Birthday with old friends

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We are joining a birthday celebration tonight. Ro Ro has organized a seemingly endless series of dinners for DaRC during his birthday month, and tonight it was our turn to join the party. Kiu's Kitchen (嬌姐小廚), an offshoot from the original Hop Sze (合時小廚) in Sai Wan Ho. I never understood the craze over Hop Sze as I always thought it was just a decent place for casual stir-fry (小炒), which was why I haven't bothered trying to book a table here. So it was fortuitous that this provided me a chance to check it out.

We had a big group of 19 people - most of whom were college buddies of DaRC - so we took the private room with the huge round table. This was gonna be fun...

The menu had already been preset, of course, and no surprise there would be a lot of food. In fact, because of the number of people we had, some of the dishes had to have 2 servings presented at opposite ends of the table.

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First up were the live prawns, which were doused in about a bottle and a half of Mei Kuei Lu Chiew (玫瑰露酒) so that they became "drunken". We waited for some time for the prawns to stop struggling and jumping around, and then Kiu Jie came to cook the prawns by first draining the liquid, putting the prawns into the pot, and then dousing them with ANOTHER 1½ bottles of Mei Kuei Lu! Then we have a flame show...

Prawns flambéed with Mei Kuei Lu (玫瑰露火焰蝦) - these prawns weren't gigantic, which is a plus in my book as I prefer them smaller. They also weren't full of poop, unlike this one I got served last year.

The Chairman in pain

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Two days after we first met, I'm sitting down with my new friends from Europe again. They had visited The Chairman (大班樓) a few years ago, but that was before the menu format change and the move to the current digs. I seem to be always taking visitors and other friends to dine here, but the good news for me tonight was that for once, I didn't have to order the signature flower crab!

The bad news for me was that immediately after lunch, I suffered pain in my digestive system that prompted a visit to a clinic... where I was diagnosed with indigestion and prescribed meds to (hopefully) alleviate the symptoms. That meant I wouldn't be at full capacity tonight, and would be nibbling more than devouring.

I know that my guests have big appetites but I chose to stick with the "regular" or "basic" menu, without adding any extra dishes. I figured that since they are eating their way around town with two big meals a day, this should be enough in terms of calorie intake...

Ginger and vinegar pig trotter terrine (甜醋子薑豬手豬耳凍) - since being introduced in 2023, this has quickly become one of my favorite starters here. I made sure to give the download on the origins of this dish to the visitors, as those not familiar with local customs would never make the connection with birthing mothers. I do love the sweet and sour vinegar, and how the jelly reminds me of what the original dish looks like when I first take it out of the fridge. The signature pickled young ginger of the restaurant has been finely diced and used as garnish, alongside really finely chopped kaffir lime leaf for their beautiful fragrance.

K-eighborhood in Jeju

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Lots of so-called KOLs are in town for the festivities around Asia's 50 Best Restaurants, and many restaurants in town are busy hosting 4-, 6-, 8-, and even collabs up to 14-hands. Unlike previous years where these "50 Best Signature Series" events were by invitation only, this year tickets are available for sale for the many meals. I'm pretty sure most of the events sold out quickly, too, once people were given the opportunity to participate in the fun.

I wasn't planning on going to any of the events at lunch time, since they're happening during my work week, but when the Kitchen Nazi pinged me about his collab event, I figured I could maybe take an extended lunch today. And since Mr. Bongwater had requested that I take him to Neighborhood while he's in town this week - something that was impossible due to the late timing of his request - I asked permission to bring him along, too.

I'll freely admit that I had not heard of Chef Kang Byungwook or his restaurant Last Spring (넘은 봄) on Jeju Island. When I first saw the event being advertised on social media, in the back of my mind I noted that the guest chef was "some Korean guy" and that his restaurant is not in Seoul - since the event was referred to as "K-eighborhood in Jeju". Funny thing was that while talking to a few KOLs who were also invited to the event, none of them knew who the guest chef was... In fact, some actually thought the Kitchen Nazi was doing this solo.

As we found out during the meal, Chef Kang actually worked in Hong Kong for a few years - both at my beloved Ta Vie 旅 and L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon. Apparently he also spent a month in the kitchen at Neighborhood, which is how he is connected to our host.

One of the reasons I don't go to many of these events is, well... I'm an asshole. I'm picky about who I sit with, even when the meal is free. In fact, I'm MORE picky about my dining companions when it's by invitation, because I really only want to share space and time with people whose company I enjoy (or at least don't object to). So with the restaurant filled with KOLs and wannabes, it's easy to guess how the meal went.

First up was what looked like the "dry bouillabaisse" that is often served here as the first dish, but the Kitchen Nazi called this "cold Jeju [seafood] stew". Local spiny lobster, razor clams, shrimp... etc. were poached in a crab broth seasoned with gochujang, then chilled before serving.

Beijing trip 2026 day 4: barbecue by the lake

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Our last morning in Beijing, and we still didn't have much of an appetite for breakfast. We did, however, need some caffeine this morning, so we walked around and stopped at CITIC Bookstore (中信书店) next to our hotel. It's a nice little space where one could have coffee and hang out, and there are even books I could read while chillin'.

We checked out of our hotel and brought our luggage to lunch. Our taxi didn't want to make the long loop to the restaurant entrance, so we dragged our suitcase a short distance along the shores of Houhai (后海) to Kaorouji (烤肉季). Having done traditional Pekinese lamb hotpot for our first meal, it is somewhat fitting that our last meal of the trip should be old school lamb barbecue.

A special room upstairs had been arranged for us, with an adjoining barbecue room affording us a lovely view of both the Drum Tower (钟楼) and Bell Tower (鼓楼).

The real attraction, though, was the big wood fire griddle (炙子) made by welding strips of iron together. The intention is for the fat to drip down the gaps between the iron strips, although I do wonder if that still happens with this particular griddle that reportedly has been in use for some 60 years.

Beijing trip 2026 day 3: 3 ducks with Da Dong

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Another day, another morning with no appetite for breakfast. Knowing we have another big lunch coming up, I decided to give up my search for that jianbing (煎饼) breakkie I have so longed to have.

I've always enjoyed my meals at restaurants bearing the Da Dong (大董) name. While Mr. Dong is famous for his newer style, "crispy not greasy (酥不腻)" roast Peking ducks, it's a style I don't particularly care for. I like my ducks juicy and greasy, and nothing excites me more than seeing the juices run down as a chef slices up a bird. However, I am a BIG fan of his other dishes - from the more traditional Shandong cuisine to even his "creative" work involving molecular gastronomy.

I was really happy that Gastro Esthetics at DaDong (美•大董海参店) was included on our itinerary. It's been too long since my last visit to DaDong, and I still think about the sea cucumber I enjoyed 9 years ago...

Foursheets noticed the Maybach SUV parked right outside the restaurant entrance, but we quickly went upstairs to our private dining room. Chef Dee from Chef 1996 Restaurant (1996川菜•主厨餐厅) was our hostess today, and there was a spread of little snacks for us to enjoy while we waited for everyone to arrive.

The menu at DaDong's restaurants have always seemed like literary works. I still recall the big, à la carte menus looking like traditional Chinese texts, and our custom menu today read like a scroll. The title was Banquet Postlude to Winter (冬趣).

We started with some Champagne. Since I don't have to work today, I don't mind a little light drinking at lunch...

Perrier-Jouët Blanc de Blancs, dégorgée le 31 Juillet 2023 - good acidity balance on the palate.

Finger food: 4 Pekinese snacks (手指餐：北京小吃四款): I guess we got a little extra since I counted 6...

Pickled celtuce cubes (泡莴苣丁) - in chili oil.

Beijing trip 2026 day 2: Sichuan in Beijing

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When I signed up for this trip to Beijing, I knew there would inevitably be meals which showcased northern Chinese cuisine such as Pekinese (京菜) and Shandong (鲁菜). I did not expect a stop at a Sichuanese restaurant to be part of our itinerary. Having said that, I do remember Mr. Chichi posting about Chef 1996 Restaurant (1996川菜•主厨餐厅), so I guess I wasn't too surprised to see this name pop up.

Foursheets and I arrived about half an hour before the appointed time for dinner, and the crowd that had gathered was already bigger than our lunch group today. The Man in White T-shirt Lightly-buzzed Chef (微醺大廚) and Dada had arrived in the city, and we were treated to the sight of him walking around in shorts in freezing temperatures.

The guest of honor tonight was the famed director of the popular TV series A Bite of China (舌尖上的中国) - someone who possesses an incredible amount of knowledge about various Chinese cuisines - and after he arrived, it was time to begin the feast. I didn't realize until later that tonight would include the "feast of the preserved meats", which was why the tonight's menu was inscribed with the title "Winter Sichuan banquet (腊珍宴)". I knew I was in trouble when I saw that the printed menu was 4 pages long... Chef owner Liang Di (梁棣) was really pulling out all the stops for our guest of honor, and Foursheets and I were so lucky to have been the the fly on the wall...

Sichuanese cuisine has categorized 24 different types of flavors (二十四味型), and the menu tonight clearly specified which flavor category each dish belonged to. Each chapter of the menu was also named after specific Song ci (宋詞).

Xing Xiang Zi • Opening (行香子 • 启品)

We were presented with the seasonal produce being used tonight, which we had seen on display while touring the main restaurant earlier.

Weekend in Guangzhou: not too spicy

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One of the main reasons of coming to Guangzhou this weekend was to give Foursheets an opportunity to try the cuisine from Chef Zeng Huaijun (曾怀君), who was one of The Man in White T-shirt's partners on Chef of China (一饭封神). We had the opportunity to get a taste of Chef Zeng's cooking at her collaboration dinner at Neighborhood a few months ago, and that really piqued Foursheets' interest. Since her restaurant Song (宋・川菜) is located in Guangzhou, this gave us to impetus to come check it out.

I told Sporty Cousin about this place a few weeks ago, and he actually went on a scouting mission for us. He managed to give it a big "thumbs up", and he was more than happy to come join us tonight so that he could try out more dishes.

The restaurant is inside the Winter Plaza (冬广场) of GT Land Plaza (高德置地广场), and as soon as we walked through the front doors, we were faced with a 7-story high LED display - and it happened to cycle through the point where it advertised about the restaurant. We rode the escalator up and, as Sporty Cousin had booked us a table at 6 p.m., walked in without having to wait in line for more than an hour.

A good night to die with 3-star food

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Tonight is a good night to die.

'Tis the season for game meats, and one of my favorite dishes from this genre is lièvre à la royale - which I've been lucky to have at a few top restaurants in Europe as well as here in Hong Kong. The dish is pretty heavy, so it's not something I have every year. In fact, the last time I had this was actually 4 years ago!

So once again, I organized a boys' night out at Caprice. Hairy Legs Cookie Monster always serves up a great version of the dish, and while I have tasted other dishes served with hare more recently, I still can't believe it's been so long since I last tasted this classic.

I was grateful that Cookie Monster put us at the Chef's Table, which was where some of us last had this dish together with a huge game menu. We would be having a slightly lighter menu tonight... or so we thought.

I gotta say... I've had these three bites from the boîte à bijoux multiple times by now, and tonight each of them were the best versions I can remember.

Mushroom tartlet - tonight the mushroom flavors were pretty intense... porcini, par hasard? There was the usual Parmesan cookie at the bottom, and a small disc of Comté on top with a bit of tarragon. This was more salty than I had remembered, but the flavors were very, very good.

The last dim sum

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We have an alumnus back in town for a few days, and since our beloved Metropol Restaurant (名都酒樓) is closing its doors in 2 days, our friend requested that we do lunch there today. We are grateful that Mamo grabbed a table for the three of us, because we would have had to wait a pretty long time for a table!

Our friend apparently brought a ferocious appetite with him, so he was out grabbing anything and everything - ignoring the fact that there were only three mouths at the table... and one of them was at half capacity.

Steamed spare rib in black bean sauce (豉汁蒸排骨)

Spicy typhoon dinner

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Some of us have been lucky enough to follow the career of the Kitchen Nazi Man in White T-shirt for quite some time - since 2010 in my case - and watch him gain popularity and recognition over the years. His current restaurant Neighborhood first appeared on the Asia's 50 Best Restaurants list in 2018, and he received the Inedit Damm Chef's Choice Award in 2022. Although we were never quite sure that he was gunning for it, friends were nevertheless ecstatic when Neighborhood was awarded its first macaron in 2023. Those in the know have been flocking to his restaurant for years, but truth be told, he remained relatively anonymous outside a relatively small culinary circle.

But things have completely changed this year. Somehow this seasoned chef stumbled onto the Chinese TV cooking competition show Chef of China (一饭封神) - as a contestant, no less!. After the show began airing, our friend became one of the most popular participants and gained millions of fans. Suddenly half of China wanted to come to Hong Kong and dine at Neighborhood. On my last visit, I witnessed first hand how first-time guests gushed in front of him and asked for cheffies. There were even people who didn't have a booking but simply wanted to come by the restaurant and get a look at this celebrity chef. Yes, our friend has turned into a celebrity in the most populated country on the planet.

One of the rounds of the competition involved our friend teaming up with two other chefs - Chef Zeng Huaijun (曾怀君) of Song (宋・川菜) in Guangzhou, and Chef Tiffany Tung (董嘉琪) - where they were asked to cook something spicy. Chef Zeng took the lead on creating the flavors (her restaurant serves Sichuan cuisine and does have a Michelin star), while The Man in White T-shirt made the call to confit the fish. This team received the most votes from the judges in this round of the competition, and soon there were 6-hands collaborations set up here and there.

So this is how we got here tonight... a collaboration of this team at Neighborhood. On a evening where the Hong Kong Observatory hoisted the Typhoon Signal 8 for Typhoon Ragasa. On a day where I was suffering from gastroenteritis... when the last thing I needed was putting spice into my digestive system. But I knew Foursheets really wanted to come because she really loves spicy food, and this was obviously one of the hottest tickets in town. So I sucked it up for her.

Korea wedding trip day 6: once more into the pig

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It's our last day in Seoul, and we have a couple of stops to hit before flying off. Coffee is usually the first order of the day for Foursheets, and I honestly felt a little lazy this morning. Since there's a branch of A Twosome Place right in the lobby of voco Seoul Myeongdong, I figured we should just get our coffee and breakfast right here.

I got myself some kind of a bacon and cheese bagel, which was OK. I don't expect amazing bagels when I'm in Asia...

...but this coffee... This was REALLY SHIT. Totally bland and tasteless. This was most definitely the blandest coffee I can remember ever having. Together with our experiences over the last few days, it makes us wonder... do Koreans actually know to make coffee? I don't remember the coffees I had in Seoul last year being anywhere nearly as bad, and I know that this is a chain and all... but still!

Korea wedding trip day 5: my kind of Sunday roast

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I knew that on this trip, Foursheets' first return to Seoul since 2017, I would have to take her to Born and Bred. We were lucky enough to have been introduced to Sang on that trip when he was still personally cooking at the old private counter inside Majang-dong, and we've been fans ever since.

Shortly before the pandemic struck, Sang opened his Kingsmen-inspired new multi-story building. I wasn't able to join a group trip in late 2019, but did get to come with The Man in White T-shirt last year. This was the first opportunity for Foursheets to come see it for herself, and I roped in Kutsuyama for our Sunday dinner.

Chef Min had moved to the original counter back inside the market, as the place has been rebranded Born and Bred Original. The place is closed for a private event tonight, but he was very kind to spending some time here tonight to make us feel welcome. Sang had told me last night that the big building still serves up his menu, but the new menu at the "Original" is all Chef Min... and he admitted that Chef Min's menu may be better than his own. I guess we'll need to come back to Seoul for that!

As we were the last people to be seated, we were at the far end of the semi-circular counter. The chef started by presenting the two best cuts of beef to us as he began to cook them over the charcoal grill.

Korea wedding trip day 3: spicy pork

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It's the night before the wedding, and Mikacina has very kindly invited those of us flying in to dinner. Sancheong Charcoal Garden (산청숯불가든) is a small chain of restaurants specializing in black pork grilled over charcoal, and it's not too far away from our hotel. I looked forward to catching up with friends - and of course the bride-to-be - before tomorrow's festivities.

The first thing one notices is the central pits where the charcoal would be. Every once in a while there would be someone carrying a try of hot charcoal passing by...

Sine Qua Non toast, part 10

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It's been more than 2 years since this gang sat around a table and guzzled bottles of a beloved cult wine. I guess we were just all busy with our own stuff and no one got around to organize something. Once again I became the instigator, and this time we managed to round up enough people for a proper dinner. I was pretty happy that H-man was around and could join this dinner, and we've shared a few bottles of Sine Qua Non over the years.

I didn't want to be the one picking a restaurant this time, so after a few rounds of suggestions, we settled on Jiangsu Club (江蘇銘悅). I was once a big fan in one of its former incarnations, but I haven't been back in almost 9 years. I was really looking forward to seeing how the food would be after all this time.

A couple of the guys seem to be regulars here, and we collectively put together a pretty big menu for this big night.

I can't resist these seaweed peanuts (苔菜花生), especially when I'm hungry.

Chilled chicken in chilli peppercorn sauce (江南麻辣口水雞) - this is... not exactly Jiangsu cuisine... and normally I would expect this to be pretty spicy. Not the case tonight.

Health check for wines

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I had long heard about the re-corking events held by Penfolds, where customers bring in older bottles of wine to be checked and re-corked, but I guess I never thought I needed to do something like that. I love drinking old wines and I'm used to seeing old corks, and also used to the mature profile of older wines. Recorking would, in general, involve topping up the bottle with a new vintage - which would damage the purity of the original wine... so I haven't been too eager to do something like that.

This time, though, one of the sessions was for clients of Christies, so the Specialist invited me to the session. She knew, of course, that I do have a small collection of old Grange that may fit the bill. After giving it due consideration, I figured I would see what this was all about.

I haven't stepped foot inside The Upper House for a few years, and certainly have not been to the top floor where the restaurant is located. As soon as the elevator doors opened, there was a full frontal assault by the intense perfume that permeates the room. Not sure who picked the space for this event, but there was no way I could smell anything from a wine glass...

So when I was poured a glass of Penfolds Champagne Cuvée Brut as a welcome drink, I very quickly gave up on trying to enjoy the nose. It was all perfume.

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Penfolds Chief Winemaker Peter Gago presides over these clinics, and he started by explaining how the process works, and the different treatment they give to bottles judged to be in various conditions. They first check the level and see whether it is low enough to warrant re-corking - something Peter described as a "last resort" - as it is preferable not to interfere with the wine.

The preview

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I had been helping Ms. Hurricane plan her big party, as she needed an "in" with Restaurant Petrus. Well... The Chef Who Tries to Kill Me always whines that I don't love him, that I only love Hairy Legs... blah blah... so I took the opportunity to introduce Ms. Hurricane to him. It is totally reasonable that my friend needed a "taste test" before committing to hosting her big party at the restaurant, so we came for a preview tonight.

I was the first to be seated, and since my lunch wasn't that filling, I had arrived with stomach growling. I mentioned to The Chef Who Tries to Kill Me that "I hesitate to tell you that I'm hungry..." because, well, saying those things in his presence has consequences. I also advised him to keep things reasonable on account of my friend, and he promised to "let us off easy."

I was pleasantly surprised to see Nicolas in the house, as he had just joined the team mere weeks earlier. I felt instantly at ease having a familiar face look after us.

Most of the dishes tonight would come from the current "Summer Dinner" menu, with the addition of a special dish designed to match the wines which would be opened at the upcoming party. I was brimming with excitement and couldn't wait for the food to arrive.

We started with a series of nibbles:

Truffle and beef tartare tart - we've got some acidity with the tartare along with some crunchy shallots. I could taste the umami and flavors of the sea from the tart shell thanks to the presence of kelp.

Metropol memories

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I'm overcome with sadness. After 35 years, our friend's family has made the difficult decision to close down Metropol Restaurant (名都酒樓). While business has recovered from the tough years of 2019 through the Covid pandemic, the family is sitting on unrealized gains on the restaurant space and that math just ain't gonna get better. The restaurant's coming closure before the end of September has been announced, and owners and staff can be proud of the institution that together they have built - hence the use of the term 光榮結業.

While I cannot pinpoint the exact date I first dined here, it would probably have been within the first week or two of me arriving in Hong Kong at the end of May 1995. My office was in Pacific Place then, and it was a regular affair to go to lunch at Metropol whenever visitors from other offices arrived in Hong Kong. What I didn't realize until years later is that the restaurant - part of the Heichinrou (聘珍樓) group which started in Yokohama more than 140 years ago - is owned by the family of an alumnus of my high school in Tokyo.

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The space is large, able to host banquets of 100 tables with at least 10 diners per table. Lunch here is alwas a boisterous affair, as the place would be buzzing for a few hours - building up gradually from 8 a.m. when their breakfast service begins. For our visitors from outside Hong Kong, it's a real culture shock and quite an experience.

Champagne and pasta

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It's been a couple of weeks, but our good friends the Birdiegolfs still wanted to celebrate my birthday with me. I wasn't very particular about the venue this year, but when Locanda was suggested as one of the choices, I immediately asked whether they could still serve the black truffle carbonara that I had missed out on right before my birthday. Ahleeso checked with the chef, and happily reported back that they were still able to do it.

Locanda is a restaurant that Foursheets and I like well enough, but somehow we don't go there enough because it doesn't pop up in our heads when we think of places to go. That needs to change. We also need to make our first visit to Aedes Wine and Pasta Bar next door.

Gavin had forgotten that we are friends with Ahleeso, so he was a little surprised to see me walk in tonight. I hope that makes up for not answering his call on the black truffle dinner.

Culatello di Zibello D.O.P. - we needed something to go with our Champagne, and this is always a good idea.

Smoked with delicious fat

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One of the restaurants in Shenzhen that I had heard good things about is Fumée (拂鳴). I had yet to pay them a visit as I'm still in the discovery stage with regard to the city across the border, and I have naturally focused on restaurants serving various schools of Chinese cuisine. I figured I'd get around to it eventually. When Mr. Chichi asked whether I'd be interested in joining a group tasting on a Sunday night, it didn't take me long to say 'Yes'.

After taking a detour on account of my stupidity, we arrived at the restaurant just before the appointed time. Our group was seating along the counter facing the kitchen, and I had the good fortune to keep the Kitchen Nazi company. He's always fun with eat with.

Our evening started with some Champagne...

Christophe Mignon ADN de Meunier Brut Nature, dégorgée le 20 Mai 2020 - initially this was served much too cold, a common mistake, so there wasn't much showing on the nose except for a little minerals. Got a little better once it warmed up with a little more depth on the palate.

Chef Reina Chen explained that she was serving us a spring menu, with ingredients reflecting the flavors she associates with the season. We would start with something refreshing:

We were shown some of the 9 ingredients used to make our welcome drink, including cardamom and "leaves from the forest".

This smelled of guava and pine or cypress... definitely very green. Nice and refreshing.

Hot in the city

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I seldom have hankering for hotpot meals in restaurants. Besides the soup base - and often I would prefer something clear or even plain water - it's mostly about the ingredients. There isn't much cooking skill involved, and I freely admit to having next to none in that department. I'm almost always joining friends or family when I find myself at a hotpot restaurant. So it was the case today... when Mr. Chichi extended a rare invitation to join him for Beijing-style lamb hotpot (涮羊肉).

Having spent a lot less time in Central over the last year or so, I've been oblivious to the opening of Peking Hotpot (新京熹老北京涮肉火鍋) - a genuine Beijing import. I had, in fact, walked past it last month without taking much notice. But since Mr. Chichi is organizing, I figured I'd get to have a pretty good experience - and a lot of food.

We have the hotpot with traditional clear broth (傳統清湯鍋).

We were presented with the array of condiment sauce (搭檔小料), and I love the traditional sesame sauce.