RONIN - Central, Hong Kong

As I mentioned in the previous post: I came to Hong Kong to eat. As someone who hails from this great city, I can tell you with certainty that aside from eating, you won't be doing much else other than shopping and walking but I digress...I came to Hong Kong to eat, in particular at two very well known restaurants: Ho Lee Fook and Ronin. With Ho Lee Fook done and dusted, that only leaves my meal at RONIN which I highly, highly anticipated. Let me tell you the lengths I went to to secure my place: I made sure I locked down this dinner first thing when planning the itinerary and waited more than a year and 3 months till the day we could make a booking (they only take bookings two weeks ahead)...this was DEFINITELY happening. So, after returning from a wonderful, magical and unforgettable trip to Palawan, Philippines...I arrived back in HK with only one goal: to enjoy my meal at RONIN. My dear readers...let me tell you about the best meal I've had in my life (so far).

The Mrs and I aren't exactly nocturnal creatures (any more) so knowing that we wouldn't be exploring around Central after dinner, I opted for the earlier session. The Mrs knew I was taking her to RONIN but she didn't know much about the place at the time...I on the other hand, knew all about the place. I find it difficult to define what RONIN is but to put it simply, it's this quaint little Japanese style whisky bar that's hidden away at the end of On Wo Lane and is discreetly located behind this sliding door that's the same colour as the rest of the building. Slide open the door and you'll be welcomed into a dining area that seats about 14 people and more standing. If you're looking for an intimate dining experience...RONIN is the place for you. If not, their sibling restaurants Yardbird (which I've also been to) and Sundays Grocer offer a more casual affair

Service is attentive to a tee the moment you walk in the door and from an Australian's standpoint, you're really taken aback by how much the staff take care of you. Once seated, the Mrs and I quickly skim over the menu after we've ordered some drinks. The Mrs was feeling kinda (really) unwell so tea worked best for her. I felt much better than I did on my last day in the Philippines so I decided to celebrate with beer. For a comprehensive meal, the service staff suggested that we picked 3 or 4 items from the raw section, one or two from the smaller items and finish with a larger item and so, that's exactly what we did.

Shortly after we placed our order, the kitchen sent out our first small appetisers which were blanched leaves of some form of Chinese vegetable (it's one I always have at dinner but can never translate) and it's served in a nice, cold and crisp dashi stock and garnished with grated yuzu rind. Supremely appetising is the best and most apt description I can think of as each bite cleansed your palate and awakened your senses, allowing you to anticipate and look forward to the coming feast. I found myself thinking "if this small yet potent appetiser is any indication of how tonight is going to play out, I'm definitely going to be happy diner"...believe me, I was not wrong.

After that came our selection from the raw list. Being that the Mrs was feeling a bit crook, I opted to select less from the raw section and supplement by ordering more for later. Of the selections we made, the kanpachi and smoked mackerel came highly recommended. As suggested by the staff, we started with the simplest fish (the one on the bottom right) and worked counterclockwise to the top. Clean, fresh and delicate is how I would describe the first fish, being the only one served traditionally with soy sauce and fresh wasabi.Then came the lightly smoked mackerel with persimmon which was firmer, smokier (duh) but had a light and sweet aftertaste as well as a crunch factor from the slices of persimmon. And finally, the kanpachi...this was our server's favourite and for good reason: it's friggin amazing. Imagine this: the fish is so unbelievable good it melts in your mouth as you chew it and the sweet relish that sits on top elevates the savoury umami packed flavour as you swallow....un-friggin-believably good.

So, by this point: the Mrs had woken up a little from her illness and livened up to the meal. Next came our first smaller item: the insta-famous flower crab and uni. I could not come to RONIN and not order this...especially me, being the uni-fiend that I am. The Mrs was apprehensive to have this as she'd recently learned of the real purpose this orange blob served in the sea urchin...oh well, more for me! A pile of cold, sweet flower crab meat sits neatly on top of the top shell of the crab with 3 pieces of uni garnishing it all. Though simplistic in nature, each component is so fresh and so tasty that you can taste each individual layer merge as it combines in your mouth.

Next came the octopus and kagoshima beef which was grilled kushiyaki style and served with a bit of fresh wasabi. Although equally impressive, this was the dish that was a bit meh to me...the octopus was tender and flavoursome and the kagoshima beef was deeply rich and satisfying,...I personally think this one lost out texturally as the transition from tender yet chewy to melting-on-your-tongue and back really confused me...by themselves though each bit was epicly good.

The last of our smaller bites to come was this gratin of eggplant, yuba skin and pepper puree topped with shiso leaf. The Mrs had the first bite and as I looked into her face and saw no reaction, I quickly dove in to do my own assessment...ambushed. T'was great (the Mrs likes to hold back her reaction to sucker punch me with flavour). Thin slivers of soft yuba skin float around in this peppery, sweet puree mixed in with smokey bits of eggplant and given a fresh, minty and herbaceous kick by the shiso garnish...I could have this for dinner every night and not get sick of it.

By this point, the Mrs and I are equally stuffed but we despite being at capacity, our (my) anticipation for the coming dishes pushes our bellies forward. At this point, I'd like to highlight the fact that I didn't just gorge myself on unbelievably delicious food...I also got educated. RONIN has a very extensive whisky offering and you can't really come into such a well stocked establishment and not try some...it's our honeymoon right? I wasn't initially planning on drinking much whisky...my ignorance and perceived lack of appreciation meant I feared wasting it. Still, as we watched one the bar staff prepare an ice ball, I started explaining the purpose of the ice ball to the Mrs (from what I learnt from the anime Bartender and watching Anthony Bourdain cruise around Japan). I'd like to think that he heard me and decided to come over reinforce my understanding with his professional expertise. Some small talk and a bit of laughs later, I ended up omakase'ing drinks which is how I ended up with a highball and one of the best glasses of whisky I'd EVER had...I think it was the "Mars"...I think.

So back on topic: our "mains" so to speak...oh boy, where do I even begin. Well, I'll begin with the sea bream karaage that we ordered since it came first. Nuggets of golden fried sea bream meat sits on top of this delicately carved fish bone (that's also been fried)....this is all served with a bonito flavoured dipping sauce that's spiced with pickled jalapenos. Each piece of fried fish is so delicate yet meaty...and then you dip it into the sauce and it all changes as the bronze liquid coats the thin batter of the fish and you get this acidity that cuts through it all. Piece by piece, bone by bone...we demolish this dish until literally...nothing is left. I am normally really picky with my fish (I hate picking out pin bones so I avoid eating fish altogether) but this dish made me eat all the collars and bones. That's a testament to how good it is.

Now, I swing around the word "piece-de-resistance" a lot...I generally use it to describe the most impressive dish of the night...the crown jewel if you will. No where is it more true than at RONIN for this next dish: Kagoshima beef served with maitake mushrooms, egg yolk and sukiyaki sauce...seriously, I die. This is what RONIN is super well-known for and the fish I've waited years to experience and trust me, it did not disappoint. Rich, moreish and all manner of orgasmically good stuff goes into your mouth...you chew and savour and the joy just doesn't end. Each slice of raw beef is so marbled, tender and melty that by itself it'd be a delight. But alas, no...you're overwhelmed by layer after layer of decadence from the egg yolk to the earthy, meaty mushrooms to the aromatic and crispy garlic slices and then finished by that sweet, savoury, umami-packed sauce. oh...em...gee...mind-blown...can no longer maintain eloquence.

So, stuffed beyond measure and more impressed than imaginable. I leave RONIN a satisfied and happy man. With food blogging, the longer you leave a post without writing it, the more your memory of that meal fades as you forget the taste but as I sit here writing this, I'm amazed at how much impact this meal has left on me as I still vividly remember each dish and flavour I sampled...that, my friends, should be a true testament to how good they are.

I've said this on instagram and I'll say it again here: RONIN doesn't include the service charge meaning you tip based on how well you were served. If I had unlimited resources, I'd tip more than I did but if I didn't tip enough or if I offended, please forgive me as I really had no measure of what was appropriate. The guys and girls at RONIN were beyond fantastic and by every measure and every standard of the industry, they deserve all the attention and praise they get...bravo RONIN, bravo.

Ho Lee Fook - Central, Hong Kong

Don't you just hate it when you write up a whole blog post, and just as you prepare to publish it...it's all disappears? That's what happened to me...I had originally written a huge post about our time in Hong Kong but due to some unforeseen technical difficulties, I lost most of the content...Oh well, had to happen some time right? So, having being dejected from the loss of so much content, I'd held off on blogging again until I regained my momentum. Now that I'm back, I thought it'd be a great idea to blog about the two highlights of my trip.

Part of me believes that the purpose of the trip to Hong Kong was to show the Mrs my hometown, let her experience my culture and feed her my childhood delights...but I know that a majority of my motivation came from my compelling desire to dine at two specific restaurants: Ho Lee Fook and RONIN. For me, this was like a holy pilgrimage that's been two or so years in the making...so, one night, the Mrs, my sister and I headed out to dinner at Ho Lee Fook. It was really, really surprising that we managed to even get a table at all since we were just walk ins but we got our after a very short wait...which was amazing because I couldn't wait to dig in.

A great way to start off any night is with a few delicious cocktails which we all certainly did indulge in. The Mrs wasn't feeling too well so she stuck to a mocktail, but I ordered a yakult gin fizz which was everything I could have wanted: crisp, creamy, foamy and layered with the herbaceous taste of gin and the sweet taste of yakult. 

Shortly after our drinks landed, our first dish of the night arrived at the table: Wagyu steak tartare served Yunnan style. The menu described it as hot and sour which was a very apt description: the spicy element was definitely very obvious but it made the dish all the more savoury and delectable. Each bite of meltingly rich and tender beef was followed by a fiery sting and then mellowed out by the aromatic herbs. Pair that with the crunch of the crackers and you get this amazing textural experience. It reminded me quite a bit of the tartare the Mrs and I had at Ms.Gs (which isn't really surprising since Ho Lee Fook's head chef, Jowett Yu is ex-Mr.Wong...he is someone I admire very much and one of my biggest reasons for dining at Ho Lee Fook).

Second to arrive at our table was Ho Lee Fook's Mom’s “mostly cabbage, a little bit of pork” dumplings. The dumpling wrappers were a little softer than I'm normally used to but nothing out of the ordinary for blanched/steamed dumplings as they are quite high in water content. This didn't detriment how simple and beautiful this dish was though as the filling contained in this sophisticated package was light yet juicy with each element layered and pronounced. The sauce accompanying the dumplings bumped up the umami tenfold.

After the dumplings came our order of the fried cauliflower and brussels sprouts with maple bacon chilli jam. By far, this was the most surprisingly delicious dish as we didn't expect all the components of the dish to work so well together. The veggies had a perfect crunch and a really pronounced, clean flavour. In addition to the above, you have that sweet, smokey flavour from the bacon chilli jam...oh so good.

Next came the prawn lo mein with shellfish oil, grilled shallots and crispy garlic. Although good, this was probably the dish that I found...underwhelming. I'm a massive carb fiend and what this means is that I love and appreciate any form of noodles, rice or pasta. While I did find this delicious, it really lacked in impact to me. The prawns were cooked perfectly...plump, juicy and meaty but in Hong Kong, I somewhat doubt the fact that you can find anywhere that doesn't do prawns well with such fresh produce. Personally, these noodles just tasted too simple...like plain XO sauce noodles.

But then, came the piece-de-resistance....the holy grail and the culmination of my visit to Ho Lee Fook...the roast wagyu short ribs served with a jalapeño purée, green shallot kimchi and drizzled with soy glaze. Each piece of beef had a crunchy, smokey exterior which held together the tender, melt in your mouth beef ribs. This is all accentuated by the spice of the jalapeno puree, the sweetness and umami of the soy glaze and the fresh, crunchy shallots...legitimate heaven on earth.

If you (like me) like to live life on the edge, you can single-handedly try to polish off the non-meaty side of the dish which contained all the cut offs and tendony bits. In my opinion, this was the most delicious (yet dangerous) part of the dish...after finishing that whole side, I felt so full that I was gonna burst....but it was so, so worth it.

Although I didn't get to see one of my food heroes in the kitchen that night, I can say with absolute certainty that this was one of the most memorable nights of my honeymoon and certainly worth the visit. In a city that's filled with so many packed with culinary delights, Ho Lee Fook stands out as a beacon of the new-age: fun filled, no boundaries Chinese inspired fare designed to delight the senses. If given the opportunity, I would return again and again without regret.

Boon Cafe at Jarern Chai Asian Grocer - Central, NSW

Lately, the Mrs and I have been getting busier as we come up to the end of the year. If I haven't mentioned already, we're trying to plan and organise a relatively large event so our weeknights/ends have been taken up by planning, meetings and generally being super-exhausted. I'd like to apologise to the Mrs here and admit that in the midst of being stressed and generally feeling useless/not helpful, I've kinda neglected to acknowledge how wonderful she is and how much I love her. Luckily, the Mrs and I still managed to find the time to squeeze in a quick date night at a place she's been wanting to try for a while: Boon Cafe.

The most recent venture by the guys at Chat Thai: during the day, the menu is more cafe/brunch like but at night, the items change to more of what you'd find in the streets of Bangkok. The Mrs and I thought it'd be a nice idea to try it on a whim and we were lucky enough to grab one of the limited tables so I let the Mrs take charge and order away. We'd originally ordered the dessert to come later but maybe due to some minor miscommunications with the staff, the Pandan toast became the first to come...not a bad way to start a meal though. The toast was nice and fluffy but I'd have to say, the spread was mildly disappointing in that there wasn't a deep enough pandan flavor nor was it noticeably sweet...in my opinion, could have definitely have definitely benefitted from more sweetness/flavour.

Additionally, the Mrs had originally intended to order the Thai milk tea that she was accustomed to but had somehow ended up ordering Thai red tea which is essentially the same thing without the condensed milk. Due to that fact, the Mrs didn't enjoy it too much initially but I definitely did, the spiciness of the drink helped cool me down after a long day and regardless of what she had originally expected, the Mrs still grew to like the drink after a couple of sips. 

Soon after, our first hot dish came and boy, were we excited to dig in. The Mrs ordered a half order of the Gai Yang which is Thai style grilled chicken. The chicken here is marinaded really well and rather flavoursome which is good though the Mrs did say it was less juicy than another restaurant we frequent. I think it was an issue with the pieces she picked because each piece I picked was juicy and tender. It could have been a bit more charred but overall, very enjoyable. 

Next came the grilled sausages which was personally, my favorite. I love sausages from all cultures and cuisines and this one was very representative of the flavour profiles you'd find in Thailand. Intense and mouth-numbingly spicy, we identified some elements of chilli, ginger and potentially lemongrass mixed in with the meat. If you'd ordered this, be warned: have a glass of milky, sweet beverage ready as this dish is as authentic as it comes. It's so addictively spicy that the Mrs had to stop part-way and recuperate before she could continued eating it.

Shortly after our grilled sausage arrived, the beef salad also arrived at our table. At this point of the dinner, our mouths were burning from the sausages so it was a welcome and refreshing change of pace. The salad was still packed it's own punch but not nearly as intensely as the sausage did. The green leaves, onions and sweet dressing really helped calm our palates allowing us to enjoy the tender pieces of beef strewn throughout the salad.

Our meal was rounded off by the carbs that came last. At $5 a bowl, the Mrs thought it appropriate to order to separate bowls of noodles (one for me and one for her). I got the spicier Thai styles noodles which was great because I was used to eating similar noodles from Do Dee Pai Dang noodle cafe. Cheap and satisfying, you didn't get to choose the level of spice but for that price, you really wouldn't mind. I have to say, I really enjoyed the rice noodles they used a little more than the glass noodles I normally have at Do Dee and the soup I think was more sour and appetising than I was used to which was great.

The Mrs got the bowl of Thai style egg noodles which she seemed to relish because the sweet and savoury broth offered a much needed reprieve from the flames burning in her mouth. I didn't get to eat much of it but I assumed since the Mrs demolished most of it that it was delicious. From the small amount that I did get to have, the flavor reminded me most of the tiny microwavable bowls of wonton noodles you can get from Costco. 

Reminiscent of our current lives and schedules, the dinner was a bit of a mess at the beginning but regardless, what mattered most to me was that I was able to sit down and have a nice, enjoyable meal with my beloved. Super sappy of me to say but I truly believe that no matter what life throws at me, as long as the Mrs and I have each other, we'll be fine and happy no matter what life throws at us. 

From the bottom of my heart: Thank you for everything that you've done for me and for us. We wouldn't come as far as we have and I definitely wouldn't be who I am today without your constant support, patience and guidance. I'm so excited for the future we share together and for the many meals and laughs we'll have in the future.

Love you always, turtle.

Mama's Buoi - Surry Hills

As winter comes into full swing, we find ourselves at the end of another school term. What this normally entails is a fun filled celebration with the Mrs and her education posse. Last week was no exception as we all got into our 'end-of-term' best and headed out to the Sydney foodie's mecca, Surry Hills. One of the Mrs workmates had suggested we check out Mama's Buoi (which was a very welcome suggestion, always up for some Vietnamese food).

What I neglected to remember was that it was Friday....at one of the most popular restaurants in Surry Hills. As soon as I had parked my car, I headed over early to the already packed out destination and tried my luck. My request for a 6 person table was answered with a playful laugh from the maitre d' which pretty much answered my question, but our story didn't end here as the same party member who made the suggestion had recently enjoyed a lovely 40 pax function there (and she says that's what got us the table)...score!

After being seated at one of the open air tables in the back which really wasn't that cold at all despite what we were warned about. We were promptly served by a delightful service staff member (who we later learned ran the place!). She even offered to get our orders out quicker which was a lovely gesture. I can honestly say I haven't had service nearly as good as at Mama's Buoi. Our drinks came first and then not long after, our food. Our night was off to a spectacular start.

For drinks, the Mrs and I decided to be fancy and order cocktails. I chose to have the Lychee and Watermelon Martini and the I chose the 'A Day in Ha Long Bay' for the Mrs. The Martini was refreshingly sweet yet didn't smother the taste of the alcohol but instead made it a much easier drink to sip and enjoy. I have to admit that on this occasion, I chose the better drink for the Mrs (...as I had intended). The Ha Long Bay had ample tartness from the green mango and lime which was complemented rather well by the green apple liqueur and from memory, a slight fizz that drew out the drink. The Mrs and I were thoroughly impressed with our drinks.

Our friend had ordered Thit Ko which was a pot/bowl of caramelised pork belly and eggs braised in a coconut juice. I unfortunately couldn't bring myself to ask if I could try any (the Mrs and I ordered a lot of food) but couldn't stop myself from staring at it as he ate it. The layered and fatty cubes of pork belly sat in a gravy-like sauce which I could only assume would have been heavenly what with it's abundant amount of aromatics floating around.

The Mrs ordered a Mixed Skewer platter which came with three skewers of beef, pork and chicken. This was also served with lettuce cups, pickles and a dark, savoury sauce called Nuoc Mam. The beef wasn't my personal favorite and judging by which skewers were left till the end, it wasn't the Mrs favourite either. It was tender but lacking in a bit of fat which meant it wasn't really that charred and didn't have a potent flavour of beef. The pork was better though with it's fatty bits of soft meat and delicious lemongrass marinade. The best was definitely the chicken which was grilled to a perfect char on the outside. The meat was delicately sweet and juicy which accentuated the whole dish. I was a really big fan of the sauce (big flavour hit of liver pate in it) but as the Mrs doesn't like liver, she opted to avoid the sauce.

I ordered the Pho (as I typically would...noodles anytime, anyday) and I'll be honest, I wasn't expecting much from the Pho but the broth was really aromatic which was a delightful surprise! The Mrs also enjoyed the thickness and the snap of the rice noodles. I would have preferred to have the broth hotter in temperature but overall, it was a decent package. For the price they charge and relative to the size of the bowl, a regular Pho connoisseur might be a little disappointed but take it as an interpretation of the Vietnamese classic and you'll be able to take it for what it is...a great bowl of noodles.

As a side, the Mrs and I also ordered the pork spring rolls which I have to say, were absolutely delicious. The wrapper/skin almost had a dumpling-like consistency with it's springy and chewy texture. This is probably due to the conscious choice of using rice paper is the spring rolls wrapper. This really helped in contrasting the crunch from the fried exterior and also helped to bring out the savouriness of the pork and fillings. 

I won't really go into the details of the rest of the night because frankly, it was just a great night out. But it wouldn't nearly have been as good if we didn't start it off with the delicious culinary delights we were able to have at Mama's Buoi. Absolutely brilliant service paired with amazing food and home-style Vietnamese food done really well makes Mama's Buoi a MUST return destination.