Although I’m still a newbie in town, I knew enough to show them the good eats.  I had to prove to them that the Windy City is more than just deep dish pizza and hot dogs.  Their time in the city was short, and the food time line was downright ambitious and aggressive.  Would we be able to hit up all the places that was on the agenda…or were our eyes bigger than our stomachs?

The Agenda
Friday started out a tad slow.  Kurtis and Stu starved themselves before arriving Friday afternoon and I think it worked against them.  The first meal was deep dish pizza at Lou Malnati’s and it might have been too much.  By the end of the meal I think I saw Kurtis have trouble breathing and Stu’s eating pace slowed down to a crawl.  So far, this food fest wasn’t looking too promising.  Despite the slow start, Saturday was going to be redemption day, and I think any foodie would approve of our Saturday eating schedule.  Soon after we finished a meal, we were on our way to the next.  We had to hit up 6 destinations on Saturday and had to logistically spread out our meals so that we would have room for steak at Gibsons by 10pm.  Rest and relaxation wasn’t on the agenda, but we did manage to sneak in a power nap around 6:30pm.

Tragedy Strikes!
There was an unforeseen event that took place.  Kurtis developed a full blown case of plantar fasciitis on Saturday afternoon and ended up limping around for the rest of the trip.  I think he wanted to request a wheelchair when he arrived at the airport.  Rather than help a friend in need, we kicked him while he was down and gave him the nickname of “The Broken One,” which by the end of the day, he had earned the new title of “The Gimp.”  Still, he was a trooper and continued on the food expedition despite the pain.  Ah, Advil does wonders.

The Timeline

Friday 5:22PM – Deep Dish Pizza at Lou Malnati’s

Stuffed Spinach Bread

The “Lou” with Sausage

Look at all that beautiful cheese!

Friday 11:28PM – Late Night Dinging at  the Silver Palm

Louisville & Nashville Onion Rings

Canadien Pacific´s Smoked Meat Sandwich - Hickory smoked corned beef brisket with grilled onions and gruyere cheese on pumpernickel.

Dan Palm’s Three Little Piggy Sandwich – Double Smoked Ham, Pork Tenderloin, Bacon, Gruyere Cheese, Onion Rings  & a Fried Egg.  As seen on Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations!

Three Little Piggy Cross Section Goodness

Saturday 11:41AM – Breakfast at The Original Pancake House

Buttermilk Pancakes

Corn Beef Hash

Eggs Benedict with Potato Pancakes

Vegetarian Baked Egg White Omelet w/ Cheddar Cheese

Saturday 12:41PM – Asian Buns at Wow Bao

BBQ Pork and Thai Curry Chicken Baos

Saturday 3:38PM – Gourmet Hot Dogs at Hot Doug’s (After 1.5 hours of waiting)

The Dog – Chicago-Style Hot Dog with all the trimmings: ’nuff said.

Sweet and Savory Rattlesnake Sausage with Berry-Rum Sauce and Serendipity Cheese

Antelope Sausage with Roasted Garlic Mustard and Goat Cheese

Foie Gras and Sauternes Duck Sausage with Truffle Aioli, Foie Gras Mousse and Sel Gris. Also seen on No Reservations!  It was worth the wait.

Duck Fat Fries

Saturday 5:45PM – Ribs, Baked Beans, and Chili at Twin Anchors.

Chili

Rack of Ribs w/ Zesty BBQ Sauce and Baked Beans

Saturday 9:09PM – Japanese Sake Bar and Eats at Murasake

The Sake Bar Display

Wasabi Raw Octopus – We should have ordered more than one.  We were fighting over this!

Fugu (Blowfish) Fin Used For Flavoring the Warm Sake. It’s lit on fire a number of times and dipped in the sake.  Then it soaks in the sake for a minute. Remove the fin and drink the sake.  Your tongue might go numb.

Takoyaki!  Octopus Dumplings!

Cheesy and Crunchy Chicken Yakitori

Spicy and Crunchy Chicken Yakitori

Saturday 10:30PM – Steak at Gibson’s

The Night’s Selections – Look at that Australian Lobster Tail in the back!

Gumbo - Good on it’s own, but even better with bread.

The Chicago Cut – Prime 20 oz Bone-In Ribeye

Sunday 11:00AM -  Breakfast at Fox & Obel Cafe

More Pancakes!

Keeping it Simple w/ Bagel and Chive Cream Cheese

More Eggs Benedict!  How’s the heart doing?

Weight Gain Imminent
I can’t even begin to comprehend how much weight we gained over the course of 2 days.  By Saturday night, every one looked like they were 5 months pregnant, and by Sunday morning, we were so sick of food.  We definitely took a toll on our bodies, but this was probably the best food weekend I have ever had.  I’m still feeling pretty bloated.  Great food and great friends, is there anything better?

~ Kin

I arrived around 10:15AM and there was a line.  If there was a line on a Thursday morning, imagine what craziness the weekend brings.  Don’t be fooled by the name of the establishment as it serves omelets, crepes, waffles, and other breakfast items.  The omelets are oven-baked and these things are ginormous.  Just picture three regular moleskin notebooks stacked together, or maybe a baby manatee.  In any case, it’s a meal in itself.  As tempting as it was to order the omelet, I was there for the pancakes.

I ordered the buttermilk bacon pancakes and the southern-style hash browns.  The hash browns weren’t anything special, so let’s just move on to the pancakes.  I was expecting a big, fluffy stack of pancakes, but it wasn’t so.

Don’t let the picture fool you, these pancakes were small, thin, flat, and lifeless.  Did the cook sit on the pancakes?  And do you know what happens to thin pancakes?  They get cold really fast!  And nobody likes cold pancakes.  The savory-ness of the bacon and the sweetness of the syrup went together very well, but I think I would’ve enjoyed them much more if I wasn’t in a race against time.  The last bite of pancake was on the cool side, and the whipped butter no longer melted into the porous surface.

After battling the wind and rain on Michigan Ave, I knew I had enough because my shoes and socks were starting to get a bit moist (from the rain).  Walking around N. State St. and Rush Street, I decided to have lunch at Tavern on Rush.

I was led to a table by a very pretty hostess where I was glad to be finally taking off my heavy  and overstuffed backpack.  The lunch menu contained so much deliciousness that it was hard to decide on a choice, but I settled on the Rib Eye Steak Sandwich.  8 ounces of meat sandwiched between fancy bread?  It’s a good start.  I’ve had good rib-eye sandwiches in my day, was I going to be in for a treat or disappointment?

The sandwich came with chipotle mayonnaise, sautéed onions, lettuce, cremini mushrooms and was served in a toasted onion ciabatta roll, which gave the occasional crunch.  I held out on the tomatoes and the fontina cheese.  My cooking preference for the meat was medium, and do you know what I got?  Medium.  That’s right, the people in the kitchen got it right.  Extra points are rewarded just for that.  The meat was tender, well-marbled and full-flavored.  It got a little messy with the sauce dripping, onions and mushrooms creeping out, but that’s how a good sandwich should be.  The meat and bread ratio was also right on.  As far as rib-eye sandwiches go, Tavern on Rush’s version is my new favorite.  Man, the things you discover when you step out of the NJ/NYC area.

Today was my third and final day of getting to know Chicago.  The city didn’t leave me with a great impression with the rain, cold and strong wind gusts.  Despite the gloomy weather, I had a really great time there.  I thought I was going to be bored out of my mind, but the people I met really made it worthwhile.  Having lived, studied, and worked in New Jersey pretty much all of my life, I wonder if I’m really ready to leave it all behind and start fresh in a big and unfamiliar city.  I guess there’s no better way to get acquainted but to dive in head first.

Thanks to Bruno and Jennifer from Apartment People for being so accommodating.  Thanks to Gene from the Talbott Hotel for being so helpful.  Thanks to Ardena for the conversation at Lao Shanghai, that place was way too quiet and boring after the lunch crowd left.  Thanks to Vanessa for showing me that apartment with the amazing view of the lake.

The Original Pancake House
22 E Bellevue Pl
(between Rush St & State St)
Chicago, IL 60611

Tavern on Rush
1031 Rush Street
Chicago, IL 60611

Today was my second day of the “Getting to Know Chicago” trip. With the apartment hunting behind me, I can finally focus on exploring the city and try out some eats while I’m at it. So far, I’m enjoying the vibe that the city is giving off, but the wind chill and the cold makes it really tough to breathe in a breath of fresh air. None-the-less, the idea of living in the heart of the city is very exciting.

I started the day a bit late. Windows Vista decided to install an automatic update around 3:00am even though the machine was in hibernation mode. The update failed and caused my laptop to go into a reboot loop. After spending most of the morning troubleshooting and recovering the system, I was ready to head out for breakfast.

I decided to try out the cafe at Fox and Obel Food Market. In the hierarchy of food markets, it stands one notch above other stores such as Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s. It was located only a mile away from my hotel, so I decided to take a power walk and check out Michigan Ave on my way there. By the time I arrived at the market, my legs were burning and I was gasping for air. That’s what happens when you haven’t worked in months and stay home to play video games all day.

Once inside, I walked through the aisles and perused the items to get a sense of what the store was about. I wasn’t blown away by it, but it did remind me of a food market called Market Basket in Franklin Lakes, NJ. I’ve been to Market Basket many times in the past and this doppelganger in Chicago certainly has the same feel. I made my way to the cafe towards the back and ordered the Cobb Egg White Omelet.

The omelet took a little while to come out but it was really well cooked. With the grilled chicken, applewood smoked bacon, scallions, and avocado in the mix, it turned out to be a great power breakfast and helped restore some energy and gusto that I had lost during my brisk mile-long walk. The portion was generous, and the eggs were cooked very well. The egg whites were neither burnt nor runny, and the ingredients were well distributed.

I liked the place. The cafe has a nice atmosphere for getting some writing done or for casual conversations. I also like how this place is two blocks away from my new apartment.

The next stop was Chinatown.  I heard it was the second largest in the US and since I’m Chinese, I had to visit it.  I have to say, Chicago’s Chinatown is pretty clean, in fact it was too clean to be called Chinatown.  My lunch destination was Lao Shanghai.  It had received pretty decent online reviews and I looked at the menu online before I went.  The fancy and well put together menu gave me pretty high expectations of the place.  Sadly, the food and the restaurant didn’t meet any of them.

Upon entering, I saw an old Chinese couple just finishing up their meals.  In my mind I thought, “Ah, old Chinese people are eating here, this place must be good.”  The size of the restaurant was smaller than I had expected, and while the walls were elegantly decorated, I couldn’t say the same for the tables and the floor tiles.  Each table had a white piece of parchment paper covering the white tablecloth underneath and it reminded me of the Macaroni Grill.  I had the weird sensation of asking the waiter for crayons.  The floor tiles clashed with the rest of the decor.  It was something more suited for the bathroom.  Ok, on to the food.

The first dish I ordered was the xiao long bao, or Shanghai soup dumplings.  Since the place is called Lao Shanghai, I figured it would be fairly decent.  The dumplings came out in a bamboo steamer and boy, was I ready to dig in.  As I lifted the lid, I noticed the dumplings were a bit undersized.  Is the shrinkage from the cold weather?  As I took the first one out of the steamer, I noticed that the wrapper was a bit on the thick side.  Taking a bite, I thought to myself, “where’s the hot, steamy, mouth-blistering broth?”

Look closely at the picture above.  Do you see any broth?  Just barely.  All in all, I was extremely disappointed with the dumplings and I would compare them to store  bought brands.  There’s a restaurant by where I live in New Jersey and it’s far better than what was served at Lao Shanghai.  Damn, Chicago – 0, New Jersey – 1

The next dish that came was the Braised Pork Belly in Preserved Bean Curd Sauce.

I was expecting something like the picture shown in the menu, but instead out came this gelatinous mass that was a little too heavy on the red food coloring.  After brushing off the thick red sauce, the pork belly that was revealed underneath was actually quite tasty.  After downing all that pork and pork fat, I realized that I didn’t really taste any of the bean curd that it was braised in.  I don’t think I’ve had that much pork fat in a while.  I felt like a pork slut afterwards.

Next was the seasonal Tong Cai greens stir-fried with garlic.  This dish was fresh, the flavor was just right and didn’t have the overpowering taste in garlic.  All in all, a job well done.

The forth dish I ordered was the Beef Short Ribs in Chef’s Special Sauce.  Odd, I didn’t find anything special about it.  The short ribs were dry, a bit chewy, and way too salty.

I thought the food at the restaurant to be average.  Maybe I went into the restaurant with high expectations and high hopes.  There’s nothing that really distinguishes this place from all the other Chinese restaurants I have eaten at.  Even though the place is called Lao Shanghai, a good number of dishes are not Shanghainese, but in fact remind me more of Cantonese cooking.  On a lighter note, the price point will do little damage to your wallet.  Each lunch portion I ordered hovered around the $4.50 mark and the portions are more than enough for the average person.  If you’re looking for an authentic Shanghainese Restaurant, this place isn’t it.

The day ended with a bit of sunshine.  I took a pretty lengthy subway ride and walk to Sunshine Cafe in Andersonville.  It’s a small restaurant and it specializes in home-style Japanese cuisine.  There’s no sushi to be found here, and that’s quite alright with me.  The menu might seem run-of-the-mill, but don’t let that fool you.  The Japanese Chef has perfected the craft of Japanese home-style cooking.  The food is simple, yet wholesome and delicious.

I’m a sucker for handmade dumplings, so I had to order the pan-fried gzoyas.  The spicy dipping sauce that came with it really made the dish harmonious.

Next up were the potato croquettes.  Perfectly shaped and fried, there’s no better way to eat a potato.  They paired nicely with the tonkatsu sauce.  I would come back to the cafe just for these babies.

Finally, the tonkatsu made it’s way to the table.  Perfectly breaded and not greasy, this was a real treat.  In fact, I savored it.  By the end, I was too full to move, even breathing was difficult.

The food was served by a little old Asian lady in an apron.  She reminded me of my grandmother, except my grandmother just sits on the couch and watches Chinese dramas all day long.  Sunshine Cafe has been around for 15 years.  The owner used to have a sushi restaurant in the area, but she got tired of it and decided to do home-style cooking instead.

I know there are many great restaurants in Chicago such as Alinea and other gastro pubs.  But it’s not fun to go to those places alone.  Those dining experiences are best shared with friends.  Time to make new friends!

Fox and Obel
401 E Illinois St
(between New St & Park Dr)
Chicago, IL 60611

Lao Shanghai
2163 S China Pl
Ste 1F
(between Princeton Ave & Wells St)
Chicago, IL 60616

Sunshine Cafe
5449 N Clark St
(between Catalpa Ave & Rascher Ave)
Chicago, IL 60640

Since I live in the Tri-State Area, I’ll be hitting up the following places once Summer comes along.

Burger Joint
Burger:  Cheeseburger
New York, NY
Le Parker Meridiean, 119 W. 56th St.

Be warned:  This place is tiny, crowded, hard to find and ruthless about burgers.  You’ll have ground beef on a squishy bun, and you’ll like it.  The charred patties taste like they were made on a backyard grill.  So, in a city without yards, everyone keeps coming back for more

Stage Left
Burger: “The Best Cheeseburger in the World”
New Brunswick, NJ
5 Livingston Avenue

The brazenly named burger at this Jersey bar, house in a swank restaurant, draws skeptics but in 17 years has yet to disappoint.  Scraps of pricey steak from the fancy side of the restaurant are mixed into Angus beef patties.  The burgers are charred over a wood grill and topped with aged cheddar. I went to college at Rutgers in New Brunswick and I had never heard of this place.

Royal Tavern
Burger:  Angus Burger
Philadelphia, PA
937 E. Passyunk Avenue

Philly’s famous cheesesteak joints are only blocks away, but many beef lovers flock to this laid-back bar instead.  Regulars have nicknamed the addictive burger “the royal.”  The thick patty comes on a brioche bun with caramelized onions, bacon, gouda, chili mayonnaise and picked hot peppers.

Get the rest of the list here.

I almost bought this hamburger phone, but then I remembered that I don’t have a land line. Darn.

Cracker lighters.  Took me a while to figure out how to turn it on.

Foam bread.  Softer than the real thing, but I had no idea what purpose they served.  Mouse wrist pads perhaps?

Key chains.  Do not ingest.

Bacon cell phone leashes.  Too bad my iPhone doesn’t have a leash loop.

Majesty Restaurant
3/F Prudential Ctr 216 – 228A Nathan Rd
Jordan Station, Exit E

Chicken Bundles, these things were ginormous!

The inner workings of the cha siu bao (roast pork bun).

Looks a lot like a jeen dui (fried gluttony sesame ball), but it’s something else

It’s deep fried bread with red bean paste and banana paste filling.  It was so good, I can still taste it.

The Fishing Villages

Hong Kong is synonymous with seafood.  The selection is plentiful, fresh, and affordable.  One of the perks of seafood dining in Hong Kong is that you can pick what you want to eat right from the tanks, and it will be cooked to your preference in no time at all.  How’s that for fresh?

The Fishing Village of Sai Kung

The seafood tanks in front of one of the restaurants in Sai Kung

Upon stepping off the bus at the central terminal, the senses are treated to the wavering scent of seawater and the scene of the locals selling their daily catch.

Fried Fish Skin

Fatty Beef Brisket

The Fishing Village of Lei Yu Mun

Lei Yu Mun is one of the older fishing villages.  In the past, the only way of getting there was by car or boat, but now it can also be accessed after a 15 minute walk from the Yau Tong MTR stop.  Walk east up and down a small hill and you will see a large gate.  There are many seafood vendors to choose from, and you get to pick out your own seafood as well.  Once you’ve selected the seafood you want, the vendors will bring it to one of the local restaurants to cook to your liking.  We went to the Dynasty Restaurant for our seafood dinner.  It’s a little further back, but it’s worth the small hike.

Clockwise from top left:  Clams, Lobster, Cuttlefish, Mantis Shrimp (Peeing Shrimp)

Giant Razor Clams

Salt Baked Mantis Shrimp (Peeing Shrimp)

Garlic Steamed Scallops

Fresh Steamed Fish

Jumbo Prawns

Ginger and Scallion Crab

Clams in Black Bean Sauce

Hong Kong Eats:  Tea Time, Fast Fixes, and Street Eats – Part One

Hong Kong Eats:  Tea Time, Fast Fixes, and Street Eats – Part Two

Hong Kong Eats:  Dinner Time

The first day I arrived at Hong Kong, I met up with my relatives for dinner and for a special birthday celebration (not mine).  It had been 16 years since I’ve seen my aunt and uncle, and I saw other relatives for the first time.  The food was impressive, but  I was so busy catching up with relatives and stuffing my face that I didn’t get a chance to take pictures of every dish.

Chinese Cold Cut Platter – Pork, Chicken, Seaweed, and Tofu

Sauteed Lobster

Roasted Dried Oysters Wrapped In Fried Rice Noodles

Dried Scallops Stuffed in Squash

Abalone and Duck’s Foot

Chinese Fried Chicken

Four Season Pot Rice
Arthur Street near Temple Street, Yau Ma Tei

Claypot Rice with Chicken and Preserved Dried Meat (Chinese sausage, pork, duck)

This claypot rice (bo jai fan) joint was featured on Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations, so we had to see what the hype was about. We went around 10pm and the place was packed.  The food was great and cheap, in fact, we came here twice for dinner.  Aside from the claypot rice, the fried oyster dipped in batter was top notch.

Look at those prices!  And that’s HKD by the way.  So that’s $2.32USD for a basic order of pot rice, and $2.71USD for the specialty pot rice.

Deep Fried Battered Oyster and Scallion Pancake w/ Hot Sauce

Claypot Rice with Chicken and Salted Fish

Claypot Rice with Chicken and Northern Mushrooms

Victoria Harbour Roasted Goose and Seafood Restaurant
1/F, Golden Era Plaza, 39 Sai Yee Street, Mongkok

I’m pretty sure this is the place where my cousin, Yolanda, and I went for dinner on Wednesday night.  You can have a family style dinner here, or go the Chinese Hot Pot (Shabu Shabu) route.  There are tables made specifically for hot pot as there is a heating element attached to each table in the center.

The roast goose was mighty tasty.  The sauce was a bit too salty though.

Sweet and Sour Pork done right.  This is the real stuff, cooked with peaches, strawberries, and pineapples.

Sucking Roast Pig and Jelly Fish

Just your typical baby bok choi sauteed with oil and garlic.

Hong Kong Eats: Tea Time, Fast Fixes, and Street Eats – Part One

Hong Kong Eats: Tea Time, Fast Fixes, and Street Eats – Part Two

Hong Kong Eats:  Dim Sum and Seafood

Lan Fong Yuen
G/F Gage Street, Central (near the escalator)

Lan Fong Yuen is home of the famous pork chop sandwich and ramen platters.  The pork chop sandwich was simple and well made.  It’s a piece of fried pork chop sandwiched between a buttered sesame seed bun, tomato, and mayonnaise.  Simply beautiful.  We also ordered the French toast with coconut and cream filling, French toast with condensed milk and peanut butter, silky milk tea, and red bean ice (one of my favorite drinks).

Tai Cheong Bakery
35 Lyndhurst Terrace near Hollywood Road in the SoHo area, Central

On our way back from walking Hollywood Road, we stopped by Tai Cheung Bakery for its famous egg tarts.   The crust is light and brittle, and the texture of the egg tart is extremely smooth and silky, which makes it delicate to handle.  One of the best egg tarts I’ve had in a long time.

Mido Cafe
63 Temple Street, Yau Ma Tei,
Yau Ma Tei Station, Exit B2

We went to Mido Cafe on Thursday night for dinner, only to find that it was closed for the night.  No worries, we went back Friday morning.  We had to wait for a table, and it was only 10:15AM.  This place is known for their baked sparerib with rice and red bean ice.  Of the places I went to for red bean ice, Mido’s was the best.

The baked sparerib with rice dish takes fifteen minutes to cook, and it’s worth the wait.  The sauce is light and creamy, the spareribs are crispy and tender, and the rice is laced with pieces of scrambled egg.

The pineapple bun with butter is a popular staple in Hong Kong.  It’s just a pineapple bun (bor lor bao) cut in half, with a pad of butter shoved inside.  So bad for the arteries, yet so good on the palette.

Red Bean Ice, Done right!

French Toast Topped with Butter and Honey

Take note, it closes at 9:30PM

Leitaria I Son – Macau
7 Largo Senado (In Senado Square)

A trip to Hong Kong also warrants a visit to the nearby region of Macau.  Just a 45 minute boat ride on the turbojet, the location is perfect for a day trip.  The first order of business upon arrival was to get some steamed milk (sern pei lai).  So we headed to Leitaria I Son In Senado Square.

I usually don’t eat dairy, but steamed milk is too good to pass up.

Pork Chop Sandwich.  It was a bit on the dry side.  I liked Lan Fong Yuen’s version better.

There’s always time for a pineapple bun with butter

Pasteleria Koi Kei – Macau
8 Locations in Macau

Koi Kei is the place where most tourist buy food souvenirs to bring back home.  There are quite a few on the road  that leads up to the St. Paul ruins. There we had the famous Portuguese Egg Tarts, or Po-Taht for short.  It’s like a Chinese egg tart (dan tat) except the crust is light and flaky, and the top of the egg is lightly burnt.  Simply delicious and rich in flavor and texture.

Cafe E.S Kimo – Macau
Some where in Macau, didn’t take note of the address

Soy-Sauce Beef

Baked Pork Chop Rice

Curry Pork

A Random Dumpling Shop in Mongkok

Street Eats – Stinky Tofu
On the streets of Mongkok

No trip to Hong Kong is complete without eating street-side stinky tofu.  I had stinky tofu for the first time and it was difficult to get over the smell at first.  Boon, on the other hand, has acquired a tasted for them.  It’s like eating fried tofu that’s dipped in sewer water.  I had one from one of the street-side vendors in Mongkok.

Hong Kong Eats:  Tea Time, Fast Fixes, and Street Eats – Part One

Hong Kong Eats:  Dinner Time

Hong Kong Eats:  Dim Sum and Seafood

Cafe de Coral
Locations throughout Hong Kong

Right after I checked into my hotel in Mongkok, I went to the Cafe de Coral in the Grand Tower building for breakfast. The honey-baked chicken was sold out, so  I ordered the New Zealand Hoki Fish Filet w/ hotdogs, toast, and  Horlicks.   It’s like the Hong Kong equivalent of McDonald’s.

My last meal before heading back to the states was once again at Cafe de Coral.  I figured that it was appropriate to do so. I ordered the Haianese Chicken Rice Set.

MaximMX (Mei Sum MX)
Locations throughout HK

Another joint similar to Cafe de Coral that can be found all over Hong Kong.  It’s part of the Maxim restaurant group that operates different restaurant brands, such as Maxim Bakery (Mei Sum Sei Bang) and M.A.X. Concepts.  Compared to Cafe de Coral, the MX’s style is more trendy and modern, and the food is slightly different.  The food still falls in the same genre though.  I went to the one in Mongkok located by the primary Mongkok subway entrance.  Pictured is the Swiss Style Soy Sauce Chicken with French Toast

Mak Mun Kee Noodle House
Parkes Street in Jordan

A trip to Hong Kong should always include a visit to one of the local noodle shops.  Mak Mun Kee’s wonton noodles are well known, and so are the beef brisket noodles and braised pork feet.  They even make their own noodles!  The wonton only contains shrimp and the beef brisket is so tender that it falls apart in your mouth.

Cart Noodles
Wan Chai

Cart Noodles or Che Jai Mien can be found all over Hong Kong as well.  We went to one in Wan Chai.  The address is shown in the picture, but it’s in Chinese.  The anticipation of eating noodles took priority of writing down the address.  What made this dining experience unique is that it’s not a sit down place to eat.  You can eat by the wall on a small table ledge standing up, or do what me and my friends did, eat outside in the alley.  Che jai mien became popular in Hong Kong in the 1950s where many street vendors would sell noodles and numerous toppings out of their carts.  I ordered the thin noodles, with brisket, pork skin, fish balls, and greens.

Street Eats:  Fish Balls and Squid
Streets of Mongkok

Curry fish balls and squid are amongst some of the most popular items to eat from the street food vendors.  Some also sell stinky tofu.  You’ll know you’re near stinky tofu when the aroma of sweet rotting salty fish makes its way up your nose and overwhelms your olfactory senses.

Hong Kong Eats:  Tea Time, Fast Fixes, and Street Eats – Part 2

Hong Kong Eats:  Dinner Time

Hong Kong Eats:  Dim Sum and Seafood

Vacation officially starts today.  My trip back to Hong Kong has been way overdue and I’ve been so excited that I haven’t been able to sleep at night or concentrate at work for the past week.  While I won’t be posting as much next week, I’ll do my best to post some pics of Hong Kong eats.   I have a spreadsheet of the places I want to eat at, but I think it’s rather ambitious since I’ll only be there for about a week (I know, I know, short vacation, but I plan on going back at the end of the year).