I am not Big Spender

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I woke up this morning to a link posted on my Facebook timeline.  The link, of course, was to the "Big Spender" column published in the Hong Kong edition of Apple Daily (蘋果日報).  I had been interviewed a couple of weeks ago by the paper about my life as a foodie/blogger, and have been dreading the publication of this interview.

I was mostly worried about how I would come off to the general public, who don't know me and don't read my blog.  I have been described by various people as "arrogant" as well as a host of other terms, and while I usually shrugged those comments off as long as they were private, things were different this time.  People do read this paper, and this is a rather public scrutiny.  And the last thing I wanted was to show up in a column called "Big Spender" and make people think I am one.

I was asked permission to have the interview article written in first person form, since the bulk of the text consisted of answers to a few questions.  I reluctantly agreed to the request, knowing that anything written by the reporter would appear as if the words came straight from my mouth.  Well, I guess the end result isn't as bad as I feared, although there were still a couple of points I did not and would not have made.

Am I the most "professional" or "specialized" of Hong Kong's bloggers?  Not even close.  I am neither doing it for a living (unlike some people I respect who have dedicated their livelihoods to this area) nor do I have the proper training (both in terms of journalism or food).  I am a pretender.  I am all talk.  I'm simply a guy who loves food and who is fortunate enough to have the means to dine at many places around the world.

Not that he is likely to read this, but apologies are due to Nick Lander whose name appears in the first paragraph spelt incorrectly.  It wasn't me.  And I don't remember ever saying that I was glad that Tang in Dubai closed down, although to be fair I didn't think that particular restaurant deserved to survive…

Finally, I have always explained that my dining philosophy (in Hong Kong) is to either go for meals at restaurants that will cost me more than HKD 1,000 per head (such as ones with Michelin stars) or at places which cost me less than HKD 200 (such as casual diners where one has very low expectations).  In both types of establishments, you have the greatest likelihood of achieving high price performance.  The greatest danger lies in the price points in between.

Here is the text of the article in Chinese.  Original link to the article on Apple Daily's website is here and requires subscription.  No pictures or captions, I'm afraid.  I didn't care for the pictures the paper chose for me, anyway…

BIG SPENDER：
Food Blogger舌戰世界

張永康應該是全港最專業的飲食blogger，來自台灣、從事金融業的他，1995年來港定居前曾在華爾街當iBanker，他用英文寫的飲食網誌Diary of a Growing Boy記錄了他與意大利顯赫酒莊莊主Marchese Lodovico Antinori在Pierre晚飯、和《金融時報》的作家Nick Linder到富瑤海鮮酒家午膳。也許職業病使然，連食他都講究投資回報，他只歡喜大藍籌，寧願光顧收費貴、聲譽好的名餐廳，只因夠穩陣、回報又理想；最怕沒業績、無實力的創業股，堅持不冒險試開張少於半年的新餐廳。且聽他親述十多年的「舌戰」心得。
記者：吳宛蔚　攝影：梁志永

最知我心意的大廚
中環歌賦街　on Lot10

記得第一次去「on Lot10」已是三年前的事，一打開餐牌，看到這間位於歌賦街、只有30個座位的小店竟有我最愛又冷門的法國血腸。試吃之下發覺味道很好而且做得正宗，所以之後沒隔多久又來報到。那是一次新體驗，因同行的友人與David熟稔，就特意準備一餐完全為我們而設、全都是餐牌上沒有的時令菜，全都令我十分驚喜。
自此每次到他的店我都將點菜重任交由David負責，他沒一次令我失望。老實說，城中好吃的餐廳很多，但絕大部份我一年都只去一次，而「on Lot10」則屬少數我每年會光顧三、四次的。

雖未知今晚會嚐到甚麼滋味，但當我7時抵達亦未見David，我就知道他又走到不同的街市搜羅本地海鮮，肯定又是一次大堆頭製作。果然今晚單是頭盤已有四個，最時令的禾花雀意大利飯、我最愛的燒西班牙紅蝦及加拿大蟶子、雞油菌小羊胸腺（sweetbreads）伴慢煮蛋及里昂沙律。吃到第三道，肚子已沒剩多少空位時，重量級主菜才來到。
主菜的「份量」要清空一張二人枱才勉強放得下，這個馬賽魚湯令鄰坐的四個外國食客都露出好奇又羨慕的眼神。
一鍋湯全是當日David從街市搜羅而來的新鮮龍蝦、蟹、魚，極度鮮美，David不斷提醒用這些海鮮熬成濃湯才是主角；果然寧願把海鮮打包，拼口氣也要將濃湯半點不漏的擠進肚，David就是永遠出乎我想像，每次都令我過份滿足地離開。

最懷念的已逝美味
瑞士　Restaurant de l'Hôtel de Ville

坊間許多所謂的fusion菜不過是將本地食材配以外國煮法，為做而做很膚淺，真正的fusion菜講究食材間的配合度。我大膽講世界上沒多少人真正懂得做fusion菜，唯一令我佩服的是瑞士米芝蓮三星大廚Philippe Rochat。
第一次嚐到他的手藝是08年的10月，多得住在日內瓦的好友幫忙訂枱，才得以坐進他那星級餐廳。那4.5小時的午餐令我回味不已，不只每道菜色十分精緻，味道亦充滿驚喜。我最印象深刻是他將西式食材配以東方調味魔法，像不辛辣的冬陰公湯伴法式蟹肉雲吞、小龍蝦伴青蘋果青咖喱！聽起來有點匪夷所思，其實全是意想不到地對辦兼創意十足。自從上次一別，我對他一直念念不忘。我早知道今年3月他會榮休，就決定要再光顧一次，經好友安排，去年10月我又再次重臨Rochat的私人舞台Restaurant de l'Hôtel de Ville，再次被他的心思感動，和他正式地道別。

最驚喜的平民美味
印尼弗洛勒斯島　肉丸麪小店

看過我的blog的人都覺得我只對星級餐廳、高貴食材感興趣。沒錯我相信價錢及食物質量成正比，也捨得將金錢用於食方面。吃過最平又最好吃的一餐在印尼的弗洛勒斯島（Flores）。那是一個未完全開發的原始旅遊區，沒有高檔食店，也沒有海邊小pub，放眼望去除了我入住的度假小屋、村民的居所，就只有沙灘。
與友人四處走走，找到一家由小家庭打理、賣粉麪的小店，沒有半點遲疑地走入去，點了個事隔幾年都依然回味、每碗只需0.5美元的肉丸麪，一咬就吃得出用料十足及手打的工夫，才發現原來不需4港元一樣可換來令味蕾感動又滿足的味道，但我知道這種驚喜不太常有。

最大失所望的一餐
杜拜　Tang

我最愛分子料理，07年到杜拜公幹，出發見到將下榻的酒店內有間叫Tang的餐廳，是「杜拜唯一分子料理」，我立即發電郵訂枱，結果我嚐了人生兩個「最」，最難吃、最差服務。一到餐廳，印度籍領班不停地向我們介紹主廚的「威水史」。我先點了一杯士多啤梨香檳雞尾酒，香檳杯底滿佈士多啤梨caviar，很美。Caviar是分子料理中最基本的製作技巧，一層薄薄的外衣包裹液態的果汁，咬下會發出輕輕pop的一聲。而那餐廳的caviar內外層比例全錯，咬破外皮只嚐到實心、像魚膠粉的質感。
之後的每道菜都有不同程度的出錯，不是味度太濃就是廚師錯誤選材，例如用肉質太嫩的鱈魚做capaccio（將食材切成薄片生食的菜式）。我勉強坐到最後，每道菜都試。餐廳的侍應亦不了解菜式、不懂餐桌禮儀，細問下才知他們全是中國及菲律賓外傭，只抵達杜拜兩日。慶幸餐廳在我「拜訪」的兩年後已結業。

如果由這刻9:15pm開始我只剩24小時命，胃口卻像多啦A夢的百寶袋一樣無限大，我會去吃甚麼？

甜品：
Pierre＠文華東方酒店：Pierre Gagnaire's Grand Dessert。大廚會炮製六至八款甜點
西營盤源記：芝麻糊

消夜：
中環麥當勞：足三両及薯條
中環翠華：豬扒公仔麪

早餐：
中環裕慶大牌檔：
餐蛋治。只在早市供應的餐蛋治，有別於坊間簡單地將一片午餐肉及炒蛋夾在麪包之間，它更像蛋牛治，廚師先將午餐肉切碎，再混入蛋漿一同炒熟，與新鮮生菜一同夾在塗上花生醬的方包之間，口味獨特（圖）
中環壇島：蛋撻

午餐：
中環一樂：燒鵝髀瀨粉
中環港島廳：叉燒及不再在餐牌上的芋蓉香酥鴨
灣仔福臨門：飲茶，必食春卷、蝦餃及鹹水角
銅鑼灣正斗或何洪記：乾炒牛河

下午茶：
中環永樂園：雙腸熱狗
南丫島：阿婆豆腐花

Pre-dinner：
Caprice@香港四季酒店：
由Jeremy安排的芝士拼盤。餐廳領班Jeremy掌握非常多有關芝士的知識，會為客人推介專門從知名芝士生產商Bernard Antony訂來的多款口味獨特的芝士，是全港提供芝士種類數量及款式最多的餐廳（圖）

最後晚餐：
中環on Lot10：由David安排off-menu美食