mycc

One of the features of Din Tai Fung was that you would be able to witness the making of the dumplings and 'baus' right in front of you.

Signature Steamed Pork Dumplings (Xiao Long Bao) (小笼包)

The unique Din Tai Fung's signature rendition of the steamed pork dumpling consists of juicy meat filling wrapped in a supposedly melt-in-your-mouth skin. The silky smooth dough was made in small batches to maintain freshness. Subsequently, it would be rolled out and cut into identical pieces, with each piece being weighed to ensure that it meets the requirements of 20.8-21.2 grams. The small pieces of dough are then rolled out transforming into silvers of thin smooth skin before being pleated with at least 18 exquisite folds. Finally, the dumplings are steamed at the perfect temperature and served piping hot.

Despite the rather impressive set-up to how the dumpling was actually made, the skin of the dumpling tasted slightly stiff, probably owed to airing, which was rather disappointing to say the least. The dumpling skin however was relatively thin, yet managed to encapsulate the warm soup within. Upon the first bite, the soup within the dumpling burst out and it tasted clear and fresh. The minced pork being the core of the dumpling was tender and succulent. The essence of this dish was supposedly the delicate dough skin, which was pleated, twisted at the top and subsequently steamed. For some reason, it was not delivered to us fulfilling those expectations.


Delicately handmade with precision once again as you might have seen the folds on the dumpling, the steamed vegetable and pork dumpling tasted juicy with delectable delights of savoury pork meat and fragrant  Chinese cabbage. The cabbage had been finely diced and well blended with the meat, though we would have preferred it more with more meat filling to give a stronger punch to the flavour. It somewhat tasted too 'vegetarian' with the cabbage being the dominating taste, which did not quite go with the balanced palate we were expecting. Made with similar dough for the skin of the wrapping, the texture of this tasted much fresher, softer compared to the xiao long bao.





The fried pork chop was one of Din Tai Fung's signature dishes, with the thin slice of meat finely marinated with complex herbs. It tasted very tender and managed to retain the moisture much needed within the meat. Despite it being fried, it did not dehydrate the meat of its much desired moisture to give it the juicy bite. There was a lot going on with the flavours with each mouthful, but the underlying taste was a very palatable savoury one. Minimal seasoning was used for the eggs, without stealing the limelight away from the natural fragrance of the eggs. The 'wok-fire' of the dish was highly desired and unlike most fried rice, you would be able to taste large egg fragments. Despite it being a simple dish, Din Tai Fung did everything right, focusing on minute details such as using the right kind of rice, coating each individual grain with the imparted flavour and each plate of rice was kept to a measured weight to ensure consistency in serving size like the dumplings.




In general, the service was top-notched. One would expect to be warmly greeted by each and every passing server upon walking into the restaurant. Food wise, I would say it was value for money, considering that it was accredited Michelin 1-star. With or without the award, it was an affordable meal at a comfortable setting. Despite the lackluster dish of their famous 'xiao long bao', there were merits worth visiting for.

Joel Robuchon was the most influential French chef of the post-nouvelle cuisine era. Commonly regarded as the primus inter pares (first among the peers in Latin) of Paris' 3 star chefs for his work, a meal at Robuchon's restaurant had always been known to be of relentless perfectionism.

Drawing inspiration from the simplicity of cuisine, Robuchon led the way in creating a more delicate style respectful of natural food ingredients. Reputable for her high tea sets, we decided to visit for a food test. Setting wise, the interior of the restaurant could house less than 10 tables. Further down the corridor of The Landmark, there were about 5 tables littered at the balcony, overlooking the center of the shopping mall. What I particularly prefer about the balcony tables were that one would be guaranteed some privacy with your other dining companions, for they were partitioned and separated by wall beams.

High Tea Set for 2 - $325/-

The scones immediately stole the limelight with the glistening surface. They were all natural, lemon and raisin scones with Devonshire clotted cream and home made strawberry jam.


Even after the photo-taking, the scones were still warm to the touch. The glistening surface to the scones carried a slight crisp, while the inside was moist and soft. It would have been one of the finest scones tried even compared to the traditional bakeries in the UK, though I am not quite sure if the lemon scones as suggested on the menu was presented. There was a lack of any tinge of lemon juice or flavours and tasted like an original plain scone. That being said, the buttery taste of the scone was rich but not overwhelming, which definitely won me over. The raisin scone was packed with succulent raisins despite the petite size, making each mouth-bite a delightful treat to the palate.

What I appreciated most was the indulgence in the thick slab of premium ham layered between the sandwich. Once again, the quality of the ingredients was superior though it would be sparing to taste the mustard seeds, so expect no more than an above average tasting ham sandwich.


Paris-Brest

The Paris-Brest is largely similar to the more commonly regarded chocolate eclairs, with the exception of an icing usually glazed atop the choux pastry. Despite the menu's suggestion that this was the Paris-Brest, I was slightly disappointed with the presentation, especially being a cycling enthusiast. The pastry originated as a creation back in 1891 to commemorate the Paris-Brest-Paris cycling race, with its intended circular shape representative of a wheel and was a popular pastry during the race due to its energy-giving high calorific value. Expecting a circular version of the pastry, this was done so more like an eclair with the oblong shape of the choux pastry. The praline flavoured cream was light yet packed with richness at the same time, leaving you long for another bite after the first. The choux pastry was also perfectly toasted to a golden crisp, which complemented the softness of the cream wholly. Apart from the presentation expectation of an authentic Paris-Brest, I was left largely impressed, though personally I consider it faux pas if the food served did not match the description off the menu.


Macaroon ganache

Ganache is normally made from a mixture of chocolates and cream to give a desired consistency. It went very well with the vanilla flavoured macaroons. The macaroons had a slight crisp to the surface and a friable inside, crumbling easily, almost melting with each bite. The balance in textures was completed with a crunchy and slightly sweet biscuit base supporting the ganache and macaroons.


Mint and chocolate pastry

This was served instead of the classic chestnut mont-blanc and it was not directed to our attention until my discovery. The ganache carried a stronger chocolate flavour and aroma with a lesser proportion of cream. The mint cream lying atop the chocolate pastry tasted very mild and personally I felt that this dessert might have a more lasting impression on diners with a bolder flavour, perhaps starting with the mint. Also, what I could not tolerate was the serving of a broken slice of chocolate adjacent to the cake slice, carrying the name of L'ATELIER de Joel Robuchon, a Michelin 3-starred restaurant. I felt that more attention could be paid to the pastry, like how it was with the other pastries.

Trying to find a remote area in Hong Kong with less crowd is as good as searching for an oasis in the Sahara. Even the seemingly far Yuen Long located at New Territories is busy and popular with diners on the hunt for a bargain meal. On the prowl for good food, the flashes of camera set caught my attention.


After moving to Hong Kong, this was my first time witnessing TVB filming, and what best to catch the filming of a food show! The rumbling stomachs coupled with curiosity on the filming process, we took our seats at the adjacent table inside this simple looking eatery.




It seemed incredibly difficult to taste fresh chicken in Hong Kong post bird flu era. To our surprise, their signature chicken congee did not disappoint. The chicken was tender and succulent, with a slight tinge of sweetness. The congee itself was very slushy, in a positive way, allowing you to just drink it down rather than swallowing. Our chicken congee was served while the filming process began, and the hosts were food tasting the same signature dish. Instantly, we grew increasingly skeptical about the authenticity of the contents of food show. Indeed, the chicken congee was flavoursome as suggested by the hosts, but the chicken meat portions were far from what was claimed. At about $50 per pot of congee, one would commonly expect more edible chicken meat, rather than it being filled more with bones. I would recommend trying this for the sake of the taste, though I would beckon when it comes to value for money.


Soy sauce fried noodles

When it came to fried noodles, the most critical element would fall on the 'wok hei', which required high heat for fragrance. Ideally, the food would be cooked in a seasoned wok over a high flame while being stirred and tossed quickly. For this very reason, cooking would usually be done over an open flame rather than over electric stoves. The so called flavour imparted from 'wok hei' was a result from caramelization, maillard reaction (which typically caused browning) and the partial combustion of oil that came from charring and searing of food at heat in excess of 200 degrees celsius.

This was one of their signature dishes, which was featured during the filming as well. The thermal radiation from the wok (commonly known as 'wok hei') was perfect for the dish, which helped to lock in the dark soy sauce and condiments used in the frying process. The noodles were slightly stiff, which went well with the fresh crunchy beansprouts to give a balanced texture with each mouthful. The noodles tasted savoury, owed in part to the dark soy sauce. The calories conscious might find this a guilty treat, as your lips would almost certainly be left gleaming with the excessive oil.

Always a fan of roasted pigeon, we hesitated due to limited stomach space. However when the filming crew dished this out as yet another signature dish, I felt the compelling urge to order a serving too. It certainly did not disappoint. The pigeon was prepared and left to stand and was only roasted with each placed order. The skin was very crispy, yet it did not dehydrate the meat of its juices. The meat was tender, succulent and savoury to say the least. Personally I felt it was tasty even on its own without the accompanying toasted salt.


Lime Juice

We ordered this as a quench-thirster and the flavours of the lime in this simple-looking drink was surprising. I was half expecting a highly saccharine lime syrup, but this tasted zesty and refreshing. After a greasy meal, this was much desired indeed to give a cleansed feel to the stomach.