The long and winding to the Holborn, Sai Wan Ho, HK

 

明記甜品 Ming Kee dessert shop Sai Wan Ho HK

Got disappointed with the recent visit at this shop.  Too much coconut milk in almost everything.  They should concentrate on their herbal jelly rather than making too many other food like the snowy ice and hot meaty food.  It's really not the same humble Ming Kee which used to be adored by the neighbours, especially the students who spread the word of mouth to earn this shop a name.

西灣河權發酒家, Kuen Fat Restaurant Sai Wan Ho HK

Learned from Kuen Fat Tung Tai Street that this Kuen Fat is now under their arms. So I gotta give it a try and also my tribute to my father as it's my father's most favourite restaurant (Tung Tai street). I like the way they cook the dishes without garnish or make it too delicate.

1. Baby ginger pineapple stir fried with beef 紫蘿牛肉 HK$70. In summer time, we gotta try baby ginger and so good to go with beef and pineapple. The beef was marinated with egg white and quite smooth and tender. Baby ginger is very nice too. The chef didn't make it too heavy with sugar or vinegar, simply to bring out the original aroma of baby ginger.

2. Wonton chicken casserole HK$98. A very big portion and fresh chicken was used, though a bit oily. Anyway, taking away the oil on the surface is nothing to me. The soup is very nice but the won ton wasn't. The wrap is a bit too mashy and the filling is a bit too thick.

西灣河 明記糖水, Ming Kee Dessert shop, Sai Wan Ho HK

This shop was just a small shop about 15 years ago in Sai Wan Ho near the wet market. It was famous for its nice herbal jelly serving in the market and the jumbo drink (Kum guat pineapple - very quenching in the summer season) for the students. As a word-of-mouth, these 2 signature dessert and drink became so popular. It then expanded to acquire 2 more shops nearby in Sai Wan Ho, and lately one more shop in Tin Hau.

1. I really like their herbal jelly. The texture and the aroma of herbal is so nice and yet they wouldn't put heavy syrup to kill the herbal aroma. The evaporated milk is also not too overwhelming. So HK$12 for a big bowl to share, good for 2 people.

2. Mango agar jello 芒果大菜糕 HK$15. Agar jello was my favourite at my kid's time, but I prefer the plain one with egg stir-in. This dessert was one of the snack at my grand ma's birthday during lunch time. Usually we made wonton as a brief lunch course and followed with this one as a dessert for her birthday. Couldn't be too filling or too heavy in taste because there are lots of dishes served at dinner.

西灣河 超級無敵車仔麵, Super Duper Noodles, Sai Wan Ho HK

Passed by this shop 10 years ago and it was just in a small lane. The nice aroma really had me stop and puzzle for a bowl. Too bad I didn't. As learned from my sister, it's a very good one. Then I passed by it again last night (at 9pm), the shop was still with a long line of around 15-20 people.

From Sai Wan Ho to Lei Yue Mun

The first time I crossed the harbour from Shaukiwan to Lei Yue Mun was on a sampan ride. My mother rowed the sampan (搖栳) with only one rear paddle. I was only 4 but was so impressed because that time my mother stopped rowing the boat in the middle of the sea and asked me not to hang my hand out of the boat. All of a sudden, the boat was floating up with some big current underneath. I guess it's something big down there. So we arrived at my aunt's place on this point-to-point trip without walking on the road. That's probably the last time I took on a sampan.

Afterwards we took a scheduled service on a small boat with engine (about 15 feet long) or I should say Wa La Wa La (a shuttle boat for bringing the sailors from big ships to shore. Later on, Yau Ma Tei ferry took this route and so we took a much bigger boat, but it's no more point-to-point trip. However, as the shore line keeps moving onward, ferry service is no longer popular. Today I took a smaller boat (about 25 feet long) and re-visited on this old-path journey.

1/2. Shaukiwan is now with many high rise buildings. The typhoon shelter got much smaller.

3. Ah Kung Ahrm.

4. Yau Tong and where my aunt's place was.

5. This rocky area has been a dangerous place for ships coming in and out of the harbour. Some boats got stuck here. Amazing we can see those buildings in Chai Wan. Used to be nothing out there.

6/7. Lei Yue Mun - where a lot of seafood restaurants are.

8. view to Quarry Bay and North Point.

Shanghai fried noodle 上海粗炒麵 by Juen Hwu Dumpling 君滬鍋貼, Sai Wan Ho, Hong Kong

Shanghai fried noodle is not my favourite since I don't like the udon texture-like noodle unless it's a very high heat quick fried one. In my memory, there's one in Yue Man Fong of Kwun Tong back in my high school time. Glad to find another good one from this shop in Sai Wan Ho. This one is just at around HK$15. Very nice and high heat quick stir fried with what we call "wok aroma"鑊氣 in Cantonese quick stir fry.

The first time ever I tried pan fried beef bun 邂逅牛肉包

Not sure if I was 7 or 8. My aunt brought me to Tai On Mansion (I even forgot what the purpose was). We passed by this market street (Shing On Street) in Sai Wan Ho. There I smelled something very aromatic. My aunt noticed it and brought me in. She ordered a soy drink plus a pan fried beef bun for me. There I fell in love with this shop. Whenever I went to the public swimming pool of Tai Koo dockyard, I would stop by for the same.

1. This evening I passed by it again. The shop may still look the same, but the old man who used to pan fry the beef buns is not there anymore. 2. It is serving more than beef buns.

3. The stairs is still there. 4. Tofu sweet HK$7.5. It's not as good as before. The people simply don't carry on the old time traditional tofu skill. No matter what those images were still deep in my mind for the first beef bun I ever tried, though I didn't feel like having it tonight.

Juen Hwu Dumpling 君滬鍋貼, Sai Wan Ho, Hong Kong

The street stall tour couldn't catch my motive in trying it, as it's too crowded and a bit awkward for me due to my heavy bag. So then I switched to this shop. The cold weather just drove me to get a hot steamy sticky rice roll. I noticed this shop has its flagship shop in Western district.

1. Soy bean drink HK$6 - at average. 2. the beef bun - HK$4, the beef filling is pretty nice and the shop used some nice flour. The pan fried dumplings- HK$2@ are also quite nice.

3. Sticky rice roll - HK$9. The rice is a bit too soft but it's good for my stomach. The Chinese doughnut is not crispy enough but I still took it all. Very cold to eat more. 4. Deep fried pork chop (w/ veggie rice) HK$23 - this is a very nice fried pork chop. The shop does use some very nice ingredients. The frying oil is quite refine and the egg batter on this pork chop is quite crispy and egg aromatic. Must try!

5. Choy sum HK$6.5 - at average. 6. Veggie rice - the rice is selected one - good! The veggie was pan fried nicely to release the veggie aroma into the rice. Yet, the oil in it is also very balanced. This one should be with some oil, but can't be much.

7. mini-bowl fins - HK$10, see how the $10 gets something good - mushroom, black fungus and shred pork! This should be the way of running an eatery business. It shouldn't be much but at least something to show "some work" has been done to the customers. 8. Pan fried scallion pancake HK$4 (cut in 3 pieces) - this one is also nice. Not that oily though. I really like this shop as the oil is really good. Good oil is very important in cooking!

9. fish siu mai HK$6 - at average. 10. pan frying the buns.

11. Tofu sweet - HK$6.5, the portion is very big - good for 2 persons. 12. the shop - the only second I could take photo without any customer around.

13/14. the shop outside and entrance.

Local food stalls, Tai on Building 太安樓, Sai Wan Ho (西灣河), Hong Kong

Tai On Building has been a place for some local HK snacks and even some rich people driving their mercedes or BMW to this area for their childhood memories. So you would see how busy this area is in the followings:

1. Mini-car noodle 車仔麵 (this stall has been here for over 20 years). See the hot steam...! 2. Congee/steamed rice roll/Beef mix-mix....etc. very busy...

3. ok - this is the most impressive place for me. I was about 4 years old and my first aunt bringing me back to their old place Tai Koo Dormitory. The 2nd elevator from left had a bloody man yelling for help with the elevator door open and close on and off... My aunt didn't notice it until she knew I stopped. Then it was much too late for her to cover my eyes... :). So she felt so guilty from letting me see the first real blood scene. That man was having some blood flowing from his head down on his tummy. See how the scene is still up in my mind. I was asked not to take this photo. However, to overcome some childhood fear is to face it bravely. 4. Wow - something memorable. See the deco. - I should send this photo to Film Director Wong Kar Wai.

5. the left shop is very famous for the mini-egg-cake (雞蛋仔). 6. Something I miss - deep fried pig's intestine! The most yummy and evil food! Oh, the mustard, hoi sien sauce....!

7. This is another famous stall for beef mix/mix. 8. Tai On Building on the beginning of Shaukiwan Road. So much memory of this place. I used to walk thru' this building to the swimming pool of Tai Koo Dockyard (now Tai Koo Shing). Every time I told the others there was a swimming pool of Tai Koo Dockyard, almost no one knew, not even those older than me.

9. The left - Wing On BBQ shop is very good and also my father's favourite BBQ shop. He often told me to get the roasted 5-belly pork from this shop as well as the suckling pig. You would see the shop inside is crowded with people. The right one mini-mart has been here over 30 years!