Hong Kong - Neighborhood

Wagyu Tartare

Buttered Tagliolini

Food photos are a must!

Bone Marrow Risotto

Potato Gnocchi with Iberico Ham and Parmesan

Cheese Selection

Chocolate Palette

Vanilla Ice Cream

Complimentary canelés to end the night

Review: For our first taste of Alba white truffles this year, Big and Small picked Neighborhood, a newly opened joint by Chef David Lai from Bistronomique and On Lot 10. The quaint and modern restaurant is situated next to a little park and quite hard to find at first. Once we were seated, we were presented with a bowl of "white diamonds" nestled on uncooked rice. We were like little kids at the candy store, so excited to pick our own truffle! Their truffles were HKD 26 a gram and weighed on a digital scale at the table. Our truffle was more than enough to go between the three of us. We were given a truffle shaver set to the thinnest setting and we shaved the truffle on everything except the cheese and chocolate dessert! I was recently told that white truffles are in fact very 熱氣 - you can actually get nose bleeds after consuming heavy white truffle meals! But I guess once a year won't do too much damage.

We liked the al-dente Buttered Tagliolini for its subtle flavours that let the white truffle shine. The Wagyu Tartare didn’t have an overly acidic dressing and the raw yolk brought a great texture to the dish. The Homemade Gnocchi with Iberico and Parmesan was light and fluffy but could’ve had more potato taste. The Bone Marrow Risotto had large chunks of delicious fatty marrow throughout and the herbs cut through the fattiness, but the rich flavours sadly overpowered the truffles. For desserts, we liked the intense and creamy dark Chocolate Pallete and we used the last bits of our truffle on Vanilla Ice Cream, so decadent! They also served a great Fourme d'Ambert.

Overall I think the addition of white truffles elevated the food, but without the icing on the cake these dishes would still be delicious. The portions are small but reasonably priced, great for trying many dishes at once. The vibe is perfect for dates and there’s also a full bar. Their menu changes every week, so I'm looking forward to see what they have in store after the truffle season ends.

I recommend: Buttered Tagliolini, Bone Marrow Risotto, Chocolate Palette

Neighborhood
Address: 61-63 Hollywood Road, Central, Hong Kong
Phone: 2617-0891
Hours: Mon-Sat 6pm-1030pm

Sugar Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches

My sister Nene has a massive sweet tooth. While I only crave sweet things when I'm PMS-ing, she snacks on candy pretty much everyday. As I'm typing this, she is at her desk having Oreos. We bought some at London Heathrow before our flight back to Hong Kong, and we both agreed that they taste much better than the ones they sell in Hong Kong. The cookie is sweeter, flakier and the center is creamier (not like its chalky counterpart). I must stock up when I'm overseas again for the sake of my PMS! Both Nene and I are now on our summer break (my last ever before I enter the drone-y workforce for good), so it's the perfect time for us to bake and cook together in between binge-watching TV shows. Here is our first bake together! We made ice cream sandwiches using sugar cookies and strawberry cheesecake ice cream that we had in the freezer. 

A thick layer of ice cream sandwiched between two soft sugar cookies and covered with sprinkles. Tasted like funfetti cake but with a cool and creamy filling. Yum!!

Roll each cookie dough ball in sugar, and place them 2 inches apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Flatten the balls with the bottom of a glass. 

Bake the cookies until their edges are golden brown.

Pair up cookies that are of a similar size.

Put two heaped tablespoons of ice cream on the bottom side of a cookie. Top with the other cookie to make a sandwich.

Roll the sandwich in sprinkles and enjoy immediately! Perfect treat for a hot sunny day.

Recipe – Sugar cookie recipe adapted from Brown Eyed Baker

Makes 12

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened slightly but still cool
1 cup granulated sugar, plus ½ cup for rolling dough
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1 large egg
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract

Ice cream of your choice, slightly softened (I used Strawberry Cheesecake from Haagendaz)

Method

1. Heat the oven to 375F / 190C. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl.
3. In a separate large bowl, cream the butter with 1 cup granulated sugar and the brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and mix until combined.
4. Mix in the dry ingredients until just combined. Do not over mix.
5. Place the ½ cup sugar for rolling in a shallow bowl. Fill a medium bowl halfway with cold tap water.
6. Dip your hands in the water and shake off any excess. This helps prevent the dough from sticking to your hands.
7. Roll a heaping tablespoon of dough into a 1½-inch ball, roll the ball in the sugar, and then place it on the baking sheet.
8. Repeat with the remaining dough, spacing the balls about 2 inches apart.
9. Flatten the dough balls with the bottom of a glass until they are about ¾ inch thick.
10. Bake until the cookies are golden brown around the edges, about 12-15 minutes.
11. Cool the cookies on the baking sheets about 3 minutes before transferring the cookies to cool completely on a wire rack. 
12. Put two heaped tablespoons of ice cream onto the bottom of one cookie. Top with another cookie of a similar size to make a sandwich.
13. Roll the sandwich in sprinkles and eat immediately before the ice cream melts!

Amsterdam - Ron Gastrobar

I was in Amsterdam 3 weeks ago with Nene, V and JC. We had made reservations for lunch at Ron Gastrobar the day we arrived, but we were too jetlagged to make it. We instead changed the reservation to dinner the next night. Ron Blaauw closed down his eponymous fine-dining restaurant (2 Michelin stars) last year and re-opened it under the name Ron Gastrobar, serving food with a totally different concept. The new casual dining establishment quickly earned a Michelin star this year. I was excited about this restaurant since it was helmed by a reputable chef, and also because we had been stuffing ourselves full of Belgian fries, croquets and waffles since arriving in Amsterdam. We were all eager to have non-greasy fast food. 

The ambiance was hip and lively. The bar was colorfully lit while the rest of the place was a bit dark. Perfect place for drinks.

We were seated next to this meat locker fridge thing. They didn't have any other tables available because of our last minute reservation change. Throughout our meal, servers would come over to retrieve steaks. It was quite inconvenient as V had to get out of her seat to let them open the door each time. They apologised profusely every time though.

The menu was pretty straightforward. All dishes were 15 Euros (about HK$155) while desserts were at 6 Euros. Our server told us we should pick at least 2 dishes per person. 

Three Oysters in Shallot Vinaigrette: Can't remember what oysters they were, but they were briny. The vinaigrette was tangy and fresh.

Pan fried langoustine with leek, onions and chorizo sausage: 15 euros for one langoustine. Quite a small portion I would say. The chorizo sauce was very salty, but it proved to be a nice dipping sauce for the sweet roasted veggies. The leek was very buttery.

Green gazpacho with salad of green asparagus, avocado, cherries and fresh almond: I love gazpacho. This one was light, with green pepper being the dominant flavour. There was a bit of heat from the garlic, and I liked the nice pops of sweetness from cherries. The presentation was beautiful. Loved the flowers.

Now what could be in this cute little pizza delivery box?

Disappointment. Pizza with Oosterschelde lobster, ajo blanco, sumac and spring herbs from our garden: The base was a very hard piece of pita bread which was almost impossible to cut through. The ajo blanco (white garlic soup) tasted like regular mayo, the lobster was rubbery and the herbs on top did nothing to rescue the dish. Oh and this was 20 Euros. When cut into 4, each portion was bite size only.

BBQ spare ribs with homemade sambal, smoked beet and horseradish: This was one of the better dishes of the night. I couldn't taste the smoked beet but I can tell you this was a damn good piece of char siu (Cantonese BBQ pork). The meat was sweet and salty, and it melted in my mouth. The crispy bits on the top were a nice touch too.

Crispy fried sweetbread with Boemboe Bali and apple sauce: One sweetbread only! However, it was well seasoned and had a nice crust. The sauce was sweet and paired well with the sweetbread.

Sushi made of young spring vegetables from our own garden, inspired by Alain Passard: Alain would be horrified to know such "food" items have been "inspired" by him. Here and here are what his creations look like. I am rarely this negative about food, but I must make an exception. These were cold blobs of sticky sour rice with the consistency of toothpaste or glue. JC said, and I quote, "Whoever created this dish was not in their right mind". The beetroot was flavoured with strong white pepper, and the avocado was sour. The sauces on the side of each mush didn't compliment the toppings. It was just a horrible concept from start to finish. It would've been better if they had served a normal salad instead of attempting to be creative.

USA Black Angus: According to the menu, this came from the same supplier as Peter Luger in New York City. The supplier must have stiffed Ron somehow because this steak was far from what I remember having. It was under-seasoned and had lots of chewy connective tissue parts in it. It also could've done with a better sear.

However, the steak was served with bone marrow, fries and Béarnaise sauce: The bone marrow was delicious. It was served on top of a spicy tomato confit which cut through the richness of the marrow. Fries were good and the creamy Bearnaise added flavour to the bland steak.

Complimentary mini ice cream cones to end our night. These were peanut butter with a caramel sauce.

Verdict: There were definitely more good dishes than bad, but the bad ones were so out there that the overall experience was affected and points were docked. However the ambiance was fun and it would be a great place to go for drinks and maybe get one or two dishes to go with your drinks. But whatever you do, please don't order the "sushi".

Ron Gastrobar Amsterdam

Address: Sophialaan 55 hs (entrance), terrace on the Amstelveenseweg, Amsterdam
'Phone: +31 (0)20 49 61 943 
Website: rongastrobar.nl
Reservations: By phone, email or online

Los Angeles - Apple Pan

LA is a gastronomical heaven, no doubt about that. Our first stop after landing was Apple Pan in West LA (10801 W Pico Blvd), one of Tiff's favorite burger joints. I could understand why. It was old school and authentic, with only bar seating and an open kitchen in the middle of the restaurant. Crispy fries came on a paper plate and our iced teas (unlimited refills!) came in styrofoam cups. Don't expect to get any fancy sauces for your fries, strictly ketchup! The menu hasn't changed since 1947. I ordered a Steakburger (pictured) and Tiff ordered a Hickoryburger. These burgers were amazing. The beef patty was juicy and had a distinct charred flavor, the onions and pickles added that sweetness and tanginess and the cheese was gooey, resulting in a messy, but happy, eating endeavour. Tiff's Hickoryburger was essentially the same as my Steakburger but with an excellent smoky BBQ sauce. We were already full after the burgers but she insisted that I try the Apple Pie. Out of this world! Perhaps one of the best apple pies I've ever had. The pie crust was buttery, flaky and slightly salty, and the chunky cinnamon-y apple filling was lovely. They gave us three scoops of vanilla ice cream to go with it! I loved how it was sweet and savoury, hot and cold all at the same time.