Hong Kong Eats: Pork buns at the Cheapest Michelin Starred Restaurant.

I consider myself a food enthusiast, a fanatic of sorts. Food is my passion, whether it is cooking, reading about it, watching TV shows about it, and my Traveling (my other passion) involves a great deal of eating and cooking, so needless to say, it has been a dream of mine to visit a Restaurant that has been awarded with a Michelin Star however, visiting a place like this usually means spending considerable amounts of money and transporting yourself to a big enough city(in most cases).

Hong Kong is not the cheapest of places, to be fair it is quite expensive in most things. But if you are smart, and know who to ask and where to go you will find places that are more than reasonably price, in fact, they could be very cheap, and very good I might add. I haven't had any bad experiences dining in Hong Kong, I know it sounds presumptuous and a bit naïve as there MUST be some bad places, but you, my dear reader are no average traveler/foodie, you know your shit, you know how to make your research, you know who to ask, you will find  the good places. And THIS is definitely one of the good ones.

The Michelin Guide was created by the Tire Company at the beginning of the century to increase the automobile demand and in time, the tire demand. Over the years the Michelin Guide has grown so much that it is now considered the reference to which any other guide must be compared, it has become the go-to reference for fine dining.

Having a Michelin Star means that the food is exceptional amongst their competitors of the same type of cuisine, it means that it has great quality and consistency, overall it is recommended to visit this place. Betting the reputation of the guide, their critics and their experts. There are also two and three star ratings, but I have never had the chance to experience any of those so I will limit my comments to only say that having two starts means "Excellent cooking, worth a detour from your way"  and three stars means "Exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey" I hope that one day in the near future I will be writing you guys about this.

But lets get back to business , Tim Ho Wan is a Dim Sum restaurant, which means they specialize in small portions of bite-sized (almost) pieces of deliciousness designed to be eaten with your tea. But Dim Sum nowadays is eaten at any point of the day and in many different forms.

Tim Ho Wan has several locations across Hong Kong, all of them awarded the mentioned Michelin Star. I have personally visited 2 of those locations and the food is great in both. Consistency is one of the things they have.

There are no reservations and people is seated as first come first served basis, which to me is the best way, even if it means waiting in line for some time (which you must probably have to do, although I would recommend you to be here after 9 pm when the wait is shorter). Once inside you will quickly be placed in a table (the place is a bit crowded so bear that in mind), at your disposal there  will be a piece of paper and some pens, that is how you order (they also have the papers in English, so don't worry).

They are famous for their BBQ Pork Buns, and for good reason, they are amazing! Delicious sweet BBQ pork inside a soft bun, they come in threes and are super cheap, you will order one serving, and immediately after the first bite, you will be ordering seconds if not thirds, I GUARANTEE IT! Their Turnip Cake, Steamed Egg Cake and Vermicelli Rolls are also quite good, if you are hesitating on what to order, start with their 'Divine Four'.

• I recommend you to order the 'tea portion' which gives you virtually unlimited fairly good quality' red tea.
• There will always be some chilly paste, vinegar and soy sauce which you will use to season your dumplings. Apply generously and at will to your selection of dumplings.

* I apologize for the half eaten items in my photos, and the missing photos of some items, but everything was so good and we were so hungry that we could not wait for the photos (something that rarely happens).

Pork Buns, Turnip Cakes, Phoenix Talons and Dumplings. 

We ordered several things , I will give you a description of them, but my words will not give this amazing dishes the justice they deserve, I will try though.

1. The Pork Buns: Just imagine how the gods created this amazing concoction out of a pastry so light and deliciously seasoned that can only be made out of heavenly clouds and filled them with what I can only think of pieces of Angelic Pork swimming in a BBQ sauce that creates instant happiness.  Yeah, they are that good. We ended up having like four servings of them suckers.

The Pork Buns.

2. The Turnip Cakes: Pan seared squares of deliciousness. I had never liked turnip, until now, I just considered it the boring cousin of carrots, but believe you me, I have no idea what they put in this, but if you combine the soft, salty and semi-sweetness of the cake with the bold taste of the chili sauce they come out with, boom! Instant taste bud gratification.

The Turnip Cakes

3. The Vermicelli Rolls: Are you a fan of liver? This is for you. You never really liked liver? This is definitely for you! Somehow the filling of these rolls has turned down the harshness of the liver taste into a mild but rich paste of awesomeness. It has all the big flavors of liver but somehow they have tuned down all the little things that must people don’t like.

4. The Steamed Egg Cake: What can I tell you? It is fluffy and light as fuck! Seriously, think of the lightest and fluffiest madeleine you have ever had, and take it even further. Its not predominantly salt or sweet but a combination that ends up being just awesome.

5. The Phoenix Talons: Asian cultures have a long term relationship with phoenixes (which are way different and more awesome than our western counterparts) hence the name of this dish, which is basically Chicken Feet. Ha! But don't be mislead or discouraged by this description, they are awesome, packed with flavor and with a combination of textures that your mind is gonna love!

6. The Dumplings: I always end up judging my Dim Sum by the quality of the dumplings being served. And allow me to continue this mental blow job I am giving to the guys at Tim Ho Wan, this dumplings are amazing, perfectly steamed, perfect size, thickness and the fillings are just fresh and perfectly seasoned. 

Some amazing dumplings.

The service is amazingly fast, super friendly and the food is constantly good.

I hate myself a little bit for loving this place so much, seriously. I can eat everywhere, anything but I generally have something to say, something to add, or something that in my mind would make the places better. Tim Ho Wan was my "shut up and take my money" place. If you are around HK and are looking for some great food and overall a great experience, don’t hesitate, this place will BLOW YOUR MIND!

Tim Ho Wan

Several Locations

Price: Less than 100HK (roughly 10 euros)

Website: http://www.timhowan.com

Hong Kong Eats: Char Siu

Before my return to the Old Continent. I did some traveling. This is the first entry on my special

about the amazing foods I ate in Hong Kong.

Hong Kong is a melting pot of cultures, religions and of course food. First thing to remember is that this region is, in fact, Cantonese, which means different language and of course different food from the typical Chinese food we all know.

That being said, what better way to start than with one of the staples of Cantonese cuisine? Char Siu.

The amazing Char Siu

Char Siu is the Cantonese version of the Sunday Roast. Delicious pork (belly, shoulder or neck) seasoned with honey, five spice, soy sauce and rice wine, all roasted in a wood oven (traditional but not so common anymore) at relatively low temperature and for quite a long time, resulting in a beautiful piece of meat that is crispy on the outside and is soft and moist on the inside. Yes, it is as good as it sounds.

You will see these type of meat hanging in the windows of countless places known as Siu Mei, there you will also see ducks, geese, sausages and pigeons prepared in the same awesome way, resulting of course in a culinary overload.

The rule of thumb here, as in most places in the world, is to avoid the tourist areas and try to find the place with the most amount of locals and that looks more authentic. I followed the recommendation of a good friend of mine, who got the recommendation from another guy, and in the same way I hope I can convince you to visit this magnificent place.

Joy Hing's Roasted Meats is, no questions asked, a hidden jewel. Inconspicuously located on a side street of Wanchai with no signs outside, this little place (And when I say little, I mean it, they have like eight tables in a 5 x 5 place) offers such an experience. There is a line outside practically all the time, people come here to get some take out or grab a quick bite (out of respect to the other people waiting you try to make your stay inside as fast as possible). It is one of the few Siu Mei left in Hong Kong that still uses a wood oven to roast their meats, and this oven is constantly working, I would guess that the go through several pigs a day, seriously!

But the wait is worth it. Once in, you have to find a place to sit, which most likely will be sharing a table with 5 other locals that are very concentrated on  their plates to even look at your foreigner face. The servers speak a little English, but to be fair, you don't need that, you came here for one thing and one thing only: Char Siu! So, when the server comes to you and mumbles something in Cantonese that you probably  don’t have a clue what it means, just look him in the eye, smile and say: Char Siu! Big! Rice! Cha! And you are done, 2 minutes later you will have the most amazing plate of roasted meat you have ever tasted with a hefty portion of rice. Tea is free by the way and is usually on the tables for you to serve in a paper cup. This stuff is so  good that you will for a little while forget everything about anything, you will concentrate on your plate just like the locals do, and before you realize it you will have consumed almost a kilogram of meat. Amazing!

You will get a little receipt which you will take to the lady at the cashier and pay. The last time we ate like there was no tomorrow and ended up paying around 90 HKD (roughly 9 Euros) between two people. It was so awesome.

I hope that these lines have managed to convince you to visit this amazing place!

Joy Hing's Roasted Meats

265-267 Hennessy Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong, China

Price: Less than 100 HKD

Hong Kong. Part 1: Getting there and the first days

The first time I was in Hong Kong was actually kind of a coincidence. My sister, who was supposed to be visiting me in Taiwan, had some problems with her visa. She calls me on Thursday night with the bad news, and in a matter of a couple of hours we had changed all of our plans; we would meet in Hong Kong and spend a week exploring it. So, I got a last minute ticket (which was actually quite cheap to be honest), and in 12 hours I was on my way.

Hong Kong Street at Night

My first impression of Hong Kong? Well, it is impressive, it is clean, it is modern and, it is crowded, I noticed this right when I got off the plane, you can start feeling how close you actually are from other human beings, but no biggy, this was my first time here so there was more excitement than anything else.

The immigration process is pretty simple and straight forward. Sadly, for those stamp collectors out there (I include myself in this group) you will not get a stamp. I don't really understand the reason, but instead you get a scrummy piece of paper that is not even attached to the passport.

Right outside from the baggage collection you will see the MTR ticketing office, in my opinion this is the best way to move around Hong Kong, you can pretty much get anywhere by a combination of MTR and light walking (sometimes maybe a bus). I would suggest you to get the 2 way MTR into town, it is 350 HKD and includes 3 days of unlimited MTR around the city, and after those three days you can recharge it as a regular 'Octopus' Card and you will get 50 HKD back  if you return it at the end of your journey, it is a nice souvenir to keep though.

Before anything you should decide where to stay, the busier more uptight Hong Kong or the mellower, crazier more bohemian Kowloon. This time, since I was traveling with my sister we stayed in Hong Kong, particularly in 'Causeway Bay' , the Holiday Inn Express was decently priced and included breakfast. There are plenty of places to eat outside and the Hotel breakfast are usually not great, but it is quite convenient if you are planning to be out and about the whole day.

After we settled in, the first thing to do was to go out and get lost. Just wander around. One of the beauties of Hong Kong is that  it is one of those cities that never sleeps, so no matter the time you will find something interesting to see or do.

Hong Kong at Night

 Our plan was simple: wander around, look for nice landscapes and places to enjoy the views, visit some temples, drink some nice tea and find as much great food as possible and indulge ourselves in the wonderfulness of Hong Kong's cuisine. So here is a list of the things that, in my opinion, you should definitely see.

1. One of the must see places in Hong Kong is the Peak; one of the highest points in Hong Kong, it will give you the vantage point to check out most of the city. To reach the peak you have to take the Peak Tram, a cable car of sorts, which is an attraction by itself. It gets very crowded, so make sure you are there quite early in the morning or late in the afternoon. (80 HKD for a return ticket, you can buy your ticket online and get through the special line for online shoppers, it will save you some time).

Hong Kong Bay from the Peak

2. One of my favourite activities in Hong Kong is walking alongside the Tsim Sha Tsui promenade and get to the Avenue of the Stars. This place is actually in Kowloon and you can reach it by ferry, it will set you back only 4 HKD and you get to enjoy the view from the boat. Once you disembark you will quickly see the famous Clock Tower and the start of the promenade. It is a fantastic view.

A beautiful view of the bay

Sunset around this place is something else, but you should also come back at night, at around 8 pm most of the days, most of the buildings in front of the promenade, on the Hong Kong side, coordinate and present a light show that is pretty impressive.

The light show

3. The avenue of the stars is called a Must See place, but to be honest I don’t see why all the fuzz. Other than looking at Bruce Lee's statue and his star and maybe Jackie Chan's or Chow Yun Fat's there is nothing of interest, at least for me. I did walk around but because I was already there, I would not have gone out of my way to visit this place. But if you are super into Chinese Cinema and know all the names and films, well, this might be the place for you.

4. From here you can walk to Kowloon Park, it is pretty cool. It is pretty big and has a Mosque right outside, and a big one. It happened to be Sunday and there was a lot of people in the park, mostly Muslims coming out of the Mosque and picknicking. It was indeed pretty interesting. After walking around a bit you can find a lot of neat things like the statues of Japanese Anime Characters. Also, in the mornings they hold Tai Chi classes in English, and they are free, awesome!

Some girl chilling in the park.

A dude chilling in the park.

5. After a good night sleep we embarked to our next stop. The Temple of the 10,000 Buddhas. Reaching it is fairly easy, get to Sha Tin MTR station, take exit A, walk to the left and follow the signs. One of my favourite places, It is a very light hike up a hill, the first thing you will notice is the stairs and the endless lines of golden statues, which contrary to popular belief are not the Buddhas, rather they are representations of monks and Bodhisattvas (holy men and women).

The staircase to the temple.

You will reach the first part of the temple, the main temple. You can enjoy very cool views from here and some awesome statues. If you are into the spiritual jazz, you can cheaply buy some incense and light it up and place it in the incense plates in front of the deities. Try to place the incense in groups of threes or at least in odd numbers, even numbers and specially the four, are related to death, and they do take their superstitions very seriously.

Cool Statue

There is a small cafeteria that offers vegetarian snacks for a very cheap price.

Now, if you continue up, you will reach the second part, which comprises a couple more temples and more statues. The temple is called the 10,000 Buddhas because of the Buddha figurines and statues inside the temples (which actually add up to more than 13, 000) but to be fair, I don’t find that impressive whatsoever; what I did like was all the golden statues and deities placed outside and around the premises of the temple.

More Bodhisattvas chilling in the mountain.

6. After walking down you will find yourself pretty hungry, I shuold advice you to get back into the city to get a hefty meal and maybe you want to get some shopping going. By all means, after this walking you have earned it. Sleep tight because tomorrow there will be a lot more things to see.

I will continues with this little "guide' of Hong Kong very soon, in the mean time if you are interested in some more nice Photos of Hong Kong, you can visit my Flickr Album of Hong Kong:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/el_noru/sets/72157645574182915/

Lets Talk Ribs

There are very few pleasures in my life that can top the joy of biting a soft, moist, fall-off-the-bone piece of ribs. Seriously!

The rib is a beautiful cut of meat, packed with flavor and awesomeness, but unless it is prepared in the correct way it could be very tough. That's why must of the people (including myself up until a few years ago) rather have this amazing meat in a restaurant where (must of the times) they serve it properly. But I'm here to change all that, so Fuck the restaurants! (figure of speech; for those of you who like to take things literally) this is simple, fool-proof way of cooking the perfect rack of ribs every time.

So, whether you are entertaining friends during a match of (insert whatever sport you watch, I could not care less) or you want to have some alone time while indulging yourself in the pleasures of meat and TV (my choice of activities) this is the recipe for you.

Fuck Yeah!

Red Curry

Sooooo, after a bit more of a month upon my return to Europe, and after stuffing my face with all the Mediterranean goodness that Spanish food represents, I started to crave a little bit of those spicy, sweet and sour deliciousness that is Asian food. However, I live now in a pretty small town in northern Spain, where people tend to be very conservative about their food and well, as it always happens in small towns, the Asian food is scarce to be the least brutal on the definition (The guys at the Oat Meal have it pretty much figured out: http://theoatmeal.com/comics/asian_food). So, what to do? What to do? Well, I tried to find out where the Asians living in town got their things, most of them ordered in bulk from big places, which to be honest didn't really work for me. It was until after a couple of weeks of continuous research (and by research I mean carefully harassing every single Asian looking person I could find; which is ok, I am Asian-ish myself) that I heard the rumors of a pretty well stock Asian Supermarket in a town nearby. So, armed with the sole promise of Asian goodies and some sort of "directions" I embarked myself on a journey (not really, it was, in fact, pretty easy to find) and the bounty was plentiful:

• Pho Noodles
• Fish Sauce
• Oolong Tea
• Sesame Paste
• Dark Soy Sauce
• Udon Noodles
• Lo-Bao
• Egg Noodles
• Szechuan Pepper
• Dry Chili
• Miso Paste
• Pickled Daikon
• Hard Tofu
• Red Curry Paste
• Rice Cakes
• And fresh chilies (a generous gift from the owner of the joint)

The Bounty

Butternut Squash & Roasted Garlic Soup

The summer is just over, I was walking down the street minding my own business, when suddenly, in the corner fruit stand, I saw it; A magnificent Butternut Squash, an orange coloured reminder that the summer is over, of the fact that even though the sun was still shinning strongly and the temperatures are nice and warm, any minute now, it can all go to shit without so much as a 'how do you do'. Holly shit, its Fucking Autumn! 

Without giving it much thought I get that magnificent bad boy. To be fair, I spent around 4 to 5 days having an internal debate about the future of the squash. Everything sounded appealing but somehow I could not make up my mind, would I make a pasta? Roast it and eat it like a mash? Soup? And then, my fears of the bad weather came true, I wake up to a fucking storm, gray skies, rain and lightning… and then, it stroke me… not the lightning(duh!) I was in the mood for a fucking SOUP!!!!

So, without further ado, here is my recipe for an Awesome Butternut Squash and Roasted Garlic soup with a bacon, nut and Gamoneu Asturian cheese (Awesome and smoky).

Plate it.