New York Restaurants

This is a long long long awaited long long long post. Epic. Food porn. I hope. I've spent 6 months eating in NYC. Here's the report card. I thought I'd quickly put the restaurants into categories to make it easy (Somewhat similar to Chicago Restaurants):

(Note: I can't afford some of the true top notch places... so there won't be the Alinea (yum yum yum) equivalents such as Per Se, Ko, L'Atelier, etc... and I'll try to include some better pictures from the meals)

Best food, best value for money, you must visit, etc etc

• $$$: Peter Lugar (Porterhouse for 2; see review)
  
• $$: Eleven Madison Park (lunch, lobster, why don't I have a review!?), Jean George (lunch, seafood; see review), Katz Deli (mmm... hot pastrami; see Deli face off 1, 2, and 3), Nobu (Restaurant Week menu, black cod; see review), The Modern (Restaurant Week menu, duck; see review), Cookshop (Calamari, food you shouldn't miss)
• $: Shake Shack (Burger), Di Fara (Pizza, see review), Bill's Bar (Burger, Milkshake), Artichoke (Pizza), Habana Cafe (Grilled corn)
  

If you want real steak, you go to Peter Luger

Jean George's lunch is a great deal with top notch seafoodEleven Madison Park served the best lobster I've had all my life

Also on the "the best" list from Eleven Madison Park - Caramel Chocolate Cake

Black Cod Miso, the bread and butter of Nobu (their sushi is good but not worth the price)

The Modern (In MOMA) makes excellent duckDessert was excellent as well

Katz's pastrami sandwich is really one of a kind... tho very expensive for a sandwich!

Cookshop had one of the best calamari I've ever had. It was unassuming at first, but really surprised me when I ate it. Nice little gem hid near High Line Park

Shake Shack has one of the best fast food burgers around the country... better than In 'n Out... tho their Black & White milkshake were suspect twiceNot sure why I have a soft spot for grilled corn from Habana Cafe... mmm... grilled corn

It is a true pleasure to watch Master Dom at work in Di FaraDi Fara pizza - where Italian food conquers TF

If someone else is paying, you're getting some of the best food around

• Yasuda (Yasuda's station, omakase of course; see review), 15 East (Uni on squid ink pasta needs more uni), Del Frisco's (any cut, really, but with foie gras butter... damn)

Much like watching Di Fara's master do his thing, you have to watch Yasuda do his

Yes, the uni fell off... but it gave me good orgasm

One of the high of high times at Yasuda: Toro

Yes, Yasuda deserves four pictures. Custard sushi was one of its kind: I have never had anything quite like this (and it was very very very good)

15 East is a hidden gem... the uni was way too small on the squid ink pasta, but oh was it so yummy

Good food

• Priced right: Junior (signature cheesecake), Nook (brunch or lunch), King's Papaya (iconic hot dog), La Esquina (Mexican), Dessert Truck (bye bye, sigh), Gascogne (one of the best creme brulees I've had, simple french), 26 Seats (duck, simple french), Clinton Street (to die for pancakes), 2nd Ave Deli (see review), Num Pang (SE Asia sandwiches, see review), Fivepoints (brunch, food you shouldn't miss), Yakitori Totto (Japanese BBQ, food you shouldn't miss), Tabla (Donut with trio sauce), Momofuku Noodle Bar (Chicken lunch), Hagi (Japanese bar food), Porchetta (Prochetta), Barney Greengrass (Sturgeon scramble... my goodness), Tartine (brunch), Gramercy Tavern (lunch; see review)
• Over priced: Norma (any sweet brunch dish is super super excellent), Grimaldi (pizza), Isabella (brunch), Fatty Crab (Asian fusion, crab), DBGB (brunch), Babbo (Italian that impressed TF), One if by Land Two if by Sea (Seafood), Sambuca (Tiramisu, best in NY)
  

Junior cheesecake... it's a landmark, a tourist trap... and it's goodA hot dog is a hot dog... but a Papaya King hot dog... now that's something else. Best bang for the buck meal in the city, perhaps!Gascogne's creme brulee... I almost forgot this gem. Absolutely perfectly done. And the french food (and wait staff) ain't bad either
Clinton Street Baking Company and its Blueberry pancakes have people waiting for hour(s): it's worth the waitThe donut at Tabla was out of this world... and its Asian fusion sandwiches aren't bad eitherChicken lunch at Momofuku may be a difficult reservation to get... but it's worth the trouble if you like moist and flavorful chicken

Hidden gem: porchetta at Porchetta is juicy and the meat is done impecably

Unfortunately, I only went to Gramercy Tavern once - the meatball was excellent
Sweet brunch from Norma's is great and overpriced; stay away from savory stuff

Who can say no to Sambuca's tiramisu?

Decent food

• Priced right: Smorgas chef (Swedish chain, sure why not), Ipuddo (Ramen, roasted peppers, not worth the 2 hour wait though), Kyotofu (Tofu-based dessert), Won Dee Siam (Thai), Van Leeuwen (Ice cream), Alta (Tapas), Caracas Arepas (S American sandwich), Jewel Bako (Sushi)
  
• Over priced: Le Pain Quotidien, Luxee (bye bye), Crumbs (cupcakes), Max Brenner (hot chocolate, dessert), Bubby's (pancake, brunch), Zaitzeff (burger), Ma Pache (Asian fusion)

Ippudo's wait is totally not worth it... but you can get the roasted peppers at the bar (I suggest leaving after you eat them... maybe add the pork bun)

TF likes Crumb's Red Velvet... and I think we probably had about 30 cupcakes in 6 months. It's yummy but a little steep at $3.5

I'm a sucker for good brunch

• Penelope, Prune, Balthazar (Bread basket!), Cafe Orlin, Petite Abeille (waffles look amazing, but the savory stuff is not to be missed), Stanton Social

Stanton Social had some nice little dishes... but very expensive, as are most brunch places in New York (thanks, Sex in the City)

Only if someone pays you (Just take my word for it)

• Serendipity 3 (Frozen chocolate... bleh), Magnolia Bakery (proves that Sex in the City girls don't have taste buds), Carnegie Deli (Size doesn't matter, dead last in any deli challenge), AJ Maxwell (The Half Cheesecake), Aquavit (He scored 16, see horrible review), Bar Boulud (Daniel Boulud may have had some good times, but the Bar ain't one of them), Sasabune (No sauce please... arg)

The totally overrate Carnegie Deli... and they dare charge a supplemental charge for shared sandwiches... I feel bad for the tourists. Go to Katz!

AJ Maxwell's "half cheesecake" for our restaurant menu... WTF

Sorry I had to end on a bad note for food, but I feel like you need to know these things. Probably missed quite a few restaurants I've been. Oh well, if I forget, it's probably not that good anyway. Hope you enjoyed this!

Meat on the conveyor belt

I just completed a health check for my next job in China. It has to be done at a designated hospital in Shenzhen, so I had to make quite an effort to go there.

The first visit in the early afternoon was a failure. They only open 8-11am (WTF!?).

So I came 10am the next day. And I now understand why it's only 8-11am. You enter the building, tell them what kind of health check you need. Then:

• The nurse gives you a form
  
• You are directed to a place to have your photo taken
• You stick the photo on the form and fill in your details
• Nurse takes the forms, gives you a card, and you enter the "health check area"

Which really is a huge conveyor belt with a lot of people on it. Blood sample, urine sample, x-rays, external check, internal check, ear check, throat check, eye check, height, weight, blood pressure. Bam, I'm done. The whole process took about 30 minutes... and there were hundreds of people on the conveyor belt. Amazing.

Take the X-Ray room for example. I lined up behind a girl. The nurse told her to take her necklace off, tells her to go inside the X-ray room, stands in front of the X-ray. Doctor turns on the machine, and I see her heart pumping and her lungs right on the doctor's screen (I'm still lining up). Doctor looks at it, stamps a "Seems to be no problem" stamp on the girls form, she's out, and it's my turn.

And for once, I know what meat on a conveyor belt feels like: just get this over with quickly and life is good.

錦衣衛

Well, it's your typical HK Donnie Yan kung fu movie:

• Conflicted hero is betrayed by his friend
• Great evils are also at work
• Hero finds friends
  
• Hero seeks meaning in life
• Fight
• Evil loses

The fight scenes are good... but how can the top dog working for the king not be able to beat a woman called 脫脫 (Strip strip... if you will)? Come on, now.

Why blog

Someone told me that blogs are for those who are afraid of being alone, and that through blogging they can at least feel like they are attached to the world.

Perhaps. I blog partly due to self indulgence and partly for vanity. I think my opinions are important, so I blog about them and hope someone notices/agrees/disagrees. haha. Yup. That's about it.

A few days ago, good friend AL forwarded to me a post from his Facebook network about my blog. That's what I'm talking about! Random stranger finding my opinion useful! Thank you, Lawrence Gutman! (To Ernie, Carnegie Deli should not be mentioned in the same sentence as Katz and 2nd Ave Deli. It's not even an argument... told you I blog due to self self self)

Movies... etc

Crazy Heart (IMDB) - well, the only consolation from the unfortunate Wolfman was that we went for a 2-fer and saw most of Crazy Heart. We didn't finish the movie cus we were too tired and we left at 2am. Basically, it's a Wrestler wanna be with more light hearted moments. Pretty good movie through 1.5 hours.

I didn't finish the movie, so it's hard to recommend it... although I will say this: Jeff Bridges and Maggie Gyllenhaal are perfectly casted while Colin Farrel was horribly casted.

Valentines Day (IMDB) - look at the cast. Gather your breathe. WOW. Julia Roberts, Jennifer Garner, Ashton Kutcher, Jamie Foxx, Anne Hathaway, Jessica (Alba and Biel... WOW WOW WOW), Bradley Cooper, Eric Dane, Patrick Dempsey, Taylor Swift (!?)... damn! Anyway, it's your typical valentines day flick I guess. Funny and witty through out, I enjoyed most of it. The only knock I have is the relationship between Kutcher and Garner - clearly a rebound that is the worst idea. Female audience squealed when the gay couple was revealed. And I loved the Roberts story.

Sure, I'll recommend it for couples. It's not like you can get away from it if your gf asks, right?

Whip It (IMDB) - saw this on the plane. It's a Juno repeat! Cute movie with rebellious teenage daughter has to decide between a passion and her former life. Apparently, Drew Barrymore directed this. Not sure why that would be a selling point. She also played a crazy and violent girl in the movie - fitting. Anyway, Ellen Page does some spectacular work again. Recommended.

Love Happens (IMDB) - hmm... this came out when I was in NYC? I had no idea! It's a story about life and death and how people overcome their griefs. Unfortunately, they wrapped it around a romantic relationship (no sparks between Aaron Eckhart and Jennifer Anniston at all) and that just destroys the movie. Plus there are all these subtle and not-so-subtle product placements in the movie, which I greatly resent. I believe in product sponsorship. I don't believe in rubbing that in people's faces. Not recommended.

Robuchon Macao

When mom asked if I wanted to visit Macao's art collection from the Forbidden Palace and also I.M. Pei's new building, I was hesitant. But when she mentioned lunch would be at Joel Robuchon Macao, I immediately said yes! Macao we go... for the only Michelin 3-star restaurant in Macao. (HK has 龍景軒; while I didn't visit 龍景軒, I did visit its ex-chef's installment at Mongkok's 添好運 - see review abt a month ago)

Decor - very formal tho the patrons (namely, me) were more casual. It was homely and each table were flanked by four very lush sofa chairs that were very comfortable. Some tables and built-in sofas that seemed too luxurious and comfy for a restaurant.

Service - attentive but not great. We had to ask for water a few times. In general, they lacked a genuine knowledge about the food and the preparation. Very good at reading off the paper, not so much when asked more about it. And the dessert tray waiter must be a trainee or something. He needed better English, Cantonese, and understanding of the dessert dishes he is presenting.

On to the food:

The bread basket could have easily been the highlight of the lunch. As you can see, there were quite a few to choose from. The bacon bread was quite memorable - with strips of bacon twisting its way up on perfectly baked bread. The cheese bread was also very nicely done. It's hard to find good bread in Hong Kong, and Robuchon really nails it.


Amuse was oyster with vanilla foam. A wonderful start to a meal, mixing freshness with a hint of aroma.

For the appetizer, I ordered the foie gras dish. The curled pieces were all foie gras, so it was a pretty generous portion. I should have written down the different sauces, because they were the key to the dish, complementing the richness of foie gras perfectly. I thought it was a bit too much food though. Eating 5 to 6 pieces of rich foie gras may be luxurious, but certainly not the best to activate the taste buds.

I got the Buta no Kakuni as a main course. It was decent. The pork was done perfectly and the sweetness showed itself quite nicely. The condiments on top, however, missed the mark - the flavors didn't mixed well and I was left with a sour aftertaste. I also tried my brother's lobster with walnut sauce, and it wasn't very good. A bit overcooked and dry, it was no match for ones I've had in New York at Eleven Madison Park.

Dessert was generous - you get to pick four out of this truck. (Not discussed is the not-so-memorable pineapple and the over-the-top chocolate caramel cake)

Everybody agreed that the pistachio cake was the best among all the desserts. Moist, flavorful, and good for pictures. (Not so much about the golden pieces that accompanied most desserts... arg... we're not in China!)

I actually liked the Napolean even better. Nice and light and a perfect ending after the heavier pork entre. The crust: easily cut but did not crumble too easily. The fillings: flavorful without being overwhelming. There was a slight toasted honey taste as well that I couldn't really place but certainly remembered.


All in all, it was a decent meal that unfortunately didn't meet all my lofty expectations. Dishes were all decent. However, ultimately, the sequence and entrees were so-so and the service was definitely not up-to-par. You expect more from servers at these top restaurants. At $495 (USD 65), it's quite steep for a 3 course meal. Nonetheless, at least I can now take Robuchon off the list of places I need to eat at!

The Wolfman

(IMDB) Thumbs down, way down. I know you get paid handsomely, but Sir Hopkins and Benicio Del Toro should be really choosing the right scripts for themselves. Do you think they look at the finish product and say, no way, I shouldn't be associated with this movie? Well, I think Hollywood should start including this clause in actor contracts:

• After the final touch up, the 5 highest paid actors and actresses in the movie should watch the movie once, consider its impact on his or her career, and then have the option to pull himself or herself from the movie. Insurance will cover part of this cost for the producers

Then maybe they'll cast the folks more appropriately.

Not recommended, especially those with a faint heart.

Wing Squad

Well well... Superbowl means the return of the Wing Squad! After I thought WS died along with my move to Chicago in 2006, it came back in 2007 ("SuperBore"), 2008 (Another WS outside of Boston), 2009 (I watched the whole damn thing in Chinese).

This year, it's actually the 10th Wing Squad (WSX) gathering. And we're doing it in Boston, where it all began at Tufts.

The site of WSI, II, III, IV, V, and VI - The Summit. Good times.

WSX would not be complete with homage to the Jumbo

The Great and Only Wing Works, where mutation and hair happen

Yup, these are the wings

Anyway, despite an expected poor showing from SG, the Wing Squad prevailed once again. And the Peyton Manning face made a dramatic return to sports. So it's good times all around and hoping for a successful WSXI.

Google Buzz vs. The World

I get what Google is trying to do with the Buzz. It's basically offering Facebook's status update plus Twitter plus notifications from various applications (e.g. Blogspot, Youtube, Picasa, Flikr, etc).

Remember Google Wave? It failed miserably not because of the technology - it was a far better version of MSN and Group emails - but because of the lack of platform to promote it. You needed a wave account and nobody felt it was necessary (i.e. Necessary = Facebook) to register. Also, it was a bit ahead of its time.

This time, they wised up. In order to reach the most users in the shortest amount of time for Buzz, they've leveraged their one and only platform - Gmail - to reach them. Within minutes, I suddenly had 50 "followers"... and I automatically "followed" another 50. That's a great start.

Now to the function... it seems more like twitter than Facebook (even though I don't use Twitter), or maybe just Facebook's status update. It links to several other apps (e.g. for me, blogspot and Picasa are important) for automatic updates, and my "followers" (That sounds nice) can comment on the updates, either my own post or automatic. Sounds convenient to me! I'm sold so far. If enough people are sold too, Buzz is good to go.

Which brings me to a BIG BIG problem: um... it's not really a breakthrough... just makes me have to do two status updates every time - Buzz and Facebook. So, let me ask the ultimate question: when MSN tookover ICQ, it was because MSN offered a service that was better. When Facebook destroyed Friendster, it was because Facebook had a better interface. What about Buzz is better than Facebook/Twitter? Anything? More convenient notifications?

Me thinks not much yet. And until the Google team figures out a better product and not just a copy, two things will happen:

1. Advanced Google users will probably use Buzz along with Facebook and Twitter
2. Not so advanced will not

Meanwhile, I'll Buzz for now.

Brief conclusions

Well, I've talked about crazy interviews (first step and second step) and crazy mobile plans (first step and second step). Apparently, I'm the only one who is crazy:

• Interview: I have a verbal offer - though HR is really evasive on what it actually is. Apparently, Bill Gates didn't notice that I WTFed him in my blog. Decisions, decisions, soon.
• Mobile: I hawked a Google G1 from my friend. It's a thing of beauty even though I am 1 year behind in the technology. It syncs with everything (emails, contacts, calenders... that's all I ask!) and has a keyboard, exactly what I need...
  

I just have 2 extra BB phones and 1 extra BB plan now. LOL. Anyone?

On the bright side...

This week has not been kind to me. A trip to Beijing might change things. Or not.

At airport security, they took out the tool that secures the platform between my camera and my tripod and indicated that "tools" are not allowed on the plane. Even screwdrivers for eyeglasses are out. Great. Not that I'm okay with giving up the "tool"... but I didn't even bring my tripod. The tools are all in the pouch and I just carry it everywhere. So now I have to check in my bag...

I really don't get it. My keys can be a tool... more deadly too. Let's just say you can't stop terrorists by going strict on non-terrorists. Arg. By the way, I remember back at Tufts they taught us that "terrorism" is an asymmetric battle to inflict harm on normal life. Based on airport security, I'd say the terrorists scored one right there.

On the bright side... I got an upgrade to business class.

Black Wednesday...

Before I go into it, there are TWO Chinese women tennis players in the Aussie Open semi-finals! TWO! They have tough tests ahead with one playing former #1 Henin and the other likely facing Serena Williams. Still... two in the semis is quite an achievement. This year is the first year they play for their own money rather than having the Chinese sports authorities take a big slice. Who said capitalism doesn't work!?

Today I had a very important interview, and it went like this (Black Wednesday):

• Stepped on a dog on my way out of my building... dog owner yelled at me for not being careful
• Rode a crazy cab where the driver claimed all politicians are drug dealers and one of them was responsible for Chinese sprinter Liu Xiang's injuries... and that Gordon Brown is a Russian spy/ Spanish drug dealer (I kid you not)
• Arrived at the interview 30 minutes before hand, had a leisure breakfast... only to find out I'm in the WRONG building 5 minutes before the interview
• Ran to the right building, entered reception covered in sweat
• Here's the worst part: remember I blogged about being interviewed by Bill Gates? Well, the man asked if I blog, and he typed in my blog address and started to read it!!!!!

Man, I'm laughing right this moment just thinking about it. I didn't blog about the company name of the man's name... but I was clearly writing about him. LOL. He was browsing a bit and then we continued our conversation. What should I have done besides sweating more??? ("Sorry sir, I wrote about you and compared you to Bill Gates... it's a compliment. Really, it is. Sorry I swore in the blog post. I was excited. I do silly things when I'm excited")

音樂人生 KJ

My last documentary was Michael Moore's Fahrenheir 9/11... so it's been quite a while.

音樂人生 KJ (Music Life KJ) is a documentary about a young and talented pianist named KJ and his life when he was 11 (2002) and 17 (2007/8). The documentary mixes between the two periods, dissecting this young man's life into three parts: his talent, his views on music, and his views on life. The first words in the documentary from KJ: I want to be a human being.

Although this would be a major disservice to KJ, let me try to put his life (according to the documentary) in a nutshell: he is a perfectionist in all aspects in life, and he expects that he can achieve perfection in life through music.

Unfortunately, life certainly isn't perfect. And the young man is torn between imperfections and his attempts to correct them. The seeds were planted early, as you see the 12 year old KJ get really frustrated with a professional orchestra in the Czech Republic. He yells at his older brother for not being able to play the music correctly. His siblings all point to KJ's learning music as the start of his pursue for perfection. Then you see the 17/18 year old version trying to train a bunch of young musicians to play perfect orchestra music... and he harshly criticizes some of them for hitting the wrong note, or the wrong time, or the wrong note at the wrong time. And he gets really frustrated when the music isn't perfect. Then of course, when the kids get it right, like so many perfectionists, he becomes the happiest person alive and forgives all the problems before.

I've told you many times his attitude towards music - perfection - and he tries to place this attitude to everybody around him. For example, at a competition, he insists on making the perfect music and therefore going overtime for 2 minutes. He is aloof and he doesn't celebrate with his fellow musicians when they win. He harshly criticizes those who play music because they want to win music competitions. (Josekin's note: it's the right attitude, but too simplistic... competition is a good motivation for kids - not every teenager can just motivate themselves to make good music because of their love for music) His only focus is to play good music. And I salute that.

Somewhere along the lines, KJ has also equated music with life. I must first say that KJ is extremely mature for his age, even at 11 (more on this later). He believes perfect music and influence people into perfect lives (My interpretation based on a 1.5 hour documentary). For example, at 17, he is deeply deeply troubled by his parent's divorce. You can see the agony on his face when asked about this topic (very very well done section for a documentary).

As I said before, KJ is clearly a very mature person... at 11, he's put quite a bit of thought on why human beings exists, briefly concluding that it might be better to die young after listening to perfect music: therefore achieving a perfect life... and dying at a high point in life is better than all subsequent points. He's ELEVEN!

Anyway, I guess you see where I'm coming from (if you've read this far... haha). Some people are ahead of their age, seek meaning and perfection in life, and can find it in a very small part of life, be it music, video games, studies, etc. They become very good at it, achieving "perfection"... but fail to leverage it into other parts of life. It's tough cus they are all so smart and talented. But, amen, that is life.

Highly recommended. I think the director used some very effective editing to show us the life of KJ. I believe what I saw and I feel that much closer to KJ. I wish I can meet him. I wish I can tell him about Alan. I wish he would study something other than music - philosophy perhaps, even if that would seriously challenge his way of life. I think if he can experience life without music for a little bit, he can see other perfections.

Results are in - quest for mobile data

I compromised (See what being cheap means: lost time and efforts... and sanity at times). In the end, I decided even with no synching of contacts and calendars, I got what I want... which was emails and IM.

So here are the results (all unit in HKD):

• $1000 2nd hand blackberry phone on $13 monthly plan for 6 months; includes enough voice and data (will try to borrow phone that can browse internet from friend)
• $500 2nd hand blackberry phone on $12 monthly plan for 12 months; includes unlimited emails and IM (eventually will add voice/data and replace the aforementioned 6 month plan)

I was being cheap... damn I miss a salary from Bain!

Interviewed by Bill Gates

Well... not quite. While working on my consulting project, I've been selectively interviewing with high potential companies. After 6 hours of interviews with 4 people in the department, they've told me that I will have a 2 hour interview with the president of the company next week.

Given the size and nature of this company, it's similar to me interviewing at Microsoft for a strategy position and then Microsoft telling me that Bill Gates will talk to me for 2 hours.

WTH!?

My friend 2R put it best: this means the management team hired a very capable middle management to free up time for the management team. (Yes, if I am hired, I will be the middle management! yay!)

Hong Kong Dum Sum at 添好運

When my friend ST asked if I wanted to go to 添好運 for dim sum, I immediately said yes and started to call my other friends to see if they want to go as well.

The chef used to work at Michelin 3-star restaurant (1 of 2 in HK) 龍景 at Four Seasons and decided he could do much better opening his own restaurant. Of course he is right! Tucked under a unassuming building in a very model district, 添好運 had a huge crowd waiting at 11am already.

We took a ticket and went to walk around the neighborhood for 45 minutes before coming back to the crowd... another 20 minutes, we were in. There weren't that many dim sum items to choose for (20 or so?)... and we ordered from half the menu.

Strange experience... it was kind of regular at first, improved in the middle, and then got really good in the last few dishes (desserts were a disaster - don't order).

The first few dim sums that came (Shirmp Dumpling, BBQ Pork Crepe, Beef Ball) were good but not great. The wraps are yummy and well-made: not too thick, yet maintaining the elasticity. The fillings were okay. 馬拉糕 was the exception... usually very oily, this one is solid and spongy with very little oil.

馬拉糕

The second round had my own dim sum favorite 咸水角 and their famous BBQ Pork bun. 咸水角 was pretty good, maintaining the balance between the fried dough and the vegi-pork fillings. Temperature was good and flavors came together quite well. Ultimately, it's definitely above avg but not great. The 叉燒包 seemed to be the most popular among the customers. Quite a few people ordered extra to take home. I think it's nice... but I've had something similar before at 海都 (a HK dim sum establishment) and I wasn't surprised with the one from 添好運. It was great and exactly what I expected... hence a little disappointed.

咸水角

叉燒包

The last few dishes were decidedly better than the ones before, standing out from their dim sum peers. The Pork Ribs, in particular, blew me away. The pork was perfectly cooked and literally melted in my mouth. I just wish there weren't any bones and I could chew on it forever. The vegitable dumpling also blew me away. It had quite a bit of strong vegi flavors (chong, yim sai) that mixed very well with a special sauce that mellowed out the tastes. I was very impressed with both.

蒸排骨

粉果

The inconsistencies did make me think... did the master chef take a afternoon break and affected the output in the beginning??? That's my theory anyway.

Conclusion: would go again if the wait isn't that long and that I have something else to do in the YMT and MK area (such as shopping like mad).

My quest for mobile data

Here's what I want: a mobile device with a QWERTY keyboard with a plan with some minutes and lots of data usage. I want to sync my Google email, contacts, and calender to make my life mobile and easy. Oh, and I want to be cheap about everything cus I'm not earning a Bain salary anymore. Haha.

Here's my quest... a 90% failure:

• Stage 1: 2nd hand Blackberry Curve 8350 for HKD 1000. Since I gave back my Blackberry to Bain, and BBs have the best QWERTY keyboards, Yahoo Auction served its purpose
  
• Stage 2: Cheap phone/data plan from TDML for HKD 600 (6 month contract). Well, I've worked for telco clients and TDML is the best value. For only USD13 a month, I get 1,200 minutes and 1,000 MB. Deal!
  

UH-OH!!! The data plan from TDML doesn't support BB phone!! Fudge!!

• Stage 3: Research time! I can salvage the situation with China Mobile's Blackberry plan for HKD 80 a month...
  

UH-OH!!! The 2nd hand phone doesn't work with China Mobile...! The phone is locked by the previous owner!! Fudge!!

• Stage 4: Another 2nd hand Blackberry 8310 for HKD 500. While trying to contact the original seller via Yahoo Auctions, my friend KC has a spare one to sell
  

UH-OH!!! That one doesn't work with China Mobile either, despite KC's assurance it was okay! Fudge!!

• Stage 5: With a "fixed phone", I finally got the China Mobile plan for HKD 1000 (12-month plan). This includes all PUSH email and no browsing
  

UH-OH!!! The no browsing part means I can't Sync, or so CM service people tell me. Fudge!!

• Stage 6: According to the 3rd sales rep, I can add a HKD 98 monthly plan to get browsing!

UH-OH!!! There's no browser on my phone right now and nobody is sure if it can be installed! Fudge!!

So... after HKD 1500 in TWO phones and HKD 1600 in TWO mobile plans, I'm still can't get my Sync to work... and I'm looking at another HKD 1200 to get what I want. UGH.

Well, on the brighter side, had I bought a new BB with a new plan with more minutes and more data, it would still cost me more.

But the trouble is too much already. And I'm commited to more trouble! UGH!

Hole in the Wall - Food in HK

Good food in Hong Kong has always been very affordable. Part of it is because the taste buds are just more sophisticated and mediocrity will not be tolerated. So, as a restaurant, you have to offer a good product regardless of the price. And because the food comes first (not the service or the environment, factors much more important elsewhere in the globe), restaurants are able to offer their good food at a decent price without the best location and decor.

Legacy-type hole-in-the-wall restaurants are plentiful in Hong Kong. Most of them have been around for years and slowly made a name for itself. 蘭芳園 and 九記牛腩 are two I frequent quite a bit. Here are some a bit off the beaten path:

蝦醬豬腩 （Shrimp paste pork belly)

This is a specialty in Tai O, all the way in Lantau Island. It's a fisherman's village that has retained some of its charm despite the development of tourism. Here are some pictures from the hike to Tai O. I cann't remember the name of the restaurant, but I suspect they all offer similarly awesome food that is fresh and MSG-free.

B-仔涼粉

A visit to the remote Yuan Long (Pictures from our visit to Wetland Park, right next to Yuan Long) would be incomplete without a visit to the famous 佳記 for it‘s 涼粉 - um, you can't even see it as it's buried under the fruit! Quite yummy... although what I remember is the pig's skin 咖喱豬皮 and wing tips 雞翅尖. Those were even better than their signature dessert. Nonetheless, I feel I have the obligation to show the picture of the gorgeous and ultra-large B-仔涼粉 - it was enough for six of us.

炸蠔 (Fried Oysters) from 流浮山

Everyone in Hong Kong knows about the oysters from 流浮山. It's just that only a few of us actually venture over there, as it is almost an hour from anywhere else in Hong Kong. There's a Chinese saying called 聞名不如見面 (To see the real thing is way better than hearing about it). Unfortunately, the oysters in 流浮山 is reverse - tasting the real thing never measured up to the expectation. The oysters were okay. The shirmp was nasty and didn't taste fresh at all. And the fish was overcooked.

炸蓮藕餅 (Fried lotus) from 生記

Was lucky to be inivted for a birthday dinner for a friend at the famous 生記海鮮 in Wan Chai. It's a difficult reservation and you sense it right when you walk into the restaurant. Despite its modest decoration, some tables were showing off a lot of bling. The food is absolutely fantastic (besides a dish of pig's feet) across the board. The fried lotus was fresh, crunchy, and yet still moist. 生記 has been regarded as the place that makes the most authentic sweet and sour pork in HK (um, the world)... I've had better, but this is still pretty good (top 5 perhaps). Mmm... sweet and sour pork. I really shouldn't be posting about food at 10:30am... not good for my stomach.

Wagyu Brunch (HK)

I'm still fighting BSLW's claim 2 years ago that you cannot find quality Western food in Hong Kong at a decent price. Wagyu's weekend brunch did not help my cause. Here are the pancakes... way too spongy with little flavor. It seemed like the cook forgot to add spices and just put more bananas on top. Yeah, the picture looks great, but don't let it fool you. It was a bad pancake.

Feeling very...

Ads that make me scratch my head (if not banging it)

Dumber? Low attention span? The value of entertainment.

This day and age, I'm looking for two things in entertainment like movies and TVs:

• Does it make me dumber?
• Does it lose me half way in?

Sorry I can't have a nice table here... but here goes:

G.I. Joe (IMDB)

• Yup, made me 15 years dumber
• Yup, lost in 10 minutes... and then entertains me for 2 minutes... and then loses me again

Not recommended. And please, no sequel!!! Just go an kill bad guys already... we don't need the romantic relationships that don't look real anyway.

Sherlock Holmes (IMDB)

• No, did not make me dumber; didn't make me smarter either
• No, movie kept me entertained throughout

Recommended for 2 hours of solid entertainment. Downey Jr. is slowly proving himself to be a pretty good actor. Jude Law gives a fine performance. Not sure where Rachel McAdams was during the movie, though she occasionally gives some fresh air to the script. Sure, I'll go see the sequel as well!

十月圍城 Bodyguards and Assassins (IMDB)

• No, did not make me dumber. I felt slightly more patriotic after the movie... for 30 minutes. Please note that this is fiction and not real history.
• Yes, sometimes it gets repetitive as people fight and die. I liked the build up... but the final 10 fight scenes... couldn't it have been 5?
  

Recommended. I'll overlook the fight scenes and skip to parts I liked: each martyr died for their own passion. The general to reinstall the family glory; the monk to reconnect with his faith and to spit in the policeman's face; the general's daughter to avenge her father's death; the gambling spy to be remembered by his child; the begger to see the women he loves but cannot have (um, yup, that's his mom... don't ask. I don't understand either.); the servant to protect his master; the master to protect democracy; the assassin (yup, he dies too, surprise!) to pay final tribute to his country. They all died for a different reason that they thought was worth dying for. Good stuff.

I also want to note those who didn't die: the tycoon, the organizer, the revolutionary, the police commander... yup... I think it's a subtle dig at those in powerful seats. You die for passion if you are a follower, and the "leaders" will succeed with your blood. It's always worked that way, no?

(By the way, Leon Lai got a bad rap in the movie. Not sure why. He wasn't good, but he wasn't that bad either)

Avatar IMAX 3D (IMDB)

• Yes, made me dumber, especially the part where the natives start chanting like humans in Matrix: Reloaded (And Morphius's speech was practically copied)
• Yes, I kept waiting for the final fight I almost passed out in my seat. Did it have to be 2.5 hours long? Couldn't it be 1.5 hours and have 1 more show fitted in? Plus, IMAX 3D isn't ideal from row 5.

Recommended for the IMAX 3D experience - much better than Up. Truly remarkable... very realistic... and the 3D was sometimes mind blowing. I just wish it were shorter and not that stupid. This is corporate America working here... they would have wiped out the indigenous people before trying scientists and then resorting to the military. Plus I don't think 20,000 people with bows and arrows would have been a match for the para-military men anyway. And wouldn't they just come back with bigger guns? Arg. My head hurts from thinking. Wait a minute, why do I have to think for this movie?

Mad Men (IMDB)

• No, made me think a bit... but not too much. Not like The Wire.
• Yes, I had some lapses. Sometimes I think it's just too subtle about its messages.

Recommended... mostly because Season 2 is said to be unbelievable. Season 1 really wasn't bad, but I can't pinpoint any particularly good parts either. Love the development of Don Draper from director to partner... Peggy Olsen from secretary to writer (and mother!)... Pete Campbell from manager to, uh, manager... Betty Draper's spirals... the relationship between Joan Hollaway and Roger Sterling... the strangeness and oddness of Cooper... the parent relationships within the Campbells (both Pete and Trudy)... all the family relationships... all very interesting. But subtle.

Looking forward to season 2.

HK TV

• Yup, most def makes me dumber... even the "news", which concentrates on so many meaningless local stuff
• Yup, I cannot keep my attention for more than 2 minutes

Not recommended. AH. I need ESPN, which would have drawn a no, doesn't make me dumber nor smarter and no, will not lose attention.

HK News makes me scratch my head...

I'm working from home this morning and there's a discussion on inflation on TV by some "respectable" commentators:

• "Avatar is making about HK$70M in 15 days, clearly challenging the highest grossing movie in Hong Kong... this is huge inflation risk"

Josekin thinks that since Avatar charges double the price due to its 3D technology (See my thoughts on another 3D, Up... tho I was told Avatar is very much worth it), it's gross revenue should be adjusted downwards, probably spiking the inflation threat.

Sure, there's inflation, but as a professional commentator, you really should do some basic research and not use a movie as an example. I understand using the Avatar example rings in more ears... but still. Fail.