There's no place like home - Jollibee for our Filipino friends in HK

For those who has been to Philippines, this name Jollibee shouldn't be a stranger. This HK branch is in the heart of Central, next to Worldwide Plaza. Taking a combo meal is at around HK$35-40 as compared to HK$25-29 of KFC meal. The local Filipino maids seem not to care about it. Here they feel like home, at least a half day suspense feeling closer to home. Why bother with a few dollars more.

1. the deep fried chicken isn't bad and in general Filipinos are pretty good at deep frying.

3. Really feeling like home. 4. the entrance at the side street next to Worldwide Plaza.

Maxim's Cafe, City Hall, Central, HK

1. Baked pork chop rice HK$58. This is the classic HK style of pork chop over rice loved by many locals. Maxim's made this one also very original, taste-wise and see that over easy egg. 2. Chef's salad HK$46.

3. Fillet Mignon HK$90. Very nice mignon and the classic mushroom sauce. 4. the entrance.

5. The interior of City Hall hasn't changed much. 6. City Hall.

碎蛋三文治, 大會堂美心快餐店

某年仲夏一個星期天，一個十二歲男孩帶著他八歲及六歲的妹妹坐了一個多小時的巴士來到中環皇后碼頭，等著爸爸的船往西貢游泳。滿心歡喜的他們，緊抱著那碎點水松水泡，雙眼緊盯著每一艘靠近碼頭的船。九時過了，十時過了。身旁的人該上船的，走了。十二時也過了。碼頭慢慢靜下來，他們的手、肩膊也垂下來。妹妹禁不住對哥哥說：“我肚子很餓”。口袋只有數元的哥哥，走往這家快餐店，心裡打了輸數﹣爸爸的船不會來，於是扣起回程巴士費，打量食物點餐板上最平宜又最充飢的，最多只能買兩份碎蛋三文治。每人半份，剩下來的半份，就在一點貪心一點關懷下分掉。雖然只有半飽，𨚫是他們最美味的一餐。

這段黑白顯影的回憶雖不是什麼震撼的往事，但那個年代的孩童生活就是那麼簡單。對比下，現在這個城市、這個世界有點快、有點亂。人有些距離、有些迷失。靜下來時，幾曾去拾回那簡單的一些。一份能與別人分享的三文治。

安利魚蛋粉 On Lee Fish Ball Noodle, Shaukiwan, HK

40 years ago, On Lee was one of the street stalls selling fish balls noodle at a corner of Tung Tai Street in Shaukiwan. To me it was not that interesting as Shaukiwan was a fishing village and there were a lot of seafood I could see at home. I prefer something not found at home - the trolley noodle. As people talked about eating local and exotic in recent years, On Lee was one of those attractions. Not only the fame and glory has brought the family of On Lee a fortune, but also the greed and jealousy among the family members and split the business into 3 different shops. The hatred didn't end and hostile harsh words were spoken against each other.

1. actually the street stall was once next to this shop before the fight. 2. the shop still claimed itself as street stall.

3. Beef brisket noodle HK$21. 4. Fish ball noodle HK$19. Well, there are quite many people who often thought On Lee is so good at fish balls. The fish balls are not bad but what made On Lee so popular in the old time were not fish balls. They should be the everyday freshly made flat rice noodle and the fish stock in white. As you can see, none of these was carried on. However, still a lot of people came here for the name.

Hyatt Heen 凱悅軒, TST - preview

Brought my business friend from LA and Tokyo to their long-awaited Hyatt Heen today. Wow - Chow Chung's legacy of fried rice technique reflected on the Fu Jian fried rice taken at the lunch. So impressed! I decide to come here for another photo taking. My Japanese friend was a great fan for Hyatt Heen and when I told him it's back, he didn't mind taking a flight of 14 hours from LA. Again, it shows a 5 star hotel can have some nice Chinese cuisine beyond expectation. BTW, it was full house today. To be reported later.

Peking Duck by 大碗居 (Big Bowl House), Beijing, China

Just found out I didn't report these on my last trip in Beijing. Went to a Peking duck restaurant and ordered an all-in peking duck (seems like it's RMB118, appro. US$15). So they serve the whole duck in 3 cuts.

1. for the skin lovers. 2. for the meat lovers.

3. for the greedy lovers or balanced lovers. 4. This is it.

American Restaurant, 美利堅 HK

Ok, this time it's not one duck per person. A table of 7 shared this one.

1. show time. 2. HK$290 and it's considered pretty cheap. Most others charge over $300 to $400. The good part of this duck is not that fat but the bad part is not fat enough to bring the evil aroma. Love and hate.

3. Shang Tung shred chicken HK$108. My most favourite dish from this restaurant! 4. I guess it's one of the few restaurants which keep this hand writing board at the entrance. The business is not bad.

Momo Cafe, Courtyard by Marriott HK - summer review

Whenever we have spare time, see your family members and your friends. Take your time to enjoy your meal and chat whatever topic. No need for something fancy, something expensive. Momo Cafe HK offers tea buffet from 1pm to 5pm at a charge of HK$128+, with 10% discount offer for HSBC credit card and 20% for platinum card. Talk, eat something, and talk. 4 hours can pass very easily.

1. Very surprised to see Momo Cafe improving their tea buffet a lot with even more variety. Scallop sushi and more and the quality is above average. Their tuna string bean salad is pretty good. 2. unlimited supply of Taiwanese milk tea. I am not into it but the tea aroma and milk is quite balanced and not too sweet. I saw a lady took 3 more after finishing one.

3. The rice roll stir fried is quite nice and also the rice dumpling, but the BBQ pork bun isn't up to standard. They mis-handled the yeast 臭粉. Supposed it should be started from a flour/yeast base (麵種) and let it stand for overnight and further mix it with more flour batter. My mom. was so good at making this BBQ pork buns but regretfully I only remember her telling this part. :) Left ear in, right ear out. 4. A sushi platter selected by Jason. He claimed "yummy".

5. All the hot food have been improved. Quite surprised with the beef steak (with mushroom sauce - not salty at all and I can taste the original mushroom flavour.). It's quite a high grade beef quality - very strong and thick beef flavour. No need to season. 6. Tom Yam noodle. Momo served more than 8 varieties of noodles, from wheat, black sesame, veggie, egg to shrimp roe.... The noodle is of quite a high quality. Not mashy and not hard with strong flour aroma while having each characteristic of the variety. The tom yam is quite Thai style - quite salty to me but that's the Thai local style.

7. Their mini chicken pies never disappointed me. Still good as it has been. 8. They set up a station of Taiwanese snowy ice and they use the original ice solid with slight flavour of condensed milk. I spent so much time on searching this original ice solid of my favourite snowy ice and didn't expect to see this old friend in a hotel cafe in HK. Those self-acclaimed authentic Taiwanese snowy ice shops should come here and see this one. Another delight is the mini balls. It's not those of Taiwanese milk tea. The black ones are filled with chocolate syrup and white with lychee syrup. When you bite it slightly, it will "pop" in your mouth. The lychee flavour is very lychee!

9. Creme brulee still good. 10. Dark choco. with melty inside. A bit too dry on the outside but not too bad. At least it's some nice dark choco. used.

Cuts like a knife

This brand "twin men (as HK locals call it)" is what I always wanted. My father spoke highly of this brand and he used one handy knife of this brand to go to the hillside (now Yiu Tung estate) of Shaukiwan and cut some herbs (上山採藥). So when I saw it on a bargain sale (HK$170 for a Chinese knife on point redemption, was HK$980), I got it without any second thought. However, I just put it aside after I see how sharp of it.

When I was a kid, I treated kitchen as a place for food and feeding the family. I killed live fish like a piece of cake. There were of course quite a few times I cut myself. The first few cuts were nothing, but don't know when I started to feel scared of cutting myself. As when I get older and older, I can't help even seeing blood flowing from the cutting.

The last photo I took - Central World, BKK.

Didn't wanna worry my family and friends about my crossing this area. It was the 5th of April, 2010, the 3rd day this area was occupied. These women and children might not know what they were doing. I recall that time I was in Milan. Before my trip, I was warned of some gypsies robbing the tourists even in day time. So subconsciously I would think those are men. There I was outside a shop, a group of women holding babies and kids in their arms, came to me and tried to grab anything I have, hands in my pockets. My instinct gave me super strength in pushing them all back and swinging all of their hands. I even didn't care if their kids and children would fall off their arms. So in the eyes of the others, I shouldn't do that. This is the human blind weakness. It applies all everywhere, once, present and future. Abuse the ignorant. Abuse their hearts. Do you sleep well?

Espresso whisky shaken, Caffe Habitu, Admiralty, HK

In my junior high school time, I volunteered myself in helping at a record store in Kwun Tong. I held an album of Teresa Tang and noticed an interesting song title 美酒加咖啡 (nice wine with coffee). Since then I often wonder how it tastes. Out of curiosity, I asked my friend to try it as she likes to drink and I also sounded like pushing her to try. So she knows actually it's me who wanna try, and let me have a sip, and....

1. Espresso whisky shaken HK$52. Magic! No bitter taste and it's so aromatic. I'll be drowned in Caffe Habitu. 2. Hot mocca HK$35. Another lovely drink.

3. Curious to try their pizza with parma ham, eggplant and rocket leaves - HK$78. Actually we were quite full, but the happy drink got us go happier with some snack. Wow.. that's the starting point of gaining weight. Alcohol plus high calorie food. 4. the shop inside.

6. this branch is at the junction of Wanchai and Admiralty (大佛口).

Tai Hing BBQ restaurant, 太興燒味, Quarry Bay, Hong Kong

Tai Koo Place has been face lifting the shops and restaurants near my apt. area. Unfortunately, not many of my favourites have landed here. Tai Hing is the one just landed. Actually when this shop was first opened in Tai On Mansion in Sai Wan Ho 20 years ago, I really don't know what's good about it. Just Wing On BBQ shop opposite to Tai On Mansion can beat it by at least 1 block. Anyway, when Tai Hing went on as a chain, it wouldn't turn out to be any better, and even at this one after I tried 3 times, their food quality is still very consistent.

2. Del Monte's heavy syrup pineapple can be a selling point for this sweet and sour pork? What would you expect more then?

3. Their self-acclaimed best-in-town roasted pork. See those big volcano holes. One word - careless! After pinching on the skin and during roasting, they forgot the brushing (with hard needles) to make the skin crispy. 4. Best roasted pork shouldn't be skin and fat/meat be apart. What's more, a contemporary food critics claimed Tai Hing roasted pork has strong pork flavour. Well, if he knows what original pork flavour is, and what the Knorr's chicken powder taste, and if he can taste. BTW, not even the pork is seasoned with chicken powder, they don't discriminate the chicken and duck. At last their rice is soft mashy with the new boiled ones. The worst I hate the most. It's not cheap at all. HK$45 (normally at HK$20-25).

5. Iced coffee. 6. See those jello like pieces. It's because their tea has been boiled for quite a long time and they mix the left-over old tea and new tea! That caused the acidity in the tea. Then they use some very thick evaporated milk. This is a chemical reaction of thick milk into acid tea! If you want a sick leave from the office, take this one. The doctor will give you more than 1 day sick leave.

7. See the table no. 32A and 32B on a 4 seater table. They think they are an airline. 8. the shop on Westlands Road.