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.

Honeymoon video!

Canton Noodle House - Hurstville

Firstly, before I go on my usual spiel, I'd like to say a few things first. I know it's been a while since my last post, the Mrs and I have been extremely busy organising various things, we haven't even had the time to sit down and breathe! Luckily, a nice, mellow season is coming so I can continue to try and keep the content coming. Secondly, I'd like to announce that we've hit 1000 total pageviews! We'd like to honestly thank each and every reader that's ever come by our blog. In comparison to more well known bloggers, this seems like an insignificant number but to us it means the world. It's a massively humbling and gratifying feeling to know that so many people have read our page. A very big thankyou to everyone!

Now, I'm a St. George boy through-and-through (believe me, my inevitable move to the west scares me...the things you'd do for love) so it absolutely baffles me how long it's taken me to write a blog about this place! It's a Hurstville staple and in my humble opinion, the best cantonese noodle joint in Sydney. It may be the fondness from my high school days speaking but this place is the regular for the Mrs and I. She absolutely loves the won-tons they serve here. 

In the past seven days, I've had the opportunity to visit twice in the same week. On my first visit, I went with the Mrs for a nice Friday night dinner. Whenever we come here, the Mrs will always order (make me order) the same thing: Wonton noodles w/ 'Laam Tsup' or beef flank sauce. Canton does a killer beef flank but if you're not feeling like demolishing a large bowl of noodles AND plenty of beef, you can actually order a plain wonton noodle soup with a ladle of the reduced sauce they make the beef flank with. The noodles are cooked to a perfect al-dente and the large, plump wontons are simply.The perfect combination of prawns,pork and crunchy wood ear makes for a delightful accompaniment to the beefy broth and the abundant noodles. 

I on the other hand felt like something dry so I opted to order the combination chow mien. Now, this might seem like an awfully western thing to order but trust me, When the standard of food is so high, even something so ordinary becomes spectacular. Crispy noodles surround the outside which give the whole dish a crunch factor but if you dig into the middle, you'll find the glossy noodles coated in the immensely flavoursome chinese gravy. Made from the restaurants own superior soup and other sauces. Each item on the dish is coated in the stuff which not only keeps it at a perfect temperature for longer but also accentuates the flavour profile ten-fold. I could have a just a bowl of rice and that stuff and I'd be perfectly happy.

Above all else though, if you ever visit this place you must (and I mean MUST) order the Hong Kong Milk Tea. I can vouch for this place...it is as legit as it comes. One-for-one like the streets of Kowloon and Hong kong. Just like you'd get each an every morning at your local Tea lounge. No place in Sydney does milk tea quite like Canton does. As odd and embarrassing as it is, the Mrs will request (make me) go in and just order takeaway milk tea...and she actually has. I personally have a preference to have it cold but if you want the OG Hong Kong experience...have it hot. They'll even give you the classic stainless steel sugar tin. 

For those who don't live in the south, fret not as there is a secondary branch in Burwood but in my personal opinion, Hurstville is the place to go.