The Vanilla Series: 3 Vanilla Cupcake

Cupcake Bakeshop by Chockylit has always been one of my favourite sites to ogle at for its beautiful photographs of intricately-made cupcakes. Therefore, as a present for the GMG + significant others at tomorrow’s long-awaited reunion, I decided to make use of this recipe and the last pod to whip up something special. That said, the 3 Vanilla Cupcake (with Vanilla frosting) should definitely also be in the running for the ultimate vanilla recipe. It uses vanilla extract, vanilla seeds AND vanilla sugar (which fortunately I had on hand due to me saving the scraped-out pods in caster sugar).

For extremely clear instructions, you should click on the link to the site. I simply halved the recipe, cut down on the sugar content in the cupcake, and used light cream cheese for the frosting. Also, I didn’t sprinkle vanilla salt.

 

To add an individualised touch to the cupcake, I used my rainbow pearls (bought in Hong Kong way back in August last year at a supermarket in Tung Chung) to spell out the first letter of each of their names.

Glad to have met up, GMGs!

With this final post, I come to the end of The Vanilla Series, which I thoroughly enjoyed conceptualising (I like how this word makes it sound as though I did lots of planning and strategising). For future posts, I would definitely like to come up with more themes, perhaps lemon zest, or coconut, or purple food or whatever crazy ideas you guys would like me to try out. Just leave me a comment, and I’m game!

Also, this hurried chain of posting was not because I went mad. Rather, by tomorrow, I will be on my way to eating around Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka until the 3rd of July. I won’t be posting until then, I think.

So little money, so much food to try – Japan, here I come!

 

 

Dessert Tour in Central, Hong Kong

During this trip to Hong Kong, I was very fortunate to have made a new friend whom I shall introduce as The Architect (as seen in The Matrix) of The Brunch Club. Like me, she has a passion for food and baking, and thus invited me on a dessert tour, visiting dessert places around Central that I hadn’t been to, one rainy afternoon.

First up, a bit about The Brunch Club. I’m proud to say that I have visited the cafe at least once in every of my trips to Hong Kong. The first thing that strikes you when you step in is how cozy the place is. There are several tables with sofas, which is perfect for a lazy afternoon with some tea, dessert and of course, catching up on your gossip, fashion, world events etc from the wide variety of magazines available for browsing (and for sale as well).

Note our choice of reading material

We had the salmon omelette (I forgot if it was with bacon or cheese) which comes with toast, a hashbrown and salad. It was delicious and quite enough for two to share. What I like about The Brunch Club is how it isn’t just a cafe to get coffee. It’s like a place to chill with friends, meet new people and basically spend an afternoon away from the hustle of Hong Kong. In the coming year ahead, I definitely see it as one of the places I’ll be spending time in on the weekends.

Okay, back to the tour.

Sweet Secrets (Address: 32 Lyndhurst Terrace, Central, 2542-2816)

We shared the Chocolate Mousse Cheesecake, which came with a side of fruit and mango sauce. The cake was smooth, and the cheese/chocolate textures and tastes blended well together. The only gripe I had was the addition of the mango sauce, which basically added a confusing level of sweet tartness to the flavours. In any case, I would definitely go back to Sweet Secrets if I ever had a cheesecake craving.

Cake-a-licious (Address: Lower Ground Floor, 11 Lyndhurst Terrace,, Central, 28152218)

First of all, the name is simply adorable and very to the point. I always look down into the shop, which is located in the basement, as I walk past, and see an assortment of colourful cupcakes on display. I decided to try the Lemon Cupcake, as I wanted something zesty.

I find that unlike other forms of dessert, the simpler and more unadulterated a cupcake is, the better it tastes. This cupcake fit the bill and left a slightly tart aftertaste without being too saccharine sweet.

Sift Dessert Bar (Address: 46 Graham Street G/F Central Tel: 25304288)

I was particularly excited to go to this place because of a reason that I will reveal in July. Sift Dessert Bar pairs desserts with wine, which is a novel concept that is slowing gaining momentum in Singapore (read: 2am:dessertbar). It has an open-kitchen concept, where you can see your dessert being made behind the bar. However, 3pm is rather early for alcohol inhalation, so we settled on:

Sift Chocolate Cake – There is one chocolate cake that I can never resist, and that is one with hazelnut praline in it (I have always wanted to replicate such a cake at home). Every bite of premium chocolate mousse and hazelnut crunch bits was simply heavenly.

My friend’s order was the Ispahan, which, according to the website, is an “homage to Pierre Herme”.  The lychee ice-cream was incredibly cleansing to the palette, which provided a contrast to the raspberry macaroon filled with lychee buttercream and fresh raspberries.

To say the least, I was on an induced sugar high at the end of the tour, and for several days after that. Of course, for me, desserts always are well worth it. Thank you, The Architect!

“Hiking” at The Peak + Le Petit Paris + Famous actor sighting

Day 6: The Peak (not much eating, just lots of walking)

We spent the morning of Day 6 strolling on The Peak, which is quite a fun, leisurely weekend thing to do. There were some points where our route was almost deterred by the mud, but we managed to come out unscathed and somewhat clean.

 

Michelle really takes very amazing photographs.

This could be a postcard.

Notice Michelle is holding an empty ice cream cone – it used to hold hazelnut gelato.

Day 7: Tea at Le Petit Paris

Address: IFC

If you didn’t have tea in the afternoon while on a holiday in Hong Kong, you would have missed a quintessential experience redolent of its colonial past. So we did just that. Fortunately, the IFC is just an escalator down our place, providing ample choices for our tea party for two. Eventually we settled on Le Petit Paris, which has a lovely harbour view.

Alas, the window seats were not open to tea lovers such as ourselves (only for dinner). Our tea set consisted of four dessert samplings as shown below.

 

From the left:

1. Raspberry mousse with a gelatinous texture – A tad too tart for my liking, but I guess it helped to counter the sweetness of the other desserts.

2. Caramel toffee mud cake – This actually gave Michelle a headache. Perhaps it was much too intense in its flavours.

3. Chocolate tart with raspberries – I liked that they didn’t over-sweeten the cocoa pudding. However, three quarters in, I started to feel like I was eating cocoa powder in the raw.  

4. Cheesecake with raisins, I think – My favourite of the lot. It came slightly frozen, which triggered lovely Sara Lee memories. The texture and flavours were evenly balanced. Yum.

Tea is fun.

After Michelle left for Singapore, I went down to Sang Kee Congee Shop (Address: G/F 7-9 Burd Street, Sheung Wan, 852-2541-1099, 6.30am – 9pm). In the guide, it had shown a very schintillating photograph of its Crab Congee, where it used whole female crabs, and you could stir in the roe. Sadly, there was no crab congee in the menu (perhaps it wasn’t the right season). In any case, I ordered what the guy next to me was having – Fish Congee – and wasn’t disappointed. There were whole large chunks of sweet fresh and light fish meat, which I dipped in the prepared soy and spring onion sauce.

Just when I was deep in concentration in trying to dissect the fish chunks to avoid inhaling bones of any sort, I recognised this Hong Kong veteran actor who was seated right next to me at the table! At first I couldn’t put a name to his face, but I knew I had seen him in several old Hong Kong movies and even a Singapore-produced drama serial (Brave New World – or Xin Ah Lang) back in the 1990s.

The Internet eventually provided the answer – Lau Siu Ming – who has been in several iconic films, namely A Chinese Ghost Story (as the Tree Demon), Police Story (starring Jackie Chan) and Swordsman. Amazing. I was quite awe-struck, I must say, and tried to maintain an elegant demeanor while tackling my fish. Haha. 

I love celebrity sightings!

 

Things I ate in Hong Kong (part 3)

Day 5: Dinner with Cora at Chao Lou restaurant

Address: Address: 10/F, 1 Peking Road, Tsim Sha Tsui

On Day 5, we met up with Cora, a fellow foodie who really knows her stuff (she has tried so many restaurants and cafes that I think she should come up with her own Michelin guide!), for dinner at Chao Lou Restaurant, which specialises in Teochew food.

First piece of evidence of her great foodie status – she specifically picked the table which had a magnificent view of Hong Kong and its harbour. I felt as though we were eating amidst the clouds, looking far into the lit-up Hong Kong night.

Second piece of evidence – She managed to get the kitchen to make their Teochew specialities on that night when the restaurant was serving from a special Father’s Day set menu, which consisted of shark’s fin and abalone dishes, basically stuff we didn’t want to order. 

Stuff she ordered:

I like duck. I like lotus roots. I like braised stuff. Therefore, I like this dish.

 

Fried taro and shrimp cakes.

Sliced fish congee – heavenly

Taro chips with coconut sugar – quite avant-garde, I must say. It’s like a dessert AND a savoury in one dish.

Day 5: Dessert at Tang Chao (The Sweet Dynasty)

Address: Somewhere in Tsim Sha Tsui

Opposite the restaurant, which specialises in tong shui, is Louis Vuitton. If you can’t afford anything in it (like myself), you take a photograph outside it!

We had the almond paste dessert and a mixed fruit beancurd pudding. I preferred the former, which had the right amount of sweetness and is said to help improve one’s complexion (what’s not to like about a dessert like that!).

After dessert, we adjourned to Cora’s place, which I hope, one day, I can live in. Nuff’ said.

Things I ate in Hong Kong (Part 2)

Day 2: Breakfast at Wai Kee Congee Shop
Address: 82, Stanley Street, Central

This place is very very local. It’s located behind some da pai dang (roadside hawkers) and construction work. Again, the patrons there are older Hong Kongers wanting to fill their stomachs without any hassle. While we were there, Michelle and I felt that we were “cramping their style”. I liked the fried dough fritters (or you tiao, as Singaporeans know it), which was as crispy as biscuit. The steamed carrot cake has a fragrant light aftertaste. The congee is super affordable, about HK$14 (S$2.50), and basically fills you up with its smooth texture.

Michelle gives a thumbs-up!

Day 2: Lunch at The Corner Cafe

Address: Disneyland Hong Kong

You cannot leave Disneyland without having the Mickey Mouse-shaped Waffles! But I did. Haha. I was so hungry after a day of show-a-watching, ride-a-sitting and photo-a-taking, I gulpped down a warm bowl of Japanese ramen with deep-fried prawns, and watched Michelle enjoy her waffles with chocolate and vanilla ice-cream.

I love Mickey’s “act-cool” pose!

Day 3: Brunch at Ho Choi Restaurant

Address: Cleverly Street, Sheung Wan

I go here pretty often for dim sum. This place was recommended to us by a taxi-driver, so by default it HAD TO be good!

Snack: Ji Dan Zai (Egg Balls) at Mong Kok

Address: I didn’t take note as it was raining heavily but it was somewhere in Mongkok.

This is like a crispy thin pancake in the shape of small balls. Very yummy and good for a peckish self.

I’m holding an “Egg Kiddo” – literally translated from Ji Dan Zai.

Things I ate in Hong Kong (Part 1)

To aid my good friend and I in this quest to eat well in Hong Kong, I brought along an old 8-days magazine (an entertainment weekly magazine in Singapore) supplement, EAT YOUR WAY AROUND HONG KONG. It lists the best 50 eateries chosen by four well-known foodies in the region. What I like about this guide is:

1. It provides names of really local, authentic and down-to-earth restaurants (which I will explain more this post).  

2. It gives good directions and tips (like which dishes are offered in which seasons in certain restaurants). Moreover, it’s organised neatly into breakfast, lunch, dinner, supper AND dessert.

3. It’s so handy to take along.

Anyway, this information is probably useless to you since you probably can no longer get hold of a copy. Thus, I’ll be providing the addresses of those restaurants that I visited, because I’m nice. Also, there are some places that we went to without the help of the guide.

Note: All photographs posted are courtesy of my very good friend, who has extremely good camera skills. Without her, this post would have been a string of my boring words.

Upon arrival: Dinner at Wong Chi Kei

Address: #1950 15B, Wellington Street, Central

Although Wong Chi Kei seems quite commercial (having opened a branch in the Terminal One of the Hong Kong International Airport and all), it actually has quite a prominent history in the culinary world in Hong Kong. The prawn dumplings are yummy, as they not only use large whole prawns in each dumplings, they also add in black fungus strips, giving it CRUNCH. That night, I had the minced pork and century egg porridge, which has more of a rice-in-water consistency, and not so homogeneous like congee.

 

Day 2: Breakfast at Lin Heung Tea House

Address: G/F, 160-164 Wellington St, Central Hong Kong (852) 2544 4556

This tea house is apparently one of the oldest institutions for dim sum, which is the breakfast staple for many Hong Kongers, young and old. It was a rainy day, and we stepped into a packed restaurant  filled mostly with older uncles going about their daily ritual of reading the newspaper while slowing savouring their savoury and sweet snacks. Apparently, this place is famous for their da pau, or big buns (in a non-lewd way), filled with chicken and egg. 

However, we didn’t have any of that. In fact, we seemed rather out of place, considering we were probably the youngest and most brightly-dressed individuals in there (I had to choose that day to wear my multi-coloured floral dress. No wonder the guy next to me gave me weird looks.). The trolley-pushing ladies, who eerily resembled one another, seemed rather irritated by our lack of Cantonese knowledge. In the end, we resorted to the universal way of ordering – looking and pointing.

Fortunately, considering our dismal ordering skills, we actually managed to order quite delicious dim sum dishes.

The trolley-aunties all kinda look like that. Which was really confusing as my friend and I were constantly wondering whether we had already inspected the contents of each trolley.

 

 

Day 1: Lunch at Watami

Address: Causeway Bay MTR (one level below Times Square basement)

The menu gives you a wide range of Japanese dishes, extending beyond the sushi and sashimi. I went for the stir-fried pork and vegetables, while my friend had the fried tofu drenched in cheese. 

 

Dinner: Takeaway from Yung Kee

Address: 32-40 Wellington Street, Central, Hong Kong 

The last time I blogged about Yung Kee goose and roasted char siew meat rice, I was raving about the “delicious-ness of it all”. I still love it, but probably not as much as the previous time I was here.  Maybe I have too high expectations, or perhaps their standards have dropped, I don’t know. The feeling has changed. In any case, it’s still a must-try for people who want to get a hunk of that Hong Kong goose in them. I would advise you to order takeaway instead of eating in, which is exorbitant (a goose leg costs HK$150 which is equivalent to about S$27!!!! For a leg, mind you!).

Just me and my Yung Kee

Whew, Day 1 is over! Day 2 coming up!