Hong Kong 2008/2009: Series Post 3 (China Club)

One of the highlights of my trip was an excellent group dinner at the China Club. This private club (most good hotel concierges have access) was founded by Shanghai Tang owner David Tang in 1991. The club is located at 13/F, The Old Bank of China Building in Central, Hong Kong. While the club is not one of the grand dames of the Hong Kong old-money scene, it has the authentic feel of being a hundred year-old plus institution, modeled after the original China Club in Shanghai.

The bar has a kitschy, art deco look merged with classic club decor. While we waited for our table, an outstanding duet performed American and Spanish classics while waiters in formal Shanghai-style uniforms serve generous portioned drinks, and are supremely attentive, but not intrusive.

After a few cocktails, we alighted to an elegant, Chinese-themed dark wood dining room. As we prepared to sample a large range of dishes chosen by our host, we were treated to two traditions at dinner at the China Club: Tea Dancers (ceremonial pouring of traditional Chinese teas) and the making of fresh noodles by the chefs.

Shortly after the noodle demonstration was over, perfect portions of a range of dim sum and appetizers began marching out to our party. Jellyfish noodles with spicy chilies, BBQ suckling pork and fried shrimp wonton amused our palates while we gazed over the stunning Hong Kong skyline.

The main dishes were even better than the excellent dim sum. The Peking duck, moist and tender, was served with paper-thin pancakes and exceeded my expectations. The crisp beans and pork were an amazing dish. The eggplant hot pot had a woody flavor, and was very elegant but a bit outside my normal taste buds. The chicken with chilies had a very nice heat and flavorful spice. The sweet and sour chicken, prepared in a "standard" way (read: Americans will recognize it), was very good. The E-Fu noodles are a must-try. The sole sour spot on the menu was hot and sour soup, which was a bit too thick.

The China Club is a very special spot, and a must for anyone seeking a serious formal Chinese dining experience in Hong Kong.

Hong Kong 2008/2009: Series Post 2

Close to Hong Kong sits a well-known Special Administrative Zone which is easily reachable by hydrofoil (not hydroplane!). It is in many ways reminiscent of every "Special Administrative Zone" globally that allows for gambling, and it is in many ways completely different.

Packing an overnight bag for Macau was not particularly challenging; I had one dinner to attend, 24 total hours in the SAZ, and knew well most of the attendees of the small entourage. I have spent many hours in casinos and was familiar with the (lack of) required formal attire. I must admit, what I did not understand was the many ways in which Macau is truly different from other cities focused on that sometimes-considered-immoral sport of gambling for money.

One cautionary note - even though Macau is physically, temporally and politically actually in the same country as Hong Kong, a passport and a long line of immigration both coming and going is required. Someone tried to explain to me why we needed to spend 25 minutes in line having our passports checked before boarding the boat, then 45 minutes when we landed (apparently they don't want me to lose all my money!) and then the same in reverse, but there is no sensical reason. Put it to a lot of history and political machinations of a reclaimed set of islands.

Upon clearing the second immigration / customs stop, we were finally ready to get down to business (at least in my view). Rambo (yes, I couldn't resist - his name tag prominently stated his given name as Rambo and he is gratefully pictured below) from the Wynn picked us up in a shuttle bus to take us to the Wynn; it was a mercifully short five minute drive (reminiscent of LVNV) from seaport to casino floor.

We checked into the Wynn (which has a striking lobby, again reminiscent of LVNV) and agreed to meet back down in the lobby in 30 minutes. By this time, it was nearly 4pm, and I was itching to try my luck at the tables.

However, when I returned to the lobby of the hotel (which was also, in its Vegas-ness "just this side of tacky" as one of our entourage noted), I was informed that gambling was not the first order of business here in Macau. We were going furniture shopping.

Faithful readers, I was certainly a bit jet lagged from my long journey, having only slightly more than 24 hours in Asia to get settled, and the boat and multiple immigration stops may have muddled my mind, but I heard correctly. Furniture shopping. Not at all like LVNV.

Before we headed to the antique-laden shops and what was dubbed "pork alley" by our crew (more on this later) we took a short taxi ride from the Wynn to the ruins of St Paul's (pic below) and the Fortress atop Macau. It is probably useful to buy a guidebook and get some of the history en route, but I didn't (hence my bewilderment as we scraped ourselves away from the shining strip of the gambling area), and since some rely on me for this very purpose, here is the short version:

Portugal:Macau as Britain:Hong Kong as France:Fine Dining. They took it over for a while and then gave it back. The cuisine of Macau (see below) reflects this. There are some churches there, they love them some Christmas (no "Happy Holidays" in sight, just lots of Christmas ornamentation), and they make a lot of "antique" furniture. Also, they built a pretty good replica of Las Vegas in about 5 years' time, and we still don't have a working third runway at O'hare. Helpful?

The St. Paul's ruins are actually quite striking, and sit at the top of a hill buttressed by an impressive fortress on one end and a slew of pedestrian-walkway streets (a very Spanish, or I suppose Portuguese, feel) on the other. Within these streets were dozens, nay, hundreds of "antique" (some real, many fake) shops. The prices were unbelievable. For a fraction of the price of any IKEA do-it-yourself kit, you can get handmade, high quality and antique (in appearance if not in provenance) furnishings. A must-do for any savvy shoppers on a trip to the region.

I was going to write a bit about the "pork alley" but I recognize this post is getting a bit long in the tooth and it is time to start another day here in Hong Kong, but needless to say there are a lot of street vendors selling pressed and jerked meats, along with custard pies (a Macanese specialty) in the alley below St. Paul's.

Now, for the morsel you have all been waiting for - where to eat? Predictably, the major casinos (and they are all there - Wynn, MGM, Venetian, etc, etc) have fine dining. I would say the Wynn's Red 8, on the casual side, had some GREAT late-night dim sum as I nurtured my gambling losses (reminiscent of LVNV). But the culinary focus of a trip to Macau should be to explore the Macanese cuisine: Portugese-influenced fare with heavy Asian inspiration.

Litoral (yes, that is the correct spelling) is a clear destination for anyone with food on their mind. The new restaurant (built as a separate location from the older, harder-to-find original spot) evoked for me feelings of a rural Greek family tavern. An open room with stucco and dark wood beams, a serving station directly into the cooking line, and large wooden tables to enjoy a family-style meal. Our native Macau experts took the lead on ordering a veritable smorgasbord of dishes, ranging from well-prepared and spiced seafood (garlicky shrimp, cod cakes, steamed clams and grilled grouper) to savory stews and meats (Feijoada, a dish with pork and beans; charcoal grilled steak). The service was attentive and the family style dishes were served as soon as they were ready, with steadily flowing wine to make sure no one was parched. The desserts (egg yolk souffle, chocolate mousse) were not particularly unique or in keeping with the Macanese theme in my humble opinion, but were quite tasty. I would highly recommend this venue for a great group dinner in Macau - and a real taste of the diverse cultural traditions in food on this island now primarily associated with gambling.

So, as I recuse myself to head on to the next adventure, please see a few photos of the magnificent "architecture" of the strip, as evidenced in the original Stanley Ho Lisboa and its recent expansion, the Grand Lisboa. And yes, I would go back. For furniture and for blackjack, but most importantly for a little Portuguese-influenced Asian cuisine with a group of friends.

Hong Kong 2008/2009: Series Post 1

Dear readers, I am writing from the general area of Hong Kong / Macau / Kowloon as I am off on holiday for the beginning of the New Year. As is sometimes my habit on long trips with significant experiential value, I will not be doing my typical format of each restaurant or event, rather, I will post as a series. Hopefully this format will be useful as they allow the narrative of my trip to unfold in the region.

To start, I really must commend Cathay Pacific airlines. I had a tremendous and (much needed) restful flight on my way over. Great attendants, lots of things to entertain me on the long journey to this famous gateway of Asia.

Upon arrival, I made my way to my hosts' home on "The Peak". It is interesting to note that Hong Kong has a bit of a funny layout, dictated by its mountainous island geography. The Central area is the business and financial district, and also a place where a number of the finer dining and shopping establishments can be found. Mid-Levels is largely a residential area, with little to do outside of visiting people you may know there. The Peak is also residential, but is also the site of an important tourist attraction, its namesake peak. The Peak Hong Kong will better delineate this for any travelers, but as touristy as it is, it is a must see. The Peak Tram runs from Central to the Peak Tower, which has a full shopping and dining area along with the trademark panoramic views. I was further lucky to be staying with friends who live just above The Peak, so I was treated each day to the wonderful vista.

When you arrive at the top of The Peak, leave the tourist-ridden mall and cross the Peak Road to The Peak Lookout for a great dining experience with amazing views of the lush, verdant mountain scape that flows down to Aberdeen (originally a fishing village, now a bit more modern). Our group sampled the shrimp spring rolls and calamari as appetizers (the calamari have just the right amount of breading, not too much, and a great sauce) before enjoying a variety of other dishes, including sushi, a naan bread sandwich and Indonesia fried rice with shrimp and egg. All were very solid dishes. Good waitstaff, a long bar list and a great view make this the right way to replenish after the oh-so-arduous tram ride from Central.

Los Angeles 2008: Shima

Tucked in the trendy portion of Venice beach (the part with a La Jolla-on-weed feel, not the New Jersey-on-steroids bit) I was introduced to a fabulous find of a sushi restaurant on Abbot Kinney.


Shima (with no apparent website, but located at 1432 Abbot Kinney, and can be reached at 310.314.0882) is an organic, local-ingredient focused (not as hard in LA as elsewhere given the sushi-based menu). They had a very nice, short sake list; my dining companion and I opted for the Dewazakura "Nama genshu", which was lightly sweet, but clean and dry. An excellent match to every dish we tasted.


My friend had dined at Shima in the past, and we pitched the menus and requested the chef's omakase (tasting) menu.


The omakase consisted of 10 total courses, detailed below. To a one, they were well-executed and made of the freshest ingredients. On the margins, I could find a few nits to pick, but overall a tremendous meal displaying not only the fine art of simple, good sushi but also some innovation and inventive dishes.


Course 1 - Toro Tartare with black roe, topped with chives in a soy broth an served in a martini glass: a very nice star to the tasting, delicate with a creative presentation.

Course 2 - Spanish Mackerel salad, with ponzu sauce: a solid dish, with a salty and sharp sauce.
Course 3 - Maine Lobster ceviche with cucumbers and avocado. The lobster was firm and spicy/citrus sauce: very tasty, but also very bold and tart. That said, the sake cut the flavors nicely.
Course 4 - Red Snapper carpaccio with truffle oil and lemongrass: An adventurous course and bold for a traditional sushi house. A very well-done dish, and I award extra points for the contrasting flavors and the concept of truffle oil with sushi, generally.
Course 5 - Homemade Tofu Steak: Crisp outside, silky inside, a little less flavor than I would have liked but a perfect execution of textures.
Course 6 - Grilled Abalone with mushroom and asparagus. Unexpectedly flavorful with a hearty mushroom sauce and perfectly cooked Abalone.

Course 7 - We sampled two non-traditional Miso soups; neither stood out to me, but a good break late in the meal.
Courses 8 and 9 - The meal was rounded out with a high-quality selection of sushi (I even liked the Uni which I typically do not). The chef also asked us if we wanted to try a handroll, and made us one of spicy tuna; the stand out from this final dish was the crisp and light seaweed, with none of the "chewiness" one typically sees from many sushi restaurants.
Course 10 - A finishing sweet course, a gelato-like non-dairy surrounded by various fresh fruit. It had a semi-fredo texture and some tapioca and coconut flavors, a good cap to an excellent, long meal.

I would run, not walk, to this hidden gem in Venice if you are in LA, before it gets too swarmed.

Chicago 2008: Sepia Update

Whilst I still have about 45 posts in draft form due to a terrible travel schedule, I felt compelled to skip enhancing my readers' culinary vision for a moment to pen another few words regarding Sepia. I think I have mentioned before that Sepia was hands down my #1 new restaurant in Chicago back in late 2007; since that time, it has only improved. Like the fine and eclectic wines that they have picked for their continuously refreshed wine list, this restaurant has matured beautifully.

I have taken the occasion to dine with clients, family and friends alike at Sepia no less than 15 times this year, and each time the menu is executed to perfection. The staff is always knowledgeable, courteous and fun. Many of my dining partners have said that the pork chop is the best they have ever had, hands down. And these are pork people. I myself am partial to the game dishes that rotate through the entree selections. Most recently, I sampled the Elk Chop, which was a large-portioned, perfectly cooked and seasoned masterpiece for the Winter-y months. In addition, the always amazing grilled calamari dish is sure to please first-time diners.

So, I entreat Chicago-area folks to sample the amazing cuisine of Chef Duque before he is whisked away by the Obamas to Washington as has recently been rumored.

Los Angeles 2008: Beso

In the late days of 2008, I had the occasion to be in Los Angeles and was lucky enough to gather with friends to celebrate the holidays at the cavernous, dimly lit Beso.

Eight gents gathered for a mid-week boys night out at the celeb-heavy spot by Todd English (and Eva Longoria). We spotted a few star athletes and my fellow Clevelander Drew Carey noshing on the "latin-inspired" cuisine.

For starters, the menu has a nice list of appetizers and shared plates. We sampled a very good guacamole with crisp tortilla strips, crispy lamb ribs (amazing and must have - crispy outside and tender inside with just the right spice of peanut chipotle sauce) and a nice selection of hand tacos in all varieties (fish, vegetable, steak and pork).

As the entrees arrived, we swapped out our cocktails for a spicy yet light syrah recommended by the waiter. I had a fabulous portion of whole branzini, with sides of sweet pot tater tots, asparagus and mashed potatoes. All were excellent, particularly the sweet tater tots. The branzini was prepared simply and whole with salt, pepper and oil.

A surprise finish to the meal, fresh churros with sweet cream were brought out to the table. We finished them off quickly, and ended the evening stuffed from the many courses.

Additionally, the real star seekers should stick around for the later night scene at Kiss, the upstairs lounge at Beso.

A well-done addition to the LA scene.

New York 2008: iCi

On an unseasonably warm winter morning in early December, I walked across DeKalb Avenue in the Fort Greene area of Brooklyn with two locals to grab brunch at iCi. Meaning "here" in English, iCi is a charming, crowded French bistro style restaurant on the garden floor of a building just a few blocks from the park, and it feels almost a bit foreign and out of place...the format, interior and, importantly, food, exuded a true sense of Europe (they even eschew credit cards at brunch, a poor European trait).

iCi focuses on local, organic and farm-fresh ingredients to create its largely French Country menu. After a nice mug of decaf (not very European), I tried a glass of Rhone which turned out to be quite nice. My dining partners had the more traditional bloody mary start to their Sunday, which I understand were also quite tasty.

The menu is simple and fairly limited - a few egg dishes, a few bread dishes and some sides. This is a good thing, as the short description of each dish made me very indecisive. I finally opted for the poached eggs with truffled grits and cheddar. The large bowl was stuffed with the aforementioned ingredients, and very flavorful. I would note, however, that the thick mixture of grits and eggs with rich truffle and cheese notes was lukewarm; the dish would benefit from a bit more prompt service once out of the various pots and pans. That said, the chef has designed a dish that echoed both French and American comfort food. Particularly when paired with the "Bacon with Fat" side dish - thick, fat pieces of bacon almost as succulent as pork belly. A must have.

My companions had the french toast (with apple and pear compote), shirred eggs (which I had never heard of) with collard greens, and a side of chicken sausage. The french toast was well-done with a thick brioche and steeped in sweet syrup. The shirred eggs took the gold medal though. In addition to the described collard greens, the bowl (same serving as my eggs and grits, but piping hot!) was overflowing with a bechamel sauce and chunks of the "Bacon with Fat" mixed into the eggs. I had a one forkful and was certain of what I order on my next trip.

I applaud the efforts the owners are making to support local, fresh ingredients and the eclectic, tasty dishes they have developed (at least on the brunch menu). A few tweaks to the service (to adjust the temperatures, of course) and a more rational credit card policy (they do take credit cards at dinner, just not brunch) would make this a perfect breakfast spot - an old world menu, new world ingredients, and a hip location in burgeoning Fort Greene. Give it a try, and don't miss the bacon.