Hong Kong: Eat

Hong Kong is a foodie's paradise. Not only is Cantonese food absolutely amazing, but Hong Kong has a vibrant international scene, meaning you can find some of the best food from all around the world in this city. These are some of my favorites.

W Brunch

Brunch is literally the most beautiful music to any hungover person's ears. And the W orchestrates a God-sent buffet brunch that will make you never wanting to leave. It may not offer the over-the-top opulence you find in Vegas for their Sunday Brunch Buffet's, but I would strongly argue that the flavors on tap at this brunch are more exquisitely crafted, with a fresher selection and just a generally speaking higher quality of food.

My last plate, this time went the seafood route...topped with caviar of course!

As this is a buffet, I can't necessarily recommend anything in specific, but just know that anything you get-all the steaks, the seafoods, the fruits, the noodles, the sweets-will be fantastic. The chefs in the back are clearly professionals who care about everything you put on your plate. There is a level of seemingly painstaking level of meticulousness put into every plate, as they aren't just large bowls of mass produced food to provide as many people as possible. The serving plates are a presentation in it of itself, and was actually a joy for me to create a beautifully aesthetic plate for my hungover self.

Combine all the amazing food with bottomless mimosas, fantastic service, and great views out over the Hong Kong Bay, Kitchen at the W Hotel is without a doubt the place to go in Hong Kong for weekend brunch. Just allocate an extra hour or so to really enjoy this meal as much as possible. The W Team, especially Yvonne Chin, was gracious enough to host me for my birthday and to share my experience with you, but honestly I would have paid hundreds for this meal, without a doubt.

Plate after plate...paired with mimosas after mimosas!

Tango

Asian food is fantastic, don't get me wrong. Asian flavors are incredibly unique and integral to the cuisine of the world, but after spending over a month in China, I was getting seriously over it. The occasional McDonald's or Subway, maybe once a week, provided a teaser back into what international foods tasted like, but it was Tango that really, really made my stomach thank me. Tango is an Argentinian Steakhouse that successfully brings the best of Argentina in a small restaurant above the Elements Shopping Mall in Kowloon.

Angelo Salazar, assistant manager at Tango, was in charge of deciding what we would be served, and he did not disappoint. This man clearly loves his culture, and it shows in his commitment to serving us. Helping him spread the word for this restaurant is the least we could do, but I am so glad we visited because it truly was the best possible place to get lunch that day.

He started us out with empanadas, a classic Argentinian dish. There's a restaurant in my hometown of Laguna Beach called Maro which also serves Argentinian food. As much as I do love Maro, their empanadas were not nearly as good as these. We were given three types: cheese, caprese, and carne (3 C's). The cheese was the best, but all three had a fluffiness to them that was just fantastic. Pairing each bite with fantastic salsa (especially the carne empanada) made it even better. The caprese empanada was refreshing, and the tomato provided a perfect burst of flavor to the glutinous surroundings. Empanadas are always a perfect dish to open out an Argentinian meal, and these were absolutely fantastic.

The three C's-Cheese, Caprese, Carne. All fantastic!

But what really made these bites special was the white wine. The sommelier, who was also a great guy with extensive knowledge about the stellar wines of Argentina, served us a Chakana Wines Torrontes 2014, which was crisp and fruity, pairing excellently with the empanadas.

The perfect pairing for empanadas and ceviche

Following the empanadas was a trio of ceviche's. We were instructed to start with the scallop and shrimp ceviche, then the salmon ceviche, then finish with the tuna ceviche. This is because the scallop and shrimp was the creamiest and heaviest. In my opinion, there was a little bit of an overdose in the sauce on this ceviche, as the superb seafood was completely overshadowed by a heavy sauce, but I wasn't complaining too much because the sauce was fantastic. The salmon ceviche was great, this time with a better balance of sauce and fish, along with some corn and onions to provide a nice crunch and background flavor. And the best of the three, without a doubt, was the tuna ceviche. A perfect amount of lemon and zest combined with fantastically fresh tuna and avocado made this the perfect way to leave my palate at the end of this trio of ceviche's (also, I love ceviche so much, so I was just happy to have been served this special dish).

Sure, the seafood was fantastic. But you come to an Argentinian steakhouse for steak, let's be honest. This cut of sirloin steak was just fantastic, as you would expect. Cooked medium rare, it was brilliantly tender, juicy and sizzling (it was served on a seriously hot plate to keep the sizzle, and I found that out the hard way). It was also one big time cut of beef. My buddy and I are big eaters and struggled to finish it. The sides definitely helped a lot, which included Criolla, Chimichurri (personal favorite), spicy tomato, grained mustard, Dijon mustard and horseradish (which was also great). Playing with these different flavors made the process of finishing the meat both fun and interesting, constantly throwing my taste buds a curveball.

The steak is great, but the bean stew on the side was just as incredible!

Red wine and red meat is simply a match made in heaven, especially when both are Argentinian!

And what makes steak even better is, of course, a glass of red wine. We were served a Mendel Malbec 2014 from Mendoza, Argentina (which uses the same vineyard as it did when it was opened decades ago). It is a very rich wine, and is incredibly savory, which paired perfectly with our cut of sirloin steak, both of which were gone far too quickly.

As a surprise addition to the meal, we were also served a seafood pasta, which was simply prepared with mussels and shrimps along with a creamy sauce on penne. It was a simple flavor, lacking flair, but I actually appreciated that. It was served alongside the star of the meal, and it did nothing to take away from the steak's glory. Instead, it was a perfect accompaniment to the dish, serving as almost a side dish and doing a great job at it. The pasta was well cooked, as you'd expect, and the mussels were fresh. Would I recommend it? Sure, if you want a simple light meal. Would I have ordered it? Probably not, given that I'm a meat lover and was in the mood for a serious cut of meat. Was it good? Definitely.

Nothing stands out in this dish, but that isn't a bad thing. A perfect side-kick to the steak!

Like I've said before, I am a serious sweet tooth. There's always room in my stomach for sugar, no matter how full I think I am. So you can only imagine my (literally) bittersweet excitement when we were brought out an Argentinian caramel crepe topped with vanilla ice cream, fruits and a crisp. This pancake (excuse me if I am being culturally insensitive but you get the idea what it is) was absolutely amazing. I'm squirming in my seat right now as I write about it because it was so perfectly sweet, with a perfect amount of caramel stuffed inside the fluffiest pancake I have ever head. It was not too heavy, especially when paired with the vanilla ice cream (standard, but can never go wrong with vanilla ice cream) and fruit, but by no means was it too light. It served as the perfect end to a fantastic meal at Tango.

One of my favorite desserts of all time...it was gone in a second!

So in conclusion, yes, I am recommending you take a break for one meal while in Hong Kong to enjoy the brilliance of Argentinian cuisine from a team of people who clearly care about their heritage and cuisine. Located in the Elements mall, in Civic Square, set in a homey-style corner of the building, overlooking a courtyard in the mall, Tango will be one of the best meals of your trip to Hong Kong, and it won't break your wallet either like most places in Hong Kong!

Mott 32

Oh man. Oh man, oh man. Oh gosh. Here we go. This is it. This is life. This is the place I want to have my last meal. This is the place I want to have every meal until the day I die. This restaurant is the absolute epitome of Cantonese cuisine. It is everything every Hong Kong restaurant should strive to be. It is hands down the best meal I had in Asia. I wish I could start an entire blog just on the food, and drinks for that matter, at this restaurant, but for now, this is the best I got, so read on if you so dare, because I promise you that your stomach will be growling until you fly to Hong Kong yourself and try it out.

This is the statement from Wun Ho, marketing manager for the Mott 32 brand:

Putting the spotlight on quality ingredients and traditional recipes, Mott 32 represents a new chapter of Chinese dining. Named after the famed convenience store on 32 Mott Street in New York, the restaurant captures the dynamism of NYC's vibrant Chinatown and the bravery of its immigrants. Mott 32's ingredient-focused philosophy means Chinese food can now be enjoyed in a rustic and honest way. Set in an expansive space in the heart of Central, Hong Kong, the restaurant was beautifully designed in conjunction with award-winning architect Joyce Wang. The bar offers innovative cocktails, wines and various sakes.

I'll stop oozing about this place and get into what we were served. But my gosh I could ooze for hours.

First up was a crispy, lightly fried tofu, topped with traditional Chinese chilies to give it a kick of spice. The tofu literally melted in my mouth and in a weirdly brilliant way almost tasted like a crispy cheese. Sounds weird but trust me, this is easily the best tofu I've ever had, especially for someone who is typically not the biggest fan of tofu to begin with. Frankly, I was not excited AT ALL when it was put in front of me, but I very quickly changed my attitude and wanted more than anything to have it all to myself and not share it all with my two dinner companions.

This was then followed by a truffle-glazed chicken, served refreshingly cold (common in China actually), and topped with crispy onions and green beans. Put truffle on anything and it is immediately a superior flavor. I would eat the clothes I'm wearing if they were drizzled with a bit of truffle. Perfectly cooked chicken served cold is something you'll have a few times in China and it is actually much better than it sounds, plus, being served this after the crispy, spicy tofu, served as a perfect subsequent, balancing the taste buds just enough.

An earthy-chicken, served refreshingly cold, topped with green beans and drizzled with truffle

We were then served a fried pomelo, drenched in a sticky-sweet sauce, topped with sesame seeds. It was a great combination of flavors and temperature, serving as a nice mid-meal dish. The first three dishes were a perfectly lined up to go from spicy to refreshing to sweet, in uniquely Chinese fashion.

The perfect sweet response to the spicier first course and the refreshing second course

Then we were given our first seafood dish of the night, served inside a wooden cylinder. Hiding under the roof was perfectly round lobster dim sum, stabbed with a syringe. This syringe was the sauce of the lobster, and when added gave the dim sum a moisture to contrast the surrounding bun, which was subtle yet added a juiciness that made this dish outstanding.

Lobster dim sum, with lobster sauce squirted inside to make it even juicier and more flavorful

Following the lobster dim sum was the best crab I have ever had, hands down. The meat literally fell out of the shell (I guess that's what you'd call it?), which was topped with an egg white foam that added to the texture of the dish. It was so good, we even convinced our vegetarian friend to try a bite, and he loved it! Definitely a must-get dish, but frankly, everything on the menu at Mott 32 is (I seriously will never stop praising the food at this restaurant).

At this point, the meal shifted from tasters and appetizers to the real deal. When making a reservation here, make sure you let the restaurant know if you want the BBQ Pork or the Peking Duck (you do) so they can prepare it for you in advance. The BBQ Pork, simply said, is the best bite of any meat I have ever had, hands down. I've eaten all around the world at all types of restaurants, and this was the most tender, the best flavored and the most perfect bite of succulent pork I have ever had. I mean seriously, this dish alone is worth visiting the restaurant.

The set up to construct your Asian taco, AKA Peking Duck

And just when I thought the meal could not get any better, a master chef with huge knives came out with a fully roasted duck and began to slice it up in front of our table while another waiter perfectly spun together sauces to create a visually stunning sauce. Peking Duck is a traditional Beijing-style dish, and I am actually writing this right after I ate Peking Duck here in Beijing. It is rather easy for me to say that this Peking Duck in Hong Kong was vastly better than the one in Beijing. This duck was simply cooked to perfection. The skin was light and crispy, the meat was juicy and tender, and the toppings were perfect (Mott 32 had the option to add cucumbers and a dash of sugar, both of which made the bites so much better). For those of you who don't actually know what Peking Duck is, it's basically the Asian version of a taco. You're given a thin, crepe-style tortilla (again, apologize if that's culturally insensitive), layer it with a sort of plum sauce (which was mixed with a peanut sauce to create a more dynamic flavor), add the onions and cucumbers, a layer or two of the crispy skin, topped with the duck meat and sprinkled with sugar. Wrap it up (burrito or taco style-really showing how Californian I am here), and let your taste buds have the best party of their lives in your mouth. This dish is famous for a reason. Order it. That's a command. It's worth every penny.

By this point, I was seriously on the verge of exploding. The table was overflowing with the most beautiful Chinese dishes, yet somehow, someway, a plate of tri-tip appeared in front of me. I was both so excited yet so upset at the same time because I literally could not, for the first time in my life, fit more than two bites in my mouth. I seriously felt my throat closing up, as if it were saying, "look buddy, I appreciate all that you've done for us down here, but you gotta stop, we really can't handle it anymore." I had no choice but to oblige with my body, but the two bites of the tri-tip were divine. The meat fell off the bone and was topped with a medley of onions and peppers, giving it an aesthetic appeal, along with a nice flavor. The meat was tender with a smoke-y flavor, but the flavor of the meat itself was extremely prominent, as you could tell this was a top-notch cut of beef.

All in all, Mott 32 is without a doubt in my mind the best place to eat in Hong Kong. It surpassed my already high expectations with flying colors. The flavors are superb, service is fantastic, décor and design stunning, and the drinks are also incredible. This is the place to go if you want the best taste of Asian culture in Hong Kong. Kenneth was the absolute man, he hooked us up and allowed us to explore the beauty of Asian cuisine, introducing us to new flavors, cooking style and traditions. I loved every minute of this meal, and I guarantee you will as well.

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