This Season Of Love, California Nostalgia Resonates at Café Sausalito

              The renaissance of retro Sham Shui Po 深水埗 has brought the Bay Area's nautical scene to 201 Tai Nan Street 大南街, where a quaint little café now resides. Café Sausalito is a new neighbourhood gem that serves up one of the best cup of joes in the area. I have been given the honor to leave a small footprint by helping create some of their weekend specials and homemade baked goods currently offered to the lovely citizens of Hong Kong. Although Coffee is the star of this joint, it is not the only thing that makes this place a special one.
               I had a blast these past few weeks while celebrating Valentine's Day and Chinese New Year in the span of two consecutive weekends. The café took this opportunity to put up fitting decorations in order to honour these major festivities with open arms. 
        For those days surrounding Valentine's Day, I put forth a lovely dark chocolate-rose tofu tart to pair with our special heart warming mocha that unlocked every mans heart. 
        Who really hates chocolate is really a hater, but those who are lovers won't mind a free chocolate strawberry tuxedo with a purchase of two coffees on Valentine's Day really enjoyed this delectable gift! 
     My girlfriends and I really had a great time creating these while on a girls night at the café bonding in-house with our very own resident barista baller, the sultry Michael Tam. He really did have quite a lot to complain about being the only man in the midst of 4 women dipping strawberries in chocolate. 
                    We also took the opportunity to invite local artists and musicians to showcase their skills at the café and welcomed everyone to come out for a coffee with a slice of cake. These artists included Alison a wonderful sketcher and Henna Tattoo artist to set up a little booth out front for anyone who wants give an as-you-wish sum in exchange for some artwork. 
            For another romantic afternoon, the pleasure was all ours when Anthony, a resident saxophonist from the Langham Hotel, stopped by for a couple of sets. He was definitely serenading all the patrons inside with well known cover tunes that span from the Western world all the way to songs from our closely related Chinese roots.  
           On Chinese New Year's Day, Tai Nan Street became the prime locations for a block party where we had The Anello, a Hong Kong based collaboration, stirring up the scene with familiar covers and also amazing originals. You can see them creating an amazing buzz throughout the café and its surroundings with such an awesome performance. 

       We can hardly wait until The Anello can come visit us again with more live performances!!! This was a perfect day to spend a holiday on the block with good live music, great coffee, good food and good company!!! The rain didn't stop us! 
   





       
             A hearty brunch was also served alongside this enjoyable event, which made a positive attribution to the whole experience. Can you really resist a toasted bagel with cream cheese, smoked salmon, pickled cucumbers on top of French style scrambled eggs? I can answer that question for you! 
      Should you also compliment that with a warm homemade apple crumble tart? Oh, I think so! :) ...If apples and cinnamon are not a combination for you, may I suggest a homemade chocolate-hazelnut (Nutella) tofu tart or even a classic lemon tart for kicks. 

            I had the honour to develop and create a membership card board for Café Sausalito, which Michael delightfully accepted as my contribution. It is now conveniently displayed at the café for a place to put our important members' record of their coffee spending. 
       As a token of my appreciation, I made everyone drink steamed milk! 
I hope everyone had a wonderful Valentine's Day and a Happy Chinese New Year! 恭喜發財! Got Milk?!?!

Feb 17th, 2015: Pancake Day at HKU With Feeding Hong Kong 樂餉社‬

airbitz.co

As a part of the charitable events by Feeding Hong Kong (樂餉社‬ ), and being a part of "Chefs in the Community"(社區廚師計劃), I am very honored to be invited a second time to be a part of the annual Pancake Day event held in the Hong Kong University Campus (香港大學) at the Haking Wong Podium (黃克競平台). 

feedinghk.org

I will be there starting at 12pm (noon) making and selling pancakes and supporting the pancake races! Please come to support a good and charitable cause and eat pancakes! 

Cooking Demo: Longines Hong Kong Masters February 15th, 2015

Join me at The Longines Hong Kong Master Grand Slam this coming Sunday at Asia World Expo Venue 8!!!
I will be there along with Feeding Hong Kong presenting a cooking demo at 11:00am and 1:00pm!

Come learn how to make Vegetable Summer Rolls with a Peanut Dipping Sauce! 

www.tartineandapronstrings.com

See you there!

A Hong Kong Boozy Brunch, Spanish Style at Boqueria

                     It's not everyday that I get to spend a Sunday with a worthy bunch of humans eating and drinking our lives away to unlimited Spanish food and booze. There are countless restaurants and bars in Central Hong Kong for brunch, which has become a weekend trend and we secretly wish we could indulge in it everyday. Brunch is slowly seeping into the cracks of westernized civilizations like Hong Kong from our favorite dreamland over in the other side of the world. 

            La Boqueria Market being no doubt one the most famous farmers market in the middle of Barcelona in Spain continues to drive traffic from all around the world.  The city comes to shop, dine and socialize at this central meeting place, which sets another example of how food brings people together.  

              On the other hand, Boqueria in Hong Kong, sets itself aside as a Spanish restaurant serving specialty tapas provides a wonderful accommodation for us to enjoy a lazy afternoon with a brunch buffet and an optional free-flow drink pairing. Located in the Hotel Lan Kwai Fong (LKF), Boqueria is also in the center of where everything happens. Lan Kwai Fong is an area where people from all walks of life accumulate once the sun sets and throughout the weekends. It's basically heaven for the young and the young at heart. For a restaurant to be able to survive here really does take some skill and strength, since we all know the rent is quite the heavy load in this city. 

          Once you exited the elevator inside the hotel that led to the restaurant, you would quickly notice the exquisite legs of Iberico ham hanging by its hooves all lined up for the dramatic accent. At the end of the train of ham, a prolific Paella peaked out from behind and beckoned you to taste its pleasures. The pan was comparable to the diameter of my bathtub and conveniently rested next to the self-serve sangria station. The sangria station was really a one stop shop for patrons to make their own elixir with the bottomless wine, fruits, sodas and juices presented to you. Thankful for the food and drinks in our first world, I quickly sat down and grabbed a plate. 

          Our wait staff was quite attentive with asking for our drink orders and before I knew it, I was bombarded by 5 different glasses all lined up on my place mat. 5 shades of yellow?! :0, Oh, what? OK don't mind me :) Since it was free-flow, there was no one there to stop me from the gluttony I was about to embark on for my day of rest and recuperation. So I ordered my Bloody Mary, Cava, OJ, and made a red Sangria on my own, also some water just in case I was dehydrated. 

            The buffet bar was stocked with a selection cured meats, salads, gazpacho, fruits and mini churros. There were also oysters on the half shell, clams and fried bacon with Brussel sprouts included in the brunch menu, made to order. The buffet bar and menu was not the only place for food, there were also these tables on wheels that served as a platform cutting board where the staff wheeled around the restaurant like dim sum carts. A little bit like a child on Christmas Day, I was quite excited to see the whole roasted pork, roast lamb, and salmon with potatoes on these movable carts.  
              The pork was seasoned well that fell of the bone and covered with crispy skin that may make a grown man tear. The roasted lamb was quite tender and flavorful, which complimented my sangria and the salmon was juicy, not dry and paired well with some Cava. 

            Without notice, a general staff comes by the table and nonchalantly offers a bib to one of my friends, who we were bidding farewell to. With a wicked smile, he revealed his Porron and showed us how it was done. The Porron was a drinking vessel native to Spain and allowed everyone in the party to share a drink from a communal spout, which would never touch your lips. After all, sharing was caring and let's hope that the fountain of life would continue to bring joy and laughter through food and wine.
          After many good laughs with our bulging bellies and multiple rounds of glasses refilled, good times always comes to an end with the bill :0 It was not a fortune neither a bargain, but it did leave happy campers with gratified hearts, which was well worth it. Will come again to get porroned!