Scoop and Children (This week's Photo Hunt themes)

"You little monkeys!"  That's something I remember an obviously frustrated Convent school teacher of mine regularly shouting at the children she was charged with teaching Catechism class to.  But after observing the behavior of the Hong Kong monkeys whose range includes Shing Mun, Kam Shan and Lion Rock Country Parks, I wish I could reach back across the years and tell that older woman, "News flash (or scoop?): Actually, I really don't see that we children had all that much in common with those (other) primates!"  

For one thing, no way were we as maternal as many a female monkey (such as the mother in the photo the top of this week's entry for Sandi's and Gattina's Photo Hunts) can be.  For another, I reckon that we human children were a good deal noisier -- individually as well as in when together in a large group -- than the monkeys I've come across while out hiking here in the Big Lychee!

On the subject of large groups: the monkey population here in "Asia's World City" is so substantial that there really are parts of Hong Kong where there are more monkeys than humans.  On a personal note, I have to admit to not feeling all that comfortable when on sections of hiking trails where my party (which usually comprises just two or three humans) is outnumbered by monkeys whose "turf" we are passing through.  Also, I really hate that there are people here in Hong Kong who still don't seem to realize -- or plain ignore the fact -- that they are doing more harm than good by feeding the monkeys -- and that it actually is against the law to do so. 

Indeed, I wish the authorities would seriously clamp down on those lawbreakers, especially those who drive up in their cars and dump out food from there to attract whole hordes of monkeys -- seemingly just for fun. For, frankly, I find them more of a menace to society at large than even the monkeys that they've thereby effectively encouraged to aggressively approach humans with the expectation that they'll be fed by them -- and I sincerely do hope that the children of the human lawbreakers won't grow up and do the same as their parents who aren't setting them good examples at all when it comes to this particular issue.

An ultimately disappointing dinner at Bo Innovation

Oysters with spring onion, lime, ginger cloud and "parfum 

du Hong Kong" -- the first -- and best -- course of 

a 15 course meal I had at Bo Innovation this past Monday

Caviar served on top of a smoked quail egg and "nest" 

of crispy taro was a close second best as well as 

the second course of that evening's chef's table menu

Har mi (prawn egg noodles) with chili and carabinero shrimp

-- course number five and my third favorite of the entire meal

"This is horrible."  This was not a remark I ever imagined that I would utter -- not just once but, in fact, twice -- while dining in the 2 Michelin star, etc. Bo Innovation.  For that matter, this is not a remark I would have uttered for -- or during -- the first eight courses of my dinner there this past Monday.

But, truly, "horrible" was precisely what I thought of the taste of course #9: an intended palette cleanser of a sorbet made from (Chinese) hawthorn and beetroot: two strong tasting ingredients; one of them very sour and the other indescribably earthy, bitter and foul!  And ditto re course #12 -- or at least the part of it that was made of Hong Kong style egg waffles served with condensed milk, a sauce made out of pine nuts and an absolutely wasteful amount of grated bits of strong tasting black truffles -- a simultaneously decadent and disgusting tasting concoction that was largely savory, yet was meant to be accompanied by a dessert wine!

For that matter, I also didn't care for one of the three ways in which a pineapple was prepared for course #13: i.e., in another sorbet like creation, only sandier and mixed with spicy peppercorn.  Actually, I really didn't care much at all for any of the dinner's three dessert courses -- and so much so, in fact, that I literally was left with a taste in my moment that was so unpleasant that I felt obliged to go put some other, more pleasant food in my mouth in order to take away the unpalatable taste that had come courtesy of at least the final few courses of dinner at this much vaunted Hong Kong dining establishment.

The sad thing is that it had all began ever so well.  In particular, I considered the first five courses my friend and I were served that evening at Bo Innovation to be more sublime than the first five courses that the same friend and I had imbibed over at the Hong Kong branch of RyuGin just last week.

Admittedly, I could be said to be predisposed to loving the first five courses of the chef's table menu at Bo Innovation on account of their core ingredients of oyster (course #1), caviar (course #2), Iberico ham aged for 36 months (course #3), foie gras (course #4) and har mi (course #5) being among my favorite foods.  But the fact of the matter is that I also loved the way they were imaginatively combined with other unlikely ingredients -- for example, rich foie gras with pungent mui choy (preserved mustard greens).

In addition, although they weren't super tasty, I did appreciate the culinary creativity and technique that came from serving a whole unpeeled cherry tomato on a plate that also included a tomato flavored marshmallow and a tomato taro pastry concoction (course #6) and the restaurant's signature molecular xiao long bao (course #7).

The first hint that not everything would be to our liking came though with course #8.  To be fair, there was no faulting its main ingredient -- a sumptuously juicy piece of lobster.  However, given how fantastic that piece of lobster was, it really did sacrilegious for its taste to be "diluted" by way of it also being served atop star anise butter and topped by a slice of black trumpet mushroom, a glob of corn sauce and a over-the-top dollop of sea urchin!

Then came that awful "palette cleanser" that I fear damaged my palette more than readied it to enjoy the tastes of other food served at that dinner.  Following it was a serving of wagyu beef accompanied with a slice of truffled tendon, daikon and spiced consomme (course #10) that my dining companion found very much to her liking and a serving of Bresse chicken, shitake mushroom and jus with 7 years aged acquerello rice cooked in classic Chinese claypot rice style (course #11) that was not unpleasant by itself but was on the too heavy side at that point in the meal.

If dinner had ended at that point, I'd have chalked down the (Chinese) hawthorn-beetroot concoction as a negative anomaly in a generally interesting -- even if not uniformly delicious -- meal.  Alas, however, the courses that followed were -- bar for a magical yin yang drink that made up the liquid part of course #12 -- uninspiring at best (the 15th and final course of "petit dim sum" included store bought confections like the infamous White Rabbit candy) and really not good tasting at all at worst.

Upon returning to my apartment, I Googled "Bo Innovation" and found a number of highly enthusiastic reviews but also at least a distinctly less positive review by a food writer whose taste I do trust.  Later, I spoke to my uber foodie friend who has been to eat there more than once and told me that she's had some superb meals there but also some disappointing ones and also remarked that the food at that dining establishment really is very inconsistent.

If the restaurant were less critically acclaimed and its prices significantly lower, I probably would be more generous in my evaluation of it -- or, at least, have way lower expectations that would have a higher chance of being met.  Still, the bottom line is that I would be reluctant to go for a meal at Bo Innovation again -- even if, as was the case thanks to the circumstances in which I went there, I actually didn't have to shell out any money to dine there!

Hiking along the Luk Wu Country Trail (Photo-essay)

Last month, on my second hike up to the Luk Wu Plateau, I spotted a fairly sizable lizard on a tree and snapped some photos of it that I felt bound to share the very day that I took them.  But it's only now that I'm putting up the following photos taken on my first hike up to Luk Wu Plateau -- one that saw the friend I've taken to calling my regular hiking companion and I going along the Luk Wu Country Trail that took us through some rugged as well as scenic landscape, and gave us a sense of accomplishment to complete on a fairly hot (circa 26 degrees Centigrade) day:-

   Responsible hikers that we are, we passed by this sign 

early on our excursion but did not go directly beyond it!

 Our choice of trail that day was concreted early on

(but not for long beyond the location of this photo)

Without the signs in the foreground, wouldn't this

setting look like it could be one for a cowboy -- 

as well as period martial arts -- movie? ;b

 A view early in the hike of part of the trail

that we'd be going on a bit later 

This grave is a reminder that up until about half a century ago,

a populated hamlet actually existed in this area

that now is part of Sai Kung East Country Park

Yes, it was indeed a trifle intimidating to realize that 

our hike that day would involve going along that uphill trail 

Before that, there was this stream area to enjoy being in

-- or there would have been if not for a really loud large

group of hikers (complete with walkie talkies and 
transistor radios!) picnicking out there! ;(

Never mind -- we charged ahead... and soon 

were able to enjoy the scenery and 

the hike in general in relative peace! :)

To be continued! :)

Siu Ma Shan spider spottings

Small spider, big meal?! 

 I think this is the species of bug that 
the dead and dessicated form in the photo 
at the top of is a member of... :S

A slightly larger spider also spotted on Siu Ma Shan

Earlier today, two friends and I hiked along Section 2 of the Wilson Trail which went up first to the top of 433 meters high Jardine's Lookout and then -- after a descent of about 100 meters or so -- 424 meters high Siu Ma Shan (whose name translates from Cantonese as Small Horse Mountain/Hill).  Because I've been along this trail before on a noticeably clearer air -- but also way hotter -- day, I wasn't so blown away by the panoramic views that came our way that I ignored looking about near my path as I trekked along this afternoon.

The visual rewards that came with this "strategy" included a small lizard that scampered away too quickly because I could get my camera out of my pocket, and an albino spider that was so tiny and agitatedly moving about that my camera refused to focus when I attempted to take photos of it.  Fortunately, I also came across other wildlife were kinder and more cooperative to shutterbugs.  

In particular, on the northern side of Siu Ma Shan, I spotted a couple of two species of spiders that I don't think I've come across before -- and definitely haven't previously photographed.  They also aren't featured on this interesting page on Hong Kong spiders that includes photos of the giant golden orb weavers that I too have spotted numerous time (especially while hiking on Lantau Island but also on Lamma).

Re the two spiders (both of whose photos can be enlarged by clicking on them): The one in the first photo at the top of this blog entry was small but obviously adept at catching prey at least twice its size. It's also amazing to see how strong its strands of spider silk are as well as how its web may not be the most asthetically ideal but so very definitely does function as planned!  As for the second one which actually was perched atop a white leaf of a Splash-of-white (Mussaenda pubescens) flower, it was only after counting that it had eight legs that I deduced that it's a spider! 

So does anyone reading this know the names of these species of spiders?  If so, please do share that information -- for which deed I'm hereby thanking you in advance. :b   

Zap and Advertising (This week's Photo Hunt themes)

 

How does one capture a zap in a photograph?  And how does one link images of zap with advertising?  Those were the questions that Sandi and Gattina got me pondering by way of their choice of Photo Hunt themes for this week.

Fortunately, I had a (zappy?) "eureka" moment that involved my realizing that lots of advertising in Hong Kong requires zaps of electricity in order to really "shine".  So, viola, here's presenting three photos taken in Mongkok -- illustrating precisely that point!

Incidentally, an internet search found an Australian Broadcasting Corporation piece on Mongkok that described it as "the busiest place on earth" and contained quotes about a resident who said he liked living in the area but listed its problems as including light pollution.  

For my part, I'd agree that Mongkok and certain other parts of Hong Kong (such as Causeway Bay) do suffer from light pollution -- a large part of which comes from the kind of neon advertising that can captivate tourists and shutterbugs.  On the flip side of things though, I think that well lit streets -- together with associated ample foot traffic -- do contribute to making "Asia's World City" feel like -- and actually be -- a place where women regularly and safely walk about at night with little fear of such as muggers.  

And this taking back of the night(s)  is something I personally really do appreciate and enjoy; particularly after years spent in places like Philadelphia, particularly West Philly -- whose often too dimly lit streets don't see much foot traffic at night, and for a good reason!

A dinner at the Hong Kong branch of RyuGin

Charcoal grilled Alfonsino covered with roasted rice --

course #6 of a 10 course (not including a bowl of post food 

 matcha) modern kaiseki meal I enjoyed earlier this week

Kuroge Wagyu beef sirloin with white asparagus, 

morel mushroom and onsen tamago --

course #7 of the same kaiseki dinner

-196 degrees Celsius "Candy Strawberry" and 

+99 degrees Celsius "Strawberry Jam"  -- 

course #9 on that "Spring Gastronomy Menu"

Two Mondays ago, I had a very enjoyable dinner with a friend at Yardbird, a trendy Sheung Wan eatery with a trendy urban American vibe and delicious yakitori and -- truly my favorite of what we ate there -- corn tempura (a dish I've wanted to eat ever since I learnt of its existence by viewing Hirokazu Kore-eda's Still Walking at the 2009 Hong Kong International Film Festival!).  The day after, we found ourselves discussing when we should next go again to that restaurant; with my deciding that it should be a while before we do so as that would help maintain the sense of "specialness" of going there for a meal.

This past Monday, I had an even more memorable meal with the same friend at the new Hong Kong branch of a Japanese restaurant whose main branch has been awarded three Michelin stars.  Even before dinner had ended, we were discussing when we'd go back -- or, more accurately, if we would ever do so... not because the meal we had at RyuGin that evening was not fabulous but because the prix fixe dinner cost HK$1,980 per person (and no, that does not include service charge and alcoholic drinks)!  

In large part because I didn't have to pay for dinner* (and, for that matter, neither did my friend), we didn't fixate on the price of the meal and, instead, obsessed about the food we were served that evening -- some of whose ingredients I previously never knew existed, never mind had tasted.  Also revelatory were some of the modes of preparation and the food combinations that the chef (Hideaki Sato is chef Seiji Yamamato's top apprentice) had come up with.

As an example, course #1 of the meal involved a clever play with texture by featuring creamy sea urchin wrapped in crispy deep fried seaweed, with comforting spring potato soup topped with fuki served on the side, while course #2 -- my least favorite course of the dinner, actually -- took a piece of rich foie gras, flavored it with Porto and Wasanbon sugar, and served it with fresh figs and sesame cream sauce to produce a close to way overwhelming mix of various distinct tastes.  

After the super rich and flavorful start, things calmed down somewhat with three less bold tasting following courses: namely, an assortment of spring vegetables with simmered abalone and Hotaru squid (course #3), Ichiban Dashi soup with a single sublime "Spring Flower Style" shrimp dumpling (course #4) and a sashimi assortment (of lobster, bonito and a dollop of sea urchin (uni) served atop slices of squid (ika) (course #5)).

So far, pretty good, I was thinking but then there came two courses that truly propelled me up into foodie heaven.  The charcoal grilled Alfonsino topped with roasted rice (the main part of course #6) may not look like much in the photo at the top of this blog entry but it tasted out of this world as far as I was concerned -- with the Alfonsino tasting and also having a texture like a sublime cross between cooked Wagyu beef and Otoro sushi, and the roasted rice on it helping to give it the most incredibly delightful "mouthfeel".

Course #7 was described as "Sukiyaki" on the furnished menu but it was not like any sukiyaki I've eaten before -- not least because it didn't contain as much liquids as more traditional versions of that Japanese dish.  Rather, it was like all the soup in a conventional bowl of sukiyaki had been distilled into the sauce at the bottom of the small bowl that bore a substantial mouthful of obviously prime Wagyu beef sirloin on top of which lay a tasty onsen tamago (hot spring egg), white asparagus and morel mushrooms.

Course #8 -- rice simmered in sakura tea and served with many tiny deep fried sakura shrimp -- is one I could see some people getting wowed by.  The problem for me is that the shrimp reminded me too much of the shrimp used in some varieties of Malaysian nasi lemak -- so felt too familiar to be exciting.

On the other hand, course #9 really did create a sensation for both diners at my table.  RyuGin's signature dessert, it is a creative play of, among other things, contrasting temperatures as one part of the dessert is served at -196 degrees Celsius and the other part at +99 degrees Celsius.  Amusingly, our server actually warned us to make sure we ate a mix of those two parts of the strawberry dessert in each mouthful of it, otherwise our mouths might get alternately burnt or frozen when eating this particular dish!

We greeted the final course -- a second round of desserts; this one comprising of separate mini-helpings of green tea flavored mochi, ice cream with a sprinkling of matcha, and most unJapanese (but definitely delicious) creme brulee -- with mixed feelings.  For my part, there was a part of me that was loathe to have this amazing meal come to an end.  At the same time, my taste buds were actually getting tired -- and, frankly, suffering somewhat from shock!   

Before bringing the meal to a close, my friend and I lingered over a bowl of matcha that did help refresh and final cups of the house sake, a daiginjyo exclusively brewed for the Hong Kong branch of RyuGin by Kokuryo.  Upon leaving the restaurant, we discovered that our meal had taken us close to 3 1/2 hours to finish!  We noticed that at least one party of diners had entered the restaurant after us but left before us and wondered how they could have possibly eaten so quickly.  For, truly, dinner at RyuGin should not be rushed.  Indeed, it seems to me that food as excellent does need to be savored to really appreciate the beauty as well as deliciousness of it all.

*A qualifier might be needed that this is NOT a paid-for review!  Rather, this blog entry was written just because I felt a need to put down some thoughts about the meal to help me to remember it more accurately by! :)
 

From Ham Tin Wan to Wong Shek Pier (via Chek Keng) (Photo-essay)

My previous photo-essay ended with a photo taken at a beach cafe in Ham Tin Wan where my regular hiking companion and I broke for lunch -- an unusual thing for us as we usually don't eat during a hike, reserving room in our stomachs for a nice dinner later in the day.  But Ham Tin Wan really is so very idyllic that we couldn't help but linger there for a while before resuming our hike and heading northwards up the Sai Kung Peninsula along Section 2 of the Maclehose Trail.

Going uphill to Tai Long Au, we regretted a bit our having added weight in our stomachs courtesy of our Ham Tin lunch (and a bowl of tau fu fah each earlier at Sai Wan).  Still, the splendid views and good hiking company made us feel really happy to be out hiking in Hong Kong that day... :b

 The landscape away from the beach at Ham Tin is still

dominated by Sharp Peak and its neighboring hills

Probably the closest view I'm ever going to get of 

intimidatingly steep Sharp Peak (which a super capable

hiker friend of mine told me she's never been able to descend 

without having to slide at least part of the way on her butt!)

From Tai Long Au, it's easy enough to follow the trail

down to Chek Keng and the neighboring body of water 

known as Chek Keng Hau

It was really cool to see how clear the water

of Chek Keng Hau was -- and how full of silvery fish!

  

Tai Long Wan is undoubtedly magnificent but Chek Keng Hau 

is not without its own charm -- and it's wonderful

to be able to visit both places in a single afternoon! :b

That approaching boat is the kaito (ferry)

that would take us over to Wong Shek Pier

  Scenic view from on board the largely open upper deck 

of the kaito where one also catches wonderful breezes

There's no way one can feel blue when taking in 

this beautiful predominantly blue natural view! :)