That may sound like bragging, but...well, it *is* bragging!
Hong Kong is a wonderful place to eat.
It's totally possible in the course of a few weeks to have multiple experiences that etch themselves into your gastronomic memory. Things like...
Black truffle xiaolongbao in the Willy Wonka of a dumpling factory that is Din Tai Fung. No skimping on the black truffle here (you can see the bits from the broth in my spoon). Heavy duty sultry truffle flavor and wonderful porkiness and then the elasticity of the dumpling skin...
Sticky, gritty, powdery, goldeny-orange palm sugar to top off a delicate tofu pudding with ginger juice at Island Tang. While I don't recommend this restaurant (had the food been frozen and reheated?), this very simple dessert presentation bewitched me.
Candied taro at Lippo Chiuchow. I love it when my friend J-- comes to town. She always introduces me to these dishes that are so...cool. Jenga-shaped beams of mellow taro on the edge of mushy and crisp -- coated with a thick layer of hard sugar. Almost as hard as those sugar Easter eggs my sister and I got as little girls. This may not sound "good" but the experience was so fascinating my mind keeps going back to it...
Can you see the exquisite orchid in the back? It must be at least 20 years old. I love the orchid, the waiter's jacket, the stained glass, the booths...and I actually quite enjoyed my corned beef tongue with noodle soup. Tai Ping Koon is a 150+ year-old "Chinglish" restaurant that has partially Disneyfied itself for tourists, yet maintains a lovely old-world vibe.
Rose petal macaroons at Petrus on Mistress's Day (February 13th). A crispy candied petal on top, a scoop of rose-flavored buttercream in the middle, and a wonderful chewy cookie below. I'm a texture junky, what can I say? We didn't even order this. They just brought this at the end of our meal. And it was in another class entirely from the food, which was very hotel-y. Interestingly, I rode the elevator with two teenage boys last night, one of whom was carrying a tube of extraordinarily beautiful French macaroons. Where did he get them? The Shangri-La, of course.
Baked pork buns at Golden Leaf restaurant in the Conrad. What I love about this is the garnish: maraschino cherry and parsley, bright red and dark green. Sweet and savory. A fitting touch to the plate bearing a dish which is essentially a pork doughnut. A very, very expensive pork doughnut, by the way. Fancy-pants food blogger Peech (Diary of a Growing Boy) described Golden Leaf as "good food at a discount," yet our bill was substantially higher than for dim sum at Lung King Heen. Maybe the raised their prices since he started singing their praises!
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