Cafe 103 Ritz Carlton [Hong Kong] - Ecuador Republica Del Cacao Afternoon Tea

  Café 103 at Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong is constantly updating their Afternoon Tea promotions with different collaborations from around the World,  and for the November 2017 period,  they have welcomed the Confectioner and Pastry Chef Javier Guillen from Spain, who will work on the dessert items using the Ecuador Republica Del Cacao Chocolates ranging from 31-70% chocolates from Central and Southern America.   If you are a chocolate lover,  you may have heard that recently the Ecuador and Peruvian sourced chocolates are the hottest commodities right now,  with some heirloom cocoa bean varieties only available from these bordering countries, much like Venezuela chocolates have previously dominated the high end chocolate market for a period.  Here for the entirety of the November month,  you can sample some of these at the Café 103 Tea set at $388 per person,  or $638 for 2 persons including Drinks.  Weekend surcharge is $20.

Afternoon Tea Set with Drinks,  HKD $638 for Two Persons -

Weekend is HKD $658.

Scones with Clotted Cream & Jam -

I have tried Café 103's Tea set a few times lately,  and I believe the Scone quality has improved.  It is now more spongy with less gluten,  a pillowy feel which I like and more UK style aligned.

Ecuador Republica Del Cacao Chocolate Tea Set - Ritz-Carlton Café 103

This tea set is here to stay until end of November,  and with various natural Single Origin chocolates sourced from both Central America and South America,  including from Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, etc.  This really suits me as a pure Chocolate lover,  especially for Milk to Dark Chocolate items!

Coffee Bean with Mixed Berries,

also Feve Cacao with Caramel Milk Chocolate & Hazelnut Milk Ganache. 

The coffee pod shaped chocolate is actually quite strong in the coffee and chocolate taste,  it's definitely created for Chocolate lovers. 

Panama Hat with Passionfruit & Banana, Almond -

Red Rose of Raspberry mousse Chocolate crunch

Guanabana Jelly with Peanut Paste, Chocolate Mousse -

The Soursop fruit is according to some research very healthy,  and here only the clear juice is used from the Americans sourced fruit.  Which makes this Tea Set more the exotic and unique for Hong Kong context for me.. 

Azteca Chocolate with Coconut -

This Mexican symbol chocolate is fun to see and eat,  plus currently in the World,  the cuisines in the America's are almost up there with the Nordic and Spanish food movement!

It was again a Fun afternoon up here on the 103rd Floor of Ritz-Carlton Hotel,  Hong Kong -

These days,  with all the buzz going on around the city,  you just want to pull back and chillax a bit away from it all.  I am not sure how others who tried this Tea Set will feel,  but personally since I have spent some time living and working in that region before,  it brings back nostalgic memories and makes me want to plant a trip back to Central and South America to explore their Food Scene there again soon!

Price: HKD $378 Per Person to HKD $638 for Two + 10%  (Preview by Ritz-Carlton Hotel HK)

Food: ♕♕♕♕ 1/2 to ♕♕♕♕♕

Address: 尖沙咀柯士甸道西1號環球貿易廣場(ICC)香港麗思卡爾頓酒店103樓
103/F, The Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong, International Commerce Centre, 1 Austin Road West, Tsim Sha Tsui
Phone: +852 22632270

Dean & Deluca [Macau] - 1st Store in Macau & Hong Kong Region, in Galaxy Complex

  Dean & Deluca is a famous grocery store that began in Year 1977 in New York,  and some of us have been avid fans of their American stores, as well as their overseas outlets in nearby Japan.  Their decision to expand into Macau with the assistance of Galaxy Casino complex is exciting news for those of us already acquainted with the brand.  Previously the closest to purchasing any Dean & Deluca products was to visit Oliver's Supermarket in Central,  although recently their D&D selections have been majorly scaled back too,  so residents living in Hong Kong will now need to take a ferry ride for an hour to Macau's side to pay here a visit. 

The Range of Deli style Sandwiches, Doughnuts and Cakes -

These are similar in the variety of selections to the Japanese or Singaporean counterpart stores, with some of the Signature items also presented here,  including the Rainbow cake, which actually carries a slightly different recipe to the NYC presentation. 

New Dean & Deluca Macau Special Drink -

This is a Portuguese Egg Tart "Pastel de Nata" flavour,  created for the Macau store.  There's bits of buttery crust deconstructed and also an eggy, syrupy tasting milkshake underneath.  Very Macanese in it's creation just for this market as a Signature drink.

Vanilla Ice Cream Sundae with Rose Jam and Strawberries - MOP $58

I was quite surprised this was available at this affordable price range,  as the ice cream are made using quality dairy and vanilla beans,  and was overall very balanced likable,  not overly sweet.  Considering many Japanese Parfait or Kakigori shops will cost a lot more nowadays in comparison, I think regular ice cream or sundae fans would be happy to be offered this option...

"HK Milk Tea" Berliner Doughnut - $26

This was a recipe I couldn't pass up,  and considering it was Oktoberfest period when I visited,  this German x HK-Macau recipe was fascinating.  The inside had squirts of condensed milk caramel-ly Milk Tea jam, which reminds me of Dulce de Leche.  A subsequent visit with other friends,  saw the doughnut's inside piped with a even larger portion of the tea jam,  which is perfect for drinking Tea or Coffee together. 

Rainbow Cake - $46

The Signature cake made with different Naturally extracted fruit flavors,  this recipe is more for the Asian market but looks similar enough to the New York version.  The cake layers to me could be slightly more moist,  or alternatively could have more cream in-between to lubricate the layers.  Considering Dean & Deluca Macau was barely opened for a few days when I visited twice within 2 days,  I am sure this kink will eventually be ironed out and this is already a popular item,  at least Instagrammable..

Blueberry Cheesecake - $46

Most cakes here are decently priced.  We were saying that Cha Bei virtually next door to here is also selling café and patisserie items, similar to here,  so in a way they are competing but it could only benefit the customers who now have more choices,  when arriving into Galaxy to eat at either of them,  or at Passion by Gerald Dubois, etc.

Chocolate Toffee Almonds -

These are my favourites and are super addictive.  Unlike the normal Chocolate coated almonds,  which are mostly of an earthy x nutty note,  these have a middle layering of toffeed coating around the nuts,  which give it enough crunch and sweetness.  A must buy item every time, and they come as small or larger tins

Dean & Deluca Tote Bags -

These are just under MOP 300,  and are Macau limited versions.  I got a Blue version this time,  and at home I have a plain White Tote version which needs washing all the time.  The striped bottoms here would be great for resisting the dusty look.

Iced Caffe Latte -

This uses the Dean & Deluca Manhattan blend,  which was chosen specifically for the Galaxy Macau Dean & Deluca clientele.  It's balanced in its sweet dark fruits and chocolate nutty flavours,  which is quite modern American-Italian style,  and to me a good base for both everyday drinking espresso or milk coffees,  without being overly exploratory or acidic.  Usually when we come to Macau there's only so much quota space...  but as a big Dean & Deluca fan and this being exclusive to Macau only,  I think I will come back quite regularly.  I think D&D regulars will know this habitual feeling,  it's like how Canadians feel affiliated with Tim Horton's and miss their poutines.

Price:  Around MOP $26 to $90

Food: ♕♕♕♕ 1/2

Address:  G107, G/F, Galaxy Macau
Phone: +853 88832221

The Chinese Restaurant 凱悅軒 [Hong Kong] - Award Winning Chef from Grand Hyatt Shenzhen, with Signature Cantonese Dishes

  Award Winning and considered one of the Top 4 Chefs in Guangdong region,  Guest Chef Scott Xu 主廚徐廣強先生 from Grand Hyatt Shenzhen is here at Hong Kong's Hyatt Regency Tsim Sha Tsui,  to present his Signature Cantonese dishes for the month of October 2017.  There is still another week to try out his dishes here at The Chinese Restaurant 凱悅軒,  itself looked after by permanent Head Chef Lo,  known for his Double boiled Papaya Soup,  Jasmine Tea Smoked Chicken, Char Siu and also to me his Fried Silken Tofu.  To explain briefly as an introduction,  Hong Kong & Macau are all considered part of Canton region - however to the dedicated connoisseurs  of Cantonese food,  there are quite a few sub-regional styles.  The Shenzhen and Guangzhou inspired Cantonese dishes cooked by Chef Xu, who is himself from Foshan also within Canton region,  are truly unique compared to the dishes we normally have on offer in Hong Kong,  and during his 「主席盛宴」 banquet dinner we certainly learned about the micro deviations in how regional Chefs interpret Cantonese cuisine within greater Southern China. 

The Chinese Restaurant 凱悅軒 -

Guest Chef Xu now cooking up Guangdong and Shenzhen Cantonese Cuisine here in October.  Normally,  Chef Lo also cooks some of the best dishes of their genre in Hong Kong,  including Jasmine Tea Smoked Chicken,  BBQ Charsiu,  Double Boiled Papaya Soup,  Salt & Pepper Fried Tofu, etc

The Promotional Grand Hyatt Shenzhen and Chef Xu's Menu for October 2017 -

All reasonably priced.

Deep Fried Honeyed Anchovies - 鳳尾魚 香酥蜜汁烤子魚  HKD $108
A popular appetizer dish around the Jiangsu Province and Shanghai region, nowadays these are rarer to find in Hong Kong's Shanghainese restaurants.

Salted Dried Plums with Cherry Tomatoes - 話梅櫻桃小番茄 $108

A refreshing cold appetizer,  not too sweet or sour,  perfect to my personal liking

Yellow Wine & Sake Marinated Sea Snails - 黃酒及清酒醃製 上海醉花螺 $138

A popular Shanghainese appetizer,  but with shells removed cleanly for presentation and ease of eating...  This is definitely refined Banquet dining in presentation.

Preserved Spicy Marinated Duck Tongues - 風味辣鴨舌 $108

Interestingly I had a similar Sichuan recipe dish during the same October period.  The other version is super spicy, whereas this one is milder and sweet..  Overall,  the appetizer dishes were more based on the Shanghai or Jiangsu regional recipes as starters.

主廚功夫湯 - 海馬, 新鮮鮑魚、明目魚 枸杞，紫砂茶壺  $198

Boiled for 4 hours in the Tea Pots, the male customer's soup version comes with Sea Horse and Abalone, whereas the ladies version receive a Fish maw for its collagen.

Roasted Spare Pork Ribs - 拆骨過橋風沙肋排 $308

A Signature Dish of Guess Chef Xu,  the Pork Ribs are marinated then roasted, then served with Chinese Celery, Green Chili and Garlic.  The meat between the bones are then deboned and served as a 2nd dish afterwards.  This was amazingly done as the marination was sweet and savory, spicy at the same time,  without being overly fatty but still melts in the mouth.  This is in contention for one of the best Dishes I have eaten in 2017. 

Steamed Green Female Crab with Pork Belly Patty, 10 y.o Shaoxing Wine -
天香蒸原隻膏蟹 $528

Another Signature dish from Chef Xu,  this was another mesmerizing dish which is unique and not found in Hong Kong side even as a Cantonese inspired dish.  The hand chopped Pork patty has bits of Water Chestnuts inside,  and is topped with a smear of peanut butter.  The Crab is steamed on top with the Crab Roe spread evenly on the chopped pieces.  Obviously this went down well with many bowls of rice and we all cleared it off..

Conpoy and Chicken Stock Steamed Grouper Fish - 瑤柱雞汁蒸深海星斑球 $488

A clean tasting seafood dish,  this was more a dish we are finally familiar with as a combination,  and served with Luffa Melon and Wood Ear Fungus.  This was decent per se,  but with the above two amazing dishes,  I personally would probably encore another one of them instead,  as the recipes are not found in Hong Kong side.

Prawn Stock with Crab Meat & Crispy Rice - 貴妃湯鮮蟹肉響米泡飯  $128

This is a dish that we love in Hong Kong too,  and the rice comes as both crispy fried puffs and also as normal white rice inside the clear prawn broth,  which is intense and the way we love it.  One of the best versions we tried in town when its available.  There were also diced Scallops, Prawns together with the Crab meat inside.

Scallion Oil & Lobster Mixed Noodles - 蔥油龍蝦球撈麵  $168

There were a bit more carb dishes than normal this night, owing to us wanting to try out a few of Chef Xu's dishes all at once within October month before he leaves.  Again this was well executed and we are happy to report back this had a good Crustacean taste in the mixing broth too,  even though the recipe description denoted it as a dry noodles version.  At this point we were super full,  as even all the filling carb dishes were cleaned off their plates and bowls.  We as regular Cantonese foodies, all somehow understood that the next possible chance of eating these rarer recipes done so well too, might be months or years away!  That's how impressive this meal has been so far..

Chinese Dessert 'Mignardises' Platter -  $180 per Person, Pictured is Two Pax Portion

There's a variety of Signature desserts from Hyatt Regency TST,  including the 3-in-1 Sesame Glutinous Rice Ball in Tart Pastry and Baked Pineapple Bun top.  Also some Oolong Tea Ice Cream Chocolate Bonbons inspire from next door Institution Hugo's !   It's like an Afternoon Tea served during end of Dinner instead,  worth a trip on its own!  Overall,  The Chinese Restaurant at Hyatt Regency Tsim Sha Tsui, serves one of the best Cantonese meals in town for us consistently and it is also relatively affordable.  Both the Menu's by guest Chef Xu,  and also in-house Head Chef Lo's menus are impressive as always, and currently they also have a Tasting Menu which is only HKD $600 per person with many selectable Signature Dishes,  but with HSBC Card promotions it's $480 only.  Definitely worth checking out and feel free to ask me for Dishes to recommend as we have tried most of them over the years already.. 

Price:  Around HKD $450 to $600 + 10%  (Media Preview for Grand Hyatt Shenzhen's Guest Chef Menu October 2017)
Food: ♕♕♕♕♕

Address: Address3/F, Hyatt Regency Hong Kong Tsim Sha Tsui, 18 Hanoi Road, Tsim Sha Tsui尖沙咀河內道18號香港尖沙咀凱悅酒店3樓
Phone: +852 37217788

Man Ho Chinese Restaurant 萬豪中菜廳 [Hong Kong] - Ganbas Fungus & Yunnan Mushrooms Feast Season

  JW Marriott Hotel in Admiralty and it's Signature Man Ho Chinese Restaurant,  is headed by talented Chef Jayson Tang,  and since this is the season of Yunnan mushrooms around Summer to Autumn,  we received a quick email from Marriott Hotel to see if we were interested in covering the new dishes based on Yunnan mushrooms, and in particular one rarer variety called Ganbas Fungus - which is currently fetching prices in China in the vicinity of over RMB 1,000 a Tael,  the most expensive in China and even more expensive than some French and Italian Black Truffles. 

Entrance to Man Ho Restaurant -

After Chef Jayson's arrival, nowadays has grown very popular with the Press and Regular customers, as well as Overseas including Japanese Customers.  In fact as we dined here tonight, Chef Tang was about to finish off his duties then fly straight to Japan's Nagoya Marriott hotel to cook up some of his Signature dishes from Hong Kong. 

Crunchy Wood Ear Fungus as Appetizers -

Yunnan Pork Char Siu 雲南豬鬃肉 "貴妃叉燒" - $238 for Full Portion
Signature Man Ho Seafood & Porcini Mushroom Dumpling 萬豪牛肝菌海鮮餃 $58/位

The pork used here is a specialty round cut nearer the collar and back,  which is uniformly round and sourced from native Yunnan pigs,  and currently Jayson and Man Ho Restaurant have exclusive rights to this Pig's muscle cut.  It is meant to be more crunchier with a bite,  and carrying a natural pork taste.  The beautiful Porcini Seafood dumpling in Gold fish shape is also altered to be a seasonal dim sum. 

金池玉枕 配 陳村粉
Sautéed Crab Claw & Meat in a Crustacean & Egg Yolk Sauce, 

Sakura Ebi,  Crustacean Oil & Hand Made Rice Noodles -

This was full of crustacean flavors,  and the Crab Claw & Meat were said to be flash fried then steamed within the wok,  before adding the finishing touches.  The addition of hand made artisanal rice noodles,  soaked up the crustacean essence. I also noticed the addition of crustacean oil, which is usually more used with Western Cuisines,  but lately around 2-3 Chinese restaurants adopt a similar approach to add aroma.

陳村粉 -
These hand made then dried rice noodles,  usually steamed with Pork Ribs,  are lately popularly used with Crab dishes to soak up the flavors...

Double Boiled Fish Maw Soup with Morel Mushrooms & Black Chicken -

A traditional black chicken soup is glamoured up with thick fish maws,  and Yunnan Morel Mushrooms,  which are prized in both Yunnan and Cantonese cuisine,  and not just within French or say Spanish dishes.

Miyazaki Pork Roll with stuffed Foie Gras, Crispy Pork Rind & Raspberry sauce
宮崎豬肉卷配鵝肝紅桑子汁 -

Originally they use Kagoshima pork but this time we got a taste of Miyazaki Pork instead,  and it had the typical Kyushu pork sweetness from the breeding program and DNA.  This dish was quite smart with the raspberries sourness cutting back on the greasier foie gras and pork belly,  with textures enhanced by fried pork rinds.  And pretty presentation too!

蓮潛月影 -

Rare Yunnan 乾巴菌 Ganbas Fungus is stuffed into Wintermelon with Lily Bulbs, Quinoa and Shiitake. Served with a Sauce made of Shaved Ganbas & Mixed Yunnan Mushrooms. The Ganbas is the Yunnan equivalent of Black Truffles in Italy-France and currently fetching rocketing prices, with its encapsulating earthy fragrance which made this one of the most memorable dishes I ate in my life! Must try when in Season now, at HKD $388.   The crispy cracker is made from fried Bamboo Pith.

Wild Yunnan Mushrooms Braised Rice 野生珍菌鍋燒飯 - HKD $288

This in line with the Mushrooms theme,  is white rice cooked in a pot with various diced mushrooms.  Drizzled on top with a bit of soy sauce.

紫薯香酥雲呢拿脆奶 Fried Purple Sweet Potato with Vanilla Milk & Crushed Pistachio,
Salted Caramel Sauce,

with Grapefruit & Mango Sago Soup 楊枝甘露 -

The Chinese desserts are given some detailed twists and the Fried Purple Sweet Potato was fried using a technique which is popular with taro dishes,  with pointy edges.  Very lovely dessert and surprisingly paired with a salted caramel sauce.   This ended a meal which had a few dishes which were the best I have ever had in my life,  in particular this dessert dish, the rare Ganbas Fungus dish above,  and also the Crab Claw and Meat in a bisque which was complimented with the rice noodles!  An amazing job by Chef Jayson Tang and the team,  and we were already discussing about other dishes which hopefully we get to try again soon!

Price: Approx HKD $800 to $900 + 10% Per Person  (Seasonal Mushroom Dinner organized by JW Marriott Hotel)
Food: ♕♕♕♕ 1/2 to ♕♕♕♕♕ 1/2

Address: 3/F, JW Marriott Hotel Hong Kong, Pacific Place, 88 Queensway, Admiralty
金鐘金鐘道88號太古廣場香港JW萬豪酒店3樓
Ph: +852 28108366