Hong Kong - Sichuan House

Tea with red dates and flowers

Snacks

Mouth Watering Chicken 川莊口水雞

Sliced Beef and Pig's Tongue in Chili Sauce 成都夫妻肺片

Bang Bang Wontons in Sesame Sauce 棒棒雲吞

 Sizzling Crispy Spare Ribs 龍泉驛乾鍋排骨

Fish Fillets in Hot Chili Oil 成都水煮桂花魚

Review: Sichuan House is a must-go for spice lovers! It is located conveniently in the heart of LKF, in the same building as Sushi Kuu (and Club Beijing, if you must). The restaurant is decorated in black and lots of red, like an ominous warning that this will be a fiery meal in hell. Y, Laubaby and I were promptly seated and we nibbled on snacks such as cold marinated cucumber slices while we waited for our food. It didn't take long for our first spicy dish to arrive. Sichuan House's version of mouth watering chicken is one of the best 口水雞 dishes around because the chicken is thoughtfully cut into bite size chunks and de-boned. The sauce was very fragrant and not too spicy. The sliced beef and pig's tongue dish was well seasoned and the meat was springy, not chewy. We also liked the bang bang wontons (the only non-spicy dish we ordered), which were surprisingly juicy and flavourful. The spare ribs arrived sizzling in a metal pot and the peppercorns and dried chillis smelled amazing. The pork was crispy on the outside and moist inside. Last but not least, my favourite fish fillets in chili oil - a generous portion of tender fish fillets floated on top of a huge bowl of chili oil. The bean starch noodles underneath soaked up all the spicy and numb Sichuan flavours. I loved the cucumber slices and bean sprouts that add texture and flavours. The tea with dates and flowers helped soothe my burning mouth for a bit. Great tip for anyone who can't eat spicy food: V ordered a bowl of hot water to wash off the top layer of chili oil to make the food less spicy. 

I recommend: Mouth Watering Chicken, Fish Fillets in Hot Chili Oil, Bang Bang Wontons, Sizzling Crispy Spare Ribs

Sichuan House 霸王川莊
Address: 7/F, M88, 2-8 Wellington Street, Central, Hong Kong
Phone: 2521-6699
Hours: Mon-Sun 11:30am - 12:00am

Hong Kong - Tai Yuen Seafood Restaurant

It was a beautiful sunny day and we decided to go to Lamma Island for our seafood fix, away from the hustle and bustle. Tai Yuen is located in Sok Kwu Wan bay of Lamma Island. It is one of many seafood restaurants located on First Street near the ferry pier, and most of them have tanks full of fish and shellfish designed to attract customers. We chose Tai Yuen because Boyfriend's family has been coming here for years and they love the seafood here. The restaurant is outdoors but covered, and you can look out into the bay while you eat. It's quite a beautiful and calming scene. Before you sit down, you are invited to look at the fish tanks to see what fresh seafood they offter that day before ordering. Alternatively, you can just order the set menu (which includes a few signature seafood dishes, vegetables, fried rice and tofu pudding).

 Salt and Pepper Squid 椒鹽鮮魷: This is Tai Yuen's signature dish, and justly so. The batter was so crisp and had a nice kick from the black pepper. The squid inside was perfectly tender. A sweet and sour sauce was provided as a dipping sauce, but the squid was flavourful enough on its own.

Black Bean Razor Clams 豉椒蟶子: Normally I like my razor clams steamed with garlic, but black beans proved to be a worthy match. The deep, savoury and slightly bitter flavour of the black beans contrasted well with the sweet and fresh razor clams. I still prefer the garlic method though.

Steamed Abalone 蒸鮑魚: The mini abalone were steamed with ginger and spring onion to enhance their natural flavours. The abalone were very tender and easy to remove from their shells.

Their Steamed Fish is always perfectly cooked. The meat on the fish was firm and sweet, complemented well by the soy sauce and cilantro/green onion mixture.

Crisp and sweet Bak Choy

Sweet and Sour Pork 咕嚕肉: We get this every time. One of the best sweet and sour pork dishes I've had! The pork was encased in an incredibly crispy shell, tossed with pineapple and bell peppers in a sweet and sour sauce. The pork was lean and the shell didn't leave behind a greasy aftertaste.

Verdict: Tai Yuen serves up delicious and fresh seafood at its waterfront location. Service is prompt and attentive. The casual and lively environment is great for big groups and families. Afterwards, walk off the meal on easy hiking trails that snake through the island.

I recommend: Salt and Pepper Squid, Steamed Abalone, Sweet and Sour Pork

Tai Yuen Seafood Restaurant 泰苑魚翅海鮮酒家
Address: G/F, 15 First Street, Sok Kwu Wan, Lamma Island
Phone: 2982-8386
Hours: Mon-Sun 10:00am - 23:00pm

Grilled Sardines with Tuscan Bread Salad Part 1

I'm all about weeknight dinners that are fast and hassle-free. Bonus points if they are healthy and nutritious! This recipe was taken from Jamie Oliver's 15 Minute Meals. The book had some amazing recipes (and beautiful photographs), but I was skeptical about how fast a home cook could make these meals. For me, the whole process (sardines plus salad) took about 30 minutes, between prepping the sardines and vegetables, blending sauces and taking photos of everything. But nonetheless, super fast meal! I will share with you the Grilled Sardines first, and the Tuscan Bread Salad in another post. When I made this meal, I dealt with the sardines first, and started on the salad when the sardines were in the oven. The two dishes were done pretty much at the same time. 

I forgot to buy chilis at the market but luckily we had some growing in a pot outside our home! However they weren't fully grown yet and were super tiny. I decided to add them in anyway.

Baby chilis :)

The sauce consisted of spring onions, parsley, salt, olive oil, lemon juice, and chilis. For those who hate parsley, you will be glad to know that this sauce came out light and citrusy. The parsley was not overpowering.

Spread the mixture on a pan just large enough for the sardines and lay the sardines skin side up. Sprinkle the pancetta around. You can omit the pancetta, but using just a tiny bit won't do too much damage! It adds a nice smoky flavour and crunch to the dish.

After a quick 8 minutes, the sardines will be nice and crispy on top, moist and flaky on the bottom. I served the sardines just like that in the pan with the beautiful green sauce.

Verdict: I will definitely make these sardines again, but with regular sized chilis. My dish was missing a bit of heat. 

Recipe - adapted from Jamie Oliver's 15 Minute Meals

For 2

Ingredients

4 spring onions (tops and white ends removed)

½ a fresh red chilli

½ bunch of fresh parsley

½ teaspoon fennel seeds

Juice of 1 lemon

1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt to taste

6 fresh sardines, heads removed, scaled and butterflied

Handful of cubed pancetta

Method

1. Set your oven grill onto high.
2. Put the spring onions, chilli, parsley, fennel, lemon juice, salt and olive oil in a processor, and blend until it forms a paste.
3. Rub the paste onto a baking tray and lay the sardines on top, skin side up.
4. Dot the pancetta throughout the sardines.
5. Grill until golden and crispy, about 8 minutes.

Vancouver - Rodney's Oyster House

This was my first time at Rodney's. We ordered a dozen Oysters (Kumamoto, Kushi and Fanny Bay were my favorties), Fish & Chips, Fresh Lobster and Scallops Fettucini. The fish and chips were mediocre. The chips were a tad soggy and the fish wasn't flaky enough. The batter was thick. However, the oysters and lobster were incredibly fresh and tasted of the sea. The oysters came with an array of sauces, from wine vinaigrette to specialty hot sauces. The lobster came with a side of hot boiling butter for dipping and delightful rosemary roasted potatoes. The fettucini was al dente and the scallops were perfectly cooked. Overall, really delicious food! The decor was simple and it sort of felt like we were on a boat or something, lots of wood and marine accents. Definitely very casual. You can choose to sit on the main floor on high bar stools where you get a good view of the seafood/oyster bar, or you can sit on the second floor on "normal" chairs and tables. We went on a weekday around 2pm and it was quite empty, until around 3pm where a sudden influx of people came in because oysters were HALF-OFF after 3pm!

Verdict: Very fresh oysters and great vibe. Attentive service. Come for the happy hour!