tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-86598599950990075252024-03-19T09:45:22.251+00:00Eat Noodles Love Noodles吃麵愛麵 Adventures in the World of FoodMr Noodleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13327242172810414292noreply@blogger.comBlogger300125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8659859995099007525.post-81215673324573825012013-08-10T00:01:00.000+01:002016-06-22T16:50:38.017+01:00Time To Say GoodbyeAfter exactly four years and three hundred blog posts, I'm calling time on <b>Eat Noodles Love Noodles</b>. Giving up blogging hasn't been an easy decision to make. After all, it's a hobby that's given me great joy, and one through which I've met some great friends, online and off, along the way. Big thanks to you all, especially to those of you who took the trouble to comment on the blog along the way. <em>{Update July 2015 - I've made a kind of a comeback on my other blog - <a href="http://dtflondonfanclub.blogspot.co.uk/">click here</a>.}</em><br />
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Why now? The truth is I've been thinking about jacking it all in for the past year or so. The only reason why I continued was the proliferation of ramen shops in London and my travels abroad. But there's only so much I can blog about ramen, and my mad run of travel this year has come to a halt. <br />
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If there's one aspect of blogging I'll miss, it will be writing about food on my travels. I doubt I would ever have started blogging if I didn’t have the kick-start from a <a href="http://eatlovenoodles.blogspot.co.uk/2009/08/china-trip-preview.html">trip to China</a> in 2009. And to the end, it's these posts that have given me most pleasure to write. <br />
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I won't miss writing about London restaurants so much, though. Despite all the new openings, I've not really blogged about too many places in the capital this year. It's not that I don't take an interest in all the big name chefs and restaurateurs. I do, and I even sometimes eat in their fancy gastrodomes. It's just that I feel the London restaurant scene is a bit like English Premier League football: an exciting and cosmopolitan spectacle, but one where the actuality does not match the hype. <br />
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Now I don't want to end my blog on a negative note (although I have been known to shake my fist at <a href="http://eatlovenoodles.blogspot.co.uk/2012/02/dim-sum-ping-pong-is-it-that-bad.html">crap restaurants</a>, <a href="http://eatlovenoodles.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/lies-damn-lies-and-fish-sauce.html">awful food TV</a> and <a href="http://eatlovenoodles.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/its-not-tapas.html">incorrect food grammar</a>), as I've always been passionate about promoting the food I love the most. So with that in mind, I thought I'd end my last post with my fantasy last supper. I've bent the rules a bit in that I've somehow ended up with a ten-course Asian seafood banquet. <br />
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<b>My Last Supper</b><br />
<b><i>Sashimi selection </i></b><br />
I love sashimi and it's the perfect start to my banquet. Of course it's going to be weapons-grade raw fish, with the only stipulation being the platter must include some of my favourite <i>hamachi</i> (yellowtail).<br />
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<b><i>Steamed scallops topped with garlic & glass noodles</i></b><br />
This classic epitomises all that is great about Cantonese cuisine: fresh ingredients, simply cooked. This is also the first appearance of noodles in the banquet. <br />
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<b><i><a href="http://www.vietworldkitchen.com/blog/2009/05/grilled-shrimp-on-sugarcane-chao-tom-recipe.html">'Chao Tom'</a> - Grilled prawn paste on sugar cane </i></b><br />
In this Vietnamese dish the sugar cane acts as a skewer and the prawn paste is eaten by wrapping it with herbs in lettuce and rice paper before dipping in <i>nuoc cham</i>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLk-jNcepsNPoOPgRHjLIT6TMen2seObX57HdtBb7PPWMqUIyOD0Omli045clOjHnLwQU-yhzchLPu6IHrMpPLCYFzpcD5M0KCA0TfSJSO1tXrDyvMC9MMfVQ5kVZiRDW0Rd-QJ5MH6PxV/s1600/CIMG1957.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLk-jNcepsNPoOPgRHjLIT6TMen2seObX57HdtBb7PPWMqUIyOD0Omli045clOjHnLwQU-yhzchLPu6IHrMpPLCYFzpcD5M0KCA0TfSJSO1tXrDyvMC9MMfVQ5kVZiRDW0Rd-QJ5MH6PxV/s400/CIMG1957.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><i>Under the Typhoon Shelter pissing prawns</i></b><br />
After a relatively healthy opening three courses, the banquet get dirty in the form of fried 'pissing prawns' aka mantis shrimp tossed in a violent mix of fried chilli and garlic. (<a href="http://eatlovenoodles.blogspot.co.uk/2011/06/under-bridge-spicy-crab.html">'Under the Typhoon Shelter'</a> is the poetic Chinese name of this Hong Kong dish more commonly cooked with crab.)<br />
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<b><i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chilli_crab">Singapore chilli crab</a> with fried mantou</i></b><br />
Things get dirtier still with this Singapore classic where the crab is almost an afterthought. I can foresee much dipping of fried <i>mantou</i> (Chinese buns) into the flavoursome eggy, tomatoey chilli sauce.<br />
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<b><i>Clams in fish soup with rice vermicelli </i></b><br />
Asian food is all about balance, which is why this course is a bit cleansing. Having said that, a big glug of rice wine should go into the soup. (Noodlewatch: noodles make a second appearance in the banquet.)<br />
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<b><i><a href="http://www.theworldofchinese.com/2012/08/how-to-make-longjing-shrimp/">Shanghai-style river shrimp stir-fried with Longjing tea</a></i></b><br />
The comedown continues with a delicate dish of river shrimp, coated with egg white and cornstarch, stir-fried with Dragon's Well aka <i>longjing</i> tea leaves. <br />
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<b><i><a href="http://chef-a-gogo.com/tag/pla-neung-manao/">'Pla Neung Ma Nao'</a> - Steamed grouper with lime, chilli, garlic, lemongrass & fish sauce</i></b><br />
I have to have a Thai dish in my top ten, and this whole steamed grouper (sea bass would do at a push) sat in an aromatic 'soup' is my choice. <br />
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<i><b>Pak choi stir-fried with garlic</b></i><br />
Although my last supper is being served banquet style, this simple vegetable dish will be brought out just after the fish. And for those carb lovers, now might be a good time to ask for some rice. Mind you, not too much though…<br />
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<b><i>Lobster fried with ginger & spring onion on a bed of e-fu noodles </i></b><br />
So this is it, the coup de grâce. Of course it was going to be Cantonese, of course it was going to have noodles, and of course it was going to be lobster cooked with ginger and spring onion! My apologies to dessert fans, there's no proper pudding but there will be slices of watermelon. <br />
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Now I know some of you may be surprised at my choices. For instance, neither <a href="http://eatlovenoodles.blogspot.co.uk/2010/01/old-school-dim-sum.html">dim sum</a> nor <a href="http://eatlovenoodles.blogspot.co.uk/2009/12/cantonese-bbq-three-roasts.html">Cantonese BBQ</a> makes an appearance. But that's OK, as I had both at my penultimate meal at lunchtime. Being a critic of the concept of pan-Asian restaurants, some may be surprised the feast contains a mix of different cuisines. However, I don't think it's an issue, as all of the dishes are <i>bona fide</i> classics and they will be served 'banquet-style' rather than in a blurry family-style free-for-all. And being a bit of an obsessive, I've also given a lot of thought to the sequence in which the courses will be served. <br />
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So that's it. I am now a former blogger, although I will continue to post food photos on <a href="http://instagram.com/eatlovenoodles#">Instagram</a>. Thanks again for reading.<br />
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<i>PS: Thanks for the good wishes and messages on Twitter - I'm very touched. For clarification, I will be keeping the blog alive but there won't be any new posts. And I'll still be on Twitter.</i>Mr Noodleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13327242172810414292noreply@blogger.com33tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8659859995099007525.post-88003017848612276732013-08-01T12:30:00.000+01:002013-08-01T12:30:00.907+01:00The 21st Century A-to-Z of Food & Drink<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI_e_LuxcBZmGc3y8gSLZuEYZ-z-NAhlOMjRKvGtIQ9rzm355jWuI_iVGu5i6Wo7xXUa8xWfd3j1ih3LUTpCpUPD1QPD9cFN976tjqIaQbiC5DEOFpE52mEmTj8dGpzarxN1lKH0U8kRg/s1600/2013-04-30+20.36.19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI_e_LuxcBZmGc3y8gSLZuEYZ-z-NAhlOMjRKvGtIQ9rzm355jWuI_iVGu5i6Wo7xXUa8xWfd3j1ih3LUTpCpUPD1QPD9cFN976tjqIaQbiC5DEOFpE52mEmTj8dGpzarxN1lKH0U8kRg/s400/2013-04-30+20.36.19.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">X is for Xiao Long Bao</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
A is for Artisanal<br />
B is for Blogger<br />
C is for Craft Beer<br />
D is for Denmark<br />
E is for Ethical<br />
F is for Forage<br />
G is for Gastronaut<br />
H is for Hipster<br />
I is for Instagram<br />
J is for Jam Jar<br />
K is for Kilner Jar<br />
L is for Lobster Roll<br />
M is for Macarons<br />
N is for Negroni<br />
O is for Offal<br />
P is for Pop-up<br />
Q is for Queuing<br />
R is for Ramen<br />
S is for Supper Club<br />
T is for Tapas (that aren't actually tapas)<br />
U is for Udon<br />
V is for Vietnam<br />
W is for Wagyu<br />
X is for Xiao Long Bao<br />
Y is for Yotam Ottolenghi<br />
Z is for Za'atar<br />
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<i>Let me know if you have any alternatives e.g. S is for Sous Vide etc...</i>Mr Noodleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13327242172810414292noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8659859995099007525.post-82707595087130822772013-07-21T19:00:00.000+01:002013-07-21T19:00:02.434+01:00Eating In Bangkok<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghJpG22lMZNzGgp6KEovNVDkqbeeUOIZY2GH_hns5g5S2FLnY1zubYK-FjL49O0qpWMSTuWMTtS1CK4yQZxsFfA_OXJHG9E0TICWwOWrsOAowRWzQoA3bpoi3CJR11gsCTFP83Dyd_kmM/s1600/IMG_20130628_181114.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghJpG22lMZNzGgp6KEovNVDkqbeeUOIZY2GH_hns5g5S2FLnY1zubYK-FjL49O0qpWMSTuWMTtS1CK4yQZxsFfA_OXJHG9E0TICWwOWrsOAowRWzQoA3bpoi3CJR11gsCTFP83Dyd_kmM/s400/IMG_20130628_181114.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Whilst I steadfastly insisted on ordering dishes 'Thai-spicy' at every opportunity during my stay in <a href="http://eatlovenoodles.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/eating-in-hua-hin.html">Hua Hin</a>, I was ready to give my guts a breather by the time I arrived in Bangkok. This could only mean one thing for a good Chinese boy such as myself: a trip to Chinatown. <br />
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As darkness falls, the streets of Chinatown come alive with hawkers selling southern Chinese treats such as <a href="http://eatlovenoodles.blogspot.co.uk/2009/12/cantonese-bbq-three-roasts.html">Cantonese BBQ</a>, <a href="http://www.pigpigscorner.com/2010/01/teochew-braised-duck-lo-ack.html">Teochew braised duck</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hainanese_chicken_rice">Hainanese chicken rice</a>. While the roast duck and wontons in my soup noodles aren't going to win awards, they were pretty good for the equivalent of 75p I spent on them. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD__CIjy2MzwK3S_QkcbRaEkGpjlYNm9dZnBeQJdHUuxmYQyDp8O8HXyM9qBhXwd7cNYqhRwWfhyJi2APtmNzIzwcpsiPWqpnraYM5zmxf0l0N9Sa9UdzlaquLgcjaaCWDGnVVCsOqbLg/s1600/IMG_20130629_152313.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD__CIjy2MzwK3S_QkcbRaEkGpjlYNm9dZnBeQJdHUuxmYQyDp8O8HXyM9qBhXwd7cNYqhRwWfhyJi2APtmNzIzwcpsiPWqpnraYM5zmxf0l0N9Sa9UdzlaquLgcjaaCWDGnVVCsOqbLg/s400/IMG_20130629_152313.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
The Chinese influence on how Bangkokians eat isn't just limited to Chinatown. This is most evident at breakfast time judging by the gusto at which the locals were tucking into bowls of congee and soup noodles. Naturally I started the day with the latter, which came with loads of goodies including fish balls, fish cake, pork slices, minced pork, some veg and fried wonton skin. I tended to go for the broad ho fun rice noodles (called <i>sen yai</i> in Thai) but most stalls offer a choice of noodles. The soup is often quite mild (ideal for breakfast) but there are loads of condiments on the side if you want to pimp your bowl up. <br />
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As you might have gathered I ate lots of noodles in Bangkok, and my favourite came from a stall on the edge of Chinatown. Through pointing and uttering random words of English, Chinese and Thai I ended up with a bowl of noodles that appeared to be the lovechild of Vietnamese <i>pho</i> and Chinese braised brisket noodle. By that I mean the herbs and crunchy beansprouts reminded me of <i>pho</i> whilst the anise-scented, melt-in-the-mouth brisket (with bits of tendon, too) was most definitely Chinese. My only regret was that I didn't order a second bowl. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTGnpgtwmD7C7WvUIThVXDmrqx-gsB1s6bP_GNt9fQPnky7VEjoh3R__EGBhv0YslP2gb29XSEBX5d5mgj1xyiiIEIUP3xtSuu6hd5t0c7RdlWRMmlGsypNg6h1NKdFMOL-8HWRYFkOWg/s1600/IMG_20130630_142129.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTGnpgtwmD7C7WvUIThVXDmrqx-gsB1s6bP_GNt9fQPnky7VEjoh3R__EGBhv0YslP2gb29XSEBX5d5mgj1xyiiIEIUP3xtSuu6hd5t0c7RdlWRMmlGsypNg6h1NKdFMOL-8HWRYFkOWg/s400/IMG_20130630_142129.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfNOzzOBKOV7YJjYZYZPsudc99DxFujNJ7iLAcqfe_UF-BZ4Ryr9fvznUWBY25tdpkfvYdU1Nw3f9lgbeAfhU23e1kMAcrR8e9uACTLHQzu913-ZfwAw4-DDGifAch6t4RlX1WiLXJnIg/s1600/IMG_20130628_181920.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfNOzzOBKOV7YJjYZYZPsudc99DxFujNJ7iLAcqfe_UF-BZ4Ryr9fvznUWBY25tdpkfvYdU1Nw3f9lgbeAfhU23e1kMAcrR8e9uACTLHQzu913-ZfwAw4-DDGifAch6t4RlX1WiLXJnIg/s400/IMG_20130628_181920.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Away from the soup noodles I also enjoyed eating in small hole-in-the-wall joints serving dishes such as <b>duck red curry with kanom jin noodles</b> and <b>pad kra pow with pork</b>. The latter with its aniseedy hit from the holy basil is one of my favourite dishes (remember to ask for it to be served with a crispy fried egg). In other places I may have baulked at the undersized portions but this isn't a problem in Bangkok's hot climate where it's better to eat small and eat often. <br />
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One thing I didn't dabble in as much as I would have liked is desserts and sweet snacks. That said I did enjoy crispy pancakes called <b><i>mae prapha</i></b> that were filled with egg, coconut, sugar and other stuff. They do look like tacos but I will resist the temptation to call them Thai tacos!<br />
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I wouldn't go so far to call it a disappointment but I expected more from the <b><a href="http://www.timeout.com/bangkok/shops/venue/1%3A27175/sukhumvit-soi-38-night-market">Soi 38 Night Market</a></b> in Sukhumvit. The food I ate was OK and I may have been unlucky in my choice of stall, but there's a good buzz and when prices for pork skewers start at <b>Baht 10</b> (less than 20p) one can't really complain. <br />
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By contrast I was more than pleasantly surprised by the offerings in food courts such as the one in the <b><a href="http://www.mbk-center.co.th/en/home/index.php">MBK Center</a></b>. I particularly enjoyed the <b>som tam Thai</b> there; it was a damn fine green papaya salad which left me perspiring heavily as I insisted on Thai spicy. <br />
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Thinking about it I preferred the som tam from the food court to the one I had at <b><a href="http://talkbangkok.com/listings/1332/dining/thai/som-tam-convent">Somtam Convent</a></b> in Silom. Thankfully, their <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larb">larb</a></b> was a far better offering and it went down well with sticky rice. While I liked this hole-in-the-wall, the food was a mixed bag; the dry and overcooked <b><i>gai yang</i></b> (Isarn-style grilled chicken) was particularly disappointing. There probably is better <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isan">Isarn</a>-style food in Bangkok but I lacked the language skills and radar to have discovered it.Mr Noodleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13327242172810414292noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8659859995099007525.post-53516477091814721312013-07-10T08:00:00.000+01:002013-07-10T08:00:14.730+01:00Eating In Hua Hin<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hua_Hin">Hua Hin</a></b> is about three hours by road from Bangkok, and as such is a very popular getaway for those from the Thai capital. It isn't, by any stretch, the liveliest resort in Thailand, but I'm an old git so I don’t really care. Besides, who needs full moon parties when there is abundant seafood!<br />
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My favourite restaurant in Hua Hin is <b>Lung Ja Seafood</b>, which can be found on a stretch of Daychanuchit Road where the night market is located. On my first visit I ordered a <b>whole red snapper in tom yum soup</b> laced with coconut milk. This was a quite amazing dish with a proper spicy soup (just look at the amount of aromatics they put in it) coupled with tender, just-cooked fish. I wasn't sure about the coconut milk at first, but it made the dish into a kind of hot and sour curry, which is no bad thing in my book. By the way, remember to insist on this dish to be cooked 'Thai spicy'. <br />
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On my second visit I went for <b>lobster</b>. Whilst it was perfectly cooked on the barbecue, with hindsight I wouldn't have gone with the <b>sweet tamarind sauce</b>, as there just wasn't enough zing. On the other hand I was very pleased with the <b>morning glory</b>, which was stir-fried with plenty of garlic and chilli. <br />
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Of the other places I tried in Hua Hin, <b>Koti Restaurant</b> is probably my next favourite. It can also be found on Daychanuchit Road albeit across the road from where the night market starts. The menu is quite comprehensive with all the greatest hits from the Thai canon along with a smattering of Chinese and Thai-Chinese dishes. I really liked the <b>warm salad of seafood & glass noodle</b> <i>(yum woon sen)</i>, which had a pleasing yet powerful, spicy sour kick to it. The wok skills here are also very good as exemplified by dishes like <b>stir-fried seafood with peppercorns</b>.<br />
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I also liked the <b>crab sausage</b>, which is to all intents and purposes the Teochew-Chinese dish of <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ngo_hiang">ngo hiang</a></i> 五香 - crab and pork meat wrapped in beancurd skin, then deep-fried. Unlike the Chinese version, I couldn't really discern any five-spice flavour, but it was tasty and moreish nonetheless. Incidentally, versions of this dish are very popular in Malaysia and Singapore.<br />
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Hua Hin's night market is great for a stroll although I didn't really eat any proper meals there. However, I did enjoy snacks such as <b><i>rotee</i></b> (the local Romanised spelling of roti) and the coconut custard puddings known as <b><i>khanom krok</i></b> (thanks to <a href="http://www.meemalee.com/">MiMi</a> for letting me know what these are). I think I liked the idea of <i>khanom krok</i>, with its crispy outer and wobbly centre, more than the execution, as the ones I tried weren't that sweet or coconutty. Perhaps they're meant to be like that.<br />
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The various guidebooks and online guides often cite <b>Sang Thai</b> and <b>Chao Lay</b> as Hua Hin's 'go-to' seafood restaurants. Both have excellent locations with piers stretching into the sea and serve dishes such as <b>fried mantis shrimp (pissing prawns) with garlic</b>, <b>blue swimmer crab & glass noodle claypot</b>, <b>oyster omelette</b> and <b>mixed seafood platters</b>. Both places were decent enough, but I think Lung Ja Seafood is a better restaurant in terms of value and quality. Next stop, Bangkok. Mr Noodleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13327242172810414292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8659859995099007525.post-66338326390448699722013-07-03T08:01:00.000+01:002013-07-03T08:01:52.018+01:00The Joy of HakeI love fish. I love it so much that if given the stark choice of giving up meat or fish, I'd go pescatarian. It'd be tough giving up juicy steaks and wondrous <a href="http://eatlovenoodles.blogspot.co.uk/2009/12/cantonese-bbq-three-roasts.html">Cantonese BBQ</a> but it'd be tougher giving up fish, lobster, prawns, scallops, clams, crab and all the other amazing treats from the sea. One of my favourite fish is hake, which despite being caught off British shores, isn't that popular in the UK. Sadly, most of the British catch goes to Spain, a country where hake is revered. <i>(Not for the first time I wonder whether the much-vaunted food revolution in the UK is an illusion when so much brilliant British fish and seafood ends up abroad.)</i><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Steamed hake with ginger & spring onion</td></tr>
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Hake's flaky texture is similar to that of cod but the flesh is softer. Indeed, it's great battered and fried as fish & chips. It can also be grilled, pan-fried, roasted or steamed. When I cook hake, I like to treat it the traditional Cantonese way by steaming it, topping it with ginger and spring onion, splashing hot oil over it before adding a dash of light soy sauce. Alternatively, I sometimes give hake a Southeast Asian flavour by mixing up a dressing of fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, garlic and chilli to pour over the steamed fish.<br />
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Hake also goes well when paired with meat or seafood. I remember a restaurant in Barcelona that served hake with clams in the most amazing sauce. It was so good, I shocked my friends and waiting staff alike by my new found fluency in Spanish by asking for <i>'mas pan por favor, mas pan'</i> to mop up the sauce. Alas, I can't remember the name of the restaurant; it was a long time ago, I was on a stag do and it was in the days when I was a civilian. <br />
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Anyway, can you guys please eat more hake? For those of you in London, the <a href="http://furnessfish.co.uk/Borough%20Market.htm">Furness Fish Stall</a> in Borough Market sells hake steaks from Shetland. I'm sure other quality fishmongers have it in stock and I've seen hake on sale at Marks & Spencer. Mr Noodleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13327242172810414292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8659859995099007525.post-43870733054768277702013-06-17T08:00:00.000+01:002013-08-04T21:44:04.577+01:00New York City EatsI really enjoyed my week's holiday in New York, and as one might expect the food played a large part in that. Rather than do loads of blog posts (I really can't be arsed nowadays) here's a round-up of some of my favourite eats in the Big Apple. <br />
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The dimly-lit dining room at <b>Minetta Tavern</b>, while terrible for food photography, is one of the most buzzy, atmospheric ones I've eaten in. And I've eaten in a lot. I kicked off with a generous portion of <b>roasted bone marrow</b> served with shallot confit and baguette soldiers while my friend went with <b>roast baby beets</b>. Both got the thumbs up. For mains, we both ordered the legendary <b><a href="http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2009/03/secrets-of-minetta-taverns-black-label-burger-1.html">Black Label burger</a></b>. Made with prime cuts of dry-aged beef, topped with caramelized onions and served in a sesame-topped brioche bun, this was without doubt the best burger I've ever eaten. Oh, and the big mountain of fries were bloody amazing, too. Overall, Minetta Tavern was probably my favourite out of all the restaurants I visited in New York. This begs the question whether <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keith_McNally">Keith McNally</a> opened the <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/news/toast-of-new-york-turns-on-his-critics-after-new-london-restaurant-gets-a-roasting-8569436.html">wrong restaurant</a> in London.<br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/3/34538/restaurant/Greenwich-Village/Minetta-Tavern-NYC"><img alt="Minetta Tavern on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/logo/34538/minilogo.gif" style="border: currentColor; height: 15px; padding: 0px; width: 104px;" /></a><br />
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<i><a href="http://www.minettatavernny.com/">Minetta Tavern</a>, 113 MacDougal St (btwn Bleecker & 3rd St), Greenwich Village, New York, NY 10012<br />
(Tel: +1-212-475-3850)</i><br />
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<b>Kesté Pizza & Vino</b> serves pizza the Neapolitan way with a wood-fired brick oven taking pride of place at the back of the shop. My <b>diavola pizza</b> was pretty much perfect with its blistered chewy crust and quality toppings of homemade mozzarella, spicy <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soppressata">soppressata</a> and fresh basil. My friend enjoyed his <b>pistacchio a salsiccia pizza</b> with its subtle pistachio pesto topping and moreish sausage meat. As the name of the restaurant suggests wine is of equal importance to the pizza and this is reflected by the excellent wine list. Along with <a href="http://eatlovenoodles.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/biang-gem-in-new-yorks-other-chinatown.html">Biang!</a> and the Minetta Tavern, this small pizzeria is on my A-list of New York eateries. <br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/3/1440972/restaurant/West-Village/Keste-Pizza-Vino-NYC"><img alt="Keste Pizza & Vino on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/logo/1440972/minilogo.gif" style="border: currentColor; height: 15px; padding: 0px; width: 104px;" /></a><br />
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<i><a href="http://www.kestepizzeria.com/">Kesté Pizza & Vino</a>, 271 Bleecker St (btwn Cornelia & Jones St), West Village, New York, NY 10014<br />
(Tel: +1-212-243-1500)</i><br />
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Choosing where to eat in Manhattan's Chinatown is a risky business. One false move and you could end up in a tourist trap. So I was thankful that I had some local knowledge to fall back on in the form of <b><a href="http://coolcookstyle.com/">coolcookstyle's</a></b> recommendation of <b>Shanghai Café Deluxe</b>. Being a caff specialising in Shanghainese food, both 小籠包 <b><i><a href="http://eatlovenoodles.blogspot.co.uk/2009/08/shanghai-bao-part-1-xiao-long-bao.html">xiao long bao</a></i></b> (soup-filled pork dumplings) as well as the less well known 生煎包 <b><i><a href="http://eatlovenoodles.blogspot.co.uk/2009/08/shanghai-bao-part-2-sheng-jian-bao.html">sheng jian bao</a></i></b> (pan-fried soup-filled pork buns) were ordered. Of the two I preferred the latter; I think this might be to do with the fact that <i>sheng jian bao</i>, with their juicy pork filling and crispy bottoms, are nigh on impossible to find in London. Incidentally, these two dishes are listed on the English language-menu as <b>steamed tiny buns with pork</b> and <b>fried tiny buns with pork</b>. <br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/3/39439/restaurant/Chinatown/Shanghai-Cafe-NYC"><img alt="Shanghai Café on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/logo/39439/minilogo.gif" style="border: currentColor; height: 15px; padding: 0px; width: 104px;" /></a><br />
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<i><a href="https://www.grubhub.com/nyc/shanghai-cafe/">Shanghai Café Deluxe</a>, 100 Mott St (btwn Canal & Hester St), Chinatown, New York, NY 10013<br />
(Tel: +1-212-966-3988)</i><br />
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<b>Fette Sau</b> may not be the best barbecue joint in New York (the twitterverse told me as much) but it is ideally located to kick off an afternoon out in Williamsburg. I know sod-all about proper American barbecue and have precious little experience of it. So for what it's worth, I thought the <b>pulled pork shoulder</b>, <b>beef short rib</b> and <b>beef brisket</b> were decent enough but that the <b>pork ribs</b> and <b>pork sausages</b> were better. I liked the casual fun vibe of this converted auto repair shop so it was a shame that our lunch was slightly spoiled by rude and inattentive bar service (by the way, the food counter service was just fine). <br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/3/334684/restaurant/NYC/Williamsburg/Fette-Sau-Brooklyn"><img alt="Fette Sau on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/logo/334684/minilogo.gif" style="border: currentColor; height: 15px; padding: 0px; width: 104px;" /></a><br />
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<i><a href="http://www.fettesaubbq.com/">Fette Sau</a>, 354 Metropolitan Ave (btwn Havemeyer & Roebling), Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY 11211<br />
(Tel: +1-718-963-3404)</i><br />
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I'm pleased to report that there were no such service fails at the excellent <b>Black Brick</b>. Some haters may dwell on the overtly hipster interior design, but quite frankly who cares when the coffee is so damn good. The barista's attention-to-detail was a sight to behold and he also found time to have a friendly chat whilst making my brew. This coffee shop is an ideal pit-stop when strolling along Bedford Avenue, the main drag in Williamsburg. All power to hipsters! <br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/3/1653671/restaurant/Williamsburg/Black-Brick-Coffee-NYC"><img alt="Black Brick Coffee on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/logo/1653671/minilogo.gif" style="border: currentColor; height: 15px; padding: 0px; width: 104px;" /></a><br />
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<i><a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Black-Brick-Coffee/281642998540673">Black Brick</a>, 300 Bedford Ave (btwn Grand & S 1st St), Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY 11211<br />
(Tel: +1-718-384-0075)</i><br />
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<b>Tribeca Grill</b> may no longer be the place to be seen, but I enjoyed my Sunday brunch at this glamorous restaurant famous for being part-owned by Robert De Niro (I had a good look around but Bobby was nowhere to be seen). I adored my <b>jumbo lump crab cake</b>, which as promised had jumbo lumps of sweet white crabmeat. This was perfectly paired with chipotle roasted corn and cilantro avocado mousse. My mate enjoyed his <b>scrambled eggs, country gravy & buttermilk biscuit</b> so much, he didn't offer me any. And do remember to order the <b>basket of bread & pastries</b> if only for the amazing banana bread. This was a fine last meal before heading off to the airport. <br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/3/42046/restaurant/Tribeca/Tribeca-Grill-NYC"><img alt="Tribeca Grill on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/logo/42046/minilogo.gif" style="border: currentColor; height: 15px; padding: 0px; width: 104px;" /></a><br />
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<i><a href="http://www.myriadrestaurantgroup.com/tribeca_grill.php">Tribeca Grill</a>, 375 Greenwich St (btwn Franklin & North Moore St), Tribeca, New York, NY 10013<br />
(Tel: +1-212-941-3900)</i><br />
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To conclude my round-up, here are a few places where I enjoyed drinks and snacks. <b>Eataly</b>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mario_Batali">Mario Batali's</a> gastro-shrine to all things Italian, has no less than seven restaurants. Being a sunny day I popped up to the rooftop beer garden, <b>Birreria</b>, and enjoyed a fine platter of <b>salumi</b>. To top-up my Britisher points I spent an enjoyable Friday night at <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/April_Bloomfield">April Bloomfield's</a> gastropub, <b>The Spotted Pig</b>. Next time I'll save some space to eat more than just my share of <b>pork rillette</b> and some <b>shoestring fries</b>. Happy Hour is a great time of the day to take a breather from sightseeing whilst plotting where to go out at night. I found this was best done over drinks, some <b>truffle fries</b> and half a dozen <b>littleneck clams</b> from the raw bar at <b>McCoy</b> in Greenwich Village. <br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/3/1595276/restaurant/Gramercy-Flatiron/Birreria-Eataly-NYC"><img alt="Birreria @ Eataly on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/logo/1595276/minilogo.gif" style="border: currentColor; height: 15px; padding: 0px; width: 104px;" /></a><br />
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<i><a href="http://www.eataly.com/">Birreria @ Eataly</a>, 200 5th Ave (btwn 23rd & 24th St), Flatiron District, New York, NY 10010<br />
(Tel: +1-212-937-8910)</i><br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/3/39999/restaurant/West-Village/The-Spotted-Pig-NYC"><img alt="The Spotted Pig on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/logo/39999/minilogo.gif" style="border: currentColor; height: 15px; padding: 0px; width: 104px;" /></a><br />
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<i><a href="http://thespottedpig.com/">The Spotted Pig</a>, 314 W 11th St (at Greenwich St), West Village, New York, NY 10014<br />
(Tel: +1-212-620-0393)</i><br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/3/1692553/restaurant/Greenwich-Village/McCoy-American-Bistro-NYC"><img alt="McCoy American Bistro on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/logo/1692553/minilogo.gif" style="border: currentColor; height: 15px; padding: 0px; width: 104px;" /></a><br />
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<i><a href="http://mccoynyc.com/">McCoy</a>, 89 MacDougal St (at Bleecker St), Greenwich Village, New York, NY 10012<br />
(Tel: +1-212-460-0900)</i><br />
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<b><i>[NYC Postscript – updated August 2013]</i></b> After having a great holiday in New York in May, it was a pleasant surprise to return so soon after for a business trip. This, of course, meant more eats and here's a quick round-up of some more places worth checking out. <br />
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There are two very good reasons to visit the <b><a href="http://standardhotels.com/high-line">Standard Hotel</a></b> in the Meatpacking district even if you're not a guest: the <b><a href="http://standardhotels.com/high-line/food-drink/biergarten">Standard Biergarten</a></b> and the <b><a href="http://www.thestandardgrill.com/">Standard Grill</a></b>. Enjoy German beer in the former before going to the latter to tuck into seafood from the <b>raw bar</b> followed by treats such as <b>seared scallops</b>. A short distance from the Standard Hotel is <b><a href="http://www.fattycrab.com/home/">Fatty Crab</a></b> in the West Village. I'm not entirely sure what my Malaysian friends might think about this take on their cuisine, but I was a big fan of the signature <b>chilli crab</b> as well as snacks such as coconutty <b>chicken wings</b> and <b>seasonal salad</b>. <br />
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Taiwanese-style <b><i><a href="http://eatst.foodnetwork.ca/blog/what-is-gua-bao.html">gua bao</a></i></b> seem to be taking over the world at the moment and New York is no exception. Of the bao I tried I liked the belly pork-filled <b>Chairman Bao</b> at <b><a href="http://www.baohausnyc.com/">Baohaus</a></b> but preferred the <b>pork buns</b> over at <b><a href="http://momofuku.com/new-york/noodle-bar/">Momofuku Noodle Bar</a></b>, although they were so amply-filled with pork belly it left little room for the slightly-lacklustre <b>Momofuku ramen</b>. My last tip is an example of what the Big Apple does best: ambience. I have no doubt there is better Japanese food in New York but for a good time vibe, there's no beating the <b><a href="http://www.blueribbonrestaurants.com/rests_sushi_izakaya_main.htm">Blue Ribbon Sushi Izakaya</a></b>.Mr Noodleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13327242172810414292noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8659859995099007525.post-23117552786082815852013-06-09T18:00:00.000+01:002013-06-11T00:27:02.147+01:00Biang! A Gem In New York's Other ChinatownStrictly speaking, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinatown,_Flushing"><b>Flushing</b></a> in Queens isn't New York's other Chinatown, as the Big Apple boasts no less than seven Chinatowns. That said, those-in-the-know consider Flushing to be the one with the best food. Which is why we headed out there to try <b>Biang!</b>, the first proper sit-down restaurant from the highly regarded Xi'an Famous Foods stable. <br />
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Being a contrary sod, my first impressions were that the restaurant was too trendy; you know what I mean, exposed brickwork and filament lamps. It felt a bit out of place alongside the more utilitarian feel of Flushing Main St. However, this inverted snobbery soon evaporated when I saw the menu, which majors in the cuisine of <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xi'an">Xi'an</a></b>, the capital of <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaanxi">Shaanxi province</a></b> in northwest China. This style of food, whilst undeniably Chinese, has Middle Eastern influences given the city's location on the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silk_Road">Silk Road</a>.<br />
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The main calling card of Biang! is <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biangbiang_noodles">biang-biang noodles</a></b> from which the restaurant takes its name (biang being the sound made when the noodle dough is thwacked against the work surface). These broad hand-torn noodles are served with a number of toppings at this restaurant. We went for the <b>stewed oxtail biang-biang noodles</b> (腊汁牛尾<i>biang-biang</i>面 <b>$7.50</b>) and <b>spicy & tingly beef biang-biang noodles</b> (麻辣牛肉<i>biang-biang</i>面 <b>$7.00</b>). Soup noodle versions of most biang-biang dishes are also available but we stuck with the dry versions given the scorching weather and greater difficulty in sharing soup noodles.<br />
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Both bowls of noodles were superb, as the gravy from the stew clung on to the chewy broad hand-torn noodles. My favourite was the oxtail with its warming flavours from star anise, cloves, cassia bark and dried citrus peel. In contrast, my friend preferred the beef with its punch from the Sichuan peppercorns and chilli.<br />
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Another famous Shaanxi dish is <i><b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rou_jia_mo">roujiamo</a></b></i> (肉夹馍), which can be found on the menu in English as <b>stewed pork burgers</b> (腊汁猪肉夹白吉馍 <b>$5.00/2pcs</b>). These flatbread sandwiches with stewed belly pork filling were very moreish. I was particularly impressed with the quality of the flatbread that I thought superior to the ones I've tried in China. <br />
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We also ordered <b>spicy cumin lamb skewers</b> (孜然羊肉串 <b>$4.50/3 pcs</b> with extra skewers for <b>$1.50</b> each). These were swiftly eaten when despatched from the charcoal grill. I liked the juicy lamb skewers but I thought the chilli somewhat overshadowed the cumin. But really, that's not a big deal. There are other skewers on offer including esoteric body parts and organs as well as more prosaic offerings such as chicken. <br />
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A quick mention, too, for the drinks list; my beer-loving friend was impressed that it included some American craft beers in addition to better known Chinese and international branded beers. Incidentally, wine is not served but you can bring-your-own for corkage of $8/bottle. Overall the bill for the two of us came to a bargainous <b>$45</b> including a round of beers and a generous tip for our cheery and exceedingly helpful server. <br />
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Biang! is a restaurant I would certainly return to if I ever went back to New York. Its <a href="http://www.biang-nyc.com/menu.pdf">menu</a> is really interesting and ideally I would've corralled a bigger group to give it a good going over. Some might be put off by its location in Flushing, but the No. 7 subway train only takes half an hour from Grand Central Terminal, which is no time at all to travel for great food. But if you can't be bothered to go to Flushing then there are three branches of Biang's sister operation <a href="http://www.xianfoods.com/"><b>Xi'an Famous Foods</b></a> in Manhattan, which serves a similar menu albeit in less comfortable surroundings. <br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/3/1679264/restaurant/NYC/Biang-Flushing"><img alt="Biang! on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/logo/1679264/biglogo.gif" style="border: none; height: 34px; padding: 0px; width: 104px;" /></a><br />
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<i><a href="http://www.biang-nyc.com/">Biang!</a> 41-10 Main St, Flushing, Queens, NY 11355 (Tel: +1-718-888-7713)<br />
Nearest station: Flushing Main St</i><br />
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<i>PS: Click <a href="http://eatlovenoodles.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/staples-of-shanxi-shaanxi.html">here</a> to read about the Shaanxi food I ate in Beijing and <a href="http://eatlovenoodles.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/roujiamo-by-mama-wangs-kitchen.html">here</a> about where to find it in London. And this <a href="http://lizzieeatslondon.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/red-braised-beef-with-noodles.html">post</a> by Hollow Legs may be of interest if you fancy having a crack at making biang-biang noodles.</i>Mr Noodleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13327242172810414292noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8659859995099007525.post-22636123939683627642013-06-03T08:15:00.000+01:002013-06-03T14:01:35.913+01:00Din Tai Fung in Tokyo & Hong Kong<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNCmD-nz4GxR_0PIv-NwOGqaYIfx0pIRnI6TaNI-Eexnm9hmFCJQMoAZveV_N1mv6xLVp_ULDtGLRo0THBIHs_Ntvrd5IYKi5dn8-_Evf17rxTdaZN7WWGRnsHR053hDeMcQsyRW1n6BQ/s1600/2013-04-30+19.46.16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNCmD-nz4GxR_0PIv-NwOGqaYIfx0pIRnI6TaNI-Eexnm9hmFCJQMoAZveV_N1mv6xLVp_ULDtGLRo0THBIHs_Ntvrd5IYKi5dn8-_Evf17rxTdaZN7WWGRnsHR053hDeMcQsyRW1n6BQ/s400/2013-04-30+19.46.16.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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What <a href="http://eatlovenoodles.blogspot.co.uk/2009/08/shanghai-bao-part-1-xiao-long-bao.html">with</a> <a href="http://eatlovenoodles.blogspot.co.uk/2011/07/din-tai-fung-london-needs-you.html">my</a> <a href="http://eatlovenoodles.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/republic-of-din-tai-fung.html">track</a> <a href="http://eatlovenoodles.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/that-black-truffle-xiao-long-bao-din.html">record</a>, I know you're not going to believe me when I say I didn't mean to visit <b><a href="http://www.dintaifung.com.tw/en/default.htm">Din Tai Fung</a></b> (鼎泰豐) three times in eight days in two different cities. But I did. First up was a solo visit to the <a href="http://www.takashimaya.co.jp/shinjuku/store_information/index.html">Takashimaya Times Square</a> branch in Tokyo. This was followed with a couple of visits to the Causeway Bay branch in Hong Kong, where I had one meal with a colleague and another one with family. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvA1aSdRqCbU5KpxgT3yLSXMKqkdYAmoI9RGxAPVUI3fASls7VJFxOUvBItBHeq9hvxcHulIeTpFsE8n-pgzv-1H33gCHbAobAo9skDX9UCEJ9wEzgRI83-eR2uA4rs2qwergjszyRhng/s1600/2013-04-27+21.00.14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvA1aSdRqCbU5KpxgT3yLSXMKqkdYAmoI9RGxAPVUI3fASls7VJFxOUvBItBHeq9hvxcHulIeTpFsE8n-pgzv-1H33gCHbAobAo9skDX9UCEJ9wEzgRI83-eR2uA4rs2qwergjszyRhng/s400/2013-04-27+21.00.14.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Three kinds of seafood XLB</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF7VC92juqdniGh5Wj36sVpQml0CLJ-4poidvhB2C_KOeXan1fl1SshZC6omjeS4TH0UW7v3R1mj5BmePycaq7UAKIgiyYTPEXAAhbuUK0Jjq_vNlfo7eIiOlW3Dz4MLN_ykSZdlaJ68E/s1600/2013-04-27+21.01.01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF7VC92juqdniGh5Wj36sVpQml0CLJ-4poidvhB2C_KOeXan1fl1SshZC6omjeS4TH0UW7v3R1mj5BmePycaq7UAKIgiyYTPEXAAhbuUK0Jjq_vNlfo7eIiOlW3Dz4MLN_ykSZdlaJ68E/s400/2013-04-27+21.01.01.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pork & scallop XLB</td></tr>
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Naturally, as with any trip to Din Tai Fung, I decided to check out the signature soup-filled <b>xiao long bao</b> (小籠包). I've probably banged on about these far too much over the years and the classic pork xlb in Tokyo didn't disappoint. I also ordered a steamer of <b>three kinds of seafood xiao long bao</b> (海鮮三種小籠包). Of these, my favourite was the <b>pork & scallop</b> with the <b>pork & crab</b> a close second, but I wasn't overly keen on the <b>pork & sea urchin</b>, as the sea urchin was a bit overpowering. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI_e_LuxcBZmGc3y8gSLZuEYZ-z-NAhlOMjRKvGtIQ9rzm355jWuI_iVGu5i6Wo7xXUa8xWfd3j1ih3LUTpCpUPD1QPD9cFN976tjqIaQbiC5DEOFpE52mEmTj8dGpzarxN1lKH0U8kRg/s1600/2013-04-30+20.36.19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI_e_LuxcBZmGc3y8gSLZuEYZ-z-NAhlOMjRKvGtIQ9rzm355jWuI_iVGu5i6Wo7xXUa8xWfd3j1ih3LUTpCpUPD1QPD9cFN976tjqIaQbiC5DEOFpE52mEmTj8dGpzarxN1lKH0U8kRg/s400/2013-04-30+20.36.19.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pork & black truffle XLB</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicjVWkjxBURdR5_AQyHx-e4u2gpIoHKYMFBOwJRg1xM8-06emvXtF_fmzr-PeqDKJTbh1FNaAmQ8dQHB_H5XkCwPwc3Cyvb3rX1AUHqY76oirulGUEMnrwmZHxIReUEcZ2OjKBr4th80g/s1600/2013-04-30+20.15.25.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicjVWkjxBURdR5_AQyHx-e4u2gpIoHKYMFBOwJRg1xM8-06emvXtF_fmzr-PeqDKJTbh1FNaAmQ8dQHB_H5XkCwPwc3Cyvb3rX1AUHqY76oirulGUEMnrwmZHxIReUEcZ2OjKBr4th80g/s400/2013-04-30+20.15.25.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Angled luffa & shrimp XLB</td></tr>
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Over in Hong Kong, I thought the classic <b>pork xlb</b> and <b>pork & crab xlb</b> were better than in Tokyo but of these were eclipsed by the sublime <b>pork & black truffle xlb</b> (黑松露小籠包), where the rich truffle filling was out of this world. I also enjoyed the unusual <b>angled luffa & shrimp xlb</b> (絲瓜蝦仁小籠包) – this is a little different with its clean tasting, refreshing filling of silk gourd (aka angled luffa).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW2VK5r1M8pOFBveerB2V9hlS_2rgkXknAe5ZfasM_EA2ziu2ZNl5g0gbmjqB5i4d7HYvYI9kDAQlCK7HnDmANXsMhmNAdHmYuhDH3L2i3PY1fh-NScUOX-eUpsbqdqEKogU6-fAZMbJ8/s1600/2013-04-27+21.04.40.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW2VK5r1M8pOFBveerB2V9hlS_2rgkXknAe5ZfasM_EA2ziu2ZNl5g0gbmjqB5i4d7HYvYI9kDAQlCK7HnDmANXsMhmNAdHmYuhDH3L2i3PY1fh-NScUOX-eUpsbqdqEKogU6-fAZMbJ8/s200/2013-04-27+21.04.40.jpg" width="260" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3iTxKZVzeeW3bisAsMpw-AOvSYvzDYpk7XUqFRLgfhTqEu3IOJnaxujlCrpO5776QrvvA1X8JPuWoAVb6Euca4OM61r8b1J6lS4fE9eBGUBi0q6EjseGVNQ8HeXZAlHAxUAsOoHB6tS0/s1600/2013-05-05+19.34.34.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3iTxKZVzeeW3bisAsMpw-AOvSYvzDYpk7XUqFRLgfhTqEu3IOJnaxujlCrpO5776QrvvA1X8JPuWoAVb6Euca4OM61r8b1J6lS4fE9eBGUBi0q6EjseGVNQ8HeXZAlHAxUAsOoHB6tS0/s200/2013-05-05+19.34.34.jpg" width="260" /></a><br />
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Of the other dishes in Tokyo, I was a bit disappointed with the <b>steamed chicken soup</b> (原盅鮮雞湯). In other branches of Din Tai Fung I've been to, this soup has been outstanding, but the version here was lacking flavour and a bit oily to boot. And the <b>shrimp fried rice</b> (蝦仁蛋炒飯) was decidedly lacklustre, too. I mean, just look at the photo of the version in Tokyo on the left compared to the one in Hong Kong on the right. Rather bizarrely, the fried rice came with a konbu seaweed soup, which is a Japanese, not Chinese, affectation. That and the use of local vinegar rather than <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhenjiang_Vinegar">Chinkiang vinegar</a> also grated.<br />
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So while the signature xiao long bao were excellent in Tokyo, the support acts were the weakest I've come across in any branch of Din Tai Fung I've visited. However, this is all relative, and the positives far outweigh the negatives. In particular, I was very impressed by the service. Having sensed my total lack of Japanese language skills, a Mandarin-speaking waitress from Taiwan was assigned to look after me. My Mandarin is pretty shoddy, but it was a nice gesture nonetheless. <br />
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Any lingering disappointment from my visit to the Tokyo branch was soon eradicated in Hong Kong. To be precise, it was a cold noodle salad, bizarrely described in English as <b>garlic pork green bean fettuccine</b> (蒜泥粉皮肉), which restored my faith in Din Tai Fung. I just loved this winning combination of soft pork slices, crunchy cucumber slithers and wobbly broad fen-pei noodles in a garlicky soy vinegar dressing. <br />
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We also tried the <b>fried shrimp & pork potstickers</b> (肉蝦仁煎餃) for the first time, which were, as is the fashion nowadays, served upturned stuck onto a fried dumpling pastry sheet. This is a bit gimmicky in my opinion, but it did spark off a conversation of how they were constructed. These were good, but there are probably other things I'd order off the menu first.<br />
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Stuff like the open-topped <b>shrimp & pork shao mai</b> (蝦仁燒賣) and the various <b>wonton dishes</b> are higher up in the pecking order in my opinion. Of the wonton dishes I preferred the <b>spicy shrimp & pork</b> (紅油抄手), which had a real kick, to the ones in <b>special sauce</b> (乾拌菜肉餛飩). Memo to Din Tai Fung management, I wouldn't use the term 'special sauce' should you decide to open in Britain. <br />
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There was other stuff, but I thought I'd go over to one of my dining companions to give his opinion. After all, he's not some dilettante blogger, but someone who's worked in kitchens most of his life and really knows his stuff. I am of course talking about Pa Noodles, and his comments over the course of the meal have been translated from Cantonese into <i>italics</i>:<br />
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<i>How meticulous, there's a guy weighing out dumpling dough in the kitchen. The dumplings here really are quite exceptional; this is a PROPER restaurant, they don't take short cuts. Mind you, they could've been a bit more generous with the crab in the pork & crab XLB. My favourite? Probably the wontons in spicy sauce; the sauce has a proper kick. The pork chop with soup noodles</i> (油炸排骨湯麵) <i>is good, too – nice tender meat with good 5-spice flavour. But the rice, the fried rice, it wasn't fluffy enough, a bit too hard. But anyway, I like it here. Is there one of these in London? It'd make a fortune there.</i> <br />
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A fair assessment by Pa Noodles, although I think he was a tad harsh about the rice! My mum liked Din Tai Fung too, although she didn't really rave about it. The thing is she's rarely effusive about food that isn't Cantonese. And my colleague liked it so much he's planning to visit the branch in his hometown of Sydney. Me? I've been to the Causeway Bay branch in Hong Kong four times now, and I love it. If only they could open one in London – I know it's a forlorn hope, but here's the <a href="http://dtflondonfanclub.blogspot.co.uk/2012/02/lets-bring-din-tai-fung-to-london.html">link to my petition</a> anyway.Mr Noodleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13327242172810414292noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8659859995099007525.post-25717221052791331972013-05-31T13:19:00.000+01:002013-05-31T13:19:56.151+01:00It's Not TapasImagine for one moment a turd; not a pleasant image, I know. Imagine that this turd is then cut up into little bite-sized pieces before being artfully arranged in the middle of a small plate. There are some people who will tell you that this is tapas. It's not: it's shit on a plate. <br />
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<i>With apologies to Jorge Valdano for bastardising his famous <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2007/may/08/newsstory.sport8">'shit on a stick'</a> rant.</i>Mr Noodleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13327242172810414292noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8659859995099007525.post-10118164706591998082013-05-24T08:30:00.000+01:002013-05-24T08:30:01.527+01:00Dim Sum, Noodles & Dinner @ A Wong <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPqEKHD_5qFjgxUJinvQ4EtJLGBntmIdchIUxf5lQkjRhblgCJgb2PTHr0gJGeQ32UPB8fsNmYFqxvv4lfZp1DttjQnPSuuJZ0PUmufPL7p-asLmJPF_LzwECxpqpKsWjvVhzXHGT536E/s1600/2013-05-18+12.46.42.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPqEKHD_5qFjgxUJinvQ4EtJLGBntmIdchIUxf5lQkjRhblgCJgb2PTHr0gJGeQ32UPB8fsNmYFqxvv4lfZp1DttjQnPSuuJZ0PUmufPL7p-asLmJPF_LzwECxpqpKsWjvVhzXHGT536E/s400/2013-05-18+12.46.42.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Quail egg croquette</td></tr>
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Best new Chinese restaurant opening in recent memory or a case of the emperor's new clothes? While most reviews of <b>A Wong</b> have been praiseworthy, some have been a bit negative. I guess that's the risk one takes when diverging from more tried-and-trusted Chinese restaurant formulae. And it's the risk taking approach that appealed to me when I visited A Wong twice within the space of a few days. Twice? Give me a break, I had to check out both lunch AND dinner menus. For lunch I decided to go for a familiar combination of dim sum and noodles. As the dim sum is sold by piece (from <b>£1.30</b> each) this enabled me, as a solo diner, to explore more of the menu than I might otherwise have done. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhETEiEZjn9ItOJujrEEabwZ_ji5B72Oia18MdqY6kG4htNAbY0TDbgF8tkUm__Zy47fc5Fl8Jq-nRAGtP6UpVQgYcTp7DQNLcXLRJ7qb4t6ID25kZ8fs50zm2ayKDU6Q4ao1m7BlJQ0nc/s1600/2013-05-18+12.42.38.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhETEiEZjn9ItOJujrEEabwZ_ji5B72Oia18MdqY6kG4htNAbY0TDbgF8tkUm__Zy47fc5Fl8Jq-nRAGtP6UpVQgYcTp7DQNLcXLRJ7qb4t6ID25kZ8fs50zm2ayKDU6Q4ao1m7BlJQ0nc/s400/2013-05-18+12.42.38.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Xiao long bao</td></tr>
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My favourite was a pair of soup-filled <b><i>xiao long bao</i></b> – one a <b>Shanghai-style pork dumpling</b>, the other a <b>Yunnan mushroom, pork and truffle one</b>. I liked both although I would've preferred the vinegar and ginger on the side rather than mixed in with the soup inside the former. It's not <b><a href="http://dtflondonfanclub.blogspot.co.uk/2012/02/lets-bring-din-tai-fung-to-london.html">Din Tai Fung</a></b>, but you're not going to find many better examples of XLB in London. Less enjoyable was the much written-about <b>clear shrimp dumpling with citrus foam</b>; it was a decent enough example of a <i>har gau</i> but the citrus foam didn't really do anything for me. And nor did the pork crackling atop a perfectly adequate open-topped <b>pork and prawn dumpling</b> aka <i>siu mai</i>.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOniUof3zBvmv8jPXXhIXNwU_ymgfnU0D5Ral-Rk4h2aCNwOjWsCS9gcd2ZiMobbHn08AWTIEzITy9ig7wPOFV82nehadg8hw1XpvV25H0XftME7A9u2BSgDykd74kSgTKb2YvWQe1bk0/s1600/2013-05-18+12.48.37.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOniUof3zBvmv8jPXXhIXNwU_ymgfnU0D5Ral-Rk4h2aCNwOjWsCS9gcd2ZiMobbHn08AWTIEzITy9ig7wPOFV82nehadg8hw1XpvV25H0XftME7A9u2BSgDykd74kSgTKb2YvWQe1bk0/s400/2013-05-18+12.48.37.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baked cha siu bao</td></tr>
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The <b>baked roasted pork bun with a sugared coating</b> is a copy of <a href="http://eatlovenoodles.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/seven-things-you-must-eat-in-hong-kong.html"><b>Tim Ho Wan's</b> famous baked <i>cha siu bao</i></a>. While it isn't as good as the original from Hong Kong, I enjoyed this crispy-topped bun although I would've favoured a sweeter filling. I also liked the <b>quail egg croquette puff</b> with its nicely runny yolk and crispy shell. However, I would've ditched one of the conflicting accompaniments of 'seaweed' and a ginger-dip. Sometimes less is more. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaM5hv1_PttGdBGHmYicIA_jDzSZCyWVk6b1mr6Nl2CRqiuVhvBmx3XftKG6-jefbN7TpbaW6bRDyXFsBPo6Zux9uoQ7NHgzgUmcK3CJCu8lHrW6jlFWLg5K0MGrJrNgp_hQ3ycSAUNK0/s1600/2013-05-18+12.55.17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaM5hv1_PttGdBGHmYicIA_jDzSZCyWVk6b1mr6Nl2CRqiuVhvBmx3XftKG6-jefbN7TpbaW6bRDyXFsBPo6Zux9uoQ7NHgzgUmcK3CJCu8lHrW6jlFWLg5K0MGrJrNgp_hQ3ycSAUNK0/s400/2013-05-18+12.55.17.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crossing the bridge noodles</td></tr>
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The only real disappointment of lunch was the <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crossing_the_bridge_noodles">Kunming 'crossing the bridge' noodles</a></b>, a dish where ham, quail egg, preserved veg, fresh veg and rice noodles are served on a separate plate ready to be 'cooked' in the broth. Compared to traditional versions <a href="http://eatlovenoodles.blogspot.co.uk/2009/09/review-yunteng-shifu-yunnan-beijing.html">I've sampled</a> in China, there were a few toppings missing, but I could forgive them that if the dish delivered. It didn't. The main problem was the temperature of the broth, which wasn't hot enough to cook the pak choi. And while I wasn't impressed by this dish, I was impressed by my server who listened to my comments and promised to pass on my feedback to the chef. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDiZadHckoS8P-4gohWihyphenhyphen7Ws5xUgOI14Op5huLv1QckI9mzZ-rZHCR9vn8J29Yg9gKQWEUXaLYvJlyA5uLYFdBECvY6VILtXQOD7mLUYztgDoJm-SiqauQCJgJTqUuhPMySyL4K1ngUY/s1600/2013-05-21+20.43.34.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDiZadHckoS8P-4gohWihyphenhyphen7Ws5xUgOI14Op5huLv1QckI9mzZ-rZHCR9vn8J29Yg9gKQWEUXaLYvJlyA5uLYFdBECvY6VILtXQOD7mLUYztgDoJm-SiqauQCJgJTqUuhPMySyL4K1ngUY/s400/2013-05-21+20.43.34.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dong Po pork</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzqaPPTeP982Vd9mOeIvt45FYxqW-Bk18T1M8Q5nyk_7xhvmG1G9rR_4ONpB6bykAXf7aLiTKywVJS8sBD3csd8kqIX9UTNMuj4lWxLiSCGHw_GgTOT1Al0M6_LNQVTxNm7CEce05jPU0/s1600/2013-05-21+20.43.45.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzqaPPTeP982Vd9mOeIvt45FYxqW-Bk18T1M8Q5nyk_7xhvmG1G9rR_4ONpB6bykAXf7aLiTKywVJS8sBD3csd8kqIX9UTNMuj4lWxLiSCGHw_GgTOT1Al0M6_LNQVTxNm7CEce05jPU0/s400/2013-05-21+20.43.45.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">French beans with pork</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Onto dinner, and I'm afraid to report that it was, on the whole, a tad disappointing, as most dishes were far too aggressively salty. So much so any citrus flavour in the <b>beef with dried orange peel and chilli</b> was drowned out. The <b><a href="http://eatlovenoodles.blogspot.co.uk/2010/09/i-heart-pork-belly.html">Dong Po slow braised pork belly</a></b> wasn't tender enough and it lacked the sweet and comforting aromatic notes that define this dish. It was just too salty. As were the twin offerings from Sichuan of <b>dry fried French beans with pork</b> and <b>Sichuanese aubergine </b>– the pork in the former was the saltiest thing we ate all night.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2XRtkt-sceraYsFS65IfE6jTDN9LKlikAF1M_utovqmN0SdExfIngD4t4D_05gqZVyeZhmJ5K-vZKPoPm0f8PMSWQtlF9DTb42ZilBrBv_04HEvKB8oq6qkUtxEV4i3skrZFzS4XX2GY/s1600/2013-05-21+20.45.36.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2XRtkt-sceraYsFS65IfE6jTDN9LKlikAF1M_utovqmN0SdExfIngD4t4D_05gqZVyeZhmJ5K-vZKPoPm0f8PMSWQtlF9DTb42ZilBrBv_04HEvKB8oq6qkUtxEV4i3skrZFzS4XX2GY/s400/2013-05-21+20.45.36.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Steamed sea bass</td></tr>
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The only respite from the salt assault was the two fish dishes: <b>steamed wild sea bass with Jinhua ham</b> and <b>five-spice and chilli smoked cod cheeks</b>. These were the undoubtedly highlights of dinner, in particular the perfectly steamed portion of sea bass, which was nicely complemented by the Jinhua ham. The cod cheeks were a joy, because it had been seasoned with a light hand.<br />
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The fact the mains were so disappointing was a shame, as before that, the <b>pickles</b>, <b>peanuts in sweetened black vinegar</b> and <b>pickled cucumber</b> kicked off the meal well. And the <b>dim sum basket</b> was none too shabby although a couple of our party (from Suzhou and Shanghai) who know a thing or two about <i>xiao long bao</i> were less than enamoured with these soup-filled dumplings. Yet again, the inclusion of the vinegar and ginger inside the dumpling proved controversial, as they felt that the sweetness of the meat was drowned out by the vinegar.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfnmC5DWHZqtrH0CwyEEwbq9y3i49hHlbGe3Ay3nsPPj2nuLO4VlgO2qBiNwE9VnriOmtkW0aNMjfx6GP-6iqNSwWDQaOh1jIieb7Ry_PQ2DzC35cz8A3nxgXJoPoTaxHxJKai9wxBltY/s1600/2013-05-21+21.41.44.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfnmC5DWHZqtrH0CwyEEwbq9y3i49hHlbGe3Ay3nsPPj2nuLO4VlgO2qBiNwE9VnriOmtkW0aNMjfx6GP-6iqNSwWDQaOh1jIieb7Ry_PQ2DzC35cz8A3nxgXJoPoTaxHxJKai9wxBltY/s400/2013-05-21+21.41.44.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tobacco smoked banana etc</td></tr>
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Rather bizarrely it was the desserts that rescued the dinner from disappointment. We shared all four of the desserts on the menu: <b>Beijing yoghurt with chilli barbecued pineapple</b>; <b>tobacco smoked banana, nut crumble, chocolate, soy caramel</b>; <b>snow ball merengue, lychee granite, mango puree and lime sorbet</b>; and lastly, <b>coconut ice cream with glutinous rice dumpling</b>. The favourite was deemed to be the banana and chocolate dessert with its contrast in textures and flavour while I also found the refreshing lychee granita to be very good. If I could, I would just come here to eat dessert, which was amongst the best I've sampled in any restaurant, not just Chinese, in a long, long time.<br />
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When asked after dinner what we thought, we let our server know that we thought many of the dishes were just too salty. She said that she would let the chef know, and again it's good to see that this restaurant accepts feedback in a non-defensive manner. On the whole I thought A Wong was reasonable value with my solo lunch clocking in at <b>£22</b> including tea and service whilst dinner cost <b>£32/head</b> including wine and service. <br />
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I'm not quite sure what to make of A Wong. Minor quibbles aside, I enjoyed the dim sum and would like to return to explore the rest of the relatively short selection over lunch. But then again, the noodles didn't quite cut it and dinner was somewhat spoiled, not by any degree of experimentation, but by over-aggressive saltiness. There was redemption in the desserts but that's not a good enough reason to return for dinner any time soon.<br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/52/1718517/restaurant/Pimlico-Victoria/A-Wong-London"><img alt="A. Wong on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/logo/1718517/biglogo.gif" style="border: currentColor; height: 34px; padding: 0px; width: 104px;" /></a><br />
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<i><a href="http://www.awong.co.uk/">A Wong</a>, 70 Wilton Road, London. SW1V 1DE (Tel: 020-7828-8931)<br />
Nearest station: Victoria</i>Mr Noodleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13327242172810414292noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8659859995099007525.post-36824935193648773182013-05-20T23:25:00.000+01:002013-05-21T17:06:10.958+01:00Shin-Yokohama Ramen Museum Despite being Japan's second largest city, <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yokohama">Yokohama</a></b> isn't high-up on most tourist itineraries. This is probably due to it being perceived as a suburb of Tokyo as well as lacking traditional tourist attractions. That said, if you're staying in Tokyo then I reckon it's well worth making the short trip to Yokohama. But I would say that, as Yokohama is home to the <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shin-Yokohama_Raumen_Museum">Shin-Yokohama Ramen Museum</a></b>!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTaTObvNHJohIy_p4kqUFmH87OtNQ5F1cbqjWIYEuBXSgNsFscZFEVG6VnBXfMSLBfafj5bwpKIK7fGWNmS1SGPZKNg_7NIDU4xh7M_QACxAgqf3GQ3tCOjvtaE3fKbSG0Xk0b7MxO_GY/s1600/2013-04-27+11.17.48.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTaTObvNHJohIy_p4kqUFmH87OtNQ5F1cbqjWIYEuBXSgNsFscZFEVG6VnBXfMSLBfafj5bwpKIK7fGWNmS1SGPZKNg_7NIDU4xh7M_QACxAgqf3GQ3tCOjvtaE3fKbSG0Xk0b7MxO_GY/s400/2013-04-27+11.17.48.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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This homage to ramen opened in 1994 and is spread over three levels. The ground floor is taken up mostly by a gift shop (more on that later) but the main part of the museum consists of a recreation of a 1958 Tokyo street scene spread over two subterranean levels. It's all a bit kitsch but I don't really care, as there are no less than nine ramen shops - all outlets of famous ones from all across Japan - to check out. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5E3-gZ52AXslKdod0I25aOW-s6DPtANQ9nN7i7Xaa0rab2UlUxAQKBS5zKl1xa_D59WV2rews3-JSMsHBERHOeDS_yty96-E2WsVd0OOVdKizrFBgBlwuAXSDClbnKsdK7nKHArqS5XE/s1600/2013-04-27+11.24.13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5E3-gZ52AXslKdod0I25aOW-s6DPtANQ9nN7i7Xaa0rab2UlUxAQKBS5zKl1xa_D59WV2rews3-JSMsHBERHOeDS_yty96-E2WsVd0OOVdKizrFBgBlwuAXSDClbnKsdK7nKHArqS5XE/s400/2013-04-27+11.24.13.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
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After a quick scout around the various joints, I decided to visit <b>Ganja</b> to check out their dipping ramen. Ordering is by machine and with some help from a waitress I selected one of the taster portions (these smaller portions are available to enable punters to sample more than one shop). To be honest, this wasn't really my cup of tea. I didn't mind the noodles being cold, but I would've preferred the dipping tonkotsu-shoyu broth to be hot, not lukewarm (by the way I have no idea what the 'correct' way should be). On the plus side the toppings, especially the belly pork, were top notch and the broth was packed full of flavour. It's just that the overall combo would have been better served all in one bowl. <br />
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By the time I left Ganja, the museum was starting to get busy and queues were forming at some of the shops. Taking a punt on the wisdom of crowds I joined the longish queue for <b>Kamome-Syokudo</b>, which I thought was a tonkotsu joint but in fact served shio ramen (this just goes to show that I can't read Japanese, especially when hungover). This time I went for a normal size portion and while the toppings were abundant and of good quality, being a shio-based broth it wasn't really what I was after. That and the fact the broth was far too salty for my liking. I may have chosen badly, but neither ramen shop I went to in the museum was as good as those <a href="http://eatlovenoodles.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/tokyoagram.html">I'd visited in Tokyo</a>. Mind you, there were seven ramen shops at the museum I didn't try.<br />
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Feeling quite full I left the year 1958 behind me and popped upstairs to the gift shop. I went over to the design-your-own-ramen section where you can pick out your choice of soup, <i>tare</i> (seasonings) and noodles to take home in a souvenir box. I plumped for a mixed broth consisting of a sachet of tonkotsu (pork bone broth) and a sachet of rich chicken stock. For the <i>tare</i> I went for shoyu (soy sauce) with a pack of shrimp oil for good measure. And last but not least, I chose some thin ramen noodles to complete my ensemble. I then had to suffer the humiliation of having my photo taken that was then stuck on the top of the box. The end product tasted better than anything out of a packet had any right to, although it is clear that my egg boiling skills need honing.<br />
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If you do decide to go to the ramen museum then I also recommend you visit <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yokohama_Chinatown">Yokohama's Chinatown</a></b> (Japan's and some say Asia's largest Chinatown). Save for a cheeky skewer of <i>siu mai</i>, I didn't eat there but from what I could see the eateries serve a wide range of food from authentic dim sum to Japan-ified Chinese dishes. However, Yokohama's Chinatown is more about walking around and savouring the atmosphere than the food. That and, if you're of Chinese-descent, topping up the Chineser points. I enjoyed my day trip to Yokohama and with its ramen museum and Chinatown it can boast two attractions that Tokyo can only envy. In other words: Yokohama 2 Tokyo 0.Mr Noodleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13327242172810414292noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8659859995099007525.post-16404556604515065392013-05-14T08:00:00.000+01:002013-05-15T21:21:47.952+01:00Seven Things You MUST Eat In Hong Kong Rather than bore you senseless with loads of blog posts about Hong Kong I thought I'd <strike>lazily rehash some Instagram shots</strike> put together a list of must-eats. It's not an exhaustive list and nor is it ranked in any order; it just consists of some of my favourite foods that just so happen to capture the soul of Hong Kong. <br />
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<b>SEAFOOD</b><br />
Hong Kong was originally a fishing village, and while those days are long gone, the love of fish and seafood lives on in the many eateries specialising in the life aquatic. Dishes such as <b>lobster in superior stock with e-fu noodles</b> (上湯龍蝦伊麵); <b>steamed scallops with garlic & glass noodles</b> (粉絲蒜茸蒸扇貝); <b>chilli salt mantis shrimp</b> (椒鹽攋尿蝦) and <b><a href="http://eatlovenoodles.blogspot.co.uk/2011/06/under-bridge-spicy-crab.html">typhoon shelter crab</a></b> (避風塘炒蟹) amongst others are all classics. <br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><i>Left: lobster noodles, Right: steamed scallops</i></div><br />
To spot places that serve seafood, look for the characters: 海鮮酒家, which means seafood restaurant, or if your Chinese is ropey just look for giant fish tanks by the entrance. Hong Kong isn't just urban sprawl so why not take a trip to quieter seaside spots such as <strong><a href="http://www.discoverhongkong.com/eng/dine-drink/where-to-go/seafood-districts/sai-kung.jsp">Sai Kung</a></strong> or <strong><a href="http://www.discoverhongkong.com/eng/dine-drink/where-to-eat/lamma-island.jsp">Lamma Island</a></strong> to eat seafood? I can recommend <strong><a href="http://www.rainbowrest.com.hk/eng/index.asp">Rainbow Seafood Restaurant</a></strong> (天虹海鮮酒家) on Lamma Island, where I took the photos of the lobster and scallops. <br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><i>Left: roast goose, Right: braised goose</i></div><br />
<b>GOOSE</b><br />
It breaks my heart that Chinese restaurants in London don't serve goose, which is why when I'm in Hong Kong I eat it like there's no tomorrow. My favourite is <b>Cantonese roast goose</b> (燒鵝), prepared in much the same way as <a href="http://eatlovenoodles.blogspot.co.uk/2009/12/cantonese-bbq-three-roasts.html">roast duck</a> is, with crispy skin and succulent meat that's served with plum sauce. Whisper it, but such is its richness I prefer my roast goose on a bed of rice rather than noodles. I also love the <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teochew_cuisine">Teochew/Chiu Chow-style</a> braised goose in master stock</b> (鹵水鵝). I especially adore gnawing on goose wings cooked in this way known as <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Master_stock">lou sui</a></i> in Cantonese. <br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><i>Left: dace fishballs, Right: cuttlefish balls with noodles</i></div><br />
<b>BALLS</b><br />
By balls I don't mean the testicles of various animals, I mean meatballs and fishballs. Think of balls on sticks, balls in soup noodles, balls in congee, balls as dim sum and so on. When in Hong Kong I like to sample the balls that aren't easily found back home. During this trip I was seduced by <b>dace fishballs</b> (鯪魚球) with their alluring citrusy scent. These fishballs can be deep-fried but I prefer mine boiled. Another favourite of mine is <b>cuttlefish balls</b> (墨魚丸) served in a bowl of soup noodles.<br />
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<b>DIM SUM</b><br />
There are excellent dim sum restaurants all around the world but there is something special about eating these tiny morsels of delight in their natural habitat of Hong Kong and southern China. Why? Well, for starters the dim sum masters are continually innovating. A good example of this is the <b>flaky baked cha siu bao</b> (酥皮焗叉燒包) as invented by Mak Kwai Pui, he of <b><a href="http://hk.asia-city.com/restaurants/hong-kong-restaurant-reviews/tim-ho-wan-ifc">Tim Ho Wan</a></b> (添好運) fame. These buns are always served freshly baked and they are good, damn good although I'm not sure if the rest of Tim Ho Wan's offerings are anything that special based on my visit there. <br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><i>Left: baked cha siu bao, Right: lau sa bao</i></div><br />
Other dim sum that are worth trying include <b>lau sha bao</b> (流沙包), a variant on the more common custard bun known as <b>lai wong bao</b> (奶黃包) - the difference being the former has a molten filling. And in general, I recommend trying dim sum that you haven't come across before. Some of these might be trendy new creations while others might be some old specialities from the dim sum master's ancestral hometown across the border in China. Regardless, you'll be in for a good time. <br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><i>Left: bolo bao, Right: mango jelly drink</i></div><br />
<b>HONGKONGER POINTS</b><br />
To properly explain the difference between Hong Kong culture and Chinese culture, I might need to do a dissertation. Even Cantonese culture, with which Hong Kong shares a common language, is not quite the same thing. In a food context the <a href="http://eatlovenoodles.blogspot.co.uk/2009/11/chinese-bakery.html">bakeries</a>, cake shops and dessert shops found in Hong Kong are very much a local creation due in part to exposure to western ideas. That said, while there are western influences the food has taken on a local flavour. For example, creations such as the <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pineapple_bun">pineapple bun</a></b> (<i>bolo bao</i> 菠蘿包) and <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egg_tart">egg tarts</a></b> (<i>daan taat</i> 蛋撻) are very Hong Kong despite utilising western baking techniques. Other stuff that you should try in order to accrue Hongkonger points include a trip to a dessert shop such as <b><a href="http://www.hkhls.com/">Hui Lau Shan</a></b> (許留山) to try various desserts and drinks like <b>mango jelly drink</b>. <br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><i>Left: French toast, Right: ham and egg in crispy bun</i></div><br />
<b>'WESTERN' BREAKFAST</b><br />
What do Hongkongers eat for breakfast? There are those that go for traditional Chinese fare such as dim sum or congee, but many people eat a 'western' breakfast in a <b><i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cha_chaan_teng">cha chaan teng</a></i></b> (茶餐廳) or an 'ice room' (冰室). These places serve a mix of Chinese and Hong Kong-style western food – sometimes on the same plate (macaroni with cha siu in soup, anyone?). Popular breakfast items include <b>HK-style French toast</b> (西多士) and various sandwiches containing ham, SPAM, egg and other things. To drink, coffee, HK-style milk tea, lemon tea as well as the half tea-half coffee drink called 'yin-yang' are all popular. It goes without saying that eating this kind of breakfast results in further Hongkonger points!<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><i>Left: sui gow noodles, Right: beef brisket noodles</i></div><br />
<b>NOODLES</b><br />
Oh come on now, you didn't really think I was going to omit noodles from my list? These are the ultimate convenience food, as you are never more than five minutes away from a noodle shop in Hong Kong. My favourite are the various noodle dishes served in soup with stuff like wontons, fishballs and sui gow dumplings. My choice of noodle depends on the topping served, but I tend to plump for the <a href="http://winnerfoods.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=17&Itemid=17">thin fresh noodles</a> commonly served with wontons and sui gow (see photo above left). Over the years I've been ticking off the <a href="http://eatlovenoodles.blogspot.co.uk/2011/06/hong-kong-noodles-x-3.html">famous noodle shops of Hong Kong</a> and on this visit I finally got to visit <b><a href="http://www.openrice.com/english/restaurant/sr2.htm?shopid=1618">Kau Kee</a></b> (九記牛腩) famed for its beef brisket noodles. I went for the classic <b>beef brisket noodles in superior stock</b> (上湯牛腩麵) and I also had a taste of <b>brisket and tendon noodles in curry broth</b> – both were excellent!Mr Noodleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13327242172810414292noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8659859995099007525.post-37360212625464688142013-05-07T22:10:00.001+01:002013-05-07T22:17:45.216+01:00#TokyoagramTo be honest I have very little clue where and what I ate when in Tokyo a couple of weeks ago. The thing is I'm no expert in Japanese food. Combine that with jetlag and being a bit pissed most evenings means that this isn't going to be one of those blog posts that people will be referring to when planning a trip to Tokyo. <br />
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Having said that I do know a little about noodles, and as I ate these for lunch it also meant I wasn't inebriated. Of the noodles I sampled, by far the best was a quite amazing <b>mutant-tonkotsu ramen</b> (photo, below left) from a place called <b><a href="http://www.oreno-kiwamiya.com/">Kiwamiya</a></b>, where the broth was made with not only pork but also chicken, beef, seafood and vegetables with a shot of <i>shoyu</i> (soy sauce) for good measure. This rich, viscous broth was packed full of flavour and was augmented with top quality pork and egg. The only slight negative was that the ramen noodle used was a bit too thick; I really shouldn't gone with <i>kaedama</i> (refill of noodles), as it left me in a noodle coma all afternoon. I can still scarcely believe that lunch here cost <b>Yen 880</b> (less than the equivalent of £6).<br />
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Of the other noodles I tried, I liked the classic <b>Hakata-style tonkotsu ramen</b> (photo, above right) from a place called <b><a href="http://www.hakatarc.com/">HRC</a></b>. Less viscous than the broth at Kiwamiya, it still packed a porky punch. <a href="http://eatlovenoodles.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/world-of-noodles-9-quick-guide-to-ramen.html">London's tonkotsu contenders</a> could learn a thing or two from this broth although its oily nature may scare off some punters. Oh, and rather bizarrely, this bowl of ramen came with a free bowl of rice. All this for the equivalent of a fiver – who said Japan was expensive? <br />
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A concept in some Japanese restaurants is the set menu with a 'drink-all-you-can' element comprising of an unlimited pour of local beers, sake and shochu (sadly, there's no premium booze on the list). I'm pretty sure that if anyone offered free booze with meals in Britain, they'd be bankrupt within a week. Of the couple of places with this concept I went to, I really enjoyed the barbecue at <b><a href="http://www.namiu.jp/">Namiu</a></b> – the scallops were amazing. As was the whole spread that kicked off with various cold dishes including sashimi and ended with a bowl of cold soba noodles. <br />
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The other place I went to has no English name nor website and all I can remember was that it served food from the southern island of <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyushu">Kyushu</a></b>. The surroundings were more casual than Namiu but the sashimi (photo, top right) was just as good, if not better. <br />
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Course after course came, as did the booze. Dishes were either served as a platter to share or on individual plates. I was taken aback by one of the courses, which consisted of a fried chicken wing with a slice of lemon. It was nice chicken, but somehow it felt wrong in the middle of a banquet that otherwise did a fine job in showcasing the regional cuisine of Kyushu. In terms of atmosphere, this was my favourite despite walking into the toilet when a salaryman was having a dump (in my defence he hadn't locked the toilet door).<br />
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The other evening meals were a bit more casual with a fantastic sushi / sashimi dinner one night and chicken skewers at a <i>yakitoria</i> (is that a real word?) on the other. Despite not being 'drink-all-you-can', I enjoyed both with the <i>yakitoria</i> edging it on ambience. Of the food, my favourite dish was the <i>tsukune</i> (chicken meatballs) and extra portions were ordered. I would love to tell you more about these places but neither joint has a website and both are tucked away in impossible-to-find alleys.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk2VBeKzpWJDMNl48d7AhDhPaP39bywfIajnfT_iYXhvXsX7FZZbC8PcrgNLnBDglOpqmDQMXCp_eGPsQoVneEc9D59ZrCEVVlEln9rt1py04D8rU6uJYfvmL14AX0BYPMPNCIY_3ANB4/s1600/IMG_20130425_225639.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk2VBeKzpWJDMNl48d7AhDhPaP39bywfIajnfT_iYXhvXsX7FZZbC8PcrgNLnBDglOpqmDQMXCp_eGPsQoVneEc9D59ZrCEVVlEln9rt1py04D8rU6uJYfvmL14AX0BYPMPNCIY_3ANB4/s200/IMG_20130425_225639.jpg" width="260" /></a><br />
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Last but not least, Tokyo's late night snacks are pretty tasty, too. The <i>gyoza</i> was a bargain at <b>Yen 250</b> (less than £2) for half a dozen. These were made using a special gyoza cooker consisting of a hotplate with a hinged lid that steamed as well as grilled the dumplings. I also enjoyed some <i>takoyaki</i> (octopus balls) smothered with what tasted like a thickened Worcestershire sauce. These were damn tasty and with a cheeky beer, I recall getting change from a 1000 Yen note – another bargain!<br />
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All told, I enjoyed eating in Tokyo and for that I must thank my colleagues N and S who both looked after me superbly. I was particularly touched that they remembered how much I adore ramen from <a href="http://eatlovenoodles.blogspot.co.uk/2011/02/tokyo-part-3-very-special-ramen.html">my previous visit</a>. Mr Noodleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13327242172810414292noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8659859995099007525.post-349808777630840012013-05-03T08:00:00.000+01:002013-05-03T08:00:21.117+01:00Food Bloggers Aren't Necessarily Hipsters - The ProofThere are some tired restaurant critics in the 'old' media who relentlessly bang on about hipsters and food bloggers as if they're one and the same. This is, of course, total bollocks. And if you don't believe me, here's the proof as depicted by a Venn diagram.<br />
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If <b>A = Hipsters</b> and <b>B = Food Bloggers</b> then the intersection <b>A n B = Hipsters AND Food Bloggers</b> (to those bad at maths, the intersection is the shaded area).<br />
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As the Venn diagram clearly demonstrates, while there are hipsters who are food bloggers, there are those that aren't. And by the same token, there are food bloggers – myself included – who aren't hipsters (not that's there anything wrong with being a hipster). <br />
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Not getting it? Well here's another example to explain the logic involved. <br />
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If <b>A = Professional Restaurant Critics</b> and <b>B = Grumpy Middle Aged Blokes Who Dislike Social Media</b> then the intersection <b>A n B = Grumpy Middle Aged Male Professional Restaurant Critics Who Dislike Social Media*</b>. In other words, not all professional restaurant critics are grumpy middle aged blokes who get the hump about social media.<br />
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<b>*</b> <i>The terms 'Dimond' and 'Sexton' are often used to describe this category of restaurant critic.</i> Mr Noodleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13327242172810414292noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8659859995099007525.post-58925644332197288342013-04-25T08:30:00.000+01:002013-04-25T08:30:02.553+01:00The Way We Used To EatWhat were you doing in 2002? Were you at school, college or university? Or maybe you'd just started work. Me? I was, as I am now, living and working in London. I was just about hanging on to my twenties. I had more hair, and it was largely black. I'd like to say I was slimmer, but that would be a lie. Was I as obsessed about food as I am now? Probably not, but I did enjoy eating out to the extent that I was the proud owner of the <b>2002 Time Out Eating & Drinking Guide</b>. I came across my copy when I was having a tidy up. Needless to say, this meant that I spent a good few hours flicking through it instead of clearing out crap in my flat. <br />
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Browsing through the guide, I was particularly fascinated by the changes over the last decade or so in how we eat and what we eat in London's restaurants. Take burgers, for example; the options in 2002 would absolutely horrify the <i>burgerati</i> of today. Without irony, <b><a href="http://www.hardrock.com/locations/cafes3/cafe.aspx?LocationID=91&MIBEnumID=3">Hard Rock Café</a></b>, <b><a href="http://www.planethollywoodlondon.com/">Planet Hollywood</a></b> and <b><a href="http://www.tgifridays.co.uk/london-covent-garden">TGI Friday's</a></b> all appear in the 2002 guide as do <b><a href="http://www.edseasydiner.com/">Ed's Easy Diner</a></b> and the long-departed <b><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2009/oct/12/tootsies-burger-chain-in-administration">Tootsies</a></b>. <br />
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Back then, there was no <b><a href="http://www.pattyandbun.co.uk/">Patty & Bun</a></b>, no <b><a href="http://www.byronhamburgers.com/">Byron</a></b> and no spawn of <b><a href="http://www.themeatwagon.co.uk/">Meatwagon</a></b>. In fact the best in class was the original, and in those days, sole <b><a href="http://www.gbk.co.uk/">Gourmet Burger Kitchen (GBK)</a></b> outlet on Northcote Road. In the words of Time Out: <i>'We're talking better than Eds, better than Hard Rock'</i>. I was a big fan, and while GBK has since lost its lustre through over-expansion, it was a harbinger of better things to come. Whilst GBK might not be the godfather of the burger revolution that we have seen in the 21st century, it can certainly be considered a stepping-stone. <br />
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It's not just the burger scene that has changed beyond all recognition; London's Chinese restaurant scene has evolved, too. Dim sum was just beginning to break out of its for-us-by-us-Chinatown-ghetto with the opening of <b><a href="http://www.hakkasan.com/hanway-place/">Hakkasan</a></b> in 2001. Other signs of this sea-change included the expansion of the <b><a href="http://clients.iciclesolutions.com.hk/royal_china/index.html">Royal China</a></b> mini-chain and the likes of <b><a href="http://eatlovenoodles.blogspot.com/2009/10/review-phoenix-palace-cantonese-london.html">Phoenix Palace</a></b> opening up in not-particularly-Chineser parts of town such as Marylebone. Fast-forward to 2013, and there is little doubt that pretty much all of the <a href="http://eatlovenoodles.blogspot.jp/2011/12/dim-sum-in-london-december-2011-update.html">capital's finest dim sum eateries</a> are found outside of Chinatown.<br />
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Going back to 2002, London's best Chinese restaurants were dominated by Hong Kong-style Cantonese joints serving up authentic dim sum, seafood and <a href="http://eatlovenoodles.blogspot.jp/2009/12/cantonese-bbq-three-roasts.html">roast meats</a> in parallel with a menu serving westernised dishes for the perceived tastes of the non-Chineser. While this style of restaurant still predominates today, there is so much more variety with many regions of China represented in the capital. In particular, as in China itself, Sichuan cuisine has emerged as the main challenger to the Cantonese hegemony. In turn, many Cantonese places now translate their menu in full to showcase their hitherto hidden delights. So, while not quite up to the standards seen in New York, Toronto or Sydney, there has been a big improvement in the quality and diversity of Chinese cuisine in London. <br />
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If you thought the burger scene was a bit crap in 2002, it was positively buzzing compared to what passed as ramen in London. Then as now, <b><a href="http://eatlovenoodles.blogspot.com/2012/11/pork-ramen-wagamama.html">Wagamama</a></b> was the mainstream option, but there were very few specialist indie ramen shops. In fact, scouring the Time Out guide, the only joint that seemed to put ramen first in those days was <b><a href="http://eatlovenoodles.blogspot.com/2009/10/review-ramen-seto-japanese-london.html">Ramen Seto</a></b>. I reviewed it in 2009; it was decent enough but compared to the <a href="http://eatlovenoodles.blogspot.com/2013/01/world-of-noodles-9-quick-guide-to-ramen.html">new generation of ramen shops</a>, it now seems all a bit old-fashioned. <br />
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Every era has its culinary trends and places-to-be-seen-at. Looking back at the early-noughties, it would seem that I was more a dedicated follower of fashion than I am today. <b><a href="http://www.hardens.com/restaurant-news/uk-london/22-05-12/first-sight-of-cafe-zedel/">Atlantic Bar & Grill</a></b>, <b><a href="http://www.standard.co.uk/goingout/restaurants/a-royal-old-kingsway-booze-up-6341196.html">Bank</a></b> and numerous Terence Conran restaurants were all ticked off my list. And knowing what I now know, I am a tad horrified that I was a big fan of <b><a href="http://www.smithsofsmithfield.co.uk/">Smiths of Smithfield</a></b>, which had a certain <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Torode">John Torode</a> in charge of the kitchen. In my defence, he hadn't appeared on <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MasterChef_(UK_TV_series)">MasterChef</a> at that point in time, and the cocktail bar was brilliant. <br />
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Many of these places served up food, which fused Middle Eastern, South Asian and East Asian flavours into dishes served the European way. Sometimes this worked, other times it didn't. <i>Plus ça change</i>. And while the quality of the food was often variable, all of these places had a fantastic buzz. All of which makes me wonder if <b><a href="http://www.balthazarlondon.com/index.html">Balthazar's</a></b> arrival on the London scene is at least a decade too late in that punters nowadays place as much emphasis, if not more, on the food than the atmosphere. <br />
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The last decade or so has seen the rise and fall of a certain Gordon Ramsay. Back in 2002 he hadn't quite reached his commercial peak, but it could be argued that the restaurants in his stable were at their creative peak. In particular, <b><a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/restaurants/3291790/Are-you-ready-to-order-This-week-Petrus.html">Petrus</a></b>, which in those days was an intimate restaurant in St James, operated by his then best mate, Marcus Wareing. I had the privilege of eating there around that time (I did tell you I was a restaurant whore back in the day) and it remains one of the best meals I've ever had. <br />
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Original Petrus is a rare instance of when things were better back in the day (another one is Antonio Carluccio's <b><a href="http://www.standard.co.uk/goingout/restaurants/carluccio-forced-to-close-neal-street-restaurant-7168605.html">Neal Street Restaurant</a></b> – what the capital would give nowadays for a centrally located Italian restaurant of that quality) but on the whole, London's restaurant scene has just got better and better. Whether it's up there with the best in the world, well that's another question for another day. Mr Noodleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13327242172810414292noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8659859995099007525.post-90260495313072017752013-04-16T07:30:00.000+01:002013-04-16T07:30:03.756+01:00The Copenhagen ModelOver the last decade or so, Copenhagen has become one of the must-visit foodie destinations. With all due respect to the Danish capital, this would have been scarcely believable a generation ago. After all, Danish food isn't traditionally thought of as being one of the world's major cuisines, and nor is Copenhagen - unlike London - a metropolis that draws big name chefs from all four corners of the world. So just what is it that makes the restaurant scene in Copenhagen so exciting? <br />
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If I was being facetious I would say that it's as simple as giving my restaurant a trendy one-word name like Noma, Radio or Geist; staffing it with bright young things in check shirts and aprons; getting some stylish interior designers in and using some weeds found growing by the side of the road as garnish. If only if it was simple as that. The thing is when it comes to style over substance, you'll get found out sooner or later. No, there has to be something more to it. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisIhpgJBRQ7z4AdyEWwBlwN6xRssNUUxg49iPI-ne6HibGMTD33WN5JLml1RQEcGE9yXP4GMMzrHUFF4utPlxfr8e_wdSuX4K0PqeVZH2EWPp__v_zcKJrD_-3mVi9xCCXTytnjIIxekQ/s1600/NaSNrZwScqSHi2WFkXloc3NLtaXv8goF8wo6odCDoP8%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisIhpgJBRQ7z4AdyEWwBlwN6xRssNUUxg49iPI-ne6HibGMTD33WN5JLml1RQEcGE9yXP4GMMzrHUFF4utPlxfr8e_wdSuX4K0PqeVZH2EWPp__v_zcKJrD_-3mVi9xCCXTytnjIIxekQ/s1600/NaSNrZwScqSHi2WFkXloc3NLtaXv8goF8wo6odCDoP8%5B1%5D.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Raw salmon, horseradish crisp with macadamia nuts </td></tr>
</tbody></table>For me, it's the 'anything goes' mentality that brings different ingredients together in a fresh, imaginative and visually arresting manner that makes eating in Copenhagen so exciting. For example, dishes like <b>poached egg topped with raw mushroom, mushroom confit and fried chicken skin</b> at <b><a href="http://manfreds.dk/en">Manfreds & Vin</a></b> or the <b>raw salmon, horseradish crisp with macadamia nuts</b> at <b><a href="http://restaurantgeist.dk/en/">Geist</a></b>, which combine different flavours and textures in a single plate. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, but who cares as long as they're having a crack.<br />
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As has become quite common, the food doesn't necessarily follow the traditional three-course structure. Instead, a mix and match of small, medium and large dishes to be shared (or not) as well as tasting menus where you leave it to the chef are all the rage. Oh, and another thing I like about eating in Copenhagen is that many restaurants offer you a glimpse of the action with a ringside seat peering into an open kitchen. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wood pigeon sausages</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I know these attributes don't necessarily make a restaurant 'Copenhagen-style', but the thing with a smaller city is that a 'scene' can develop in a way it can't in London or New York, where there are many different culinary voices wanting their song to be heard. That said, in parallel to developments in Denmark, restaurants with a similar ethos are popping up everywhere. For example, <b><a href="http://thecloveclub.com/">The Clove Club</a></b> in London is wowing punters with its no-choice tasting menu (I want those wood pigeon sausages!). Although derided by bitter, cynical hacks as <a href="http://www.timeout.com/london/restaurants/clove-club">food-for-Instagram</a> or <a href="http://www.standard.co.uk/goingout/restaurants/the-clove-club--restaurant-review-8522149.html">cuisine du blogeur</a>, I really hope this is one trend that is here to stay.Mr Noodleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13327242172810414292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8659859995099007525.post-62713921822200564952013-04-04T07:30:00.000+01:002013-04-04T07:30:04.369+01:00Ippudo - The Weight of Expectations<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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To those of you who aren't noodle geeks, <b>Ippudo</b> (一風堂) is a Japanese restaurant group famed for its <a href="http://eatlovenoodles.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/world-of-noodles-9-quick-guide-to-ramen.html">ramen</a>, in particular its tonkotsu ramen. In recent years it has expanded from its original Fukuoka base to other parts of Japan and beyond. In fact I first heard about Ippudo from rave reviews of its New York outlet. So when I found out there was a branch in Singapore plans were made to go there during my recent trip to the island state. But the thing with renowned restaurants is the weight of expectations. Would Ippudo come up to scratch?<br />
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I went for the <b>Shiromaru Special (S$23)</b> – a classic Hakata-style tonkotsu ramen featuring cha shu pork, braised pork belly (kakuni), cabbage, spring onions, egg (tamago), and bamboo shoots (menma). First impressions were good; I was asked how I wanted my noodles done (medium) and they did have a nice bite to them. And as is customary, they were the thin noodles that should be served with tonkotsu. The toppings were by and large of decent quality – in particular the pork belly. However, there wasn't much of the cha shu and the egg (oddly served whole) was decidedly weird with the white not entirely cooked through in some places despite the yolk not being runny. <br />
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I could forgive all of the above shortcomings if the tonkotsu broth was top class. It wasn't. Being in Asia, I expected the proper primeval, slightly disturbing whiff of molten collagen in a milky white broth. So I was disappointed when that wasn't the case. It was far from being a bad broth; it just wasn't as good as I thought it should be. <br />
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Onto the sides and I went for a <b>pork bun</b> and a <b>shrimp bun</b>. The actual steamed buns were of the finest quality, but the bun-to-filling ratio was all wrong. The respective fillings consisted of a tiny slice of pork belly and a solo breaded shrimp reminiscent of something found in a supermarket freezer cabinet. My overriding memory was just how much bloody lettuce there was in each bun. I guess I can't grumble too much, as the buns cost a mere <b>S$3</b> each, but I will. <br />
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To be fair to Ipuddo, perhaps I was all-noodled out following the <a href="http://eatlovenoodles.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/singapore-noodles-x-3.html">noodle crawl</a> I had embarked on earlier that day. Or maybe I ordered the wrong things. Some mentioned on twitter that I should have ordered the <b>Akamaru</b>, which comes with a miso paste-bomb and black sesame oil. That's all well and good, but the underlying tonkotsu soup base would have been the same as the Shiromaru I ordered. <br />
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I had hoped Ippudo would be to ramen what <b><a href="http://dtflondonfanclub.blogspot.co.uk/">Din Tai Fung</a></b> is to xiao long bao (I wished I had gone to Din Tai Fung, as there were a couple of branches <a href="http://eatlovenoodles.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/republic-of-din-tai-fung.html">nearby</a>). It wasn't. There wasn't that much wrong with my food, it's just that Ippudo promised <i>so</i> much more. That's the problem with expectations.<br />
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<i><a href="http://www.ippudo.com.sg/">Ippudo</a>, Mandarin Gallery, 333A Orchard Rd, Singapore 238897</i><br />
<i>(Tel: +65-6235-2797) Nearest MRT: Somerset</i>Mr Noodleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13327242172810414292noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8659859995099007525.post-86092387488530950422013-03-26T06:30:00.000+00:002013-03-26T06:30:02.576+00:00Singapore Noodles X 3Following my trip to <a href="http://eatlovenoodles.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/bangalore.html">Bangalore</a>, I spent a couple of nights in Singapore. While it really was a flying visit, I did have a spare Sunday to kill. This, of course, could only mean one thing: a noodle crawl. But this wasn't any normal noodle crawl, as Shu Han, author of <b><a href="http://mummyicancook.blogspot.co.uk/">Mummy I Can Cook</a></b>, provided me with a list of noodle stalls I HAD to sample in Singapore. I couldn't visit all of her suggestions, but I thought going to three of them was feasible. <br />
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First up on my itinerary was a famous stall called <b>Hill Street Tai Hwa Pork Noodle</b>. Having arrived just before 11.30am, I thought I might miss the lunchtime rush. How wrong was I. In the end, I didn't get to eat my noodles until 12.50pm. I was going to go for either the S$6 or S$8 priced bowl, but having queued for so long I went for the large <b>S$10</b> bowl of <b><i>bak chor mee</i></b> (肉脞面).<br />
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Given the length of time I queued, I was kind of cursing Shu Han. However, any ill will I may have had towards her soon dissipated when I tucked into this sumptuous dish of springy broad <i><b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mee_pok">mee pok</a></b></i> noodles (面薄) in a spiky mix of chilli and vinegar. The generous toppings of ground pork, sliced pork, meatballs, wontons and bits of crispy fried fish were good quality. (I asked for no liver, as I'm not the biggest fan.) On the side was a bowl of seaweed soup that I used to loosen up the noodles that can clag. With hindsight I should've asked for more chilli, but overall this was the finest bowl of noodles I've sampled so far this year.<br />
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I was ahead of schedule when I left the hotel but I was now some way behind. Having heard that the <b>Hill Street Fried Kway Teow</b> stall often sell out early, I decided to change my plans and headed east on the MRT to Bedok New Town to sample their <b><i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Char_kway_teow">char kway teow</a></i></b> (炒粿条). Yet again there was a queue, but mercifully I managed to get my noodles by 2.10pm. <br />
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I'll be honest. <i>Char kway teow</i> isn't really one of my favourite noodle dishes, but this version could change my mind. It really did have the breath of the wok (鑊氣 <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wok#Wok_hei">wok hei</a>) with a perfect balance of smoky, sweet with a hint of chilli heat. I went for the small <b>S$3</b> portion, so there weren't as many cockles and Chinese sausage as I might have liked. This version had some egg noodles as well as <i>ho fun</i> rice noodles in the mix, but my favourite part of this dish were the crispy bits of pork fat. Mmm, pork fat.<br />
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After this second helping of noodles, I was a bit full. And having travelled so far out to Bedok, I decided to go for a stroll around the town centre. This would prove to be a big mistake. I thought I had time on my side, but by the time I rolled up to the <b>Old Airport Road Food Centre</b>, it was too late, too late to try the noodles at <b>Nam Sing Hokkien Fried Mee</b>. The guys at that stall had sold out of stuff by the time I got there. I felt that I had failed in my noodle quest, but then a phoenix rose from the flames. Well, more precisely a crumpled bit of paper with Shu Han's noodle tips on it. On there were the words: '<i>try fishball noodles at Old Airport Road???</i>' and that's what I did. <br />
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I'm not sure how I came across the simply named <b>Teochew Fishball</b> 潮州魚丸 stall, but I do remember the fishball uncle asking me '<i>nei sik mat ye?</i>' in Cantonese. Bowled over by his friendly greeting of 'what do you wanna eat?' I went through the various options with him: <i>wet or dry? noodle type? fishballs or a mix of fishballs and fishcake?</i> I plumped for <b>dry fishball noodles (S$3)</b>. 'Dry' in this context means that the fishballs are served in a separate bowl of broth (by the way the broth is pretty flavourless, as its primary purpose is to loosen up the noodles). Springy is the word I would use to describe both the fishballs and thin noodles. Together with a zingy chilli dressing, this was a superior bowl of noodles.<br />
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Notwithstanding the Hokkien mee fail, the noodle crawl was a great success. If I were to do it again, I would have a late breakfast at Tai Hwa (I later found out the stall opens at 9am) before going onto the other stalls at Bedok and Old Airport Road. With a 9am start and allowing for travel time, I reckon you would be all done shortly after noon.<br />
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<i><a href="http://www.taihwa.com.sg/">Hill Street Tai Hwa Pork Noodle</a>, Block 466 Crawford Lane, #01-12 Singapore 190465<br />
Nearest MRT: Lavender</i> <br />
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<i>Teochew Fishball, Old Airport Road Food Centre, Singapore 390019<br />
Nearest MRT: Dakota</i> <br />
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<i>Hill Street Fried Kway Teow, #01-41 Bedok New Town Food Centre, Singapore 460549<br />
Nearest MRT: Bedok</i> <br />
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PS: Thanks once more to 面妹妹 aka Shu Han, I hope I did you proud! Mr Noodleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13327242172810414292noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8659859995099007525.post-10614648318584200952013-03-20T08:14:00.000+00:002013-03-20T08:14:20.474+00:00Dim Sum @ Bright Courtyard <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>Left: Shanghai Dumplings aka Xiao Long Bao; Right: King Prawn Dumplings aka Har Gau</i></div>
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<i>Left: Sea Bass Roll; Right: Scallop Siu Mai</i></div>
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<i>Left: Black Sesame Balls; Right: Snow Fungus in Papaya Sweet Soup</i></div>
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Go, just go. Surely the photos have already convinced you. I won't bang on about <b>Bright Courtyard</b> too much, but its dim sum is amongst the <a href="http://eatlovenoodles.blogspot.co.uk/2011/12/dim-sum-in-london-december-2011-update.html">best in London</a>. </div>
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The <b><i><a href="http://eatlovenoodles.blogspot.co.uk/2009/08/shanghai-bao-part-1-xiao-long-bao.html">xiao long bao</a></i></b> were the best I've had in London whilst the <i><b><a href="http://eatlovenoodles.blogspot.co.uk/2012/01/king-of-dim-sum-har-gau.html">har gau</a></b></i> and <i><b>scallop siu mai</b></i> were top notch, too. Other classics such as <b>fried cuttlefish cake</b>, <b><i>cha siu bao</i></b> and <b><i><a href="http://eatlovenoodles.blogspot.co.uk/2011/11/world-of-noodles-8-cheung-fun.html">cheung fun</a></i></b> passed muster, although the one relative let-down was the pedestrian <b><i><a href="http://eatlovenoodles.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/wu-gok-dim-sum-legend.html">wu gok</a></i></b> (taro croquette). And let's not forget the <b>braised <a href="http://eatlovenoodles.blogspot.co.uk/2010/10/world-of-noodles-5-e-fu-noodles.html">e-fu noodles</a></b>, which were also, you guessed it, pretty tasty! </div>
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Going slightly off-piste, I preferred the <b>deep-fried almond prawn balls</b> with its soup filling to the <b>deep-fried prawn & mango dumpling</b>. However, both were eclipsed by the exemplary <b>sea bass roll</b>; crispy fish wrapped around julienned mooli (and other stuff) sat in a Sichuan peppercorn-infused puddle of dressing.</div>
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The sweet stuff such as <b><a href="http://www.tastehongkong.com/recipes/white-fungus-snow-ear-fungus-sweet-soup-with-papaya/">snow fungus in papaya sweet soup</a></b>, <b>pumpkin dumplings</b> and <b>black sesame-filled balls</b> were also of the highest quality. Dim sum like this doesn't come cheap with prices of individual dishes starting at around the <b>£3.50</b> mark. Our bill came to roughly <b>£30/head</b> but if you strip out the booze then you can get away with <b>£25/head</b> including tea and service.<br />
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I'd also like to return here for dinner to explore the a la carte menu, which is predominantly Shanghainese in contrast to the largely Cantonese dim sum selection. <br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/52/1736833/restaurant/Marylebone/Bright-Courtyard-London"><img alt="Bright Courtyard on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/logo/1736833/biglogo.gif" style="border: currentColor; height: 34px; padding: 0px; width: 104px;" /></a><br />
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<i><a href="http://www.lifefashiongroup.com/home.html">Bright Courtyard</a>, 43-45 Baker St, London W1U 8EW (Tel: 020-7486-6998)</i><br />
<i>Nearest station: Baker St</i><br />
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PS: Special thanks to <a href="http://www.theinsatiableeater.com/"><b>The Insatiable Eater</b></a> for introducing me to this fine restaurant. Mr Noodleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13327242172810414292noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8659859995099007525.post-7176302532217454782013-03-14T21:00:00.000+00:002013-03-14T21:00:00.630+00:00BangaloreI'm such a slack blogger these days. There was a time I would've knocked out a series of posts on my recent trip to <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bangalore">Bangalore</a></b>, but I really can't be arsed so you'll have to make do with just one. It's not that I ate badly, far from it, but the sheer variety left me bewildered on how to make sense of it all. For instance, I ate at places described as North Indian, South Indian, Veg, Non-veg, Punjab, Parsi, Gujarati, Rajasthani, Coastal, Railway-style, Multi-cuisine and Chinese (no, really). This scattergun approach manifested itself in one place that had minestrone and burgers on its otherwise North Indian menu. This isn't apparently unusual, as restaurateurs widen the net to pull in Bangalore's bright young things, many of who hail from other parts of India. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">South Indian Breakfast</td></tr>
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Of the food I tried (and I tried a lot) my favourite was <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Indian_cuisine">South Indian cuisine</a></b>. In particular, I adored breakfast dishes such as a bowl of <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sambar_(dish)">sambar</a></b> ready to be dipped with <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idli">idli</a></b> and <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vada_(food)">vada</a></b>, and of course the classic <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dosa">masala dosa</a></b>. It wasn't just breakfast, I loved mopping up all kinds of curry with various breads, pancakes and <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idiyappam">stringhoppers</a></b> for lunch and dinner, too. One place that does this style of food well is <b><a href="http://www.thegatewayhotels.com/residencyroadbangalore/restaurants.aspx">Karavalli</a></b> (round the back of the Gateway Hotel). Don't be put off by the fact it's a hotel restaurant, as it manages to maintain a discrete identity. Let the waiters guide you on ordering, but make sure you order loads of <strong><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Appam">appam</a></strong>, <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neer_dosa">neer dosa</a></b> and super-flaky <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malabari_paratha">Malabar paratha</a></b>. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtF4hNqlxYYuvKUF8Jf1y0YS6LO6dVGrrNdNZ9ZY_OYAB7QDuYr70TOY3dObxpC66Rw46g7J6n7NQrtmZ4HvpgaoFHyhHWmeoMeOAFXzfmsewoIHksuDd4iwuFeevZktGc2qUEjfNwoDo/s1600/IMG_20130226_223047.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtF4hNqlxYYuvKUF8Jf1y0YS6LO6dVGrrNdNZ9ZY_OYAB7QDuYr70TOY3dObxpC66Rw46g7J6n7NQrtmZ4HvpgaoFHyhHWmeoMeOAFXzfmsewoIHksuDd4iwuFeevZktGc2qUEjfNwoDo/s200/IMG_20130226_223047.jpg" height="260" width="260" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6pNUfHX3422gm8zkTcOflsH3zxR7gXXdBZkhMDUUsaPy5745-1pUCMBNPV4aoaTT3YSsRmS67s16hcu8rr1AGLMWT_fmVjeHFLixZ5g0KnPZMbDPJplXfRR-lYwHzOZJYPW7-iJCvz7Q/s1600/IMG_20130226_222749.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6pNUfHX3422gm8zkTcOflsH3zxR7gXXdBZkhMDUUsaPy5745-1pUCMBNPV4aoaTT3YSsRmS67s16hcu8rr1AGLMWT_fmVjeHFLixZ5g0KnPZMbDPJplXfRR-lYwHzOZJYPW7-iJCvz7Q/s200/IMG_20130226_222749.jpg" height="260" width="260" /></a><br />
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I would love to tell you more about the curries I ate but I often didn't get to see a menu, and when I asked, the reply was 'chicken', 'fish', 'veg' etc. Having said that, I didn't have much of a clue of what I was eating when I did order at <b><a href="http://rajdhani.co.in/">Rajdhani</a></b>. This restaurant served vegetarian <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thali">thali</a></b> from Rajasthan and Gujarat. Yes, that's right I am recommending a fully vegetarian restaurant in my blog. To be honest, the fact it didn't serve booze irked me more than the lack of meat and fish. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZqmBYFfML8jixAZbbq1huY54ST9yoCmDEYHFELw2Iu1JxxNddo_XcB9f2yjElOLt5oHb3uI4rXvzJazsjoWoah_70YQwrkewfyLXREHSf7pnOaUUmxfhkQHV42igPbG2_gtfgwRZq68w/s1600/2013-03-01+19.59.01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZqmBYFfML8jixAZbbq1huY54ST9yoCmDEYHFELw2Iu1JxxNddo_XcB9f2yjElOLt5oHb3uI4rXvzJazsjoWoah_70YQwrkewfyLXREHSf7pnOaUUmxfhkQHV42igPbG2_gtfgwRZq68w/s400/2013-03-01+19.59.01.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thali</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I ordered the <b>Maharaja set thali</b>, which consisted of countless dishes served up by blokes who buzzed around the tables with fresh pots of various curries, dhals and all kinds of stuff. A man with freshly baked breads and another guy with rice and <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khichdi">khichuri</a></b> (rice-dhal combo) did the rounds, too. Looking back, bread guy along with potato curry man came round our table most frequently. From start to finish, I enjoyed it all. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHtYRTwHjRasIA2i8aKZ4ujvOT2JOOuaxuW58xwHED-J2fby21qeFI9bN2b6vaFOdQquTA27r1sa5PXUoDpMmH76Nloftng3dFzNffaHzeWtD5oasDsBQ55Ad3wHwzKkriHpenAARgjNY/s200/IMG_20130228_145440.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHtYRTwHjRasIA2i8aKZ4ujvOT2JOOuaxuW58xwHED-J2fby21qeFI9bN2b6vaFOdQquTA27r1sa5PXUoDpMmH76Nloftng3dFzNffaHzeWtD5oasDsBQ55Ad3wHwzKkriHpenAARgjNY/s200/IMG_20130228_145440.jpg" height="260" width="260" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QE45_y0gSQ0/UTmYkBZDRXI/AAAAAAACx4/sTNKlL8xwNk/s1600/IMG_20130227_222656.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgibebZr5ajSLrWiG_OuI7izuvdSbZZGqnbezsb1evkWlFR_KXLzpbdWCVZsicwnV7kOILIJxxzooAjKFdjLdg7rnknUyMteQX3gKIC4K2nUNZ_GN_WIwmKnzmqQJwGdFC3MGYKNv7_Uus/s200/IMG_20130227_222656.jpg" height="260" width="260" /></a><br />
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I usually found myself too full to sample Indian sweets, but on the occasions that I did, I found them too sweet. That's a shame, as I really like the idea of <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulab_jamun">gulab jamun</a></b> and <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jalebi">jalebi</a></b>. Quite possibly the strangest thing I ate was the local Chinese food. I wasn't a big fan of the couple of places I went to, as they were caught between the two stools of casual Indo-Chinese food and the real deal. Mind you, there was one dish I liked: <b><a href="http://whatanindianrecipe.com/continental/drums-of-heaven-recipe.html">chicken lollipops</a></b> (aka <b>Drums of Heaven</b> in the posher places I was taken to). These spicy, tangy chicken wings were very moreish. I'm pretty sure I've barely scratched the surface of the food in Bangalore, and I wish I had the chance to explore a few more places freestyle. Having said that, I was fed well and my love of Indian food has been rekindled.
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">sheng jian bao 生煎包</td></tr>
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Indeed Shanghai is not alone, as many cities around the world have at least one signature dish. I'm thinking of Naples and its pizza; Beijing's crispy skinned duck; Philadelphia cheesesteak; jambalaya from New Orleans; paella Valenciana and Hakata's tonkotsu ramen. But London doesn't really have a signature dish. At this point, some of you may be screaming 'jellied eels' and 'pie & mash' at the screen, but I'm talking about contemporary London, not some 'My Fair Lady' fantasy London of yesteryear.<br />
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Come to think of it, London doesn't even have a phoney signature dish such as Singapore noodles or chicken Madras. Sadder still, despite welcoming people from all around the world, there isn't a London signature dish with DNA from beyond these shores. This is particularly piss poor on the capital's part when you consider that Birmingham has its balti. <br />
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But does it matter? Not really, but I think it's a bit sad (although my inner-northerner thinks it's bloody hilarious) that the capital doesn't have a dish to call its own. So let's have a crack at creating 'A Dish for London' - your ideas are needed!Mr Noodleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13327242172810414292noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8659859995099007525.post-3394326044192955282013-02-28T13:10:00.000+00:002013-02-28T16:24:12.930+00:00Off The Blog 7 - Eating In SohoIt's been a hell of a long time since I last did an 'Off The Blog' summary. 15 months to be precise. Well, better late than never, here are three places in Soho to get your chopsticks into. <br />
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One of my favourite Vietnamese dishes is <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B%C3%A1nh_cu%E1%BB%91n">bánh cuốn</a></b>, a rice noodle roll that shares some similarities with Cantonese <a href="http://eatlovenoodles.blogspot.co.uk/2011/11/world-of-noodles-8-cheung-fun.html">cheung fun</a>. Although there are many Vietnamese restaurants in London, few sell this superior dish. Café East in Surrey Quays does, but its version doesn't come anywhere close to the bánh cuốn at <b>Cây Tre Soho</b>. Filled with ground pork, wood ear and shitake mushrooms, a large portion makes an ideal light lunch. Recommended. <br />
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<i>For a previous review of this restaurant, <a href="http://eatlovenoodles.blogspot.co.uk/2011/08/lunch-cay-tre-soho.html">click here</a>.</i><br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/52/1594617/restaurant/Soho/Cay-Tre-Soho-London"><img alt="Cay Tre Soho on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/logo/1594617/minilogo.gif" style="border: none; height: 15px; padding: 0px; width: 104px;" /></a><br />
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<i><a href="http://www.caytresoho.co.uk/index.php">Cây Tre</a>, 42-43 Dean Street, London W1D 4QD (Tel: 020-7317-9118)<br />
Nearest tube: Leicester Square, Tottenham Court Road</i><br />
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Following a long forgotten incident involving Pa Noodles getting the hump about some over-battered fried squid, I hadn't been to <b>Golden Dragon</b> in a long, long time. In the intervening years this Chinatown veteran has barely changed. As far as the food goes, there were some moments of class such as the <b>chive dumplings</b> in the photo and the <b>beef satay fried ho fun noodles</b>. Less successful was a dish of over-greasy <b>fried dough stick cheung fun</b> and some lacklustre <b>xiao long bao</b>. That said, I enjoyed my lunch in this buzzy atmospheric Cantonese restaurant. And while there is superior dim sum to be had in the capital, Golden Dragon is one of the better choices in Chinatown. <br />
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<i>For a guide to my favourite London dim sum restaurants, <a href="http://eatlovenoodles.blogspot.co.uk/2011/12/dim-sum-in-london-december-2011-update.html">click here</a>.</i><br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/52/564249/restaurant/Chinatown/Golden-Dragon-London"><img alt="Golden Dragon on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/logo/564249/minilogo.gif" style="border: none; height: 15px; padding: 0px; width: 104px;" /></a><br />
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<i>Golden Dragon, 28-29 Gerrard St, London, W1D 6JW (Tel: 020-7734-1073)<br />
Nearest tube: Leicester Square</i><br />
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<b>Soho Ramen</b> is the latest offering from <b>Tonkotsu Bar and Ramen</b>, which sees own-made ramen noodles paired with shio-based pork and chicken broth topped off with smoked haddock, a bit of caviar, pak choi, half an egg, menma and spring onion. The clear, mellow soup (a lighter style compared to this restaurant's signature tonkotsu broth) is an ideal match for the toppings, as it allows the flavour of the smoked haddock to shine through. But the real star of the show is the own-made ramen; these springy alkali noodles are arguably the best of their kind in the capital. I previously had <a href="http://eatlovenoodles.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/shoryu-ramen-listening-restaurant.html">Shoryu</a> and <a href="http://eatlovenoodles.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/rock-n-roll-ramen-bone-daddies.html">Bone Daddies</a> ahead of Tonkotsu in my London ramen rankings, but on this showing I may just have to reappraise my opinion. <br />
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<i>For a previous review of this restaurant, <a href="http://eatlovenoodles.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/the-battle-of-tonkotsu-cocoro-v.html">click here</a>. And for more on ramen, <a href="http://eatlovenoodles.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/world-of-noodles-9-quick-guide-to-ramen.html">click here</a>.</i><br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/52/1687240/restaurant/Soho/Tonkotsu-London"><img alt="Tonkotsu on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/logo/1687240/minilogo.gif" style="border: none; height: 15px; padding: 0px; width: 104px;" /></a><br />
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<i><a href="http://www.tonkotsu.co.uk/">Tonkotsu Bar and Ramen</a>, 63 Dean Street, London W1D 4QG (Tel: 020-7437-0071)<br />
Nearest Tube: Leicester Square, Tottenham Court Road</i>Mr Noodleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13327242172810414292noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8659859995099007525.post-75997276993352882062013-02-19T08:00:00.000+00:002013-02-19T08:00:01.633+00:00Roujiamo 肉夹馍 by Mama Wang's Kitchen Originally from the province of <a href="http://eatlovenoodles.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/staples-of-shanxi-shaanxi.html"><b>Shaanxi</b> 陝西</a>, <i>roujiamo</i> 肉夹馍 is a common sight in China's larger cities, but it's rarely seen in the West. So I was really intrigued when I heard that a street stall called <b>Mama Wang's Kitchen</b> was knocking out this sandwich near Archway tube station.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjsGfftZLwo1QXnrwf4eBbrKodj1RB_d_0rW2_T4JuuNhFa27zxwXcCo6oug9dcsf9BVQ7RP-fao1XSLtwUiePELSXxpG3-Hn5Qc8ZoXbp-rbojHmaPjfQwPvVSBGVkQt8lsrCPfDhxas/s1600/2013-02-16+11.39.58.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjsGfftZLwo1QXnrwf4eBbrKodj1RB_d_0rW2_T4JuuNhFa27zxwXcCo6oug9dcsf9BVQ7RP-fao1XSLtwUiePELSXxpG3-Hn5Qc8ZoXbp-rbojHmaPjfQwPvVSBGVkQt8lsrCPfDhxas/s400/2013-02-16+11.39.58.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
To the uninitiated, <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rou_jia_mo">roujiamo</a></i> simply consists of slow-braised pork in a crispy unleavened bun, but in common with many street food dishes, vendors like to put their own spin on this classic. Mama Wang's <b>Chairman Mo (£5 for a large one)</b> is a generously filled sandwich full of red-braised pork cheeks (think of a pot bubbling away with star anise, cassia bark, cardamom amongst other aromatics), tiger salad and pork scratchings. <br />
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The pork cheeks are a great idea, as the tender meaty strands soak up the fragrant braising liquor. However, I would've liked to see some extra pork fat as well as more punch from the star anise. I'd also ditch the tiger salad; it was a good salad but the coriander was fine on its own and the julienned carrot and cucumber felt surplus to requirements. On the plus side, the pork scratchings are a welcome addition giving a contrast in texture as well as injecting some naughtiness to the sarnie. <br />
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As purveyors of traditional Shaanxi-style flatbreads are a bit thin on the ground in north London, Mama Wang's use English muffins. I'm not sure the muffin really works in the same way as the flatbread does in the original version, but there aren't too many alternatives. The only one I can think of is pitta bread, but then again that's probably too thin for <i>roujiamo</i>. Some of you may be thinking steamed Chinese <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mantou">mantou</a></i> could be the answer. This would no doubt make a great sandwich, but it wouldn't be a <i>roujiamo</i>. If any of you can think of a solution to this conundrum, do let Mama Wang's know. <br />
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I fear I'm coming across as a bit of a grumpy bollocks in this review. I don't mean to. All told, Mama Wang's <i>roujiamo</i> is a more than welcome addition to London's street food scene. Yes, they could tweak it more to my tastes, but then again not everyone is a salad dodging, pork fat loving, star anise worshipper. So if you do find yourself down on the Holloway Road on a Saturday, give the Chairman Mo a try.<br />
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<i><a href="http://www.mamawangskitchen.com/">Mama Wang's Kitchen</a> - stall outside Budgens on Holloway Road</i><br />
<i>Open Saturdays 10am-4pm</i><br />
<i>Nearest stations: Archway, Upper Holloway</i>Mr Noodleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13327242172810414292noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8659859995099007525.post-73957831922730023502013-02-08T07:45:00.000+00:002013-02-08T07:45:01.076+00:00Neptune Oyster - Boston's FinestI was going to do a round-up of the eats on my recent visit to Boston, but in the end I couldn't be arsed. It's not that the places where I ate were bad; in fact they were pretty decent. It's just that they weren't <b>Neptune Oyster</b>. This intimate seafood joint is a truly special place that really captures the essence of Boston. <br />
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We kicked off with the <b>steamed Wellfleet littlenecks</b>, an Iberian-inspired dish and one of the best things I have eaten in a long, long time. A perfect marriage between juicy littleneck clams, freshly caught off Cape Cod, and a sharp, tangy <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albari%C3%B1o">Albarino</a>-based broth full of flavour from chorizo and roasted garlic finished off with parsley and lemon. A side order of bread is obligatory to mop up the broth. This dish was so good we ordered a second helping! <br />
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Our other appetizer was <b>Neptunes on Piggyback</b> - crispy fried oysters on top of pulled Berkshire pork with golden raisin confiture and pistachio aioli on toast. It sounds a bit ambitious but all the components worked well together. In addition to a second helping of littlenecks, we ordered <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cioppino">Cioppino</a></b>, an Italian-American fish stew served with saffron rice for our mains (or entrees as the Americans weirdly insist on calling main courses). This was good but it seemed a little monochrome when compared to the technicolor littlenecks. <br />
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As American portion sizes are <i>that</i> much bigger, we were full after sharing three starters and a main between two. In fact, I think the way to go at Neptune is to order a spread of starters and maybe something from the raw bar as opposed to the traditional starter-main combo. For those weirdos that dislike seafood, I spied burger and steak on the menu but if you're a veggie then you're pretty much screwed. <br />
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One last thing, Neptune Oyster is a tiny, no reservations joint. That said, you can put your name on a list at the door and they'll give you a time to return. There's a nearby pub called <a href="http://www.goodyglovers.com/"><b>Goody Glovers</b></a> where you can savour a couple of pints while waiting. <br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/4/53206/restaurant/North-End/Neptune-Oyster-Boston"><img alt="Neptune Oyster on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/logo/53206/biglogo.gif" style="border: none; height: 34px; padding: 0px; width: 104px;" /></a><br />
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<i><a href="http://www.neptuneoyster.com/index.html">Neptune Oyster</a>, 63 Salem St, Boston, MA 02113, USA</i><br />
<i>(Tel : +1 617-742-3474) Nearest station: Haymarket</i><br />
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PS: OK then, you've twisted my arm, here are a couple of other tips for Boston. For <a href="http://instagram.com/p/U2YqpACxCb/">lobster</a>, try <a href="http://www.atlanticfishco.com/"><b>Atlantic Fish</b> </a>and for <a href="http://instagram.com/p/Uz4DPlCxDY/">steak</a>, try <b><a href="http://www.abeandlouies.com/">Abe & Louie's</a></b>. Neither is particularly cutting edge, but they're both comfortable and serve good quality food and wine. Sometimes that's all you need when you're far from home and knackered after a hard day at work.Mr Noodleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13327242172810414292noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8659859995099007525.post-80890271769350957132013-01-30T08:00:00.000+00:002013-01-30T08:00:08.754+00:00Dim Sum @ Hei La Moon 囍臨門'Chineser points' is a kind of game played by people, like myself, of Chinese-descent. There are no rules, but points are awarded or deducted for behaviour worthy or unworthy of being Chinese. To be honest, I'm not a great Chineser; I probably have a net points tally in the negative. However, as I get older I reckon I'm becoming better at accruing Chineser points. <br />
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Take, for example, my recent visit to Boston, where I bagged a monster haul of points by visiting one of the <i>most</i> Chinese restaurants I have ever come across. <b>Hei La Moon</b> 囍臨門 might be located in New England, but it is very much Old China. This <i>dai jau lau</i> 大酒樓 – the kind of place that serves multi-course banquets by night, and dim sum by day – ticks all the Chineser-boxes (and more) with its gaudy red and gold interior; trolley-service dim sum; fish tanks at the entrance; multi-generation Chinese clientele and, last but not least, a <a href="http://www.onlinechineseastrology.com/articles/108/Why-Is-The-Number-8-Considered-Lucky-In-China-.aspx">super-auspicious</a> address at 88 Beach St. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFELhcUTE7t1Gb7VBIdXb9gWYFhaiI4NZ-HAWhKOInGEYXztOpeo6fTGUynE04nGhdc7B4bC09BqbCtc1ouN0CCkpac1nAMWWF5ys8Lz-cr-hmIeLsHgcWEMj1SnWN7fg1LPpLiJCyYVc/s1600/2013-01-20+10.49.21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFELhcUTE7t1Gb7VBIdXb9gWYFhaiI4NZ-HAWhKOInGEYXztOpeo6fTGUynE04nGhdc7B4bC09BqbCtc1ouN0CCkpac1nAMWWF5ys8Lz-cr-hmIeLsHgcWEMj1SnWN7fg1LPpLiJCyYVc/s400/2013-01-20+10.49.21.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wu gok</td></tr>
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However, just because a restaurant looks the part doesn't necessarily mean the food delivers. At Hei La Moon, it does. Highlights included ginormous <i><a href="http://eatlovenoodles.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/wu-gok-dim-sum-legend.html">wu gok</a></i> 芋角 (these taro croquettes were so big that the trolley auntie cut them in half with scissors) and steamed chive dumplings (<i>gow choi gau</i> 韭菜餃) chock full of herby prawn goodness.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chive dumplings</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzUg8vwF5SzFroGfvBEEPsINlW8mwHG2MjS4bLCjcbSHf7RorJPrT8q4-0xLlhN3HruR85g9KRXaXOhJzWl2naIP8AsAiC_qdd0tlD3OoYhn4BL7h189gix1lmTtb9MAHDtskJYP4Iai0/s1600/2013-01-20+10.54.24.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzUg8vwF5SzFroGfvBEEPsINlW8mwHG2MjS4bLCjcbSHf7RorJPrT8q4-0xLlhN3HruR85g9KRXaXOhJzWl2naIP8AsAiC_qdd0tlD3OoYhn4BL7h189gix1lmTtb9MAHDtskJYP4Iai0/s400/2013-01-20+10.54.24.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cha siu bao</td></tr>
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The other dishes were pretty decent, too; classics (including <i>cha siu bao</i> 叉燒飽, <i>siu mai</i> 燒賣 and <i><a href="http://eatlovenoodles.blogspot.co.uk/2011/11/world-of-noodles-8-cheung-fun.html">cheung fun</a></i> 腸粉) were generous of portion and full of flavour. The only blot on the landscape was the <i><a href="http://eatlovenoodles.blogspot.co.uk/2012/01/king-of-dim-sum-har-gau.html">har gau</a></i> 蝦餃 that suffered from thick pastry syndrome, but this was partially redeemed by the tasty prawn filling that included slithers of bamboo shoots.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Har gau</td></tr>
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Sadly, as there were only two of us, we merely scratched the surface of the dim sum selection at Hei La Moon. For instance, we missed out on the delights from the dessert trolley, congee trolley, and a trolley where the auntie finished off pan-frying dishes such as <i>loh bak gao</i> (turnip cake 蘿蔔糕). At <b>US$35</b> for eight dishes, tea and a tip, our meal was amazing value. In truth, we over-ordered and we packed the leftovers in one of those iconic American takeaway containers.<br />
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Service was above par; the trolley aunties were friendly and efficient, and I was impressed by the manager who sent a waiter to fetch some dumplings from a trolley stranded at the other end of the dining room. But the real draw of this restaurant is its atmosphere; there's something particularly joyful about trolley-service dim sum in a dining room full of chattering punters. I adore restaurants like Hei La Moon, and while it may be a bit rough around the edges, its enduring <a href="http://eatlovenoodles.blogspot.com/2010/01/old-school-dim-sum.html">old school</a> charm is a winner.<br />
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One last thing, in common with virtually all restaurants that serve quality dim sum, Hei La Moon gets really busy on a Sunday. As it serves dim sum from 8.30am to 3.00pm, my advice is to get there early. We went just before 11am, and the dining room on the lower level, where we were seated, was already nearly full. By the time we left, around an hour later, both floors of the restaurant were full and there was a queue outside.<br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/4/52220/restaurant/Chinatown/Hei-la-Moon-Boston"><img alt="Hei la Moon on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/logo/52220/biglogo.gif" style="border: none; height: 34px; padding: 0px; width: 104px;" /></a><br />
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<i><a href="http://www.heilamoon.com/index.html">Hei La Moon</a>, 88 Beach Street, Boston MA02111, USA</i><br />
<i>(Tel:+1-617-338-8813) Nearest station: Chinatown</i><br />
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PS: Happy as I was at bagging a bonus haul of Chineser points, I felt a bit bad having deprived my colleague (of Italian ancestry) of crucial <i>punti italiani</i>. The thing is there could only be one first proper meal in Boston, and I <strike>coerced</strike> gently persuaded him into going for Sunday brunch in Chinatown rather than at one of the numerous <i>trattoria</i> in the city's <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_End,_Boston">North End</a>. Mr Noodleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13327242172810414292noreply@blogger.com5