Motormouth From Ipoh – Asian Food & Travel Blog

A more than four decades old establishment in Sheung Wan of Hong Kong island; Sang Kee Congee Shop has been one on the list of most MUST-TRY places in Hong Kong for congee.

Congee, also known as porridge has always been known as a poor man’s food, or a bowl of tummy-warming delight usually served at home, especially when someone’s under the weather.

Okay, I was being liberal with my words. I hate congee/porridge/nasi bubur/’jook’ whatever. But I can’t deny the fact that Hong Kong folks LOVE their congee to the max. Even on a blistering hot day during lunch hour.

Beats me as to why they would submit themselves to such torturous ordeal, but after a bowl or two, I  began to see the light. So to speak.

Don’t laugh. You don’t get leg space as much in most Hong Kong eateries.

And so, I skip the posts on Mong Kok and its vicinity temporarily, and let’s see what Central, Sheung Wan and Wan Chai on the island have to offer. Ready?

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Today’s a Saturday gone wrong. Somewhat. The incessant travelling and crazy weather started to take its toll on me. Not to mention this viral bug roaming around the office. So let’s do a pictorial, shorter post (finally?) on one of the BEST ‘char chaan teng’ (Hong Kong style of cafe) in Mong Kok in Hong Kong.

Polo Bao (Pineapple Bun; literally) contains NO pineapple, but the resemblance comes from the sugar-crusted top with a significant crunch. At Kam Wah Cafe; they do them BEST.

Since I wrote extensively about them in my 2008 post; from not one but TWO breakfast sessions at the buzzing, quintessentially-Hong Kong, yet friendly cafe on Bute Street in Mong Kok, I guess I don’t have to go all out and sing praises for their famous Polo Bao.

But read on for the various types of Polo Bao they offer, and how the staff here are generally more pleasant, attentive and minus the usual attitude anticipated in busy eateries in Hong Kong …..

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For the full series on this Hong Kong trip, jump to this link.

Rich, creamy and golden scrambled eggs from Australia Dairy Company @ Parkes Street, Jordan, Hong Kong. Not just any other eggs, this is legendary.

Jumping back to the Hong Kong posts (alternating between all the others, if you don’t mind), let’s see how we finally made it to Australia Dairy Company; the #1 eatery on the Openrice‘s good food list.  Back in 2008, we missed this as the shop was closed for some reason. Did not feel that it was a huge miss, until we were back and read up on the massive number of rave reviews on the net.

Then I shot myself in the thigh and vowed to return. With a vengeance.

And we did. Early in the morning on a weekday in fact, only to face an immensely packed environment; so much so that we had to literally squeeze behind a pillar, and seated side by side facing the wall while ‘relishing‘ the priceless Hong Kong’s ‘char chaan teng‘ atmosphere …..

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For all the posts on this Hong Kong/Macau food fest, click HERE.

Extremely thin strands of egg noodles with a prominent aroma of lye water (alkaline water, or ‘kan sui’) made up bowls after bowls of noodle in soup with either dumplings, beef brisket, pig’s parts, etc.

At the time of posting this, you must be scratching your head wondering what the heck has gotten into Motormouth lately. DAILY posts?!! Almost unheard of, since … erm, aeons ago when I was back in Ipoh and leisure time exceeded working hours by a far margin. After all, stuck in traffic jams after office hours was almost unheard of back then …..

Before this passion to put my thoughts into words fizzles out, I’d better keep this momentum going. After all, this trip was more food hunt and shopping than sight-seeing, as opposed to the last trip back in 2008. So there will be more posts on FOOD (hurray?) than anything else.

Still in a daze, I started this week by waking up in Hong Kong, then journeyed to Macau for 2 nights, before coming back to Malaysia for a subsequent night, and finally travelled down south to Singapore last night. I am back in PJ now, but this weekend will be spent in Ipoh (double hurray?!!).

Since it’s Friday (that darn Rebecca Black’s tune kept playing in my head, for some incomprehensible reason!), let’s keep today’s post short, shall we?

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For the other equally mouth-watering food and travel posts from this Hong Kong escapade, jump HERE. Feeling slightly nostalgic? Then go all the way back to 2008 for even more ramblings from Motormouth. Be warned, leave your common sense behind. Seriously.

If there’s ONE Hong Kong street food that’s not only repulsive and pungent; bordering on being categorized as garbage food, yet alluring enough to aficionados and symbolizes the charisma of Mong Kok so well, it has to be the Stinky Beancurd; fondly referred to as “Chow Tau Foo”

Mong Kok in Kowloon has been portrayed as THE most notorious area in all of Hong Kong. At least, in the movies. When gangfights juxtaposed against the neon lights of hovering signboards publicizing the melange of massage parlours, mahjong dens and spitting images of tattooed men tucking into their hot pot (fondly known as steamboat in this part of the world).

On the contrary, this bustling part of Hong Kong is a foodie’s wettest wildest dreams come true. Generally crowded from day until night, you can find a cafe, restaurant or even a snack vendor/peddler at every nook and corner.

Read on for more tantalizing shots. I kid you not.

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Tim Ho Wan Dim Sum Specialists; loudly hailed as the world’s cheapest Michelin-starred restaurant. And probably the smallest too.

Let’s get the ball rolling. Highly doubtful that I can finish all the food posts in the very near future, but I shall try my best. And what better way to kick off the gastronomic endeavour than a heavenly (late) lunch of Hong Kong dim sum?

This feisty lady manned the counter; giving away queue numbers while intermittently serving the customers within. Don’t get all jelly-legs, people. She’s a charmer, surprisingly.

And this ‘restaurant’ (if you can even call the premise that) was awarded with an unprecedented ONE Michelin star, a startling choice since fine dining establishments have always had preferential treatment  over humble eateries. Granted, this might also be due to the fact that Chef Mak Pui Gor at Tim Ho Wan (literally translated to “Add Good Luck”) came from a 3-starred Lung King Heen himself.

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#1 – Deanie Ip (Yip Tak Han in Cantonese) is a Cantopop singer and Chinese actress in Hong Kong.

#2 – Strangers share tables, chairs, and nothing short of food in hole in a wall establishments all over Hong Kong.

#3 – Business booms early in the morning, when the whole city still sleeps in.

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