Taichung - Street Eats

Lu shui from Da Lu Tong, Fengjia night market

Before I left on this trip to Taiwan, it had been around 4 months since I'd left Hong Kong. Now, Hong Kong is a fabulous place, but for an incorrigible plane hopper, it'd been too long. When friends asked if I wanted to go to Taichung to go cycling, I immediately said yes. (Cycling? Me? Yes. I was that desperate to get away, I would have said yes to a marathon... well, maybe not, but you get the point).

For me, Taiwan's all about the street food. I know there's Taiwanese cuisine, and nouveau kaiseki-style eateries popping up all over, but eating streetside - that's what it's about to me.

It's all in the family - My dad's Beijing tips

While I was stuffing my face and consequently trying to work it off on a bike in Taichung (<< click on Taichung for more on that...), my dad and one of my uncles joined Facebook and both decided to add me. I guess that's what long weekends do to people.

So finally today I checked out my dad's profile page. He actually posted status updates... about food! One of which I shall post here - I'm sure he's happy to share...

Hot coals, hot pots - Tai Fung Lau

I have a thing for tradition and old-school. Recently I've been trying to visit more classic dining establishments in Hong Kong - the kind that in-the-know families have been going to for decades, but would never even consider if you asked them for a recommendation. It seems weird, but of my favourite sources to ask is one of my aunts who works in the film industry. By no means is she the oldest of my aunts (in fact, she's probably on the young side), but possibly because she's always on the lookout for innovative places to film, and is a bit of a foodie (runs in the family), she knows a lot of tucked away nooks and crannies.

Safe, but not always sound - TBLS

Probably one of the hottest private kitchens in Hong Kong right now is TBLS (or Tablespoon), opened by Que Vinh Dang, ex of Duke's Burger. I had to book about a month in advance to nab this Thursday night booking, and I hear its popularity still hasn't quite waned. Is it worth the hype?

Amuse bouche - pork rillette

Milky Way - Farm Milk

No, there isn't a farm on the moon (yet, as far as I know), but it's certainly far out. Past the Chinese army barracks in Shek Kong, Yuen Long (which are a bit of a spectacle in themselves, though none of us dared to take photos!) is a dairy farm, where fresh milk is produced, right in Hong Kong. (Found thanks to @coffeemeow's tip). We didn't see any milking, but did spot some goats...

Market French - ABC Kitchen

French onion soup

I have to thank my lucky stars that I met Eat Love Write's ever so clued in author, who brought me to ABC Kitchen, a French food stand in Sheung Wan's Queen St. Market. Prior to this I'd never even known this market existed, let alone that ex-chefs of M on the Fringe (now temporarily closed while they find a new location) had opened an eatery here.

Keep it simple - Fusion Gourmet

Back in the day when Hong Kong magazines were still considered part of a relatively healthy media diet, I read an article by the celeb Singaporean Chinese food authority-slash-writer-slash-notorious old flirt Chua Lam, who said that his ideal restaurant would be one that served high quality fresh produce cooked simply, but expertly and without fuss - perfectly grilled steaks, skillful stir-fries, controlled pan sears etc., in a utilitarian environment of marble-topped tables (chosen for their easy-wipeness and durability rather than 'prestige' as a material - much like the marble-topped tables in kopitiams in Malaysia/Singapore), decent lighting and so on.

All hail - The Chairman

Chairman, a new-ish Cantonese restaurant in Kau U Fong (in "NoHo", where you'll also find this), dishes out old-school, high-end food with a modern day 'Chinese gourmet' twist. It's quickly become the Chinese hotspot of late, and hence extremely hard to book - try calling 2-3 weeks ahead - but it's worth it. I'd go back just for the shao xing crab in an instant.