Beard Papa Sweets

> Location : No. 16-B2, Jumbo Sogo, Gloucester Rd.,
Causeway Bay, Hong Kong
> Cuisine : Dessert
> Tel. # : (852) 2833-2483
> Website : http://www.muginohousa.com/ http://www.beardpapa.com.cn/

Also with six other locations throughout Hong Kong, Beard Papa Sweets isn't a rookie in the sweets business. Started in Osaka, Japan in 1999 by Yuji Hirota, Beard Papa Sweets has spread throughout the globe in places such as The United States, Korea, Mainland China, Taiwan, and Australia. So what's the big deal? Known for its cream puffs, the best way to describe it is by Beard Papa themselves: "A crunchy puff pastry filled with our fresh and all natural original custard combined with whipped cream." Seriously, I never was interested at first, but after taking a bite just the other day, I'm convinced!

In Hong Kong, the regular puffs comes in two flavors: The first one is the original vanilla flavor which is milky sweet and the second is green tea flavoring ($10 HKD for one). Special Ice cream Puffs are also sold for $14 HKD each! Other special flavors coming in a petit size (a smaller version of the normal puffs, 3 for $10 HKD) includes Chocolate, Coffee, Earl Grey Tea, Pumpkin, and Strawberry. The secret to addiction to me is that the pastry is crunchy, flaky and full of that nice custard flavoring topped with powder sugar above. In addition to this, the cream is nice and cool (not as cold as ice cream but still comforting to the mouth) with this sweetness that is balanced and milky-like rich! Good stuff indeed.

Besides the infamous cream puffs, Hong Kong Beard Papa Sweets also features Cornet, Eclair, Chocolate Croissant, various types of tarts (cheese, almond, lemon, etc.), tiramisu, cheese cake stick, pudding (mango, maple syrup) and a lot of other goodies! Check out the website for details (I posted both China's website and the American website). In the end, there's definitely a reason why Beard Papa Sweets is throughout this planet! If you haven't had the chance to try, go soon!

< 4 1/2 out of 5 >

御麵 (Yu Mien)

> Location : Bonham Trade Centre, 6-7 G/F, 50-54 Bonham Strand,
Sheung Wan, Hong Kong
> Cuisine : Stone Pot Rice
> Tel. # : (852) 2543-3876
> Website : N/A

Usually when it comes to stone pot rice, the first country that comes to mind is Korea with their bibimbap. For the ones who are unfamiliar with it, bibimbap is a simple yet famous Korean dish that consist of steamed rice topped with ground beef, bean sprouts, carrot slices, mushrooms (shiitake mushrooms can be used), cucumber slices (sometimes spinach is used) , bellflower roots, red pepper paste as the sauce to mix and an egg if it's stone pot style. All the previous ingredients are commonly used in most restaurants.

At 御麵 (Yu Mien) in Sheung Wan, they serve a variety of stone pot rice or noodle. In a sense, it's a restaurant design to eat a variety of things sizzled in a hot stone pot. The ingredients included in the rice style stone pot is reminiscent of the bibimbap but not entirely. Rice, mushrooms, bean sprouts, red pepper paste were the same. However, the use of yellow squash, kim chi, unchopped or ungrounded beef, and black fungus is definitely different (I ordered the beef stone pot rice). Although most casual eaters would think it is traditional Korean stone pot rice, people like me would look at it with a smirk on my face.

Yet, I am absolutely not discounting this place. When the stone pot comes, it is definitely sizzling hot! The ingredients were fresh, the taste of the red pepper paste was exactly the same as those in Korean owned places. The red pepper paste was tasty yet a bit spicy, giving this sweetish flavoring to the whole experience. For most casual eaters, most would agree it is a good place. For lunch, try getting there 12 PM or before. Since the place isn't particularly big, by 12:30 PM, there's already a line of people waiting outside! My only complaint is, if you're a true food lover, you will not forget about the traditionally used ingredients. Most true Korean owned stone pot rice's ingredients are shredded and sliced thinly making it more refine. Ingredients are the ones listed in the beginning of the article.

In the end, 御麵 (Yu Mien) is a great place if you want a hot, sizzling, tasty and aroma full experience. Although it isn't precisely like traditional Korean style ingredients, you truly have to forgive them because the theme essentially is "stone pot" not Korean cuisine. It is in a world of its own. So if you want to experience 御麵 (Yu Mien), make sure to go well before 1 PM to avoid the lunch time crowd or go well afterwards!

< 3 1/2 out of 5 >

Chung Kee (Mak's Noodle Co.)

> Location : 37 Wing Kut Street, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong
> Cuisine : Chinese wonton noodle soup
> Tel. # : (852) 2541-6338
> Website : N/A

Wontons or dumplings egg vermicelli soup: Hands down the best there is in all of Hong Kong! No matter who you ask in Hong Kong (as long as it's a fellow food lover), they will tell you straight up Chung Kee Noodle restaurant is the best served wonton or dumpling noodle soup ever!

Located next to a classical music store and a crowded lunch time street of Wing Kut in Sheung Wan, Chung Kee's infamous quality is not a mystery. One of the biggest factor no matter what type of cuisine you're cooking up is consistency. If you can serve a good dish one day, your best bet for more future business is staying the same, being consistent the next day. Since I brought this up, Chung Kee definitely does this day in and day out with their daily freshly made egg vermicelli, soup, wontons and dumplings.

Consistency is great but without quality, it's never good. It all starts off with the noodles: The vermicelli is thin yet firm and flexible or as we can say, chewy. Yet, at the same time, it is overall easily broken in your mouth. You still get to use a little effort when eating it. Sounds negative but this is a noodle lover's dream. As some Asian cultures would teach, if you don't drink your soup loudly and slurp your noodles with effort, it shows you aren't appreciative of it. In a sense, it's saying, eat without manners and the chef will automatically know his creation is wonderful! As most noodle lovers could tell you, noodles no matter what type that are soft or overcooked is never a happy experience for the eater. So that chewy and slightly firm texture is definitely a good thing. Next there's the wontons and dumplings: Firmly packed with shrimp and other goodies, it is no joke how dense the ingredients are packed. It is light yet tasty and my suggestion to you is to get the dumplings since it's the best bang for the buck (they're bigger).

However, what I said previously is only a few important factors. The last and most important factor is the uniqueness of the soup. No matter where you go in Hong Kong, Chung Kee's soup has the best aroma and sweet taste to go with its noodle and wontons. Part of the secret to the soup is dried fish. They take these dried fish and boil it to get the core flavor of the soup. The rest? It's up to you to find out!

Besides the fact that the place isn't very big which doesn't really matter, all that matters is this is the best wonton noodle soup ever in Hong Kong! The orders are quick and your food literally comes instantly. On a side note, you can choose from a small bowl or a large bowl when you order. The average budget is about $25 HKD. Chung Kee is definitely a must visit for anybody who is a fan of noodles. So go now and don't miss out!

< 5 out of 5 >

Wu Kong Shanghai Restaurant

> Location : Alpha House Basement 27-33 Nathan Road
Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong
> Cuisine : Shanghainese
> Tel. # : (852) 2366-7244
> Website : http://www.wukong.com.hk/

> Update (12/04/06): Visited the Wu Kong at Casueway Bay recently. I wanted to report two new dishes I had and the consistency of both restaurants. Overall, the quality / taste of the Tsim Sha Tsui compared to the Causeway Bay outlet is just as good. There's a slight difference in the menu (plus/subtract certain dishes) but the popular ones are intact.

One of the new dishes I had is the stewed pork in brown sauce. It's a very popular dish in Shanghai. Basically it's very soft and tender pork meat that melts in your mouth with a tasty/sweet brown sauce. With some vegetables on the bottom. Definitely great stuff with rice!

The other dish I had is the Fried yellow croaker cooked in wine sauce. This is an amazing dish. The fried fish is basically dipped in wine sauce before served. You still get a slight fried texture in your mouth, that common fish taste and that extra sensation of wine in your mouth. It is kind of like chicken in wine sauce but a bit more exciting!

I am definitely a fan of this place now! So check it out if you ever get a chance. I can safely give this place half an extra point now because of the consistency and the new dishes impressed me. I actually had xiao long bao again. The quality this time is a tad bit better than last. Anyhow, my verdict this time is...

< 4 1/2 out of 5 >

> Original Review: Shanghai cuisine can vary in taste because it derives a lot of its dishes from its surrounding neighbors. Yet, through the decades of the cuisine's evolution, naturally, it has become a cuisine of its own! From xiao long bao to sweet and sour spare ribs to various siu sik and wine flavored dishes, Shanghai cuisine definitely touches every part of one's taste bud. Recently, I visited one of the top-rated Shanghai restaraunt here in Hong Kong. This place is called Wu Kong! Wu Kong has two locations in Hong Kong: The main location is in Causeway Bay at Times Square's food forum and the second location is at Tsim Sha Tsui which is where I ate at.

Wu Kong's Tsim Sha Tsui location is located on the basement floor. The entrance is small and somewhat hidden but once inside, it is actually bigger than you would expect. The Ceiling of the place is kind of low (maybe just to me since i'm taller than the average asian, haha) but that shouldn't be a problem because the food will make it up! The service at Wu Kong is great and the menu is plentiful. In addition to all this, there place at night was packed! No empty seats and people still waiting outside to get in.

Now lets go straight to the dishes I had! First up we have some siu sik or in english, small dishes (dim sum). Braised Shanghai Wheat-Bran is the first to come. The wheat-bran contained a sweet-like flavor. On the side, there are some black fungus which is a good healthy pair just like the wheat-bran. Overall, this is a healthy and interesting dish with a nice sweet flavor to it.

Next siu sik dish is the supreme jelly fish. Other visable ingredients are black vinegar, green onions, and sesame oil. The flavor of the dish is lightly salty with a define black vinegar taste. The jelly fish is crisp. Overall, this is a good dish to try out!

Now for one of the most attractive shanghai cuisine dishes! Wine chicken, wine fish and other wine marinaded dishes is quite a delicacy. For my experience, I had the chicken wing in wine sauce. Usually, these dishes are served cold or at room temeperature. The chicken in our case was served at room temperature, tender and the taste was somewhat salty with a define taste of wine. My educated guess would tell me rice wine is used to marinate this dish. The combination of the chicken taste, marinate ingredients and the wine flavor makes it quite an experience. It is truly something that is hard to describe. If you try this dish in other Shanghai/Chinese restaurants, it might be called drunken chicken as this is the common literally translated name from chinese. When this dish is served cold, usually gelatins are formed from the sauce. Anyways, definitely recommended!

Continuing with siu sik dishes, we now have the mixed shreds seaweed and jelly fish with legume. This dish is served cold with shreds of four season string beans which is "legume" in the dish title. The taste has a slight sesame oil flavor to it also. Similar to the last jelly fish dish, the highlighting factor from the last dish (vinegar) now in this dish is replaced by the seaweed and the string bean flavors. In the end, it is a nice dish again but if I had to choose, I would definitely go with this one because of the variety of ingredients.

Ending the siu sik dishes, we have the deep fried bean curd rolls stuffed with mushrooms. This rolls are slightly crispy and mild in taste. I was expecting a deep fried dish like this to have a stronger, definite flavor to it (sweet, salty, etc). Not much to say about this dish except that this is the only weak link of my entire experience which is good for the restaurant and but for this dish!

Beginning with the normal dishes, we have the steamed shanghai pork dumplings. Like the marinade wine dishes, steamed dumplings (xiao long bao) is another highlight of Shanghai cuisine. If you've read my Northern Chinese/Shanghai restaurant reviews, what makes a xiao long bao good is in three factors: the tenderness of the meat, the sweetness of the soup inside and the softness/durability of the dumpling skin. At Wu Kong's, the meat was tender, the juice was good but slightly salty and lastly, the skin was a tad bit hard. The slight hardness of the dumpling skin was a down point but naturally gave it its durability (skin not easily broken). But as I said, the best xiao long bao in my opinion is where the skin is nice and soft yet durable enough for you to pick up and not spill the soup within. Overall, the xiao long bao is good but definitely could be better.

Before I continue, let me educate you on how the soup gets into the dumpling. Gelatin is formed using steamed chicken stock and pork rind traditionally. Yet these days, a lot of xiao long bao are ready-made gelatin packets instead of hand made. The gelatin are usually cut into small pieces or cubes wrapped around with the meat and into the dumpling skin. For further and very specific information, check out Kuidaore's food website!

Next up is the stewed spare ribs with bean paste sauce in casserole. First off, another visable ingredient are green onions. This dish is the heaviest of the bunch seemingly. The taste is mildly sweet and the meat is tender for the most part. I was anticipating for a stronger flavor. It isn't bad but it definitely gets the job done for most eaters.

Okay, almost to the end! Next we have the Tofu skin dumpling. This has to be the most intriguing dish of the night! this "dumpling's" skin is made out of tofu. This tofu dumpling is filled with vegetables and mushrooms inside. This is a very light flavored dish yet due to its uniqueness and its emphasis on being a healthy dish, it is definitely a must for ordering! Also, the firm tofu dumpling is surrounded by a thick mildly flavored sauce.

Last but not least is the steam shad fish. Shad fish is a type of fish that contains a lot of small, thin bones. It is a must use fish for cooking this famous Shanghai fish dish. The sauce that surrounds the shad fish is a very fishy-sweet flavor. Most Chinese steamed fish would generally give you some type of salty flavor but this is different because the sweet flavor dominates your taste bud (of course, not candy like sweet). The dish is topped off with shrimp and smoked ham. Mostly for decorations in my opinion. The shad fish was tender overall and on a side note, this fish was frozen from northern China. This is definitely a must order if you enjoy fish and something totally unique!

In the end, Wu Kong Shanghai Restaurant is a great place to visit. Trying out so many dishes, 90% of what I had didn't disappoint me. My only complaints aren't big problems so it's very positive. I am undecisive with my final verdict because there's this hump that I don't think Wu Kong has gotten quite over yet. What exactly is it? Well, as a northen Chinese restaurant, it is important to know how to perfect your steamed dumplings! The skin as I mentioned before was hard. This probably was either due to it being left out for a bit after steaming or the skin used was thicker. Traditionally, the thinner the better yet being able to hold onto the meat and soup while picking it up with your chopsticks! Secondly, the soup was a tad bit salty and not sweet enough. Mainly due to this but I must tell you, not exactly the biggest problem if you're not a picky person like me =), my final verdict is...

< 4 out of 5 >