#BBITESBEAUTY x Nails Time

#BBITESBEAUTY x Nails Time
– WHEN FOOD AND FASHION COLLIDE – 

Welcome to my first #BBITESBEAUTY post!

In this tutorial, I’ll be showing you the super-easy way to turn your nails into delicious works of art. But first, let’s ogle the finished result 🙂

– THE FINAL LOOK –

As you can see, I went for a BBITES/food theme – including lollipops, dessert bowls, candy wrappers and more…

-TUTORIAL –

Repeat these steps for your other nails!! Try balancing them out by having bigger designs on your thumb and fourth finger…

And last but not least, ENJOY your new designs! Bakker x

Partners in Crime : PART 2

As promised, here is the photo-heavy update to my last post: Partners in… Crime.

My parents and I had a lovely time catching up and eating together. Out of the six meals we had, I’ve chosen to highlight three:

1. Tapas @ Kowloon Shangri-La
2. Sha Tin 18 @ Hyatt Regency, Sha Tin
3. Spring Moon @ Peninsula

So, get ready to RUMBLE!!!!!!!!! (and when I say “rumble”, I mean tummy-rumble, of course ;P)Tapas @ Kowloon Shangri-La
There are no reservations at Tapas, which with dim lighting and sleek marble / wooden bar tops, gives it that trendy, tapas bustle. It also happens to be on sea-level and looks out to the bay. On the night we went, it was very windy and rainy which made sitting inside eating tapas and drinking wine even more cosy!

Sha Tin 18 @ Hyatt Regency, Sha Tin
Right next to the University MTR Station and the CUHK (Chinese University of Hong Kong) Business School, is Sha Tin 18 – the Hyatt Regency’s culinary claim to fame. All those future executives are lucky to have this restaurant right next door!The signature dish is their Peking Duck which looks (and tastes) great. The moment of glory – that I’m still reliving in my head – is dipping the crispy and oily sliced duck skin into sugar and biting into it. The texture is almost like honeycomb, while the sugar compliments the duck’s glaze perfectly. YUMMY.

When you order Sha Tin 18’s Peking Duck, it comes with recommendations for several condiments to accompany the different cuts of the duck made by the Chef. Definitely indulge in these!

Spring Moon @ Peninsula
Last but not least, comes Spring Moon – a place that’s sort of become a tradition for when my parents are in town. It’s right near where they stay in TST, so a quick stroll down to some of Hong Kong’s finest dim sum is definitely worth the effort every time they visit!

My Dad and I, in particular, love to snack on the small nuts, breadsticks and so on, that are often served in all kinds of restaurants. So, when Spring Moon brought out their unbelievably delicious candied walnuts, it was time to break out the chopsticks!The dim sum at Spring Moon brings me so much joy! DELICIOUS! All of them… perfection. One of my childhood favourites is the far-right one: the deep fried taro. It’s really hard to find in Hong Kong for some reason (a bit easier in SG, but then also not everywhere) – but the one at Peninsula puts the cherry on the top of the cake because it also has chopped truffles in it too.

To finish the meal? A simple, voluptuous black sesame soup. Classic. 🙂Bakker x

There’s Something About Ping Kee

Ping Kee Thai Restaurant is on Third Street, crossing Water Street.

It’s been a while now that I’ve been meaning to blog about Ping Kee Thai, a neighbourhood restaurant in Sai Ying Pun. The only problem was that I always bring  friends and – in my enthusiasm – kept forgetting to bring my camera with me.

I was first taken to Ping Kee by a family friend, and in turn I’ve passed along the favour by introducing my own friends to this unassuming, family-run restaurant… one of whom literally went back the very next day, on his own, to relive our dinner – and, in particular, the AMAZING grilled fish.That friend was Leonard, who joined me for dinner with his sister, Natalie (her first time at Ping Kee!) on my BBITES mission. Although you can usually walk in to get a table, we happened to go on a public holiday, which meant there were more patrons than usual. After about a 20 minute wait – in which we enjoyed our fresh coconuts outside – we began the feast…Ping Kee is named after its chef, a hardworking and talented lady chef who prepares the food in a relatively small kitchen at the back. Her husband and son also work in the family business: by serving the floor and preparing BBQ grilled menu items.The secret ingredient tying every dish together is their special, homemade chili sauce. Spicy, sweet and little bit tart, it goes well with everything! If only I could somehow steal the recipe; I love it so much I could practically bathe in it…As I mentioned, part of the menu consists of BBQ grilled items that are prepared on order. Then of course, there’s a slew of classic Thai dishes, with a splash of Cantonese influence here and there. We started with some grilled items – this being the perfect way to enjoy and savour Ping Kee’s chili sauce and get our appetites flowing! There’s a LOT more options for skewers/grilled items, so GO and sate your curiosity 🙂The star of the show always was, and continues to be (for me, at least) the Grilled Fish… a phenomenally fresh grilled white fish. Everyone I’ve brought agrees, and when you eat at the restaurant,  you can spot regulars by the simple fact that they’ve also got one on their table.

Arriving steaming hot, with herbs and chilli stuffed in its cavity for flavour, it has crispy, salt-encrusted skin encasing its tender meat. The meat within is sprinkled with dill, and when you eat it with the chili sauce together, it’s just heaven.To accompany this, some pad thai was in order. Brimming with goodies (fresh vegetables, chicken and egg), the pad thai was such a success that we felt it would be wrong to leave Ping Kee without eating more.And so followed a deliciously creamy and fragrant green chicken curry……which, of course, we needed rice to eat with. Thankfully we opted for a huge plate of pineapple rice, instead of steamed rice – because it was the best pineapple rice I’ve ever had.Chunks of juicy pineapple, chopped vegetables, raisins lay under a bed of pork floss which, once you’ve mixed it together, produces a most delightful texture and flavour. I couldn’t help scooping pineapple rice, green curry and cabbage (below) all into one bowl, mixing it together and revel in how lucky I am that I live so near to Ping Kee. Casual, familial and bursting with good, honest food, Ping Kee is one of my favourite places to eat in Hong Kong. It has never disappointed me yet, and whenever I feel like a great dinner and a couple of beers with friends, my mind immediately jumps to Ping Kee…

So, what are you waiting for! 🙂Bakker x

BBITES Mini-Post #5 x Foodtastic Angelina

Catch y’all soon with more BBITES 🙂
Bakker x

Feeling Tai Hang(ry)? An Afternoon at Stone’s

It was with the promise of “Hong Kong’s best burger” that I joined my friend Earl to check out one of his favourite Tai Hang haunts… Earl was the photographer for Bakker’s Bites 2nd Birthday photo shoot, so it was a foodie reunion, too!  🙂About ten minutes walk from Tin Hau station on Lin Fa Street West, Stone’s, an American diner, was our destination. And, of course, the day we chose to go, it was pouring with rain. While I  can’t comment on whether or not Stone’s restaurant truly has the best burgers in HK, what I can tell you is this: the food, atmosphere and owner are all certified awesome.

First of all, Stone’s boasts some remarkable artwork. These include…

– John Wayne (signed silk screen) by Andy Warhol
– Chinese Portrait (oil on canvas) by Feng Zhengjie
– Jim Morrison with Treble Meanings No. 6 (acrylic on canvas) by Chan Yu
– 1335 (original print) by Xanti Schawinsky

…and more!The menu at Stone’s is dominated by a hearty burger selection – and although there are other American classics on the menu, burgers are what both Earl and I opted for.My choice was Burger #3 : U.S. Prime Beef Patty / Crispy Onion Rings / Crispy Bacon / Pepper Jack Cheese / Lettuce / BBQ Sauce / Pickle.

I gladly devoured this burger, which was cooked exactly as I had requested: rare. In true American style, the portion was huge and generous. Mixing up the sweet BBQ and onion rings with salty bacon and cheese was oh-so-indulgent, in all the best ways.

Happily, I was allowed to get a “bit of both” when it came to a side of either French Fries or salad. The fries were great: crispy but not too oily, which came as a relief because I already had to eat bacon, beef, deep-fried onions and cheese!Earl went ligher with Burger #4 : Grilled Chicken Breast / Grilled Pineapple / Jack Cheese / Apple Cider Dressing / Mixed Greens

Let me tell you something: that apple cider sauce is incredible! Just try not dipping every bite of your plate (from burger, to french fry and salad) into it… I dare you, I double-dare you!

Cooked perfectly tender and matching the pineapple’s sweetness, this option is good for a lighter burger – which I realise is a total oxymoron 😛Little did we know, we were in for even more of a treat when Joel showed us his very special signed Campbells soup can and vintage 1982 edition of Playboy magazine. I was delighted to see such a relic from the golden days of journalism – before the internet changed everything!And if you thought Playboy was a “dirty” magazine, think again! Yup, that’s right: an interview with opera legend Luciano Pavarotti was beautifully preserved inside the copy.After sitting for at the bar for ages, eating and discussing writing, art and famous celebrities from yesteryear, owner and super nice dude Joel Bess insisted we try their version of chocolat fondant. Just as he promised, it had a whole lot of ooze…

A perfectly sweet way to end the meal, it came piping hot and was garnished with some cute fruit, including blueberries, strawberries and a ground cherry.Before lunch was over, another regular of Stone’s showed up with an even older copy of Playboy; this time from 1973!!! This resulted in about half an hour more of looking through it in amazement – what a treat looking through all those vintage ads, and fantastic pre-PhotoShop photography.

Named after Joel’s mentor, Mr. Harlan Stone (who encouraged Joel to open his dream restaurant), the kind of clientele that this hidden gem attracts is great, and something tells me that weird and wonderful things happen there all the time… 

If it was dinner, I would have certainly indulged in one of the many exotic beers available at Stone’s. But, I guess that’s a whole other story… 😉

Bakker x

All About XO

About one month ago, I tried XO Sauce for the first time (check it out on Instagram: here). For me, this is kind of like the mayonnaise of Cantonese cooking, in that it kind of goes well with everything. Delicious!

After I wiped out my first bottle of XO Sauce within a week (which was a goodie bag gift from a media lunch), I couldn’t help but noticing a new store on Queens Road West that my bus passes on the way home.
So yesterday, I finally got round to paying the shop, named Mrs. So’s XO Sauce, a visit and restocked on my favourite new garnish. The interior is cute and has some kitchen facilities which allows the shop to run cooking classes during the week. All the XO products are sold in bright orange boxes, which I of course like being half Dutch :P.
Recently, when I chatted to a friend about XO sauce, she told me that although the sauce has likely been around for a loooong time in different shapes and forms, it was only in recent decades that it was commodified, and renamed “XO” sauce to evoke the prestige of fine cognacs. And the rest, as they say, is history…At the XO Sauce shop, they stock some interesting, novelty flavours – like Vegetarian, Porcini Mushroom, Black Olive & Tangerine – and of course the classic XO in regular, medium and high spiciness.

All were a delight to try – and I ended up buying the medium classic XO sauce. My next favourite, though, was a tie between the vegetarian and mushroom sauces.With the free cooking classes and complementary recipe cards, it’s obvious that XO Sauce, the store, is trying to build a culture around this popular Cantonese creation. Although there’s a lot of recipes to be made with XO, I think the best combo will always be with Cantonese-style fried rice. 🙂
Isn’t that just beautiful? I love looking at all the ingredients floating in the oil – and boy are they generous! Sometimes restaurants will rip you off a little bit with stingy XO sauce, which is why I’m really glad to have my own!

Before signing out, in case you don’t know what’s actually in XO sauce, here’s what you’ll normally find:
– Dried seafood (scallop, shrimp, fish)
– Dried meat (ham)
– Spices (red chili)
– Vegetables (garlic, onion)
– Oil (canola oil, chili oil)

Bakker x

BBITES Mini-Post #4 x Kisses @ Wan Chai

When I was walking back to the office after lunch today, I noticed that the new Kisses Cupcakes shop on Queen’s Road East (#202) has finally opened – yesterday, in fact, which explains all of the flowers still standing outside.

The overall design is quite cute – their cupcake menu is listed on the wall with plaques, and lots of decorative cupcakes are lying around, as well.

I opted for the Pandan Cupcake – pandan always reminds me of Singapore 🙂 – while my friend Kaila tried the Ferrero Rocher Cupcake (complete with a nugget of chocolate in the centre). Other interesting cupcakes on display included Smores and Baileys flavours…

Now with Sift and Kisses within about five minutes of each other, Wan Chai dwellers should be careful if they don’t want their waistlines to expand exponentially – including me 😛 !

Bakker x

La Fleur – A Lesson in French

There’s been a steady rise in the number (and quality) of French restaurants in Hong Kong over the past few years. Some are very high-end, while others range from hipster-cool to traditional and homely.

This past Sunday I tried one of the more traditional ones – La Fleur in Wan Chai – with my Dad and some family friends.

But a review isn’t all that you’ll get in this post; I’ve included some dining tips and etiquette that I picked up from my childhood in France to spice things up along the way…My father is a big wine aficionado, and he always seems to have another new trick up his sleeve when it comes to the vino.

Among them, is this cute wine collar – which makes a bottle of red look like a tuxedo. Its purpose is to soak up any drips that fall after the wine has been poured. Wine collars can get pretty fancy, using metal and velvet, but this one is quick, fast and inexpensive.At La Fleur you can BYOB (bring your own booze), which we did… before moving on to food.

Lesson 2 arose during our starters, which included moules (mussels). As you can see in the photo, I’m using bread to soak up the sauce.

– Bread is a staple in French dining – 9 times out of 10, bread is served with breakfast, lunch and dinner in a basket (as you see above). And with cheese, too – of course!

– The French word for bread is pain and it’s actually the root for the French word for friend: copain. A friend (or companion) is someone you break bread with, hence “co-pain”.

– Don’t bite into the piece of bread with your teeth, when dining à la Française. Instead, tear off small pieces with your hand.

– You can use those pieces to soak up any sauce of your choice. This is normal and totally acceptable among family and friends… that’s what bread was made for, right?
French cuisine can use a lot of butter, fat, cream and oil. In other words, they know what tastes good, and aren’t afraid to use it!

Our two excellent meat dishes during main course exemplified the best of this “life is short” spirit, when it comes to French food. They were a wonderful Duck Confit and Quail with panfried Goose Liver.
Duck Confit is prepared by preserving the meat with various herbs and spices before poaching it in its own fat. Yup, it doesn’t get more intense than that!

La Fleur‘s version was a triumph! With crispy and fatty skin encasing meat so tender that only a gentle gesture with my fork was enough to separate it from the bone, the taste and texture was on par with our favourite neighborhood restaurant in France – and trust me, that’s saying something for authentic French!Then there was the delicate – and expertly cooked – quail, paired with a generous portion of goose liver. A combination of rich, gamey and roasted flavours, the meat bathed in its own reduced wine sauce. Delicious.

Both dishes were as filled with cholesterol as they were with culinary joy. By far the highlights of the night.

I say c’est la vie (that’s life) for Lesson 4 because in a traditional, family restaurant in France it’s expected that not everything will be perfect.

Sometimes, Hong Kong diners (including myself) forget that part of food culture: a restaurant doesn’t have to excel in every single dish to be a restaurant worth visiting.

For example, your typical French restaurant in France will have several dishes that they specialise in, or are famous for, and that’s why patrons visit and return.

In the case of La Fleur, it was absolutely the meat dishes that shone, while our other orders varied from good to disappointing (see above photo).

However, before closing shop – I would like to highlight the Smoked Eel Salad, which was a very pleasant surprise! It had a very soft texture and a fascinating flavour somewhere in between ham and salmon (you’ll believe me when you try it!). Not a single bone got in the way of my enjoyment either… yummy!

Fairly priced, La Fleur is an alternative to ultra-pricey, perfectionist French dining that offers some exceptional dishes in its traditional menu.

We had a very pleasant evening, and the restaurant staff graciously left us undisturbed – as we talked art theory and finished our wine – even after all the other customers had gone.

Bon appétit until next time…

Bakker x

Dishes of the Nakasendo – My Crave Magazine Feature!

Remember when I went to Japan for that mysterious “non-BBITES writing assignment”? Although I did eventually share a photo diary of the trip, I’m now very proud to share with you what it was all for…

Keep an eye out for the March edition of Crave Magazine to find my first-ever feature story, published in the Gastro Travel section.

I hope you enjoy reading about the incredible food journey I undertook on Walk Japan’s Nakasendo Way tour.

But, before I sign out, here’s some additional eye-candy from my trip to get you motivated :):

Bakker x

Hazel & Hershey – A New SOHO Café

Hazel & Hershey is located at 69 Peel Street, Soho, Central. +852 3106 0760

On Sunday I enjoyed lunch at Brunch Club and shared a signature salad + burger with my bestie Sami. After the epic feast, we meandered down Peel Street to head towards Central, and I couldn’t help but stop in front of a new turquoise storefront I’d never seen before.

One of the several new cafés and restaurants on Peel Street (which will require me going back for more reviews!), is Hazel & Hershey, a quirky new coffee shop with character that opened two months ago.

The interior is fresh, playful and modern. Lamp art on the ceiling turned out to be huge wonky clocks after a closer look, making me think of Alice in Wonderland, somehow…

A coffee bean grinder is a decorative (and functional) piece near the entrance, and sacks of coffee beans lie around it. The effect is charming and curious – makes me wonder whether they’re filled with real beans!One of the most interesting design elements to the coffee shop is the section of wall made into an attractive shelving unit made out of cardboard, for the shop’s imported coffee-making accessories. The items, from Japan and Italy, are for sale and include coffee brewers, espresso cup sets, books and more… A lot of eye candy here.  I was quite surprised to find that there were absolutely no food items available on the menu (a good croissant may have come in handy, for example). But, then again, it’s nice to see a venue choosing to focus on its concept without any distractions.

Espresso-based drinks were the house specials, but an extensive list of black/long coffee varieties were available on the other side of the blackboard (sorry, not pictured!).

So, when the coffees arrived I had high expectations and – I must admit – some doubts on if they would be worth the 35$ that Sami and I spent on a Macchiato and Hazelnut Cappuccino each.Macchiato $35 : After my first sip I broke into a smile – *relief* – it was worth it! The texture of my Macchiato was rich, creamy and with a lovely smooth foam at the top. The taste was nutty, roasted and bold. YUMMY and served at a nice, hot temperature.

Cappuccino $35 : Sami’s Cappuccino was served with a pretty Latte art design that stayed in formation until the very end of the cup. She was nice enough to let me try a (long) sip of the Cappuccino and it was delightful: smooth and light (yet not too milky), the Cappuccino reminded me of a winter treat with the sweetness of the added hazelnut flavour ($5).

—

The atmosphere is calm and cheerful at Hazel & Hershey, and the staff were friendly. So far, I’m definitely in favour of the new café, with both orders I tried being well made and not a rip off by any means: when you consider a Starbucks coffee costs as much, it puts things in perspective! Here, for the same price you get an ambience and high-quality coffees made with care and passion.

Bakker x

p.s. In more COFFEE NEWS: click here to check out my latest tasting visit with Nespresso (launching a new GRAND CRU capsule) on my Facebook page. Plus, read BBITES’ previous post on Coffee Culture @ Nespresso for more coffee…