Panda Brewpub

Panda Brewpub
Wudaoying Hutong
Beijing
http://www.pandabrew.cn/

This "Red Honey Ale" is an easy-going, all-grain IPA done by this cute-sounding startup microbrew. The ale is sweet on the palate and aromatic on the finish, with robust forces of sappy honey and summer fruits at the back palate. This is definitely the most reassuring and world-class brew I have tasted by a domestic label.

2 stars to the ale.

Dallmayr im Ladengeschäft (München)

Dallmayr im Ladengeschäft
Dienerstrasse 14-15
80331 München

Delightful fig pastry.

2 stars to the pastry.

Il Bordello (London)

Il Bordello
81 Wapping High Street
City of London

Fantastic Italian home-cooking by a friendly staff in a cozy location especially characterized its relentless pursuit to keep its timeless 80s decor intact. The lobster linguini is a generously portioned dish with a whole lobster, off its shell, swimming neatly in a large bed of linguini cooked in a light tomato cream sauce. Simply world-class.

2 stars to the lobster linguini.

Peroni beer.

Eggplant in tomato sauce with mozzarella and black olives.

Beef carpaccio with sharp Reggiano.

Outstanding lobster linguini.

Profiterole.

Passion by Gerard Dubois

Passion by Gerard Dubois
Shop 1, G/F
74-80 Johnston Road, Wan Chai
Hong Kong

Fabulous pear and apple tarts. Natural flavors of the pear fruit come to the fore, with a sweet palate and a lingering syrupy finish. The sugar-acid balance is well-crafted. The pastry fluffs and flakes evenly. A delight.

2 stars to pear tart.

Zhe Jiang Heen

Zhe Jiang Heen
2/F & 3/F, Kiu Fu Commercial Building
300-306 Lockhart Road, Wan Chai
Hong Kong

Fish braised in sweet vinegar (糟溜鮭魚片), stir-fried shrimp (清炒蝦仁), smoked eggs, Chinese pickled cucumbers in chili vinegar, kalimeris herb salad with tofu shreds (香乾馬蘭頭), spicy chili chicken with peanuts, Chinese ham hog, spring onion bread. It has been a while since my last visit, but I must say the food is good as ever.

Fai Kee

Fai Kee (馬灣輝記飯店)
馬灣大街村中211及214號地下

Steamed baby pork ribs with shrimp paste (蝦醬蒸排骨), stir-fried eggplant with batter-fried grouper (鹹魚茄子石斑塊). Ma Wan, a distant island away from the hustle-bustle of Hong Kong's center city, was a fishing village before the plan for Hong Kong's new airport back in the 90s mandated the construction of a long suspension bridge that connects it with the center city. That long suspension bridge, now 8th longest in the world, ends at Ma Wan. The fishing village of Ma Wan, then without any meaningful transportation to it, suddenly became very accessible. New residential development sprouted up, including "Park Island", the all high-rise, 32-building residential behemoth that literally introduced a new city into this tiny fishing village. Ma Wan is now a bustling district with all the amenities of a modern metropolis, but some classic gems remain, including Fai Kee, a traditional Cantonese joint serving up home-style cooking at affordable prices. Fai Kee uses liberally salted fish and shrimp paste, two of the condiment staples in Hong Kong's fishing villages of the yesteryear. Fai Kee's shrimp paste, unlike the lame ones that consumers can find at supermarkets all over center city, erupts with intense, almost pungent, flavors of the sea. One could almost imagine the copious amount of shrimp shells and shrimp juices used to render that beautiful, almost provocatively feisty paste. While the imagery of the bucolic fishing village has long been punctuated by the unstoppable locomotion that is economic development, tidbits of the yesteryear endure on.

Rating: 2 stars to the steamed pork ribs with shrimp paste.

Zhe Jiang Heen

Zhe Jiang Heen
2/F & 3/F, Kiu Fu Commercial Building
300-306 Lockhart Road, Wan Chai
Hong Kong

Chinese pickled cucumbers in chili vinegar, smoked eggs, pig's feet with rice wine, sweet peas, spring onion bread, xiao long bao, pan-fried dumplings, deep fried dumplings with red beans and yellow sugar. Smoked eggs effused with a pinch of bacon-y sweetness. The yolks were cooked to perfection: just firm enough at the crust, and runny at the center. The colors of the yolk revealed the egg's freshness, which came to the fore as the freshness of the runny yolk infiltrated the palate. The rest of the meal was good, though nowhere near the spectacle that was the egg.

Rating: 2 stars to the smoked eggs.

Sun Heung Yuan

Sun Heung Yuan (新香園/堅記)
G/F, 38 Kweilin Street, Sham Shui Po
Hong Kong

Pork feet in noodle soup, and toasted sandwich with scrambled eggs and beef. The pork feet was melt-in-your-mouth tender, though the noodles and the soup base (even with the addition of the juices of the braised pork feet) tasted a little bland. The sandwich, on the other hand, was a revelation. Unlike typical cha chan ting fare in Hong Kong, the meat here came neither from machine-ground beef nor from canned corned beef. Large chunks of rump and thick flanks were hand-cut, sauteed, and scrambled into fresh farm eggs. The result was a labor of love that had plenty of body and texture. Some chewing was required, but the laboring was a gastronomic joy as beef juices oozed astray in the mouth. This is one Hong Kong cha chan ting classic that nobody should miss.

Rating: 2 stars to the sandwich, for its perfect execution and good flavors.

Cuisine Cuisine

Cuisine Cuisine
Shop 3101, 3/F, IFC Mall
1 Harbour View Street, Central
Hong Kong

Cuisine Cuisine may not be the cheapest joint in town, but when it
comes to food and service, it delivers. This Cantonese fried chicken
was expertly prepared, with succulent meat wrapped around by a
crackling crisp skin. Hints of smoky flavors, sea salt and Chinese
five spices danced around the meat in perfect choreography. What a
great treat before heading to the airport.

Rating: 2 stars for the dish, 1 star for the restaurant.

Tantris (Munich)

Tantris
Johann-Fichte-Straße 7
80805 Munich, Germany
http://www.tantris.de/

0. Chef's starter: pepper salad in a fried pouch.
1. Pigeon breast terrine with carrots and poached liver
2. Lobster with fine noodles and fresh chanterelles
3. Sautéed veal sweetbreads with spinach, broad beans and potenta ravioli
4. Broiled lamb chop with bok choy, peppers and arugula puree
5. Soufflé with strawberries and strawberry ice cream
6. Cappuccino
7. Chocolate

Rating: 2 stars to the pigeon breast terrine, 1 star to the restaurant for its exceptional service, extensive wine list, and high quality of food in general.

2009 Burger Shootout: North America Edition

4 days, 8 burger joints (in chronological order):
 
1. Eat at Ed Debevic's: cheeseburger with bacon (Chicago, IL)
2. Pie 'N Burger: cheeseburger (Pasadena, CA)
3. In-N-Out: double double (Los Angeles, CA)
4. 25 Degrees: BYO burger with ground sirloin, crescenza cheese,
bacon, and caramelized onions (Hollywood, CA)
5. The Counter: BYO burger with sirloin, Tillamook cheddar, baby
greens, grilled onions, and roasted chiles (Santa Monica, CA)
6. Apple Pan: cheeseburger (Los Angeles, CA)
7. Mom's Burgers: DCMB (Compton, CA)
8. Original Tommy’s World Famous: cheeseburger with chili (Los Angeles, CA)

Shootout winner (by a huge margin): Mom's. Runner-ups: 25 Degrees and Apple Pan.

 

See the full gallery on Posterous

Rating: 2 stars to the DCMB at Mom's. 1 star to the BYO burger at 25 Degrees.