Macau: In A Day

Who'd ever think to explore a new country, all on a day trip?

I'm ashamed to admit, but that's what we did... Obviously there isn't enough time, especially if you got up at 10am, and then went on to queue for breakfast at the ADC instead of immediately proceeding to board the ferry to Macau.

And when I say "explore", I really meant "stuffing our faces".

Getting to Macau from Hong Kong

From Central MTR, go to the Hong Kong Macau ferry terminal. It was a bit tricky trying to locate the tickets office (even with the help of signs). You'll have to go up a few levels to find the counters. 

Alternatively, it is possible also board the ferry from Kowloon in Tsim Sha Tsui. However,  the ferries leave every 30minutes, as opposed to the one from Central MTR - every 15 minutes. It does not sound like a large difference, but if tickets are sold out for the time slot you want, then the wait can be as arduous as 45mins-1 hour, just killing time at the ferry terminal!

The ferry ride takes about an hour, but also set aside some 15-20 minutes or so for tickets purchase and queueing at immigration. 

A few tips:

Remember to bring along your passports!

We didn't need to exchange currency for the Macau Pataca.  The shops in Macau (both large and small establishments) are happy to take Hong Kong dollars because the rates are very close to the Pataca. Some places may also accept RMB.

We bought ferry tickets from Turbojet. At the boarding gate, seats were assigned based on a first come first served basis.

**On the return trip to Hong Kong (almost 10pm), tickets for the next two time slots were sold out. We found out some opportunist locals hoard the tickets, and then sell them at a slightly higher rate. 

Free shuttle to the casino strip. At the Macau ferry terminal: simply ask the Information Centre after immigration for the free shuttle buses. There is a long row of buses that shuttle passengers to different casinos, for free. We took the one headed for The Venetian, becos all our food hunts are nestled here.

***

I think, for an eatery to be truly desirable and to create that viral longing - does not solely depend on its food. The vibe/ambience plays a huge part. This does not necessarily mean a fancy setting. It can be as memorable as a cafe by the beach, or even squatting by a large ditch and sucking on bloodied clams (you read that right... only in Malacca).

Which is why I usually steer away from eateries housed in malls. They lack any charisma, the experience is totally forgettable. 

Those are precisely why our planned Macau food hunt failed. I was overly ambitious: I had initially arranged for the original Lord Stow's bakery in Coloane (south village of Macau), the pork chop bun shop called Tai Lei Loi Kei in Taipa village (western part of Macau), and then also wanted to see the Venetian....... 

You may laugh but we (sort of) did it...

Instead of traveling all over Macau, we settled for their branches in the Venetian, heh.

Tai Lei Loi Kei

The Venetian Macau 

(at the large food court, ask concierge for directions)

Order: Pork chop on bun

We thought we'd be one step ahead and order the pork chops WITH polo bao. Well, bad choice. The sweetness of the polo bao does not go well with the pork chops. 

The pork chops, however, were really tender. One of the better pork chops I've had, for sure. 

Now, THIS is the pork chop bun you want to have:

Vinnie went for a second serving, and opted instead for the pork chop bun (original). Sandwiched between mini baguette breads. It's the perfect marriage! The slightly chewy baguette goes wonderfully well with the pork chops.

Now, the moment we have all been waiting for.


Lord Stow's Bakery & Cafe
The Venetian Macau
Order: Portuguese Egg Tarts

Portuguese egg tarts are quite unlike the regular egg tarts. The tart shells are laminated dough, like puff pastries. Whereas the regular egg tarts have shells similar to a quiche.

My expectations were high. I mean, these are supposed to be the best Portuguese egg tarts in Macau! Some say they are better than the egg tarts in Portugal! 

They do not disappoint.

Oh my. The tarts are kept at a very warm temperature (50-60C?), and we struggle to hold and eat them! The flaky layers of puffed pastry make an orgasmic contrast with the soft egg custard filling. The custard is incredibly soft and gooey, they quiver at the slightest movement. 

If you'd prefer to visit a proper Lord Stow Bakery (not in a mall), they also have one branch in Taipa Village. 

***

The village is a real pleasure to take a walk in. Roads are small and totally pedestrian-friendly. Hardly any traffic, except for the occasional vehicle.

A park being dolled up for the upcoming Lunar New Year celebrations.

A bad-ass photo V took of me, heh.

And last (surely not least) on our Macau food hunt-

Cafe Litoral

53/57 Rua do Regedor

Taipa

Order: African Chicken

African chicken in Macau does strike as odd. But Macau was a Portuguese colony, along with parts of Africa. The African influence of spices, chilis and piri piris soon spread to Macau. We were told this African chicken goes through three types of preparation: roasting, deep-frying and grilling. 

The chicken is slightly sweet to the palate, with a tomato paste, and piri piri sauce. And not remotely spicy. It is very tasty and I would highly recommend it. This does remind me of Mom's ayam ros from home.

It's a damn shame we only have a day here, but we'll surely be back to explore Coloane and Senado Square. Plenty more to see and eat.

Hong Kong: The Big Round Up

I love Hong Kong. 

It is bustling, it is full of energy, it is efficient.... and it is a gastronomic heaven. I love the constant flurry of activity that surrounds the city. I love the diversity of the people here, and I love the city in winter. 15-18C. Think boots, chic coats and dapper jackets!

This is the round up of places we frequently go, (with some editions from the original list) and for good reasons (in no order of preference).

There are, however, no dim sum pick here. We've gone to a few highly rated dim sum restaurants, but have been underwhelmed all times. I'm still uncertain if that was because we  not know what to order, or Hong Kong dim sum isn't one of their stronger points...

***

1. Kam's Roast Goose

226 Hennessy Road

Wan Chai

Closest MTR: Wan Chai (Exit A4)

This is easily our favourite and we would fly all the way to Hong Kong just so we can have this every meal, all day (ok, so I lied about the order of preference)...

Queueing time for a table is 30-40 minutes - applies for most of the restaurants on this list here. Probably goes without saying.

We've tried numerous combinations on the menu: sausages, roast pork, roast goose.... and the choiciest item goes to the roast goose leg with rice, along with a plate of roast pork to share (if you're not too possessive).

Roast goose leg is charged at a slight premium, but it's totally worth it. More meat to bones ratio. Regular roast goose cut have lots of oddly-shaped and oddly-placed bones and it's just way too much work with chopsticks when all you want to do is gorge yourself silly.

Ah... this photo is sending me happy, happy thoughts....

Oh, and don't be tempted to order the pork sausages - an absolute meh. Century eggs are decent, if you're into that kinda stuff (still a bit too alkaline to my liking - I think they're only acceptable in century porridge).

***

2. Little Bao

66 Staunton Street
SoHo, Central
MTR: Sheung Wan MTR (Exit A2)

This is a new find for us - I was expecting the place to be a lot like Kam's, with practical seatings and attention on food. What we discovered in Little Bao was a pleasant surprise. Modern and youthful, with a gastropub vibe. The menu is a twist on old favourites. 

We arrived at 8:30pm, but was asked to wait 40-50 minutes for seats. The eatery was chock full of people! We left our numbers and took to exploring the SoHo until we received a call from them.

We got counter seats, yay. Service was prompt, but our orders took a while to arrive. 

This is the Pork Belly bao - slow-braised pork belly, leek and shiso red onion salad, sesame dressing, hoisin ketchup.  

Soft bao (steamed and toasted before assembling), tender meat, yum.

Szechuan Fried Chicken bao - Chinese black vinegar glaze, Szechuan mayo and coleslaw. A delight - crispy chicken, crunchy 'slaw and soft baos.

Roasted Pork Cheek - Cumin-spiced, fennel, burnt apple puree.

This. Is. Just. Orgasmic.

That first bite into a perfectly pan-fried crispy skin, followed by the tender meat and ended with an explosion of juicy layer of pork fat.

***

3. Kam Wah Cafe
47 Bute Street
Nearest MTR: Prince Edward (Exit B3)

Kam Wah Cafe is unanimously voted as best place for Polo Bao, also called the pineapple bun. Despite its name, the bao does not contain pineapple. Instead, the criss-crossing design on top of the bun earned its moniker.

They have two shops side by side - we placed our order for 3 Polo Baos, one for me and two for V. Aaaaaand V had actually thought that the Polo Baos have some sort of filling inside (pork, no doubt) - so he was very disappointed to find out otherwise. 

Me, I think they're really great, soft on the inside and decadent with butter; and the crust... oh my. They add a wonderful contrast to the spongy buns. Texture is sort of like crumble. They remind me of the char siew baos crust from Tim Ho Wan.

And washed down with the quintessential HongKi drink - yin yong. 

Btw, this photo of butter sticking out of the polo bun looks almost indecent....

***

民聲冰室

16 Wun Sha Street,

Tai Hang

Nearest MTR: Tin Hau, Exit B

I have no idea how to pronounce or read this shop's name, but this search came up for a local eatery.

This was the store front of the address that I have in hand... but we can't be sure initially, as the addresses aren't clearly shown.

Still, the shop was almost full, that's surely a good sign as any. We signalled to the waitress, and she led us into ANOTHER eatery.

We suspected this second eatery, which looked more like a pub, is used during the day time to accommodate their growing customers.

The eatery is so local that there isn't an English menu.... and the servers only speak Cantonese. My Cantonese failed me here...... I wanted to order the highly recommended steamed minced pork with salted egg but for the life of me, I couldn't remember what "salted egg" is called in Cantonese! I should know this! Anyway, it is "ham dan"!!

Our server was very patient, though. She waited for me to struggle and sputter incomprehensible Cantonese. I tried to order a char siew dish with omelette - this wasn't so hard... cos char siew is universal ;)

Steamed minced pork with salted egg yolk. Just a tad oily but this defines home-cooked comfort food! Simple and yet packed full with flavour. A bowl of rice is all that's needed to complete this divine image.

Char siew with omelette. This one didn't wow us so much. Interestingly the omelette and the steamed pork both have similar ingredients (pork and eggs), but very different preparations.

This is a spicy pork thingie that we spotted on another table and ordered, cos it looks good. We still don't know what it is called, hehe.

*** 

Australia Dairy Co
47 Parkes Street
Nearest MTR: Jordan (Exit C2)

This needs no introduction. It's all over the Interwebz and appeared on every Hong Kong eating guide. 

We paid homage to ADC every day when we were in Hong Kong. Incidentally, one of those times, we shared table with a Hong Konger whose father was a Malaysian. And there's definitely the Malaysian hospitality there cos she helped us to order some items and clarified a couple of misunderstandings with the impatient ADC staff ;) 

Don't miss out on their scrambled eggs and ham sandwich. Fluffy eggs and ham on thick toast.

And you can't say you've been to ADC without trying their steamed milk pudding. Pick the one with egg whites, the almond steamed pudding did not catch our fancy. And choose warm cos the flavours are more defined when the pudding is warm!

***

Mak's Noodles
51 Parkes Street
Nearest MTR: Jordan

Mak's noodles eatery is just right next to the ADC. The noodles are the best I've ever had in my entire life. Light and springy, with a perfectly al dente texture. The soup and wantons are alright, though - so do manage your expectations.

Vinnie likes to order their dry noodles with spicy pork, which is really nice, if you're not into soupy noodles. Dry noodles come with a bowl of soup as well.

***

Hong Kong - Whirlwind of Gastronomic Proportion

... and a rekindling of an old love affair - sneaking in every night for a clandestine meeting with the softest milk pudding... and leaving with a big, plump and satisfied smile on my face.

Weather was quite pleasant - and as usual, it was only really nicely under 20 degrees on the day we left. 

Here at Kam's Roast Goose for the second or third consecutive day!! We've also learnt to dodge the mental queues - arriving at the popular lunch/dinner spot at tea time. It makes a whole lotta difference between waiting for 50 minutes vs no queue!

The glutton in me wanted to try everything on the menu. I finally settled for the roast goose with roast pork sausages. Bad idea. Next time, just settle with roast goose - that's what Kam's is known for, and that shall be all you need to try!

Nothing, nothing can ever come close to these superlicious roast goose! Juicy and fatty skin over tender meat.... the pork sausages did not impress, though. The century egg also tasted very alkaline.

Kam's Roast Goose
G/F Po Wah Commercial Center
226 Hennessey Road
Closest MTR: Wan Chai

And for the sake of checking off the list of favourites (I do like wanton noodles, but they don't make me palpitate the way roast goose do), we found ourselves in front of Mak's noodles.

Don't get me wrong - I love the noodles here. Very different from the thicker wanton noodles we get back home. Mak's are very light and springy. I ordered the dumplings (dumplings are the ones with pork and shrimp, wanton have only pork) with dry noodles (the soup noodles seem to be more popular here) and Vinnie a charsiew version - which is very nice too.

Mak Unkee Noodle
77 Wellington St 
Nearest MTR: Central

Oh, Aussie Dairy co. Though you seem to have nothing to do with the land down under, but your steamed milk pudding are irresistible!! We shamelessly admit we came here on a nightly basis. And even more unabashedly - for supper. 

We didn't stop at the steamed milk pudding..... nor the scrambled eggs with toast.... sometimes topping up with a French toast.

Breakfasts and dinners spawn long queues here too - which is why we've opted to satisfy our cravings late into the night. No queues, and best of all no pressure to finish our food quickly to clear our table.

A real sinner of a supper. Thick glob of butter, with honey drizzled over an even coating of French toast. Washed down by the softest milk pudding. I prefer the warm steamed milk pudding - I find the flavours stand out more when they are served warm.

Australia Dairy Co.

G/F 47-49 Parkes St

Nearest MTR: Jordan

At Gigi's recommendation, we tried the Lin Heung Kui branch in Central this time. They are completely filled with people! We could clearly see that we were 2 of the total 3 tourists in the restaurant (on one of the three floors they occupy).

The choices weren't varied, or so we thought. The first trolley arrived and contain less than desirable items. Thinking perhaps we have made it too late to the restaurant, we picked a few and tried them anyway. The next trolley came out 6-8 minutes later, and didn't have many that we fancy either. Again, we picked  a few cause that's all we may have.

As soon as we were almost stuffed, the latter trolleys that were rolled out has way better dim sum items! &^*%*&.  I am not sure why the intervals between trolleys took so long on that day, or if that is the norm?

Lin Heung Kui 
46-50 Des Voeux Rd West
Sheung Wan
Nearest MTR: Central

And a very late pre-Christmas lights of the Hong Kong financial district at night to wrap this food-heavy post.

Hong Kong: Kung Fu Phooey

One of the few exceptions of a city that has always been in the bucket list - Hong Kong - along with Tokyo, Venice, to name a few. So excited that I am finally visiting!

It was the first time I've heard, and flew on HK Express, a Hong Kong-based budget airline that flies direct from Penang. I can't recall much of the experience, unfortunately. I slept through pretty much the whole flight. Though I do recall that announcements were made in Cantonese too. Was a little odd to me.

A nap and a shower after checking in, we scoured the streets for lunch. I had a list of to-go places with me, recommended by friends and websites alike: top on the list is roast goose! We stayed at Causeway Bay and were just strolling when we saw a line snaking from a restaurant. Curiosity got the better of me and I poked my nose right into it. Whaddya know, a roast goose shop! With the massive queue, waiting time was at least 30minutes. We pored over the menu and leisurely picked our orders while standing outside. There is a numbering system, so we didn't have to stay in line.

Service was quick, our orders came within minutes - juicy, fatty roast goose leg and crispy suckling pork in their glistening glory. I also ordered the recommended preserved egg and marinated soy beans. Preserved eggs were gooey in the center, tasted a little too rich for me. Soy beans are alright, but didn't fancy it too much.

But OMG, the roast goose!!! I. Have. Never. Whoa. The fatty layer between skin and meat is almost buttery, they melt in your mouth. I couldn't get enough of them. Rice was fragrant and most excellently absorbed the goose fat.

And OMG the suckling pork!!! The crunchy skin with a fatty layer is to die for. What luck to stumble into this gem of a place!

Kam’s Roast Goose
G/F Po Wah commercial Center, 
226 Hennessey Road

(I later found out that Kam's Roast Goose is actually a sister company of Yung Kee Restaurant - the posh, famed roast goose restaurant)

***

Another gem in Hong Kong that probably requires no introduction, the Australia Dairy Co. I saw it on every food blog, and every friend who has visited Hong Kong were enthusiastically cajoling me to try the "steamed milk". First I went, no, I am not visiting an Australian restaurant while in Hong Kong and secondly, steamed milk? Seriously.

They all waved me off impatiently and shot back that it's just the name. Goodness me.

And true enough, it is as popular as they say. Both locals and tourists flock.

The line is excessive, I agree, but it is fast moving. We were in line for perhaps 5-10 minutes?

We ordered a number of items: The quintessential Hongki breakfast of macaroni and ham soup, steamed milk, scrambled eggs with toast and French toast.

Macaroni in chicken broth and served with ham - not my thing. Was a little maggi mee-ish and the ham didn't win me either.

Steamed milk - wow. I finally realized what the hype is all about. I ordered it warm and it was so soft, a little gooey but in a good way. It's a little sweet and while I was stuffed with our orders, I happily finished this one!

Scrambled eggs with toast - Vinnie vaporized this before I barely even got to look at it. He said they were good.

French toast - no photos but oh my! Easily the best french toast I've ever tasted. They weren't sickly sweet, something that most restaurants tend to do. Instead, the sweetness of the honey is offset by the salted butter. Most deliciously done.

Quick service and crowded, as always!

Australian Dairy Co.
G/F 47-49 Parkes St 
(Jordan MTR)

***

Moving on to dinner at.... Tim Ho Wan. How can we possibly visit Hong Kong without having dim sum?!

There are a few Tim Ho Wan outlets in Singapore too. They are almost like a dim sum fast food restaurant, except they serve delicious food (Michelin-starred) at an affordable price.

Ordered the usual favourites - Baked BBQ pork buns. They were smaller than the ones in Singapore, but the fillings are densely packed! Singapore's Tim Ho Wan has pockets of air in their buns, those cheaters. It's like wearing one of those padded bum jeans to make your butt look perky when they aren't.

Right- Pork liver rice rolls. I used to hate the taste of liver, but I almost crave for it now!

Pan fried carrot cake and siu mai. Pretty good quality and I think quite consistent with the shops in Singapore.

Tim Ho Wan
9-11 Fuk Wing St
(Sham Sui Po MTR)

***

So the last time we planned a holiday in Phuket, there was a military junta and curfew in effect, but we proceeded with the trip anyway - and had tons of fun, minus the crazy tourist crowd. Then the plan to Hong Kong and suddenly there were reports of protests ongoing, train services halted..... someone up there has got a cruel sense of humor, but we didn't care!

Noodles with wantons!

Another location I got off the net. We both ordered the dry noodles version, though the recommended ones were soup noodles. I got the prawn egg noodles and V got the spicy BBQ pork instead. Bouncy noodles and generous dumpling fillings - hits the spot. Soup tasted very MSG, though.

Mak Unkee Noodle 
77 Wellington St Central
(Central MTR)

***

I badly wanted to go to a dimsum place that Ming Chee recommended, called Lin Heung Kui, for dinner that night. However, I overlooked the fact that dim sum may not be served all day and night and simply assumed they will be available. My face fell when they gave us a menu for zi char, so we ordered a few things but they turned out to be more misses than hits (a pork thingie that came braised and starchy, a mixed vegetable turned out to be vegetable soup...meh).... :( Still, 2/3 on Day 1 can't be all that bad!

No pictures in Lin Heung Kui for the zhi char dinner, but we came back another day for the main purpose: dim sum! 

Spot the trolley dolley.

Busy, busy place! We had to find our own seats. Like hawk, we swooped down towards the table whenever someone lifted his ass off the seat. Got seats in minutes, proud of ourselves. Others were on hunting mode too. Whenever the dim sum trolley gets pushed out, it gets swarmed by hungry zombies. If you found your love in Hong Kong and want to reveal her true colours, bring her here, I reckon.

I was quite disappointed with the small range of choices, to be honest. Did not see any "lao sa pao". So we ordered the typical dim sum types. Not great shots but I didn't want to attract too much attention by taking multiple shots!

As you can see, the siu mai has very generous amount of prawns and pork piled on it. It was really good! Cha siew pau is also very yummy!

Lin Heung Kui Dim Sum
160-164 Wellington St
(Central MTR)

***

Our last dinner in Hong Kong, after we'd finished with Disneyland (no, we didn't stay for the fireworks because Mr-Not-Keen-With-Fireworks don't fancy them). We wanted to have a nice dinner, to treat ourselves at a fancy restaurant. Because I've heard so much about Yung Kee - the famed roast goose restaurant - the decision is obvious.

Vinnie's hankering for sweet and sour pork (again) means we ordered that (again) and also stir fried beef slices with capsicum (again) hehe. I wanted my green veg fix, and ordered this special greens that is apparently unique to Hong Kong (?).

You look mighty fine!

Roast goose was as delicious as its sister company, Kam's Roast Goose. However, Yung Kee has the winning edge with their fermented soy beans that came with the bird. I'm no expert with soy beans but somehow, Yung Kee's version goes down really well with the goose. I've said it before, but I'm saying it again: Roast goose fat absorbed into rice is a delicacy of its own!

The pork and beef dishes were absolutely delicious too! Sweet sour pork was crispy and caramelized on the outside, and tender on the inside. Beef was cooked right, the green chillis add a bite to the dish.

Prices were hefty, extra USD8 just for the roast goose, and everything came to about $120. Still, a really good meal!

Yung Kee Restaurant

30-40 Wellington St

(Central MTR)

***

Satisfied with the meal, we proceeded to stuff ourselves some more, cos there's always room for steamed milk.

This was another recommendation, from Sue Wern. We even took the MTR towards the Tsim Sha Shui area from HK island for Yee Shun, then back again to HK island later to our hotel. Proud of you, V, foodie you have become.

Verdict: Slight differences, but I much prefer the steamed milk at the Australian Dairy Co!

Yee Shun 

513 Nathan Road

(Yau Ma Tei MTR)

***

Finished with the food hunt, now I shall bore you with sickly pictures of us in Disneyland.

I've been told over again how Disneyland HK is the worst among them, small, frequented by insensitive and socially-inept Chinese tourists - I can sort of see why. At times, our experience were spoilt by the two men talking in loud voices, the children peeing into plastic bags, that sort of thing. But Disneyland is still a magical place to me, it brings out the inner child. I was tempted to break into a skip as we approached the main entrance!

The weather was perfect for walking around. Overcast and pleasant temperatures. We did not break into sweat and we did not even need our sunglasses. Couldn't ask for a more beautiful day.

Ended with a romantic stroll along the Arena of Stars boulevard and a view of Hong Kong island.

Caught a whiff of the most intoxicating smell..... Grilled cuttlefish!! So addictive!