Taste of home

筲箕灣民聲冰室Address: G/F, 135 Shau Kei Wan Main Street East Shau Kei Wan 

Finally back to HK from Spain and I'm craving for a hearty bite of comfort food: 咸蛋蒸肉餅 steamed minced pork cake impressively stacked high like a mountain, topped with golden salted egg yolk and some fresh spring onion. 

With a perfect blend of fat and meat, the pork cake is tendered and juicy. Don't worry this dish is never too salty-thanks to the sweet soy sauce that balance all the flavour well. .

Remember to spoon the sauce over a bowl of rice so that it absorbs all the essence of pork! This is what I call the taste of home:) 

:)

Take a smile and be happy! 

La cuenda por favor

El RinconcilloAddress: Calle Gerona,40, 41003 Sevilla, Spain ( Open till 1:30am)

What would you say to pay for the bill at a Spanish restaurant? " tick-toc...tick-toc... alrite it's " La cuenda por favor". This oldest tapas bar in town (since 1670) just marked the bills differently: waiter wrote the bill on the wooden bar table in front of us with a white chalk and wipe it away with wet towel when we leave! Efficient enough! .
Amid the colourful ceramic tiles on the wall, and a forest of ham hanging from the ceiling, Las Rinconcillo is always packed with locals, ordering its homemade Andalusia signature dish: Espinacas con garbanzos( spinach with chickpeas). 

It may seem boring at first glance but the spices and tendered beans will simply comfort you. And don't forget to mop up the sexy sauce with a piece of bread- Absolute heaven!

Fancy for Spanish snacks?

Freiduria La Isla
Address:García de Vinuesa 13; 41001 Seville, Spain

Wrapped up in paper cone, the freshly deep fried fish fillets and croquetas is def an option for a quick lunch or late night snack! The combination of golden brown and crisp batter and fresh fish bar is perfect. The coating just sealed the fish and keep it tender and moist. And The homemade croquetas is as cheesy as always. What a perfect match with local classic beer!

.

The best thing about this self-serving store: sells various seafood items by weight ( every 1/4 kilo) so you can mix & match items with the same price! 

Tea time completed with Buñuelo

Horchateria El Collado

Address:Plaza Doctor Collado, 13, Valencia, Spain.

Teatime isn't complete without a cup of hot chocolate and Buñuelo, a kind of freshly deep fried dough ( it's hot x1000!!!) sprinkled with sugar!! Crispy outside and moist and fluffy inside. It seems so right when all the sugar stick onto your libs and melt.

A quiet and hidden place but you can def find it out from the long queue of expectant patrons on the street! Or you can grab a take away served in paper bag- simply tip the bag to mix the heaven well! .

This eatery even demonstrated the cooking process and directly take the dough out from the rack and serve you! Omg I had it everyday here and I still want more!

Strawberry field~

One of the best ways to brighten your morning - without taking the usual caffeine route

Delicate taste of ocean

Restaurante SiemprevivaAddress: Passeig Don Joan Borbó Comte Barcelona, 7, 08003, Barcelona, Spain

Randomly picked a restaurant nestled in a city known for its fresh ocean treasures this afternoon😍 . We have ordered Mejillones al vapor( steamed mussels) and grilled prawns. The mussels are juicy and plummy; I was impressed by the shell-on prawns which were clean and moist inside. I'd say freshness is the key to the dish. Only few simple ingredients like garlic, herbs and olive oil were added. Well, who wants heavy greasy sauce that overpower it? 

The subtle and delicate taste of ocean is always paired with white wine with good reason- to call for equally light balance. If you order white wine for two person, this restaurant will give you a whole bottle of charming local Catalunya white wine. Generous enough :) 

And guess what? it's only €12 for a set meal with a starter, paella, bread and dessert served by gentleman! 

Churros that melt my heart

TampinambaAddress: Carrer de Goya 2, 08012 Barcelona Catalunia, Spain 

Wandering around the corner of Picasso museum street today and got into a traditional yet typical cafe "Tampinamba" where Spainsh usually spend their time here since 1982. a lovely place with many oil paintings on the walls in warm pink and mustardy yellow that mellows out the cafe. Chill out music, warm ambience, friendly staff. 

The freshly made chocolate with Churros just melts my heart as it always does. Stuff the deep fried dough into the hot and bittersweet cocoa and have a whole bite of it- welcome to heaven .


As we all know, churros is served at breakfast but do u know its origin? Churros were actually developed centuries ago by Spanish shepherds. Up high in the mountains, it's not quite possible to get freshly baked goods, so they made these cylindrical treats, which can be made over an open flame.

Customise your own gelato flower, petal by petal

AmorinaAddress: Calle Mayor 40, 28013 Madrid, Spain( around the Plaza Mayor) 

Do you know the difference between ice-cream and gelato? Gelato is the Italian version of ice-cream which has higher milk content and fewer cream and eggs ( or no eggs at all) than ice cream. It's served at a slightly warmer temperature so its texture stays silkier and softer.

As the benchmark gelato in every Italy store( Italy grows some of the best pistachio in the world!), pistachio is in my to-order-list when I go into any gelateria. Amorino's pistachio and Nutella is creamy, nutty but a bit too sweet for me but the mango sorbet is a perfect balance, bringing refreshing indulgence in a hot day in Madrid. And you can customise your own gelato flower, petal by petal. .
And wonder why Gelato can let the timid flavour shine through? Coz it has substantially lower % of butter fat so it won't overpower the taste of almond, pistachio or fruits! And you won't feel guilty at all to enjoy such delicacy！

Are you a burger craver?

MeatingPoint by Raza Nostra at Mercado de San Miguel

Address: Plaza San Miguel, 28005 Madrid, Spain

Enjoy a set of 4 mini burgers / tapas with freshly ground beef at San Miguel market, a place in favour of vibrant yet a bit touristy ambience. 

The buns are griddled alongside the patties, giving them an irresistible greasy sheens and topped off with Mixta and Alioli sauce. There are 12 sauces for selection (e.g. Ketchup with curry, brava, cabrales cheese sauce etc) which relish every mouthful of these burgers without any typical toppings like onions and tomatoes.

Make sure to order a glass of red wine or a typical Spanish beverage, Sangria in any store at the market while enjoying this heavenly delight along the bar tables. 

my favourite seafood tapas

Mercado de San Miguel
Address: Plaza San Miguel, 28005 Madrid, Spain

Before heading to Zaragoza, let me introduce the seafood tapas I enjoy most at the market. Tapas of Herring with Avocado is my favourite.The light avocado sauce on top works to pair the fish' natural flavor with the refreshing and light marinates. The toast brings some serious crunch and adds a necessary contrast to the tender toppings. 

Also ordered tapas with smoked salmon with drill sauce, and octopus in Galician style. Well,it can't go wrong as long as the seafood is fresh. Well matched with Sangria and let's enjoy life.

Spanish breakfast

Chocolatería San Ginés

Address: Pasadizo San Ginés, 5, 28013 Madrid, Spain

As a super duper sweet tooth, I just picked 2 whole rings of hot Churros at one of the most traditional churro stores in Madrid 😍this dough is a simple combination of flour, water, sugar and salt; and surprisingly comes from Muslim cuisine. 

My first time trying this Spanish breakfast food/ afternoon snack 😳didn't expect it's crispy outside but chewy inside ( I thought it was biscuit like).Compared with HK's deep fried stick (油炸鬼), Churro is plain ( that's why it's always a perfect match with hot chocolate fondue or icing sugar).

Home made raviolo in Spain

What's better than kickstarting a beautiful Saturday morning with some home made breakfast ? Your beloved top chef ( that would be us, lol ) proudly presents: homemade ravioli topped with finely chopped tiras and grated cheese freshly bought at the local supermecado in the backstreets of Madrid. 😍Hola from Spain! Buenos dias!

Coffee break on Wednesday with fun brain game

Main Street Cafe at Eaton
Address: Main St Cafe at LG, Eaton, Hong Kong , 380 Nathan Road Jordan.

It's not something new overseas but quite surprised to find it in Hong Kong. My first time playing numbers game on coffee sleeves which offer 3 levels of sudoku: "so simple", "okay lah", "clever clogs". An interesting brain workout throughout a busy day.

Back to the food, I have ordered skim milk caffe latte and a piece of blue berry cheesecake. The lovely coffee aroma around the cafe will just perk up your senses but sadly, the coffee smells better than it tastes. Adding extra shot would have given me a right expectation towards proper latte. Topped with only 5 humble blueberry and overly sweet jam, the cheese cake lost its original flavour. .

But what can you complain- purchasing a cake and enjoying a half price for a cup of coffee plus chilling at the cafe of Eaton Hotel as long as you wish by paying $50? .

Culinary legacy in HK- "Dai PaI Dong"勝香園 Sing Heung Yuen

勝香園 Sing Heung YuenAddress: 2 Mei Lun Street, Central

Located in a busy joint between Sheung Wan and Central, 勝香園is one of the very few "Dai PaI Dong"( outdoor foodstall) left in Hong Kong, feeding a mix of businessmen, workers and tourists. Grab a seat and eat outdoor amid skyscrapers jungle while a long queue of expectant diners standing right behind you.( it goes all the way down the street)

Everyone just drops in here to order macaroni with beef ( or instant noodles) in rich tomato broth. Surprised to find that canned tomato soup can be so thick and rich. Every single macaroni is soaked in the tomato purée. And the beef is in minimal marinate, unlike the common practice in most local restaurants( overly tenderised with soda).

Perfect match with a glass of local classic,salted lemon sprite: Citric, salty and frizzy all in one go. 勝香園is definitely on my local to-eat-list that truly represents Hong Kong! Stay tuned and I'll introduce another signature dish in 勝香園 @ next post:)