Monday, January 21, 2013

b5media

When I was in Hong Kong, there was only one and one thing that I wanted to do – which is to eat their famous signature dish - the Stinky Tofu :) However, that mission failed. Stinky Tofu was only available in Mong Kok. I couldn’t find any in Kowloon and Tsim Tsai Tsui area. However, Hong Kong Cantonese food is drop dead superb in taste, texture and smell. Below are some of the food that I manage to tried it out.

(1) Chicken feet
Yes, it looks awful, but once you get over that, what is there not to love about chicken feet? I don’t even eat Chicken Feet back home but I gamely gave it a try because everyone said it’s nice. This Cantonese-style chicken feet is a perfect marriage of thrift and culinary genius. Euphemized as 'phoenix talons' in Chinese, the chicken feet are typically deep fried then stewed in a blackbean sauce. The cartilage softens to a melt-in-the-mouth consistency and great practice is needed to spit out the little bones in that dainty manner perfected by grandmas in dim sum restaurants across town. It’s a wholesome, texturized treat but I don’t think I want to eat it again :) Once is enough.

(2) Wife Cakes
I love the traditional Chinese pastries, their heavy combination of lard and sweet pastes made from various beans and roots; exactly make for easy snacking. Wife cakes have a flaky skin made from pork lard and a firm, chewy filling made with almond paste and winter melon. The combination of the pastry and mellow winter melon sweetness makes them particularly tasty, while their bite size makes them particularly digestible.

(3) Roast Goose
'Siu Ngoh' - the meat is very tender & delicious, but I still prefer the roast duck.

(4) Cha Siu Bau
Barbecued pork stuffed into a bun deserves its very own shout-out here. Because, when we break open a soft white steamed bun and see the glistening mauve filling of diced cha siu with extra barbecue sauce spilling out and sniff the heady perfume of wine, soy, and hints of caramel, we're moved :)

(5) Fishballs
According to the Wikipedia, which sourced from Apple Daily's 2002 report, Hong Kongers eat about 37.5 million fishballs per day. A simple Google Maps search reveals that for every two 7-Elevens you pass by, you’ll find a shop that specializes in this beloved snack. And if you’re really desperate, even 7-Eleven will sell you some. Everyone has their own favorite fishball joint that they swear by. I love the firmness of their fish balls. There are many types of gravy that goes with it and I love the intense curry flavor type.

Yup, I really eat a lot when I was there and eat really well too - sugar, carbs, fatty and oily foods throughout my whole stay there :) Their desserts, dim sum and hawker foods are also very excellent as well.

1 comment:

C said...

hong kong food sounds nice! i think i'll forgo the "fung jao" .. phoenix talons...even here I don't quite like it. they say it's the sauce that makes it nice too.

i want to try their dim sum, and street food. not too keen on banquet stuff. and like you - i prefer roast duck!