Hong Kong: Day 4

After a big buffet breakfast, we set out to Mong Kok - the most populated place in the world according to the Guinness World Records. We were there to spend some time at the Langham Place, the ladies market and the various themed streets that the area is famous for. Our plan was foiled after about 30 minutes, when I suddenly became extremely nauseous. I'm not exactly sure of the cause (although one shop keeper did suggest that I was pregnant...ummm, no!). It may have been something that I'd eaten, but Mum has eaten everything that I have for the past five days. As such, I'm putting it down to a virus. In any case, said virus meant that we had to head back to our hotel for a lie down. A few hours of sleep made a huge difference - even though I still wasn't 100% better, the urge to projectile vomit had subsided and I gingerly made my way out again.

This time, we stuck to the local area and found ourselves inside local Chinese department store - Yue Hwa Chinese Products Emporium. The place is full of jade, tea, Chinese furniture and some things that I have never seen before. It was a great place to stock up on some gifts...even one for myself - a pair of beautiful Chinese jade earrings.

As evening fell, I felt strong enough to stomach some dinner and we headed to one of the many little cafés that Hong Kong is famous for. These small, family-run establishments adorn virtually every street in Hong Kong and serve cheap and cheerful options for locals and tourists alike. Many do not have English menus (we lucked out), but that doesn't matter - who doesn't like a bit of pointing and mime?!

We kept our order pretty simple - some bok choy with oyster sauce and rice, and a couple of pieces of turnip cake.

We couldn't resist a dessert - sago pudding with taro paste - yum!

We worked off our dinner with another stroll around the night markets...

...then opted for an early night.

Hong Kong: Day 3

We started our third day full day in Hong Kong with a bang - an egg custard tart bang to be specific. Not far from our hotel is a little bakery that makes a fresh, warm batch every morning.

We purchased four for 140HKD or approximately $1.70AUD and swung past a convenience store for the rest of our breakfast provisions.

Check out these babies - perfectly flaky pastry with rich, decadent custard.

The tarts, plus a drink and yoghurt came to around $2AUD each - not bad, in my humble opinion!

Bellies full, we set off to explore one of Hong Kong's newest mall - Elements, which sits atop Kowloon station. While we picked up some cheap basics from Zara and H&M, the rest of the stores were not really our cup of tea - too many luxury/designer shops with inflated prices.

After a few hours of walking (working off our tarts, perhaps?), we headed to Lei Garden - a more upmarket yum cha chain, with approximately 10 restaurants throughout Hong Kong. There, we enjoyed a fantastic selection of dumplings, some sticky rice and an eggplant dish. The highlight for me were the dumplings - the wrappers were so delicate with a gorgeous translucent quality, and the fillings were so full of flavour that no additional condiments were required.

After lunch, we caught the MTR across to Central to visit IFC. Unfortunately, we found ourselves in the same predicament - too many luxury brands and not enough good quality, middle of the road options.

Back at our hotel, we decided to indulge in a 100 minute spa treatment, involving a full body massage and a Chinese foot treatment. The latter was fabulous and much needed after all our walking. The rest of our evening was low key - a quick wander around the nearby night markets, a very simple dinner picked up from a bakery and an early night - lovely!

Hong Kong: Day 2

Our second day in Hong Kong was packed to the brim with activities and excitement. The day commenced with an MTR trip out to Causeway Bay. Specifically, to Japanese department store Sogo, where we were meeting some friends with local knowledge. We arrived a tad early and decided to fill our time with (what else?!) shopping. As much as I adore shopping in Hong Kong, my pet peeve is shoe shopping. For some reason, stores are willing to embrace larger western figures (I have no problem finding clothes to fit my nearly 6 foot, medium-sized frame), but shoes? Forget about it! This is my fourth trip to Hong Kong and I've never managed to pick up a pair (the exception being unisex shoes, such as Converse) - the largest size sold typically being a European 39. Any local business people reading: do yourself a favour and stock 40s and 41s - you'll be a hit with the tourist and expat communities and make an absolute mint.

I digress! After an hour of browsing, we met our delightful friends and guides for the day who took us to their favourite sticky rice shop, just 30 seconds walk from Sogo. This place is a bit of a local institution and it's not hard to see why. The rice was sticky, but not gluggy and the filling of (what I think was) Rousong and freshly cooked Youtiao (Chinese donut) was just delicious. Washed down with a glass of fresh soy milk, I was one happy camper!

We were then shown a couple of nearby restaurants (to which we will return later in the week) and taken on a quick tour of Causeway Bay - one of the most popular areas of Hong Kong, with great shopping, food and a really "buzzy" atmosphere. I couldn't resist a shot of these air conditioning units and construction site, only seconds from luxurious Times Square - the contrasts of Hong Kong are incredibly vivid!

From Causeway Bay, our party of seven set off in a minibus to Stanley - one of the most picturesque parts of Hong Kong.

We enjoyed a stroll around the scenic area, which has been significantly developed since our last visit to Hong Kong in 2008. A visit to Stanley Market was, of course, necessary. The vibe at this market is much more relaxed than at other local markets. There is far less pushiness on the part of shop keepers, but also less scope to bargain for prospective customers. We finished our shopping trip and time with our friends with an ice-cream - coconut and pandan for yours truly and green tea for Mum.

Back at the hotel, we gussied ourselves up for a special birthday dinner for Mum at the Langham's renowned T'ang Court. I had booked the meal in a few weeks ago, knowing well its reputation for excellent Cantonese fare. A word of warning: there are two Langham hotels in Hong Kong. Don't be an idiot (like yours truly) and drag your guest to the wrong hotel first! For the record, T'ang Court is located in the Langham at Tsim Sha Tsui - not Mon Kok.

Thankfully, I'm quite the confident navigator of Hong Kong and managed to take us from one Langham to the other in around 15 minutes. Once seated at the restaurant, we were overwhelmed by the old world Chinese charm of the place and the extremely courteous and warm service. I had booked the dinner via email, briefly noting that it was a special birthday dinner for my mother. The staff were aware of this and each one wished mum a "happy birthday and long life". The chef even prepared some complementary "long life" buns (i.e. lotus seed buns) on the house - an incredibly sweet gesture!

But first things first, we decided to splurge on some wine (one of the few real splurges in Hong Kong, because it is expensive - around $45 for a half bottle of white!) and settled on the "set menu for two".

We started our banquet with a baked crab shell stuffed with beautifully tender crab meat and onion, accompanied by a slightly sour sauce. This was honestly one of the most delicious flavour combinations I have tried. An excellent start to the evening.

Next on the menu was mixed seafood in a hot and sour soup. Subtly balanced flavours and silky tofu: flawless!

Our third course consisted of two golden prawns, with sweet and sour sauce (sauce not pictured below). The prawns were bursting full of flavour and the crispy crunch of the deep fried exterior was the perfect complement for the sweet meat within.

Next on the menu was a lamb chop, cooked in garlic and red wine - tender and flavoursome.

Our final savoury dish was a duck and chicken friend rice, wrapped in a lotus leaf. This was the only dish of the evening that we felt could have done with some extra flavour. Thankfully, the assorted condiments on the table provided a quick solution. We added a few spoons of chilli, which elevated the dish to a whole new level.
 

For dessert, we were presented with three dishes: a chilled mango pudding, a fresh fruit selection and the aforementioned "long life" buns. The mango pudding was a particular highlight, with its succulent slivers of fresh mango and perfect consistency.

What a wonderful evening to celebrate the birthday of a wonderful woman! Thank you to the staff at T'ang Court for making the occasion so memorable.

Hong Kong: the first 24...

Greetings from vibrant Hong Kong! I've splurged on a wifi package (well, at this exchange rate, nothing seems like a splurge!), so can update everyone on our daily activities from the comfort of our hotel room.

We had a rather uneventful direct flight to Hong Kong - just the way I like my flights! There was, however, one "interesting" incident involving my mother and an over-chilled mango Weis Bar. Mum was quick to demonstrate my family's innate (possibly hereditary?) ability to hurt oneself by losing half her lip to the fruity bar in question. Two words: Face. Palm.

We arrived at our hotel after 11pm (2pm Australian time) and were thrilled to put our heads down for the night. After a hearty breakfast and a quick "how are the cats?" catch up (you'll be thrilled to know, they're fine), we set out on our first day of shopping.

Okay, so there may have been photographic evidence to prove that they're okay...

We opted to visit Citygate Outlets - a mall full of mid- to high-end brands at discounted prices. It's a fairly comfortable way of gently reacquainting oneself with the often chaotic environment of Hong Kong. After a couple of short MTR (subway) rides, we were at the mall and ready to shop until we dropped. At over 65, Mum's ability to shop puts me to shame. My beloved is often shocked at my accomplished stamina and love of the sport (let's face it - it is a sport...just a very expensive one!), but by golly, my mum could easily vie for an Olympic medal!

We did particularly well (read: bought lots!) at a number of stores in the centre. The DKNY/CK outlet was a particular highlight and I picked up a beautiful coat for winter, as well as a couple of dresses and tops (five items for around $300AUD - did I mention I love this exchange rate?!). Other purchases of the day included a new wallet for mum; some cheap and cheerful bits and pieces from the MANGO outlet; an oversized wooly cardigan; and a surprise or two for my beloved.

We began to feel a wee bit peckish and, upon checking the time, realised it was 3pm (or 5pm Australian time). Clearly the one thing that makes me forget about eating is shopping! We headed straight to the food court for a comforting bowl of wonton noodle soup. I expected a rather lacklustre food court experience, but was pleasantly surprised by the flavoursome dumplings and broth.

The watermelon milk (yes, milk!) and kiwi fruit juice weren't all that impressive, but for around $10AUD for two soups and drinks, I'm not complaining (N.B. this is extremely inflated food court pricing and is not representative of eating locally/authentically in Hong Kong).

Back at the hotel room, we rested our legs for half an hour before stepping out for a bite of dinner. As mum was craving some south east Asian flavours, dinner was at cheap and cheerful Singaporean chain, Toast Box. While waiting for our meals to be served, we were amused by this sign:

Kickapoo joy juice anyone? ;)

Mum's beef rendang was not particularly memorable, but my char kway teow was a tad sweet, but decent.

We worked off our dinner with a walk around the local area, including a quick stroll through the Temple Street night markets. The neon lights of Hong Kong remind me so very much of the film, Bladerunner. Do you agree?

Because we *clearly* hadn't eaten enough for the day, we swung by Chinese department store, Wing On, and picked up these:

The verdict? Okay, but nothing to write home about.

We also popped into Seven Eleven and purchased what Mum referred to as an unappetizing dish cloth (with such strong words how could I not?!).

The dishcloth was good. Very good, in fact. Sponge cake spread with buttery peanut goodness, all for under AUD 50 cents - what's not to like?

And this brings me to now - bed time. Time to dream about all our exciting plans for tomorrow - I see sticky rice, a seaside stroll and Michelin starred dining in my future...g'night, all.

Busy, but happy

You may have noticed that I haven’t had the chance to blog much lately. It wasn’t out of choice – no, I was just flat out too busy. You see, in the last three months, I have completed three MBA subjects and started a fourth, sold my flat, purchased a house, planned a wedding and organised a short trip to Hong Kong (leaving Saturday – wheeee!!). There were grand plans to make ice-creams on a fortnightly basis, but alas, they have slipped down the priority list quite significantly.

The two pieces of exciting news to come of all this are:

• I will be eating my way around Hong Kong (for the fourth time!) as of this Saturday. Following our return, I intend to post on our culinary/shopping adventures, including a visit to the renowned T’ang Court.
• As of late-July/August-ish, we shall be residing in our very own “grown up house”, with its very own “grown up kitchen”. This means, I will have ooooodles of bench space (hello KitchenAid!), a double oven and heaps of storage. Not to mention two open fires for some serious marshmallow “roastage”. Oh yes, there will be much food experimentation and eating!

Thank you all for sticking by me through this crazy time and do stay tuned for my culinary highlights of Hong Kong.

Photo source

Wombat Hill House

Where: Wombat Hill House
What: Saturday brunch
Rating: 19/20

I've blogged about making pizza (see: homemade pizza).
I've blogged about eating pizza (see: my spiritual experience at Pizzeria da Baffetto in Rome).
I've even blogged about pizza in Victoria's glorious Spa Country (see: my Volcanic picnic).
Until yesterday, however, I had never combined my love of pizza, with my favourite spot in Victoria *and* my morning meal. Now that I have, I'll never look back!

Let's backtrack a little. My beloved and I are huge fans of Spa Country. I've mentioned before that I used to spend many a weekend in Daylesford as a child riding horses with friends and enjoying the more laid back country pace. In the last decade or so, I've been driving up to the region every couple of months to soak in the crisp country air, visit the Sunday market (for the best peanut butter and honey known to man!) and generally unwind from our hectic city lives. Accordingly, it mustn't come as much of a surprise that my beloved and I are set to be married in Daylesford in the next few months.

Yesterday, we headed to our venue for an early morning discussion of the details of the not-so-big day.
N.B. I sense that I may be the only bride-to-be in Victoria who doesn't really care about white dresses, cakes, flowers, photographers...heck, even the ceremony. I have but one goal: to make sure that our small group of guests are well fed and "libated". 

After our meeting, we set off eagerly to Wombat Hill House - a relatively recent addition to the Wombat Hill Botanic Gardens and the little sister of Daylesford institution, the Lake House. It was a crisp morning, but we chose to sit beneath the outdoor heaters to take advantage of the picturesque setting. The atmosphere was laid back, rustic and no fuss, with orders taken and paid for at the counter prior to the meal - perfect!

My beloved and I both ordered the pressed juice of the day - watermelon and apple - and opted to split a breakfast pizza and a smoked salmon and scrambled egg bagel.

Because I don't want this post to climax too soon, let's start with the bagel:

Flawless! Succulent salmon, perfectly seasoned eggs - a classic combination that, let's face it, really cannot fail.

Now onto the mind-blowingly brilliant part of our meal - the breakfast pizza:

A crisp crust, loaded with field mushrooms, juicy tomatoes, perfectly cooked bacon and a runny egg topped with a mix of cheddar and parmesan cheeses. W-O-W! While there's nothing particularly surprising about this combination of flavours (let's face it, they're breakfast café staples across the western world), this dish oozed freshness and flavour. The crunch of the pizza base, gooeyness of the egg and cheese and fragrance of the mushrooms were an absolute treat!

Well done Wolf-Taskers et al. - Wombat Hill House is a triumph and a delightful addition to the Botanic Gardens. I, for one, cannot wait to head back to sample the lunch menu!

Mama Baba

Where: Mama Baba
What: Casual weeknight dinner for two
Rating: 15/20

I dined at Mama Baba the night before this was published. It's no secret that there's no love lost between George Calombaris et al., and The Age and Dubecki's review is, as expected, quick to criticise the establishment. Readers have also jumped on the bandwagon, slamming the eatery with a one-star(?!) rating.

My experience at Mama Baba was, however, generally pleasing. Service was casual, but attentive. Drinks (especially cocktails) were very reasonably priced - $12 for my refreshing citrus and Cointreau concoction. Management should also be commended for the layout of the restaurant. The bar, in particular, is a triumph, with bottles stacked metres high (I have no idea if or how employees are expected to reach said bottles!). Likewise, the open kitchen adds to the ambiance of the sizeable, industrial dining space.

My friend and I opted to skip the "snacks" on the menu (typically "saving ourselves" for dessert!) and jumped straight into the pasta options. G. opted for the tortellini with prawn saganaki, tomato and feta ($26) from the Mama (Greek-inspired) part of the menu. I selected Spaghetti zucchini, inspired by la Conca Del Sogno, Nerano ($22) from the Baba (Italian-inspired) section.

G. thoroughly enjoyed her dish and the mouthful that I nabbed while her back was turned (just kidding!) was excellent. My meal was simple and understated and the pasta itself was cooked to absolute perfection. However, a little extra seasoning could have really augmented the dish to the next level. And here's the bit where I agree (albeit just a little) with Dubecki: the pasta could stand to be a bit more rustic and homely - a little messier and gutsier. I did, in fact, want "to eat like a peasant", but I found myself with a slightly overworked dish that was lacking a little oomph. That's not to say I didn't enjoy my meal, but felt there was certainly some room for improvement.

Onwards and upwards: dessert! Both G. and I opted for the same two scoops of ice-cream to conclude our meal - milk and Milo; and crunchy peanut butter and salt ($8). While I chose the former to simply fill up my cone (clearly more excited about the prospect of the crunchy peanut butter option), it came as a pleasant surprise and brought back tonnes of happy, milo-drinking childhood memories. The latter was, as expected, delicious - impossible to fault!

Overall, Mama Baba provided a relaxed, "Melbourne" atmosphere for a lovely catch up with a close friend. Yes, there is room for improvement, but give the establishment a break - with only 6 weeks of operation under its belt, I see good things for its future!