Friday, January 30, 2009

Mak's Noodle at Central, Hong Kong

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This is always my noodle shop (every time when I visit Hong Kong) ... Mak's Noodle is always my first day eating place to visit -- for lunch in late afternoon day !!!

Mak's Noodle is very famous noodle shop with long established for 100 years ... from Mak's famous noodle quality -- small, soft, and rich taste since it was made from duck eggs (while others made from chicken eggs) .

These were what we ordered -- a must dish (dishes that ones should try) !!!
Wonton (Shrimp dumpling) with noodles or Wonton Min -- HK$28







See the above right picture, you can see the tasty and yummy shrimp wonton … It’s also another famous item of Mak’s noodle … Why??? It’s because a good quality of wonton flour with 2 big shrimps and something else for a good taste. During our eating, we always see a guy who handle shrimp wonton – so quick so profressional !!! By the way, don’t forget to notice size of shrimp … Ha Ha This’s why I love Mak’s Noodle.










Another tasty noodle dish – Chatney Pork with Noodles or Ja Lo HK$40 – Dry noodle topped with spicy tasty pork. This is what you can enjoy a real quality of noodle in dry version. But if you want to enjoy a watery version (with soup), go for Plain Noodle with Soup or Ching Min HK$25






But if you want to taste a Don’t forget to order vegetable – Vegetable with Oyster Sauce or Yau Choi HK$20 – a Hong Kong Kai Lan. Look at how Big young green and so crispy it is with special blended oyster sauce !!!










Some people say Mak's noodle is much more expensive than other noodle shop in HK since at the same price other give you bigger bowl. But in my view, even Mak's Noodle is in the small bowl, the taste is bigger than the bowl actually. You must try -- the full taste and the full history are in each bowl of Mak's.

Try any of 3 branches of Mak's Noodle as :

Mak’s Noodle Ltd.
Original Branch
: where I took pictures for this blog (somewhere somehow, I feel this place is the best -- really recommend this branch - full of taste and atmosphere)
77 Wellington Street, Central, Hong Kong Tel : 2854-3810
Open : 11.00 – 20.00
How to get there : MTR Central Station – out at D1 exit or D2 exit

Here are pictures from outside, so then you can notice Mak's Noodle Central easily ...






And also other 2 branches at :
44 Jardine’s Bazzar, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong
Tel : 2895-5310, 2895-5329
Open : 11.00 – 24.00

Shop No C03, 2nd Floor (Arrival Hall) China Hong Kong City,
33 Canton Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon
Open : 7.00 – 22.00
Tel : 2730-0710

From my view, a setting at Arrival Hall is a bit dry. However, if you plan to go to Macau via Ferry from Kowloon, you can come to this China Hong Kong City Ferry building and give Mak's a try. See picture below ... It's in the Gourmet Express (Food Court Area)

Cathay Pacific Meal


I flied with Cathay Pacific Airways flight at 8.25am -- The flight length is 2.45 hours from Bangkok to Hong Kong ... Of course, there was a meal (assume it's a lunch) ...

This was served by Cathay Pacific flight attendance -- I took this picture while they were serving all passenger on beverage. However, after I took this picture, I felt that it was almost the same as what I took the Sinkansen cart girl when I was in Japan February 2008 (see reference athttp://lolo-eatable.blogspot.com/2008/04/shinkansen-cart-girls.html)

Anyway, this is the meal served in Cathay Pacific -- Shrimp Black Pepper Sauce with egg fried rice and vegetables -- so Hong Kong !!! You can notice later that Hong Kong Dish which cooked with brown sauce or soy sauce can be topped on egg fried rice perfectly ...

The taste is so full -- and more full with a young green pepper corn which was added to enhance the aroma of black pepper !!!


By the way, if you notice at the top right hand corner of left picture, you can see Japanese Green Tea ... I just knew that there is Japanese Green Tea available in Economy Class of Cathay Pacific. As the flight attendance said, "We have everything -- just ask." ... That's why I always like flying with Cathay Pacific !!!

Breakfast at Suvarnmabhumi Airport


This is the first starting meal of my trip to Hong Kong ... Actually this trip should be in December 2008 but with a little problem of Thailand Political Issue -- The Airport was closed !!! Therefore, after checking the free dates from work, here it is the first day of my Hong Kong Trip ...

Since the trip was started early morning and I have enough time to enjoy a meal (I mean proper meal) ... Here it is ... an American Breakfast at King Power managed shop at a kind of kiosk island type area (just opposite Ferragamo Shop).


Two fried eggs with Ham, Bacon, Sausages plus coffee, orange juice, fruit, and toast (with butter & jam) ... Okay, this was I looked for recently as breakfast ...

Can't help since breakfast is the most important meal of the day !!!

Thursday, January 15, 2009

Flying back to Bangkok with Oriental In-Flight Meal

Finally, it's the time to fly back to Bangkok -- just on time before New Year Count Down ... Too bad, the passenger seat I was on (the whole row) had a problem in terms of headphone !!! Therefore, an 2.5 hours from Singapore to Bangkok, we did not have a chance to watch any movies or listen any song ... Flight Attendants tried to help reloading programme again and again (but it did not work) ... Huh ...

Anyway, this was the meal served as dinner -- Oriental Meal by Singapore Airlines --- One is Fish & One is Chicken ...



Desserts was ice-cream -- Nestle Trophy -- Everyone deserves a Trophy !!! No more Ben&Jerry's as it was to be when flying to Singapore or Fuchon as I got in flight from Bangkok to Tokyo ... Huh ... I can only think of a cost saving with this economic situation ...

That's it ... end of my journey to Singapore !!!

The Soup Spoon - wholesome soups from the heart

This is an adaptation of American way of eating lunch. This is based on my last trip to USA since I have noticed that there was not only sandwiches shop but also a soup shop for lunch in USA.

Here in Singapore, there is a shop called 'The Soup Spoon' -- which was established since 2001 by a masterful SouperChef and her 2 business partners in soup. It was to create a sensational product that will turn The Soup Spoon into the premier soup establishment in Singapore by providing innovative, fresh and nutritious soups that stand alone, filling enough to satisfy the hungriest patron.


Below was what I ordered ... Velvety Mushroom Stroganoff -- so mushroomy and so thick !!! It's served with a bun of bread (texture similar to Italian bread -- soft & white) ...



Price is varied according to soup type and size but it's around $5.60 - 6.90 for Regular size and $6.80 - 8.20 for Grande size. What I am about to say is that even Regular is so Huge already !!!

More about The Soup Spoon : http://www.thesoupspoon.com/

Japanese Food Bombarding (Part 2)

I have mentioned earlier about Japanese Food Bombarding at The Central Building. However, from what I noticed, there are still a lot of fast food chain from Japan around especially in Department Store. To be mentioned are only two as below :

Pepper Lunch : an affordable DIY fast food steakhouse with has more than 200 outlets in Japan. Pepper Lunch was founded in Japan since 1994 -- originated in Japan !!! It's now a fascinating outlet for Singaporean -- as I have seen from the queue. Total of 15 outlets (both Pepper Lunch Outlets & Pepper Lunch Express). Service Hour is from 11am to 10pm

Original Website : http://www.pepperlunch.com/
Singapore Website : http://www.pepperlunch.com.sg/


Next chain which I won't allow to mention is 'MOS Burger' which stands for Mountain, Ocean, and Sun. This Japanese chain come to Singapore since 1993 and opened its very first outlet at Isetan Scotts and till now reach 21 outlets throughout Singapore.


Luckily that it's now 15 years anniversary of MOS burger in Singapore -- so Happy Mosday !!! There was one popular item (which was back by demand) -- it's Oyako Rice Burger ... It is to make it like Oyakodon (literally translated as parent-and-child donburi), which is a donburi, or Japanese rice bowl dish, in which chicken, egg, green onion, and other ingredients are all simmered together in a sauce and then served on top of a large bowl of rice.


One thing I found it was strange was the sachet of chilli sauce and tomato ketchup -- red sachet should means for Tomato Ketchup while orange should mean for means for Chilli. In fact, at MOS burger, it's vise versa !!! So confusing ...

Original Website : http://www.mos.co.jp/english/
Singapore Website : http://www.mosburger.com.sg/

Watermelon Seeds in Chinatown

As I went to Singapore Chinatown, I had a chance to learn new thing about watermelon seeds. It's not only I went to Chinese Medicine Shop for Bah Kut Teh Ingredients only but I also observed something else.

I was learned that there are two types of watermelon seeds -- one is black (which I am familiar with) and the other one is red !!! It's the first time I have seen the red one ... Both were shown in barrel which were seated on the floor and selling in kilogram ... However, I did not buy it since the shop keeper gave me 1 handful of each ... He explained that the red one is more thicker than the normal black one -- just try then I would like it ...

I have found that since the red is a sign of good luck, threfore, the red watermelon seeds are in demand around the Chinese New Year. (please correct me if I am wrong on this -- it's so difficult to find what's the difference between these two ...)






Watermelon seeds are excellent source of protein (both essential and non-essential amino acid) and oil. Watermelon seeds contains 35% protein, 50% oil, and 5% dietary fiber as key nutrition. It's also rich in micro & macro nutrients such as magnesium, calcium, potassium, iron, phosphorous, and zinc.

Here is a little information about watermelon seeds which I was found from 'The Chinese Habit of Eating Melon seeds by A.H. Crook' ...

There are two specimens of watermelon seeds -- The White Seeds which are slightly roasted and perhaps a little salted before they are sold (somewhat softer than the red seeds) and The Red Seeds which are also roasted and come from the north of the Kwangrung Province .

The opening of watermelon seeds especially the red one requires almost a special education to do it gracefully -- stripping of the hard shell to obtain the tiny kernel and then to be appreciated. Watermelon seeds is very important in China on account of its seeds -- a perfect passion, a trasure of cheap amusement, a daily consumption, and assemble with a drink tof ea or rice-wine ... Actually, the analysis thinking that since Chinese took no butter, the requirement of an oily substitue made them turn to the watermelon seeds - same as Russians take sunflower seeds.

Sunday, January 4, 2009

Turkey Bacon

Have you ever heard of 'Turkey Bacon'? I mean a real Turkey Bacon ... not a slang word !!!

Remark : Bacon is a cut of meat taken from the sides, belly, or back of a pig that has been cured, smoked, or both. Bacon may be eaten fried, baked, or grilled for eaten.
This trip to Singapore reminded me that there could be also other meats to be made for bacon such as beef, lamb, chicken, goat, or turkey. I found this 'Turkey Bacon' during my journey at Breakfast Buffet Room (provided by the hotel) -- I call it a journey since it's a huge buffet room with huge variety of foods (different kinds of). Then, I realized that because Singapore is the place where Islam / Muslim population & traveller are in.
Turkey Bacon -- by the look, it looks like normal bacon but it's not as crispy as pork bacon !!! Not because of the way they fried, but when I looked closely, there's not a kind of fat layers outstanding as pork bacon ...
It's a good substitution for pork avoidance and/or religious restriction persons. More importantly, based on nuitrition facts, Turkey Bacon is a little lower in fat and calories than Pork Bacon. I confirm it's REALLY A LITTLE -- look from the above pictures yourself !!!

the coffee connoisseur (tcc) - gourmet coffees in Singapore


the coffee connoisseur (tcc) is the leading purveyor of gourmet coffees in Singapore. It was launched on December 18, 2003 (still young) ... However, to mention this because I look it as it's a Japan UCC Cafe !!! UCC stands for "Ueshima Coffee Company" - a manufacturer of coffee and tea products in Kobe, Hyōgo of Japan since 1933. There are lots of cafe available around the world including Thailand !!! The cafe itself consists of both coffee and food products including ambience.

As they claimed ; "tcc is about being artistic and professional. The tcc experience blends art and lifestyle to give our guests the space to indulge in their own time and to appreciate a fine cup of coffee, just as an art enthusiast may appreciate a great work of art."

I know only one thing that the space among tables is widely enough for personal space !!! The coffee menu is not simple -- it's a fancy type namely from its signature 'Café Royal' to coffee with liqueur ...

Picture belows are Chocolate Affogatto & Iced Green Apple Tea -- "Affogato style" which refers to the act of topping a drink or dessert with esspresso, therefore, it's a chocolate ice-cream topped with espresso !!!





More detail about tcc at : http://www.thecoffeeconnoisseur.com/