Mark's Random Musings: May 2014

Saturday, May 31, 2014

L'ATELIER de Joël Robuchon

L'ATELIER de Joël Robuchon
Shop 315 & 401
The Landmark, Central
Hong Kong

Thursday, May 29, 2014

LGB Cafe
1/F, LHT Tower
31 Queen's Road Central, Central
Hong Kong

The beef patty is likely grilled on an electric griddle as it is devoid of many of the interesting flavors that an open-fire grill can provide. The beef itself is just slightly overcooked. The bread is moist and soft, but is unable to properly hold the dripping burger juices and sauces.

Sunday, May 25, 2014

Regal Palace

Regal Palace
Regal Hongkong Hotel
88 Yee Wo Street, Causeway Bay
Hong Kong

The beef brisket is first braised and then deep-fried. The final product is then dipped in a sassy curry sauce. The combination of beefy flavors, the crispness of the fried dough as well as the mild pungency and moisturizing ability of the curry sauce bring the dish to a strangely delectable height. The chicken is treated by a combination of frying, roasting, and smoking (with tea leaves) to concentrate the flavors of the chicken while simultaneously infusing from the tea leaves a subtle sweetness.

1 star to both the beef brisket and the chicken.

Deep-fried beef brisket with curry sauce.

Cantonese fried chicken smoked with tea leaf.

Fried rice.

Cantonese sponge cake.

Friday, May 23, 2014

Tai Ping Koon Restaurant

Tai Ping Koon Restaurant
40 Granville Road, Tsim Sha Tsui
Hong Kong

Prawn salad.

Braised ox tongue.

Beef noodles with Swiss sauce.

Chicken wings with Swiss sauce.

Vanilla souffle.

Sunday, May 18, 2014

The Vietnam Woods

The Vietnam Woods
One York Place
No.22 Johnston Road, Wanchai
Hong Kong

One of my favorite comfort foods is the beef brisket noodles in tomato soup at The Vietnam Woods. The delicious, thick tomato soup base is made with fresh tomatoes and tomato paste. The beef brisket is simmered over slow fire for hours, and when combined with fresh flat noodles the combination is heavenly and comforting.

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

Let's Burger

Let's Burger
L-RS-20, Lakeside, 11 Solana, Chaoyang District, Beijing

Let's Burger tries very hard to become the pre-eminent burger joint in town, and for a good few years it has been one of the very bests. Using buns from Pekotan Beijing, the capital's pre-eminent bakery, Let's Burger's product used to scream luxury and progressiveness in a culinary scene that used to stay largely mute. Times have changed, but there is a lingering feeling that Let's Burger hasn't changed much. Judging by the cheese king burger ordered on this occasion, their effort seems to have regressed back to the days when miracle whip, unmelted cheese and ketchup with a questionable spice mix could lure customers by the thousand. Here, Danish Brie is floured and deep-fried, so theoretically it would melt easily on the bite. But alas, the Brie has been idling for some time and has since hardened. The two slices of American cheddar have barely moved their temperature. The beef patty is cooked to its death, though to its credit the patty mix has enough fat to keep the meat moist and juicy. with beef patty & organic vegetables. Topped with blue cheese dressing. The blue cheese tastes stale and entirely superfluous, but the worst is the slushy mayo. I frankly don't know which brand the kitchen uses but that has to change. In the end, what promises to be a symphony of many flavors turns out to be a cacophony of noise, flair and little harmony among the elements.

Let's Burger used to be great, and judging from its fine team which has opened other good restaurants in Beijing and elsewhere over the years they could return to greatness again. What they need is to rethink the menu, keep comical concoctions inside the test lab and return burger making to the basics: good and correctly-cooked beef, good bread, melted cheese and good bread. The destiny should not be far to the Let's Burgers proprietors.