Hong Kong - Kaya Korean Restaurant

Double-size Marinated Beef Short Ribs

 Spring Onion Salad (came with the short ribs)

Ox Tongue

Marinated Chicken

Cucumber Soju

Seafood and Spring Onion Pancake

Sliced Pork with Lettuce Wrap

Pan-fried Rice Cake in Spicy Sauce

Beef and Homemade Noodles Hot Pot

Review: Kaya’s new location is in Midtown Plaza II, half a block away from its original location. The decor remains similar – bright lights, wooden furniture and sizzling grills. The new location is undoubtedly more spacious and comfortable though. The marinated short ribs were delicious. The sweet soy marinade was spot on and the meat was juicy and tender. I loved the short ribs wrapped in lettuce leaves and smothered with gojuchang spicy bean paste and raw garlic. I had to brush my teeth extra hard and use a lot of mouthwash that night, but it was worth it! I usually stick to beef at Korean BBQ, but my brother ordered the marinated chicken and it turned out to be delicious and flavourful. Definitely a great alternative to beef. I also enjoyed the beef and noodle hot pot. The bowl of warm peppery broth with chewy noodles and sliced beef was the perfect ending to the meal. For drinks, I liked their cucumber soju. It was light and refreshing yet strong enough to give you a buzz. The service was spotty at times. We ordered lettuce for our beef and had to remind them three times before it finally arrived. That aside, Kaya serves decent Korean BBQ in a comfortable setting, and I look forward to my next visit.

I recommend: Marinated Beef Short Ribs, Marinated Chicken, Beef and Homemade Noodles Hot Pot

Kaya Korean Restaurant
Address: 9/F Midtown Soundwill Plaza II, 1 Tang Lung Street, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong
Phone: 2838-9550
Hours: Mon-Sun 11:30am-3pm, 5:30pm-11:30pm

Hong Kong - Street Meat

It’s hard to miss the Prince Street station sign on Wyndham Street. Street Meat's entrance and look of its menu is modelled after the New York City subway, and it aims to bring a fresh New York vibe to the Hong Kong food scene. I’ve been wanting to try their interpretation of famous street food from NYC but was put off by their long lines and no reservations policy. Thankfully, JC knew the owner (as usual), so we were able to get seated at 8pm sharp, no waiting.

The restaurant is set up like a diner counter, where you sit on high stools and watch the chefs prepare your food. I love that. Push through the double kitchen doors and you will find the bar area. It’s neon-lit with an outdoor smoking area. I think it’s genius. You can get your drink on at the bar, go back out to get a Ramen Burger, drink some more, and eat more. You don’t even have to leave the place. There’s also a #selfie ready, Instagram’d out mirror in the bathroom complete with hashtags. Laubaby, this was made for you.

Their menu is a subway map. Each dish is a speciality “street meat” from an area of New York, like Canal Street, Upper West side or K-town. JC and I were greedy and ordered five dishes between the two of us. I tried two cocktails but their names allude me. They were great though. I remember one was a whiskey sour.

32nd Street K-Town Ramen Burger: A mixture of Wagyu beef bulgogi and kimchi sandwiched between two fried ramen buns. I haven’t tried the real one before so I can’t make a comparison, but I thought this was delicious. The ramen buns were crispy and contrasted nicely with the tender and flavourful bulgogi. The kimchi added a refreshing tangy kick.

Midtown Halal Chicken Bowl: The soft and juicy sous vide chicken sat on basmati rice, topped with “secret” white sauce (with Greek yogurt), red sauce (hot sauce) and iceburg lettuce. The flavour of the marinated chicken was spot on, and I liked their version of white sauce. But now all I can think of is the chicken rice from the Halal Guys. To be fair, I think Hong Kong has some great kebab places, like 27 Kebab House across from Marouche, but Street Meat’s version will do for now until my next NYC trip.

Upper West Atomic Wings: These were standard wings (says confit on the menu) served with spicy sauce, charred scallion sour cream, and celery sticks (oh who are we kidding!). They were delicious though, quite juicy and had a nice crispy crust.

Flushing Lamb Wrap: The lamb was marinated in Xinjiang Spices, cooked sous vide and paired with grilled leeks and carrots. The lamb’s robust flavour was enhanced by the spices, which went well with the sweet vegetables. The thin crispy Chinese pancake “wrap” was a bit too greasy for my liking though.

Brooklyn Ribbon Fries: They ran out of ribbon fries as you can tell, so they gave us waffle fries instead. Nonetheless, the fries were cooked perfectly in delicious beef fat and seasoned with sea salt. It came with a side of garlic aioli.

Verdict: Street Meat is open until 2 am. Given its convenient location just in LKF, it’s definitely a great spot to binge on greasy food after a night out. Goodbye hangover! However they run out of items quick, so you may not get what you want if you stumble in at 1 am. I’ll be back to try the Chelsea Market Lobster Roll and Upper East Macaron Sandwich, which were both sold out during my visit. 

I recommend: 32nd Street K-Town Ramen Burger, Mid Town Halal Chicken Bowl

Street Meat
Address: 50 Wyndham Street, Central, Hong Kong
Website: http://www.facebook.com/streetmeat.hk
Hours: Mon-Sat 6pm-2am

Kimchi Fried Rice with Egg

When I was studying in Vancouver, I lived by myself and I would cook dinner for myself on weeknights. It was cheaper than ordering in and I could avoid the copious amounts of MSG, grease and bad oils that came with delivery food. I'm Chinese, so naturally, I had a rice cooker and made rice all the time. And what to do with leftover rice? Make fried rice! I usually just add in anything I could find my fridge, like eggs and turkey slices from the deli, finishing the rice off with a squeeze of Sriracha. However, for a more decadent but still super easy and quick weeknight dinner dish, I present to you my kimchi fried rice! The main ingredients are kimchi, spam, and eggs. And if you have leftover rice from the day before, this dish will take you less than 15 minutes to make. Take that, Jamie Oliver! 

This dish will amaze you. It is so simple to make and uses such humble ingredients, yet it has a myriad of flavours and textures: savoury crunch from the spam, spicy tangy and sweet from the kimchi, richness from the sesame oil and egg, and that layer of umami from the nori. 

The runny yolk forms a beautiful “sauce” that oozes into the rice, calming the sharp kick of the kimchi. This dish not only tastes good but also looks good. Instagram that #foodporn!

Recipe

Serves two

Ingredients

1 tablespoon vegetable oil, plus more for coating rice
1/2 cup cubed spam or sausage or ham
3 cups day-old cooked white rice (or you can cook the rice and put in the fridge to cool down)
1 ½ cup chopped kimchi, plus any juices

1 tablespoon gochujang (this is a spicy Korean paste made with red chili and fermented soybeans. I usually put in two heaped tablespoons for this recipe, but you should start out with one and taste first)

1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 eggs

Nori (dried seaweed), chopped, for garnish

1 stalk scallion (green parts) or spring onion, sliced, for garnish

Method

1. Heat the vegetable oil in a large pan or skillet over medium heat. Add the spam and cook until crispy but not burnt, around 2 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, place the cooled rice in a large bowl and drizzle with a little vegetable oil. With your hands, coat the rice grains with the oil, separating the grains carefully as much as you can without breaking them. 
3. Turn the heat up to medium-high, add the kimchi and juice and stir, until heated through, about 2 minutes.
4. Add the rice and gogujang paste and toss to coat, mixing the ingredients evenly. Stir the mixture around for about a minute to make sure all the rice is colored. Drizzle in the sesame oil.
5. Turn the heat down to medium-low and pat the rice mixture down in the pan in an even layer. Let the rice sit for about 5 minutes. The bottom layer will crisp up and the flavor will be intensified.
6. Add the scallions or green onion into the mixture, stirring to distribute evenly, or leave them as a garnish. Divide the rice mixture into 2 bowls.
7. In a small pan, fry the eggs until the whites have set but the yolks are still runny.
8. Garnish with the scallions and nori.