Watch Out For…
For kebabs on Kowloon side, try Al Maidah (G/F, Tsim Sha Tsui Mansion, 83-97 Nathan Rd., Tsim Sha Tsui, 2367-7288), a new takeout joint that offers—besides kebabs, natch—curries and biryanis as well. For something fusiony, the shop does chicken kebab noodles and chicken kebab parathas, too. Not exactly a post-clubbing snack stop (since the place closes by 11pm each night), Al Maidah is nevertheless a welcome option for something quick and filling between LV and Chanel.
K-Roll (6A, G/F, Sen Fan Building, 6 Bonham Strand, Sheung Wan, 2234-5505, www.k-roll.com.hk) has got to be the cutest startup ever. This Sheung Wan-based Korean-style snack shack was launched by three Korean ladies—and their impetus? One of the ladies’ daughters would come home from school hungry each day, begging her mother to open a kimbap (Korean sushi roll) restaurant so all her schoolmates could get their hands on these yummy treats without having to raid the poor girl’s lunchbox. All together now: Awwwwwwww. Besides kimbap, K-Roll also offers bulgogi with rice, japchae (noodles), dukbokki (rice cakes) and Korean ramen. They’re only open until 4pm each day at the mo, but hopefully dinner will soon make the menu.
Talk of the Town
The Miele Guide has published its list of top 20 restaurants in Asia for 2013. (Full disclosure: I was part of the shortlist voting panel.) First place and bragging rights goes to Robuchon Au Dome in Macau, followed by Waku Ghin at Marina Bay Sands in Singapore, then our own L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon. Some of Hong Kong’s other usual suspects make the list, like Caprice, Amber and 8½. One pleasant surprise: One Harbour Road at the Grand Hyatt, serving classy Cantonese, made it to number 15, putting it ahead of heavyweight Lung King Heen—which did not, in fact, make the list. One Harbour Road is the only non-European restaurant in Hong Kong to be included in the rankings. Other regions with top restos include Chennai, New Delhi, Bali, Tokyo, Shanghai and Cavite in the Philippines.
Food for Thought
“Food Gurus” by journalist and restaurateur Stephen Vines is a combo biography and recipe book of 20 current and historical figures who Vines believes have been instrumental in shaping the way that society at large thinks about food. Gordon Ramsay and Julia Child are part of the list, alongside more obscure and distant counterparts such as Antonin Careme and Bartolomeo Platina. Heavy on text and extremely light on visuals, “Food Gurus” is really more of an academic pursuit than just another breezy cookbook. I find some of the subjects rather random (Catherine de Medici) and others topical (Carlo Petrini)—but the author himself has said that his choices are open to debate. Whatever your reaction to the selections, you’ll probably agree that it’s a handy cheat sheet to some of the famous foodies of our day.
$295, available at PageOne and Dymocks.
TV personality and onetime-chef Anthony Bourdain has wrapped up filming the eighth and final season of “No Reservations”, a popular travel-slash-food series that takes place in a different city each episode, and has Bourdain wandering around in pursuit of good food while doing a bit of self-discovery and sightseeing along the way. Mozambique, the Dominican Republic, Burgundy and Rio are just some of the places Bourdain will highlight in this 14-episode season.
The show premieres on February 12 at 9pm on TLC (available on Cable TV, Now TV and bbTV).
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