Restaurant Review!

Congee King l Wan Chai l Hong Kong

It’s all always good to have a bit of a competition going on. This congee house is supposed to have some of the best fish congee around. The key to their specialty is that their rice is cooked in fish stock to give the congee its intense flavor.

Unlike most champion congee houses, this place was fairly modern with a newly renovated interior. Plastered on the walls were various write ups and reviews that the place had received. We were amongst the first customers of the day so we picked a booth and ordered fish congee with fresh water eel and sticky rice wrapped in dried lotus leaves. The congee was surprisingly bland with a watery consistency. The eel, which is usually rich and fatty, tasted almost carp like in its taste and texture. The sticky rice wrapped in lotus leaves however was excellent. The stuffing of beans, rice and pork was tasty without being overly rich. One of the better ones I’ve eaten.

The congee here is far from bad but when you are put on best of lists side by side with Sun Kee, you really need to be special. Congee King just didn’t live up those expectations.

Restaurant Review!

Chan Kan Gai l Sheung Wan l Hong Kong

Hong Kong is a surprisingly eclectic city. Waves of immigration from different parts of china have given the place a hidden diversity with a wide range of localized traditions, dialects and cuisines. One of the largest groups to move into Hong Kong was from Chiu Chow and they brought their unique dishes to the city.

Chan Kan Gai located in Sheung Wan is nondescript with the standard Chiu Chow array of fishes and meats hanging on display in its windows. Much of the food is served cold which is perfect for the often stifling Hong Kong summers. First up, was Chiu Chow style congee. It’s very different from your typical congee as its very brothy; filled with meat and vegetables. It’s not thick like your typical congee and this was one of the best I’d ever had. Our marinated goose with 5 layered pork belly was also wonderful. The goose, dipped in vinegar is always one of my favorite dishes and the pork belly was a new taste for me with an indulgent 3 layers of fat sandwiching 2 layers of tender pork. A oyster omelet rounded out the meal with that sort of puffy and browned texture you only seem to get with a well seasoned wok.

Chan Kan Gai is one of those neighborhood restaurants that just never seem to open up where you live. Lucky for Caroline, she has easy access to excellent Chiu Chow dishes at a startling affordable price.

The amazing thing isn't the line up, it's the fact that it's 19 degrees and everyone is breaking out the fleeces. I can't figure out why the color is so funky either.

Restaurant Review!

Gow Kee l Sheung Wan l Hong Kong

Here is a Hong Kong legend. The story goes that decades ago, they were offered a million dollars to give up the secret to their beef brisket in clear broth. They declined the offer and have continued to feed huge lineups of hungry customers from their single location on a narrow street perched on the steep roads of Sheung Wan.

I must admit that when I first went years ago, I found the brisket nice but far from unique. However, its fame persisted so I was looking forward to giving them a second try. Once again playing hooky was the catalyst for this venture as they don’t open on Sundays when I have my day off. Queuing up with 20 people in front of you at 12:30 in the morning isn’t what you usually expect to do on a Saturday morning but people were all smiles and a steady parade of cars began to park illegally on the street.

When the doors open, people rushed inwards and we split a narrow table by the kitchen. We ordered the beef brisket in clear broth with flat noodles, blanched lettuce, and a small bowl of curried brisket and tendon. It didn’t look special in the least. In fact, it looked a little messy with the pile of fatty and tender meat perched on the noodles with a dollop of spring onions on top. My first bite though filled me with awe. It still amazes me that some places can take such a simple dish and elevate it to godhood. The brisket of course was tender, with just the right amount of fat to make the whole thing melt in my mouth. Yeah, sure, the broth was on the sweet side but it did nothing to dissuade my joy. In fact, it seemed to work so well with the simply braised beef. Somewhere, there was a taste that I couldn’t quite get my head around. One of the those reptilian back brain tastes that cuts straight to the spinal cord and tells you to keep on doing what you’re doing. And, like a rat in a skinner box, I kept on pressing that lever when the red light came on until the bowl of brisket disappeared.

Caffeine Eldorado

I’ve been in Korea a few weeks now and I have taken advantage of the number of coffee houses here. Coffee shops and bakeries are spread all over the city and they can produce a pretty decent cup of coffee. I’ve seen Krispy Kremes, Dunkin’ Donuts along, Starbucks, and a myriad of local coffee houses and donut shops. What I didn’t expect to see here was Café Artegiano.

I knew that they had opened a franchise here a few years ago but I also knew that it was in an out of the way location south of the city center. It just so happened that I was shopping in that particular mall when I remembered that Café Artigiano was located there. Sure, the lattes really slipped when they stopped using Intelligentsia Coffee and their rapid expansion has lead to some spotty barista skills but that first sip so far away from home was like ambrosia. All things considered, it wasn’t too bad. The foam was a bit stiff but the latte wasn’t too bad at all. Good enough to make me involuntarily shut my eyes and savor the best latte I’ve had since I’ve been in Asia.