Tora Fugu

> Location : Kanda, Tokyo, Japan
> Cuisine : Fugu (Puffer Fish)
> Tel. # : N/A
> Website : http://www.torafugu.co.jp/

Ever got a chance to watch the American favorite Simpson's cartoon episode where Homer ate the poisonous puffer fish sushi? We all learn from such cartoons or from minor knowledge elsewhere, without proper expertise of the chef, the consumer of the sushi won't have a very pleasant after effect, haha. But what I've learned from my visit to Japan is that puffer fish is not only made into an item you can choose from in sushi restaurants but into a cuisine entirely!

So, it's poisonous, that's a lot of risk for the business wouldn't it be? Well, this is not true entirely. Some puffer spices are NOT poisonous (e.g. Takifugu oblongus) and the ones who are, if they were raised in captivity and without proper contact of a certain type of bacteria through food, their "tetrodotoxin," which is the name of their toxin, can not be created.

My puffer fish experience (or as the Japanese call it, "Fugu") was split into a few sections. Actually, before we start, Tora Fugu, the restaurant that hosted my experience translates into "Tiger Puffer Fish." So, okay! What is for dinner?

First up, we have an appetizer served in a little bowl with fugu skin mixed with chopped up green onions and marinated radish. This is served more as a salad dish to start the meal off! Fugu skin has a chewy texture to it. The salad is served in this sourish sauce. A very common salad dressing used in Japan.

Second up, we have fugu sashimi. Mashed radish, some fugu skin in the middle, lime and other compliments are served with the dish. Fugu is usually sliced very thin when served since it's so expensive. The texture of the sashimi is flexible kind of similar to that chewy sensation from the fugu skin but not as "rubbery." The taste has this light fishy flavor kinda of like "white fish." Nothing unique like yellow tail or salmon.

Third up, fugu shabu shabu served with tofu and other vegetables. This is as you would expect, fugu boiled in water served with sauce. The container is made out of bamboo sticks with a waxed textured paper so water can be poured in. Inside is a slice of seaweed which is a classic way of boiling the 'soup base.' This gives a hint of sweet seaweed sensation to it. Fugu shabu shabu with some ponzu (lime flavor sauce) was a nice experience. The meat was tender and it goes nice with the ponzu's lime flavoring.

Fourth up, deep fried fugu with okra and lime. This is as you would expect again, basically fugu deep fried, with that crispy texture and a hint of lime as flavoring along with the saltiness from the fried skin. The okra served as an after effect to decrease that fried, oily sensation out of your taste bud. Interesting indeed.

Last but not least, rice porridge made with the left over soup base from the fugu shabu shabu. Green onions and blended uncooked eggs were boiled along with rice. The rice porridge is served with some marinated pickles and a piece of marinated plum. A few pieces of dried seaweed tops it off. This dish is something light to finish off your whole fugu experience. The remaining soup base serves as some of the flavoring from the rice porridge. In the end, this dish is very simple yet very good.

To cool things off and put a smile on your face, a scoop of plum flavored ice cream is served. Not much to explain here but its served in a little bowl and it tastes like your typical lightly plum flavored ice cream. A nice touch to end your fugu cuisine experience.

In conclusion, Tora Fugu is a place with a pleasant environment and provides great ways of serving fugu. Considering Tora Fugu is a chain with many locations all over Japan, the quality they provided should be consistent. I have never tried other places before so it is hard to give any definite score. Plus, this review just serves as a fun and educational pointer to the world of puffer fish cuisine! If I really had to give a score, I would give Tora Fugu...

< 4 out of 5 >

Lian

> Location : Shop 2004, Podium Level 2, International Finance
Centre Mall, Central, Hong Kong
> Cuisine : Viet/thai/Bar/Bistro
> Tel. # : (852) 2521-1117
> Website : N/A

Another creation from the M.A.X. Concept group (Maxim e.g. Rice Paper), Lian is a classy, business oriented Vietnamese/Thai restaurant located in podium level 2 of the I.F.C. mall. When you first step into Lian, you will spot an entertainment room to the right and the actual restaurant and bar to the left. The restaurant/Bar itself consists of about a 10 seating Bar, a very creative large square table with water decorations in the middle of it. The table itself definitely will be shared among the visitors very much like a bar table. The lighting is dim, there's a mirror up on the roof and on opposite sides of the restaurant to make the atmosphere feel bigger. There's a window looking out into Central with about seven booth style seating available by and away from the window. There is also a bar that serves especially juice and wine.

Lian's menu contains your usual appetizer section along with short orders, rice/noodles/bread, Lian's selections, and vegetables. There are symbols indicating which are Vietnamese or Thai dishes. There's also a separate menu for drinks and dessert.

So onto the food! In any Thai related restaurant, you're going to find "Stir fried morning glory with chili and preserved shrimp paste" in the menu ($58 HKD). At Lian, they keep the consistency alive with that salty, shrimpy flavor from the dish. Nothing extraordinary but done just right.

Next up is the "Green tea smoked duck, pineapple caramel chili lime salt" ($165 HKD). The lime salt is provided on the side to put on your duck. At first bite, I noticed the smoke flavor doesn't overwhelm the other qualities of the dish. It blends in well with the lime salt, the sweetest from the pineapple caramel and there's even a hint of spiciness. Most of the smoked flavor comes from the duck skin and in its entirety, the meat is very tender. It's basically a dish of many flavors yet done very well. It doesn't make you question why a certain sensation is added onto the dish. Some sourness, some saltiness, some sweetness and some spiciness. A good dish overall.

Lastly, is the most expensive dish in Lian's menu which is the "White Miso marinated Chilean sea bass wrapped in cucumber lime leaf and lemon grass flavor, purple pickle" ($ 175 HKD). When it comes to miso on fish, we think of the Japanese. If you ever had miso roasted fish in Japanese style, there's always a strong definite flavoring of miso on the fish but not enough to overwhelm the fish's meat flavor. Yes, this is a Vietnamese / Thai fusion restaurant so it's hard to follow this concept. However, from the first bite into this dish, I noticed the miso flavoring is barely there. You notice it's there but not enough to trigger any delightful sensation in your brain. At the very least, the sea bass is tender and fresh (you can tell if you don't taste that fermented flavor to it). the purple pickles was a nice compliment with the light-tasting sea bass. It was a bit sour, very much like those Japanese style pickles used for bentos or rice porridge. I actually asked one of the waitress about the extreme lack of miso flavoring and the wateriness of the dish. She actually had that same notion when she tried it herself and told the chef about it before. However, the chef thinks that's just how it should be made. So possibly, my experience wasn't an inconsistency, it was just meant to be. Yet, if we were to use the stereotypical standards of what people think is good or not, this dish will dissatisfy many. With the compliment from the purple pickles, I think the miso sauce doesn't need to be extremely obvious but stronger would be nice.

For dessert, I had the caramelized pineapple and fresh mango served with snow pine leaf ice cream. This dessert is a two-sided item and the pastry side goes very well with the ice cream side. A very simple dessert yet done very well! One of those dishes you just have to try to understand!

So it boils down to me shaking my head a little about the most expensive dish in the menu. I expected a lot more from a $175 HKD item. But hey, others might like it. My opinion? Not many though. Yet, I take nothing away from the dessert and the duck dish. They were done extremely well and I give them high marks! So my verdict for Lian is...

< 3 1/2 out of 5 >

Kau Kee Restaurant

> Location : G/F 21 Gough Street, Central, Hong Kong
> Cuisine : Beef brisket clear soup Noodle
> Tel. # : (852) 2815-0123
> Website : N/A

Just up Wing Kut Street to the stone steps, there lies a hidden treasure if you're a soup noodle fanatic. No, we're not even talking about Chung Kee which serves the best wonton soup noodle ever! Up the stone steps a bit and you take a right into Gough Street, lies a street with a lot of different restaurants (Thai, western, Indian, Chinese, etc) and a "dai pai dong."

Yet, one place in particular made a lot noise for their beef brisket clear soup noodle if not just within the Central / Sheung Wan area, but of the entire Hong Kong! Kau Kee opens Mondays to Saturdays from 12:30 PM to 4:30 PM. Especially on weekdays, even before 12:30, there's already a pretty LONG line waiting for it to open! So like everybody else, I waited like a kid going into a candy store...

The success to Kau Kee's beef brisket clear soup noodle is through its whole package. The Beef brisket is prepared daily to give it its soft, tender sensation. Not only does it melt in your mouth, they cook it in such a way you can still distinguish the beef taste from the marinara. A lot of the times in beef brisket dishes or any type of meat that relies on heavy or long marinating, the actual meat taste is lost through the process. However at Kau Kee, this is not the case. The second factor that makes a lot of critics love this place is the clear soup base. My very best guess for some of the ingredients are turnips and pig bones. The soup is pleasant scented and very sweet to the mouth. You simply have to try it to know how wonderful it is! Last but not least (to me comparable to the previous two factors), is the noodle. You can generally choose from rice noodle, hoi fun (flat noodle) or regular lai mien. For most customers favorite, lai mien is the best choice. Kau Kee's lai mien is very chewy but not to the extent like its rubbery. This makes your mouth do some work yet it's work that's very much worth it!

However, as I like to say often on this food blog, consistency is the key. The previous paragraphs and what I am about to type is a separate visit. So, I found myself craving some Kau Kee at around 3:30 PM. I brought a friend with me telling him how great the stuff was! When our bowls came and half way into my second experience, I found myself craving for water and that MSG/oily sensation in my throat. When I finished, I felt embarrassed as my friend didn't uphold my recommendation. Yes, he had the same sensation as me. So I asked a few people who had experience with Kau Kee about the problem and it seems like as the freshly made ingredients sits longer, the oil excretes from the beef into the clear soup. Well, that is one possibility. The other is the restaurant ran out of soup base and as a last minute attempt, made soup using MSG to get the similar flavoring as their freshly prepared soup.

Whatever the issue was, I was turned off by my second experience. Yet, my suggestion is, if you want the good stuff, GO EARLY! When it gets late, I don't recommend going. Perhaps, it was just one of those unlucky experiences but for me, I'm going with my own suggestion. In the end, I take nothing away from how Kau Kee got its reputation from. They certainly make some seriously good clear soup beef brisket noodle (on a good day). My verdict would have been higher, but with what happened in my second experience, I give Kau Kee...

< 4 out of 5 >

Union American Bar & Grill

Location : Shop 1009, Level One, International Finance Centre Mall,
Central, Hong Kong
Cuisine : American
Tel. # :(852) 2295-1808
Website : http://www.windy-city.com.hk/union/index.html

When around the business corners of Central and you crave some classic American dishes, you can definitely count on Union American Bar & Grill! With a semi-dim-ish environment, Union offers a Bar area nice for the after work hang outs and plenty of dishes pleasant to the international makeup of I.F.C.

I visited Union around noon hours and found myself with a menu that consisted of soups, salads, sandwiches, burgers, appetizers and much, much more. There are all sorts of items to choose from such as Boston Clam Chowder ($78 HKD), Classic Caesar with grilled chicken ($108 HKD) or even burgers like their very own, Union steak sandwich ($158 HKD). Cost wise, in general, you don't expect anything to be cheap when you're in I.F.C., but I can assure you from what I had, at least the quality of their food justifies it for the most part!

I mean, why visit an American joint if you don't go for a burger? I quickly went with the top of the list, Pulled Smokehouse BBQ Sandwich ($84 HKD). The burger came with a cherry tomato and pickle stuck on top served with fries and BBQ sauce on the side. The burger size was acceptable and definitely loaded with meat and onion. As evident from the picture (sorry with the low-resolution photo), they have grilled the bun a little to give it that soft and crispy sensation.

With the first bite, I noticed the meat within was tender for the most part and as a whole, the burger tasted good! The fries were fresh and not soggy or had any other issues. They aren't steak fries as I would like it to be but they are your common McDonald-like fries done well (a bit bigger). If you want ranch or honey mustard or any other sauces to go with your fries like I do, feel free to ask, the people at Union will gladly get some for you.

In the end, I definitely recommend this place if you're in I.F.C. and you want some classic American dishes! Union American Bar & Grill does a good job bringing the American standard into such a business related area.

< 3 1/2 out of 5 >

Pasha (Delicious!)

> Location : Shop 1-C, G/F, Cheung's Bldg., 1-3 Wing Lok St.,
Central, Hong Kong
> Cuisine : Turkish Kebabs
> Tel. # : (852) 2851-0861
> Website : http://www.donerbox.com

> Update (March 2007) :

Pasha has gone through a lot of changes from wanting to serve pizza to making a healthy slogan for their meals. Their latest attempt to win customer's heart is the best I've seen! Their NEW menu consist of 7 sections. Each section is split into a specific type of meat and if you want it in pita roll style (gyro), with rice, salad or with chips (fries). The following are your choices: Chicken doner, Lamb doner, Chips / chips with falafel, chicken tikka, choban salad and falafel (vegetarian kebab).

They're using vivid images of their products for their paper and in store menu. Which gives their new business plan a much better attractiveness. In my honest opinion, their food quality has gone through a roller coaster ride. I remember my first visit to this place I was fairly pleased. My last attempt was just a downer to me. However, my very latest attempt was just about the same as my first. The pita bread quality seem to be the same as before which is acceptable (could be better) but my only complaint was how hot my lamb doner with pita roll was this time. I thought they could have heated it longer after they rolled it up.

With the addition of a website, delivery and wireless internet available (after 3PM), Pasha has tried to do a lot food and environment wise to gain more business. In the end, my new verdict for Pasha is the same as before.


> Original Review :

Opened just for a few weeks, Pasha Kebab House is a small little place that serves a large variety of dishes. Designed more as a fast food style place, Pasha's menu offers five different category to choose from (actually six on the menu but they scrapped the pizza section due to the lack of kitchen space). The five categories are the following: Soguk Mezeler (Cold Appetizers), Sicak Mezeler (Hot Appetizers), Karisik Kebablar (Mixed Platters), Ana Yemekler (Main Courses), and Turkish Doner Kebabs (Gyros). A drink section is also listed with Turkish tea and coffee as the highlight of the bunch. The menu also indicates which items are vegetarian and which are recommended.

The first thing that comes to mind (for most people) when you eat Mediterranean, Greek and Turkish food is lamb and gyros. Also listed as one of their recommended items, I directly went with the Lamb Doner Kebab (Gyro). The description states it's a "rolled in pita bread with vegetables and requested home made sauces." The vegetables includes lettuce, red onion, tomato, and mushrooms. The pita bread is pretty big unlike the smaller round ones you see at places like Daphne's, an American Greek restaurant chain. It is like a size of a large burrito! Not as thick but still you get that infamous pita bread taste. Not exactly a kebab as the menu states, it's basically lamb wrapped inside the pita bread. Before it's wrapped up and ready to go, the Pasha people will ask you if you want to add any extra sauces such as chilli, mint, garlic or even tahini. The guy at the counter suggested chilli sauce on my gyro so I went with it.

The lamb from the vertical spit has the infamous gyro lamb taste to it. That very lamb heavy taste in your mouth. The meat was tender overall. The special white sauce made for this gyro is ranch dressing like but with a unique kick to it. Mixed along with the chilli sauce, lamb, vegetables and the whole bunch, it certainly was tasty! It gave you that slight Taco Bell fiesta feel to it. Of course, no disrespect to Pasha as my perception is stirred only by my creative mindset for the gyro I had from them definitely has its idenity of its own! It is not salty at all and a Very balance flavoring. The only thing I would suggest on a personal level is not to pan fried the pita bread too long, leaving it softer to the mouth allowing you to have more of that pita bread flavor.

Price wise, at $45 HKD for the Lamb Doner Kebab, it isn't very cheap especially for a lot of the working people in Central district that walks by (since I'm a food reviewer, I got a special discount ^^). With appetizers at $28 to $42 HKD, Mixed platters $94 to $142 HKD, Doner/Kebabs with rice at $58 to $78 HKD and Gyros at $42 to $55 HKD, you get a wide range of selections depending on your budget. Yet, with the above average quality of the sole item I had, it justifies most of the cost in my opinion. Update (12/02/06): Prices have changed since last visiting Pasha. Appetizers now are from $20 to $28 HKD, Main courses are from $30 to $40 HKD for lunch size and adding $5 dollars more for normal size. Same applying to Gyros from $28 to $30 HKD lunch size. Now the price adjustments have been made, it is more acceptable in my opinion to the common public. A great move indeed!

In conclusion, The Lamb Doner Kebab (Gyro) was definitely a good pick. Besides some personal nit-picking I had with the softness of the pita bread, I enjoyed the gyro very much! I'm not much of a person who looks at the price when it comes to food (as long as it's food!). But if I had to make an educated assessment, I do agree the prices can be a bit cheaper. Although I do agree Sheung Wan and Central district rent can get gruesome, having customers and paying your rent is better than having no customers and paying your rent. But if you're like me, don't hesitate and go try out Pasha Kebab House now! I will definitely do an update after I try some new items. For now, my verdict is...

< 3 1/2 out of 5 >

Emeril's N.O. Fish House, Las Vegas

> Location : 3799 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas, NV 89109
> Cuisine : New Orleans
> Tel. # : (702) 891-7374
> Website : http://www.emerils.com/restaurants/
lasvegas_fishhouse/index.html

This restaurant is one of MGM Grand's many fine dining establishments. Reservations are required, but it's not too difficult to get one. Now, on to the experience.

As we are seated, we are introduced to our team of servers. We had 3 people helping a table of 3. I like the numbers already. I ordered a chocolate martini to start off the night. The martini was very strong. It was just an okay martini, not very special. I think the chocolate martini over at New York, New York's Gallagher's is better.

Besides the normal menu, they offer a tasting menu of 7 courses that has been reduced to servings of 3-4 oz each course. The cost was $75 per person. If you wanted wine pairings to go with it, it was an extra $25 per person. Seemed lovely, but probably too much food for one person. We decided to just go for appetizers, entrees, and dessert.

We started the evening with an order of the Avocado and Blue Crab crabcakes with some sort of slaw. The slaw and the crabcakes made an excellent combination, as well as the avocado and the crab. There was tons of crab in the cakes and the avocado helped to bind the meat together very effectively. I liked it, but didn't love it. On the other hand, I loved the Seared Scallops over a frisee salad with bits of walnut. The bus boy brought a round of breads for each person. Each of us got a corn bread muffin and a piece of onion loaf. Each was delicious. The corn bread was perfectly sweet and moist while the onion loaf was flavorful and not overly strong. Perfect bread.

My mother ordered the Salmon with some sort of mango sauce. It was grilled perfectly - not overcooked and not undercooked. My father had the fish of the day, which was a Hawaiian Spearfish (Hebi). It was also perfectly cooked. But I have to say, the fish was just fish. Not that crazy or anything. I, on the other hand, went for the Louisiana Cedar Plank Campfire Steak, which was Creole spiced (think: Emeril's Essence), served with Trinity (traditionally celery, carrots, onions), Warm Remoulade (gotta ask Emeril what the heck that is), and Country Smashed Potatoes. The steak was pretty good. I liked the Trinity over it. But I loved the mashed potatoes. Potentially the very best mashed potatoes I've ever had. Yeah. That good. Needless to say, I at only half of the steak and a few spoonfuls of the potatoes because I was pretty full already. I happily took a doggy bag home because I was saving room for dessert.

I had some espresso to help wash down my food. My mother had plain coffee. The coffee was not spectacular. I think the buffet had better drip coffee. The espresso was just fine, but again not great. What was great was the dessert: Emeril's signature Banana Cream Pie with Banana Crust, Chocolate Shavings and Caramel Sauce. Heavenly. It was not too sweet. It was not too creamy. It was perfect. The crust was also delicious.

Overall, I would say a 4 out of 5. However, the service was really excellent. They were on top of everything. As soon as you put your silverware on the plates, they came right away and knew you were done. They pull out the chairs for you and let you take your time without you feeling forgotten. So, I'd say the service alone pushes it to a 5 out of 5. I highly recommend the place.

We gave a hefty tip, and all in all, the total was $200 for 3 people (no wine, just 1 martini and 2 sodas).

Krispy Kreme

> Location : 51 Elgin Street, SoHo, Central, Hong Kong
> Cuisine : American Doughnuts
> Tel. # : (852) 2580-8338
> Website : http://www.krispykreme.com.hk/

What else do I need to explain? Krispy Kreme in Hong Kong is the same old goodness from the states! Starting off at the Causeway Bay location on Lee Garden Road, Krispy Kreme Hong Kong has expanded to Central (address listed above) and also at the Times Square MTR station.

Various selections of doughnuts, coffee, chilled drinks and also early bird specials, Krispy Kreme Hong Kong serves it all! Some of the selections they serve besides the infamous original glazed are caramel kreme crunch, strawberry shortcake, New York cheesecake, and glazed raspberry filled. There are 11 other choices for you to choose!

Pricing wise, for each original glazed, it costs $10 HKD and $88 per dozen. For everything else, it's $12 HKD each and $110 per dozen. There's also a two dozen deal of original glazed for $168 HKD! A good choice if you want to treat your co-workers to some doughnut goodness.

As for their coffee, this is what their advertisement has to say, "Krispy Kreme ensures that our coffee meets the same exacting standards as our doughnuts, We believe that the perfect doughnut deserves the perfect cup of coffee. That is why we are proud to serve Illy premium blend coffee in all our stores, Illy coffee produces a single, unique and unmistakable blend of traditional coffee that will complement your Krispy Kreme experience." Illy coffee? A famous Italian coffee company for over 70 years, you can't go wrong with that!

So what are you waiting for? How does it taste? It's a world wide thing, don't waste time reading what I have to say anymore! Just go now to your nearest location and enjoy some doughnut goodness today!

< 4 out of 5 >

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 >