Hong Kong Eats: Din Tai Fung

Remember my post about Lugang Cafe?  This time on our trip to Hong Kong, I went back to the mother of all xiao long baos, Din Tai Fung.  The place that started my love affair for xiao long bao.  Being familiar with the restaurant, I already knew what I'll be having before I even sat down.  You see, on a trip to Hong Kong a year back, I was able to experience one particularly special xiao long bao, something that is not readily available on other restaurants serving these little nuggets of soupy heaven.  I'm not going to spoil it for you, scroll down and see what it is!

 Steamed Crab Roe and Pork Xiao Long Bao

The insides of the Crab Roe and Pork Xiao Long Bao

Nope it's not this one.  But it's also pretty delicious.  I made sure to take a picture of the insides of each xiao long bao we had to be able to show you guys how fully packed their soupy dumplings are.

Steamed Black Truffle Pork Xiao Long Bao

The insides of the Black Truffle Pork Xiao Long Bao

Oh yes.  This is it.  Black truffle!  Since I'm such a sucker for truffle, I make it a point to order any dish that has the word "truffle" in it.  Sadly, this one paled in comparison to the one we had before.  It's missing the strong truffle scent that I'm used to having.  Scrimping on ingredients?  Boo.

Noodle with spicy sesame and peanut sauce in "Taiwan" style (Dan Dan Noodles)

The Dan Dan Noodles I had from Lugang Cafe was pretty good, so when I saw this one in the menu, I wanted to get it and compare it to our local version.  Guess who won?  Lugang Cafe!  I did not like Din Tai Fung's version because their peanut sauce is a bit bitter.

Spicy Shrimp and Pork Wonton

You cannot go wrong with spicy shimp wontons.  This was loads spicy (see the number of dotted chili on the bowl?) and oily, but it was ok.  I like the sweet-spicy wontons that I usually get here in Manila though. 

Overall I'd give Din Tai Fung a 2.5 out of 5 stars.  Compared to the last time we dined there, the quality has deteriorated a bit.  I've also tasted their other dishes when we went back a week after (2nd HK trip with the Hubby's family) and sadly, aside from their famous xiao long baos, there's nothing to write home about.  Sad. 

Din Tai Fung is at Shop 130, 3/F, Silvercord, 30 Canton Road Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong

Hong Kong Eats: Ippudo HK

Remember Butao Ramen and Ajisen Ramen?  Here's one more ramen place to add to the growing number of good ramen restaurants in Hong Kong.  For those in the know, Ippudo HK did not actually originate from Hong Kong, but rather in the land of ramen, Japan.  It was so successful that it now has branches all over the world in the US, Singapore, Korea, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Australia.  Wow!  

The first time I got to try Ippudo was in Singapore.  Before we went, I did a few searches about good restaurants in Singapore and Ippudo was one among others that popped up from the search.  Well, all I can say is, the recommendation was spot-on.  The moment we took that first sip of tonkotsu broth, we swore to go back to Ippudo every chance we get.

Fast forward to last month, indeed, we went back to Ippudo.   It wasn't actually our first time in Ippudo HK.  We already got to try it a little more than a year ago, but since the trip last month was with Hubby's family, we also wanted to share with them our yummy discovery.

Here's what we had:

Shiromaru Motoaji

"Ippudo's original tonkotsu broth served with thin noodles, rosu chasu (pork loin), kikurage and spring onions.  Classic Hakata-style ramen."

Akamaru Shinaji

"Ippudo's original tonkotsu broth enhanced with special blended miso paste and fragrant garlic oil.  Served with thin noodles, buta bara (pork belly), kikurage and spring onions.  A refined, modern-style ramen."

Both ramen we tried that day was still as yummy as the first time we had it.  And if given the option to choose one from these two, well... I can't.  They're both delicious in their own way!  And did I mention REALLY fragrant?

Codfish with Saikyo Miso Sauce

This one took us by surprise.  The codfish might look simple, but trust me when I say that one bite of this will send you straight to heaven, no detours.  It's THAT good.  If I could eat one fish for the rest of my life, then this is it.  This fish still haunts me to this day, and the moment I set foot in Hong Kong again, this will be on top of my list.

Aji Tamago

Another one that will send you to food heaven is their soft boiled egg.  As simple as eggs come, I don't know what they do but they manage to make the insides a bit sweet.  Research shows that the Ajitsuke Tamago is soaked in some sort of marinade to get the flavor.  Ippudo seems to have mastered the art of Ajitsuke Tamago because theirs is pretty good.  Would have stuffed my face with a dozen or so if only I didn't fear for my life.  Haha!

The verdict?  5 out of 5 stars!  If you could try one thing alone, go for the codfish.  It's 1000% good, great, fantastic, amazing... I don't think I can run out of nice adjectives to describe how superbly delicious that piece of fish is.  The ramen itself is pretty mouthwatering too.  Oh and don't forget the egg! 

Ippudo HK is at Shop 210, Silvercord Tower, 30 Canton Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong 

Outfit of the Week: Colorblock

I've been fascinated by the colorblock trend for quite some time now, but never got to try it out.  This week, finally threw together some solid colors and voila!  Colorblocking.  Or as Hubby would say, it's my minion outfit.  Yep, didn't realize that I looked like a minion with my yellow top and blue shorts, but to be compared to a minion, I think it's quite cute.  Despicable Me 1 and 2 are my favorites and it never gets tiring even if you watch it several times, or several hundred times!

Special mention to my shoes.  They're one of the most comfortable pairs I've worn, ever!  Can you guess where I got them?  Payless ShoeSource!  Such a steal too since they're having a buy-two-pairs-for-Php 1250 promo.  Amazing.  I think the promo is still ongoing now so better run to your nearest Payless store and get your shoe fix!

Top:  Zara
Shorts:  Gap
Shoes:  Airwalk
Bag:  Fendi

Hong Kong Eats: Ginza Bairin

The very first time I've tried Ginza Bairin was on the last day of our honeymoon in Singapore.  Hubby and I were on a last minute shopping hurrah in Ion Orchard and needed something quick before we miss our flight.  A sign that said "Japan's best katsudon" was all it took to convince us to try it out, and that was one of the best decisions ever because yes, it was the single best katsudon I've ever tasted in my life.  Fast forward close to two years later, it was a pleasant surprise to find out that Hong Kong too has Ginza Bairin and the glutton in me just said "go for it!".  

Chawan Mushi

Velvety smooth.  Nuff said.

Salmon and Salmon Roe Kushiage / Soft Shell Crab Kushiage

Didn't like the kushiages that much,  It was oily and the taste, forgettable.

Beef Short Rib Skewer

 Nothing special with this one either, would rather go for our tried and tested Pinoy BBQ.

Hotategai Katsu (Scallop)

 NOW we're talking.  The scallops were huge and simple tasted divine.  Soft and juicy.  Would've had seconds if not for the price.  Hehe!

Barin's Signature Special Hire Katsudon

 And for the main event, the main reason we went back to Ginza Bairin:  the signature special hire katsudon.  Still as yummy and as flavorful as I remember it.  Sooooo good!

Rosu Katsu Set (Black Pork)

The Rosu Katsu (Black Pork) was pretty good too, the outside crunchy and the meat tender .  But the overall winner for me would still be the katsudon.  

Overall I'd give Ginza Bairin a 4 out of 5 stars.  The scallops and katsudon is worth every single penny.  It's the stuff wet dreams are made of.  LOL.

*Ginza Bairin has just recently opened here in the Philippines too, hurray!  But I've yet to try it and see how it compares to our neighboring Asian branches.  Something tells me I'm going to get to try it out very soon.  Do watch out for my post on our local Ginza Bairin!

Ginza Bairin is at B/F, Macau Yat Yuen Centre, 525 Hennessy Road, Causeway Bay Hong Kong

Hong Kong Eats: Mos Burger

I've been a fan of the infamous rice burger ever since I can remember.  But with limited places serving rice burger here in the Philippines, I always jump at the chance to get my rice burger fix whenever I'm abroad.  A few years ago, on a trip to Singapore, I got the chance to try out Mos Burger's rice burger, and it was sooo good it left me drooling every time I remembered it. So this time, on our trip to Hong Kong, when I saw Mos Burger in Langham Place, Mongkok, I knew I had to give in to my rice burger craving. 

Here's what we had:

Yakiniku Rice Burger

Sadly, the rice burger in Mos Burger Hong Kong paled in comparison to the Singapore one.  First of all, the rice bun is too thick, yet small in diameter, making it hard to bite into the burger without making a mess.  Second, the beef was placed in a heap, small portions too.  Take one bite and it's all gone.  Oh well, so much for satisfying my craving.

Chili Wagyu Burger

A picture of the Chili Wagyu Burger was placed right at the cashier, making it impossible to miss.  And how can you resist when the word "wagyu" is there?  This one was quite good, the patty is tender and the vegetables crisp and fresh.

Croquette

We opted for two sides to go with our burgers, and one was the croquette.  This has to be one of the best tasting croquette I've ever tried, with the outside extra crunchy and the insides extra creamy.  I almost wanted to not share it.  LOL.

Chicken Nuggets

...and this is the other side.  Chicken nuggets.  Who wouldn't love a bite of chicken nuggets, right?  We ordered the right thing too because this was one pretty good.  Very tender meat.

Overall I'd give Mos Burger a 3 out of 5 stars.  Save for the disappointing rice burger, everything else was pretty good!


Mos Burger is at  Shop 01, Level 4A, Langham Place, 8 Argyle Street Mong Kok, Hong Kong

Press Cafe (A Rant)

...and I'm back!  Soooo sorry for not being able to blog for a month now.  A month!  I'm a bad, bad blogger, I know.  But I've got excuses too.  You see, July is my birth month, and this year was quite both special and unspecial. Special because I got to go to one of my favorite countries not just once, but twice!  Any guesses where?  Clue:  it's less than 2 hours by plane and is Asia's shopping destination.  Got it yet?  If you guessed Hong Kong, then you're absolutely right!  So expect a few posts about Hong Kong in the upcoming days.  On the other hand, July has also been quite challenging.  I got sick.  We initially suspected that it was Dengue, but blood tests confirmed that it wasn't, thank God.  Nothing major but it was one of the most difficult flu I've ever gone through.  Was out cold for almost 2 weeks!  Runny nose, cough, chills, fever, bloody nose, loss of appetite... these are just a few of what I've experienced, and I think I'll spare you the other gory details because I might lose a few readers if I put every single detail here.  LOL.  

So anyway... enough with the looooong explanation.  Let's get down to business --- Press Cafe.  Ah, yes.  Those who frequent the Powerplant Mall in Rockwell might be familiar with Press Cafe.  For those who aren't, it's the little coffee shop situated right beside Fully Booked on the third floor.  To tell the truth, I've never actually tried Press Cafe before.  I've walked past it hundreds of times, but only decided to try it one weeknight as Hubby and I were rushing to catch a movie.  We wanted something simple and fast, and Press Cafe looked like one of those places where you could grab a quick bite.  

We were seated immediately when we got there.  But the table was quite sticky, so we called the attention of the server and asked for the table to be wiped.  It took two server requests before one came, complete with an exasperated "why should I bother wiping your table" look on her face, and I knew then and there that we won't be enjoying our dinner.  And yes, I was right.  Why?  Let me count the ways.  

First, our orders.  Hubby ordered the Classic Herb Roast Chicken, I got the Cheesy Eggplant, and we had the Chicken Fingers to share.  First one to be served was the Chicken Fingers, which tasted fine, except I know I could do a better version in my own kitchen.  We waited another 15 minutes or so, and my Cheesy Eggplant was served.  So sorry I was not able to take photos because we were in so much hurry, but picture this:  eggplant, cheese and ground pork, dropped haphazardly together in a baking dish, looking like the cook didn't even bother making it the least bit presentable.  It was very, very oily too.  A few more minutes passed by, I was already close to finishing my Cheesy Eggplant.  It looked like Hubby's Roast Chicken would be a no-show.  We followed up our orders, and it finally came out. Guess what?  It was COLD.  Cold like they just got it out of the refrigerator and didn't bother reheating it properly.  Sheesh.  Had to send that one back and we were already panicking because time was running out and we were about to be late for the movie.  The Roast Chicken came out around 10 minutes after, and although it was now hot, the meat was dry and tasteless. What a waste of calories and money.  Fast food would have been a hundred times better.

Overall, I'd rate Press Cafe a -1 out of 5 stars.  Two words:  NEVER AGAIN. Both the food and the service (pardon the word) suck.  I couldn't believe that such a prestigious mall like Rockwell would house a train wreck like Press Cafe.  Word of advise:  if you haven't tried it yet, you are considered to be one of the lucky ones.  And you'd be doing yourself a good deed if you never set foot in that place.  Ever.  

Press Cafe is at Level R3 Power Plant Mall, Rockwell Center, Estrella St. cor Rockwell Dr. Poblacion, Makati

Poppins

Last weekend the girls and I decided to have a get together.  I have previously read about Poppins, a newly opened restaurant in Tomas Morato in Looloo (a restaurant review app).  The reviews were quite good, so I suggested we try the restaurant out and everyone agreed to it.  According to what I read, this restaurant is the baby of designer JC Buendia so I was expecting a restaurant with a chic vibe.  True enough, the interiors were quite nice.  It was a small chic and modern place that gives off a cozy feel.  Forgot to take photos though, oops!  Just trust me?  Haha!

Here's what we ordered:

Poppins' Loco Coco Shrimp

Parmesan Sweet Potato Wedges

Poppins'Surf and Turf

Pesto and Walnut Crusted Salmon

Quesadillas

The verdict?  I loved the salmon, but not the surf and turf.  The salmon was cooked just right, very moist and flavorful.  The surf and turf on the other hand, was really tough and tasteless.  The other dishes were quite ok, but I noticed that the beef inside the quesadilla was quite tough too.  Maybe it's the quality of the beef?  But given that they are on soft opening (open for not even two weeks), I trust that things will get better in time.  3.5 out of 5 stars!

Poppins is at Tomas Morato cor Sct Madrinan St. Laging Handa, Quezon City (right across Il Terrazzo)