I was writing this review when I came across the news of the sudden death of Austin Hu, the Chinese-American chef behind this restaurant and many other culinary enterprises in town. I did not know him. I think I never met him. Still it is a shocking news as I have enjoyed the cuisine of Heritage by Madison for several months. Let this review be an homage to his work
The visit
I began visiting the restaurant back in June 2020 in the post Covid-19 Shanghai.
It is located at the Bund Finance Center, along with the Fosun Foundation building, a designer’s mall (in the basement of the plaza) and more. Recently a Baker and Spice location opened nearby. They usually have weekend markets and the exhibitions at the Fosun Foundation, when not overly commercial, may be interesting.
The interior is slick and modern. On a nice day there is a lot of competition to secure the outdoor seats.
What I immediately liked was a streamlined menu and straightforward dishes mixing Western and Chinese elements. Austin Hu’s hallmark. I have tried almost half of the items on the menu, here’s some of my favorites.
Among the appetizers, the assorted pickles including kimchi are a nice nibble.
Even better, the fried cauliflowers are crispy and tasty.
But my absolute favorite is the crispy pork belly. The crispiness of the skin and the juiciness of the meat are hardly encountered together at this level.
Once I tried, off-the-menu, their famous pastrami sandwich. If you like sour and spicy flavors this is a great sandwich.
Their duck ragout pasta was also very good (I did not entirely liked the shredded vegetables on top).
The check
The dishes described came from two visits, costing 271 and 256 RMB respectively (38-40 USD). That’s what you may expect to pay for a couple of dishes and a drink.
During weekdays they have an economical lunch set for just 10 USD.
At weekends they do not serve the standard menu, rather they have a brunch deal. You can choose three dishes from the brunch menu for 188 RMB.
Where in Shanghai: 1/F, 600 Zhongshan Dong Er Lu, near Longtan Lu. In Chinese: 中山东二路600号1楼, 近龙潭路. Easy bookings via Chope.
Yōshoku is a type of Western-inspired Japanese cuisine that originated during the Meiji period. Shiseido Parlour restaurant, opened in 1902, is a perfect example of this cuisine still up and running in Ginza. Yes, it is that Shiseido, the cosmetic maker. The company owns a building in Ginza with a cafe and restaurants.
The visit
I went to the restaurant toward the closing time without a reservation on Christmas evening 2019. The reception on the 4th floor kept me waiting for five minutes until a table was available for me.
The dining room had a retro atmosphere, with waiting staff with white gloves finishing dishes table side. The place was still full – with most diners finishing their dinner – so I did not want to bother anyone taking a picture of the room. At a certain point there was a violinist briefly playing for the customers. That kind of atmosphere.
The only reference to Shiseido was some kind of cosmetic on the table (but it was not a gift).
I was offered choice of either bread or rice as a side dish.
I had their dish with roasted lobster, scallop and white fish. It was a substantial dish.
Then I had their famous croquettes. Pronounced a la French. They use bechamel sauce as a thickener and not potatoes. The result is a very smooth and soft texture. Croquettes is a perfect example of Yōshoku dish still popular today in cafe and restaurant menus.
Other classic Western-style dishes on the menu included various curry and rice dishes, fried chicken (tomato flavor) and rice omelet. The most expensive dish was a spiny lobster.
I skipped the dessert given the intense day of eating.
The check
Just two dishes set me back 7,920 yen (73.5 USD). As you might expect is not cheap, clearly you pay for the luxury environment (or I shall say the Japanese idea of how a Westerner refined dining venue should look like). It was a nice dinner and I am glad that I experimented this kind of restaurant but I won’t go back. Sure, the dishes are more refined than the commoner’s versions that you can find in cafes and quick-serving restaurants around Tokyo (or Japan), but these are not the dishes I am after when I am in Japan.
B Samcook Home16 is a restaurant in Chiang Mai that offers dinner set menus combining Thai flavors with Western, Japanese and Chinese influences. It is also open for lunch with a la carte menu. Let’s get this out of the way: Samcook is one of the most interesting and fulfilling dining experiences in Chiang Mai. Both the flavors and the service won me over and I ended up trying it twice. What they did on my second visit was remarkable.
The visit(s)
It is a popular restaurant and is often fully booked for dinner. I later discovered that, at the time of my visit, it was number 1 in a famous trip recommendation website that I truly despise but it is relied on by many tourists. In this case I can see why it attracts so many positive reviews. Spot totally deserved.
The restaurant is located in a house in the Southern part of Chiang Mai. It is also a home stay (not to self: next time book a room there!). The interior is modern and with visually appealing decorations.
A notice at the entrance set the mood: Sam Cook is a family operation that strives to provide an intimate dining experience. The pillar of the kitchen is, of course, Sam that came to my table several times to explain the dishes.
The dinner opened with a cold herbal drink.
The starter was a spring roll with cream cheese and crab meat. Really delicious. This and all the dishes came with edible flowers coming from Sam’s garden.
The next dish was a brilliant cross-over between the classic tom yum Thai soup with coconut and the Vietnamese pho soup, with two skewered prawns. I could definitely detect the herbal flavors of a Vietnamese pho.
The next dish – and we are still in the appetizer part of the menu! – was a pork rib with garlic pepper sauce. The rib was described on the menu as a fusion between Chinese and Thai cuisine: the rib had been boiled with Chinese herbs for two hours, then stir-fried with fresh garlic and sweet chili sauce. To be eaten with your hand, the result was tender and flavorful.
Before proceeding with the mains, I was offered a tomato juice palate cleanser.
The first main was a salmon with a delicate lemon spicy sauce. Sam buys full salmons and cleans them himself. The dish was described as a fusion between Western cuisine (the grilled salmon) and Thai (the sauce).
The second main was a smoked duck leg with a mix-berry sauce and dragon fruit. The flavors all amalgamated splendidly.
At this point Sam asked me if I wanted an extra main… but I was almost full so I went for the next dish, the dessert that included a passion fruit drink and a classic Thai sticky rice dessert. On the plate there was a stuffed elephant that was a gift to keep.
Before living I was offered another gift, a cup of coconut ice cream. Finally, they asked me where my hotel was and called a Grab Car to take me back. What was amazing is that they insisted on paying for my trip back (it was almost 15% of the value of the bill!). They offered an amazing deal of care.
My first visit was at the end of January 2020. I went back in early March with a friend, again reserving my spot via Facebook. My friend got a menu quite similar to the one I had back in January. However, Sam offered me an alternative blind menu with all new dishes. This was unexpected (I did not mind eating again some of the original dishes) and, once again, a great example of real customer care.
My special menu started with an herbal infusion with a Thai flower. The initial dishes were a cocktail with meaty seared scallops with chili sauce and flowers, tenderloin beef with shiitake mushroom, and a mind-blowing avocado filled with crab meat ans crab roe (my favorite dish of the evening). The palate cleanser this time was a coconut drink. The first main was a colossal salmon dish, with big sashimi slices and oversize rolls with cream cheese (an organic soy sauce procured through a customer was provided). Then there was a Chinese/Thai fusion dish with shrimp ravioli in mussaman curry (this was the dish that I liked the least as the mussaman curry flavor took over, but still a good dish by all means). Finally, the dessert was poached apple jelly and a passion fruit drink. Even the final gift was different (a coin case this time)! I have included the pictures of this second menu in the slideshow above. Once again, we were offered the ride back to our hotel and some ice cream to take away.
The atmosphere was lively and on both visits there was a musical talent playing guitar and singing (but not too loud). Even during the second visit, at a time with very few visitors in Chiang Mai, there were quite a few people for dinner.
The check
This fully satisfying dinner cost me 990 THB (or around 30 USD, including the taxi ride back!). I am showing both the check of my first visit and the one of the second visit with a second diner. Water was included. The value was amazing.
Fusion cuisine is risky, It is easy to get silly and mess up a dish. But not here. All the dishes were substantial, featured top-shelf ingredients, and a lot of preparation. They were labor of love and the result was consistently palatable.
Needless to say, this is a great dining experience in Chiang Mai that I fully recommend.
A board in the dining room with past menus and handwritten comments by satisfied customers.
I always like restaurants that try to innovate traditional dishes in a tasteful manner. Chef Table Food & Wine in Tainan falls into this category. Chef James proposes Western-inspired dishes using local ingredients and Chinese techniques.
The visit
The restaurant is located on the second floor of the stylish Changyu Hotel.
I arrived for a late lunch on a Saturday. I had reserved a table communicating on the Facebook page of the restaurant. Answers were instantaneous! I later learnt that the page is managed by the chef himself. I was very hungry.
My first dish was a “shrimp brulee egg” with seaweed and sweet and sour sauce. It was a nice mix of flavors, a nice variation on the theme of seafood omelettes popular in Taiwan.
The restaurant has a number of items that can be ordered from the grill. I had scallops and the local milk fish. The milk fish lived up to its reputation and it was incredibly juicy. Portions are small, so you can order several items. Vegetables were included. I wish I had ordered more.
I also had the deep-fried soft shell crab with mustard mayo that did not let me down.
Another interesting dish was the cauliflower with a poached egg and dry shrimps.
Finally, I had their quesadilla that came with a very Chinese filling: roast duck and cheese.
The check
For this Lucullus-grade lunch I spent 1017 NTD (33.50 USD). It could have been enough for two people. I enjoyed every single dish. I think The Chef Table is a great place where to divert from local food and experiencing Western dishes reinterpreted with local ingredients.
Where in Tainan: 2f, No. 89, Section 1, Beimen Road, West Central District. In Chinese: 台南市中西區北門路一段89號2樓. Visit the Facebook page for up to date menu.
Man Mo Dim Sum is the brainchild of Swiss-born restaurateur Nicolas Elalouf who wanted to create a fusion menu reflecting the multiplicity of Eastern and Western influences blending in Hong Kong. Dim Sum dishes were chosen as the target for this experimentation and the menu was created with the help of chefs boasting Robuchon and Ding Tai Fung pedigrees. The result is a charming bistro located in Upper Lascar Row (also known as Cat Street) behind the stalls of a curio market. It has been operating since 2014.
The visit
I had a chance to try the restaurant with three friends from Hong Kong on a quiet weekday in September. We arrived quite late, but it is an all day dining venue, so it was not an issue.
The restaurant offers different types of seating: bar chairs on the left, normal chairs/bench on the right, and a couple of armchairs and sofas on the front. Service was very friendly and they went above and beyond finding for us the right seating arrangement.
The set lunch menu attracted our attention. It was perfect to get an introduction to the restaurant.
The hot dish of the day was a delicious rice with chicken.
The bao (Chinese burger) was snack-size, filled with meat, and came with Thousand Island sauce that could be injected inside the bun with the dispenser.
Then we all chose different dim sum dishes to experience the menu. The first was a crispy wonton with shrimp. Quite good, it was the most traditionally-crafted piece of dim sum of the meal.
The ratatouille dumplings were quite interesting. Definitely good, but I would have expected more flavor coming from the ratatouille.
Then there was a very tasty dumpling with goat cheese.
Finally, included in the set menu, there was a chicken dumpling I did not taste.
We also added the foie gras xiao long bao. It was universally appreciated around the table and the foie gras flavor was distinct. I need to note that the skin of this dumpling was thicker than usual xiao long bao.
The set menu also included a dessert. Two of us chose a Nutella ball, resembling a local dish, but with a heart of Italian spread.
Other desserts tried by the group were Bun Tatin and Hong Kong style lemon tart.
The check
The final check was 865 HKD (110 USD) that included the extra foie gras xiao long bao. The individual cost for the set menu was 156 HKD (around 20 USD). All reasonable in the comfort of a nice environment.
Dim sum is everywhere in Hong Kong. This restaurant offers a nice variation on the theme and left me the desire to go back to text more dishes.
Where in Hong Kong: Wah Koon Building, 40 Upper Lascar Row, Sheung Wan. Website: manmodimsum.com.
Champon or Chanpon (ちゃんぽん) is a noodle dish that originated in Nagasaki. Lore has it that it was introduced by Chinese students (or merchants). The dish is made by frying pork, seafood and vegetables with lard; a soup made with chicken and pig bones is then added. Unlike other ramen dishes, only one pan is needed as the noodles are boiled in the soup.
I am not a fan of noodles, but I decided to try it while in Nagasaki in a trip in the summer 2019. I went to Shikairo (四海樓), a restaurant that has been serving champon since 1899 and even has a small museum on its premises.
The visit
The restaurant is occupies a massive five-story building overlooking the port. It is an ugly building… you won’t miss it.
The proper restaurant is located on the 5th floor.
As soon I as stepped inside the crowded dining room (I had to queue 10 minutes or so), I immediately felt that it was a touristy place. It was. But it was not a tourist trap. This was a very well-oiled and efficient operations satisfying hundreds of customers every day. I have a lot of respect for this kind of operations. Once I sat, my bowl of noodles came quickly.
I had their house Champon. Also a number of other Chinese side-dishes was available, but I just wanted the noodles.
Here they were. The stock was quite creamy. The shredded egg yolk was another of the characteristic features of the dish. I did not find it particularly good, but it was a filling bowl of noodles.
Before leaving I took a stroll in the museum (free of charge) on the second floor. On the ground floor you can buy the Champon noodles and soup stock if you wish to do so.
The check
I paid 1,080 yen (10 USD). Considering the nice (even if crowded) dining room, I did not mind paying this price. I am pretty sure that we were all tourists in this restaurant. If you wish to try a Champon that locals like, ask someone in Nagasaki for a pointer.
Where in Nagasaki: 4-5 Matsugaemachi. In Japanese: 長崎県長崎市松が枝町4-5.
Shippoku is a hybrid cuisine that combines elements of Chinese, Japanese and some European styles and is unique to Nagasaki. The city for over two centuries was the only port open to foreign trade in Japan. This meant Chinese and Westerner (mostly Dutch) merchants set shop in the city with their own traditions. Some fusion was inevitable.
Shippoku is today a type of high-end cuisine best enjoyed in banquets. Usually, six or seven people take seats around a round table and eat a variety of dishes together from various sized bowls. During my summer 2019 trip to Nagasaki I found a shippoku restaurant that also accepted single diners: Ichiriki.
The visit
The restaurant is located in a traditional Japanese house in front of a Shinto shrine. The day before my intended lunch I went there to make a reservation. They only serve set menus by reservation.
On the day of my lunch I followed a staff member to the communal dining room walking through a long corridor from which I could notice the various private rooms.
They had a shared dining room with three tables for diners like me. During my visit there was also a couple from Tokyo.
Food arrived quite quickly.
One bowl had some fresh sashimi.
The most interesting food was in the bowls. One for cold food and one for warm bites. In the cold box there was some ham, an egg omelet with spinach, black beans in a plum broth, jelly (I think from stock), a piece of white fish in a multicolored crust.
The warm box contained: a potato croquet, tofu, yam, a caramelized shrimp, braised pork belly (maybe with sake), a dumpling, a pie with pork meat, a mushroom, peas, and tofu skin. In this potpourri you could start seeing the Chinese influence.
The rice was presented in a way to resemble a pumpkin.
The pickles were pretty ordinary.
There was a clear-broth soup with some tofu and other ingredients I could not fully identify.
I was not finished yet, but the waitress decided that was time to bring the dessert. Service was a bit rushed. It was a jelly, some watermelon and cold green tea. Nice but quite ordinary. The all lunch lasted just 30 minutes.
The check
The check was 5,400 net (around 50 USD). Tea was included. The menu was called Hime-Jyu Shippoku Zanmai. The same menu without the sashimi and the dessert was only 3.240 yen (Hime-Jyu Shippoku). If you are alone and just wish to have a quick introduction to shippoku, the lower price menu is enough in my opinion. If you are in a group and are in for a splurge, this and other shippoku restaurants in Nagasaki can provide you with the experience of a full round table full of this kind of fusion dishes.
Where in Nagasaki: 8-20 Suwa-Machi, Nagasaki (Tera-Machi Street). In Japanese: 長崎市諏訪町8-20(寺町通り). Website (for menus): www.ichiriki.jp/top-e.
Dadaocheng is an historic district in Taipei that used to be the main commercial port. In recent years, Dihua street in Dadaocheng has undergone a process of gentrification (a good one) and has become a vibrant artery combining traditional shops selling spices and teas with contemporary eateries, tea houses, and design outlets. Walking along Dihua street to get to Peacock Bistro was really a pleasure. Among other things, there was a museum dedicated to the topic of comfort women in the Second World War, a day time food market, and a temple known to people looking for their soulmate.
The visit
I had a reservation easily made through innline.app for a Saturday brunch.
The actual entrance was through a coffee shop. Many buildings on this street have this kind of false bottom. Beyond the coffee shop there was a lovely court and then the entrance to the bistro.
The dining room had a designer feeling, yet it felt warm and comfortable.
I ordered from their regular menu (no special menu for brunch) and my first dish was a delicious cauliflower soup with yam and tempura crumbs called U Ka Bu Yume. Most of the dishes had Japanese influences.
The meal continued with some fried chicken (Chicken Karaage on the menu). The chicken wings were pitch black as the butter was mixed with squid ink. It was quite good, but I would have preferred a crispier skin. Inside the chicken was very juicy. It came with two dipping sauces, one made with sesame and another with cucumber yogurt. The dish was listed as an appetizer but it could have easily been shared between two people.
Finally I had a risotto called “Three Tresures”. It was made with kale, fermented tofu and included a generous portion of tenderized beef strips (indicated as shacha beef fillet on the menu).
The risotto was pleasantly spicy and all was well amalgamated together. The meat was very fresh and tender. It was a nice fusion risotto combining Chinese and Italian cuisine.
A good friend of mine in Guangzhou, during my January 2019 food expedition, brought me, with another acquaintance, in his favorite Japanese-style izakaya.
We went in a residential area and the izakaya, in the best of the Japanese tradition, was in the ground floor of a non-descript apartment building.
The staff was very happy to see my friend.
The visit
The dishes started to quickly flood the table.
First dish was a shirako sashimi (it was the season). This is a Japanese delicacy very difficult to find outside Japan.
Then we got the first part of an Hokkaido’s king crab. The claws were rich of pulp to pike.
Then a typical izakaya dish was served: grilled squid with cheese. We ordered two.
A very tasty boiled abalone.
Then the rest of the crab came grilled with cheese.
Then we went from sea to land with a piece of wagyu steak.
One of the highlights of the dinner was a grilled Japanese kinki fish chosen from the available fresh fish of the day. The kinki is regarded more and more as a luxury as only limited quantities are available every year. The perfect white pulp was consistently delicious and it lived up to its reputation.
By now you would say that we were done… but some of the best dishes were yet to come. The next dish was cooked at the table and was an original sea urchin dumpling in a kimchi soup.
I can only say that I would be glad to eat this kind of dumplings every day! I found it an excellent fusion dish, including the kimchi soup that I gladly drank to the last drop.
We also sampled some yakitori. The chicken skin was perfect.
Now toward the end of the dinner, we were served Chinese pastries filled with cream cheese both sweet and savory.
Also a salad was served.
The dessert included a trio of sorbets (I had the apricot one),
And at the very end we got a panna cotta.
The check
The dinner was offered by my friend and he insisted that I took a picture of the check as he knows that I run this blog where I always publish the final check. The check was substantial and had two big ticket items (the crab and the kinki fish), with many of the other dishes very reasonably priced.
If you are craving for izakaya food in Guangzhou, this restaurant does a fantastic job. I would be back just for the sea urchin dumplings. They only have a Chinese menu.
Where in Guangzhou: 61 Jiaochang East Road (a couple of blocks south of Martyr’s Park station of metro line 1, exit A)
Every country has its own brand of casual restaurants. US generated the fast food concept. in Japan you have ramen shops. In Hong Kong you have cha chaan teng.
Hong Kong-style diners, or cha chaan teng, are a unique result of city’s modern history. After the Second World War, Western food became increasingly popular in Hong Kong. Nonetheless, it remained beyond the financial reach of many people. Local diners started offering dishes with Western influences and, more important, reasonable prices and the trend took off.
Today cha chann teng far from being outmoded by modern quick-serving restaurants remain a fixture in the city of Hong Kong and answer multiple needs: they are the place where many Hong Kong dwellers have breakfast; they are busy at lunch hours with seniors and office workers as well; many of them attract people from the neighborhood as a place where to socialize till late at night.
This article describes some of the traditional food that you can find in these establishments.
Macaroni and ham soup
This is really a Hong Kong classic. A soup with macaroni instead of common noodles and some Westerner ingredients such as ham or even spam. Variations on the menu included having eggs, pork chop, beef, sausage and son on.
They suggest to add some chili paste:
I had the one pictured for breakfast at China Cafe in Mong Kok and I really enjoyed it. Eating macaroni instead of swirling noodles is much more practical.
I also had a drink made of Horlicks, a British drink based on milk powder that in Hong Kong is drunk as it was coffee. In this case it was served cold and sweetened.
The total check was 36 HKD (4,60 USD) to be paid at the cashier. I should mention that this particular diner was featured in one of Anthony Bourdain’s shows about Hong Kong. This was my silly trigger to visit it and you can clearly see other tourists there on pilgrimage.
Deep fried pork, ramen noodles and french toast
My next stop was in a non descript diner in Quarry Bay (located on 981 King’s Road next to my next entry).
I had one deep fried pork chop and some ramen noodles with egg. The deep fried pork is not a cutlet, it lacks the batter. I was not particularly impressed by this one, the frying made it too stiff.
Also the ramen noodles were not great… but I feel a bit bad as the staff there was super nice.
In this diner finally I had a sweet treat: a Hong Kong style French Toast. This was not really like a regular French toast and had a nutty backtaste.
Total check for 68 HKD (8.70 USD) including a coke.
Roast Meat
The reason I went to Quarry Bay was to try this roast meat shop mentioned by Mark Wiens in one of his trips: Yau Wun Roast Meat. The shop is indicated with this English name on Google Maps. It is clearly a very successful shop as even in the middle of the afternoon there was a solid line. The shop is also a licensed restaurant and while they did not have an English menu and did not really speak any English in the end they were able to accommodate me in one of the tables inside the small shop.
For 38 HKD (4.86 USD) I got this substantial serving of roast pork meat. I need to say that I was disappointed, I tasted better ones. But I guess that my limited ability to interact with the staff may have prevented me from ordering something more interesting.
Roast meat is a different game and the shops serving this kind of food may not have on the menu anything from the previous entries.
