HONG KONG FOOD TRIP DAY 3

Day 3 was an easy day. We left the hotel at around 1 pm to go to Elements Mall. We had lunch there at Lei Garden. The restaurant was nice. We had to ask them if they could seat us because it was almost 2:30 already...which was the time for last order. They were nice enough to accommodate our request.

We just had dimsum. Here are the spring rolls with some shredded taro,

Taro puff with minced pork,

Turnip cake with Chinese sausage,

Xiao Long Bao,

BBQ Pork Buns,

Rice Roll with shrimp,

Chrysamthemum tea.

We walked around the mall for a few hours. We headed to the cafe to take a break and decided to have coffee. Here's what we had...

Cappuccino with Bailey's...nice stencil! I should do something like this for Goodies :-)

and here's what came with one of our Caffe Americano, a 7 inch pepperoni pizza with a salad on the side and banana bread. Not bad for HK98.00

Dinner was at this hole in a wall... Mac Mee's noodle joint. We heard that they had good wanton noodle soup so we walked several blocks to get to the place. Along the way, we shopped in the small stores and got ourselves some pretty clothes.

The walk to the place was worthwhile. The beef noodle soup was good and then we tried 2 types of wonton. One with the shrimp and one with the mushrooms. For dessert, we discovered this small store called Crumbs... they served frozen yoghurt with fresh berries and granola or you can opt to get the crumbs...that look like crushed graham crackers or cookie crumbs. They also sold scones in the store. They gave out samples for tasting. I wanted to buy one but they said I had to buy a minimum of 3 so I didn't buy anymore.

We walked back to the hotel. The walk did us good. By the time we got to the room, we weren't so full anymore.

HONG KONG FOOD TRIP day 2

Day 2 was an easy day. We went walking in Ocean Terminal. We had to get a watch there so we ended hanging out there checking out the different stores. Again, we found a City Super that sold the good belgian waffles that look like hotdogs so we bought 1 each for our snack before going for our late lunch.

We saw a long line at Crystal Jade. We didn't know how long it would take us to get a table but we signed up nevertheless. We could've eaten somewhere with less people but I think that day wanted to be part of the chaos. We waited for about 30 minutes to an hour to get a table.

Here's what we ordered...

Seafood soup with green vegetables

Crispy tofu skin with mushroom filling,

Pork spareribs with some red sauce...I forgot the name but it was sticky, sweet and yummy.

the best seller, Crispy eel

Stir fried noodles with pork and mushrooms.

We didn't have room for dessert anymore so we decided to walk around for a few hours before heading to Cova. Here's what we tried there...

Cafe Latte,

Chestnut tart,

Chocolate banana cake

Mango Napoleon,

Cappuccino,

Ok, here's the verdict...the coffee was good but the cakes were not that great. The good thing about it was the place. the ambiance was really nice. I felt like I was in Europe. The price too felt like I was in Europe as well. We spent about HK$600 for 3 cakes and 3 coffee drinks. If you ask me though if I will go back there again, I think I would. I just won't eat there everyday but it would be a nice place to have a treat.

Next stop was Spring Deer over at Mody Road for dinner. Since we still full from our late afternoon snack, we just wanted to try the Peking Duck to see if it was still any good. We had it 2 ways. The second way was deep fried with garlic and chillies, salt and pepper

When this came to the table, everyone beside us looked and checked what it was. I don't think it was common to have this as the second way here but we usually do it this way even in Manila. I loved it with black vinegar. Of course, we didn't finish our food. We just loved it that we got to taste the Peking duck. It was still good but I think I've tasted better. For the price, it was very reasonable.

Day 3 is up next...

HONG KONG FOOD TRIP day 1

This is just day one of my Hong Kong food trip over the weekend. We went there mainly to celebrate the 40th birthday of a good friend Noli Reyes. We decided to go last minute and so...here we are...the first good dinner for this trip.

We met Anna, Noli and Ique at Hunan Garden over at Time's Square. Reservations was at 6:30. We got to the area an hour early so we decided to go shopping first.

Of course, I had to go to City Super to check out the food court. Guess what I discovered?... these belgian waffles shaped like hotdogs freshly baked in the waffle iron. They were being sold for HK$ 13.00 and so I went to buy one. As soon as I tried it, I had to make Vivian and Cathy try it too. They couldn't get enough of it because it was so good, they had to buy again so they can have one for themselves. I also bought a pack of cranberry scones. They looked so pretty! Unfortunately, the pretty look didn't match the taste. The scones weren't so flaky and it tasted like it had parmesan cheese...so, that was a disappointment. It stayed in the hotel for days and ended in the trash can on the last day.

Going back to our dinner...we went up to the 13th floor at 6:30 pm. Scroll down to see what we had...

Here's a group photo with all the good food.

Jasmine tea was the choice for the evening.

This is my cute plate...

I particularly liked the sauteed peppers on the left. They were really good! I think it was sauteed with garlic, chili oil and the sliced chili peppers

For appetizers, we had Spring rolls with vegetables,

Steamed vegetable dumplings,

Steamed pork dumplings,

Then this soup...I truly loved...it's chicken soup...sort of like a chicken consomme with some ground chicken on top. It was really flavorful and served just the way I like it...piping hot.

This is an interesting fried rice. It had sliced smoked sausage.

This was also good...Steamed shrimp with garlic.

And of course, the birthday noodles for long life.

I think this was the best dish for the evening. Smoked duck. I enjoyed the crispy skin and smokey flavor of the duck meat. It was really really good. I heard that it takes about 45 minutes to prepare this so, you have to order this in advance.

Here's the photo of the girls after dinner, on the way back to the Crown Plaza for dessert.

I had to take this photo. The view from where we were was truly amazing!

Drinks and desserts at Club 28...of course, on the 28th floor of the hotel overlooking the pool on the left and the well lit buildings on the right.

PAN SEARED SALMON WITH CAPERS AND LEMON VINAIGRETTE

Here's a recipe I did recently for Women's Health Magazine...something healthy, using five ingredients or less... excluding salt and pepper.

Below were the questions they asked me about this dish...

What makes this dish healthy? Well, first, it's fish...healthier than red meat. Also, salmon is loaded with omega 3 fatty acids which helps fight against heart disease, it also promotes healthy skin and joints. It is also high in protein.

The sauce is a lemon vinaigrette and it is made with extra virgin oil which is rich with monounsaturated fat...it helps lower the rate of heart disease, atherosclerosis, diabetes, colon cancer, and asthma.

How did I come up with this dish?... I wanted a dish that was easy to make (cooks in less than 10 mins), need only 5 ingredients and it is packed with nutrients.

flavor profile - fresh tasting, light and refreshing

Now, here's the recipe:

PAN SEARED SALMON WITH CAPERS AND LEMON VINAIGRETTE
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Recipe By: AAA

Ingredients:

150 grams salmon fillet
salt and pepper, for seasoning
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon capers, drained, chopped
LEMON VINAIGRETTE
2 teaspoons dijon mustard
1 piece lemon, get zest and juice
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a saute pan on medium-high heat.

2. Season salmon fillet with salt and pepper.

3. Sear fish 3 minutes per side.

4. Once fish is cooked, remove from pan and place on a serving plate. Add a little more oil in the pan if needed then saute the chopped capers for 1 min. or until slightly crisp.

5. Spoon the capers over the fish.

6. To make the lemon vinaigrette: Combine mustard, lemon juice and zest in a medium bowl. Gradually pour the olive oil, and mix using a wire whisk. Set aside until ready to use.

7. Serve salmon with some mixed greens on the side and with some lemon vinaigrette.

HAINANESE CHICKEN RICE

Here's what's cooking in my kitchen now! Hainanese Chicken Rice. I learned this when I attended a cooking class in Singapore a couple of years ago. I like it because it's a complete meal. It has soup, chicken, and rice. The condiments can be purchased in the grocery if you don't have time to make it from scratch. This is my comfort food for the moment. Hope you can try making this easy recipe in your own homes too. Enjoy!

HAINANESE CHICKEN RICE

1 1/2 kilograms whole chicken

20 cups water

1 ounce fresh young ginger -- peeled and sliced

2 cloves garlic -- peeled

1 bunch spring onions -- washed

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

slice cucumber -- for garnish

cliantro leaves -- for garnish

condiment

chilli sauce

grated ginger

sweet thick soy sauce

1. Wash chicken and remove knobs of fat on either side of the buttocks.

2. Smash the ginger and garlic and tie the spring onions into a knot.

3. Stuff the chicken with salt, garlic, ginger and spring onions.

4. Boil 20 cups of water in a large pot. Add chicken, breast side down first, submerging completely.

5. Let water boil, then turn the heat down to very low heat and simmer for 30-40 minutes, uncovering once to turn chicken turn over.

6. Remove the chicken and drain liquid from the body cavity. Retain liquid for later use.

7. Wash under tap water for about 2 minutes to stop the cooking process and to tighten the skin.

8. Drain, rub some vegetable oil over and let the chicken cool to room temperature.

9. Chop the ckicken into bite-sized pieces and serve garnished with sliced cucumbers. Then top with cilantro leaves.

FOR CONDIMENTS:

1. chilli sauce can be purchased in the grocery.

2. for the grated ginger...

1/4 c. grated ginger

3 T. vegetable oil

salt and white pepper to taste

heat oil in a sautepan. add ginger and cook until juices are slightly reduced. season with salt and white pepper to taste.

3. sweet thick soy sauce can be purchased in the grocery. If not available, you may use soy sauce.

FOR THE RICE

12 ounces long grain rice

5 cloves garlic -- minced

5 pieces shallots -- minced

3 teaspoons vegetable oil

3 1/2 cups chicken broth

3/4 teaspoon salt

1. Wash rice and drain in a colander for 10 minutes.

2. Heat 3 T oil over high heat in a wok. Add shallots and stir fry until fragrant. Add garlic and stir fry for one minute.

3. Add the rice grains and stir fry for 3-4 minutes.

4. Transfer to a saucepan or rice cooker and add the chicken broth and salt. Boil over high heat and lower down the heat to steam the rice when the water level reaches the level of the rice grains and steam holes appear. Cook for 30-40 minutes until the rice is cooked.

HAWKER FOOD IN MALAYSIA

I went to Malaysia last April to attend classes at the Callebaut Chocolate Academy. We arrived late at night and so upon reaching our hotel, everybody was hungry. We walked around the area and looked for places where we could eat and we ended up eating here in this area...

This was like a strip of small stores that serve different kinds of foods from bbq chicken wings, char kway teow, congee, grilled shrimp etc.

Here's what we ordered. The chicken wings right on the center, some char kway teo on the left, hainanese chicken with ric, satay chicken and beef, some iced honey dew melon with coconut milk, congee and some barley tea.

This one came last. Stingray sambal... It's really good!!! even if we were so full, we had to eat it...and we finished it. What was good about it too is that it was so cheap. Each of us paid about 20 ringgit , that's about 300 pesos in Philippine money so that's not bad considering we ordered a lot.

Will post some more good food that we had in a few days.

UNI IN CALATAGAN!

Holy week was spent in Calatagan with Marivic and JV. I was so happy that we got there in the afternoon after having a fun lunch in Sta. Rosa.

We headed down to the beach and decided to make the kids play in the sand. While walking around, we saw sea urchins...a ton of them. I got so excited!!! I remembered when we were younger, Marivic and I used to get them during low tide and bring them back to the house to serve them as sashimi for appetizers. That was several years ago and I was kinda glad that the sea life in Calatagan in alive again!

Scroll down so you can see what I'm talking about... Of course, we had to choose the big sea urchins and let go of the smaller ones.

Here I am with a rake... which I borrowed from the kids. I had to disrupt them from finishing their sandcastle. For me, getting the uni was more important haha.

Here it is. The sea urchin is cracked in half, then...

The meat is scooped out...the yellow part.

This what we got from a bucket of sea urchins, almost 3/4 of a bowl of uni

To serve, we drain the excess liquid.

This is Ari's creation...uni on top of sushi rice...with wasabi and soy...Yum!!!