SKYE Rooftop Bar & Dining [ Hong Kong ] - Newly Opened in September 2016, Chef Adams is a Protege of UK Celebrity Chef Gary Rhodes

 Head Chef Lee Adams and his team are leading the Kitchen at the newly refurbished space on the 27th Floor of Pullman Hotel,  previously home to RIVA Restaurant.  We have booked a reservation as far back as 3 months ago during June before it had opened,  as we knew from insider information that it was scheduled to open around September 2016 and it was going to be a complete overhaul with much ambition.  Adams was trained under UK Celebrity Chef Gary Rhodes,  and has since then been working in multiple Michelin starred Kitchens.  The food menu here is predominantly Contemporary French,  although London just being across the other side of the harbor,  one can probably feel that this somehow has a Modern British accent simultaneously.. 

The new SKYE Bar & Dining,

on top of the refurbished The Park Lane Hong Kong, Pullman Hotel -

Frankie Goes to Hollywood - $110

Variation of a Clover Club, Sweet and Frothy, with Hazelnut to compliment the Raspberry is its original Autumn intention. I personally thought this was slightly sweetish and might be quite girly

Bread Basket - with Crispy Bread, Focaccia & Boule Baguette,

This is served with a Citrus and also a Harissa Spice Butter

Slow Poached Lobster, Baby Fennel Tempura, Cucumber & Chives Vinaigrette, Mache Leaves - HKD $370 

This was a refreshing Lobster dish. I think I like the idea of the flavor combinations, although the lobster meat itself could be cooked more transparent rarer to suit the Hong Kong customers preference?

Fried Oyster Beignets in Sorrel Veloute & Preserved Lemon - $150

The idea of a savory beignet was always going to intrigue me. The oysters inside were very plump and barely batter fried. For whatever reason too, finding sorrel herbs in HK is super rare, so it was good to revisit this slightly tangy herb which suits seafood and crustacean so much. Nom! 

Duck Ham, Crispy Egg Yolk, Peas, Watercress Puree, Plum Jam - HKD $110
I ordered some of my own dishes,  whereas others ordered their own preferences.  This and a few other dishes were on my radar as soon as I read them on the Menu, as it is rare to find these in HK context.  This was excellent and the Duck Ham was more moist than is air dried,  which reminds me of the Goose Ham served at Madam Sixty Ate too..

Caramelized Veal Sweet Bread, Shaved Truffle, Artichoke & Madeira Jus Glaze - HKD $280 
These were glazed well and almost sugary crispy on the surface,  and not mushy nor over cooked.  One of the best Ris de Veau I have eaten in Hong Kong.  I wished there was slightly more truffle or sweetbread however at this pricing point.

Marjoram-Spiced Rack of Lamb, Black Trompettes, Fava Beans, Smoked Soft Polenta, Glazed Baby Onions, Aioli - $420

I took a bite of this from my friend and this was excellent.  Good meat flavor but not too gamey, tender and marbled.  The seasonal black trumpets definitely complimented the soft polenta well, together with the lamb.

Lavender Honey Breast of Barbarie Duck, Glazed Baby Turnips, Savoy Cabbage, Duck Egg, Meat Confit Croquettes with Duck Beer Jus. HKD $340 

Banana Bread Pain Perdu, Roast Banana Ice Cream, Black Cherry Puree, Caramel 'Paper' - $110
This was well caramelized on the surface,  and upon biting in I thought it reminded me more of Spanish Torrijas,  the relative to French Toast.  May be because the base bread itself was more buttery brioche like.  It could do with slightly more eggy coating and it will be perfect!

Iced Lemon Parfait, Raspberry, Sherbet Powder & Freeze Dried, Shortbread & Hendricks Gin Gel - $100 Tangy & Cold but not too Milky, it's Refreshing.  This is a traditional French parfait dessert but the addition of other elements made this as modern Molecular as it is slightly British/UK with the crumbly shortbread.  

Soft 66% Caraibe Valrhona Chocolate Moelleux, Malted Milk Ice Cream,

Cocoa Nib Tuile, Coffee Syrup, Almond Cocoa Crumble - $110This was surprising personally because instead of the usual Mi Cuit or Moelleux, Lava cakes, this sat much flatter.  Nevertheless it was still very runny inside and what's more likable is that it's not cloyingly sweet,  just right!  Loved this and the Nibs Tuile which was more like a Croquant to me.  Highly recommended definitely!

Inside Dining Space - 
We tried and shared more dishes but I didn't try enough of them to evaluate,  but the Seabass I tried was moist and crispy on the skin too,  and serving portions here were quite big.  Another friend had the Wagyu Beef dish and that turned out rather huge,  and was well seared outside to be nearly 'crispy' and full of both meatiness and wagyu fat flavor.  Wished I tried more of that than just a small bite to swap for my Duck,  but until next time!   This space is looking very promising indeed and unique in HK's Dining Scene when it comes to the recipes and philosophy behind..

Price: Around HKD $780 + 10% for Tasting Menu 

Food: ♕♕♕♕ 1/2 to ♕♕♕♕♕

Address: 銅鑼灣告士打道310號柏寧酒店27樓 

27/F, The Park Lane Hong Kong, 310 Gloucester Road, Causeway Bay

Ph: +852 28393327

東來順 Dong Lai Shun [ Hong Kong ] - Lamb Hotpot from Mongolia, with Hong Kong Only Specialty Dishes

 Dong Lai Shun was previously a recipient of 1* Michelin, and over the decade or so when it opened from Mongolia to Hong Kong inside Royal Garden Hotel TST, it has provided some of the most authentic Mongolian Hotpot & Pekingese Specialty dishes in Hong Kong. Uniquely enough, many of the past famous Pekingese restaurants have either closed or now offer improvised dishes catering for overseas tourists.   In comparison, Dong Lai Shun remained one of the most authentic and classier Pekingese cuisines in town.

The Restaurant is well spaced out,  with a Modern Design - 

Classy and spacious enough,  perfect for the business dinner even if you aren't sitting inside their private rooms..

Dragon Well Tea Leaves Smoked Duck Eggs - 龍井煙燻蛋 $43 Each

Really well smoked,  you could smell them from 3 feet away but it's not bitter at all.  Nice egg yolk taste too.  Well executed,  topped with fried Conpoy shreds  ~  10/10

Sichuan Pepper & Spicy Small Geoduck with Mungbean Noodles - 麻香小象拔 $208

This was interesting as they used the smaller geoduck than normal in Chinese Cuisine,  this dish was appetizing and less chili than I envisaged from the looks ~  7/10

Chilled Razor Clams Sichuan Style - $218

This was a lovely Razor clams dish.  Cleaned then sliced into good biteful sizes properly,  the sauce was slightly tangy yet spicy,  the clams barely cooked and plump ~  9/10 

Smoked Yellow Croaker Fishes - $98 Each 

Smoky again like the above eggs but in a different way.  The fishes were surprisingly smooth and oily,  which defers from the usual renditions of this fish which are dryer elsewhere.  We commented on how this fish is different from many other fishes,  as it is more bony towards the tail - whereas most fresh water fishes have bones further towards the belly side.  A must order here,  I seriously can't remember a version better than this anywhere else ~  10/10

Crane Sculpture with Crab & Lobster Meat,  Crab Roe on Salted Duck Egg Coated Rice Puffs

鶴湖蟹影 - $418 for 4 Pieces

Basically the must order here since for many years, it's been their Multiple Awards Winning Signature dish.  Despite not being in season yet, the Shanghai crab meat and roe were fresh tasting with umami and sweetness,  the lobster adding more texture,  the salted egg rice puffs completed the final touch.  *Note:  usually this is also served on top of a fried Taro Nest,  but its a bit humid in Summer in HK so this reverts back to the Taro recipe when it's in season  ~  9.5/10

Amazing Crab & Lobster Dish -

One can never get enough of this...  One of the best dishes available in Hong Kong

Mongolian-Pekingese Hot Pots -

Their Specialty here on top of the amazing, award winning appetizer dishes

Sichuan Pepper and Chili style 'Ma La' Hotpot - 

This style of hotpot seems to have taken the world by storm these years, in fact,  you can also see this being prevalent within China's provinces everywhere these days...  The one here tonight was only mild-spicy,  even someone like me could take it easily.  It has the sichuan pepper fragrance and also a bit of the numbness factor.  If you like spicy,  order it extra spicy here !

Top - Tuned Sesame Sauce with Dried Shrimps, Fish Sauce, others, etc

Below 9 Sauces - Sugar, Chives Puree, Red Fermented Beancurd, Black Vinegar, Hua Diao Wine,  Soy Sauce,  Sesame Oil,  Chili Oil,  Fish Sauce

Green Amaranth, aka Chinese Spinach 莧菜 - $98

Surprisingly these were very young sprouts,  meaning unlike the ones you use to boil soup,  these were very tender and not old chewy ~  9/10

Prawn Balls - $168

With both an 'elastic' well beaten minced prawn texture,  filled inside with chunky pieces of diced prawns, this was recommended by the staff and well received.  I personally thought this was on the pricier side,  but knowing the inflated price of fresh prawns nowadays (it is more expensive than most lobster by the tael) ~  9/10

Thick Sliced Mongolian Mutton Shoulder - $195

Thick and full of mutton lamb flavor,  this was everyone's favorite for the night..  ~  9/10

Hulunbeier Deluxe Mutton cut from just Behind the Neck 杜泊貝爾大草原羊上腦 - $230 

A cross breed between Inner Mongolian x South African muttons, this butchered cut and breed is one of the most sought after in the world for its soft marbled meat and balanced sweet lamb flavor! This polarized the table, I guess it is a bit refined and soft... But it is a very rare part.

Chinese Chives and Mutton Dumplings Beijing Style - $98

This came highly recommended by the staff.  We really loved this, the skin is still Beijing like but more evenly pleated,  you can actually taste the Chives in the skin, also the lovely mutton meat within.  Note that Dong Lai Shun is actually a Halal restaurant...  so they don't serve any pork dishes here  ~  9/10

Honeycomb Frozen Tofu 凍豆腐 - $98

This is one of my favorite tofu dishes in the world, even in Japan they have a similar Koya Tofu 高野豆腐.   The one here was more layered than porous,  interesting.   Lovely and with plenty of fresh soybean flavor,  not easy to achieve considering this needs to be frozen and thawed at least twice ~  10/10

Sliced Local Yellow Beef Neck Meat - $380

A lot of hotpot aficionados in Hong Kong or Canton region swear by eating locally slaughtered cows or steers for meat flavor,  over the USDA or Australian,  even Japanese Wagyu options.  I think one could argue either way,  but when it comes to local beef it has to be hand-sliced by default.  I thought this could do with even more beefiness,  so I preferred the muttons above  ~  7/10

Osmanthus Flower and Fermented Rice Lees with Sesame Dumplings - 

To me this is a mix between Shanghai and Ningpo recipes,  although since decades ago this was always a dessert in a Beijing Hotpot restaurant.  Very good dessert soup base,  slightly sour from proper fermentation and plenty of Osmanthus floral aroma,  something hard to find nowadays...  encore !  ~  9/10

Black Sesame 'Tang Yuan' Glutinous Rice Balls - 

Black sesame was toasted well fragrant,  lubricated but not too lardy greasy.  Great balance with a thin skin that held its shape and chewiness.  Not too sweet either!  ~  9/10

Longan and Date Dessert Soup - 

This is soothing for summer,  although we deemed it a bit too sweet tonight ~  6/10

'A Rolling Donkey' Rice Roll with Red Bean Paste & Soybean Powder 馿打滾 - $88 for 4 Pieces

One of my favorite Beijing desserts,  which used to be served in the Imperial Palace.  The Beijing dessert version here has always been famous within Hong Kong,  within revisiting this I found it quite chewy with a good non-cloying red bean paste.  Apparently Donkeys clean themselves rolling on the floor and this dessert also coats itself with soybean powder, hence the name.  On the spot I kept thinking this seems to be like a mixture between a 芸豆卷 and a 豌豆黃 when it comes to ingredients,  or looks ~  9/10

A Photo showing the New Extension of the Royal Garden Hotel Rooms Upstairs - 

Overall Dong Lai Shun has always been exceptional,  from Appetizers to Hotpots.   The Michelin 1* they occasionally receive depends on each year,  but over the last decade or so it has opened in Hong Kong and despite the occasional swap of Chefs,  the standard to me has always been consistently dependable and comes highly recommended

Price: HKD $300 to $400 + 10%  (Remember Crab Dish above is around $108 Per Person)

Food: ♕♕♕♕ - ♕♕♕♕♕ 

Address: B2, The Royal Garden, 69 Mody Road, Tsim Sha Tsui 

尖沙咀麼地道69號帝苑酒店B2層

Ph: +852 27332020

Night Market at Tsing Yi Bamboo Temple 青衣戲棚 - 30th April to 4 May 2015, 18th to 22 May

 Although Tsing Yi Residents have been doing this twice a year Annual Festival to celebrate with the Temple’s Deities for decades,  it only took most locals including myself until recent years to have heard of this traditional event which is organized by the original residents of Tsing Yi Island all these years.   This time around I had a local from here who guided me to the Market and Chinese Operas during the 2nd last day of the 1st session 《真君誕》.   Luckily for others,  the 2nd session is also held in Solar Calendar May in 2015 which is 2 weeks later from 18th to 22nd May 2015,  this time for 《天后誕》and you can come prepared and see the Chinese version of a Night Market.   The sessions officially start from 7:30pm to 12:00am but local residents mentioned that coming here around 5:30pm will already see you some actions.  The bonus is that despite recent inflations most local Food Items here are still in the $25-30 range,  a can of beer starts from $11 HKD only..

 

 

A Decades long Tradition in Tsing Yi Island,  Hong Kong -
It’s always within Chinese Lunar Months of March and April. 
Which means,  in 2015 both Events fall into the Caesar Calendar May bracket..
1st Period:  30th April to 4 May 2015  Night Time
2nd Period:   18th to 22 May Night Time

 

 

The Tradition behind has a Story -
The Temple wanted a Celebration Festival with two locally famous Deities.
Apart from Food Offerings, there will be plenty of shows including Chinese Opera Theatres.

 

 

 

Blowing Traditional Sugar Candies – $10 Each
There are two stalls here.   It does take some skills to make them look neat,  here my friend from the area did a much better job!  Always fun to try…  You can always pay another $10 to practise !

 

 

 

日式燒魚餅 – Japanese style Grilled Fish Cake with Bonito Flakes $30
OMG when I saw this I was so happy.  This is a recipe that I have never found in Hong Kong before,  but surprisingly found on this Island.  The normal versions I tasted in Japan are based on Calamari.  Here they do it with Fish and Pork,  but with a Japanese Okonomiyaki sauce and Bonito.   Glad we ordered this and the queue was not too long..

 

 

 

Unfortunately, 
Regulars said this grew crowdier and crowdier not only by the year, 
but also by the day.  This is only the Entrance side.   When we walked to the inside,  the most popular Food Stalls had upwards of 150-200 people lining up individually all the way to the other side of the space,  or sometimes curling up the outside corners !  Amazing sight indeed.  I guess HK does have 7 Million people after all and even if only 1% came on the weekend,  that works out to be 70,000 People.

 

 

 

Semi-Fried English Muffin Sandwiched with a Fried Egg, 
Minced Pork Meat and Grilled Corn -
Seriously what the frog of a smart concept is that?  People are still talking about primitive fried Mars Bar and Oreo and I am staring at this amazing concoction.  This coming from a decades old annual Night Market in Hong Kong !   No wonder the line snakes all the way around the market fence…   

 

 

 

Definitely Annihilates your average McMuffin version, with an External Fried Crispy Edge and Extra Corns and Pork.   Who ever invented this fusion British-Hong Kong dish should be put down into the permanent awesomeness Records !

 

 

Chili Home Made Dumplings with a Vinegary Spicy Sauce – $27
This is also so popular,  the line was nearly 200 people.  For me this was interesting because the Dumpling shape is more Southern-Cantonese or even Chiu Chow.  It’s not as fat or curly as the Northern China versions.    It looks almost like a Fan Go but with a more shiny smooth skin and with a chili sauce and coriander instead.  Micro-differences between them all.   This is very unique within HK context for me.

 

 

Grilled Fresh Abalone Skewers with Shell-on – $25
The line for this again was almost down to the other side of the space and curling back.  3 Pieces for only $25 is beyond reasonable bargain.  It just depends on how long and desperate you want to wait for them.  In fact this is ingenious once again.  How many Abalone Skewers have you had in your life?  

 

 

 

Taiyaki with Red Bean Filling and Ice Cream -
The recent craze in HK.  Surprised to find them here too!  

Ice Cream on French Toast!   Twisted Fries with Cheese Powder -
Have to say this was pretty inventive in HK Context in general and all of the above.  In fact there were also lots of older dishes like Chili Chicken Wings,  Stinky Tofu,  many other Traditional HK Desserts.   Overall it was a great mix of New,  Good and Old.  Very surprised to find this spread actually…    Tomorrow is the last day of the 1st Session.   The next event will be from 18th May 2015 onwards.   Got to say this May Night Market totally blew me away with some of the smart offerings.   But if you don’t like the Hot Weather nor Queuing,  it can be off-putting too in the end. 

 

 

 

Price:  $25 to $30
Food:   ♕♕♕ to ♕♕♕♕♕

Address:  青衣青綠街38號
38 Tsing Luk Street,  next to Tsing Yi Market,  Hong Kong
Operating Hours:  7:30 pm to 12:00am.  Locals recommend come at 5:30pm