Fortune Room

Jockey Club is a place that many of my friends and I have grew up in. From swimming lessons, tennis lessons, to numerous family dinners and dimsum lunches, Jockey Club has definitely been a huge part of my childhood. Fortune Room is the more refined Chinese restaurant and my parents told me that they wanted me to try a tasting menu there. I have always just had regular Chinese meals there and was curious to see what the tasting menu would be like. Overall, the food was good but not particularly remarkable. The ingredients were all of high quality and plating was detailed and thoughtful. My parents said that they have had other tasting menus here and that this was not as good as usual. Regardless, it was still a nice dinner and service was very polite and professional as usual. I did appreciate how it tried to be creative with some elements of fusion in the dishes.

Char Siu (Cantonese Roast Pork)
Haha this was not part of the tasting menu but my mom's dish because she did not want to order the tasting menu. This was super juicy and tender. 

Roasted Suckling Pig with Crispy Bean Curd Sheet and Cucumber Scallop Salsa in Tomato
A classic cantonese dish. The skin was extremely crispy and not too fatty. The bean curd sheet was also not greasy and made well. The tomato was not my favorite but did provide a nice refreshing touch to the dish.

Poached U.K. Oyster. Lemon Leaf, and Ginger Foam paired with Poached Lobster Fillets with Grapes and Golden Garlic
The oyster was quite large and the flavors were not bad but I didn't like how it was strangely warm. I usually do prefer raw oysters but if oysters are cooked I would like it to be hot such as deep fried or baked. This lukewarm temperature was a bit off-putting. The grape and garlic was also a unusual combination. 

Pan-Fried Australian Wagyu Beef with Sea Salt and Dijon Mustard, Broad Bean Puree with Preserved Vegetables, Thyme Split Pea and Creaming Cauliflower Puree
The beef was super juicy and just melted in my mouth. I really liked the idea of the broad bean puree with the preserved vegetables but I would have liked more of the purees. This was a simple and well executed dish. 

Slow Cooked Salmon and Crab Roe Roulade in Rice Cracker and Seafood Sauce
This was another dish that was a tad strange. The salmon was actually very lovely and cooked to the perfect tenderness. The crab roe did not really add a lot of flavor but did have a nice textural contrast. The flavor of the salmon was also quite pronounced and fresh. The seafood sauce was the part that I did not really enjoy. It was a bit too gloopey and had a slightly sweet but indistinct flavor. 

Crispy Chicken Fillets with White Asparagus and Spring Onion Oil
Yummm this is another classic Cantonese dish. The chicken skin was perfectly crisp and the chicken was juicy. However, my parents always complain that Jockey Club's chickens do not have good "chicken taste" (雞味). The asparagus was a bit overcooked but was not a huge issue.

Braised Home-made Cat Ear Vegetable Noodles with Hairy Crab Roe
This was probably my favorite dish of the night. I really enjoyed this type of fusion and feel that it was a successful dish. Unfortunately the hairy crab roe was not super flavorful and rich but that is because it is not in season. It was still very delicious and the amount of crab meat was also very generous. The cat ear noodles went very well with the decadent crab roe sauce and was perfectly chewy. The addition of the scallions on top added a great crunch and kick of flavor.

Ginger Panna Cotta with Vanilla Ice Cream and Chocolate Strawberry Curls
I love panna cotta and this was done very well. I also loved the addition of chia seeds on top. However I did not like the chocolate curls as they were a bit out of place and also looked tacky. 

Although there were hits and misses during this meal, I did enjoy the meal overall and was very stuffed at the end of it. I will definitely be happy to try another tasting menu with my parents and a nice bottle of wine :) 

Fortune Room

2/F 

Jockey 

Club 

25 

Shan Kwong Road 

Happy Valley

Hong Kong

Pepper Lunch

After my Lunch Part 1 at Izumi Curry, C and I went to Pepper Lunch to finish off our lunch date. When I first ate Pepper Lunch a while ago... it did not leave much of an impression on me. But thank god I ate it again and realized how amazing it really is. Don't forget to get their sauces to mix into your rice!

Here is their menu! One thing that I would comment on is how long it took to get our food. Since it is located in the food court, you would expect that it would be a quick meal but it usually takes a substantial amount of time before our number is displayed on the screen indicating our food is ready to be picked up. I get that it is a popular choice but it also seems like a dish that can be assembled quite quickly! But since I was in no rush I did not mind this :)

Beef Pepper Rice with CheeseEeeeek this was absolutely indulgent and delicious. The fatty beef gets all crisped up and the oil also adds flavor to the rice. The corn and scallion add nice pops of flavor and texture and the cheese just makes it even more comforting and envelops everything in a ooey gooey blanket. 

Pepper Lunch

Food Stall #3

11th Floor

Hysan Place

500 Hennessy Road

Causeway Bay

Hong Kong

Sushi Kuu

Sushi Kuu is always a safe and delicious option for lunch! I also like it because it is close to my house :)

Sushi Kuu

1/F 

M88

2-8 Wellington Street

Central

Hong Kong

Marea once more

Marea is one of my favorite restaurants in NYC and once again it did not disappoint. I went for lunch this time and had a lovely time. I had a heavy brunch (Southern style with biscuits, grits, gravy, bacon, sausage, eggs... you get the idea), so I was actually quite stuffed when I arrived but I still made sure I enjoyed every bite of this amazing food.

ASTICE - Nova Scotia Lobster, Burrata, Eggplant, Basil
This dish was a delight to the eyes and also to my palate. The lobster was cooked perfectly and was incredibly fresh and sweet. The burrata was creaming and had a lovely milk flavor. The olive oil was also very aromatic and the cherry tomatoes were sweet and juicy. The only complaints I have is that it was tad too salty and the addition of the eggplant was a bit strange. 

RICCI - Sea Urchin, Lardo, Sea Salt
Mmmmm this is always a huge crowd pleaser. The sea urchin was not the sweetest uni I've had but the components together was just incredibly creamy and decadent. The lardo was just perfect and melted in your mouth while the uni flavor was quite prominent. Definitely a must order whenever I am here!

FUSILLI - Durum Wheat Pasta, Red Wine Braised Octopus, Bone Marrow
I have not had ALL the pastas at Marea but I've had a good 3-4 different types. Therefore I can't technically say that this is definitely my favorite yet but from the ones I've tried this is definitely my top choice. The pasta is absolute perfection and has such a great chewy texture. The shape of the pasta also allows for the luscious sauce to envelop itself all around it. The sauce is incredibly flavorful and rich but not heavy. The octopus is also very tender and infused with flavor. I was too full to finish it because I literally just had brunch 30 minutes ago but 2-3 hours later I was filled with regret for not eating it all up :( 

STROZZAPRETI - Crab, Sea Urchin, Basil
 This pasta had very bright flavors and the amount of crab was very generous. The tomato sauce packed a tangy punch and the pasta was also cooked perfectly as aways. However, I enjoyed the octopus and bone marrow pasta more. W like this pasta more so it's probably just due to personal preference. I usually do prefer creamier pastas and while the bone marrow one is not cream based I prefer the richer and creamier element to that pasta. This is definitely still a very delicious pasta dish and I would recommend it!

Marea

240 Central Park South

New York

NY10019

Yukimura

My dad's friend wanted to treat me to a meal (I don't really know why but it sure was kind of him!) and he decided to take my parents and I to a new Japanese restaurant that another Uncle recommended. The food was super fresh and delicious and I enjoyed how some of the sashimi was presented in unique ways such as the hamachi wrapped uni! Service was also very friendly but there were these children that were screaming SO loudly which was a bit of a nuisance. I definitely would love to return again!

Yukimura

2/F

Henry House

42 Yun Ping Road

Causeway Bay

Hong Kong

Izumi Curry

C and I wanted to have a bunch of different things for lunch one day so we decided to go to the food court of Hysan Place. Izumi Curry has never disappointed and this time was just as good as any time :)! 

Izumi Curry

Kitchen 11

11/F

Hysan Place

500 Hennessy Road

Causeway Bay

Hong Kong

Taste Talks All-Star BBQ

Taste Talks is a 3 day food festival that takes place in Brooklyn and Chicago. The festival include food fairs, talks by chefs and other food industry professionals, workshops, and expos. W had a code for free tickets to the All-Star BBQ Event and of course I would never pass up such a great deal! Without the code it would be $40 per ticket. Apart from the items listed in the official menu, there were also little treats such as the oyster. Unfortunately the veggie burgers and the charred lamb tongue ran out :( I was also unable to get the dessert because I was too busy getting other food!

It was such a fun Sunday activity and it was just perfect to be with friends savoring yummy bites with great weather also! It was pretty packed but the lines moved along quickly and we soon got into a nice rhythm of getting food from one vendor and then quickly moving into the next line. I had such a great time and can't wait to explore more food festival/events!

Each vendor will check you off to make sure you only get one of each dish! 

DANNY BOWIEN | Mission Chinese & Mission Cantina & JAMIE BISSONNETTE | Chef/Owner of Coppa (Boston), and Toro (Boston and New York)
MISSION CHINESE SPECIAL
This lamb tartare was a great start! The flavors were fresh and exciting and tasted very fresh. I loved the little crispy cups and the scallions on top were great!

IVAN ORKIN | Ivan Ramen
GRILLED DUCK HEARTS | with a summer corn XO sauce
This was probably one of my favorite dishes of the day. And luckily for me a few of my friends don't eat innards so I ate their share also hehe. The duck was nicely charred and meaty and the corn was SO good. It was sweet but also has that hint of OX spiciness. It went perfectly with the little duck hearts... I WANT MORE. 

ACTION BRONSON | Musician & MICHAEL WHITE | Osteria Morini 
PORCHETTA "KRA PROW" TIGELLE | Thai spiced "Porchetta Kra Prow", crispy watercress, tigelle
This was pretty normal and was not memorable at all. It wasn't bad but just didn't seem very creative or special. I did enjoy the mixture of herb in the herb salad however as it provided a nice fresh and foresty mixture of flavors along with the fatty pork. 

DAVID SANTOS | Louro & JONATHAN WU | Fung Tu 
PIG HEAD SALAD | with green mango, cabbage, cilantro, mint, maLa vinaigrette and fish powder
I did enjoy how fatty the pig head was and it went really well with the tangy green mango. I think I got a nostril or something because I did find a tube like structure with some hairs in it (ew!), I still took a bite haha... might as well be adventurous! 

DANIEL DELANEY | Delaney BBQ - BrisketTown 
TEXAS HOT GUT SAUSAGE
I thought this sausage was quite good, bold flavors and had a nice bite to it. I also enjoyed the pickled cabbage on top of it but this was not particularly memorable. 

Yum! A nice and refreshing break from all the grilled meats. 

MAX SUSSMAN | The Cleveland & ELI SUSSMAN | Mile End 
GRILLED CHICKEN KEBAB | with Szechuan pepper zhug on flatbread
This was alright, the chicken kind of had a strange texture like it was too chopped up.

WILL HOROWITZ | Ducks Eatery SMOKED 
CHAR SUI LONG ISLAND EEL | fermented corn, sassafras root & crab roe creme
I loved the wonderful smokey flavor of the eel and the corn added a great crunch. I could have used more of the crab roe creme though as it didn't even really notice it until I read the menu. I really wish that the bread was soggy... if it was crispy this would have been GREAT. 

MATT RUDOFKER | Ssam Bar 
GRILLED BLUE WHALE OYSTER | shaoxing, brown butter, ramps
This was pretty good but it was a bit too sweet. But I did enjoy the different way of preparation for oysters. 

ANDY RICKER | Pok Pok 
BOAR COLLAR MEAT | rubbed with garlic, coriander root and black pepper, glazed with soy and sugar, grilled over charcoal and served with chilled mustard greens and a spicy chili/lime/garlic sauce
This was pretty disappointing, I thought the collar meat would be quite juicy and tender but it was quite tough and the flavor was also quite uninspired. Maybe it's also the asian in me but eating the "gai lan" cold and barely cooked was strange. 

ROB NEWTON | Wilma Jean and Nightingale 9 & OLIVER STRAND | New York Times 
BARBECUE DUCK | with sorghum, ginger and five-spice flat bread
This was the last dish that I had and it did not disappoint! The duck was nicely roasted and it all went together well into a rich and decadent bite. 

All-Star BBQ

East River State Park

Brooklyn

New York

Yakiniku Futago Again

I went to Futago when I visited HK for a weekend and wanted to go again before I went back to NYC. You can find my initial post here. Once again it was super delicious and we made sure that we did not drink as much sake as last time hehe.

Yakiniku Futago
Shop B
G/F
1-5 Irving Street 
Causeway Bay
Hong Kong