A Festive Champagne Brunch Done My Way

As the weather is finally starting to cool over here in San Francisco and we’ve finally started to get some much-needed rain, it finally feels right for me to shift my creative brain towards thinking about the festive season. It’s at this time of year that my mind is pulled to two extremes—I either want to be cozied up at home, warming my house with the smell of things baking in the oven and simmering on the stove, or traveling off to snowy places with charming town squares illuminated with holiday lights. Now that I’ve started busting out the fall-scented candles, I’m daydreaming about styling big platters of food and finding excuses to invite friends over for bubbly (but also about the prospect of actually getting to travel to someplace festive for the holidays this year). I am not big on family gatherings, but I do love so much the opportunity to celebrate small things with the people who are dear to me, and while that’s something we should do all year round, there is something about crisp cool air and gloomy skies that makes me crave that togetherness in my home.

For this blog post, I got to partner with Champagne Taittinger; founded in 1734, they are one of the last remaining family-owned and operated champagne houses. I am sharing an idea for a festive brunch idea to pair with Taittinger’s Les Folies de la Marquetterie, a wine that was created to be a tribute to autumn and those feelings of being at home. It mirrors a fall palette in its golden color and has delicate bubbles that remind me of the twinkling lights of the European Christmas markets in my daydreams. To me, it tastes very bright at first and then has a finish that is kind of oaky; in the tasting notes, it says it is “full-bodied and fruity on the palate with golden peach flavors leading to a finish with light woody notes”. It is a full flavored and complex champagne, so they recommend that it be paired with something robust like roasted meats.

I paired Taittinger’s Les Folies de la Marquetterie with Cantonese roast duck from a local restaurant and homemade waffles with scallions and lap cheong (sweet Chinese sausage) in the batter. The combination of duck and waffles was inspired by a brunch restaurant in London that I visited during Christmastime in 2019, so when I think of a festive brunch, I think of this combination! I thought it would be fun to style them together on this big vintage platter that I recently found on one of my antiquing hunts and I filled it out with slices of cara cara oranges, fresh jujubes, and lots of fresh herbs.

When you think of champagne pairings, you probably do not think of Cantonese roast meats. However, I recently came across this article on Food52 about why champagne goes with Chinese takeout. The article goes into how the two are perfect for one another because the bubbles of champagne allow you to better savor foods that are greasy by cleansing the tongue with every sip and its acidity provides balance when you are eating foods that are savory-sweet. So, although a Cantonese roast duck was probably not top of mind when roasts were noted as the recommended food pairing for Les Folies de la Marquetterie, I saw an opportunity to present a food from my childhood and my culture in a different light. And what I learned from that article was totally true! The succulent duck tasted sooo delicious with the champagne; taking a sip of it in between bites made each bite feel as if I was tasting the yummiest duck for the first time. 

I think most Westerners do not see Cantonese roast duck as a delicacy because of its typical presentation—I am talking about the ones you see hanging in the windows of bakeries in Chinatown or in the hot deli of Asian supermarkets—but for me, it is very much a special occasion food. If you go to one of these at Chinese New Year, they will be absolutely packed with uncles and aunties trying to order their siu ngap (roast duck) and siu yuk (roasted pork belly with crackling skin). Getting a roast duck was always a special treat when I was young, and I loved everything about it from savoring the fattiest parts of the skin that the rest of my family didn’t want to the soup my parents would make by simmering the bones with pickled mustard greens afterwards. Now that I am grown and living in an area with so many local shops that sell them, I can get a roast duck whenever I want and I can make whatever sides I want—even waffles!—but it will always feel like a special occasion when I bring one home.

I was thrilled that Taittinger was willing to give me the opportunity to share this idea of pairing Chinese roast duck with their beautiful champagne. As you may know if you’ve read the captions of many of my Chinese food posts on my Instagram, I have been actively trying to present the foods of my culture in a way that showcases its complexity and deliciousness, as well as its worth. For too many too often, Chinese food is only known as cheap and ugly, despite its rich history and the sheer volume of possibilities it brings to the palate with all of its regional nuances. I am always so grateful to work with a brand that supports my efforts to rewrite the narrative of Chinese food in America and it means so much to me that Taittinger allowed me to showcase their special festive offering alongside a nostalgic dish. I am so proud to work with a brand that has such a rich heritage and prestige of its own, yet is still so open to diverse ideas. 

Truth be told, I am not an expert when it comes to sparkling wines and their pairings, but duck is prominent in French cuisine just as it is in Chinese cuisine, and both cultures have iconic ways of preparing it that are absolutely delicious. So to me, sharing the duck dish that I grew up with as a pairing with this lovely champagne made lots of sense. No one would question pairing champagne with duck confit or duck à l'orange so this meal is my Chinese-American spin on that. If you are like me and colder days put you in the mood for celebrating things big or small, I hope you will consider making one of Taittinger’s champagnes a part of your celebration, and I hope that this post inspires you to think outside of the typical pairings to bring along a dish that is special to you.

Thank you so much to Champagne Taittinger for sponsoring this post!

Recipe: The Easiest Char Siu Bao

JUMP TO RECIPE >>

This is the easiest way to make char siu bao ever. Folks in the US might know char siu bao, or Cantonese sweet bbq pork buns, from dim sum or from a Chinese bakery. When you just say char siu bao in America, it is usually referring to jing char siu bao, which is the steamed variety. That is the kind that has a fluffy white exterior and comes in the bamboo steamer basket on the dim sum cart. But char siu bao actually comes in a different forms—some are baked with a glazed sheen on top and sometimes you can get char siu wrapped in puffed pastry. In all cases, you are referring to char siu—which is Cantonese style sweet roasted pork—wrapped inside some dough.

These little bao are a hybrid between char siu bao and sheng jian bao. Sheng jian bao are Shanghai pan fried dumplings. If you’ve ever had the popular soup dumping xiao long bao where the soup bursts out of the dumpling wrapper, sheng jian bao are a more doughy pan-fried version of that. The filling is stuffed in raw dough and then placed in a skillet to crisp up the bottoms, and then steam is trapped in the same pan to steam the rest of the dough until it is cooked through. Instead of the soupy or juicy pork filling that is common to sheng jian bao, I filled mine with the filling you would find in a char siu bao. That’s why I am calling them a hybrid between the two; it’s the filling of char siu bao and the cooking method of sheng jian bao.

Despite the long-winded explanation of what they are, these bao are super easy to make. For this idea, I must give credit to @dumplingclubsf on Instagram; I once shared a story about how my mom would make donuts with canned biscuit dough, and she told me about how her mom used to make bao out of it! How brilliant! I was so very intrigued by this hack that I had to try it for myself.

These are the key ingredients you will need to make these easy char siu bao:

• char siu: This is Cantonese style sweet bbq pork. I have a recipe for how I make mine here; this would be a great way to use the leftovers. However, I crave char siu plenty more often than I feel like making it, so buying is perfectly fine and intended for this hack of a recipe. You can get it at most Cantonese bakeries and restaurants—anywhere where you see a roast duck hanging in the window. You can also get it at Asian supermarkets which have a hot deli section inside; it’s typically sold by weight.

• canned biscuit dough: You guys know the ones; the kind where you have to peel off some of the cardboard can and then press a spoon along the crack to get it to explode open. The plainer the dough the better; don’t get one of those new fancy varieties if you can avoid it. However, the one I got when I shot the photos for this ended up being one with little pieces of butter dispersed throughout the dough so it looked a little unsightly when rolled out and raw but it still worked perfectly fine.

Please don’t ask me how to pleat these dumplings though! I think you can tell from the photos that I didn’t really know what I was doing. I tried watching and following some YouTube videos and I just haven’t gotten the hang of it. But they will taste so good and their crispy bottoms will look so impressive that I think it won’t really matter much if you suck at pleating just as much as I do. Just try to gather the dough around the filling and create a seal. Don’t stress—this recipe is meant to be easy and fun!

And by the way, these taste great with my ginger scallion garlic oil. You can find the recipe for that here!

How to Make the Easiest Char Siu Bao

(Makes 16 bao)

Ingredients

1/2 lb char siu bao, diced
1 tbsp hoisin sauce
1 tbsp date syrup or honey
1 tsp shao xing wine (or dry sherry)
1 16oz can biscuit dough
flour for dusting
1 tbsp cooking oil
~1/4 cup white sesame seeds
black sesame seeds, for garnish (optional)
1 scallion, sliced, for garnish (optional)

Procedure

To make the filling, mix together the char siu, hoisin, date syrup, and wine. Set aside.

Separate the canned dough into the individual biscuit pieces, and then split each piece in half. Then, working one at a time, roll each piece of dough on a floured surface into a 4-inch circle; try to get the edges thinner than the center. Scoop about 1 tablespoon of filling in the middle and then gather the dough up around the filling and pinch closed at the top. Dip the bottom in a little saucer of water and then dip in a plate of white sesame seeds so the entire bottom of the bao is covered in sesame seeds. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.

Use a skillet large enough to avoid crowding. Heat the oil on medium heat. Place the bao in the skillet (sesame side down) and cook until the sesame seeds and bottoms are golden brown. Add 3/4 cup water into the skillet and cover. Allow to steam for 8 minutes, or until the water has almost evaporated. Remove the cover and leave on the heat just a little bit longer to allow the bottoms to become dry and crispy.

Garnish with some black sesame seeds and scallions, if desired.

Easy Spicy Chicken Congee

Go STRAIGHT TO THE RECIPE ON RIGHTRICE.COM >>

Today I’ve partnered with RightRice and Nona Lim to share an easy congee or jook recipe. Many of us remember our parents making congee or jook or rice porridge as a cure-all for us when we were sick—but now that we are adults, we have to make it for ourselves when we are feeling under the weather.

Traditional jook takes time but my easy hack will get you a nourishing bowl of comfort much quicker. The trick is using RightRice’s fast and nutrient-packed “rice” and a broth that is already super full of flavor.

Click here to get the recipe on RightRice’s site!

Thank you so much to RightRice for sponsoring this recipe!

Recipe: Ginger Scallion Garlic Oil

JUMP TO RECIPE >>

Ginger scallion oil is something I remember my mom making to serve with her chicken rice. I don’t want to call it Hainanese chicken rice because her version was a lot more casual and homestyle and she did not follow the precise poaching method for Hainanese chicken rice. But she would basically boil the whole chicken and cleaver it into smaller pieces for serving with chicken rice and the broth on the side. Occasionally she would make a ginger scallion oil sauce as a condiment and that make the meal so much more exciting. The sharp bite of raw ginger was cooked away but what remained was its fresh spicy flavor; that plus the scallions added just enough flavor boost to the boiled chicken without taking away from the fact that the dish was a celebration of simple flavors.

I tried making my mom’s recipe for her ginger scallion paste, which I, at some point in college, wrote on a little grocery list notepad paper and tucked into my notebook of other handwritten recipes I collected from my mom’s cookbook collection. For some reason, when I made this recipe it didn’t turn out how I remembered. The recipe said to fry the ginger until it was dry, and the result ended up being a bunch of fibrous clumps.

Eventually I experimented with another technique that I had learned while researching how to make chili oil, and encountered again when learning how to make simple sauces for biang biang noodles. In both cases, spices or aromatics are piled up in a bowl and then almost-smoking hot oil is poured on top to bloom them and bring their flavors to life. I tried this approach with the ginger scallion oil idea (adding garlic along the way because damn do I love garlic) and it totally gave me the consistency I wanted. Something you could drizzle over jook, spoon over a plate of chicken rice, or toss with noodles.

In the photo above, my ginger scallion garlic oil is an accompaniment to duck tacos I made from a roast duck that I bought at Yung Kee Restaurant in Oakland Chinatown. Other accompaniments are Asian pear slices tossed in sushi rice seasoning and gochugaru, crispy fried rice noodles, scallions, and cilantro.

How to Make Ginger Scallion Garlic Oil

Ingredients

a big fat 4-inch finger of ginger, peeled and grated*
3 scallions, thinly sliced
3–4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
2 generous pinches coarse Kosher salt, or to taste
1/2 cup avocado oil, or some other neutral high smoke point oil

*Do not include the long fibers that get stuck to the grater. The texture of your grated ginger should look pulpy but not stringy.

Procedure

Place the ginger on a paper towel and gently squeeze out most of the liquid. You do not need to wring tightly, but squeeze until the ginger looks like a moist paste with no excess moisture.

Combine the ginger, scallions, garlic, and salt in a heat-safe bowl.

Heat the oil until it is almost smoking. (The oil is hot enough if you toss in a small piece of scallion and it sizzles up right away.) Carefully pour the hot oil over the aromatics (there will be some bubbling). When the sizzling stops, stir everything together. Make this at least 20 minutes in advance to allow time for the flavors to infuse into the oil. It keeps fine in the fridge for a few days.

Everything I Ate in Hong Kong

I just visited Hong Kong for the first time and even before I’d left, people were already asking me for food recommendations. After sending my haphazard Simplenote notes to a handful of people, I decided it made sense to clean them up and write a blog post.

One thing that surprised me when visiting Hong Kong was how not English-friendly it was, despite how recently Hong Kong was a British colony. I remember watching the handover ceremony on TV as a kid. There are probably plenty of modern, tourist-friendly places to eat where English speakers would not have any problems, but most of the places on my itinerary were about seeking out foods and experiences I couldn’t get at home in San Francisco (despite its large Cantonese population), so I had to rely on my sub-par Cantonese a lot when communicating in Hong Kong. Growing up, Cantonese was probably the most common language my parents spoke to each other but because they grew up in Malaysia and went to either public or English schools, they never learned to write Chinese. My vocabulary is limited to simple conversations we would have as a family and I don’t know a lot of specific food words outside of dim sum. I probably would have had a very different eating experience if I’d either known less or more Cantonese, and to some extent I think I get unduly embarrassed whenever I travel to a foreign place and don’t know the local language…which is why I am rambling on and on about language accessibility and include notes about it for all the places below.

66 Hot Pot, Mong Kok

Interesting style of hot pot. First you eat a pot of saucy chicken mixed with Szechuan aromatics. They really expect you to eat all the chicken before moving on to the next step—my spouse and I were gently scolded to eat more of the chicken first when we requested the broth too early. After eating the chicken they fill your pot with broth for a normal hot pot and you can order sliced meats, dumplings, veggies, etc to cook in it.

Verdict: Tasty but not mind-blowing. It’s on the pricey side. Hot pot ingredients are a la carte, but if you order the signature chicken pot, the broth top-ups are included.
English speakers?: No
English menu?: Yes, you order everything on an iPad.
Google Maps Link

Sun Hing, Kennedy Town

dim sum at Sun Hing

This is a really old school dim sum shop where I believe they make everything in-house. They only have the classics and you can just go grab them at the front yourself and have them mark what you chose on your tab. Very fresh. They open at 2am.

Verdict: Great for the first “morning” after you land if you’re awake and hungry at a strange hour and want to be immediately thrown into a chaotic Hong Kong style eatery. Expect simple, tasty food but not the best dim sum of your life.
English speakers?: No
English menu?: Technically yes, there was one on the wall, but it’s completely useless because you can only order what’s out on display unless you speak Cantonese.
Google Maps Link

Yee Shun Milk Company, multiple locations

cold double film milk pudding at Yee Shun Milk Company

Get their famous double film milk pudding. So simple, yet so good that I went twice during my trip. 

Verdict: Go there.
English speakers?: No
English menu?: Yes, with pictures of their most popular items.
Google Maps Link

Tiger Sugar / The Alley, multiple locations

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by lily • flatlays & foodtography (@lilybubbletea) on Mar 20, 2019 at 10:06am PDT

These two popular chains are both famous for their versions of the brown sugar pearl/boba/bubble fresh milk drink. (Don’t call it boba in HK though, that means big boobs.)  I didn’t find either version to be particularly amazing but I did prefer Tiger Sugar (Taiwan-based) over The Alley (HK-based). Check out my Instagram post for a more in-depth review.

Verdict: Not bad; not as good as ones I had in Taipei.
English speakers?: Yes
English menu?: Yes

Hot Star, multiple locations

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by lily • flatlays & foodtography (@lilybubbletea) on Mar 26, 2019 at 5:10pm PDT

This Taipei-based chain is famous for their XXL breaded and deep fried chicken cutlet, likely to be bigger than the size of your face. Read my Instagram post for a more in-depth review. 

Verdict: Loved it!
English speakers?: Most likely yes
English menu?: Yes

Mammy Pancake, multiple locations

Believe it or not, these egg waffles / eggettes are Michelin Guide recommended. There are lots of flavors to choose from, both sweet and savory. I got the squid ink salted yolk flavor, and could very subtly taste both elements. They were perfectly crisp outside and had a nice chew inside. 

Verdict: These probably are legitimately the best egg waffles out there. Personally, I wouldn’t go out of my way for them but if you love this type of snack you should totally go. 
English speakers?: Not sure because I ordered in Cantonese, but the staff were young.
English menu?: Yes

Yuen Kee, Sham Shui Po

There are other businesses with the same name but I’m writing about the dai pai dong—a licensed open-air food stall. These eateries are known for stir fried dishes celebrating wok hei, the flavor that comes from cooking in a wok over extremely hot flames (or some think of it as the energy/breath from the wok). These are sadly a dying food genre in HK because the licenses cannot be transferred even within the family, so definitely do some research around what dai pai dong suits you, if not this one, and go while you still can. We got a sizzling plate of fatty pork, black bean sauce clams, and Chinese leeks with dried fish, squid, and cashews, all based on the photos on the wall. Everything was a little on the salty side but also immensely flavorful and perfectly cooked—clearly meant to be eaten with rice to dilute the saltiness. This was my overall fave meal of HK.

Verdict: Definitely recommend, but you may need to be amazing at charades if you don’t speak Cantonese.
English speakers?: Hard no. My Cantonese was good enough to let our waitress know we wanted to order dishes off the pictures on the wall plus two bowls of rice and a large beer.
English menu?: No, our waitress was not pleased when I asked for one! But ~15 dishes are pictured on the wall.
Google Maps Link

Kam Wah Cafe, Mong Kok:

bo lo yau and milk tea at Kam Wah Cafe

This place is known for their bo lo bao / pineapple buns and they totally lived up to the hype!!! Ask for a bo lo yau if you want that iconic slab of butter stuffed inside (I did!). My spouse enjoyed a HK style French toast with peanut butter stuffed inside. The milk tea tasted way too tannin-y or over-steeped to me, though I have been told that is part of the HK style milk tea. This is a cute little cha chaan teng (Hong Kong style tea cafe) but you can also buy their famous pineapple buns to-go from a little counter at the shopfront.

Verdict: This is where you should go to try pineapple buns.
English speakers?: They might understand you? At least they were friendly.
English menu?: Yes, though I believe it is not their full menu.
Google Maps Link

Yum Cha, multiple locations

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by lily • flatlays & foodtography (@lilybubbletea) on Mar 18, 2019 at 1:54pm PDT

Very cute but slightly expensive dim sum. Detailed review in my Instagram post.

Verdict: Go if you’re in it for the ‘gram.
English speakers?: Yes
English menu?: Yes; order by marking things off on your paper menu.

Tai Cheong Bakery, Central:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by lily • flatlays & foodtography (@lilybubbletea) on Mar 19, 2019 at 9:54am PDT

Best daan tat / egg tart of my life! Insanely flakey and buttery crust. More detailed review on Instagram.

Verdict: Yessss so good!
English speakers?: Yes
English menu?: It’s a bakery, so you can scope out what they have in the pastry case.
Google Maps Link

Lan Fong Yuen, Central:

Famous for inventing HK stocking milk tea—stockings on handles are used to keep the tea leaves separate as the tea brews, and then it is sweetened with condensed milk. Perfect to accompany the egg tarts as they are very close to each other. However, as I mentioned before, I personally didn’t love the over-steeped taste of this style of tea in HK, even though I get HK milk tea at bubble tea shops in the States. There is a full cha chaan teng, but there’s also a little shed in front where you can just order the milk tea to-go.

Verdict: Only if you’re in the area, to pair with the daan tats above.
English speakers?: I don’t think so, but if you order from the front, the only things you can order are hot milk tea (yeet lai cha) or cold/iced milk tea (dong lai cha).
English menu?: Not sure about the cha chaan teng inside but the front stall had all sorts of signs in Chinese only so I have no clue what info I was missing out on. I definitely tried to order from the wrong window at first.
Google Maps Link

Yat Lok, Central

This is one of the places that always shows up on lists about contention for best roast goose in HK, and I opted to go here because a friend recommended it. Roast goose was so damn good. I made the mistake of ordering a combo plate with BBQ pork cuz I wanted variety but really should have just ordered more roast goose.

Verdict: Order the roast goose, don’t bother with other things.
English speakers?: No
English menu?: Yes
Google Maps Link

Shake Shack, Central

We just stumbled upon this when we wanted dessert. Worth noting that there’s an HK themed dessert menu.

Verdict: If you’re in the area and want an ice cream based dessert, then maybe? You can see the Kowloon side’s light show across the harbor (the crappier side) but it will be set to the playlist I made in the early 2000s (a.k.a. the Shake Shack soundtrack blasting through their outdoor speakers).
English speakers?: Yes
English menu?: Yes, obvi
Google Maps Link

Tsui Wah, multiple locations

This was like the HK equivalent of Denny’s, open 24 hours. All the HK cafe / cha chaan teng options you can imagine, including all the wacky fusion dishes. Nice service. We got ox tongue on mushroom sauce spaghetti and it was good like how Denny’s is good but not really good at all.  

Verdict: Go if you are literally on a bus from the ferry port back to your hotel and realize you are hungry but don’t know what else to Google to look for food.
English speakers?: Yes
English menu?: Yes

Yummy Cart Noodles, Sham Shui Po

my creation at Yummy Cart Noodles

Really wanted to try cart noodles and I could see from pics online that this menu had English and pictures so that’s how I ended up here. Meant to go to Man Kee but chickened out cuz the order card is all just Chinese text. My soup was a bit bland here but all my selected ingredients were great and there were condiments to add. Service was the friendliest of the trip.  

Verdict: Go if you want cart noodles but can’t read Chinese and are looking for a very pleasant noodle eating experience even if it’s not the tastiest one ever.
English speakers?: They try!
English menu?: Yes, with pictures. You mark what you want on a laminated card.
Google Maps Link

Sheung Hei (a.k.a. Good Taste Clay Pot), Kennedy Town

clay pot rice at sheung hei

Michelin Bib Gourmand clay pot rice. I thought it was meh. I think it’s very hit or miss depending on what you get; the strangers we sat next to liked theirs and it looked hella good. I ordered one with various preserved meats plus duck, and the duck was the tiniest, boniest pieces imaginable with what little meat available clinging in a rubbery fashion to said bones.

Verdict: Ask the locals next to you what to order or skip this one.
English speakers?: Nope.
English menu?: Yes, but you have to ask for it in Cantonese and then your friendly local table mate might have to remind them you asked for it.
Google Maps Link

Charles Tea Bar, multiple locations

The Mong Kok location is a cool little bubble tea stand. Had lots of interesting options that aren’t at bubble tea shops at home. I got papaya milk with mini taro and sweet potato balls and enjoyed it.

Verdict: Yes, if you are looking for some unique bubble tea options.
English speakers?: Yes
English menu?: Yes

Australia Dairy Company, Jordan

Simple but freaking good!!! They are known for their rude service but to be honest I felt it to be simply efficient, quite cordial, and less rude than other places I’d been to in HK. Due to the presence of my gwai lo spouse, we were handed an English menu upon being seated without having to ask for it. Yes, it is quite cramped and, as expected, we had to share a tiny table with strangers (who turned out to be a sweet old couple living in the San Francisco Bay Area who were making their annual trip back to their hometown!). We went at breakfast time when literally everyone else was ordering their set breakfast meal, so spouse’s French toast took a bit to arrive but was totally worth the wait. If you like scrambled eggs, this is a must.

Verdict: Go there for a new appreciation of scrambled eggs and plain white bread.
English speakers?: No
English menu?: Yes
Google Maps Link

ComeBuy Tea, Mong Kok

The fanciest bubble tea shop I’ve seen, in terms of their drink making process. They have these shiny machines that spurt steam out the tops and I am not exactly sure what they do but they made me feel like I was getting a high end bubble tea experience.

Verdict: Not a destination unless you are extremely fascinated with tea making technology but if you are in the area and want some legit tea, you could stop by.
English speakers?: Yes
English menu?: Yes
Google Maps Link

Long Jin Mei Shi, Mong Kok

skewers and curry fish balls at a random street food stall in mong kok

To be honest I just picked a skewer stall that looked like it had a lot of variety on my last morning in Hong Kong, and this one had a LOT of variety. (I subsequently had to find a picture of the stall and ask a friend for help reading the name so I could include it here.) This stall had all sorts of street snacks from curry fish balls to hash browns shaped like the ones at McDonald’s. I got a small bowl of curry fish balls, a squid skewer, a skewer with mini cheese-filled sausages, and a skewer with mixed beef offal. The beef offal one was amazing, stewed until suuuuuper tender and very flavorful! The sausages were also yummy. My gwai lo liked the squid one the best because it was the most bland and he likes bland things.

Verdict: There’s something for everyone here, whether you like bland things or super interesting animal parts!
English speakers?: No
English menu?: No, but just point at everything that looks interesting and give it a try! This was a great final stop before leaving Hong Kong.
Google Maps Link