Spring Moon 嘉麟樓 (Hong Kong, CHINA) ★★★★☆

The month of May has been a tough one for a lot of us in the family. I came down with COVID on the second day of the month and eventually passed it on to little nugget and then to Jelloman. What followed was a long road to recovery for all three of us. Mom has her own health issues to deal with as well as she has been plagued by knee problems. With everything going on, we were unfortunately unable to properly celebrate Mother's Day or her birthday together.

But as I always say, it's better late than never. Today is the last day of May, and maybe, just maybe, we can still salvage something from this challenging month. A small celebration lunch might be just what we need to make up for the missed moments.

Mom wanted Chinese food on Kowloon side so I immediately rang Spring Moon (嘉麟樓) up last night and to my pleasant surprise, they still had a table available albeit at an earlier time slot.

As usual, we were started off with some tasty caramelized walnuts.

Golden mashed taro with diced abalone and chicken (鮑魚雞粒芋角) ($102) – Very fluffy and light.

There was the diced chicken hidden in the middle of the mashed taro. Not too sure if I have come across any diced abalone in the process.

Steamed shrimp dumplings with bamboo shoot (筍尖鮮蝦餃) ($116) – Not too bad.

Steamed vegetarian dumplings with assorted mushrooms (鼎湖上素餃) ($102) – Mom's call and I thought she enjoyed the diced vegetables and mushrooms immensely.

Steamed rice flour rolls with barbecued Hungarian mangalica pork and coriander (布拉匈牙利鬈毛豬叉燒腸粉) ($128) – The rice rolls really meshed well with the diced barbecued pork made from Hungarian mangalica pork but what I thought stole the show here was the fragrance of the coriander. It really added a delicious twist to the dish.

Baked abalone and chicken tart with black mushrooms (原隻鮑魚撻) ($108) – The braised abalone was pretty nice but they have to do something but the tart here. A little too crumbly, and it broke as soon as I had my first bite with the abalone.

Perhaps I was too busy throwing a few jabs at mom on a number of things so we only had a total of five dim sums. No wonder we left with our stomachs still half-empty! And by the way mom, belated happy birthday!!! 😆😆

 

Food Rating: 6.9/10
Price: $$$$
Address: 1/F, The Peninsula Hong Kong, 19-21 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong
Closest Metro Station: Tsim Sha Tsui
Tel: +852 2696-6760
Website: www.peninsula.com/en/hong-kong/hotel-fine-dining/spring-moon-cantonese

Opening Hours: 11:30 am - 2:30 pm (Mon - Sat), 11:30 am - 2:30 pm (Sun), 6:00pm - 11:00 pm (Mon - Sun)

Doughman Bakery & Coffee Tsuen Wan (Hong Kong, CHINA) ★★★☆☆

Two weeks ago, I’ve discovered that Doughman, my neighborhood bakery shop has quietly been selling their own sourdough egg tarts without me noticing all this time. This week brought another surprise. When scrolling through the social media by chance, I stumbled upon this special sourdough egg tart with reduced-sugar corn custard and roasted sweet corn that they’ve been working on. Knowing that little nugget would absolutely love its cute presentation, I decided to stop by their Tsuen Wan location to try my luck.

Compared to their Lai Chi Kok location, this shop in Tsuen Wan is much smaller and without its own in-house kitchen.

Here they are~~~!!!

Sweet corn creme tart ($20) – They call it a sweet corn egg tart here although there’s no egg in it. This looks exactly like what was posted on social media. The croissant crust with a homemade corn custard, topped with roasted sweet corn. Very cute.

The croissant crust was beautifully golden and crisp but I thought it was missing that satisfying savory-sweet balance. The corn custard, in particular, didn’t shine the way I hoped it would. If the crust had a touch more savoriness, it could have really elevated the sweetness of the custard and brought the whole tart together.

Food Rating: 5.3/10

Price: $$$

Address: Shop 208-212, 2/F, Tsuen Kam Centre, 300-350 Castle Peak Road, Tsuen Wan, NT, Hong Kong

Closest Metro Station: Tsuen Wan

Opening Hours: 8:00am - 8:30pm daily

Best Beef Brisket 山水清湯腩 (Hong Kong, CHINA) ★★★☆☆

Little one is having his year-end examination in a little more than a week so Jelloman and he were stuck home doing their study work. I, on the other hand, had all the time in world to burn. And I decided to venture out to Jordan to get our take-away dinner for tonight. 

Best Beef Brisket (山水清湯腩) is a Chinese restaurant known for its beef brisket dishes. I’ve walked past it several times before and have always been curious about their offerings. Tonight, I finally had the chance to give it a try.



Braised fatty skirt steak in clear broth (清湯崩沙腩) – Yeah, I have asked specifically for their fatty skirt steak.

Each slice has gotten that cartilage and tendon with the brisket and short plate. The texture was almost perfect.

The meat was really juicy and I thought it worked beautifully with the crunchiness of the cartilage and short plate. The addition of the gelatinous tendon added a rich, silky texture. My only complaint was that they were a little heavy-handed with the seasoning of the clear broth.

Food Rating: 6.1/10

Price: $$$

Address: Shop I & J, G/F, Backingham Building, 317-321 Nathan Road, Jordan, Hong Kong

Closest Metro Station: Jordan

Tel: +852 9682-1878

Opening Hours: 10:00am - 10:30pm daily 

Tiffany Restaurant 名寶石餐廳 (Hong Kong, CHINA) ★★★☆☆

Little nugget is having an exam at a place near mom’s apartment this morning and since he will be finishing things up around lunch hour, I thought it would be good for mom to meet up with her favorite son and grandson over lunch at the same time.

As usual, we met at Tiffany Restaurant (名寶石餐廳), an old-school soy sauce restaurant that dad used to bring us all the time.

Iced milk tea – The tea was again very strong today but it came as no surprise as it’s been strong like this since dad was still around.

Deep-fried fish fillet – I arrived around 11:30am so I was still eligible to order from the breakfast menu. This was almost the same size as the one from the lunch menu and it came with fruit juice, buttered toast with fruit jam etc. Not a bad deal at all (Although mom warned me that $95 certainly ain’t exactly cheap for breakfast).

It was good to see mom today. I thought I was seeing her a little too often this week (after lunch with her at Festival Walk yesterday) but she wanted to see little nugget anyways (but not me!). 

Food Rating: 5.4/10
Price: $$$
Address: 148 Prince Edward Road West, Kowloon, Hong Kong
Closest Metro Station: Prince Edward
Tel: +852 2381-1516

Opening Hours: 8:00am - 11:30pm daily

Dagefan 大鴿飯 COCO Park (Shenzhen, CHINA) ★★★★☆

It hadn’t been an easy week at work, but it was finally Friday! With a backlog of unused annual leaves, I decided to take the afternoon off to ease some of the pressure off my shoulder.

I took the rapid train from West Kowloon station and as always, arrived in Futian without a sweat. It was nice to see an almost empty Futian station. Before rushing to the game center, it was time to first get lunch out of the way. Rather than going to Tao Tao Ju again, I decided to try something new this afternoon. Something I wanted to try for a long long time. Without hesitation, I went straight towards COCO Park shopping complex (next to PAFC, or now called PA Mall).

First opened in 2007, Dagefan (大鴿飯) is a restaurant specialized in pigeon themed dishes. It operates numerous branches in Hunan and Guangdong, with its own farm to raise its pigeons. Reports indicated that the restaurant group sold over 3.5 million pigeons last year alone. Now, that’s a lot of pigeons!

At 2:30pm, I wasn’t expecting a crowd there on a Friday afternoon but I was wrong. The dining room was still buzzing with Hongkongers everywhere and there was a modest lineup that took me almost 15 minutes to finally get myself a table.

But everything was a breeze from this point on.

My pigeon rice would have been taken off the bill if it hasn't been served within 30 minutes (I thought I heard 15 minutes).

Dagefan, or “Big Pigeon Rice” with black truffle (黑松露大鴿飯) (¥69) – Its namesake dish. The signature rice was cooked in a pigeon and pork bone broth, boasting a crispy golden crust on the bottom and topped with steamed pigeon meat and gizzards. 

I had the limited-edition version with black truffle (from Yunan?) and not surprisingly, it was full of lovely fragrance. The rice was flavorful but not over the top (I found the seasoning in Shenzhen or China in general to be more subtle compared to places like Hong Kong). In fact, most of the savory flavors came from the steamed meat and gizzards, while the rice played a supporting role, allowing the pigeon to take center stage.

Roast pigeon (爆汁紅燒鴿皇) (¥59) – In my opinion, this was even better than the rice. The perfectly crispy skin and juicy flesh were simply irresistible. Just as the name of the dish suggested, each bite released a burst of rich, flavorful pigeon juices.

 
Interestingly, there was a small glass of passion fruit and mango juice served alongside the roasted pigeon which we were supposed to sip after enjoying the baby bird.

Finally, I got to cross this one off my Shenzhen "to-do" list. Still plenty more to go, I'm afraid.

Food Rating: 6.2/10

Price: ¥¥

Address: Shop L3-021, L3 COCO Park, 268 Fuhua Road 3rd, Futian, Shenzhen, China

深圳市福田区福华三路268号星河COCO Park 一期L3层L3-021号铺

Closest Metro Station: Shopping Park (購物公園)

Tel: +86 8256-6375

Opening Hours: 11:00am - 9:30pm daily

Map: https://j.map.baidu.com/a2/FQKi

Grindie 研香 (Hong Kong, CHINA) ★★★★☆

I have always considered Grindie (研香) a popular spot for modern Chinese desserts so I was a little surprised to find that their latest additions to the dessert menu came in the form of Basque burnt cheesecake (巴斯克焦香芝士蛋糕).

Pistachio Basque cheesecake ($48) – This smells really good!

I thought the pistachio burnt cheesecake was rich and creamy offering a smooth mouthfeel that melts in your mouth. The nutty flavors blended beautifully with the cream cheese, creating a delightful balance of complexity and delicacy.



Grindie currently offers three flavors of burnt cheesecake at the moment, original, pistachio and black sesame. I am already making plans to check out the remaining flavors very soon. 

Food Rating: 6.6/10

Price: $$$

Address: G/F, 7 Hau Fook Street, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong

Closest Metro Station: Tsim Sha Tsui

Tel: +852 2386-8806

Opening Hours: 1:00pm - 11:30pm daily

Boss House Lai Chi Kok 波士冰室 荔枝角店 (Hong Kong, CHINA) ★★★☆☆

I first got to know Boss House (波士冰室) during my time in Tsuen Wan, so when I spotted its newly opened branch in Lai Chi Kok, I knew I had to check it out for myself.

I recognized the logo instantly as I used to frequent their Tsuen Wan location once upon a time.

The décor here is primarily industrial in style.

Iced milk tea (凍奶茶) – They are always count on them for a delicious glass of iced milk tea. The flavors are very robust and balanced.

Deep-fried fish fillet set (吉列魚柳餐) – The breakfast set came with a nice portion of deep-fried fish fillet, served alongside some scrambled eggs, luncheon meat and butter toast. Overall, it was on par with its competitors in terms of quality and quantity. The batter of the fish fillet was a little thick if I wanted to be picky but other than Lok Tin (樂天冰室), there was nobody significantly better around here.

Food Rating: 4.8/10

Price: $$$

Address: Shop 2A, G/F, Wing Kut Industrial Building Block B, 608 Castle Peak Road, Lai Chi Kok, Hong Kong

Closest Metro Station: Lai Chi Kok

Tel: +852 3460-2404

Opening Hours: 7:00am - 6:30pm (Mon - Sat), 7:00am - 5:00pm (Sat), 9:00am - 5:00pm (Sun)

Rosie Kwai Fong (Hong Kong, CHINA) ★★★☆☆

Little Nugget has a school event to attend this afternoon in the middle of nowhere in Kwai Fong. Unfortunately, his super tight schedule this morning left him with no time for a proper lunch. I was hoping to squeeze in a meal for him just before the event, but finding a decent spot in this foodie wasteland has been nearly impossible, until I discovered Rosie. 

This place is a classic example of a gem caught in the wrong neighborhood. With its stylish décor and cozy café-meets-coffee-shop vibe, it has all the makings of a popular hangout spot IF only it were located in a livelier area like Central, Causeway Bay or Mong Kok. Instead, it sits tucked away in an old residential neighborhood, a few blocks from Kwai Fong MTR station.

Linguine carbonara – The pasta was cooked a bit too soft and I thought the sauce leaned heavily on the cheesy (and savory) side. Little nugget seemed to enjoy it but I wasn’t quite convinced.

This was one of those rare times when I would’ve preferred my pasta not to cling to the sauce so well.

Iced matcha latte – Not bad.

Passion fruit soda – I heard it came with a nice mix of sweetness and acidity, complemented by the usual tropical fruity notes.

We actually managed to finish everything on time. Now we just needed to walk all the way back towards Kwai Hing under the nasty heat!

Food Rating: 5.6/10

Price: $$$

Address: Shop 18, G/F, Kwai Fong Plaza, 177 Hing Fong Road, Kwai Fong, NT, Hong Kong

Closest Metro Station: Kwai Fong

Tel: +852 5501-5100

Opening Hours: 12:00pm - 9:00pm daily

Doughman Bakery & Coffee LCK (Hong Kong, CHINA) ★★★★☆

Every bakery shop in town is doing its own version of sourdough egg tart these days so it comes with very little surprise that our neighborhood bakery shop is joining the trend. Situated across the street from D2 Place, Doughman has been a reliable source for my family’s breakfast and late-night snacks alike. When I spotted their sourdough egg tarts tonight, I couldn’t resist grabbing a trio of them for the team.

Sourdough egg tart ($15) – This actually cost a little dollars more than the ones at Bakehouse, the pioneer of sourdough egg tarts.

I have to admit, this tasted almost as good as the ones from Bakehouse, my favorite place for sourdough egg tarts. The crispy crust was really done to perfection but if I wanted to be picky, perhaps there’s room for improvement with the egg custard.  

Pistachio croissant crisps ($20) – Or flat croissant. There are at least half a dozen names out there. Personally, I thought it was pretty tasty, but it left me wondering: why would I choose this over a "real" croissant?

Food Rating: 6/10

Price: $$$

Address: G/F 10 Cheung Yi Street, Cheung Lung Industrial Building, Cheung Sha Wan, Hong Kong

Closest Metro Station: Lai Chi Kok

Tel: +852 3741-0111

Opening Hours: 7:30am - 8:00pm (Mon - Fri), 8:30am - 8:30pm (Sat), 9:00am - 8:30pm (Sat)

Jervois Cafe Sheung Wan 蘇杭冰室 上環店 (Hong Kong, CHINA) ★★★☆☆

I’ve been really hooked on the deep-fried chicken thigh with scrambled eggs from Jervois Cafe (蘇杭冰室) these days and since I am on leave this afternoon, I decided to drop by their Sheung Wan location for another quick lunch.

Iced milk tea (凍奶茶) – The milk tea was as robust as always, boasting a smooth, velvety texture. 👍👍

Deep-fried chicken thigh and scrambled egg over rice (生炸雞髀炒蛋 配飯) – The kitchen was a little busy this afternoon so I had to wait a bit for this to arrive. I thought the chicken thigh was again very yummy, highlighted by the crispy and flaky crust and the sweet soy just added another dimension to the dish.

Food Rating: 5.5/10

Price: $$$

Address: G/F, 3 Jervois Street, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong

Closest Metro Station: Sheung Wan

Tel: +852 2352-7778

Working Hours: 7:30am - 9:00pm daily