Jackie Miao

This is the 6th and final part of my Hong Kong series.

Maybe this is really late, but it was supposed to be my very last post on my Hong Kong trip and life just kind of got in the way. People tell me that you don’t leave Hong Kong without having dim sum and so that’s exactly what Rachel and I did for my last day. We went to West Villa Restaurant in Causeway Bay, which is said to be a favorite for local celebrities.

Here’s what we ordered:-

Rachel was craving for some Char Siu Bao so we got some. The top of the bun is like a Mexico bun and the filling inside the bun is a Char Siu pork filling with sweet gravy. I really liked the texture of the bun as I could really taste the freshly baked goodness from the first bite.

We also got some steamed Pai Kuat which tasted classic, unpretentious and good. I was however most impressed with the Siu Mai. The pork meat and big prawns were really fresh, juicy, springy and delicious. I’ve never had Siu Mai quite like it; not in Malaysia, not in New York, not even in London. It was arguably the best Siu Mai I’ve ever had in my life (so far) so if you eat nothing else in Hong Kong, eat the Siu Mai at West Village Restaurant.

Perhaps what was the least familiar to me was this Dim Sum style frittata. The glutinous rice with meat is coated with egg and fried like a frittata, then sliced and eaten with a dipping sauce. Apart from the virginal visual sensation, it was not bad but something that will probably come in as the last choice if I had to order it again.

Since I was missing the ritual Sunday dim sum sessions at Yi Ban and The Laureate in London, seeing this Kuay Tow wrapped with Cheong Fun dish on the menu was a pleasant delight. I was glad we ordered it because it was crunchy, chewy and had the subtle flavors of five spice. Chewing through this made me think about  how incredibly well the British-Chinese have tried to retain the best of Cantonese food and offer it to Britain.

Finally, Rachel insisted that I have the Tau Foo Fah. OUT OF THIS WORLD, glad she suggested it! I’ll be sure to head over for some Tau Foo Fah on my next trip because it’s really so smooth, silky and absolutely beautiful with the shaved palm sugar topping.

Overall, the meal was beautiful. I’m really glad we had dim sum on my last day because now I know what the big deal is. Here’s how to get there:-

West Villa Restaurant
Room 101-102, 1/F., Lee Garden Phase 2, 28 Yan Ping Road
tel: 852 2882 2110

So I hope you’ve enjoyed my blog series on Hong Kong. I love it so much I will definitely be back for more munchies and partying!

Since meeting Mun Yin in Hong Kong a few weeks ago, him and his colleagues at CNNGo have gotten really busy! In fact if you live in Hong Kong, you should find an excuse to play with them in NoHo this coming Tuesday December 15th, 2009 between 6:30pm – 9:30pm!

They are beginning the ‘Streets of Your City’ series by getting the Gough Street community together to help you solve all your gifting dilemmas this holiday season. Whether you need to get something for your beloved, quirky BFF, mischievous little nephew, or your munchie-loving Uncle Benny, CNNGo has got your back! Also spot for special discounts for this one special night only! After seeing Mun Yin do an Asian pose that was inspired by La Carmina’s post,  oh how I wish I could be there to bask in Asian pose glory for a day!

Don’t miss the opportunity to make this Christmas the best one you and your loved ones ever had! For more information on this event, please go to their Facebook event page here…

DAY 4 – Causeway Bay

This is the fifth part of a series of stories about my four days in Hong Kong.

After the night of boozing at Lan Kwai Fong and meeting some nice people, I headed back to Rachel’s, ate a big bowl of Korean noodles she made for me and slept and slept and slept (till 7pm)! We headed to Causeway Bay later, where for the first time I got to feel what it means to be in the densest city in the world!

Causeway Bay on that Saturday night was horrifically crowded. It was like jumping into an ocean of ants and hoping you don’t accidentally breathe in when a creature with halitosis exhales two inches from your face. It makes Oxford Circus look like a walk in the park.

Human-congestion!

I felt my hungover self being swallowed by the vastness that is Hong Kong Island’s shopping district and it made me grateful for the space we have in Malaysia. It made me question why I even sigh about waiting for elevators that are relatively empty, but most of all it made me admire the people of Hong Kong! Imagine the time they waste just queuing up, waiting for, and walking from point A to B. I wonder how they have time for anything, but they do!

It is such a luxury for Sabahans to be able to park 10 meters away from our destination and complain that we have to walk anywhere. Rachel and I had to get in the queue for 10-15 minutes to take the elevator up to the top floor of Sogo. Just trying to pay for things at Sogo was a challenge, though thankfully the salesgirl who was helping me extended some value-added service to get me to commit to a purchase. When I got what I needed from Sogo, we headed to SML for dinner!

Looking and feeling rough

SML Restaurant

Since we’ve been having Cantonese food for 3 days straight, Rachel suggested SML for a change. We had to queue in a folding row which was at least 5 folds long just to take the elevator up to the restaurant level! Being in the midst of so many people made me feel really tiny. I felt short because I couldn’t see anything but faces unless I tip-toed. There were just so many people!

When we finally made it up to the entrance of the restaurant, thankfully we didn’t have to wait to get a table. When we settled down, Rachel proceeds to explain to me what SML means. She tells me that everything on the menu comes in three sizes; S,M or L! That means that whatever it is that I feel like eating, I can either enjoy it as an appetizer, a portioned meal or a full-on feast platter. I was feeling like a hungover brat who needed variety to offset the headache and so we went on an ordering spree of S-sized dishes.

Below is a photo-diary of what we had:-

We started with a Rocket Salad dressed with Balsamic Vinaigrette, topped with a shaved hard cheese. While the salad came together nicely and was very flavorful, both of us felt that the vinaigrette was a bit overpowering. I’d order it again because I like rocket, but I’d ask for them to go easy on the vinaigrette.

Next up, we had some raw fish! I love seared sashimi. You get the best of both worlds; the raw that’s been teased with the cooked! I apologize for labeling the sauce Balsamic in the photo but that’s what I thought it was at the time. It might have just been Ponzu or something like it. This was fresh, decent and lovely for a mid-range type sashimi but definitely not a contender for The Best Sashimi Awards. The raw ham and salami silenced the little demon inside who was screaming for some decent Serrano since I left Madrid. I really loved it!

We also had Oxtail Risotto. This was hearty, full of flavor and really delicious! The cod on the other hand was edible but doesn’t do the fish justice. When I think of black cod I think of Ubon/Nobu’s (London) Miso-marinated preparation. Taste aside, the cod at SML was overcooked because the texture was rather dry. Not an interesting dish unfortunately; taste and texture!

We also had a slice of Grilled Pork Belly on a bed of creamed red cabbage. The wine-reduction gravy was tasty but I have to say (and I’m not speaking from a biased perspective), the taste and texture of the pork itself was rubbish compared to the Slow Oven-roasted Organic Pork that we sweat in the oven for 3 hours at Stone Bridge Galley. Process! Process! Rachel and I loved the U.S. beef strips of steak and you can taste that the fries were not fried in 3-day old trans-fat (a good thing!)

I really enjoyed the meal even though two out of seven dishes disappointed! For HKD $400 we got a lot more variety than the lunch at Yung Kee! After a very heavy night on Friday, we stayed in on Saturday night.

Here’s how to get your sizes on a plate:-

SML
11th Floor, Times Square,
Causeway Bay, Hongkong.
Tel: 852 2577 3444
Website: http://www.smlrestaurants.com
Hours: 11.30am to 11.30pm Sunday to Thursday; and 11.30am to 12.30am on Friday, Saturday and the eve of public holidays.
Source: BusinessTraveller.com

Join me tomorrow morning (Wed, 9th Dec 2009) for Dim Sum, as I wrap up my trip in Hong Kong.

DAY 3: Lan Kwai Fong (Part 4-3)

This is Part 4 of a series of stories about my four days in Hong Kong.

With Sam Wu, Winner of Amazing Race Asia 3

After leaving Quarry Bay, I headed to get Rachel so that we can head to Lan Kwai Fong. Managed to get in touch with Mimi’s friends and hit the first bar of the night called Iconic. While we were there, I was rather surprised to learn just what a good time the people of Hong Kong know how to have!

Mimi’s friend introduced me to more guys. In fact, one of them is the jolly Sam Wu, winner of Season 3’s Amazing Race Asia! Too bad I was living in London at the time the third season was airing so I didn’t get to watch how he and his partner Vince won but I heard from friends that they were definitely well-deserving of the title!

Nevertheless, it was still nice to meet him. I told him that I was vying for the Best Job in the World earlier in the year and the bubbly Sam said, “Really?!?” and proceeded to laugh from the surprise of it all!

Here’s another picture with some of the people I met that night. Not all of them were photographed as I only quickly got together whoever was within reach before Sam headed off. You can already see our eyes getting smaller. Haha

Not long after we met, the super-smiley Sam had to head off elsewhere but the rest of us continued to barhop in Lan Kwai Fong. Here’s another shot of the man who works for the richest man in the world, Rachel and I.

By the time we got to Fong, I had already had a glass of wine and two Cosmopolitans and was feeling sky high. On the way down the stairs from the ladies room, a random stranger said hello, asked me what my name was and whisked me back upstairs for a slow dance. I can’t begin to tell you how shocked, confused and slow my mind was operating. Are men in Hong Kong generally this aggressive in bars? After what seemed like a few minutes of dancing I told him I had to get back to my friends! Phew!

6 drinks and 4 bars later, I find myself in quite a serendipitous predicament. By the time I came around, Rachel had already freaked out about my whereabouts and I only got back to her place at 11:30am with the worse hangover of the year! In the next part, see how I survive the hard partying from the night before…

Part 5 & 6 will likely be published sometime this week.

DAY 3: QUARRY BAY (Part 4-2)

This is Part 4 of a series of stories about my four days in Hong Kong.

Meeting Mun Yin at “Congee-Fish-Spring Onions”

If you’ve been reading my tweets or blog posts lately, you would know that I am a big fan of the spanking new website for people with itchy feet and an appetite for life, the fabulous CNNGo.com

On Friday night, the Marketing Manager of CNNGo Mun Yin and I made plans to meet. He is the guy behind their social media marketing effort and the source of some of my daily happiness!

As I was told that most taxi drivers in Hong Kong would not understand the English names of places, on our second phone convo I asked Mun Yin for some translation help for “Quarry Bay” in Cantonese. He was only too happy to help, but I couldn’t really make out what he was saying over the phone. I tried getting him to spell the words out phonetically but alas it seemed too clumsy an exercise for our supercool Mun Yin.

Luckily I recognized the sound of the first character Juk, which sounded to me like the Cantonese word for “congee.” Mun Yin was relieved to hear that and confirmed that it does sound like “congee,” and further added that the other two, Yu is for fish and Chung sounds like spring onions. So I replayed “Congee-Fish-Spring Onions” in my head and said Juk Yu Chung to the cabbie when I got on the cab. The cabbie seemed unsure at first, then nodded and off we went to Quarry Bay!

From Facebook to Quarry Bay

I was fashionably and un-impressively late for my date with Mun Yin, mostly because I underestimated the Friday evening traffic.  He was nonetheless very gentlemanly and went easy on me the tourist! We met at the Quarry Bay MTR station and headed to his usual haunt near the CNNGo Towers at Taikoo for dinner.

Mun Yin is such a delightful conversationalist and it was nice to finally meet the guy who shares some of the finest “happy and wacky” content in Asia with me. You just never know what it’s going to be like when you meet a complete stranger. Maybe you don’t get off on the right foot and want out within 10 minutes, maybe you sit through a horrific dinner punctuated with awkward silences and hope that talk about work will deflect from the fact that you just don’t care to see that person on a social basis ever again.

It wasn’t like that at all with Mun Yin. He is as cool in person as he is virtually and it was effortless from the get go, like @CNNgo! Like a true gentleman he paid for dinner and also the entrance fee for the BBC meet! Thank you Mun Yin! I’ll have to make sure you have a blast when you visit Malaysia and gladly at that!

Follow him on Twitter if you want in on the coolest happenings in Asia.

The British-Born Chinese Meet in Hong Kong

After dinner, Mun Yin took me to a BBC meet (you know this doesn’t only happen in London?!), where British-Chinese folks who live and work in Hong Kong get together for a night of networking and such. When we got to the building entrance of this apparent hide, we took a creepy red elevator that was so old and moved so slowly I began having flashes of gangster movie scenes in my head. When we got out of the lift and onto a none-identifiable door,  what we saw subsequently took us by total surprise. The Golf Hideaway is a sanctuary in Quarry Bay where you get to drink, eat shepherd’s pie, play screen golf, shoot pool, get a hair wash and even a foot massage too. What a place!

Met a couple of BBCs there, but what was really funny was bumping into two guys who looked awfully familiar. When we got introduced by the organizer Chris Lam, I couldn’t resist telling them I thought they looked familiar. After a bit of prodding it occurred to them that the connecting link is my ex-housemate in London. The OMG moment with them was one of the funniest moments of my life; from Facebook to “Face look!” What a small world hey?! Doesn’t matter that I showed up from Sabah, the London link is there!

We got to try out the screen golf but didn’t stay too long as Mun Yin had to head off, and I had already made plans to meet some friends of a friend at Lan Kwai Fong. It’s too bad he couldn’t join us but I had a great time meeting him and some of his friends. I also think that our tweet-relationship has gone up a notch and that’s from random marketer to friend!

Next up, I get to meet a celebrity and more people in Hong Kong…

Part 4-3 will be published on Wednesday evening.