Tasting Menu at Bo Innovation

Now that I've moved past the "raw prawn" episode (see previous blog), I'd like to share the tasting menu from Bo Innovation (Hong Kong).  The description of the dish is in brackets:

TOMATO

(pat chun, "lam kok")

IBERICO 36

(morel, vermicelli) 

this was jamon wrapped around morel mushroom & vermicelli noodle. Best dish award.

FOIE GRAS

("mui choy")

COD

(white miso, saffron, sauternes, seaweed)

I took a photo of this one, it's on my FB account. Delicious!

MOLECULAR

("xiao long bao") which of course we know as shanghai dumplings. Tasted right, but weird texture.

SCALLOP

(kaffir lime, kyoho grape, passion fruit, shichimi potato)

CENTURY EGG

(pickled ginger) nothing more to say on this one.

PLATS Choose one from the following:

SUCKLING PIG (sichuan vanilla, apple, peas)

LANGOUSTINE (mustard, salty egg, cauliflower, black truffle, duck sauce)

PIGEON (wood fungus, shiitake rice cake, "choy sum")

CARABINERO RED PRAWN ("har mi", lo mein, chili, sage) - my choice

SAGA-GYU BEEF (black truffle, soy, "cheung fun") - Jamie's choice

DESSERT

PINEAPPLE

(bun, white chocolate latte)

PETIT DIM-SUM

Day 6-10, Hong Kong - Port Douglas

 

After checking out of MetroPark & dropping the bags to the city bag drop (why can't Melb have a city check-in where they take your bags to the airport for you?), we headed off to Yin Yang, a private kitchen restaurant where the emphasis is on home-style cooking. Just what I needed to settle my funny tummy.  Imagine my horror then when we got there to be told "no sorry you did not confirm yesterday of your booking". WTF? I'm on holidays & don't check my emails everyday!  "Okay" he says, "see what I can do". 

So we were served a very restricted set menu with water. Some water broccoli, some truffled scrambled egg & a clay pot mushroom & eel dish which was very bony but tasty.  Great lunch but I am disappointed as I saw other tables being served crispy duck & rice, etc. :(

Time came to fly south to Port Douglas for the start of the "relaxing" part of the holiday. There's nothing better than sharing a bottle (or three) of bubbly with friends (thx Sarah) at the Tin Shed overlooking the inlet as the sun dips below the mountains.

The next few days were spent sleeping in, then walking along Four Mile Beach with a coffee for brekkie, having a bite to eat for lunch, a dip in the pool in the afternoon followed by the usual "where should we go for dinner" conversation.

Next we sail out to the reef to see tropical fish & turtles! Stay tuned!

Julie & Jamie xox

Dinner Day 5, Bo Innovation, HKG

Day 5 dinner, Bo Innovation

A warm night, we sat on the terrace and enjoyed a glass of champers to start.

Trio of tomato, miso cod  all good then first hurdle on the fois gras.

Then we were dished up what J & I affectionately call "fart in a glass".  If you've ever been served Century Egg or Hundred-year egg in a Chinese restaurant you'll know what I'm talking about. Usually hard-boiled & grey looking, Bo Inn took the molecular approach & served century egg as a liquid poured over dry ice so that it become bubbles of gas... I doubt I now have to explain our name for it.

Then came the main part of the meal. Jamie chose the eye fillet of Wagyu beef with some black truffle which he says was delightful. I had a tougher time choosing between langoustine, pigeon, or prawn. The maitre'd highly recommended the prawn, as apparently it was the dish that got them onto the S. Pelligrino Best Restaurant list. Sure, I said confidently! Okay not so sure when it arrived, raw, and a fake head of cocktail sauce & fish roe. Not so much the taste (ok, but v fishy) it was the texture that freaked me out. There were only 3 but by the third one I was gulping water and I still feel queasy just writing about it! 

Overall a great experience and no regrets, but I will ask "how is that cooked?" in future! 

Til next time
J & J
xox

The Foxes visit Jumbo Kingdom Floating Restaurant

Day 3-5, Hong Kong

I'd always wanted to experience Jumbo Kingdom Floating Restaurant in Aberdeen Harbour since my sister went there on her honeymoon in the '80's (hi Lyn).  On Wed 31 Aug we travelled by sampan to the restaurant, where jumbo prawn crystal dumplings lived up to their name (the chunks of prawn were huge) and so fresh you'd swear the prawns were only fished out of their tank that morning.

A plate of steamed & wonderfully fresh assorted veggies accompanied the stir-fried lobster with chili & garlic crumb which sent both Jamie & I into gastronomic heaven.  IT. WAS. SO. GOOD.  The waitress was surprised when we said no to dessert, but was sympathetic when we explained we were eating our way around the island!

Thurs 1st Sept saw Jamie attending a full-day Chinese BBQ Cookery Class (where he was the only student). He had a ball, but promises to fill you in on what he learnt later (there's blowing up a duck with a mouth pump involved)!

Friday was another day of leisurely shopping (did someone say iPad2?), and that evening we had reservations at Bo Innovation, a top-class restaurant that is on many "must-do" lists when visiting HKG.  The restaurant only has tasting menus (as opposed to a la carte), and we chose the most easy to maneuver (read: cheapest option).  Even so, that was 8 courses!

I'm going to leave the description of the courses til the next blog, because as my friend Sue puts it, the blog quickly turns into "War & Peace"!

Love
Julie & Jamie
xx 

Tue 30 Aug - Zuma @ The Landmark

Tue 30 Aug, Zuma,  The Landmark Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong

On Tues night we dined at Zuma, a modern Japanese restaurant housed in The Landmark, central Hong Kong.  Really an izakaya rather than a restaurant, dishes are small & designed to be shared, like the tapas style of dining that has swept the world.

Starting the evening with a champagne & Crown Lager on a balmy 27  degree night,  Sevva serves drinks whilst overlooking the banking district on Hong Kong Island.  We moved from the terrace to our table at Zuma & shared some moorish edamame, steamed & sprinkled with sea salt.  Wash that down with a chilled glass of Italian Pinot Grigio, and you have one happy duck!

Soft-shelled crab with a fresh cucumber & coriander salad helped cut through the slight oil of the deep fryer, whilst the grilled scallops with daikon & black sesame seed was a mouth pop sensation.

The highlight of the meal however was the spicy wagyu beef, less than the size of a fist, sliced and cooked to perfection.  Grilled jumbo prawns (more the size of scampi than prawn!) were served sliced & back in the shell.  A wonderful fresh seafood finish to the meal.  

Of course we returned to the terrace at Sevva for a night-cap, and to watch the Island slowly turn off its lights in preparation for another day of drinking, dining and high-flying deals!

Tune in next time to read about Jamie's cookery class!

Julie & Jamie
xx

Hong Kong, Days 1-2

After almost being denied entry into Hong Kong (again!) we dropped our bags at our hotel & set off for some unbelievable yum-cha.  Ahhh some things never change.

The restorative powers of yum-cha are not to be sniffed at, or rushed, so after a leisurely lunch & watching the passing parade, we couldn't help but stop off & purchase the necessities. For me, that means make-up, skin care, clothes & most importantly SHOES, and for Jamie, gadgets, shirts, and BBQ Sausage Mong Kok style flavored chips. I know.

Dinner on day 1 was at the Michelin-starred Morton's of Chicago. You wouldn't expect a steakhouse to be so popular in HKG, right? But Morton's is in the Sheraton & I guess they get a lot of Americans staying there.  Whatever, because I chose the filet mignon, which was the tenderest piece of meat I've eaten in a long time.  Such a great evening, only slightly off put by the fact that Morton's is one of THE destinations for special birthday dinners, with the staff singing "Happy Birthday" six times while we were there, and that's on a Monday night!!

Day two was slightly more low-key, with us not getting moving until 11am, brunch followed by more shopping, and a refreshing dip in our rooftop pool. Tonight we are dining at Zuma at The Landmark Oriental hotel.  Supposed to be a top class Japanese restaurant, and the way my tummy's grumbling, I just hope service is up to speed!

Photos will follow on Facebook in the near future! Til next time

Julie & Jamie
xox

The Adventure Awaits...

The Travelling Foxes are flying off to Hong Kong (yes, again) on Sunday, 28 Aug.

We are looking forward to the authentic yum-cha, the great shopping, the culture and of course the wonderful dining.

After 6 days of indulgence, we fly overnight to Cairns & transfer to the wonderfully peaceful enclave of Port Douglas, for some serious R&R.  So the way I see it, go hard in Hong Kong, sleep it off in Port Douglas.  The Hangover II has got nothing on us...

Til very soon,

The Travelling Foxes
xox

Loooong Cold Winter

Boat on Albert Park Lake, Melbourne

We are currently in what you'd call the "depths of winter" here in Melbourne..:( 

Because we are OVER it, the Travelling Foxes are only 4.3 weeks away from jetting off somewhere warm, namely HONG KONG.  Followed a week later by a stint in tropical PORT DOUGLAS, and you have the makings of a lovely 2-week holiday (smiles all round).


Because we love travelling, and we travel on our stomachs, I have put together a "gourmet selection" of restaurants we will be dining at while in HKG.  In no particular order, we are looking forward to sampling the fare at:

1. Bo Innovation
2. Yin Yang Private Kitchen
3. Zuma, Landmark Mandarin Oriental
4. Morton's of Chicago

Jamie is also doing a full-day Chinese BBQ & Wok Cookery class, where he will be learning Char Sui Pork and other wok delights!

We are going the spontaneous dining route in Port Douglas, so stay tuned for reviews of the restaurants (& photos) while we are away!

Julie & Jamie

Trip plans 2011

Because it's our favourite city in the world (and Foxy's too) we were thinking about going to Hong Kong in August.  Then we realised that we need a "holiday", you know, the type that you just lie around, eat, drink cocktails, eat, sleep, eat, etc.!

So we're thinking Port Douglas in August.  We've got to survive a long, cold winter in Melbourne, so somewhere tropical, where they speak the language & accept AUD is very appealing!

Already looking forward to lying by the pool & not having a care in the world!

Julie & Jamie Fox