Pancakes for a Cause!

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            Do you count your blessings? 
I have so many things to be thankful for that there are not enough fingers or toes amongst the number of people that surround me have to count. There are many ways to give back to the community and it's not just by giving money but also your time and abilities. 
        Pancake Day 2015 was put on by my favorite charity and non-profit organization, Feeding Hong Kong, 樂餉社 at the University of Hong Kong's Haking Wong Podium.  Once again, they are the bridge between the food and beverage industry with the hungry people of this city that we call "The Pearl of the East". There are hungry people who cannot afford a meal and Feeding Hong Kong is a food bank that redistributes surplus food to those in need. 
          This day was equipped with many activities including a pancake relay that had participants toss and run with pancakes for charity. I was there with my pancakes with ingredients donated by Pizza Express and we were on a roll to sell pancakes by donation. I even had a handsome boy sous-chef giving me help with the distribution. 
           Thanks to the generous donations, we were able to serve up many fruit toppings with a spread of sauces made from strawberries, blueberries and raspberries, mixed berries, as well as lemon and sugar with a dollop of Crème fraîche. The donation box slowly but surely filled up during the event and as we were wrapping up, a continuous line formed with hungry bystanders. 

           I am very honored to be a part of this event again this second year in the running, and it felt great being able to use my skills to help out a charity that really provides a service for a need in Hong Kong. Check out the Hong Kong Cable TV coverage of this event here: https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=929294630435754&fref=nf

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

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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! 

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! 

Affordable Italian Sandwiches for the High-End Shopper

     A grand opening this week for the Italian sandwich shop, Panino Giusto, on the 3rd floor of the IFC Mall in Central, HK. I was lucky enough to be one of the first to sample some of the small plates and panini that they offered at their accommodating "sidewalk" seating area overlooking the grandiose Kowloon skyline.
        The proscuitto replaced designer dresses hanging off racks from the clothing store, which used to occupy this space. Instead of lavish pieces of couture, the expected norm at IFC, there's an edible display of custom cured pork thighs fresh from Italy, which will not cost you an arm and a leg.  

        There are no doubts that this Italian Panino joint would captivate such a following on its opening week in a place like Hong Kong, where jaded locals have no problem seeking the best new grub for their eager taste buds. Panino Giusto intelligently chose the "Golden Week" to premier its menu here, they will undoubtedly attract many visitors spending their holiday, ready to sample quality food. 
      Customers are to order their meal at the counter and find a place to sit waiting for their food to be served. This is an efficient system proven to work well in a busy city like ours. 
      Among the plates I've tried at Panino Giusto, the most aesthetically pleasing ones had to be these beautiful mozzarella knots served with tomatoes in olive oil and the beef carpaccio dish.
          The sheen of the mozzarella made my mouth water as I cut into it with my knife. The tomatoes provided a balance of acidity to match the cheese, though more salt on the cheese would have lifted this dish a little higher. The flavours of the beef carpaccio worked really well with the lemon dressing of the artichoke salad it came with and the shavings of Parmiggiano Reggiano provided a savouring complexity to this dish. I really enjoyed how thinly sliced the cured beef was.  
       For under 100 HKD, you can sample all their prime cold cuts,  a mixed plate complete with toasted bread and a spread of Mortadella, Proscuitto di Parma, speck and Proscuitto di Praga. Each different in flavour, texture, and colour. Their careful selection of meats really does shine through with this plate. 
     As for their panini, the Tartufo was my favourite, not only because I'm a big fan of truffles, Brie is also up there on the list as well. Arugula was a good choice of green to give it a splash of peppery freshness. Having been a sandwich shop for over 30 years, I think Panino Giusto has mastered the art of sandwich-craft unlike any other institution complete with an academy to train their staff to the become the best sandwich-teers of their generation. 
       Their Toast Della Casa, a Milanese style tuna melt with Parma Ham reminded me of my years in University getting a tuna melt on the run between classes. That first bite of warm, crunchy toast while the melted fontina cheese and tuna mixed in my mouth brought back good memories of my juvenile years as a student. 
Last, but definitely not least, we were given a slice of tiramisu when we didn't think we could fit more into our stomachs. Who could really say no to a "pick me up" such as this one where the mascarpone was ready to be spooned off the plate into our mouths.   This is when you go, "OK, I'll not eat anymore cheese this month and run to the gym for a quick workout right before I go to work tomorrow." Sharing is caring, my rule is never to eat dessert without someone to share it with you. Thank God, there were 4 people to indulge in this fluffy pillow of caffeinated mascarpone cream cheese and lady fingers. 
          Pseudo Nutrition Analysis: The simplex carbohydrate and saturated fat content of this meal is undoubtedly high from the bread, cheese and cured meats, but as this was an indulgent meal for me, I couldn't emphasis more on portion control and the idea of having friends and family with you to try out new places. That way you will be able to eat less of the calorie dense foods while tasting many options on the menu and finding a more filling, yet lower caloric dense food like mixed greens or vegetables for yourself. Again, having a balanced diet goes hand in hand with having a balanced lifestyle of routine physical activity. With the weather being so beautiful lately, do not hesitate to take your exercise routine outdoors absorbing more vitamin D when the sun is not shining at its brightest. 

"Fresh Off the Plane"

My first hike in Hong Kong, Quarry Bay

        "Fresh Off the Plane" should really replace the washed up "FOB"term given to many new immigrants to a new environment. I doubt that I will be the first one to coin this term, but I am undoubtedly a FOP.  It suitably describes my current state of mind since my arrival in Hong Kong a few weeks ago. Everyone automatically speaks to me in English as though a foreign alien stepping off its spaceship with no real business here except to shop and eat.

        Speaking of shopping and eat, FOP conveniently rhymes with POP which, continuously remains the most sought after genre of music in the Eastern Hemisphere, and is conveniently played in most restaurants and stores all around Hong Kong. Once again putting me in the FOP category, I have been shopping and eating quite a bit since my arrival and even at some instances when my body is telling me that I shouldn't put that piece of food in my mouth, my curiosity tells me otherwise. Lo and behold, I got sick, not majorly ill, but I did learn a lesson to always listen to my body. Just a warning for other FOPs who have weak stomachs, there may be worst things than suffering from food poisoning, but you may just want to be more cautious of what you put in your mouth and wash your hands all the time. No one wants the bird flu around here! 

        Hong Kong in some ways was more welcoming to me than NewYork has ever been, but in some ways not so much. Having relatives here and able to speak the native tongue does have an advantage, but it still boggles my mind that people approach me speaking English even when I don't think that I look too different that the regular resident of Hong Kong. Also the idea that a blond hair blue-eyed individual having more opportunities here over a black haired brown-eyed person is still lingering in the post-colonial air even more than 15 years since the handover. No offence to the "gwai lo" (cringing as I write it, I apologize), I really do appreciate the multi-ethnic salad bowl here so I know that this is a culturally diverse city with many many open doors for me and others like me. 

       On a much lighter note, I am here for the food, we'll try to stay on the more healthful side of things, but I do believe that it is a wonderful thing to treat yourself to a full-fat or sugary delicacy when the time calls for it. It is also important to know that there are those special moments to work towards and there will always be work after that moment has passed. In terms of work, I mean keeping up with your wellness practices and physical activity. I didn't expect to see so much nature in such a crowded metropolitan city as Hong Kong, but thanks to my cousin I have. Stay tuned on my next post if you are not drooling now,  food will definitely be my center of attention. 

     

Trail over Quarry Bay