In the presence of greatness

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There are a few people I haven't seen for a couple of months, and someone's been asking me to organize a dinner together.  After looking around for interesting places to eat, I figured we could do any of the three restaurants run by Kazuo Okada, and put it to the group for a vote.  Not surprisingly, Messina came out the winner.  I was also not surprised that no one voted for the Shanghainese restaurant with the macaron...

I'd never been to Messina and was looking forward to try it, after my first experience with Kazuo Okada.  I decided that I wouldn't arrange anything special in terms of food, and would let everyone decide for themselves.  After checking to make sure that we didn't all have to order the same set menu if one of us did, I ended up ordering à la carte... and taking one course more than I should have...

The kitchen sent us an amuse bouche, which was a seared scallop with grapefruit and green apple on top.

This was when I first realized that I was in the presence of greatness.

Lil' ol' chapels

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We usually do our MNSC annual dinner in January, and I'm thankful yet again that I don't have to play the role of organizer.  Given the boys' recent experience with a bottle of ex-château La Chapelle from an older vintage, the gang decided to do a vertical of the famed wine.  However, due to budget constraints we weren't able to include the legendary 1961 Jaboulet La Chapelle in the lineup.  My attempts to persuade Altaya Wines to give the MNSC members a 50% discount fell on deaf ears...

As the budget seemed a little tight - and I'm not about to get into an argument on this topic - we decided to forgo dining at a fancy restaurant.  Instead we gathered in the Grill Room at the Hong Kong Country Club, which I guess isn't bad as far as club food goes.

Vichyssoise of cauliflower with honey, steamed langoustines and buckwheat pancake - I never see vichyssoise on the menus at places I frequent, as I guess it's too low-brow... So I jumped at the chance to have this even though it's not exactly warm weather.  LOVED IT.  Creamy, rich and smooth.  Wonderful texture that was thick enough without being in overkill territory.  Chunks of langoustines were hidden in the bowl, and they were naturally savory with that sweetness which can only be from fresh seafood.

The only complaint I have is that I wasn't given any utensils with which to crack the claws, so I couldn't get to the meat inside.

The best stuffed crab shell in Hong Kong?

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I was running about an hour late for lunch, thanks to unscheduled delays while meeting a prospective client.  So when I finally arrived at Man Wah (文華廳) and sat down, Tigger and family had already gone through the dim sum items... and had very kindly saved me a couple of things.  I dug in immediately.

Roast goose puff with yanmin sauce (仁棯燒鵝酥) - hmmm... other than coming in a very cute goose-shaped pastry, I didn't find this very special.  Honestly, if you told me it's a barbecued pork puff (叉燒酥) I would have believed you...

Be good to yourself

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Some time very late last night - or in the wee hours this morning - I made a decision to take a "me day" today.  Once in a while, it's good to take some time out and make yourself happy,  since - as the song goes - "Be good to yourself, nobody else will".

It's been a while since I last made a major purchase, and I've had my eye on a certain camera body (and a lens) to meet my photography needs.  So I made my way into town in the afternoon and pulled the trigger.

With my new toys in the bag, there was no time like the present to take them for a test run... in another city!  I strolled over to the ferry terminal and hopped on the next available ferry to Macau.  I figured I'd stroll around Macau, turn on the camera's GPS for some geo-tagging, and grab some food while I'm at it.

I was talking to Mo' Unni yesterday about the joys of solo dining, and decided that it's been too long since I asked for a "table for one" at a fine dining establishment.  I'd made a couple of trips to Macau over the last few years, as KC's "plus one" at the invitation of Hotel Lisboa.  One place that we never visited together - and one place I still hadn't been to - was Don Alfonso 1890.  So this was an itch I finally decided to scratch today.

The new and healthier Harlan

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It's the last Friday before Lunar New Year, and I decided to take the team out for lunch.  Our little fund launched just about a year ago, and it seemed like an appropriate time to gather the troops and thank everyone for their hard work.  I asked the guys to pick a place, and was a little surprised when the reservation was made at Gold by Harlan Goldstein... instead of Tsui Wah (翠華).  I guess this was their way of telling me that they wanted to be fed good stuff!

We got there pretty early, and I spotted a somewhat familiar figure in the distance.  Of course it was Harlan, but the newer, slimmer version.  We had both been on separate slim-down programs, and I had missed the chance to attend the charity dinner last year celebrating his win in Summer Slim Slam.  So this was the first time we had seen each other in months.  I went up to say hello and was greeted with a bear hug.

We needed to get out quickly as the stock market only had a 1-hour lunch break, so we went for the set lunch.  I went and grabbed some raw veggies, salumi and marinated mixed veggies to start.

"Melt in your mouth" Scottish salmon, seafood bisque orzo, chorizo, squids and black ink aioli - I initially wanted some pasta, but Harlan highly recommended this salmon and I figured he's never done me no wrong.  So the whole team went for this lighter and healthier option.

And sure enough, this was melt-in-your-month as Harlan promised.  The salmon was lightly poached - or was it cooked "sous vide"? - and was incredibly tender.  The orzo in seafood bisque was very yummy, and I've always loved the texture of orzo as it yielded a little to the pressure from my teeth.  The chorizo added some kick to the flavors, and that black ink aioli...  Yum.

The coffee gelato was very yummy, and I loved the crunch that was sprinkled on top.  I decided to only finish half, as I probably didn't need the full hit of calories... and I'd just had my second espresso of the day and didn't need more caffeine.  I was actually tempted to pour my espresso on top of the coffee gelato... but that would have been a little too much!

This was a pretty good hit-and-run lunch.  I'd been missing Harlan's food while I was on my diet, and I guess I need to come back and get my fix...