Eating in... Hong Kong

When I discovered that the cheapest way to get from the Philippines to Malaysia was via Hong Kong, I was ecstatic. Long on the list of my desired stopovers, I have been wanting to eat in the former British city for years for its Chinese traditions. Specifically for the dim sum and the famous open-air dai pai dong restaurants and hawker stalls, which have since declined in number due to various reasons, including a sanitisation movement enacted by local regulatory bodies (however not without protest). A formerly prominent feature of the city's culinary scene, we were lucky to have visited two of the remaining dai pai dong areas, one at the Temple Street Night Market (famous for seafood) on the Kowloon/mainland side and the other on Stanley Street on Hong Kong Island.

Stanley Street dai pai dong, January 2014

Every evening on the northern end of Stanley Street, a handful of dai pai dong come to life, lining the street with their foldaway/makeshift tables and plastic stools in preparation for an always bustling crowd of locals, expats, and tourists who know an opportunity for good food when they see it. English menus are available, however at our stall spoken English was tricky. So stringing some of my basic Mandarin together to exchange with their Cantonese (the local dialect), we ordered a braised eggplant and chilli hotpot, a grouper and tofu hotpot, and salt and pepper squid.

The aftermath of our meal after being too excited/hungry to take photos prior

While their was no fault on the squid, it was the hotpots that provided a blinding reminder about how good Chinese food can be. The eggplant melted in the mouth within its punchy, slightly sticky yet unctuous braising sauce; while the large meaty chunks of grouper were perfectly seasoned, moist and complemented by soft tofu which lightened the otherwise rich and salty dish. These with a bowl of simply steamed white rice - to ensure not an ounce of sauce was left unenjoyed - resulted in a complete, satisfying and enriching meal to finish off a night of drinking craft beers.

Exterior of Yat Lok restaurant, 34-38 Stanley Street, Central

Down the road was the only eatery we visited twice during our three day stay in Hong Kong: Yat Lok restaurant. Their specialty is roast goose, and special it is. Not unlike the more common roast duck, their amazingness arises from ultra crispy skin, given life by a combination of seasonings that I'm not privy to, and succulent, tender, equally-seasoned meat. On the first visit, I ordered roast goose on rice, allowing the meat to sing for itself.

Interior

Roast goose (below), Barbecue roast pork (above) and Chinese greens with oyster sauce

Eating in... Singapore

This post should really be titled "Eating in... Maxwell Food Centre". Having been to Singapore several times before, and about to travel for three months with a 32L backpack, shopping on Orchard Road (a favourite past-time) was low on my priorities. All I wanted to do was eat.

Singapore is famous for it's open-air hawker-style food courts and has several throughout the city which are positively bustling at peak meal times, and fairly busy at any other hour. And despite the generally high living costs of this financial and business hub, this style of eating comes cheap. And so so delicious.

We stayed in Chinatown (at this awesome hostel) and as soon as we'd confirmed our accommodation, I immediately checked Google maps for the closest hawker centre. The slightly touristy Chinatown Food Street, on Spring Street, presents a pretty, sanitised version with all of Singapore's culinary specialities under one roof canopy. Lines are long at various stalls, and the food looks and smells great. We only had a brief char kuey teow (fried flat wide rice noodles) here, but I knew we could get it tastier and cheaper.

Chinatown Food Street on Spring Street, Chinatown

Hill Street Fried Kway Teow (char kuey teow) in Chinatown Complex

Chinatown is also home to a couple of other large internal food courts (including the Chinatown Food Court and Chinatown Complex), but the place we frequented most often was Maxwell Food Centre. At the corner of Maxwell Road and South Bridge Road, this felt as much like home as our hostel. Again, all of Singapore's classics can be found here, but I'm a sucker for my favourites: Hainanese chicken rice, char kuey teow (Singapore style with clams and chinese sausage), laksa, and fried 'carrot' cake (nothing to do with the sweet dessert cake, or carrots for that matter). We ticked these off the list fairly quickly, but I also found some other 'Singaporean' specialities I had to try. This included popiah (fresh Malaysian spring roll), banana fritters specifically from Lim Kee Banana Fritters, and the famous Fuzhou Oyster Cake which appealed to me on so many levels.

Maxwell Food Centre, corner of Maxwell and South Bridge Road, Chinatown

The taxi driver who brought us to Maxwell on our first visit let us in on the local secret: Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice is among the best of this Singaporean speciality in town. We found it quickly by its long line of locals, despite being 3pm. The line moved swiftly and I made our order.

(l) A hungry queue at Tian Tian, (r) perfectly poached Hainanese Chicken

Hainanese Chicken rice with the classic sides: cucumber, clear soup, chilli, dark soy sauce and greens

Eating in... South East Asia

El Nido, Palawan, Phillipines

I decided early on during our travels through South East Asia (namely, Singapore, the Phillipines, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Laos and Vietnam) that I'd rather be enjoying the sights and sounds of the places around me, even when there was little to be seen and done but relax, than worrying about updating this blog. These things take time and I preferred the notion of doing it retrospectively when our trip had concluded.  This way, I could enjoy reflecting on our food experiences again, and indulge through recalling all of the amazing flavour sensations we encountered.

Sunset on the Mekong, Luang Prabang, Laos

We have been back in the West for a while now, enjoying the local delicacies of various European locations, but nonetheless I have been missing Asia. Maybe due to the affinity I have with the region, or more likely for the simple fact that, this part of Asia is home to some of the best food in the world.

And there's no doubt: we ate well. The novelty of needing to find something to eat every day for three months never wore thin and I cherished the opportunity to find something new, delicious, and even curious (chicken intestine, anyone?), to savour and enjoy. As you can expect, some meals were better than others, yet there were only two meals that I couldn't stomach (though I did choose not to eat balut, the Phillipines' delicacy of fertilised duck embryo...). But let's talk about the plethora of happy meals we did have.

Barbecue lunch of grilled whole fish and pork skewers, pork belly, salad and rice, followed by juicy pineapple, freshly prepared by our kayak tour guides in El Nido, Palawan, Phillipines

The most incredible baked BBQ pork buns from Tim Ho Wan, Hong Kong

It's difficult to pinpoint the best dish, meal and/or dining experience, for they were so diverse and special for different reasons. Was it the barbecue lunch prepared for us by our guides on a secluded beach as part of a kayaking tour near El Nido in Palawan, Phillipines... or, the Michelin-rated yum cha in Hong Kong that was so breathtakingly good, I don't think I will be able to enjoy yum cha elsewhere, as much, ever again... Or was it the feast of fresh crabs and tiger prawns with extended family in Sabah, Malaysia?  Maybe the home-made Luang Prabang noodle soup we had in Laos, miles away from the throng of tourists... or, the eleven-course meal we prepared with a group of strangers in an excellent cooking class in Hoi An, Vietnam?

Eating in... Christchurch

I was so impressed with my visit to Christchurch. Besides the lovely gap-filler projects, that certainly communicate a sense of sensitive robustness, there were more than a handful of eateries I wanted to visit. One that I sadly missed was the Harlequin Public House by famous local chef Johnny Schwass, but I at least got to a few others. This included legendary Dimitri's Souvlaki, acclaimed Burmese restaurant The Bodhi Tree, the new-ish Cassel & Son's Brewery and Brew Bar and well-established local favourite Burgers & Beers.

Dimitri's Greek Food, Re:START mall

Dimitri's is set up in a food truck in Cashel Street's extremely well done Re:START mall.  A conglomerate of brightly-painted upcycled shipping containers, they are occupied with various retailers while a central sound stage provides live music. I was content soaking in the atmosphere as I waited, not long, for my lamb souvlaki and again as I tried to devour it as gracefully as possible. If you know what a turkish kebab is like, these are definitely messier (a fork is required) however ten times tastier. The generous pieces of lamb are so juicy and tender, and spiced just so that the accompanying tzatziki continuously provides a balance, and the fresh tomato and lettuce a lightness.

Regular lamb souvlaki goodness 

The Bodhi Tree (399 Ilam Road, Bryndwr), on the other hand, is best enjoyed in company. The renowned 'only Burmese restaurant in the country' serves up small dishes to share, which is lucky for me because they was so much on the menu I wanted to try. Without sounding pretentious, the famous tea leaf salad was a revelation. Beautiful light textures, with crunch, yet a rich flavour which reminded us of pesto (a good thing in my mind).  It was unlike anything I've eaten before. The shredded chicken salad (with salad greens, and a lemon, shallot, shallot oil, chilli and coriander dressing) and grilled eggplant (dressed in similar, minus the lemon) were the other standouts for me. I'll definitely be back there for the seafood dishes and more salads, eventually. Either that, or we'll just have to try make it to Burma/Myanmar.

Leaving New Zealand

I can hardly believe six weeks have passed since my last post. During the first two weeks, I felt the constant internal nag of needing to post something new but after then, I knew I needed to give in to what was happening in my life.

I finished up at my work, moved out of my flat and packed up our belongings to be sent away in a ship, half way across the world. I grappled with an extraordinary mix of emotions dealing with this immense change: sadness to be leaving much-loved friends and colleagues; the stress of packing and organising trip details; nerves of the future unknown; but also equally, the excitement of the many adventures to come. However obvious, I am most ecstatic about all of the foods we will come across on our travels as I am a fervent believer of cultural experience through eating.

Leaving Wellington also meant careful consideration of where I was sharing last meals with friends. Perhaps I've overdone some of the old favourites over my nine or so years in the capital, but I had a very select few places where I wanted to eat in my last two weeks. For easy and indulgent dinners, I went to Taste of India (19 Cambridge Terrace, takeaway only) for my favourite Indian in town, not to mention great value.  Rumour has it they brought their tandoor oven from India on a ship in the 70's, so I just had to have their freshly-made naan and tandoor-baked chicken one last time.

The best Indian takeaway in Wellington, Taste of India

Naan made-to-order and tandoori chicken behind

For lunch with the girls, I revisited Nikau Cafe (Civic Square, next to City Gallery) for their kedgeree and also Ti Kouka (upstairs, 76 Willis Street) where I enjoyed a rich braised short rib burger, while ginger and anise chicken hot dogs and a pulled pork roll were ordered around the table. All fantastically worthwhile and delicious. My only regret was that I couldn't fit in a salted caramel cookie from their sweet-things-counter afterwards.

My last day at work saw the sun shining, so I grabbed a crowd of friends and went to Golding's Free Dive (14 Leeds Street) for a sneaky drink in the sunny sheltered courtyard and some Pizza Pomodoro from across the lane. Such a great set-up, I will be back here.

Eating in... Auckland

For so long, Wellington has been known as the foodie capital of New Zealand. With great cafes, quality dining options and apparently the most eateries per capita in the world, the claim was not far fetched.  However, recently, Auckland has been stepping their game up.

In the last year, it seems as if a new cafe or restaurant has been opening there every other week. They're all designed with their own strong sense of character and are equally as enticing as the next. Lately, I've managed to try a few different spots: The Food Truck, Federal Delicatessen (next to Al Brown's other Federal Street joint, the repeatedly tried-and-true Depot), Orleans and Fukuko.
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The Food Truck Garage, City Works Depot, 90 Wellesley Street
Luckily for me, I arrived at chef Michael van de Elzen's cafe, derived from his successful television series The Food Truck, at 2.50pm - 10 minutes before the kitchen closed for lunch.  I promptly ordered the Paua Dog (paua and pickled free range pork with horseradish, avocado salsa and lentils in a spelt flour roll) and Baked Chips (skin-on Agria potato, swede and beets with lime emulsion), while I was served complimentary sparkling water with a slice of lemon.  Lovely.

I have been a Food Truck fan since the start, enjoying van de Elzen's healthy and refreshing take on takeaway comfort classics. His variation on the hot dog, incorporating the often under-appreciated 'steak of the sea', excited me as soon as I read it off the menu. I'm a big advocate for paua so I was happy to see it being employed in this unexpected manner.

Food Truck Garage

It did not disappoint. The paua and pork sausage was plump and juicy, and you could taste hints of the sea whilst not being overwhelmed. Perfect for those who might be skeptical of the concept, but I would have loved an even stronger paua flavour. The avocado salsa worked brilliantly to counter and lighten the meatiness of the sausage, while the micro greens brought a delicate crunch to the mix. The roll also was a standout in itself. Fresh, soft, textural, with the addition of seeds to provide bite - it was a star component.  More than I expected, it was the most pleasant of surprises.

The Baked Chips and Paua Dog

The Baked Chips were, comparably, okay. Being the last run of lunch service was no excuse for dried out potatoes and this was disappointing. The swede and beets were better and with the lime emulsion, it provided a fair accompaniment to my 'dog.
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Federal Delicatessen, 86 Federal Street

Complimentary crisps with a smoked salmon dip helped me to make a more rational - less hunger-driven - decision

The array of salads: (l-r) Grilled Eggplant, Spiced Roast Pumpkin and Roast Cauliflower

 A fine selection of lox, including spiced, dill and citrus, with a slice of lemon meringue pie with freeze-dried raspberries being prepared in the background