Hong Kong Food Hunt at Tai Ping Koon Restaurant!

 中環 (Central) is definitely well-known by most people! You hear it from people who have been to HK, you see it in drama and movies and definitely a place people would intro you to if you are in HK. Central is a very busy place as it is the heart of the business district where a lot of banks, law firms, foreign investments and embassy are found. In here you can also find a lot of high end brands and boutiques and also high end shopping malls. Was there to shop and found this shop which sells food that differs from other normal western restaurants.

Central is always so crowded and streets are so busy~

 Here we are! Just along one of the alley lies this treasure shop!

 Very traditional western decoration. It was a weekday tea time but the place is also quite crowded and we were lucky to get a table as seats there was quite limited.

Menu with their signature dishes!

 Ordered their set lunch to share and just like the usual westerns, bread will be serve together with the soup before your main dish. The bread was really tasty and soft~

 Creamy Corn Soup

 TPK Style Fried Rice Noodles with Sliced Beef. They also have it in the swiss sauce but since we are getting another dish with the swiss sauce, we decided to have it in the normal sauce. However after trying both dish (the dish below) we felt that the sauce tasted almost the same.

 One of the must-have dish here: TPK Swiss Sauce Chicken Wings (瑞士雞翼) Really like the overall taste of this dish. The sauce and the wings matched perfectly and the wings were cooked just nice! Very traditional taste which reminds me of my grandparents cooking.

 Last but not least, their famous Soufflé (梳乎里)!! Yes it is HUGE and fluffy but not to worry, it's just the hot air in it. After a few minutes, the thing will start collapsing down and it is best to have it before it starts collapsing cause the taste and texture would not be that nice anymore. This dish would require 20-30 mins to prepare and bake, so it would normally be served last as dessert. If you are there alone or just 2-3 person, this would definitely be too much for you guys. I would say it would be preferable for at least 4 pax to share it as it can be too much and you'll get sick of it pretty fast. It was really soft and rich of the egg white taste. Really admire the chef for doing this dish as it really requires a lot of effort to make this dish! Would totally recommend you guys to try it out but it would be best if you are going in groups. Haha!

If not, do drop by to try out their other dishes which is pretty great too! Prices are also in the mid-range which is a match to the standard of their food!

Tai Ping Koon Restaurant (太平館餐廳)
Address: 60 Stanley Street, Central, Hong Kong

香港中環士丹利街60号

Telephone: +852 2899 2780 / +852 2899 2806

Opening Hours: Daily from 11:00am - 12am

One Day Food Spree in Hong Kong!

Had a free day in Hong Kong all by ourselves and we decided to go on a food spree, trying out the local street food and some local dishes! These are just some of our favorite food that we normally eat when we're in Hong Kong and they are cheap and good! (:

Squid and fish balls with their homemade chili sauce! Super spicy but super tasty!!

 Fish cake with pig intestine soup. The soup base is really tasty and the fish cake is different from the normal ones with have locally. But the pig intestine is really chewy and it does not have the stinky smell which some stalls have and the smell is definitely a big turn off!!

 This is the name of the stall! It's located just right at the corner and in the middle of the Fa Yuen Street, a popular street market in Hong Kong!

 You can choose to stand and eat outside if you're just having small bites or you can choose to sit in the store and slowly savor your food! If you're not a spicy eater, do ask for a less chili on your food or you'll be drowning yourself in water afterwards! Haha!!

 The stall is just located at the intersection of Bute Street and Fa Yuen Street, not easy to miss out! Do give it a try if you're shopping there!

Next up is lunch! One thing not to miss out when you're in Hong Kong is Wanton Mee!! So here we are!

 Mak's Noodle! There's a few famous wanton noodle stalls and their standards are about the same. I normally go to the usual few and decide base on the crowd in the store. Stores in Hong Kong are pretty small and cramp as land is very expensive there, hence it is very common to squeeze and even share table with others when you're dining in Hong Kong.

 Wanton Soup!

 Beef Tenderloin dry noodle. Yes they serve both dry and soup noodles, but the variety for dry noodles are more limited. And after trying both soup and dry noodles, I would say the soup one definitely taste better as the taste of the noodles is quite strong when you're having it dry.

 My favorite and must have in HongKong!!! Beef and wanton kway teow soup! The meat is so tender and soft and the soup is just so flavorful with the beef added in. You might not be able to see the wanton in the picture but it's below all the kway teow. Every time I have this dish, I totally cleaned out the bowl with every single drop of soup in my stomach! That's how much I love this dish!!

Mak's Noodle

G/F, No. 55 Parkes Street, Jordan, Kowloon

Opening Hours: 11am to 12.30am

Tel: +852 2302 0908

They do have a few other outlets in central, causeway bay and at the peak. So if you're in the area, do pop by to try it out!

  

Dinner time with one of the famous dish of Hong Kong: Roasted Goose!

One of the most famous store in Hong Kong for roasted goose would definitely be Yung Kee Restaurant which I believe is no stranger to most people. This Kam's Roast Goose is the branch out of Yung Kee Restaurant after a few years of much-publicized family fued between the 2 brothers. Both restaurants are now each operated by each of the brother. Though unlike Yung Kee which is more glamorous and big, the standards at Kam's is no far less than them but definitely at a cheaper price.

 I had my favorite Roast Goose with noodles which still tasted as great as the one I had in Yung Kee. A few popular dishes are the roast goose, roasted suckling pig, BBQ pork (aka Char Siew) and century egg with pickled ginger.

Do prepare to queue and wait during dinner time as the shop is rather small and is usually packed with customers during lunch/dinner time, even on weekdays!

Kam's Roast Goose

G/F, Po Wah Commercial Center, 226 Hennessy Road, Wan Chai

Opening Hours: 11.30am to 9.30pm

Tel: +852 5408 7740 / +852 2520 1110

Last but not least, not forgetting some local street food that cannot be missed out when you're in Hong Kong!! You can find these items easily along the streets when you're feeling hungry or tired after shopping.

 Curry Fish Ball. The fish ball are pretty different from what we normally have in Singapore. They are not the bouncy kind and they do not have much fish taste, but they are just chewy and the sauce and chili that are mixed together with it makes it just irresistible!

Fried conch with chili! This dish is so chewy and spicy at the same time. You can just keep chewing it and cannot get enough of it.

Some other famous street foods are the stinky fried tofu, egg waffles, egg tarts, organs in a bowl and bubble tea which can be easily found along the streets. These food are cheap and tasty and are easily reachable wherever you are! So do give them a try if you're in Hong Kong! Not to worry, though the stores are along the streets, the food are very hygienic and I've so far never gotten sick from eating these street foods.

Till the next post! (: xoxo.

Soi Lou Weng Hot Pot Restaurant

Steamboat is very common and can be found in many countries, but clam and crab steamboat is something I have never tried before. Was searching online for places to go to for my Hong Kong trip and happen to come across this steamboat shop which has quite good reviews. So I decided to visit this store and try it out.

There is currently only 1 outlet in Hong Kong is located at Jordan area. It took me quite sometime to find the place as it is quite a walk from the MTR station.

Was so happy to see this signboard after finding the place for 20 mins!

The shop is located inside Jordan Centre and the sign is not very big hence people tend to miss the place. So do keep a lookout for the signboard when looking for this place.

We went on a weekday and was there around 7pm, hence there wasn't a queue nor much people at that time. However, we did made a booking beforehand as I read reviews that the place is normally full and waiting time is quite long. Around 8pm+ the place was really packed with people and maybe cause the place is quite small, I would recommend people who are heading there to make a booking a day before to prevent long waiting time.

 Just by looking at the menu makes me drool already~

They not only have the clams and crab steamboat, they also have clams and lobster steamboat! But of course we tried the chef recommended and best seller clams and crab steamboat! Actually their base is just clams and mixed mushroom and if you want the crab or lobster, you can choose to add in. Price differs with the type of crab you want and how big the crab is. We chose the one with roe and a medium size one. You can also choose if you want a big or small one as well as the level of spiciness. We chose the medium level one and we couldn't take it! After finishing our meal, the waitress then told us that if want to taste the full flavor of the soup, it is better choose without adding spice. So now I know what is the best way to have enjoy the full rich flavor of the soup next time!

After ordering the soup, you can then choose what other items you want to add for your steamboat. Everything is a la carte and I would say the things here are not really cheap but they use premium and fresh ingredients!

 Condiments that you can use to make create your own sauce. It is chargeable by per pax at HK18 each which was quite not worthwhile for people like me who does not use any of it at all :(

Look how rich the soup is and just by smelling the aroma makes me drool! There was indeed a lot of crab roe and it was really very flavorful!!!

 We got the angus beef and it tasted really great! But of course also $$$ too. But with the quality, I would say it's worth it!!

 We also got the hand made beef balls.

 Fish Maw

 Cheese balls which tasted quite nice, something I didn't quite expected. It is very different from the normal fish balls we have as the outer is more hard not the bouncy kind. But together with the melted cheese in it, the overall taste was just right.

Some other vegetables and cuttlefish which are the usual stuffs that we order for steamboat. We also ordered a jug of lemon barley to share.

The overall experience here was wonderful. The soup base was something very different and unique and was really very tasty!! It is something new and not commonly found in any other steamboat places. However I would say the price here is a bit steep so do prepare to spend a little more if you are dining here. I would say the clam and crab soup alone is already quite filling and we definitely over ordered our food! Haha! What's new when a bunch of gluttons are eating together. So I would recommend people to order probably 1-2 dish to go along first and only adding on if you're still not full after finishing to avoid being too bloated or wasting food. If you are looking for something different to try out in Hong Kong, to visit this place at Jordan!

Soi Lou Weng Hot Pot Restaurant

澳门台山水佬荣火锅专家

佐敦道上海街佐敦中心37C-37D号3-4楼

Telephone Number: +852 2327 8282

Operating Hours: Mon - Sun, 6pm to 3.30am

PS: After reaching Jordan MTR station, exit by exit A and then turn right. Keep on walking straight down and after around 3 junctions, you should be able to see the big sign board of the store. The shop is just by the corner.

Sukhumvit Soi 38, Thong Lor Street Food

Sukhumvit Soi 38 is a normal street just like any other streets you see in Bangkok in the morning. However after 6pm, this street transforms into a food paradise filled with street stalls selling tons of variety of food! This is a popular food street to the locals and now slowly filled with tourists. It is super lively and filled with people once the sun sets all the way till wee hours in the morning. If you are feeling hungry in the middle of the night or if you are craving for cheap and nice local foods, this is definitely the place to be!

Sukhumvit Soi 38 is located just beside the Thong Lo BTS station. After alighting the station, head towards Exit 4 and you'll be able to see this brightly lighted street filled with food and life by your right hand side. Stalls start to set up after 6pm and more after 8pm. Many open all the way till wee hours while some might close early around 11pm. You can find almost all the famous local dishes here like mango sticky rice, pork leg rice, wanton mee, kway chap, pad thai, tom yum soup etc. This street can definitely satisfy all your cravings and would guarantee you leaving the place with a big round tummy!

Soi 38

The store owners are all very friendly and you can sit outside one stall and order from multiple vendors without worrying them being unhappy or chasing you away. This definitely is a good news for people like us who are always out on a food feast from many stalls (: Though they are located by the road side with many cars driving past all the time, their food are pretty clean and hygienic. Many of the stores also have menu in English and also equipped with pictures, making it easy for tourist to order!

Mango Sticky Rice

Once you enter the street, you'll see this store selling one of the local famous dish, mango sticky rice. There is also another store right across and I have tried both and they are both pretty good. The texture of the glutinous rice was just right, not too hard nor too soft and it was very flavorful with a slight tinge of sweetness. The mangoes were also fresh and sweet! And matched together with the coconut sauce, this dish is just pure delicious. Definitely the best choice of dessert!

Walking down further, you'll see and smell the aroma of this big pot of braised pork leg just by the road side. Another famous and must eat dish in bangkok is definitely the pork leg rice! I have tried the one at SabX2 and that's definitely the best I've tried by far. (Can read more about it in my earlier post, http://lifewithjacee.blogspot.sg/2014/07/sabx2-pratunam-wanton-noodles-bangkok.html) The pork leg rice here smells nice and looks nice but as compared to SabX2, it definitely still has room for improvement. The meat is not as tender and the sauce is not as well soaked into the meat. But overall, I would still rate is a 3 out of 5.

Next up, we tried the local Kway Chap, which is very different from what we normally eat in Singapore. Unlike our Singapore Kway Chap which is cooked in thick gravy sauce and enjoyed separately with the kway teow, the local thai Kway Chap has all the pig internal organs and kway teow cooked together in a bowl of soup. I would say it tastes more like our local pig organ soup.

 Right at the end of the street, you'll see this red van by the name of Daniel Thaiger selling huge aromatic burgers! Of course you can easily spot it by the amount of crowd around the van either eating or waiting for their burgers. 90% of the time you'll see a long queue outside the van and do be prepared to wait around 30 to 45 minutes for your order. But it is definitely worth the wait, trust me! The portion is very big so if you're on a feasting journey or if you're a small eater, do share it with someone else.

Menu

Mr Steve Burger

 Look at how huge the burger is and how thick the patty is! One bite in and all the juice flows out~ The burger is so flavorful and all the ingredients matches just right. There's bacon, beef patty, grilled onions, tomatoes and lettuce in the burger. All the ingredients are fresh and well marinated, and topped with the soft buttered buns..... this burger is just SUPERB!!!

Daniel Thaiger!!

 Right beside Daniel Thaiger is this small wanton stall! The wanton mee here is comparable to SabX2. But of course, SabX2 is still my number one favorite and as compared to it the flavor of this store's wanton mee still lacks a bit (more about SabX2 in my earlier post at http://lifewithjacee.blogspot.sg/2014/07/sabx2-pratunam-wanton-noodles-bangkok.html). But if you are craving for wanton mee in the middle of the night with SabX2 closed, you can try this store out! They have the crab meat or char siew wonton mee and also the choice of dry or soup. Being a greedy me, I had both crab meat and char siew wonton mee in big bowl! We also ordered the soup version to try out though we all know that the dry version is definitely better.

Dry Crab Meat and Char Siew Wonton Mee

Wonton Soup

Wonton Mee in Soup

 At the end of the night, we all left the place with a big fat stomach but satisfied grins on our face! We were super satisfied with all the food we ate throughout the whole street. We also had a fruit juice and thai milk tea after our meal. All the food here were up to standard and even after eating soo much food, it was still cheaper than a meal in the restaurant. This shows how cheap the food are here! Food here are super tasty and clean, been here a few times and have never been sick after eating the food here. Definitely a place worth to visit and I would be back again for sure!! If you are looking for good local delights, do be sure to check out this place!

Till the next post, xoxo! (: