by Kenneth K. Ong
Spring is in the air and with a new year comes new adventures. And these new adventures come by way of another visit to the City of Life, Hong Kong, this time with a group of brave foodies composed of Anavi Laxa-Ramos, her husband Bryan, her daughter Briana, tita Itang Tionko, pastry chef Booboo Maramba, her husband Alex, Shella Laxa, and Jovie Unchuan
Now I have visited Hong Kong for many years but there is always something new or interesting around every corner, be it in the form of new shops, restaurants, or experiences. This time around, I was at the “Fragrant Harbour” with the sole purpose of food tripping. Honestly, the best way to experience a city’s culture as long as you are not too queasy with unfamiliar cuisines.
Given that Hong Kong has thousands upon thousands of restaurants, eateries, food courts, and night market hawkers; it does not take long for the foodie to find THE perfect bowl of noodles or roast meats. Here is a tip, just look for the queues, chances are what the establishment is serving is good.
Ippudo HK
This may seem as a cop out since one can say it is just a ramen house. But for foodies it is THE ramen house to go to when visiting Hong Kong. I tried their Akamaru Shinjai, perfectly cooked firm noodles in rich tonkatsu broth that literally coats the tongue with flavor. I suggest you get the extra Flavored Soft Boiled Egg to complete the Ippudo experience.
Also try the savory sweet and tangy Ippudo BBQ Pork Bun, a hand-sized white bun stuffed with a thick slice of pork, lettuce, Ippudo’s secret BBQ sauce, Japanese mayonnaise and mustard. I suggest ordering two right away since one bun is really not enough for the average foodie.
Ippudo HK: Shop No. 210, Silvercord Tower, 2nd Floor, 30 Canton Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong
Delicious Kitchen
Having dined here before, Anavi was literally raving about the Delicious Kitchen. At first glance, this nondescript eatery with fast food decor might raise some eyebrows but the long queues on its front door is adequate proof of the delicious food it serves.
If Singapore is famous for its Chicken Rice, Delicious Kitchen is famous for its Double Pork Rib Rice. Sink your teeth into fried, sweet, sticky, juicy, yet crispy slices of pork served with rice that has been cooked in pork and vegetable broth. Pair the already delicious Double Pork Ribs with some Stir-fried Noodles and you have a venerable feast. Add to that the fact that Delicious Kitchen’s dishes are quite affordable making it good eats.
Delicious Kitchen: Shop B, 9-11 Cleveland Street, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong
Sun Dau Gei
Cantonese cuisine is known for the many different roast meats and that is exactly what brought our rowdy food group to Sun Dau Gei that was conveniently located at the second floor of our hotel. Many thanks to Shella, we were able to get a table and as soon as we were settled started ordering.
We ordered Stir-fried green beans, Roast Pigeon, Sweet and Sour Pork, Steamed Crab and Egg Rice and a whole Suckling Pig.
The Roast Pigeon was simply divine as the bird was tender and juicy without the gaminess associated with squab. Too bad they ran out of pigeons which is why we had to settle for their version of Sweet and Sour Pork. But instead of being disappointed with having just a dish we can normally taste in Durianburg, lo and behold, the Sun Dau Gei’s Sweet and Sour Pork was clearly levels above the ordinary Sweet and Sour Pork dish, with crisp bell peppers, succulent pork slices and a distinct sweet and sour sauce that paired surprisingly well with the Steamed Crab and Egg Rice.
We had expected the suckling pig to arrive as an appetizer along with the pigeon, unfortunately due to some mix up on the part of the waiters, we did not get our pig until after much explanation and sign language (yes I speak Mandarin and Fookien but I don’t speak nor understand much Cantonese) our Roast Suckling Pig finally arrived and smiles flashed all around the table. The skin was crisp with all the excess fat scrapped off. The meat of the pig was tender and well seasoned which made for a great end for a delicious meal.
Although Sun Dau Gei can be a bit pricey, it sure was worth the experience. And a Michelin guide bib proves it.
Sun Dau Gei: 2/F, Express By Holiday Inn, 33 Sharp East Street, Causeway Bay
