Best chips

"Flamin' Hot and Crunchy Jalepeno"

Honey Dijon my favorite, New York Cheddar - not so much

Two of my favorite chips in the whole entire world

HONG KONG: BO Innovations

Steamed foie gras, sticky lotus leaf, "yun nam" ham: This is the first time I've had foie gras in this form, Chinese style, the foie gras, as it usually does, melts in your mouth, the flavor is trapped in between the sticky lotus leaf, giving it a fresher aroma

Slow cooked pork lasagna in chinese vinegar, braised lotus root in beet root osthamus

BO Innovations is one of my favorite restaurants in the world. They charge quite a bit for their chef's menu but very much worth it(EVERY bite of it). It's the only thing you should order there as a la carte ordering just isn't as satisfying. With the demon chef, Alvin Leung supervising every item on the chef's menu, you can be sure that everything served is to the highest of standards. BO Innovations is a fusion restaurant, mixing the east and the west in a very peculiar way.

"Famous in Hong Kong for combining Chinese cuisine with molecular gastronomy, Chef Alvin Leung of Bo Innovation shares his unique cooking philosophy with Lifestyle HK. " Lifestyle Asia

Alvin's dishes are known to be unpredictable, just like the demon; mischievous and breaking all the culinary rules. Who would imagine, dishes such as STEAMED Foie Gras, Aruvga Caviar with smoked quail egg on taro crust, etc... honest to God, if I heard of these dishes prior to trying this restaurant, I'd probably be grossed out, but I was fortunate enough to not see the description of the dishes before going the first time. I just kept going back for more afterwards and have recommended it to many of my friends, now recommending this fabulous restaurant to anyone who is in for an adventure.

Lobster, preserved duck egg with English mustard: Preserved egg is not necessarily good for you but once in a while, bite-size pieces won't hurt, besides, it tastes good.

Duet of Oysters: Salmon roe, oyster and ponzu sauce; ground up oyster mixed with tofu

For $880 hkd (Approx. $126usd), this is what you get:

• Duet of Oysters
• Smoked quail egg, crispy taro crust, avruga caviar
• "bo" sashimi platter"
• Shot of Waldorf salad
• Spinach ice cream
  
• Steamed foie gras, sticky lotus leaf, "yun nam" ham
• Lobster, preserved duck egg with English mustard
• Ox-tail shitake soup dumpling with lobster essence
• Slow cooked pork lasagna in chinese vinegar, braised lotus root in beet root osthamus
• Australian m-9 plus wagyu striploin, black truffle rice noodle roll
• "bo" dan dan noodles
• Almond foam, cognac chinese red date sauce
• Crispy chocolate cake, salty kumquat butterscotch ice cream

"bo" Sashimi platter

Note: Pictures consists of previous dining at BO Innovation as well

Shot of Waldorf salad: Interesting way of your daily greens

Smoked quail egg, crispy taro crust, avruga caviar: The taro crust is like the stuff you have at dim sum(i love this stuff), and quail egg + caviar that melts in your mouth, can never go wrong

Ox-tail shitake soup dumpling with lobster essence: Freshness of lobster, ox-tail giving the soup dumping a very tender texture

Slow cooked pork lasagna in chinese vinegar, braised lotus root in beet root osthamus: Fatty pork, boy, this is soooo bad for me but I managed to finish it. The Chinese vinegar was made perfectly, not too sweet and not too sour.

Australian m-9 plus wagyu striploin, black truffle rice noodle roll: Striploin was okay, the truffle rice noodle roll on the other hand was superb. The sauce was made out of black truffle, you can smell the aroma from the kitchen!

"bo" Dan dan noodles

Crispy chocolate cake, salty kumquat butterscotch ice cream

The whole restaurant is truly a piece of art. Every single item on the menu are things that I've had in the past but never ever in the served combinations. I highly recommend this restaurant for those who like to try something extraordinary, something unexpected. You will not be disappointed.

BURNABY: Lobsterfest @ Hart House

There's a special festival every year held at the Hart House restaurant at Deer Lake in Vancouver. In case you've never been, it's right alongside Deer Lake, in a heritage house. Every year, they have a Lobster Festival that lasts for only 2 or 3 nights, unlike other restaurants that usually have it for the whole season.

Why is the Lobsterfest at Hart House any different from all the others? Value! For $48Cdn, you get a whole lobster to yourself, with a buffet of appetizers, side dishes and also a dessert buffet. If you arrive early, there's an unlimited wine tasting session from 6-7pm!! Trust me, my friends and I enjoyed this perk in particular immensely.

You are seated in the garden area of the restaurant overlooking Deer Lake, beautiful greenery and a beautiful view of the lake. Be sure to have your mosquito repellent as we're dining on grass, and the mosquitos are out to get you towards the end of the evening. This venue is great for those who love dining outdoors.

The lobster is not only big, but it's good too. In my opinion, poaching is the best way to cook lobster, allowing the lobster to be tender and moist and extremely fresh.


The desserts however, were a little of a disappointment, they were just like desserts at any dessert buffet, nothing stood out. There was a very small selection of cakes and they weren't very good either. Their fruits, on the other hand were fresh and sweet.

HONG KONG: Pierside @ The Royal Pacific Hotel

The Royal Pacific Hotel and Towers, situated along the Victoria Harbour on the busy Canton Road in Tsim Sha Tsui, right above the Macau/China ferry terminals. Pierside, a restaurant/bar has taken a new turn recently. Being opened for almost a year, the original bar-to-be is turning into quite a restaurant. Pierside started out as an upscale bar with a live band every night, serving light dinners and finger food, they have now decided that their customer mix would much prefer an upper scale dining facility instead of just a bar.
Pierside, being one of the few 2-storey dining facilities in this area has reserved the lower level for alfresco dining in the daytime and a bar in the evening, while the upper floor has now turned into a contemporary restaurant overlooking the Victoria Harbour.
Jackie, their executive chef's specialty is fusion. And when I say fusion, trust me, it's very fusion. He has worked in many world class restaurants/hotels around the world. After achieving his culinary qualifications in New Zealand, he's worked in a few other places, such as Tokyo and Taiwan. Now you may have heard, food in Japan and Taiwan are just... Mmmm.. mouth-watering.
Having a creative chef in a fine dining environment is never a bad thing. Lately, he's been playing with a Wagyu beef set dinner which I haven't had the chance to try. According to friends that have tried it, they've loved it.
The set I've tried when I had dinner there was a full seafood menu. Starting off with humongous oysters from Australia... Sorry, I forgot the name.. The oysters were fresh, big and very creamy. I'm usually a fan of small Kumamoto oysters as they usually taste a little fresher, however, this one that the chef chose for us was fresh enough and not very salty.
I tried the snapper with balsamic dressing and garlic mash. The snapper had a flaky texture as it should, the balsamic was sweet and thick (just the way I like it), and the garlic mash was SMOOTH.

Oh yes, how could I forget to mention the bread!!? The rolls were warm, not as soft as I would like them to be but not bad, what I liked was their selection of condiments for the rolls, came with Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar, butter, sea salt, and a special paste they made. It tasted like hummus with something added to it. I wasn't able to make out what the specific ingredients were but it was good.
Finally.. the dessert. This is a dessert I will never forget. The bite, the taste, the texture, the creaminess. We were served a special Tiramisu cake. Tiramisu's have always been one of my favorite desserts so I have certain standards, I am usually a fan of the traditional Italian Tiramisu's. This one I tried has just changed my mind forever. The tiramisu was frozen. The whole Tiramisu cake was placed in the freezer and flambeed when served. I love flambeed desserts, it adds such involvement to the whole dining experience. The wine sauce that was poured on top of the dessert had grapes drenched in wine, added a nice adult-ty taste to the sweet confection. It tasted like ice cream with a kick, it was like biting into ice cream with sponge cake, Mascarpone, coffee, chocolate and wine all at the same time. (This can never be a bad thing)

OSAKA: Za Don

UPDATE: Sadly, I think this restaurant must have closed down, I tried visiting this summer and it was gone!! It's either that or I've totally lost my way trying to find it. :(

In case I haven't mentioned before, I go absolutely schizo for Japanese food. Having lived and travelled there, every single meal had a story in itself (which I may/may not share later). I try to go to different restaurants as the selection is just massive, this one here called Za Don, I've actually returned to TWICE! Located in Umeda behind the infamous HEP5 shopping mall, a tiny tiny restaurant that just occupies a corner of the building. It's about a 400 square feet restaurant, to be more precise, like a fast food restaurant where you buy your tickets at a vending machine then giving your ticket to the kitchen and from there, they prepare your food.

What I love about Japan is how everywhere you go, regardless of price, it's always spotless. This restaurant was not an exception, immaculate, each seat had their own supply of preserved ginger, Soya sauce and Wasabi.

Now the surprise came when the food arrived. Now bear in mind that these rice bowls costed less than $10USD. We ordered a Negitoro Don and a Amaebi/Salmon Roe and Uni Don. (Don means rice bowl in Japanese btw)

Look at the portions:

Extremely fresh and delicious.

DEEP COVE: Hidden Jewel

Deep Cove - A cottage community on the West Coast of Canada, a great day trip from Vancouver . Beautiful scenery of the ocean, mountains, parks, forests - true West Coast culture.

Chefi's Seaside Restaurant Bistro is one of the hidden jewels in Deep Cove. Located on the main street, Gallant Avenue. A very small-sized restaurant, run by the owner herself, Jen. She has actually put together a small wine list, with every wine available by glass. Don't you just love that? Makes life so much easier.

The restaurant is small and nicely decorated, there's small patio with fresh flowers. I love the coziness of the ambiance, dimly lit and candles everywhere. It's such a romantic little restaurant, makes you feel like you've been transported to a small restaurant in Italy or something like that. And the service, it was excellent. Even if it wasn't Jen serving you herself, her servers were so sincerely nice, unlike the fake smiles you find in a lot of large restaurants. The servers at Chefi's were truly wanted you to feel like home.

Their menu selection is not big, but excellent value. For a Fillet Mignon, you're looking at paying $20Cdn. Their combination of their flavours is quite impressive with a restaurant of their size. Chefi's also changes their menu season to season, changing them subtly, keeping their favorites while offering new choices.
Their selection of seafood is always fresh, and I always order their mussels. The sauces are made well with a few selections to choose from.
Deep Cove is a secluded area with not much but scenery. It's a wonderful place for a quiet Summer Sunday afternoon, arriving just in time for lunch and leaving right after dinner.

HONG KONG: Wife Cakes (AKA Sweetheart Cakes) from Yuen Long

Long ago in feudal China, a poor peasant couple lived with their old parents in a small village. One day, a mysterious disease struck the village. The husband's father became very ill. To raise money for the treatment, the wife sold herself to slavery. She became a maid in a wealthy family... don't think crooked.

To redeem his wife, the poor farmer made a cake filled with winter-melon and sold them. His cakes were so yummy that they became popular and he was able to make enough money to buy back his wife.

With his wife back by his side, the couple worked hard at their business. Soon their story and cakes spread far and wide.

Many years later, some baker came out with a Husband Cake. It's just to complement the Wife Cake, there's no significant story behind it. Unlike the sweet Wife Cake, Husband Cake is savoury in taste.

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For the first time, I got to try the infamous Wife Cakes from Yuen Long. According to a few local friends in Hong Kong, been told that Yuen Long was most well-known for their Wife cakes at a bakery called Hang Heung Bakery.

I didn't go there myself, rather had some colleagues bring them back while they were still warm. Wife cakes are puff pastry desserts filled with Winter melon and almond paste. The outside is a layered with thin layers of puff making the texture crispy while the inside is filled with a chewy warm paste that surprisingly doesn't cling on to your teeth (Don't you hate it when that happens?). I'm not sure what Winter melons are supposed to taste like but I did enjoy the aroma of almonds. I like the fact that the whole dessert wasn't too sweet, it was perfect. The puff pastry had its own character and flavour, the aroma smelled like cakes right out of the oven, made with butter I believe and that's always a luxury in itself.

Despite the drive out to Yuen Long, this would make an excellent winter dessert.

[Source: Wikipedia]

Flipping you out this Christmas with Angela Schwab Plates

Something I've always hated was to stand around at a cocktail party, trying to juggle my paper napkin/paper plate while worried it's gonna rip on me, dropping all my canapes, creating a huge mess, not to mention embarrass myself in front of everyone. This plate by Umbra designed by Angela Schwab would be a gigantic help. I would be able to hold on to my plates tightly, guarding my food from falling and having Fido munch up all my goodies and be fashionable all at the same time. Brilliant design just in time for all those Christmas Cocktail parties. Hey, even better, it's now SOCIALLY correct to have your thumb on your plate!

I find that most plate design these days are too two dimensional, all on a flat surfaces with various designs on top. We are in desperate need of three-dimensional designs people. This simple yet highly functional plate is a cocktail party diva's dream come true. Now, Schwab has created one for us. Thank you!!

VANCOUVER: Diva At the Met (Metropolitan Hotel)

Diva At the Met (Metropolitan Hotel):

Would never have thought of coming this restaurant if not for Dine Out Vancouver. Ever since the first time going to this restaurant, basically, there wasn't a year that I attended this event leaving this restaurant out. Their $35 courses are always worth it, the service always spectacular and the food always fresh and never a disappointment.

Appetizer: Spiced Butternut Squash Velout and confit pork belly, golden raisins & toasted almonds --- Butternut squash is always delicious, the soup was extremely creamy, the confit pork tasted just like bacon bits, however the almonds

Fraser Valley Duck Terrine pickled vegetable salad black pepper gastrique --- The presentation (seen above) was very nicely put together, the salad on the side was blah, the sauce was good but the greens were just blah. The duck terrine was flavorful but a bit on the heavy side, would be nice if it came with bread or crackers.

Leek and Potato Soup with Nutmeg Mousse --- Leek was a bit on the strong side, nonetheless, it went nicely with the nutmeg, mellowing it down just a tad and same with their other soups, creamy!

Entree: Moroccan Spiced, Seared Rare, Ahi Tuna creamy orzo provencal, olive tapenade carrot emulsion --- The Ahi Tuna was seared perfectly, crust was just done and the inside was warm. The carrot emulsion is not a common sauce for Ahi Tuna however it did go very nice with the entree.

Aromatic Braised and Glazed Veal Cheek warm, creamy onion tart thyme-scented jus --- The creamy onion tart thyme was excellent, sauces were great and the veal cheek was not as tender as expected. The greens on the side were a bit on the bland/boring side, plain boiled peas, a little bit of a disappointment. Presentation on the onion tart could be improved, taste was good.

[No picture avail for this one]

Aromatic Braised Short Ribs with sherry vinegar lentils, thyme jus --- Extremely full of flavour and so tender that it could be pulled apart without a knife. *thumbs up*

Wild Forest Mushroom Risotto with parmesan flakes and truffle oil --- The first word that came out of my mouth were "Wow!" A vegetarian dish like this, with flavours so heavily infused, the risotto were cooked just so precisely, tricking your mind into thinking that the whole kitchen just opened up for you. Intense flavour with so much heart put into perfecting this simple yet sumptuous dish.

Dessert: Upside Down Chocolate Souffle topped with Housemade pistachio ice cream --- We were already exorbitantly full by the time we got to this point in the evening and swore to only have bite of the dessert. Boy were we ever wrong. This lava cake was the best I've had, and NO, I'm not a bit exaggerating. I'm not the only one who felt that way about this cake. My company is not a big fan of desserts yet he we were fighting over the last bite of dessert.

Stilton Cheesecake rhubarb compote, port wine glaze --- The port wine glaze was excellent. Cheesecake was not "cheesy" enough.