Chiu Chau Food in Hong Kong

Lunch date: December 1, 2007
Occasion: Casual lunch

Number of People: Two
Cost: HK$180 (US$24), including 10% service charge

Restaurant name: Chiu Chau Garden Restaurant
Restaurant address: 3/F, Vicwood Plaza, 199 Des Voeux Road, Central, Hong Kong
Restaurant telephone: 852-2545-7778
Anna's comment: Authentic Chiu Chau cuisine, combined with some Cantonese dishes. Reasonable prices and services.

Noodle with Goose Meat 鵝片捞面

Cold Cut Preserved Pig's Knuckle 冰镇豬手

Deep Fried Taro Fritter with Thin Crispy Coating 芋角

Pan Fried veg/meat Dumpling 煎菜棵

Steamed Meat Rolls 鮮竹卷

Dessert

Steamed Crystal Dumpling 鴛鴦 水晶飽

Dim Sum - Chiu Chau & Cantonese

Lunch date: October 21, 2007
Occasion: Casual lunch
Number of People: Two
Cost: HK$180 (US$23), including 10% service charge
Restaurant name: The Grace Garden
Restaurant address: 12/F Times Square, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong
Restaurant telephone: 852-2506-3366
Anna's comment: Authentic Chiu Chau dishes, however combined with some Cantonese dim sum, in order to accommodate the taste of Cantonese population in Hong Kong. Nice restaurant.

Soyed Knuckles, Pork & Beancurd 卤水猪手猪腩肉

Typical Chiu Chau style

Mini Oyster Congee　蠔仔粥

Typical Chiu Chau style

Prawn & Vegetable Dumplings　鮮蝦菜苖餃
Mini Glutinous Chicken (outside)　珍珠鷄

There is no chicken in this dish,

no one knows the origination of the name Mini Glutinous Chicken (inside) 珍珠鷄

with minced meat inside (no chicken)

Dessert

Sweet Glutinous Dumplings with Thin Coating　擂沙湯丸

Hong Kong Food Blog - Dim Sum

My Boxing Day Chiu Chau Lunch

Lunch date: December 26, 2007
Occasion: Boxing Day lunch
Number of People: Two
Cost: HK$228 (US$29), including 10% service charge
Restaurant name: Pak Loh Chiu Chow RestaurantRestaurant address: 23-25 Hysan Avenue, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong (has four other branches)
Restaurant telephone: 852-2576-8886
Anna's comment: Authentic Chiu Chau restaurant, at the heart of Causeway Bay shopping area. Good quality of food and services.

Pan Fried Oyster Pancake 煎豪洛

usually served with fish sauce

Can you see the oysters?

Pan Fried Sugar and Vinegar Noodle 糖醋面
Very crispy outside, and soft inside. Add vinegar and sugar before eating.
Kung Fu Tea 功夫茶 (cost inclusive). Very fragrant.

Kung Fu Tea (tie guan yin 鐵觀音) is usually served in authuthenic Chiu Chau restaurants, otherwise it is not authentic or the waiters are lazy.

Steamed Crystal Dumpling, dual style 鴛鴦水晶包
My most favourite Chiu Chau dessert.

Hong Kong Food Blog - Authentic Chiu Chau Food

Good Friday Chiu Chau Lunch

Lunch date: March 21, 2008
Occasion: Casual lunch
Number of People: Two
Cost: HK$190 (US$24.4), including 10% service charge
Restaurant name: The Grace Garden
Restaurant address: 12/F Times Square, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong
Restaurant telephone: 852-2506-3366
Anna's comment: Today’s dessert ‘crystal dumplings’ is of four different fillings, this is something new and interesting. All our dishes today are signature Chiu Chow dishes.

Oyster Pancake 煎蠔餅

Preserved Pork's Belly & Beancurd 豬腩肉豆付
Preserved Pork's Knuckle 豬手仔
Crystal Dumplings 四色水晶包

No photo taken - mini glutinous dumpling 珍珠鷄

Hong Kong Chinese Food - Chiu Chau cuisine

Classic Chiu Chau Snacks

I found a newly opened Chiu Chau restaurant, Megared, nearby my house. So we decided to give it a try.

Like many other restaurants in Hong Kong, eating early or late is far more economic than peak hours. We went at tea time, ie. 2-4pm. For breakfast, if you pay your bill before 12.30pm, you will enjoy special price too.

Here are some of the special price dishes that we've ordered. They are really economic. The foods are delicious and served speedily. We've ordered a few of the Chiu Chau signature dishes. Even if you want to order a big dish of fried noodle or rice, the price is only around HK$38 which is really a good deal.

Goose Meat Noodle 鵝片湯面

(HK$13.5/US$1.73)

Spicy Soup with Pig's Belly and Pickled Vegetable

Wow...very yummy! My priority Chiu Chau dish.

When I make this at home, I must add a lot of pepper

and it's really good in relieving my bloating problem.

胡椒咸菜豬肚湯 (HK$14.5/US$1.85) Chicken Feet with Chinese Medical Herbs,

such as Gogi and Angelica
藥膳鳯爪 (HK$14.5/US$1.85)

Peking Duck in Hong Kong

I don't usually eat lunch. And I don't usually eat heavy lunch. But today I've broke all my rules. My boss took me out for a farewell lunch with an overseas colleague.

I need to fast for 40 hours after this lunch. Anyway, let me talk about the Peking Duck we had. Peking Garden, the one we went at Alexandra House has been highly rated by visitors. And they are one of top producers of Peking Ducks in Hong Kong.

The duck was included in our set menu, but I noticed the price is HK$380 (US$48.7) if you place a standalone order.

Look, the presentation was not bad at all. Cucumber, sauce and bread were all laid out nicely. They even brought the duck to the table for our photo taking before cutting it.

You may wonder what that is. Well, espresso. A Chinese restaurant serving espresso? That's correct. I have visited this restaurant many times but never know about it. I was a bit shocked when the waiter offered the service. Probably they only offer this to expacts and not locals.

Their menu is very comprehensive if you want to go a la carte. However if you want to save time and effort (of course not saving money), there are set menus available.

Here's the set menu we had for today.

Braised spare ribs with black vinegar sauce

Sea blubber

Sauteed prawns and scallops with cashewnut in hot garlic sauce

Braised shark's fin soup with crab meat

BBQ Peking Duck

Pan fried sliced fish

Sauteed seasonal vegetable

Fresh fruit platter

Cream Sauce Spaghetti

Bacon Chopped Onion Spaghetti in Cream Sauce
Price: HK$68 (US$8.72)
Surchage for soup and coffee: HK$18 (US$2.3)
Service charge: 10%
Restaurant: New Burgh Cafe at 113 Hennessy Road, Wanchai, Hong Kong

Does this dish look nice? It does. And does it taste delicious? It does. However I have a story to tell. This is my dinner for tonight: cream sauce spaghetti. Cream sauce?! Yes, that's what I order from the menu.

Size of the dish: 6 inches. Portion: even smaller than what I collect from a breakfast buffet chef. I finished eating in three bites and within a minute. That was the end of my $68. If you been following my blog, you know that I don't eat much. Even so, this was not enough to fill up half of my stomach.

I used to buy take-away from this restaurant which is usually of good value. Tonight I have some time and decided to sit down and enjoy a relax dinner. I ended up with this story to tell. What are you after, when you want to enjoy a good dinner, quality or quantity?

Hong Kong Food Blog - Cream Sauce Spaghetti