January 18, 2010

• Song of the Day
  

  清晨…..沿著熟悉的小路上走著…..
  轉彎…..抬頭…..總是不知道前方的路是怎麼樣…..
  就是一直這樣漫無目的的往前著走…..
  這種感覺難以言喻…..也許這是我開始喜歡我老家的第一步…..
  香港是屬於我的…..我在那裡快樂多年…..

  

  HONG KONG (part 2) – one of the numerous “tasks” which I would like to accomplish during this trip is to take a leisure morning walk in Central District. As some may well know, it is quite difficult to avoid being “pushed” around while treking around this chaotic city, especially during the peak business hours. Strolling along Wellington Street during one early weekday morning, I was almost the only pedestrian in this concrete jungle. My destination was this hole-in-the-wall place, “Lan Fong Yuen” (蘭芳園). While I was attending high school here, we frequent these small eateries dotted around the smaller streets in Central District. As for breakfast, I longed for their “French Toast” and milk tea. Lan Fong Yuen place is also located very close the the famous “flat stone steps” streets.

  There was scarcely a soul along these flat stone steps, continue up will bring you to the Mid-levels. My destination was down these steps…..
  

  The restaurant is behind this original facade, with the mini stools…..
  

  First order of business was a glass of hot milk tea…
  

  Pork Bun – Pork chop in a bun with mayo, the ultimate artery-clogging morning snack…..
  

  Apply a layer of butter to the French Toast….
  

  The sweet jam in-between the bread made the toast super delicious….
  

  Street scene outside, filled with small mom and pop stores…..
  

  My next stop for more morning snack, a couple of blocks away is Tsui Wah (翠華餐廳), another popular but larger scale Hong Kong style cafe….
  

  With its colorful menu right on the table, we felt like having a glass of hot lemon tea…..
  

  The toasted ‘pineapple glazed’ bun is popular…..Then came a large bowl of hot oatmeal, which was great for rounding up the morning…..
  

  Lung King Heen (龍景軒) – the best Chinese restaurant in Hong Kong (or in the world)? This is the only restaurant in Hong Kong to get three stars from the 2009 Michelin guide (as well as the 2010 guide), and the locals were not at all pleased. Sample comment: “These French [Michelin] people, what do they understand? They only care about the view. So many better restaurants in Hong Kong, but not so fancy.” Well, it is true, you cannot beat the view from atop the Four Seasons Hotel, the meditative arrangements of wood and glass dipping into the harbor. Still, the food is phenomenal. Many locals (including my parents) say that there are other Chinese restaurants that are of the same level or even better than Lung King Heen.(I’ve even heard such gossips that the team of Michelin guide was staying in the Four Seasons Hotel and some have been speculating that this is the reason why two of the hotel’s restaurants got Michelin stars. Besides Lung King Heen, another Four Seasons restaurant, Caprice, got 3.)

  You have to live in the city for many months or even years to be able to judge whether this is the best Chinese restaurant, but for me, Lung King Heen is by far one of the best Chinese restaurant I have ever been to. They have very fresh products and fine preparation of Cantonese classics.

  Like…dim sum…..

  

  The table arrangements is impeccable…..Menu choices are limited, with only 10 dim sum dishes (plus a few daily specials) to choose from…..
  

  First course is Soup of the Day, 老火湯, which is a standard local soup consisting of herbal ingredients. This tastes like home cook soup, so delicious…..
  

  Baked barbeque pork buns with pine nuts…..
  

  Baked whole abalone puffs with diced chicken…..
  

  Steamed lobster and scallop dumplings…..
  

  Steamed shrimp with pork dumplings and dried scallops…..
  

  Steamed sticky rice in lotus leaf…..
  

  Assortment of pastries…..
  

  Chilled mango juice/pudding with tapioca…..
  

  Coming back to the ratings discussion, it is true that most of the dim sum dishes in Lung King Heen are classical Cantonese fare and despite of fresh products and perfect execution, there was little creativity or invention. I did go to another non Michelin rated restaurant (West Villa) for dim sum, and I basically had the same kind of delicious food starting from barbecued suckling pig finishing with baked barbeque pork buns. To be honest, the only difference i felt between these two restaurants was that Lung King Heen has an amazing view of the Victoria Bay and West Villa does not. So I can say, that Lung King Heen is not the only place that is worth very high ratings. On the other hand, I think it is great that the Michelin guide has acknowledged Hong Hong as one of the world’s greatest culinary destinations. People eat very well here and the world should know that.

  • 1:05 am
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