Hong Kong 2009: Lamma Island (Rainbow), Dragon-i

Back in Hong Kong for some meetings (business not pleasure this time) but had the occasion to try a few new spots whilst here. Have some downtime due to the time zone difference, so thought I would share (despite not being caught up on my many other drafts, I know).

One thing you must do in Hong Kong is experience the boating culture. Every day (and especially on the weekends) hundreds of brave junks and sailboats test their mettle in the beautiful harbor amidst one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world.

A popular destination is Lamma Island, a small fishing village on an island about 30 minutes from Central's public pier. Coasting off in a lazy junk on a sunny day is a great experience, and arriving and open-air restaurants abutting the floating fisherman's huts is doubly so. The fresh fish of every variety sits in tanks waiting for your order. Rainbow (two restaurants on the small cove's boardwalk of probably six total restaurants) seems to be the most popular; it also has a dedicated ferry if you aren't up to renting your own junk. Try the fried calamari, large slices fresh fried in a good batter; the prawns, prepared a variety of ways; and of course the whole fish, served with vegetables and easy to eat - they have "mostly" deboned it for you.

For a markedly different experience, try the nightclub-cum-restaurant Dragon-i just above Lan Kwai Fong in Central. With both indoor and outdoor dining, the "all you can eat Dim Sum" lunch, at about USD$20 per person, is a good value and an amazing alternative to fast food. The service is swift, and the dishes seems to start arriving as soon as your ordr them. Not a buffet-type all-you-can-eat, this is a fresh cooked (steamed, fried or seared depending on the chosen dumplings) option for you to experience good authentic dim sum gluttony. I would say it does not measure up to the Princess Garden in London or Luk Yu Tea House (just a few blocks away from Dragon-i, I think I noted in my last journal from Hong Kong) in pure quality, but has a good "scene" and is definitely an acceptable option for authentic cuisine lovers.

Hong Kong 2008/2009: Series Post 4 (Petrus)

Taking a short respite from the traditional Chinese dining options in Hong Kong, I secured reservations at the Restaurant Petrus. Perched at the top of the Island Shangri-La hotel, this restaurant exudes an elegant feel, reminiscent of a French fine dining experience in Paris, but without some of the attitude. The views are magnificent (ask for a table by the window, but in reality the whole restaurant is laid out in a thoughtful way that gives nearly every table an amazing view).

The service was impeccable, although there was a bit of hovering. Pleasant live music from a pianist played at just the right level.

We elected to go a la carte (rather than one of the several tasting menus - which, incidentally, were quite reasonable even when paired with wines versus many cities with this type and quality of restaurant), and I personally chose to indulge in the seasonal white truffles, which they had crafted a few dishes around.

But first things first - the wine list. Very impressive. A 10,000+ cellar (including, of course, several pages of carefully selected verticals of Petrus) with both inexpensive and exorbitant wines. I opted to sample a Bordeaux I was unfamiliar with from the spectacular '82 vintage - Chateau du Tertre. I would record it a bargain (but it did end up comprising a plurality of the total bill) versus its comrades from that year; solid earth tones, and opened up nicely. We also had an inexpensive (about $150 US) 2002 Heitz Zinfandel after we finished with the French splurge, which was quite nice.

Once we placed our orders, we were treated to a wide selection of rolls (which were not of the caliber of the place - good, but not great) with an interested array of salts to sample with the unsalted fresh butter. This was a fun aspect of the bread service, with six sea salts and two types of butter to mix and match.

The amuse bouche was a very nice lobster ravioli, served on a spoon with some savory broth. But I was already clamoring for my truffle special.

The waiters arrived and unveiled in the formal way our silver-capped plates, and I was shocked to see the very generous portion of white truffle that had been shaved onto my risotto. The risotto was cooked plainly, with no special flavorings or spices, but was perfectly al dente and smooth. It highlighted what must have been a half of a good size truffle, whose thick shavings tiled across the entire wide bowl of risotto. I was almost distracted from the taste by concern that my credit limit would be exceeded for such a dish when it came time to pay!

For an entree, I had a wild duck with roasted vegetables. This came in two services, the first the duck breast, which was gamy but excellent. The second even better - they had taken the duck (which had been filleted table side) and confited (is this an acceptable verb?) the legs. Delicious.

My dining companions were also gracious enough to share a bit of their choices: a Wagyu sirloin, with a strong salty flavor and buttery texture (but not too fatty as you sometimes see in the Asian market) and a large veal chop, crispy outer skin with a delectable meat inside. Both were excellent and I would probably go with the Wagyu on my next visit.

To end, we sipped some 1977 Port (which they were nice enough to pour by the glass, despite it being sold bottle-only) and noshed on a selection of five fine cheeses. My only complaint with the end of the meal is I never got my hands on a dessert menu; I think our greedy eyes betrayed us when the cheese trolley came by, and our Chinese waiters couldn't imagine anyone taking a further dessert course.

Petrus is a very fine experience, and my compliments to the chef Frederic Chabbert for creating a restaurant that clearly stands up to any of the Paris elite in terms of quality, service and atmosphere. Interestingly, any members of the Shangri-La club receive 15% off dining - an amazing deal as they take this off not just the food but also the wine. Hard location for a foodie in Hong Kong for longer than a day or two to miss.

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.