Bo Innovation

Alvin Leung is the tattooed, long-haired demon chef of Bo Innovation, the 2 Michelin starred restaurant famed for its take on molecular gastronomy. Dinner there can cost upwards of HKD1000, so good friends and I settle on the HKD198 lunch. On the day I finally sashay over to the second floor of a side street in Wan Chai, who do I see lording it over the kitchen but a chef with long bangs and tattooed arms in a sleeveless black chef's uniform -- so for a moment there I thought the demon chef would be cooking our lunch. But on second glance I realize it's not him, which is a bummer but totally understandable given that we were there for the less expensive and less varied lunch set.

Appearances of chefs aside, the all important question is: Did Bo live up to its reputation? I'm not an expert on molecular gastronomy, having eaten at El Bulli only in my dreams, and I have yet to muster the courage to splash on Bo's dinner chef's menu or tasting menu, so I can't say my opinion truly counts. But for those who are interested, let's just say I didn't die and go to foodie paradise, but I would go back for dinner. They should turn down the air-conditioning though. It was a freezer inside. The pinpricks of sunlight that danced on our skin when we left were oh so welcome. Maybe we should have eaten on the casual terrace outside.


We were greeted by this unique place setting with a diagonal fork rest.



My companions and I ordered the set lunch with different dishes so we could taste them all. This was my friend M's savory foie gras bread pudding, which was tiny, rich and had a hint of 5 spice powder.


Two golden orbs of scallops with dollops of fragrant kaffir lime sauce peeking through. This dish was an easy favorite. Imagine a bite of soft scallops followed by an intense flavor hit from the tangy, zesty, creamy sauce.



P's foie gras potsticker. A lone piece of luxury. It tasted like potsticker with foie gras inside. Decadent. I really can't be more poetic or descriptive than that.


Porcini "fun gor", deep moss green steamed dumplings filled with exquisite porcini mushrooms. A sensual, inspired creation that could convert a carnivore. Slippery sliced porcini encased in a thin, light, dumpling wrap.


"lap mei fan", steamed rice with preserved meats in normal restaurants, but Bo is anything but normal. Steamed rice is reincarnated as rice krispies, and preserved sausage is not to be seen, but tasted. The white ice cream underneath the krispies was redolent with the flavor of sausages and Chinese wine. There was also a hint of duck powder. Texture and temperature wise this dish was a revelation. One expects the krispies to be sweet, like the cereal, but it's bland, and the ice cream is anything but. It's as if they distilled the essence, the soul, of a Chinese sausage and magically transformed it into tongue-numbing cold ice cream. A fascinating dish, but it will do nothing to tame hunger. So men with big appetites beware, this restaurant is not for you.


Oxtail "xiao long bao" with avruga caviar. The best looking of the lot but the least attractive to our taste buds. I prefer the genuine xiao long bao. This one had a too-thick skin and insipid broth, like an older fowl with a tough exterior and tasteless meat.


Starch du jour: rice with fish roe. 2 words: more! more!



Duck with green salad and crispy taro. Not a memorable dish, except for the sweetish sauce and the hidden duck meat inside the taro shell. Now that was a nice surprise since I was wondering how one itsy-bitsy piece of duck leg could possibly tide me over for lunch!


"Ballotine of Chicken beggar-style, lotus flavor". Now this is something I would order again. Beggar chicken in Chinese restaurants is more of a showy dish than anything, flamboyant in presentation but lacking punch. Not so with this winner. Each bite begged (no pun intended) to be savored, the sauce was something you wanted to lick, if you were in the privacy of your home.


24-hours cooked pork lasagna, a quail egg yolk sitting pertly atop. P beamed when she saw the egg. As hinted at by the name, this dish was composed of many layers of pork slices that probably bathed gently in a vinegar and sugar braising liquid (an upgraded Chinese adobo). Now after 24 hours in a gentle bath, it's only right that one feels soft, smooth and silky, which was how the pork felt on the tongue. Sometimes, though, it's a case of too much of a good thing-- this dish was too sweet, the seasoning too intense, we all felt bored after a few bites.


Dessert was a simple affair: a chocolate pastry boat filled with souffle. The sprinklings you see on the side are not reddish cocoa or colored icing sugar but a berry dust (I'm guessing raspberry). I've never encountered such a crackly shell in my life! Each time my fork or knife came near a small bit would jump onto my napkin. In case you're wondering, I would pick the bits up and eat them. They were delightful, after all.

Hospital Food

If hospitals all over the world serve what Matilda International in HK does, I think there would be a spike in admissions, longer-staying patients, and more visitors than usual.

My 7-day stay in this lovely place overlooking the harbour (with fabulous, sweeping views of Aberdeen, Lamma Island, and the few breathtaking mansions that line the Peak) was made all the more special because of the menu. Before I get into that, though, let me say that Matilda also has what it takes to be a premier medical facility.

Are the doctors professional yet reassuring? Yes. Mine were more than competent and a joy to encounter. Are the nurses and midwives knowledgeable, accessible and friendly? Most definitely. There were several Pinoys and it was great to be chatting to them in Tagalog. Are the facilities adequate? It's a 100-year old hospital blessed with modern equipment, spic and span public spaces while maintaining a classic, homey ambiance in the rooms (one friend thought I was in a bedroom with a hospital bed when she saw pictures).

What sets this hospital apart, though, is the food. Rumor has it a former hotel chef runs the kitchen, and after a week of "ordering" three meals a day, I can say with certainty that whoever is boss of that distant universe where my meals come from, can cook, and cook well. Oh, lest I forget let me say the plating is mighty pretty too (especially the salads).

Most hospitals will give you a choice of dishes from a very short (and blah-sounding) list. Some will just deliver tasteless looking mush on a tray, hoping you will be ravenous enough to finish it off and thank them for it (not to mention pay for it as part of your bill). At Matilda there is a menu to choose from, with both Western and Oriental breakfasts and main dishes, vegetarian options, pasta, sandwiches, soup, salad and dessert. The descriptions are well-written, similar to a restaurant, with nutritional info for each dish. Quite understandably, the prices can be steep compared to other HK hospitals. This isn't a problem for patients, who as part of their package are allowed to order 1 starter or dessert and 1 main dish for lunch and dinner, as well as their choice of breakfast. Family and friends who visit or stay have to pay, and pay they do, because they also want a taste of the food!

Here is a list of what I've been eating, and what family/friends have been ordering since I was admitted:

Breakfast:
Peach juice, oatmeal cereal, bakery basket and fresh fruits
Congee with sweet corn and steamed pork and vegetable bun
Congee with mixed beans and seeds with steamed barbeque pork bun
Congee with minced pork with wok-fried rice vermicelli with chicken
Grapefruit juice with all-bran cereal, bakery basket and fresh fruits
Sausage Omelette with toast

Lunch/Dinner:
Cappa Ham with Artichoke Heart Platter
Chicken Consomme with Vegetables Julienne
Mixed Garden Vegetable Soup
Potato and Leek Soup (Little boy loves this!)
Club Sandwich with Chips
Wheat Baguette with Smoked salmon and Salad
Baked Free-range Chicken Breast with Herb Sauce and Steamed Rice
Grilled Rib-Eye of Beef with Herb Gravy and Mashed Potato
egg Noodle in Soup with Wonton
Sweet and Sour Pork
Wok-fried Fish Fillet with Celery (the fish was tough and overcooked, I guess you can't have everything)
Wok-Fried Broccoli with Chicken (I have to say that Matilda wins hands down when it comes to Western dishes, their Chinese ones could improve)
Grilled Mixed Vegetables Salad with Feta Cheese and Balsamic Dressing
Pan-Fried Salmon with Balsamic Glaze, Pine Nuts and Baked Potato
Cream of Mushroom Soup
Tomato Basil Soup
Papaya with Black Dates and Peanut Soup (I was feeling very "health-conscious" after delivery)
Wheat Pita with Grilled Vegetables and Avocado Dip
Wheat Linguine with Mixed Mushrooms and Parmesan

Not bad, wouldn't you say? :)


Baked Pistachio-crusted Sea Bass with Mashed Potato


Caesar Salad


Baked Spaghetti Bolognese

Trying New Restos and Loving Them!

Living in Hong Kong can make a foodie out of even the most food-averse of souls. There are restaurants everywhere; in commercial areas, malls, office buildings, markets, quiet residential streets, a nunnery, temple, up the mountain, by the beach. Name the location, and HK is sure to have an eatery or food store around the corner. Food just assaults the senses, from the moment one steps off the plane, boat or bus. You can find almost all kinds of cuisine the world has to offer if you are resourceful enough. You can eat out every single day for every meal and not repeat a restaurant for a year. This is what makes HK so exciting for me. I cannot adequately describe the awe I feel at eating at a place older than I am, the delight at being lucky enough to eat at Michelin-starred temples of food, the adrenalin rush that comes with planning a food sojourn somewhere out-of-the-way, the anticipation in trying out a new restaurant, the pure joy that courses through me when I pop something innovative and truly well made in my mouth.

For the past month I've been fortunate enough to be able to try three out of four new places with the people I enjoy being with the most: my 2 boys. Hubby and son are creatures of comfort and they have their favorites, as do most people, so we tend to gravitate towards the tried and tested. When I'm alone or with adventurous friends we try new places, even hyped-up ones (I am admittedly a sucker for hype).

With Franco from one of my favorite Manila food blogs tableforthreeplease I ate at the Shanghainese private kitchen Gong Guan. This was to kick start the weekend habit of trying out new places. Last Father's Day we gobbled up Fu Sing's yummy dimsum. Tonight we ate refined and delicate Cantonese cuisine at Island Tang. Tomorrow brunch is at the Press Room, a New-York style eatery with an interesting brunch menu.

Island Tang is an oasis of calm in the middle of the rush hour pathway that is Queen's Road Central. They say it's quite crowded and noisy at lunch so dinner is the way to go. The place is decorated in the 1940's style, with comfortable chairs spaced reasonably apart, so unlike most Cantonese restaurants that try to squeeze tables in every imaginable space. There are ceiling fans, chandeliers, mirrored private rooms, and a beautiful condiment tray bearing cut glass bottles of soya sauce, Chinese vinegar, salt, pepper, chili paste and chili oil. The service is unobtrusive yet attentive, and we were given tiny servings of a bean curd skin roll with crunchy (bamboo shoots? this is my guess, I forgot to ask) salad mixed with mayonnaise to start with. Our server then proceeded to take our order and recommend dishes. He noticed me studying the chopsticks and explained that they were made of buffalo bone, which explains the color variation.

After a pleasant interlude our dimsum appetizers came. We ordered the steamed crab and egg white dumpling and puff pastry wrapped wagyu beef and mushroom, both highly recommended by our knowledgeable server. The dumpling skin was very thin and soft, and held a juicy interior with the most delicate of flavor, as opposed to blandness. There was nothing overwhelming about this dish, yet its simplicity made it all the more attractive. The wagyu was the perfect partner, then. It was rich and redolent of fatty beef flavor coupled with the sensuousness of slippery mushrooms. Not very Chinese, this dish, but very haute cuisine and definitely a winner.

Some notable dishes include the kale (choi sum) with ginger and rice wine, nice and crunchy yet soft, and the cha siu which was melt in your mouth tender, and without the sweetness of Fu Sing's sauce (so hubby likes this more because he's not a fan of sweet food).

Not all restaurants are perfect though, and I have to say the peking duck 2-ways did not elicit moans and groans around the table. Though not disappointing; in fact the pancake wrapper was a nice discreet size, almost paper-thin and a joy to chew; the flesh wasn't as tender or tasty, the skin not as crispy or fatty as that of Peking Garden. The lettuce with minced duck meat was cut with scalloped scissors to a perfect bowl shape, definitely eye candy, but lacking in ooomph, flavor-wise. A fried noodle dish with chicken and satay was forgettable.

We missed out on a lot of the other dishes on the menu, since we were only 5, but my eyes were drawn to the seafood in hot and sour soup (and all the other soups, for that matter), the roasted pork belly which they ran out of, deep-fried frog's legs, all the seafood choices, traditional braised duck with eight treasure (my mom makes a mean braised duck), roasted crispy pigeon, stewed wagyu beef cheek, and spare ribs with sweet and sour strawberry sauce. Good thing we live in HK so there's always a next time!

Island Tang can be found at shop 222, The Galleria, 9 Queen's Road Central.
+852 2526 8798. It's by Shanghai Tang founder David Tang, and is reminiscent of China Club, which is also a favorite, but since it's for members only and I'm not one, I'll settle for Island Tang. :)

Dimsum at Fu Sing

If there's anything HK does well, it would be dimsum and roasts.

Where to go for dimsum in HK if you want:

Touristy, noisy and cavernous: Maxim's at City Hall
Popular, small and not that easy to find: Dimsum in Happy Valley
Full of locals, noisy and of average quality: Metropol
Quiet, relaxed atmosphere: Moon Koon at the Happy Valley Racecourse
Other popular places: Victoria City, Treasure Lake
The best cha siu appetizer and cha siu bao I've had so far? Fu Sing in Lockhart Road.

Today, Father's Day, we squeezed ourselves (me more than hubby and son because I'm 8 mos preggy) into a tight dining space to enjoy some cha siu, cha siu bao, steamed shrimp dumpling, fried sticky dumpling, lotus wrapped sticky rice with steamed yellow chicken and wolfberry, fried vermicelli and crystal noodle with shrimp, and the best of the lot: fried taro and scallop spring rolls.

Their a la carte menu looked so interesting as well, and I spent some time craning my neck to check out what other tables ordered. I think it's time to arrange a lunch or dinner with friends in the coming weeks!

Fu Sing: 1/F, Sunshine Plaza, 353 Lockhart Road, Wan Chai. +852 2893 0881.

Private Kitchen Pictures

cold tofu appetizer


marinated cold and thinly sliced beef shin


soy braised tofu skin with black mushroom



very spicy and crunchy bamboo shoots


eggplant with pork floss and sesame seeds


crunchy cucumber sticks with cold peanut sauce


bland tofu and fish soup to cleanse the palate


best dish of the night: thin bread, sweet ham and crunchy tofu skin


eaten like a sandwich


braised chicken pieces


steamed fish


surprisingly tasty white cabbage with wolfberries and garlic slivers


tender braised pork with dried plums


fried rice to end the meal

Warm sesame dumplings in barley soup was our dessert. Tea and hot water washed all this down.

Private Kitchen Dinner

How private is a "private" kitchen in HK? Well, for one, they won't accept bookings of less than 8 people. If there are only two of you, forget it, their doors and kitchen will remain closed, unless you're wiling to pay for the non-existent six. Secondly, they want to remain hidden, so getting there can be a pain sometimes. Thirdly, they don't issue official receipts and lastly, they do not have a menu so you have to eat what they serve you, like it or not.

So if you have a problem with getting lost, eating in a non-licensed, most likely non tax-paying place, and having to shovel down food you might not be familiar with, go to a MacDonald's instead. Private kitchens are for the adventurous, the cowboys and cowgirls, the true foodies, the gluttons, the ones who like to be surprised (pleasantly or not), the ones who don't mind spending for food.

In the presence of such a group, I tried a famous Shanghainese private kitchen tonight. Nice digs, and six small appetizer plates plus eight courses later, I was full to bursting. When I asked the chef how many courses there would be, he burst out in the usual cryptic and curt manner of Chinese chefs: "many many". And indeed, there were "many many", some of them done superbly, others a bit more average but enjoyable nonetheless.

And for dessert? For how could one skip dessert? Roshan's thick, soft, Ghirardelli chocolate chip cookies from Manila. Thank you Franco.

Pictures, c/o Acky Ferreria, to follow.

Gong Guan can be found at the 12/F, Fung Woo Building, 279 Des Veoux Road Central, Sheung Wan. +852 2577 9789.

Paella

Hubby and I like our paella, but I've never tried making this dish at home. We hie off to Spanish restos here in HK (which are not as good as those in Manila), and share an expensive paella while trying to outdo each other at getting to the all-too-little chorizos.

Making it at home means we could have all the chorizos, mussels and prawns we would like, so deciding to get a paella pan was a no-brainer. There's a hidden Spanish food/crockery/gift item supplier in an alleyway off Central. I got my pan, my paella rice, and (yes, I am a cheater!) a can of sofrito. In a small store called EuroTreat in Soho I bought some paella seasoning long ago and it had a minute amount of saffron in it, so I didn't bother with the much more expensive saffron strands. I will spend for them next time!

Using my friend's recipe found here, I rustled up some pretty good paella one night, chock-full of seafood and Portuguese chorizo from Macau (which I prefer more than Spanish chorizo), with artichoke hearts to boot!

My pan is now oiled and resting, waiting for another paella night. Soon.

BEST GIFTS EVER

Hubby and friends say I spend a lot on groceries, eating out and food in general. Maybe I do, but I'm still a pretty thrifty shopper. I go to the wet markets and local groceries more often than the gourmet shops, and I never, ever buy basic necessities in places that sell foie gras or have a cheese and deli meat counter.

I do salivate over the barrels of olive oil and artisanal vinegars on display, and drool over bottles of exotic herbs and spices. I'm like a kid in a toy store when in the kitchen gadgets section, and my eyes sparkle when I see rows of chocolate bars. These products beckon, and tempt, and beguile, but I do have a household budget to consider.

So when I am gifted with amazing food products, I am speechless with delight.

Some of the best gifts ever (and they're not necessarily expensive):

1. 2 bottles of truffle olive oil from houseguests years ago
2. vials of vanilla pod and salt with herbs from France
3. a free box of exotic salts (4 kinds) from City Super during my b-day month
4. homemade bangus relleno from a friend's Tita
5. bangus from LVM in Cavite which a friend's mom buys for us
6. a bottle of hazelnut oil from a friend leaving for Australia
7. a huge jar of manuka honey from New Zealand
8. a bottle of green curry paste and spicy bagoong from Thailand
9. Laduree macarons from France