2025 mooncake roundup

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We had just celebrated Mid-Autumn Festival (中秋節) earlier this week, and that meant I'd been munching my way through a few mooncakes. As was the case in the last few years, I mostly chomp on mooncakes I buy for myself - and for mom - and I'm actually grateful that I don't receive the flood of mooncakes that I see my friends getting. The reality is that I'm the only one in our household who consumes them - well, other than the occasional bits for CC Dogcow - so the only ones I want around the house are ones that I actually want to eat.

This year mom has requested that I bring her some Suzhou-style mooncakes (蘇式月餅) with flaky pastry, specifically with jujube paste (棗泥) filling. This isn't something I buy often, and I don't even have a regular supplier for this... so I figured I would try some and buy them for mom if they passed my taste test.

Jujube paste mooncakes (棗泥月餅) from Siu Ning Bo (小寧波) - I remember buying these a few years ago and they were pretty decent, so I bought them again.

Wagyu in the Valley

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Due to scheduling conflicts, I wasn't able to meet up with my Korean Kohai while we were in Seoul last month. Luckily he and his family were coming back to Hong Kong for a few days, and we managed to meet up over dinner tonight. As it's a very busy week for Foursheets and I in terms of dining out, I chose a place we like very much which doesn't force us to take long set menus... which takes me back to Locanda.

When I asked about pre-ordering dishes, someone practically circled half the menu... orz. We ended up picking 2 main courses ahead of time, and figured we could order the rest after we arrived.

Hokkaido scallop, crispy potato, broccolini purée, fennel salad - this looked a little more charred than I was expecting...

...but turned out pretty well.

Birthday is better without bluefin

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We haven't had good sushi in a while, and part of the reason was Kaki-san leaving Shikon by Yoshitake (すし 志魂) to return to Japan. Foursheets finally got her sushi craving and asked for it for her birthday, and she requested a return to Sushi Fujimoto (鮨ふじもと). We've enjoyed our previous visits there, so it made sense as her default option.

Not everyone arrived on time as instructed, so a few of us had to wait for 10 minutes or so before Fujimoto-san gave up and started service. At some sushiyas (鮨屋) in Japan, these late comers would not be given a scolding or not be allowed to book again, as tardiness is a cardinal sin - especially as sushiyas where the guests are served the same pieces together.

We first started with a cup of abalone soup. This was lovely with lots of flavor.

Moon over Wellington Street

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Tonight we celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival, but not in the company of our families. I haven't seen much of Kutsuyama since she moved back to Hong Kong, and we decided to catch up after spending some time together in Seoul last month. Foursheets heard about the lunch I enjoyed last week at Medora and decided that she wanted to check out the place for herself, so I dutifully booked us a table for dinner.

As I was being shown to our table, I managed to see a big paragraph of text next to my name on the pad carried by the staff. It quickly dawned on me that these would have been notes from Chef Vicky Cheng, maybe in the same way that someone had entered the words "prima donna" in the system at Amber under my name all those years ago. Uh-oh...

We were informed that Vicky had instructed for the staff to pour us glasses of Champagne to start, and there would be a few dishes coming our way. Well... maybe I should have had Foursheets make the booking so no one would need to make a fuss about us, and I did get dirty looks from the wife that I had rebuffed her original suggestion. Anyway... as we already have brought Champagne ourselves, I declined the generous offer so that I wouldn't get too toasted tonight.

We started with some bread selection.

The last dim sum

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We have an alumnus back in town for a few days, and since our beloved Metropol Restaurant (名都酒樓) is closing its doors in 2 days, our friend requested that we do lunch there today. We are grateful that Mamo grabbed a table for the three of us, because we would have had to wait a pretty long time for a table!

Our friend apparently brought a ferocious appetite with him, so he was out grabbing anything and everything - ignoring the fact that there were only three mouths at the table... and one of them was at half capacity.

Steamed spare rib in black bean sauce (豉汁蒸排骨)

Spicy typhoon dinner

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Some of us have been lucky enough to follow the career of the Kitchen Nazi Man in White T-shirt for quite some time - since 2010 in my case - and watch him gain popularity and recognition over the years. His current restaurant Neighborhood first appeared on the Asia's 50 Best Restaurants list in 2018, and he received the Inedit Damm Chef's Choice Award in 2022. Although we were never quite sure that he was gunning for it, friends were nevertheless ecstatic when Neighborhood was awarded its first macaron in 2023. Those in the know have been flocking to his restaurant for years, but truth be told, he remained relatively anonymous outside a relatively small culinary circle.

But things have completely changed this year. Somehow this seasoned chef stumbled onto the Chinese TV cooking competition show Chef of China (一饭封神) - as a contestant, no less!. After the show began airing, our friend became one of the most popular participants and gained millions of fans. Suddenly half of China wanted to come to Hong Kong and dine at Neighborhood. On my last visit, I witnessed first hand how first-time guests gushed in front of him and asked for cheffies. There were even people who didn't have a booking but simply wanted to come by the restaurant and get a look at this celebrity chef. Yes, our friend has turned into a celebrity in the most populated country on the planet.

One of the rounds of the competition involved our friend teaming up with two other chefs - Chef Zeng Huaijun (曾怀君) of Song (宋・川菜) in Guangzhou, and Chef Tiffany Tung (董嘉琪) - where they were asked to cook something spicy. Chef Zeng took the lead on creating the flavors (her restaurant serves Sichuan cuisine and does have a Michelin star), while The Man in White T-shirt made the call to confit the fish. This team received the most votes from the judges in this round of the competition, and soon there were 6-hands collaborations set up here and there.

So this is how we got here tonight... a collaboration of this team at Neighborhood. On a evening where the Hong Kong Observatory hoisted the Typhoon Signal 8 for Typhoon Ragasa. On a day where I was suffering from gastroenteritis... when the last thing I needed was putting spice into my digestive system. But I knew Foursheets really wanted to come because she really loves spicy food, and this was obviously one of the hottest tickets in town. So I sucked it up for her.

20 years of Caprice

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I've been privileged to have developed long-term relationships with a number of restaurants which have remained in business due to their delicious cuisines. It seems easy to take for granted that the restaurants we love will always be around, without realizing that - especially in a city like Hong Kong with its excruciatingly high cost of rent, among other things - it's quite something for them to achieve any sort of longevity. It is therefore really something that Caprice in the Four Seasons Hong Kong is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year.

I don't know exactly when I first visited Caprice, as it probably happened in 2006 - before I started being regular with recording restaurant visits in this here diary. I do remember that I became a fan very quickly, especially of Chef Thierry Vincent and maître d'hotel Jeremy Evrard. My friendships with them would carry on to their future posts and last until today, well beyond their long tenures at the restaurant.

I was ecstatic when news broke in 2017 that Hairy Legs would relocate to Hong Kong and takeover as the third chef of Caprice. I had been a fan since I first visited Tasting Room by Galliot in early 2014, and eventually got to meet him in a social setting thanks to Mrs. Hairy Legs. He was on a clear upward trajectory - having taken the restaurant from earning its first Michelin star in the first year of operation (and one of only seven restaurants with stars in Macau at the time), to being promoted to two stars in its third year. Meanwhile at Caprice, after its fourth year of being demoted to two stars, I could see why management was looking for someone to take over the kitchen... and Hairy Legs seemed like a good choice to me.

He accomplished the mission he was hired for - getting Caprice promoted back to three stars in his second year running the kitchen. I remember watching the awards ceremony live on my phone while waiting for the ferry to Macau so I could attend the gala dinner, and screen-capping a few moments - including when he pumped his fists in the air on stage and receiving the plaque. I was so happy for him.

I am grateful he considers me a friend, and I've never not had a great meal since he took over at Caprice. I am therefore so, so happy to come back to the restaurant during the period when they celebrated its 20th anniversary. I was especially happy that my old friend Vincent Thierry was invited to return to the kitchen for the festivities, so that's why I'm here tonight.

The Candidate had previously considered dropping out from tonight's dinner, but later realized it's such a hot ticket that there were hundreds of people on the waiting list. I'm happy she decided to join us.

For the occasion, Valrhona created a traditional junk out of chocolate. I hope the staff get to eat it when the celebrations are over.

9 courses in 90 minutes

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For a variety of reasons I have neglected Goldfinger this year, and that's not a nice way to treat a friend. Thankfully B Bestie extended an invitation to a dinner at Andō for their collaboration with the team from August in Jakarta, giving me the opportunity to at least show my face...

As friends sharing my table were late, I had some time to chat with Chef Hans Christian and partner Budi Cahyadi. I admitted that, amazingly, I have never made it to Jakarta... as I followed the advice of Indonesian friends to go elsewhere. I've transited through the capital city's airport on my way to more remote parts of the country, but not made my way through the infamous city traffic...

A few days ago, I discovered to my horror that I had a board meeting to attend tonight. I suggested to B Bestie that I would just pass up dinner as I would have to leave the restaurant early, but he promised that the kitchen could speed things up for me, and there was plenty of time as long as I started at the appointed time of 6:30 p.m. Well... some people were pretty late in getting to the restaurant, and by 7 p.m. I decided I needed to start without them.

This "welcome drink" was apparently a "cold brew tea" based on lemongrass and ginger along with some grapefruit juice. Unfortunately I didn't like it... as it tasted medicinal.

Then came four snacks:

No meat

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It's been some time since my friendly neighborhood prime broker took me out to lunch, and I was pleasantly surprised when they booked us a table at Arcane. I had only visited the restaurant once for lunch, and that was many years ago. For some reason the place just isn't on my radar screen, even though once in a while I'll rememeber that it exists and make a mental note to find time to visit. Well, here's my chance!

I decided to forgo ordering à la carte and stuck to the three-course lunch set. I sometimes do this when others are paying, and try to see if I would consider the set as offering good value. Since I had returned from a week-long eating fest in Seoul with lots of beef and pork, today I chose dishes without any meat in them.

Salad of pickled plum, radicchio and chayote with burrata, sherry vinegar dressing - there's plenty of acidity in them pickled plums, which was somewhat tempered by the burrata's creaminess.

Chefs with Hair, 2025 edition

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Just five days after seeing Handsome Chef in Seoul, I was invited to join a collaboration with him and Juve Fan at Estro. These two guys have cooked together quite a few times now, and I did have the good fortune of joining them at their event in Hong Kong last year. I wondered what the dishes would be like this time...

This would be the first time I dine inside the Music Room, equipped with KEF speakers, McIntosh amps, and other goodies. Graziano asked those of us who arrived on time - which generally does not include Your Highness - to pick out something we wanted to hear. I jokingly requested AC/DC, and for the next hour or so that was what we got...

2019 Ca' del Bosco Franciacorta Vintage Collection Extra Brut, discorged in 2023 - very lively, toasty and yeasty nose with a little bit of flint.

Gimbap, tuna, smoked caviar, finger lime - the presentation here immediately reminded me of the gimbap (김밥) at Jungsik, because it also featured a hard tube of laver, caviar, and fatty tuna. There was the addition of a seaweed-flavored emulsion on the side.

Korea wedding trip day 6: once more into the pig

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It's our last day in Seoul, and we have a couple of stops to hit before flying off. Coffee is usually the first order of the day for Foursheets, and I honestly felt a little lazy this morning. Since there's a branch of A Twosome Place right in the lobby of voco Seoul Myeongdong, I figured we should just get our coffee and breakfast right here.

I got myself some kind of a bacon and cheese bagel, which was OK. I don't expect amazing bagels when I'm in Asia...

...but this coffee... This was REALLY SHIT. Totally bland and tasteless. This was most definitely the blandest coffee I can remember ever having. Together with our experiences over the last few days, it makes us wonder... do Koreans actually know to make coffee? I don't remember the coffees I had in Seoul last year being anywhere nearly as bad, and I know that this is a chain and all... but still!

Korea wedding trip day 5: my kind of Sunday roast

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I knew that on this trip, Foursheets' first return to Seoul since 2017, I would have to take her to Born and Bred. We were lucky enough to have been introduced to Sang on that trip when he was still personally cooking at the old private counter inside Majang-dong, and we've been fans ever since.

Shortly before the pandemic struck, Sang opened his Kingsmen-inspired new multi-story building. I wasn't able to join a group trip in late 2019, but did get to come with The Man in White T-shirt last year. This was the first opportunity for Foursheets to come see it for herself, and I roped in Kutsuyama for our Sunday dinner.

Chef Min had moved to the original counter back inside the market, as the place has been rebranded Born and Bred Original. The place is closed for a private event tonight, but he was very kind to spending some time here tonight to make us feel welcome. Sang had told me last night that the big building still serves up his menu, but the new menu at the "Original" is all Chef Min... and he admitted that Chef Min's menu may be better than his own. I guess we'll need to come back to Seoul for that!

As we were the last people to be seated, we were at the far end of the semi-circular counter. The chef started by presenting the two best cuts of beef to us as he began to cook them over the charcoal grill.

Korea wedding trip day 5: Pyeongyang in Dongdaemun

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After spending the first few nights in our spacious room at Hotel Sunbee Insadong, we decided to check into voco Seoul Myeongdong to be closer to heart of the city. The room was definitely smaller, but now we have a view of Namsan and N Seoul Tower.

After days of traveling everywhere by taxi, we switched to public transport today since there is a bus stop right in front of our hotel entrance. It wasn't long before we got off at the designated stop, with a short walk to our lunch spot.

Pyeongyang Myeonok (평양면옥) is an institution in Seoul, with a history that apparently goes back three generations. The original location is too far south and even the second location in Uijeongbu (의정부) is a little out of the way, so we visited the one in Jangchung-dong (장충동) for the convenience. We didn't get here as early as I wanted to, so we ended up waiting in line for just about 10 minutes.

Korea wedding trip day 4: missed it, again

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We missed the wedding.

Yes, THAT wedding. The one we flew into Korea for. The one we planned this trip around. The whole point of this trip. We missed the ceremony.

We didn't realize traffic would be so bad on Saturday afternoon, and it took us an hour to get from lunch in Gangnam back to our hotel. After quickly changing into something more formal, we called a taxi to take us to the wedding venue. That's when the downpour started, and it really was coming down hard. It took the driver 50 minutes to get to our hotel to pick us up. We got into the car just around the time that the ceremonies began in the rain.

We were more than a half hour late in arriving at King Sejong Memorial Hall (세종대왕기념관), and the ceremony had just finished minutes earlier. The bride and groom were starting to take group photos with the guests, and I guess at least we made it for that! This was pretty much what happened to another wedding in 2001... when I flew across the Pacific Ocean, met up with the bride and groom before the wedding, only to arrive in time for pictures post-ceremony. Oh well.

Korea wedding trip day 4: back in the Garden

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We decided to sleep in this morning. After a few stressful days of working from my hotel room while on vacation, we finally got to relax a little last night... and needed to catch up on a little sleep. So... we arrived at Starfield Coex Mall about an hour later than I had originally planned. And also too late for Foursheets to sit down for a cup of decent coffee, wherever that may be.

The first order of business, though, was for Foursheets to see Starfield Library. More than 90% of people passing through here at any given time are tourists just looking to snap some photos and videos, and that is also true for us. While strolling around the library, we ran into an elderly couple who traveled from Taiwan with their bichon frisé. Pretty amazing that they brought their dog on their travels with them, and we couldn't help but think of how much we miss our asshole Kuma while playing with the doggo...

Korea wedding trip day 3: spicy pork

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It's the night before the wedding, and Mikacina has very kindly invited those of us flying in to dinner. Sancheong Charcoal Garden (산청숯불가든) is a small chain of restaurants specializing in black pork grilled over charcoal, and it's not too far away from our hotel. I looked forward to catching up with friends - and of course the bride-to-be - before tomorrow's festivities.

The first thing one notices is the central pits where the charcoal would be. Every once in a while there would be someone carrying a try of hot charcoal passing by...

Korea wedding trip day 3: a day with jang

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Thanks to a combination of need more sleep and working in my hotel room this morning, we didn't get out for breakfast until fairly late. For someone who doesn't care much for eggs, I was surprised that Foursheets wanted to see what the Korean breakfast sandwiches are all about. Well, there's an Isaac Toast near our hotel, so we grabbed a couple of them and headed back to our room.

Foursheets had the grilled bulgogi (그릴드 불갈비), but couldn't escape eggs in her sandwich.

Korea wedding trip day 2: not quite heaven

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For those of us who don't frequent Korea, Dan Kim first came on my radar screen when Toc Toc was named "One to Watch" by Asia's 50 Best Restaurants. Mikacina's been singing his praises for a few years, so when it came time to look at places to try out on this trip, I decided 7th Door would be one of them, especially when we thought we would be staying in Gangnam. When we later decided to book our hotel on the north side of the river, I knew I needed to budget enough time to get to the restaurant. Well, we ended up being a few minutes late, which wasn't too bad.

We were the last to be seated, at the far end of the U-shaped counter. Before we had time to settle down, though, waitstaff came over and rushed to start service immediately. We were shown a collection of jars to highlight the chef's work on fermentation.

Korea wedding trip day 2: Sung Si-kyung's favorite

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After a late night of working from our hotel room, I woke up to find the city wet from light rain. The first order of business was to recover my lost wallet, so we rode the same Airport Limousine back to Incheon, somehow letting the driver know that instead of getting off at either Terminal 1 or 2, we wanted to follow him all the way to the depot.

Neither Foursheets nor I got enough sleep, so coffee was more essential this morning than usual. Unfortunately this "cold brew" I picked up from the convenience store last night didn't cut it. It was pretty tasteless... just a little better than the water that is used to rinse a cup with some leftover coffee...

After being pointed in the right direction, we arrived at the office and mentioned Jay Essu's name to reference my case. Yes, they did find my wallet, and I took out my ID card from the wallet to show that I was, indeed, its rightful owner. The staff suggested that we ride the free shuttle bus that runs between airport terminals as the best way to leave the depot. We then managed to ride the same bus route back to the city to our hotel.

Korea wedding trip day 1: lost and found, again

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We're off to Seoul for a few days - the first trip for Foursheets in 8 years - so that we can attend Mikacina's wedding. Naturally, we are taking on a few extra days so that we could sample more Korean food. The two of us have barely scratched the surface in terms of discovering "real" Korean food, so we're pretty excited about this trip.

We budgeted some time to get breakfast at the airport, since we knew we wouldn't be eating on the flight. Tasty Congee and Noodle Wantun Shop (正斗粥麵專家) has an outlet here, and we figured we should savor a bit more of Hong Kong before diving into our Korean food tour.

Stir-fried rice noodles with beef (干炒牛河) and rice noodle rolls filled with twisted cruller (香脆油條腸粉) are two of my favorite things to order, and they're famous for these dishes. The wok hei (鑊氣) on the noodles was pretty good, and the crullers weren't too shabby, either.

Sine Qua Non toast, part 10

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It's been more than 2 years since this gang sat around a table and guzzled bottles of a beloved cult wine. I guess we were just all busy with our own stuff and no one got around to organize something. Once again I became the instigator, and this time we managed to round up enough people for a proper dinner. I was pretty happy that H-man was around and could join this dinner, and we've shared a few bottles of Sine Qua Non over the years.

I didn't want to be the one picking a restaurant this time, so after a few rounds of suggestions, we settled on Jiangsu Club (江蘇銘悅). I was once a big fan in one of its former incarnations, but I haven't been back in almost 9 years. I was really looking forward to seeing how the food would be after all this time.

A couple of the guys seem to be regulars here, and we collectively put together a pretty big menu for this big night.

I can't resist these seaweed peanuts (苔菜花生), especially when I'm hungry.

Chilled chicken in chilli peppercorn sauce (江南麻辣口水雞) - this is... not exactly Jiangsu cuisine... and normally I would expect this to be pretty spicy. Not the case tonight.

When a billion people know your face

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H-man is back in town for a few days, his first trip here since 10 years ago. As Rice and I took him to Neighborhood on that visit, we figured it only made sense to do the same this time around. Little did I know that The Kitchen Nazi had become such a celebrity since the premiere of the popular Chinese TV show, that tables at Neighborhood are now difficult to come by.

Since I had booked my table with Shirley, The Kitchen Nazi had no idea that I was coming tonight... until I mentioned it to him yesterday. That would have an impact on the selection of dishes I would be getting tonight.

We started with a tea session at Rice's office, where he poured me some tea for my cold, as well as giving us a taste of some Taiwanese green tea harvested in the 1930s...

We arrived before our table was ready, so the three of us stood against the bar while trying to stay out of the way of the staff and other diners. Coincidentally, DaRC and Ro Ro are also here tonight - in the company of Dashijie. This would turn out to be kinda fun later, as we were seated at neighboring tables.

Pine nuts - the boss was also on the same mushroom foraging trip in Yunnan as the three chefs from last night, and once again we have roasted pine nuts to start our dinner with. These were very, very good.

Avant voyage

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I must admit to being a little surprised when I received an invitation to a "6-hands collaboration" in Shenzhen. Chef Alessio Durante of Opus 388 at the Mandarin Oriental Shenzhen and Chef Jerry Tian of Avant were taking turns hosting dinners at their respective restaurants, and they've invited Chef Paul Marcon - son of Regis and the latest winner of Bocus d'Or - to come all the way from Restaurant Marcon. I've never had the pleasure of visiting Saint-Bonnet-le-Froid, and I thought this would be an opportunity to get a glimpse of what one could expect at the mothership. Similarly, I was also a little curious about Avant.

Everyone else was already in Shenzhen eating their way around town, so only two of us got picked up by the car at the Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong. The trip across the border was quicker than expected, and we arrived at Avant with plenty of time before our dinner was due to start.

Well... the others did eventually show up, and I got to hear all about the drama from someone's trip to Yunnan with the three chefs...

We started with the sourdough bread from Avant and a tomato and rosemary focaccia from Opus 388.

Mushroom butter - made with a variety of mushrooms the chefs had brought back from their trip to Yunnan.

One last dinner at Metropol

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When my friend announced the impending closure of his family's Metropol Restaurant (名都酒樓) after 35 years, one of the first things that popped into my mind was to organize a dinner for a group of our school alumni. We've had a few gatherings there over the years, since the boss is one of us. I managed to round up about a dozen of us whose classes spanned 32 years, and even invited Kutsuyama along since Sacred Heart and St. Mary's are kind of sister schools.

The boss very kindly arranged a menu for us, and as a classic Cantonese banquet meal, it included shark's fin. I was happy to give my portion up.

Roasted whole suckling pig (鴻運乳豬全體) - it's pretty common for banquet feasts to start with roast suckling pig, so I was pretty happy to see this.

Ro ro e vino

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We took advantage of DaRC being back in town for a few weeks to catch up with him and Ro Ro over dinner, and this time I proposed going somewhere that Foursheets has wanted to try for some time - Carna by Dario Checcini. Foursheets has always liked a good piece of steak, and of course Ro Ro would not have any objections to having lots of ro ro (肉肉)…

The ride up to the restaurant on a high floor at The Mondrian in an observation elevator provided a nice view of Victoria Harbour, and instantly puts one in a good mood.

One is offered a choice of welcome drink at the reception area, and I chose the house cocktail over a glass of Chianti poured from a traditional fiasco. We are not at Dario’s place in Panzano, and I was saving my palate for the wines we had brought ourselves.

I left the ordering to DaRC, as he has been here before – and has visited Dario’s in Italy. Every now and then, it’s nice to not have the responsibility of ordering for the table.

First up was the focaccia and the [squid ink] carta da musica. This was accompanied by some pickled vegetables.

Louise et maman

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I've been dining out a lot this week, with a total of 4 big dinners out, and I have a brutal schedule starting the latter half of next week, so I was kinda looking forward to having a quiet night at home by myself this evening. My digestive system and waistline could definitely use a break. But things don't always go according to plan, and Hairy Legs messaged me today to see whether I would be free for his collaboration with Jan Hartwig.

Well, I would have answer a foodie call like this from very few people, and Hairy Legs happens to be one of them. So the plans of staying home to eat my Nissin Mapo Tofu Cup Noodles went out the window, and I dutifully trekked over to Caprice for another big night out...

I played the part of the solitary gourmet tonight, sitting at a table all by myself. Meanwhile, a bunch of big shot chefs strolled in to the private dining room... so that's where most of the senior staff were tonight.

We started with the presentation of amuses bouches from both chefs, as Jan came to introduce his little bite:

Ah yes… the second ang mo chef to serve me kueh pie tee this week… The pie tee shell was made with poppy seeds and black garlic. The wagyu tartare filling came with slippery balls of sago that had been cooked in 2-year-old soy sauce, which explains why this tasted a little on the salty side. But the little dose of acidity from what may have been finger lime provided a nice balance to that, and there was also crunchy cashews in the mix. The chef also added Japanese leek oil, fresh coriander, wasabi, pickled ginger, and fresh myoga – although I wasn’t sure the last couple of elements were necessary. There certainly seemed to be a lot of elements packed into one bite, and many of those are very Asian flavors…

Casual Friday

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It has been a LONG time since the Specialist and I last dined together, and since we would be at the Penfolds Re-corking Clinic tonight, we figured we should catch up over dinner. We would also crack open a pair of decent wines, naturally.

I could not have been more surprised when she suggested that we go to Yong Fu (甬府), since all of her friends know she doesn't spend money on high-end Chinese food. Fortunately the restaurant has been doing set lunches and set dinners since earlier this year, and this provided me with the perfect opportunity to try out the set dinner for the very first time.

Gemma remembered how much I loved their mahua (麻花) on my first visit earlier this year, so she made sure I got a plate of it before our food arrived. And just like last time, I had difficulty stopping myself from reaching for it again and again...

Pickled cauliflower (泡製菜梗) - this is always a good idea. I love how they jazz up cauliflower with a little vinegar and a mild level of chili.

Health check for wines

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I had long heard about the re-corking events held by Penfolds, where customers bring in older bottles of wine to be checked and re-corked, but I guess I never thought I needed to do something like that. I love drinking old wines and I'm used to seeing old corks, and also used to the mature profile of older wines. Recorking would, in general, involve topping up the bottle with a new vintage - which would damage the purity of the original wine... so I haven't been too eager to do something like that.

This time, though, one of the sessions was for clients of Christies, so the Specialist invited me to the session. She knew, of course, that I do have a small collection of old Grange that may fit the bill. After giving it due consideration, I figured I would see what this was all about.

I haven't stepped foot inside The Upper House for a few years, and certainly have not been to the top floor where the restaurant is located. As soon as the elevator doors opened, there was a full frontal assault by the intense perfume that permeates the room. Not sure who picked the space for this event, but there was no way I could smell anything from a wine glass...

So when I was poured a glass of Penfolds Champagne Cuvée Brut as a welcome drink, I very quickly gave up on trying to enjoy the nose. It was all perfume.

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Penfolds Chief Winemaker Peter Gago presides over these clinics, and he started by explaining how the process works, and the different treatment they give to bottles judged to be in various conditions. They first check the level and see whether it is low enough to warrant re-corking - something Peter described as a "last resort" - as it is preferable not to interfere with the wine.

A Cristal clear evening

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It has been months since that relaxing Friday lunch at Cristal Room by Anne-Sophie Pic, and once again an invitation came from B Bestie - for dinner this time. The vibe would be totally different at night, and with memories of how the room is decorated, I worried whether my camera would get enough light in the romantic setting to deliver good photos.

I need not have worried. The restaurant has these light stands ready to make sure diners can see what they're eating, and for anyone wanting to showcase the dishes on social media to have all the help they need.

Different kind of Night Vibes

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Monsieur Jamin has been talking about doing a massive Champagne night, which he decided to call 夜檳紛 after the laughable campaign Night Vibes Hong Kong (香港夜繽紛) by the Hong Kong government. Our friend had amassed a collection of Champagne which are rare by virtue of their small productions, and being the teetotaler that he is, needed a few more mouths to be able to taste through the collection. I requested Mrs Film Buff's attendance so that Foursheets would have someone to talk to during the long session, and eventually we grew to a group of 13.

Dinner arrangements were made at Tempura Tenon (天ぷら 天穩), a place whose cuisine a few friends had praised for some time. I have been really curious, as Chef Wing's work at his former establishment also got great reviews from friends. There is, of course, a dearth of decent tempura restaurants in Hong Kong, and I have long given up hope of having nice tempura in town. So I was kinda excited about the food at dinner.

Cold chawanmushi (冷やし茶碗蒸し) - the custard was actually made with corn, together with both white and yellow corn on top. Very sweet and refreshing.

The preview

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I had been helping Ms. Hurricane plan her big party, as she needed an "in" with Restaurant Petrus. Well... The Chef Who Tries to Kill Me always whines that I don't love him, that I only love Hairy Legs... blah blah... so I took the opportunity to introduce Ms. Hurricane to him. It is totally reasonable that my friend needed a "taste test" before committing to hosting her big party at the restaurant, so we came for a preview tonight.

I was the first to be seated, and since my lunch wasn't that filling, I had arrived with stomach growling. I mentioned to The Chef Who Tries to Kill Me that "I hesitate to tell you that I'm hungry..." because, well, saying those things in his presence has consequences. I also advised him to keep things reasonable on account of my friend, and he promised to "let us off easy."

I was pleasantly surprised to see Nicolas in the house, as he had just joined the team mere weeks earlier. I felt instantly at ease having a familiar face look after us.

Most of the dishes tonight would come from the current "Summer Dinner" menu, with the addition of a special dish designed to match the wines which would be opened at the upcoming party. I was brimming with excitement and couldn't wait for the food to arrive.

We started with a series of nibbles:

Truffle and beef tartare tart - we've got some acidity with the tartare along with some crunchy shallots. I could taste the umami and flavors of the sea from the tart shell thanks to the presence of kelp.

Don't let them decant your wine

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The Compatriot is making a rare overnight stop in town so he could have dinner with me, and asked for Cantonese food. We could hit one of our regular haunts for that, but I decided to try something different. Having been stuffed with lots of goodies at a lunch organized by a VVIP last year, I have been wanting to return to Flower Drum (鋒膳) on my own. I finally got around to that tonight.

My friend wanted to try more dishes, so we opted for the Omakase menu. Not the more expensive one, because that includes shark's fin that I wouldn't touch. Yesterday I saw the boss put up a post on social media about a special dish, and I was hoping that it would show up on our menu tonight.

We start with antipasto platter (三喜碟), which wasn't actually a platter but three different starters:

South African abalone with Bannou negi (南非鮑魚配萬能蔥) - the chilled abalone was fine, and came with some condiment that seemed to resemble 薑蓉, except in addition to spring onions, ginger, and sesame oil there were also fine bits of Chinese ham. The sauce made with Bannou negi (万能ねぎ) purée, though, was not that great as it left a bitter aftertaste.

Metropol memories

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I'm overcome with sadness. After 35 years, our friend's family has made the difficult decision to close down Metropol Restaurant (名都酒樓). While business has recovered from the tough years of 2019 through the Covid pandemic, the family is sitting on unrealized gains on the restaurant space and that math just ain't gonna get better. The restaurant's coming closure before the end of September has been announced, and owners and staff can be proud of the institution that together they have built - hence the use of the term 光榮結業.

While I cannot pinpoint the exact date I first dined here, it would probably have been within the first week or two of me arriving in Hong Kong at the end of May 1995. My office was in Pacific Place then, and it was a regular affair to go to lunch at Metropol whenever visitors from other offices arrived in Hong Kong. What I didn't realize until years later is that the restaurant - part of the Heichinrou (聘珍樓) group which started in Yokohama more than 140 years ago - is owned by the family of an alumnus of my high school in Tokyo.

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The space is large, able to host banquets of 100 tables with at least 10 diners per table. Lunch here is alwas a boisterous affair, as the place would be buzzing for a few hours - building up gradually from 8 a.m. when their breakfast service begins. For our visitors from outside Hong Kong, it's a real culture shock and quite an experience.

Occupy Amber: balls, coins, and acidity

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Five years ago Fish Ball left us, and since then we have taken to keeping a vegetarian diet on this day each year. And every single year at dinner time, we have stepped through the doors of Amber to experience the magic that Richard Ekkebus weaves with no meat and no dairy. Just vegetables and fruit.

This year, though, things are a little different. After holding 2 Michelin stars for 16 years since the introduction of the Michelin Guide for Hong Kong and Macau, Amber was finally inducted into the hallowed halls of restaurants with 3 Michelin stars in the guide's 17th edition. Those of us who know and love him were incredibly happy for Richard and the team. Tonight would be my first opportunity to see him since the promotion.

We opted for the smaller, 6-course menu. I expect to be eating a lot of sourdough bread tonight... so gotta leave some space!

The sommelier gave us very big pours of complimentary Champagne to start, and it was a nice one.

Eric Rodez Blanc de Noirs, Edition 45, dégorgée en Decembre 2023 - nice and lovely on the palate, with a good balance between acidity and ripeness, good depth and a long finish. Classic marmalade on the nose.

Days of chewing carefully: TV chef in da 'hood

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I've been keeping my schedule light this month to make it easier on myself, but I had given Mr. Chichi the finger a few times too many lately, so I agreed to join him at Neighborhood tonight to meet a new friend. Just like it was 3 weeks ago, The Kitchen Nazi wasn't ready when I arrived, and shooed me over to Paragon to grab a drink. I was then introduced to our last-minute companion who would be joining us for dinner.

I did start my evening on the right foot, though, with a Blue Note. I'd always order a drink that's blue.

Days of chewing carefully: why so complicated?

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Nowadays I don't get to see The Compatriot often, as neither of us are in Taiwan much. But he happened to be in Taipei this week so we made last-minute plans to meet up for dinner. I didn't have any place I needed to try, especially given my current condition, so I happily went along with his suggestion of Hosu (好嶼).

I had never heard of the place, but these guys apparently have themselves a Michelin Green Star. They do seem to use exclusively locally-sourced ingredients, with dishes inspired by Taiwanese banquets (辦桌). Well... I'm not really "local" enough and left Taiwan very young, so I don't think I've ever been to a proper 辦桌... So the ingredients and the flavors are gonna be pretty unfamiliar to me.

Our welcome drink was a cup of tea from Yilan (宜蘭) with some plum from last year.

Days of chewing carefully: two beef noodles

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It's not surprising that whenever we are back in Taiwan, one of Foursheets' favorite things to eat is beef noodle soup. Ever since I first introduced her to Lin Dong Fang Beef Noodles (林東芳牛肉麵) back in 2015, it has been a mainstay on her itinerary. She wanted to explore a couple of other places this week, so I let her pick...

We had tried to check out Lao Shan Dong Homemade Noodles (老山東牛肉家常麵店) a few months ago, but it was during the holiday season and there was an impossibly long line to get in. This time around, though, we went on a week night and had no trouble getting in. The place was still buzzing on a Monday night.

Pork and chives dumplings (豬肉韭菜水餃) - thick, hand-rolled wrappers with plenty of bite. Very nice.

Days of chewing carefully: Don't Go

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We have a visitor staying with us for a few days, and this was her very first trip to Taiwan. Naturally, we were eager to introduce her to some good, authentic Taiwanese cuisine. We were sitting in a taxi en route to our go-to casual Taiwanese when I suddenly thought of the delicious braised pork rice (滷肉飯) at My灶. It's a very popular place and normally not easy to book on short notice, but I picked up the phone to call them anyway. Much to my surprise, they had a spare table available. I immediately asked the taxi driver to turn around.

Stir-fried white water snowflake (炒水蓮) - this is always a good idea in Taiwan. I love this fibrous and crunchy veg, and pretty nice stir-fried with some mushrooms.

Days of chewing carefully: lost and found

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We're meeting up with the Parental Units tonight, and we chose to check out a place not far from their home. I may or may not have dined at A Gan Bistro (阿甘小館) before, but if I did it would have been close to 20 years ago. This was yet another recommendation from Little Rabbit, and I was looking forward to finding a place suitable for mom.

The place was busy on a Sunday night, and while the boss lady was too busy to stay and chit chat, she nevertheless was patient enough and entertained our request for the kitchen to dispense with MSG during cooking.

Coldcut chicken in Taiwanese style (鹽焗雞) - UMMMM, NO, this is NOT salt-baked chicken. It was, however, a very, very good steamed chicken (白斬雞). It was so, soooo tender, with that beautiful layer of jelly between the skin and the meat. The fact that it was a whole leg including the upper thigh was a plus, and seasoning it with some sesame oil made it even better. This is something I'd like to buy and take back to Hong Kong.

Days of chewing carefully: a homey lunch

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I'm back home in Taiwan for a week for my long-postponed dental surgery, and I would get just one meal between arrival last night and the dreaded procedure. Little Rabbit had recommended a place to eat chicken to Foursheets, so we trekked across town to have ourselves a quick lunch at Warm Home (溫暖好家).

Oyster mushroom three-cup sauce (三杯杏鮑菇) - pretty happy with this vegetarian version.