[Review 1949] Part Two: The world of Xiamen treasures @ 廈門風味阿珠小吃店

03/11/2012
廈門風味阿珠小吃店
土瓜灣美景街44號安福大廈
G/F, No. 44 Mei King Street, To Kwa Wan
https://www.openrice.com/zh/hongkong/review/part-two-the-world-of-xiamen-treasures-e2267271

The food here was so delicious I had to come back and try the other items and an excuse to go to Hoi Kee Walnut dessert shop because the branch at MK is not as good.

★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Xiamen style stir fried vermicelli


I ordered this because it is different to the the Xiamen noodles served at Chinese Cafes. The ones served at Chinese cafes have ketchup and taste sweet.
The vermicelli was delicious, there were pieces of egg in it which was similar to the stir fried noodles served in the Chinese takeaways in UK.
There were pieces of julienne carrots which balanced out the savourness and the eggy taste.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Sweet taro croquettes

Last time I tried the savory taro croquettes with meat inside, this time I ordered the sweet version.
The shape looks like a slim croquette.
I tried them piping hot and I tried them when they cooled down.

They tasted better cooled down because the texture was like mochi and the outside was delicate and crispy just like the edges of a meringue.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Xiamen style spring roll

Ordered this by accident because I thought it was the fried one.
It was the other spring roll version which was wrapped by thin pastry with fillings.
Initially I did not think it would taste nice because I tried something similar at this Singapore restaurant.
The fillings in this were so delicious and warm, there were lots of vegetables, and there were even dried oysters too which gave it a nice marine taste and deep fried crispy vegetables too.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Noodle omelette

This was similar to the stir fried vermicelli but it was an egg cooked in a pan with noodles cooked on the top, so there is an egg base at the bottom and on top it is noodles.
There were delicious dried shrimps in the noodles which gave it some extra depth and the surface of the noodles were crispy.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Xiamen style deep fried miniature wontons

This time tried the fried version and they were also delicious, they were delicately crunchy and the inside filling was delicious pork.
It came with chili sauce which tastes like tomato ketchup with chili.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Xiamen style octopus

Ordered this again because I did not get to eat the head last time.
The head is the most delicious part but the tentacles were not bad.
Although it doesnt look good on the photo it was lovely and creamy.
Actually this dish was the best and I wouldn't mind having it all to myself.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★

[Review 1892] Fruit covered chocolate & Venchi choc sold here @ The Royal House

18/10/2012
The Royal House
土瓜灣新碼頭街14-16號1B號舖
Shop 1B, 14-16 San Ma Tau Street, To Kwa Wan
https://www.openrice.com/zh/hongkong/review/fruit-covered-chocolate-venchi-choc-sold-here-e2264344

Discovered this shop on the way to the Legend Restaurant, it is basically next to it!
The shop was huge and sells lots of boxed chocolates, it was mainly fruit covered chocolate such as durian which I really wanted to try, but they did not have a smaller box.

As well as Malaysian chocolate they had Venchi chocolate, but there are lots of Venchi branches elsewhere so I chose the chocolate by Beryl's ( a Malaysian brand).

The bag they used was a Venchi bag!
The receipt was interesting too, the shop was called The Royal House but the shop front had chocolate.

The opening hours were even more confusing!
From 10:00-0800 so does that mean from 10 in the morning to the next 8am in the morning???
It was 7pm that night so I could not work out whether this place was still open as there was no one in there.

The variety in there was amazing and I could not decide which chocolate to get!!
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Beryl's coconut chocolate HKD48:
In the end got this one and it was quite nice, the shape was irregular and it had crispy bits inside which were full of coconut taste.
The sweetness of the chocolate was just right but I would have preferred dark chocolate.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★

[Review 1886] Grounded pistachio dessert and snowflake ice @ 海記合桃坊甜品 Hoi Kee Walnut Place

17/10/2012
海記合桃坊甜品 Hoi Kee Walnut Place
土瓜灣美景街73號地舖
G/F, 73 Mei King Street, To Kwa Wan
https://www.openrice.com/zh/hongkong/review/grounded-pistachio-dessert-and-snowflake-ice-e2264163

After eating at the nearby Legend Restaurant, I noticed this shop because of the colourful banners where I spotted this bowl of green dessert that I thought was Green Tea dessert.
However on a closer look it turned out to be Grounded Pistachio dessert which Menty told me about a few days ago, then when I looked at the name of this dessert shop, it was indeed Hoi Kee.
I have walked past the Mong Kok branch numerous times but I never went in because the MK branch was just grey and boring.
The menu at that time only had Chinese desserts then, perhaps it may have changed now but looking at the MK reviews I cant see any of the new desserts.
Anyway went in with the Grounded Pistachio dessert in mind, but when I looked at the menu there were so many other items I wanted to try as well, so there shall be more visits.
The desserts at this place was not just traditional Chinese sweet soups but they had other desserts with colourful product shots which were really tempting to try such as:

Purple rice and mochi

+++++++++++++++++++++
Peach and tofu pudding

+++++++++++++++++++++
Berry merry

+++++++++++++++++++++

Not only was the menu colourful the decor of this shop was modern.

★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Grounded Pistachio dessert


I do not usually go for these grounded Chinese desserts but because it was pistachio I tried it.
There was a choice of hot or cold and I really regret not ordering it cold because when it is hot I keep burning my tongue and cannot taste it properly.
When it did finally cool down, I found it delicious because it tasted really nutty and you can taste the savouryness of the pistachio.
The pistachio had been grounded really fine and it was not lumpy.
The pistachio pieces on top gave it some depth.
After stirring it vigorously to cool the consistency did not change, it still remained thick hence its high heat capacity.
Although it was delicious I would have preferred it in pudding form because I am still not quite used to Chinese desserts which are in liquid/paste form which involves "drinking" it.
For the take away version the pistachio is in a separate bag for you to add separately.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Grounded Chestnut dessert:

Again I do not usually try these desserts but tried it as it was Chestnut, I did not expect it to taste nice because chestnuts are starchy and it did not taste as good as the chestnut paste in the Chestnut croissant at Le Salon.
I still feel that chestnut tastes better with roast dinners or French style.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Berries and yogurt with aiyu jelly


This was a cup of aiyu jelly at the bottom with natural yogurt on top with strawberries and blueberries.
I really appreciated that they used natrual yogurt which was sour and because the jelly at the bottom was sweet, the taste balanced out.
It tasted like greek yoghurt but the texture of the yogurt was not that thick.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Pistachio snowflake ice

The snowflake ice tasted as good as the grounded pistachio dessert, there was strong pistachio flavouring in the snowflake ice, the texture of the snowflake ice was slightly sticky and viscous.
Initially it reminded me of sushi because the green colour and shape of the snowflake ice resembled wasabi, and the orange balls looked like salmon roe.

I thought the orange balls would be filled with liquid but they were solid cute balls of jelly.
The texture of those orange balls were like kanten, hard firm jelly and there was a faint taste of mango which was quite artificial, but eating the glutinous rice balls together with the snowflake ice and those orange balls were delicious and the whole dessert was not too sweet.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★

[Review 1885] Interesting sizzling steak @ Legend Restaurant 麗晶餐廳

17/10/2012
麗晶餐廳
土瓜灣新碼頭街18A地下
G/F, 18A San Ma Tau Street, To Kwa Wan
https://www.openrice.com/zh/hongkong/review/interesting-sizzling-steak-legend-restaurant-e2264134

Saw the photos from the previous review and the sausage looked interesting.

It looked like two huge slices of vietnamese sausage so I had to check it out.

Again I got to To Kwa Wan by ferry from North Point and this restaurant is right next to this Chocolate shop that sells Venchi chocolates and fruit covered chocolates.

Apart from the sizzling steaks I also wanted to try the fried egg with their secret recipe soy sauce.

Although the decor was quite modern, this restaurant feels really old just like those "bing suts".

Pity I did not take photos of the drinks/kitchen area.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Soup:

Interesting square bowl!
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Toast:

Although it was strange being given a piece of toast it was much better than those nasty sweet buns given with the soup at least the toast was savoury.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★

Beef steak Chinese wok style and spicy sausage:


There were two slices of sausage and four big pieces of beef steaks underneath the sausage.
The beef steak was good because it was tender and had no beef taste, but for people who like beef they can choose the beef sirloin.
But since I am not a beef lover I chose this one as there was less beef taste.

Luckily the sausage was not spicy but there were lots of chopped pieces of green peppers and red peppers in it.



The sizzling style platter can also be served on a plate so next time I will ask for a plate and the gravy will not get evapourated.
As for the fries I preferred the ones shown on the previous photo because they did not have so much oil in it.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★

[Review 1795] The world of Xiamen, mini wontons and treasures @ 廈門風味阿珠小吃店 Taste of Xiamen

25/09/2012
廈門風味阿珠小吃店
土瓜灣美景街44號安福大廈
G/F, No. 44 Mei King Street, To Kwa Wan
https://www.openrice.com/zh/hongkong/review/the-world-of-xiamen-mini-wontons-and-treasures-e2259859


I have always wanted to try this place because I like food made with Taro and there were lots of other weird and wonderful snacks as well.
However this place is not located near an MTR so you have to take the bus, but since I am not a bus person I took the ferry route to Kowloon pier from North Point.

When I sat down there were lots of magazine clippings on the wall which was expected but there was an English one which must of meant that it is quite good if you have an English publication featuring their Xiamen cuisine.
However there is no English menu!

Since this place serves jellied sand worms it reminded me of the other Mun Nan Style cuisine in North Point but the choice here is more extensive.

The prices here are relatively cheap but the portion sizes relate to its price, but since the portions are small you can try other items as well.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Taro and Chinese chives croquette:

The appearance was like a ball and the exterior of the croquette was rather hard.
Inside the croquette it was slightly hollow filled with chinese chives, on the interior or the croquette it had mashed pure taro which was dense and delicious.
It tastes better than the taro croquettes found in dim sum restaurants because it was less oily and there was less meat and the chives gave it a nice taste.
The only thing I did not like was that it tasted slightly sweet.
I was going to order the plain taro croquettes too which are sweet but since the savoury one was sweet as well it was the same thing without the meat and chives.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Octopus:

I ordered it because of the reviews and it tasted really nice.
I was expecting the octopus to be chewy and rubbery but it was so tender.
I could taste mustard in the sauce which went well with it.
There was chili sauce to go with it as well.
According to the reviews the octopus is not raw so it was cooked just right so that it is not chewy.
There was also pickled julienne carrots and chinese radishes but they tasted sweet as well.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Duck soup:

I really liked this soup and was surprised that they served this type of soup because it was made from lots of herbs such a dong gwai.
The soup was lovely and strong and tasted similar to Pork bone tea but better.
However it was slightly oily.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Stir-fried pork offal:

On the menu it said it was blanched but when it was served it had been stir-fried.
It was really nice because it was jazzed up with dried shrimps when it was cooked.
I did not eat the intestines or gizzards but the pork liver was good.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Sacha noodles with mini wontons:

I wanted to try the sacha noodles and the mini wontons and these noodles had both which was great.
There were lots of wontons. The wontons were basically pieces of pork inside them. In Chinese they are called Wontons but in Xiamen they are called "been siks"!! (interesting name!)
The sacha broth was nice and spicy.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Noodles with spring onions:

I was slightly disappointed with this because photos from the preview reviews show lots of spring onions on the top, however they were at the bottom of the bowl.
There were dried shrimps too which gave the noodles some flavour however the noodles were too soft for my liking.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Review @ Mun Nam Restaurant
http://www.openrice.com/restaurant/commentdetail.htm?commentid=2163004

[Review 1793] The story of the green garlic, but mine was white @ 巧興麵食店 Hau Hing Noodle

24/09/2012
巧興麵食店  Hau Hing Noodle
土瓜灣安徽街7號嘉信大廈地下
G/F, Kar Shun Building, 7 Anhui Street, To Kwa Wan
https://www.openrice.com/zh/hongkong/review/the-story-of-the-green-garlic-but-mine-was-white-e2259580

Came here for the famous green garlic but unfortunately mine was white that day.
As well as green garlic, you can get can black garlic these days (black gold).
The garlic that I had was not pickled long enough, the taste of the garlic was not that spicy and it was just slightly sour.
Hopefully the next time I come here the garlic will be green.
The dumplings that I ordered were pork and vegetable and the ratio of pork and chopped vegetables were 1:1.

I felt that there was too much dumpling skin.
On top of the dumplings were two pieces of seaweed, the seaweed was different to the seaweed I have seen at other places, it was a thick sheet of seaweed.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Interesting socket on the wall!
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Anyway the story of the green garlic goes like this.......
When it is the 8th of December on the lunar calendar, garlic are put into a jar of vinegar and pickled.
This tradition originates from northern China and the pickled garlic are to be eaten in Spring with dumplings.
Another story is that the pronunciation of garlic in Mandarin is "suen" which is similar to another mandarin word "suen" with the meaning "never mind".
So the people in China gave these pickled garlic to people who came to collect their debts hoping they didn't need to pay them.

And another version is to do with Buddhism which I can't quite understand the Chinese, and I may be wrong with the above stories because I am guessing what it says from the translation from google!
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★