Hu Tong Dumpling Bar

Hu Tong
14-16 Market Lane
Melbourne, VIC 3000
Ph : (03) 9650 8128

Situated opposite the much lauded Flower Drum, the three-level Hu Tong has become one of Melbourne’s most popular CBD restaurants and Xiao Long Bao destinations. In the mood for some food of the dumpling kind, I made my way there for an early lunch at about noon. Apparently, noon isn’t early by Hu Tong standards, as they were already almost-full, and within about 15 minutes or so after my arrival, they had to turn people away.

Comfortably ensconced at a window table and fairly hungry despite the early hour, I decided to go with old favourites instead of ordering dumplings (no, XLB are not dumplings, 'bao' means 'bun'), both as a point of comparison and because sometimes, all you need is comfort food. Preferably involving a chilli kick.

Xiao Long Bao ($11.80)

Nicely pleated and looking as though they had little skirts, the XLB were borderline scorchingly hot, just as I like them. The skin nicely translucent, the filling juicy, well seasoned, and the burst of a good clear flavoursome broth (with added vinegar) just what I needed. Some of the better XLBs I’ve had in Australia.

Hot and Sour soup ($6.00)

A good sized serving (enough for two bowls), this is what I’d been hanging out for. The balance between the ‘hot’ and the ‘sour’ seems to be a somewhat subjective thing. I suspect I like mine a fraction more sour than most. In any event, this example wasn’t bad at all, with a reasonable amount of chilli, an absence of the too-much-added-cornflour syndrome, and some nice depth to it. Not amongst my top hot and sour soup experiences, but then again I have found it difficult to find a good one in Sydney, and I’d consider ordering the Hu Tong one again if I was there.

Spring onion pancake ($6.50)

More attractively presented than that in many places (though smaller in quantity) and touted as a ‘house special’, the pancake’s layers were light and crisp but not too oily. The amount of spring onions fairly decent; too few and the pancake becomes a tad on the bland side. Not inexpensive, but as it was a lot better than some I've had in the past year, worth it.

All in all, the location of Melbourne’s most popular XLB was a pleasant experience both food and service wise, and I’d be happy to revisit Hu Tong on any future trip to Melbourne. 

[AP]

Golden Fields

Golden Fields
157 Fitzroy St
St Kilda,
VIC 3182
Ph : (03) 9525 4488

I try to avoid reading much about hyped up restaurants, as there is a point at which the same superlatives seem to be used, the same dishes eaten, and it all becomes a big overexcited blur. I also have a tendency to veer away from restaurants with too much early buzz, mostly because of natural caution towards laudatory excess.

Nonetheless, I decided to visit Golden Fields, hype and all. Situated amidst the noise and restaurant overload of Fitzroy Street, they do not take bookings, so we arrived at just 6.15pm or so to find that it was still fairly empty, though it reached table (but not bar) capacity up later on that evening.

Golden Fields is large, filled with shiny sleek surfaces that exuberantly inflate the noise of a full house; if you want a quiet conversation over a meal, don’t come here.

It took a little while for things to get started in terms of being able to get anyone’s attention, but after we placed our order, the first in what turned out to be a trip down taste memory lane arrived – pumpkin seeds.

If I had to describe these with one word, it would be ‘salty’. Initially they seemed too salty, but the reptitive motion of picking one up and putting it in my mouth became strangely addictive, and I can see how they would work well with a beer.

Inevitably, we ordered the New England lobster roll, hot buttered bun, cold poached crayfish, watercress and Kewpie ($15).

Red Chilli Sichuan Restaurant

Now a restaurant group consisting of five restaurants in Haymarket (the Dixon St branch is one of two), Burwood, Chatswood and Glebe, the one on Dixon St is the original, opened in 2002. Although notionally on Dixon, the entrance is in fact on Little Hay St, up a flight of stairs. 

Covering several floors, the restaurant was already buzzing with early diners by the time of our arrival at 630pm. Space is a premium, and tables are situated fairly close together, though not closely enough to be of any discomfort.

Although dining with people with a tolerance for chilli, the dishes selected turn out to be probably the mildest dishes available there, and it certainly was quite a different experience to my previous visits to Red Chilli 2.

Shredded Jellyfish and Cucumber Salad ($8.80)

The jellyfish dish was my choice, selected because it is one of my favourite starters. (it's sometimes  includes shredded chicken, as well). I enjoy the coldness, the crunch and the texture. It was the others' first experience with jellyfish served in this manner, and for them, it was an interesting but successful experience. The cucumber was still crisp and the light dressing's sesame taste not too overwhelming. As the jellyfish has no inherent taste of its own, the dressing is the key.

Shredded tripe with Sichuan chilli and pepper sauce

Confession - I did not eat this dish, so all views expressed are those of the others. They are big tripe eaters, and had expected something different (as in a hot rather than a cold dish), an assumption which I had not realised until it came out. That all being said, it was one of their favourite dishes that night; they enjoyed the textures of the tripe, and did not find the chilli sauce too overwhelmingly chilli.

Xia Fei Shanghainese Restaurant

Xia Fei
Shop 26-7, B2
K11 Mall
18 Hanoi Rd
Tsim Sha Tsui
Hong Kong
Ph : +852 2801 6111

Before arriving in Hong Kong I'd gone trawling online for places to try. Xia Fei, a relatively new restaurant at the time, ended up on the list, but I can't seem to recall the whys and wheres of it. The name "Xia Fei" comes from the road of the same name back in the era of foreign concessions in old Shanghai - Avenue Joffre (now called Huai Hai Lu).

And so it was that I found myself at this restaurant, which is situated at the end of one of the myriad of corridors in the K11 mall.

Sportful Garden Restaurant

Sportful Garden Restaurant
G/F, Eton Tower
8 Hysan Avenue
Causeway Bay
Hong Kong
Ph: +85225762008

I am not quite sure about why the Sportful Garden chain of (nine) restaurants goes by this name, but English name aside, I was staying in the Causeway Bay area, feeling like some yum cha, and was there on a family recommendation.

Situated in a large comfortable second level space, this restaurant is a mid-range Yum Cha option. With friendly and professional staff, the menu is in both Chinese and English, but on this occasion, it was very much a local crowd dining there.

Spring rolls. Pan fried turnip cake.

Pan fried turnip cake is a dim sum favourite of mine, and this one, presented in a more thought-out manner than most places, was hot, slightly crispy on the top and bottom (one of my pet peeves being turnip cake that has not been pan fried for long enough and has no crispiness), and with a nice balance of the turnip cake and the sausage that forms part of it. 

The spring rolls, not normally something I would order, had a wonderfully light crunchy exterior, the filling generous but not too heavy. I would order these again.

Crystal Jade : Causeway Bay, Hong Kong

Crystal Jade La Mian Xiao Long Bao
Shop B221A, Times Square
Causeway Bay
Hong Kong
Ph: (852) 2506 0080

Ten countries, and with ten branches in Hong Kong alone, the Jade Crystal Group is a dining behemoth that I would be happy to see in Australia. Having eaten at a few branches  over the years, and a variety of dishes, I can state that the standard is good, and it is consistent. It is also better than most similar places in Sydney, in my view.

Hot and sour soup (HKD35)

This photo is deceptive, as it was a good sized serving. Not too hot, nor too sour or vinegary (and I do like my vinegar), nicely balanced, and not containing the excessive cornflour that this soup sometimes seems to 'attract'. I'd have liked a bit more chilli component, but that's a very subjective preference, as I tend to like this soup with a bit more of a punch.

Xiao long bao (HKD28)

Well pleated, the skin thin and transluscent, the sweet rich broth so tongue scorchingly hot (as I like it) that you have to wait until it cools down enough to eat, this mainstay of the cuisine and cult bun (not a dumpling, as many seem to call it) is a form of comfort food, and Crystal Jade's hit that comfort spot. I've commented on the consistency of the restaurants, this is one example of this.

Luk Yu Tea House : Hong Kong

Luk Yu Tea House
24 Stanley St
Central
Hong Kong
Ph : +852 2523 5464

Luk Yu Tea House gets its name from the Tang dynasty poet Lu Yu, who wrote the legendary 'The Classic of Tea'. An establishment dating back to 1933, its decor hasn't  really changed since.  It has three levels and the first floor is said to be reserved for its loyal customers. This story seems to have been repeated so many times that it has gained currency through sheer decades long repetition to develop an almost myth-like status. Based on my personal experience, regulars have 'their' tables on 'their floors', and that this 'first floor only' story is just that, a story.

Although the basic menu stays the same (there are menus in Chinese, English and Japanese, to my knowledge), there are regular 'specials', so this menu, which you fill in yourself and hand to the waiter, changes weekly. 

Meet Fresh

Meet Fresh Taiwanese Dessert
13 Goulburn St
(corner of Dixon Street mall)
Haymarket, Sydney
Tel: (02) 8339 1031

Open: 7 days 11am until late

Taiwan loves its desserts.  Often eaten as a street food type of snack, beverages like pearl milk tea and sweet treats like shaved ice and tofu pudding are a few of the local specialties Taiwan is known for, and which, in the case of the pearl teas, have become increasingly popular in Australia.

Now it's the time for Taiwanese desserts to make their mark in Sydney, and in the case of Meet Fresh (on the site of the old Daniang Dumpling), for the company to open its first Australian franchise. Having been open since mid September, although the queues are not as lengthy as they were in the first month or so, they are still doing a healthy steady trade, if my random walks past there are any indication.

 

 Red Bean with milk ice ($6.60)

Good news for the red bean fans - a generous serve, with a lot (perhaps too much) ice, sweetened milk, and the usual suspects, this is almost a meal unto itself, and will satiate. For those of us like myself who are fairly much nonplussed by red beans, it is still an enjoyable and refreshing dessert, as the beans are not too dominant taste wise.

Taste of Shanghai

Taste of Shanghai

Shop 9.07

Lower Ground Level

World Square

644 George St

Sydney NSW 2000

Ph: (02) 9261 8832

The appearance of a third branch in the Taste of Shanghai mini chain of restaurants at World Square in the latter part of last year, the other two being in Ashfield and Eastwood, was a welcome one.  I have been there a few times now, but have not been bothered to photograph what I've eaten, so you will just have to let your imagination run within the limited scope of riot that a suburban Sydney Shanghainese restaurant allows. 

This post is from a meal that I had at the beginning of this year.  They were three dishes which I'd not previously had at any Taste of Shanghai, and as they are not the ubiquitous Xiao Long Bao, Shallot Cakes or dumplings of whatever iteration, I decided to drag these photos out for an airing.

Flour tendon with Vegetables in Hotpot ($15.50)

This hot pot is on the more simple end of the vegetarian spectrum, but it was nonetheless quite a flavour filled mix of vegetables in a generous serving of almost broth like sauce, the flour tendons light and airy, but with a nice chewy consistency.

Eight Treasure Diced Pork in Mild Chilli Sauce ($8.80)

The "eight treasures" referred to in this dish is not unique to pork, as the "eight treasure" combination is also used for other meats, and often in medicinal soups. The number refers to the use of eight different ingredients to accompany the core ingredient, in this case, pork.  Unfortunately, I forgot to note down those that I could identify at the time, but I do recall wood ear fungus and gingko nuts.  The pork was tender and well cooked. 

Patek Philippe : Basel 2010

A few weeks ago, your humble HK Tarter manage to score an invitation to the most anticipated collection exhibit this year – the 2010 Patek Philippe Basel releases.

The event was hosted by the Hour Glass Hong Kong and held at a pretty nice hotel. The first reader to guess the venue gets a minute repeater*.

The Golden Goose

Golden Century

393 Sussex St

Haymarket NSW 2000

Ph : (02) 9212 3901

All the hype, all the excitement, all the schoolgirl giddiness could not have prepared you for the amazingness that is the ultimate in niche avian dining experience – #goosefest2010!

Yes there were one or two tweeps who were concerned that the event could not possibly live up to the expectations. Plus out of the ten courses the famed goose will only feature, alas, in two.  The initial idea of a single table exploded, and the waiting line extended long and far in a 4square town such that even the mayors hath no say in whether or not they got a seat in the inaugural goosefest. 

The immense popularity of it all made it (sort of) a trending topic on Twitter (albeit a fairly localised one). The reputation of the goosefest preceded it by a long shot, and even spread overseas.

Amongst some of us, it got to the point were some people couldn't wait for the fateful Wednesday to come around; the waiting was akin to the trepidation felt as a rollercoaster takes you higher and higher with that imminent rush just over the apex.

The Roast Thirlmere Goose

I suppose the most important thing that everyone wants to know is, “so how was the goose?”

Sorry. Not just yet. But for those of you who know not the definition of patience and want to know everything RIGHT NOW in this instant-noodle-microwave-cooking-just-add-water instant gratification world that we live in… you’re reading the wrong blog. Plus you can always just scroll down to the bottom of the page to find out the verdict.

#goosefest2010 was organised primarily over Twitter by @urbanfoodmarket and @aptronym. What was planned to be one table ballooned out to three. Even then people were still asking if they are able to come along. I think judging from the success of the first goosefest, a second is all but a forgone conclusion. And I believe there are now many, many more goose followers… 

Before I go any further, and it could just be me, but I needed to Google "goose" to find out what a goose looks like. For the life of me I just couldn't picture one! 

Here’s a picture of a goose I found on the interwebs, next to a duck. Ducks, apparently, have shorter necks and legs compared to a goose, amongst other anatomical differences. But as presented on the table as a dish, it looks suspiciously like a duck.

The Goose

The Duck

(Both pictures taken from the internet)

For #goosefest2010 we opted for the banquet menu, and at $40 per person, $45 to include corkage for BYO, it’s a real bargain. And considering the amount of food present, it is amazingly great value.  A quick description of the geese on @urbanfoodmarket website here. 

This was the banquet menu :

1. Cold Cut BBQ meats platter

2. Roast Goose

3. Prawns sautéed Szechuan style

4. Scallops sautéed with Honey Beans

5. Steamed live fish

6. Peipa Tofu (for some reason this dish seemed to have been gone awol at some point)

7. Beef with black pepper

8. Crispy skinned chicken

9. Poached vegetables with Oyster Sauce

10. Goose Fried Rice

11. Boiled Rice

12. Fruit platter and cookies

I didn’t get around to taking photos of all the courses as some tweeps (I won’t mention names here hehe), were very hungry and couldn’t wait to dig into the food, despite protests of, “Hang on! I need to take a photo...” but I think I managed to capture most of the interesting/ tasty dishes. So here they are in picture form:

Cold Cut BBQ meats platter

Roast Goose

Steamed live fish - still one of my favourites. The sauce goes great with boiled rice.

Scallops sautéed with Honey Beans

Prawns sautéed Szechuan style

Goose Fried Rice

Beef with black pepper

Crispy skinned chicken

I didn't take photos of the poached vegetables with oyster sauce- this is the same as that dish you get when you go to yum cha. We did realise afterwards that the pei-pa tofu never surfaced... strange. Perhaps in all the excitement it was missed and forgotten about??

We need more room!

The deal was BYO, and we had a couple of wines to go with the banquet. First up amongst the Tarts was a pinot which went very well with the goose, and  then a reisling, which went extremely well with the rest of the dishes.

2007 Clyde Park Pinot Noir 

Tasting notes segue - A complex array of dark berry fruits harmoniously melds with aromas of plums and black cherries. Subtle floral notes combined with spice, earthiness and toasty oak to fill out the nose. The palate is long and generous, with concentrated flavours of dark cherry, plum and  spice, around toasty French oak. A complex mid-palate is supported by a framework of ripe silky tannin.

2008 Leeuwin Estate riesling 

This riesling opens with intense aromatics: the perfume of lime and citrus flowers in general are immediately apparent. There is also a fruity fullness like sweet grapefruit underpinning the lift adding volume and depth to the nose. The palate is richly citrus and clean with the natural acidity perfectly balancing the fruit. 

Ok. So what does goose taste like?

It’s chewier, meatier, and has more intensity than duck. For those who for some reason can’t eat duck, but still like that sort of taste, I can highly recommend the goose. I cannot remember if I’ve ever eaten goose before, but I think I have found something else I enjoy immensely. You know something? I’m not so sure that I can go back to eating duck again after this. I need some time. And I reckon a goose would be great in Peking style. Next up, Peking Goose!

And it's not a tarts blog without some watch shots now, is it?

Pictured:  three of the many watches present on the night. Not pictured, but spotted, were Rolex Lady Datejust, Rolex Vintage Air King, Tissot two-tone PR50, Tag Heuer Kirium, Tag Heuer 2000 Classic amongst others...

Sinn U1

Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Squadra Hometime

Vintage Omega Marine Chronometre

It was great to meet some of the tweeps for the first time, and to put aliases to faces. I’m happy to announce that no one was a psychopath…

A huge thanks to @urbanfoodmarket for donating the geese and for the opportunity to be guinea pigs in the goose venture. Also big thanks to @aptronym for helping to get the whole night organised. I’m sure it wasn’t easy.

For those who missed out this time around, make sure you get in early for the next goosefest! 

As mentioned previously, the cost of #goosefest2010 was $40pp, and the geese, all four of them, which were kindly donated for the evening by the dinner's sponsor - the one and only Tim of urban food market.

And in green we have Tim - purveyor of geese and other juicy meats.

(in the Twitterverse, he is also known as Ava's dad)

Some photos of the goose lovers :

Videos of the event, taken by Reem, can be viewed here, here, here and here.

P.S. This post included Twitter jargon. if you need to find out what they mean, please join Twitter.

[Onomatopia]

The first rule of Duck Club.....

Well it all started with a blog entry on Peking Duck that lead to one of the member of  "The Sydney Tarts" (TM pending) suggesting that Peking Duck matches well with pinot noir. That lead to another member taking the initiative and organising the final Tarts GTG, called "Duck Club 2009".

By 730pm, most of DCers had arrived at the Golden Century in Chinatown. Our resident sommelier, Dr DY, picked out a selection of wines for the occasion (the Cyder taking the place of another bottle which had decided to sneak into a corner and hide).

(left to right) Agrapart et Fils Champagne,

2002 Duck Creek Estate Springflat Shiraz,

2008 Shaw and Smith M3 Chardonnay, 2004 Bindi Original Block Pinot Noir,

2009 Norfolk Still Cyder, 1999 Louis Latour 1st Cru Burgundy  

We started the celebration with an Agrapart et Fils Champagne.

While we waited and before we got too umm "happy", the obligatory wrist and table shots of the timepieces for the night were in order.

Table shot of the watches