We first went Tsui Wah. This is a Chinese restaurant chain in Hong Kong that adds western touches to many of their dishes. One of our favorite items is a condensed milk bun. It is a large soft bun that is topped with condensed milk and then baked to form a deliciously sweet topping. The buns are then toasted and served. At our last visit to Tsui Wah Rommel and I decided to have iced milk tea to drink with our meal. It comes in a stoppered bottle and since it would not be good watered down by melting ice, each bottle is served in its own ice bucket with a straw so that the bottle is constantly being cooled.
Another restaurant that is quickly becoming a favorite of ours for a light evening meal is on Gough Street and has its Chinese name emblazoned above the door.
It is commonly known as the Beef Noodle Restaurant. Despite its limited size and limited menu, it is a very famous restaurant here. The menu consists of bowls featuring two kind of beef and three kinds of noodles. Our favorite is the brisket in traditional broth with one of the noodle varieties. There are a few alternate selections and of course veggies, but at least 80% of what is served is one of the beef noodle dishes. Inside, customers share tables and sit on small stools at the few tables available. The staff never has to walk more than a few feet to serve anyone.
As wonderful as this meal is, we have discovered that just down the block is a delightful dessert place called agnes b. We love the feel of it and have decided that it reminds us of Cafe Lalo on the Upper West Side of New York City. (That is the cafe where Meg Ryan meets Tom Hanks for a blind date in "You've Got Mail.")
Besides the cafe, there is a small flower shop inside as well. It always smells wonderful. The specialty of the house is the dessert selection. This time we had a Jasmine (white cake, vanilla creme and a lovely pocket of sauce on the top), a heart shaped dark chocolate mouse cake finished with lavender and this amazing red dusted chocolate sphere (filled with chocolate cake, chocolate mouse and chocolate ganache) with a heart shaped cut out and a bit of edible gold leaf inside. The cafe caramel comes with the signature b. in caramel sauce on top of the foam. The hot cocoa is topped with the freshest marshmallows I have ever had.
Yesterday, Barbara took us to Loyal Chinese Restaurant for lunch. This is another award winning restaurant known for its roasted goose. Of course we had to have some of that.
The restaurant os located in an older building on Wellington Street and was constructed with the most amazing stone and tiles and winding stairs. Barbara says she likes to take us to eat because, unlike most westerners, we will try almost anything that is ordered. We do have our limits (no innards) but have found most of our Chinese friends don't like those either. This day's "test" was a Century Egg. It is a duck egg that is sealed in a coating and buried in soil to cure. It really doesn't take 100 years, but it is in there for quite a long time. When the egg is removed and opened, the white of the egg looks like a clear brown jelly and the yolk is dark greenish gray. It is served with thinly sliced fresh ginger and when you add the kick of the ginger it tastes quite a bit like an old fashioned deviled egg. We had heard of these eggs and thought it was one delicacy we could pass up. But when presented with it at the restaurant, we decided it was our opportunity to be brave. And, as usual, we were pleasantly surprised!
Our adventures in food have certainly been beyond anything we ever dreamed. Some have been very exotic, but as you can see our day to day dining holds some adventure of its own. And just so you know, we have plenty of American, Italian, Mexican and more to choose from as well.
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