Hong Kong and Shanghai, October 2017
HONG KONG
October 22-25 2017
A quick and very busy trip to Hong Kong. Unfortunately we did not have much time to actually see the city as the days were filled with many meetings to confirm wedding details and the time we had in between was then for eating with some time to spend with family and friends. however we will be back in December so there will be more time to explore and actual see the sights of hong kong. Here are some highlights that i was able to capture.
Lunch at Mercedes Me
japanese spanish asian fusion at the mercedes me store in central. it is a bit pricey also because it is tapas style but the food is quite tasty. we especially liked the hamachi tiradito with the habenero-mango sauce, it was a very unqiue but delicious combination. the seabass was also very good, i was SURPRISED that the texture of the fish was so firm. and you can't go wrong with miso eggplant and grilled octopus, both delicious. so if you are looking for a fancier lunch without long queues during prime lunch hours in central then this is the place.
Seabass with Sweet Potato, Cancha Corn, Lime, Lime Chili
Hamachi Tiradito with Habanero-Mango Sauce, Spring Onion
Chef's Green Salad: Machego Cheese, Dehyrated Tomatoes, Pine Nuts, Seaweed
Baby Japanese Eggplant with White Miso Glaze, Crunchy Garlic, Sesame
Spanish Octopus with Confit Potatoes, Smoked Paprika, Aoili
Menu Tasting at the Island Shangri-la
only a few dishes of the many courses we will be having at our wedding banquet in December. i guess that's the asian way, to overfeed you. during the meal, i actually realized how much i had missed chinese food, its really hard to find good authentic chinese food or asian food in germany. i guess we need to search harder or i need to start to learn to cook some of the dishes i miss.
Wandering the Streets
Simple Dinner at a local Cha Can Ting
Lunch at Kikusan in landmark
what a busy place, long queues for a table and they won't seat you until your entire party has arrived. but the food was well worth the wait, japanese with some chinese dishes and flavors. the koushuiji was good but a bit too spicy for us, but the presentation was nice. the deep fried chicken and egg is supposed to be an onsen egg, in japan at the onsen or hot springs they would cook dip the eggs in the hot spring to slowly cook them for about 30 to 40 minutes. i am not sure how they cooked this egg but the dish was good, a bit spicy too. but my favorite had to be dessert the glutinous rice pancake, it was a good combination of textures from chewy, sticky, and crunchy and a good combination of tastes, sweet, nutty, and salty. i would definitely recommend ordering it, you will not be DISAPPOINTED.
Kou Shui Ji（口水鸡）or Shredded Chicken in Chili Oil
Deep Fried Chicken and Egg with Rice (Onsen Egg)
Pork and Vegetable Soup Curry
Glutinous Rice Pancake with Peanut and Black Sesame Filling
Shanghai
October 26-28 2017
It has been over a year and a half since i had left shanghai, so i don't know how to feel about heading back just for a visit, feeling excited and anxious. but i guess i shouldn't have been so shocked to see how much has changed even within a few blocks of where i used to live, this city is ever changing with places opening and closing daily and CONSTRUCTION sites being a normal everyday thing to see. even after a year and half i felt a bit lost in my own old neighborhood, not RECOGNIZING many things when all i wanted was to see and to go to my old haunts. thankfully some places did not change.
it was so great to see and to catch up with old friends, many have also left in the past year but many still remain. although time has passed, at some points it felt like it was just yesterday that i was living in shanghai, life just went back to normal. but in other moments i remember and understand why i left, i think there will always be a love and hate relationship with this city. i am thankful for the four and half years i lived in shanghai, all the wonderful and crazy memories and all the amazing friendships i have gained. there will always be a special place in my heart for shanghai so i can't wait for the next visit back, but i hope its soon or i might not RECOGNIZE anything anymore.
Meeting Baby Amika
Hong Shao Rou (红烧肉)
Black Sesame and Peanut Butter Ice at Bellagio
Grilled Octopus, Potatoes, Olives, Dill at Commune Social
Still one of my favorite dessert: Peanut Ice Cream, Red Fruit, Salted Peanut Caramel at Commune Social