morning passed when I didn’t down a double dosage of these lovely capsules. I must have tried every single flavour, for I have returned to the boutique at least three times and on each visit, I bought at least ten sleeves. All for the love of caffeine, of course!

As much as I love my Nespresso, sometimes I do get fickle-minded with the variety available. I mean, I could do a different one every day but given enough days, I would end up doing the same cycle over and over again.

So imagine my delight when, during my last visit, the girl over the counter told me about this limited edition Italian Grand Crus, namely Trieste and Naples!

I can’t remember which one now, but one of these beauties is of strength 11. Out of a scale of 10. It is like it is so strong the existing scale can’t even accommodate. Of course I got myself a couple of sleeves.

I have been downing two capsules every morning for this whole week. Needless to say, my mornings have not been the same!

Finding Maureen (that’s the name of the restaurant, short and sweet) has been more than a challenge. At least three cab drivers claimed not to know the street, and on my fourth attempt, I demanded the driver to look at my map and to get me there. Tip: To get to Hing Wan Street, you are better off looking for Stone Nullah Lane (石水渠街). That’s where the famous Blue House of Hong Kong is located at. A few doors down from Maureen is the Wanchai Visual Archive. You can’t miss it, with its patron spilling out from the bar onto the sidewalk with their merrymaking while the entire street was eerily silent.

Maureen at Maureen.

Maureen is a tiny place and can only seat some sixteen people, with only one large table for group. The rest will need to make do with bar seating, which could be tricky if you have lots of shopping with you, or you have, say, a pregnant friend with you. The interior is tasteful and bright, a cheery setting for some Chinese noodle. I was keen to find out.

The Perfect Egg.

The concept behind Maureen is slow cooked food. You could probably find plenty of literature on this method of cooking, commonly known as sous vide cooking, so I won’t repeat here. However it was probably my first time having this type of food, and I wasn’t sure what to expect. Perhaps an explosion a flavour. A detour from the the norms.

Hoisin pork.

I got both. The point to sous vide is that the flavour is locked into the food – pork, chicken, salmon – when it is cooked slowly in vacuum-sealed bags with temperature-controlled water. The end result is often rich and surprising. Like the salmon sous vide canto style. The salmon is tender and juicy, possible one of the sweetest cooked salmon I have ever tasted. My friends tried the pork (which I didn’t) and commented that the pork is packed with flavour and juicy too, if with just a bit too much fat.

Sous vide salmon, Canto style.

However what I didn’t expect was that, to the untrained palette, the food could be viewed as tepid. Neither hot nor cold, the meat dishes – served on the side instead of with the noodle to avoid clash of flavour within the same bowl – can be confusing. Is this… leftover? Was the fish… cooked? Can I… warm this up? Even for this adventurous foodie, I do find the food a bit of a downer, temperature wise, especially during these chilly winter days. That’s probably because I am not used to slow cooked food. My choice – the abalone – didn’t live up to the hype.

Maureen’s noodles.

How about the noodles? It was the main draw of the restaurant, and I had to say they were, for the most part, a revelation. I like the rich mix of flavour within the bowl, and the noodles were springy in texture. My portion of the perfect egg, with mushroom gel and Chinese ham, was something that you need to try for yourself. I don’t know about the beauty nor the science of cooking the egg up to precisely 63 degrees. All I know is that creamy egg matched with the mushroom gel would take more than words to describe.

Chinese wine eggs.

A word about the surrounding. Maureen is located within a historically rich area. I was there at night, so I couldn’t really tell as many of the shops were close, but a few signs here and there were hints that in day time this could be quite a place to explore. You can find out more on this page.

Verdict? Maureen would appeal to fans of slow cooked food and noodle lovers. While you wait for your seat, explore the historically rich surrounding area.

Maureen
G/F, 11 Hing Wan Street
Wan Chai
2915 2261
Website

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… no, not because I don’t love my Mom. Do you mind! But because since my Mom is in the States, I am always at a dead end on what to buy for her!

Apparently, I am not alone. Our good friends over at Groupon did some research and found that many of us clueless children are stressed over what to buy for their mom, trying to find something that might please those “difficult” (I am using the term loosely here) mommies and figuring out what they really, really want.

But this year became a little different for me… and I am not let you know why. All in a good time, my friend. But if you are still at wit’s ends trying to figure out what to get for Mommy dearest, you still have time.

Groupon’s Mother’s Day deals boast a whole range of stuff you could consider for the most important woman in your life! (For those whom are married, com’on, just for one weekend!) You could treat her to a very nice meal:

A heavenly, out-of-this-world massage:

Or that piece of electronics she had really wanted to use at home:

So, what would it be?

Wong Kee Restaurant (also confusingly named Fai Kee Restaurant) is one of those hole in the wall Chinese place with spilled tables all over the roadside. Tang Lung Street seemed very boisterous with families eating out with children and boisterous men enjoying beer pints after work. It’s quite an atmosphere to soak in, especially considering that you are right smack in the middle of Causeway Bay.

There was English menu available (though I suspect the options are somewhat lesser than those listed in the Chinese ones) and so we ordered some of the more adventurous looking ones (thanks Marc!) to satisfy this foodie in me.

Deep Fried Squid With Salt Egg (HK$75)

I am a sucker for all things squid, and this one scratched that itch quite nicely, especially when devoured with some beer. The batter was light and dense with salty egg taste, giving it a somewhat grainy texture (yes, I know it’s all in the mind) but was as crispy as I would loved it to be. Probably a good thing too; if it’s crispy it’s bound to be piping hot and my throat wouldn’t be able to take it after my hectic Taipei trip.

Baby Oyster Omelette (HK$68)

More batter than egg or oyster, this was one crispy piece of glorified flour and very little else. I admit that I was rather disappointed as it looked quite promising when served to the table. Well, never judge a (baby oyster) omelette by its look.

Fried Sword Beans With Minced Pork (HK$60)

I reckon this is a signature dish as quite a number of tables ordered the same thing. The beans were overcooked so was a little soggy. I think had it been more crunchy it would contrast nicely with the nicely done fermented pork. There was a touch of basil in it, but that could be a whiff of my imagination (from the Thai restaurant next to Wong Kee, probably).

But what the hell. People flock to Wong Kee probably not because of its food. The location is superb, perfect for a cheap dinner right after shopping around Times Square, and the atmosphere is quite something. Where else can you dine in a relatively clean environment, with mini buses passing by every other minutes while passerby are more than happy to stare at your food, and you?

Verdict? If you fancy eating out with hordes of locals over some rather decent Chinese and pints of beer right in the middle of Causeway Bay, Wong Kee is your guy. You should probably try out some of the chiu chow dishes too.

Wong Kee Restaurant
48 Tang Lung Street, Causeway Bay
2891 2623

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Never heard of Fullka before? Well, neither did I, until that afternoon. Apparently this place was off-radar for most foodies, which was apparent by how not full it was during lunchtime on a working weekday. Further investigation revealed that this restaurant was previously named Home Wanchai (does that sound familiar?) and was helmed by Chef Lee Yue Ching of ‘Ah Yat Abalone’ fame. The set lunch was a steal at HK$88, where you get soup, one main course with rice, and a dessert. Since the main course is rather large in portion, you can go with a few friends so that you can mix and match from its extensive menu of true Cantonese food.

And so on to the lunch.

Pig Stomach Soup

Hand’s down, the best starter soup I have ever tried in Hong Kong (and that’s saying something). The soup was intense with peppery taste and was well balanced with the meaty goodness of the excellent pig stomach. The soup burns down as you drink it, in a very comforting way. It was such a perfect, fiery soup for a cold winter day.

Sweet & Sour Shrimp Balls

This was like “gou look yuk“ (sweet and sour pork rib), but with shrimps. The dish itself was not outstanding per say, but the prawns were crunchy to the bite and goes pretty well with the sweet and (more) sour sauce. Personally I would have preferred a slightly dinner batter, but the succulent prawns more than made up for it.

Stir Fried Minced Pork With Bittergourd & Preserved Olives

This dish of Cantonese delight was a crowd pleaser. The ladies couldn’t get enough of it. Whenever I think of a bittergourd dish, I always imagined big slices of bittergourd that would have looked rather vulgar with meat, not to mention the overpowering bitterness it brings to the dish. The chef at Fullka cleverly selected the smaller baby bittergourd (that would explain the tiny, cute slices of it) to balance it with preserved olives and minced meat. The end result was a refreshingly bittersweet meaty creation – bitter with gourd and sweet with olives. Thumbs up!

Signature Soy Chicken

If the chickens in the photo don’t look appetising, I don’t blame you. The layer of oil and gooey soy sauce are enough to make anyone shudder, but this was one dish which tasted much, much better than it looks. The chicken was nicely marinated with sesame oil and soy sauce, and with just enough layer of fat to make you want just another piece. And then another. And then you will drench your white rice with the rice. You have been warned.

Claypot Eggplants With Salted Fish

This is quite a standard Cantonese fare and Fullka didn’t disappoint. Though the eggplants were a bit too mashed for us to appreciate the minced meat, it goes well when consumed in small portions. Never make it a main for yourself, folks. It would be way too starchy for lone consumption.

Braised Fish Belly With Garlic Cloves

For some reason, this dish was disappointing. After all the previous delightful dishes, this fish paled in comparison. The gravy tasted more like starch, and the fish – as far as I could tell – was far from fresh. Cantonese cuisine is quite famous for their fresh, sweet fish dishes, so this represents the best of Fullka quite badly. Avoid at all cost.

A word about the restaurant. I really like how… how… oriental the whole place is set up. The staff was rowdy without being rude, friendly without being overwhelming. As I said, it was during lunchtime when we visited but the restaurant wasn’t full despite only having a few tables. Apparently, my colleagues can walk into the restaurant on any day and still will get a table. Well, with any luck after this post the situation will change. For the good of the restaurant.

Verdict? Fullka is like the unsung hero of Cantonese cuisine in Causeway Bay. The restaurant deserves bigger crowd to appreciate the good food and great value it has to offer.

Fullka Cantonese Cuisine
1/F, 39 Morrison Hill Road (same building as Butterfly on Morrison Hotel)
Causeway Bay / Wanchai
2834-8378

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Making a reservation was a breeze, and I realised why. Although I was some fifteen minutes late for my booking, the restaurant was empty. It felt like I booked the entire restaurant for our catch-up dinner; in fact, ours is the only table occupied for the entire night. It was a shame, really. The service by the entirely Japanese crew was stellar, though it would be nice if the two Japanese chefs smiled a little more. As for the food, well, Moon and I were about to find out.

Being the indecisive creatures that we were, we went for the easy way out and ordered two set dinners (at HK$380 each). The night started with assorted sashimi. Delicate pieces, too few for my liking, but the seafood is certainly one of the better ones I have tried. The salmon was a tad bland for my taste; I would have liked it a bit sweeter. What I found interesting with the sashimi platter was the vegetables that came along with it, particularly the seaweed which was a bit sourish but perfect to go with wasabi. It tasted as good as it looked.

The grilled usuyaki beef is probably the most difficult dish to be prepared for the night. Usuyaki beef is basically beef rolls filled with spring onions and garlic, then fried and glazed with teriyaki sauce. The chef must be skilled enough to avoid overcooking the meat, while making sure it will roll nicely. The usuyaki beef at Hal’s was perfectly cooked; the rolls were sturdy enough to contain the stuffing within; at the same time the beef wasn’t over- or under-cooked. Certainly the highlight of the night.

The assorted tempura was executed admirably, with just light enough a batter to make it crispy but not overly oily, though it was nothing to write/blog home about.

Also commendable was the plain rice – I know, it’s weird for me to like the rice, but it was great. Soft, sticky and fragrant. I know that the rice cooked here is of a certain, specific time (it was written on the menu), but for the life of me I can’t remember the name.

Verdict? Though price is a bit on the high side, Hal’s would be a place to impress, what with its show and substance are in equal measure.

Hal’s Japanese Restaurant
22/F, Circle Tower
28 Tang Lung Street
Causeway Bay
2523 2524

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Which was my excuse for going back to Hainan Shaoye. I have been there at least three times in the past for a quick meal, but for one reason or another, I have never blogged about it. So this time round I decided to really take note of what I am eating, look at it with a balanced eye of someone who have lived in Singapore long enough to (hopefully) know the bad and the good (the chef of Hainan Shaoye was apparently recruited from Chatterbox at Mandarin Orchard in Singapore, famous for their great chicken rice), and of someone who has his expectation, well, moderated, according to the local foodie taste.

The buddy wasn’t in the mood to have a large meal (there was this set meal with six dishes to share between two person for some $400, a good deal I must say), so once again I ordered some crowd favorite.

Singapore Rojak(HK$48)

Without fail, my favorite Singapore rojak always draws the same reaction among my local friends. A grimace, that is. I guess this signature dish – cut fruits mixed with shrimp & belacan paste with cut tofu and deep fried dough, somewhat like a fruit salad with a spicy twist – is quite an acquired taste. I had always enjoyed my rojak, ordering it wherever I could. The version at Hainan Shaoye, though far from being on par with the original stuff, was more than adequate to scratch that foodie itch. I scooped up everything, peanuts and beansprouts and everything else. Something about that shrimp paste just evoke that Singapore glutton in me la.

Hainanese Chicken Rice Set (HK$88)

Elaborately presented (read: slowly served), the Hainanese chicken rice is the dish to order when you come to Hainan Shaoye. I will skip introducing dish by dish, but just focus on the good stuff. Top of my list is not the chicken but the rice itself. Fragrant, rich in taste but (surprise surprise!) not oily, the delicious rice was purportedly fried with garlic before cooked with ginger, shallot and lemon grass. The sliced, skillfully deboned chicken was served cold at room temperature, the way Hainanese chicken usually is, though to be honest I would have preferred it warm. Probably that’s why it came with a serving of piping hot vegetables and a bowl of herbal broth. The whole platter came served with three sauces – the way Hainanese do – a ginger puree, sweet & sour chilli and dark soy. The health-conscious few might consider stripping off the chicken skin, though you would be missing the good part; with that thin layer of fat, the skin was exceptionally good. I know, I took two (from my buddy’s plate).

Char Kway Teow (HK$88)

After having the best char kway teow (fried rice noodle, Singapore style) at Gurney Drive a few months back, my expectation of this particular dish was high. Alas, I was disappointed. Missing was the crucial wok hei, the sign of a well seasoned pan used to cook the dish. The prawns used were crunchy, the way frozen ones usually are. It was one oily mess which took the better of half an hour to finish only half of it. Missing as well is the oh-so-important belacan (or chilli) sauce to go with it.

A word about the restaurant. I am not being mean here, but considering the level of details that went into the design of this place – from the bird cages on the ceiling to the intricate murals on the wall – it was wasted effort. The tables were cramped, the service level mediocre and the price… well, it is not exactly char chan teng‘s level, yes?

Verdict? Great to scratch that itch for Singaporean food, but only if you are on a loose end in Causeway Bay on a weekday night.

Hainan Shaoye
Shop P311, 3/F, World Trade Centre
Causeway Bay
2111 3166
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I remember vividly that I had to wake up early every day to catch an hour or two of blogging, lest I will never do it, and I might forget details. Thank God I made the effort. What you can read below – a travelog made into five parts – was mainly written during the trip itself. Without these little notes I studiously made daily, these blog posts would have never been possible:

• The One With Symphony Surabaya, Part 1
• The One With Symphony Surabaya, Part 2
• The One With Symphony Surabaya, Part 3
• The One With Symphony Surabaya, Part 4
• The One With Symphony Surabaya, Part 5

Re-reading my notes and writing these blog posts made me realised how much I did enjoy the trip. Perhaps, during the days I was there, I was too tired to properly appreciate the natural beauty I immersed myself in in Surabaya, as well as some truly local experiences. I also hold on to working on these blog posts since my Facebook sharing of the photos led to an opportunity to write for South China Morning Post’s spring edition of Encounters, their flagship regional travel magazine. Which was in itself an achievement, since it was the first time my travel writing was published in print – even if I was writing it from a culinary point of view.

I thought that would be a challenge. In truth, it was much easier done than said.

I would also take this opportunity to thank Chris, my travel buddy to Surabaya. Had it not been for his incessant pestering to join him for the trip, repeated reminders about buying air tickets, (and during the trip) selective deafness to my complaints, brutish encouragement when my knees were screaming in pain, etc etc etc (you get the idea)… I would have never done this.

I would have never appreciated the beauty of a fogged marshland. I would have never seen an active volcano right in the eye. I would never have braved my way up to a sunrise view point in the dead of the night.

This diehard city boy may just see more of such nature in his near future. And I (half-heartedly) blame Chris!

So I went to East Soho instead for dinner on Saturday night.

It wasn’t my first time to East Soho. I have walked through the area almost a year back, while on my way back from a weekend excursion in Lei Yue Mun. The sight of bustling restaurants in quiet dignity, as calm residents and visitors carrying on with their business with tack and respect for each other appealed to me. I told myself I will be back.

And so I did, some two years later. I asked my friends from #hkfoodbloggers for recommendations. Some swear by Borgo C, the fusion-looking restaurant serving Chinese food while you sit on patio furniture. Another recommended Yi Jiang Nan, a small traditional-looking Chinese restaurant with only a couple of tables. Approvals were ringing for Tapeo, supposedly the best tapas restaurant at this part of the island.

I am a staunch believer that, if you ask for advice, you take it. But I am also a great friend and put the wants of others over my own. I dithered between the two, and finally the cozy looking sidewalk looking out to the sea at Berliner German Restaurant won me over. To be honest, there was no serious contest between Chinese noodle and a pints of draught German beer.

There were four options of the latter at Berliner. Fischer’s Stiftungsbrau (a lager), Holsten (a Pilsner), Erdinger Weissbier and Erdinger Dunkel. I immediately discounted the Erdingers since you could probably get it anywhere, so it was between the lager or the Pilsner. I was afraid I might be forced into a situation to say stiftungsbräu out loud, so I went for the Holsten. A litre of it, of course. Only wuss goes for half portion for their first drink.

Germans are famous for their efficiency and, err, size. (If you are thinking about German sausages, I wouldn’t blame yet. I have very little experience with such sausages, so I wouldn’t know. But if you do, please let me know in the comments below.) (That was a slight detour.) I was given a frighteningly large mug for my beer. It almost occupied two tables on its own, and throughout dinner I went to the toilet so many times that soon I was directing other patrons to it.

Frische Blattsalate – fresh lettuce with buttermilk dressing, dried tomatoes, crispy bacon and croutons.

The menu was by no mean extensive, but that didn’t mean we were having an easy time choosing what to eat that night. In the end we decided not to be a glutton. We did starter right with Frische Blattsalate, a healthy mix of fresh lettuce with buttermilk dressing, dried tomatoes, crispy bacon and croutons. The war was on between lettuce & tomatoes and bacons & croutons, but it was the buttermilk dressing which won the day. We were kept deliciously at the edge of our seats trying to recall where we tasted this before, and by the last strand of lettuce we were nowhere closer to the answer. I like to think of it as a flashback to my Hogwartian self and my love for Butterbeer. Now that’s one salad that got me fantasizing.

Schweinshaxe aka roasted pork knuckles.

The Schweinshaxe aka roasted pork knuckles looked really good on the menu and turned up exactly how we imagined it would look like. The feel-good factor unfortunately, ended there. The knuckle was already a little dry to start with, and as the night wore on it got even drier to the point no amount of mustard made it worth the effort. The skin was crispy to the right degree but alas, was way too salty. The only saving grace on this signature German dish was the mash potatoes – deliciously creamy and fluffy, no additional gravy needed. If I had to choose mash between Berliner or La Cantoche, I would have a very, very hard time.

Strawberries pavlova.

Vanilla pancakes with ice cream & warm dark cherries.

The night wore out and so was our conversation. The street was quiet but never quite empty. The wintry chill was offset by the roaring fire (heater), and the beer helped. Soon we were craving for food again. As I downgraded to the wuss-level of half-pint Holsten, we perused the dessert menu. The vanilla pancakes with ice cream and warm dark cherries was divine but would be more aptly named as French toasts (I’m only saying). The strawberry pavlova was quite a delight. My opinions could be slightly swayed by the excellent Holsten, but when you mix crunchy, chewy and creamy together, I couldn’t imagine how far wrong one could get.

Verdict? A lovely spot in East Soho for a long night of German food and beer, away from maddening crowds ubiquitous to life on Hong Kong Island. Try it for size.

Berliner German Restaurant
45 Tai Hong Street
Sai Wan Ho
2121 8969

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But no. I wish they were.

No, because all four of them were glued to their smartphones. Their eyes were aglow with the light from the little screens. They hardly notice the food in front of them, never mind their friends sitting physically right across… if only they care to look up.

Which brings to mind a recent article I read about food meditation.

In this age of smartphones and uber-connectedness, have we lost the ability to fully appreciate food? Have we got so used to eat mindlessly, that such an unhealthy habit and social rudeness (if you are not dining alone) became the norm? Became the expected?

I pondered over this as I was having a solitary lunch at Fiat Caffé, the famed themed restaurant with menu designed by the renowned Chef David Laris. Even though I was eating alone, I was determined to practice a bit of food meditation; an eating process that focused on nothing else but what you eat and how you eat, away from distractions of screens big and small.

And so I deliberated over the potato salad with prosciutto and tomatoes. This simple dish was beautifully presented, with a mix of vibrant colours that got my appetite buzzing. As I chewed slowly, allowing the flavour to develop fully and become noticeable, I appreciated the complexity of the dry-cured ham, and the overly strong garlicky undertone. I practically blanked out everything – from the beautiful Fiat cars to the playful children at the next table to the brightly lit wall of the café – to really taste the salad. It worked.

I concluded that I didn’t really like it that much.

A good fifteen minutes later, the main course arrived. The shrimp spaghetti with radicchio and fennel was again a dish of vibrant colours – is that a hallmark of the café? – and this time it has the taste to match. I wondered whether the peeled prawns were fresh. I questioned which ingredient was the fennel, which was radicchio (I am hopeless with names of leaves and stalks and the likes).

I resisted the urge to fire up my iPhone for an answer. Instant gratification I had not.

Instead, I opened my mind to enjoy a spaghetti that does not come with my favorite cream sauce. The portion was light, the taste was just right, and the combination of flavours was balanced. It was as if the dish was made for meditation.

As I enjoyed my Illy’s coffee (which, by the way, was served in the cutest coffee cup I have ever seen), I sat back and realised that I really did enjoy the meal. I wasn’t stuffing myself just to convince my brain that I had enough, I kept my focus on the food I paid for to enjoy, and I kept my pace over a leisurely lunch hour very much unlike the hurried, harassed office crowd around me.

I should do this food meditation more often.

Fiat Caffé
Shops G5-6, Leighton Center
77 Leighton Road, Causeway Bay
Tel: +852 2960 9222

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