Drop us a line at advertisingfoodie@gmail.com!

JULY 2009 ISSUE 1

M

onthly Magazine

Take me home, I'm FREE!

Great British Gastropubs

Foods that make

your skin GLOW

A Sweet Escape in Sai Kung

Season’s PickLobsters

Publisher Y’s Media Limited

Editor June Chan

Designer Sandy Chiu

Contributors Ben Wong, Ivy Tam

Advertising Manager Ben Lu

Published by Y’s Media LimitedRm 1618, Pacific Trade Centre,2 Kai Hing Road,Kowloon Bay, Kowloon,Hong Kongmagazine.foodie@gmail.com

Printed by Wing King Tong Group3/F., Block I, Leader Industrial Centre,188-202 Texaco Road, Tsuen Wan, N.T. Hong Kong

Foodie is published monthly, 12 times a year. Foodie is a registered trademark © Y’s Media Limited 2009. The contents of the magazine are fully protected by copyright and nothing may be reprinted without permission. The publisher and editors accept no responsibility in respect to any products, goods or services that may be advertised or referred to in this issue, or for any errors, omissions or mistakes in any such advertisements or references.

CONTENTS MONTHLY MAGAZINE JULY 2009 ISSUE 1

On the Cover

In Season: Lobsters 10

Feature: Great British Gastropubs 16

Eat Smart: Foods that Make 24

Your Skin Glow

Sweet Escape: One-thirtyone 26

In this Issue

Editor’s Note 01

What’s Hot 02

Food Hunt 04

3 Hot Picks: Ice Cream 14

Cook it Yourself 20

Style 22

Hot Reads 25

Editor’s Blog 28

1602 04

FOODIE | JULY 2009

[ EDITOR’S NOTE ] 01

Welcome to the first issue! As a member of the Foodie team, each and every one of us believes life is way too short so we should live each day beautifully and meaningfully without regret. Food is part of our lives. Indeed, life and food are inseparable partners.

Both can be spicy, sweet, sour, bitter and salty. Yet every ‘taste’ should be treasured.

I make my living by writing. Words are my partners. Every word has meaning and every article has a soul. We hope to bring life to Foodie. It is not just a typical food magazine, but a magazine with a heart.

In this issue, we invite you to taste ‘tradition’ pub grubs in British gastropubs around town (p.16) and we hunt down three delicious ice cream shops to cool off the summer heat (p.14).

Living in such a crowed city, we love hideaways. We’ve found one hidden gourmet in Sai Kung to escape and indulge in authentic French cuisine (p.26). Check out the foods which will make your skin glow naturally (p.24) and get inspired with simple and refreshing recipes (p.12 & 20). Don’t miss what’s in season this month – lobster (p.10)!

Once again, enjoy reading Foodie! Share your copy with others and help to spread the Foodie message ‘Enjoy life with the prefect companion – food!’

June ChanEditoreditorialfoodie@gmail.com

CONTRIBUTORS WANTEDAre you sophisticated and in love with food? Join us to create this ‘edible’ magazine! Interested parties, please contact us at editorialfoodie@gmail.com.

JULY 2009 | FOODIE

[ WHAT’S HOT]02

Barbie struts Shanghai dining

The world’s first Barbie dining experience has arrived in Shanghai.

Living a Barbie doll’s life is no longer a dream! Featuring a six-storey flagship

store with fashion, beauty and food all under one roof, it teams up with celebrity chef David Laris to create three chic gourmet outlets. Dine

on hot pink vinyl banquettes at the signature Barbie Café,

Laris has created a range of western dishes using

natural ingredients with house-made sauces

and seasonings.

FOODIE | JULY 2009

[ WHAT’S HOT ] 03

Starbucks opens the first ‘bing sutt’Get nostalgic in an old Hong Kong ‘bing sutt’? Starbucks turns back the clock to recreate one on Duddell Street in Central. Collaborating with local leading home design brand, Goods of Desire (G.O.D), this special concept corner mixed eastern traditions with western modernisation. Two specially created Hongkie buns are sold exclusively at this store!

Woman are food fanaticsBelieve it or not, a woman spends almost two years of her life thinking about food! The result is supported by a poll conducted in the UK, where almost 4,000 British men and women were interviewed. When it comes to food, a woman spends an average of 44 minutes a day thinking about their next meal or daydreaming of snacks, while a man spends about 12% less time dreaming about eating.

JULY 2009 | FOODIE

04 [ FOOD HUNT ] lunch

The executive’s choiceIf you’re looking for a place serving gourmet food in a less stuffy setting, 798 unit & co. can be your choice. Offering a new executive set lunch menu ($138) comprises of salad, soup, entrée, dessert and coffee, the chef’s selection includes char-grilled beef tenderloin with three-mustard sauce and potato gratin, pan-fried barramundi with barley risotto in wasabi butter sauce, and farfalle with seared sea scallops in roasted tomato sauce. For casual lunch, you can order the regular sets with prices start at $68.Shop 1203, Time Square, Causeway Bay T 2506 0611

FOODIE | JULY 2009

05 [ FOOD HUNT ]

Designer menuWell-known in the fashion industry, can its food rocks the dining table too? Discover the Italian lunch offering at the Armani Bar. With its menu changes weekly, there is always a choice for every one from seafood to meat with prices starting at $168. The lunch comes with assorted Italian antipasti, featuring an array of cold cuts, fresh oysters, salad, and cheese.2/F Armani, Chater House11 Chater Road, Central T 2805 0028

Italian blissGood news for Italian food fans as Scala Restaurant has added refreshing dishes to the a la carte and set lunch menu to welcome this summer. With more choices to the appetisers, main dishes and desserts, you can enjoy a string of gastronomic masterpieces like marinated salmon parcel stuffed with Boston lobster and apple cauliflower puree ($165), escargot ravioli with creamy leek sauce ($165) and baked cheesecake in an angle hair dome with marinated berries compote ($95). Alternatively, you can choose from the 3-course set menu ($245) that changes every week. Renaissance Harbour View Hotel11/F, 1 Harbour Road, Wan ChaiT 2802 8888

lunch

JULY 2009 | FOODIE

06

dinnerNovotel CitygateLobby Level, 51 Man Tung Road Tung ChungT 2841 3846

[ FOOD HUNT ]

Stay moistThe chef at Essence has specially brings together fruity and icy dishes to keep you cool through the summer. Offering a dinner buffet ($188 for adult and $138 for child) until the end of August, fruits are added to every dish like aloe vera and prawn salad, and roast chicken thight with red currant jelly and citrus glaze. Help yourself with free flow of virgin mojito!

Jet freshExcite your palate with jet-fresh seafood offers at the City Art Restaurant + Grill. Imported fresh from the USA and Europe, every dish is created to love at first bite. A selection of seafood dishes is featuring in the 3-course set menu ($348) from now until the end of the month. The chef’s selection includes the French edible crab on ice, scallop ceviche with salmon roe and crispy soft shell crab and seared crab cake. With an extra of $110, you can enjoy antipasti at the beginning of the meal.Royal Park Hotel, Level 28 Pak Hok Ting Street, ShatinT 2694 3968

07

Wine and gourmetRestaurant Petrus brings two fine dining experiences to pamper your taste buds this month. Firstly, a rare opportunity to taste dishes specially created by guest chef Jean-Louis Nomicos of the legendary Michelin two-star Lasserre restaurant in Paris from 2-6 July. His masterpieces include macaroni with black truffle and duck foie gras, steamed Brittany blue lobster in seaweed with lemon caviar and mentholated green peas in almond milk with oscietra caviar. If you miss it, you can also find a special 4-course summer set menu ($780 per person) using fresh gourmet from France. Each dish can even pair up with a fine glass of wine for an extra $400.Island Shangri-la, Level 56, Pacific PlaceSupreme Court Road, CentralT 2820 8590

dinner

Pageant feast Yat Tung Heen unveils an unusual 8-course feast ($468 per person) this summer. Inspired by the secret beauty recipes of Yang Guifei, one of the four beauties of ancient China, the executive chef has developed a range of creative dishes that every woman screams for, such as double-boiled pear stuffed with snow fungus, imperial swiftlet’s nest and lily bulb, and stewed prawn balls with bird’s nest and egg white cake.Eaton Hotel, B2, 380 Nathan Road, Kowloon T 2710 1093

[ FOOD HUNT ]

JULY 2009 | FOODIE

[ FOOD HUNT ]08

DON’T MISS DON’T MISS DON’T MISS DON’T MISS DON’T MISS

Mango delightsLove the intense flavour of mango, but loathe peeling off its skin? What about sitting back and indulge in skinless and seedless mangoes? Café Serena is offering a mango afternoon tea buffet ($158 for adult and $118 for child). Using fresh mangos to create a range of salads, appetisers, main dishes and desserts, try mango and shrimp cocktail, fried rice in Thai style with dry shrimp and dry mango, and char-grilled balls with mango sauce. The buffet is available from 3pm-5pm on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays.

Prefect to spend a lazy weekend with family Hotel Nikko, 1/F, 72 Mody Road, Tsim Sha Tsui East, Kowloon T 2313 4222

Go freshNeed to uplift your appetite during the hot weather? MIX delights you with a whole new range of wholesome foods and beverages this summer. The new menu features more choices of wraps, salads, sandwiches and juices. Bringing seasonal ingredients into the new creation, must try the Italian grilled vegetarian, tuna nicoise with seared tuna, and prawn avocado and mango sandwiches.

Refreshing bites to stay awake during workAll MIX outlets

JULY 2009 | FOODIE

10 [ IN SEASON]

Lobsters

July is the best season for a lobster feast. Almost every part of the lobster can be cooked in some culinary ways. The lobster shell can be used to make stock, the lobster head is best for cooking lobster bisque, and when it comes to the meatiest lobster tail this part is perfect for making a range of dishes from salads, risottos to sandwiches.

With more than 230,000 tonnes of lobster consumed around the world every year, lobster is a popular seafood dish for every occasion all year round. Best eaten fresh, many people save the trouble of cooking lobsters at home. Indeed, lobsters are simple to prepare. Read on to discover some tips on handling lobsters and a simple lobster recipe provided by head chef Leung Wing Yueng of the Lobster Bar and Grill, Island Shangri-La.

11 [ IN SEASON ]

white wine, pepper, parsley, celery, onions, carrots and bay leaves are recommended.

Different parts of the lobster need to be boiled for different length of time. The lobster tail best cook for 13 minutes, while other parts need to cook for 16 minutes. But it’s always okay to cook the whole lobster without separating the parts, since we’re not professional chefs! But do remember to reduce your cooking time by about 3 minutes, if you’re cooking soft-shelled lobsters. The lobster shell should turn bright red when cooked.

How to crack open lobster?Lobster claws: twist off both lobster claws, and break off the knuckles where they attach to the main part of the claw. Use a knife to cut open from the top, the shell should crack in halves.

Lobster tail: separate the lobster tail from the body by bending the tail back and using a twisting motion. Break off the flippers by bending them back.Insert a fork into the end of the tail where the flippers break off and push out the chunk of tail meat.

Which lobster parts should be removed?Remove the sand sac in the head area, the green tomalley from the body and the vein from the tail.

Where to buy lobsters?Fresh lobsters can be purchased at major wet and seafood markets, while frozen lobsters can get at supermarkets. In Hong Kong, most lobsters are imported from Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Indonesia.

How to choose fresh lobsters?Any lobsters that seem frisky and move around the tank are fresh. A good test is to pick up a live lobster and straighten out its tail. If it’s fresh, it should swiftly curve back under the body. There are soft-shelled and hard-shelled lobsters. Soft-shelled lobsters have less meat, but taste sweeter.

How to cook lobsters?Lobsters can be boiled, steamed and grilled. Boiling is the simplest way to cook and kill a live lobster. Using a large pot with a lid, pour enough water in the pot to cover the lobster completely. Once the water boils fiercely, grasp the live lobster behind the claws and drop it headfirst into the boiling water. The head consists of the lobster brain, where nerve endings are located. Boiling the headfirst makes the lobster ‘dizzy’. To give lobster meat more flavour, adding

JULY 2009 | FOODIE

12 [ IN SEASON]

Lobster Tartaron cucumber with lemon yoghurt dressing

SERVES1 person

LOBSTER TARTAR 60g cooked lobster tail, finely chopped

1 cooked lobster claw 2 teaspoons vodka 1 teaspoon mayonnaise 1 teaspoon red pepper, chopped 1 teaspoon yellow pepper, chopped scant fresh coriander, chopped

YOGHURT DRESSING 2 tablespoons pure yoghurt juice of ! lemon salt and pepper

Whisk together the dressing ingredients. Season to taste.

OTHER INGREDIENTS ! cucumber, sliced scant salmon caviar scant fresh dill olive oil

TOOL Mould

Simple lobster recipe

Chef Leung Wing Yueng of the Lobster Bar and Grill

FOODIE | JULY 2009

13 [ IN SEASON ]

Step 1Arrange cucumber slices in a circle on a plate. Drizzle yoghurt dressing on cucumber.

Step 2Mix the lobster tartar ingredients in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper.

Step 3Place the lobster tartar in the centre using the mould. Decorate with salmon caviar.

Step 4Season the salad leaves and the lobster claw with olive oil, salt and pepper. Place them on top. Sprinkle fresh dill and drizzle olive oil around the plate to finish.

2

3

4

1

Special thanks to chef Leung Wing Yeung of the Lobster Bar and Grill, Island Shangri-La, for sharing the lobster information and recipe.

✱

JULY 2009 | FOODIE

[ 3 HOT PICKS ]14

Who can resist the temptation of ice cream, especially on a hot summer day? A mouthful cools the heat, another mouthful treats your taste bud, and more just chills your day. With so many choices out there, the Foodie team hunts down three ice cream brands to enrich a whole new experience.

ice cream

Shop 15, G/F2-4 Hysan Ave Causeway BayOpen11am-10pm

awfully chocolate Think dark chocolate. You either love it or loathe it. Yet sells only dark chocolate cakes and new launched a premium dark chocolate ice cream - ‘hei’. With every mouthful tastes dark, rich and dense chocolate, its secret recipe is just back to basics of using real chocolate, cream, milk and eggs. You can get a single ($28) or double scoop ($38) in shop, or simply take home a pint ($78) in a Chinese take away box. As long as you reach your destination within 45 minutes, hei can serve right on the spot!

Want a FREE scoop of

ice cream? Turn to the last

page to find out more!

FOODIE | JULY 2009

[ 3 HOT PICKS ] 15

Shop 109, Prince’s Building, 10 Chater Rd, CentralOpen 10am-8pm

La Maison du ChocolatAt the newly opened La Maison du Chocolat in Central, you can indulge your senses with its new launched summer collection including chocolates, pastries and ice creams. Using the finest ingredients, the six ice cream flavours ($56 per pot) build on the association of fruits, spices and chocolate giving its rich and complex taste. The ice cream collection only sale exclusively in this store!

Shop B, 45 Cochrane St, CentralOpen 12noon-12am (Mon- Thurs & Sun)12noon-2am (Fri & public holidays)

XTC GelatoDare to try an exotic icy treat? It’s no longer just a scoop in a cup or waffle cone, but ice cream sandwiched between two freshly baked chocolate cookies! XTC Gelato is offering ice cream sandwich ($33) this summer. With every bite tastes fresh with intense flavour, its ice cream is handmade every day using natural ingredients. The crispy cookies go well with any ice cream flavour. Eat fast before your ‘sandwich’ melts!

JULY 2009 | FOODIE

16 [ FEATURE]

Foods have trends and can go off fashion. The old Brit’s

pub cuisine is becoming one of the off menus in recent years. The chalked up menu and the inexpensive food are disappearing and replaced by quality pub grubs, premium beers and fine wines. ‘Quality’ appears first on the menu in these in season pubs, known as the gastropubs.

Combining gastronomy and pub, this is a British term coined in 1991 when

British Michael Belben and chef David Eyre opened the

first gastropub in London. The duo changed the face of the old English pubs by replacing cheesy dishes with fresh and fine gourmet ingredients. The old favourites are all kept with refined flavours and impeccable presentation. Aside from quality food served, the typical chilled

Great British GASTROPUBS

in Hong KongIn Hong Kong, pub grubs are never known as one of the

premium foods of Britain. But in recent years, the English pub culture has begun a whole new chapter in the east.

FOODIE | JULY 2009

17 [ FEATURE]

FROM TOP LEFTRoast Bone Marrow; Fish & Chips; The Praw 2/F dining room; The Pawn

atmosphere remains with a chic and elegant touch. More gastropubs are opening to bring the belated trend across the ocean to this part of the world.

Occupying 3 floors in a restored 19th century Chinese shophouse building in Wan Chai, The Pawn is one of the few latest gastropubs opened in town. Based on the idea of a house, the designer sets this historical space to life. Incorporated eat, drink and play, the first floor is a spacious living room where the bar and lounge serves artisan beers, bespoke cocktails, vintage cigar and simple pub grubs. The chilled pub atmosphere allows you to indulge in casual chats with mates or have fun playing table football with a pint in hand.

On the second floor, you’ll find the dining room where a team of friendly staff awaits to show you to your table.

Seeing Welsh chef David Tamlyn behind the open kitchen creating dishes with fresh ingredients of the day, your tummy growls in hunger the minute you’re seated. Using ingredients from all over the world, every dish keeps the authentic British flavour with a modern twist. Must try the roast bone marrow. With only a few restaurants in the UK still serving it, this dish is removing from many restaurant menus due to food trend.

The menu changes twice a day according to ingredients on hand, but all time favourites like fish and chips and grilled swordfish always stay on the menu. Remember to leave room for desserts, as head pastry chef Emma Renfrew would bring surprises to your taste buds. For those, who enjoy al fresco dining, there is an outdoor area with comfy sofas. A roof garden is on the third floor, best for private parties.

JULY 2009 | FOODIE

18 [ FEATURE]

Another must mention traditional British food is Yorkshire pudding. Originated in Yorkshire, the dish is often served as part of Sunday roasts with roast beef, potato, vegetables and gravy. The few months old Yorkshire Pudding is named after the signature dish. Situated on Staunton Street, it steals attention from its bright red design of the old-fashioned English telephone box. Behind the doors is a bar area with quintessentially British dark wood furniture and red leather Chesterfield sofa. Just a couple of stairs, you’ll enter a proper dining area that fits about 30 people. Serving a number of signature Yorkshire pudding

dishes like Irish beef stew and classic Scottish chicken

with drambuie, the friendly

menu also

focuses on home cooked favourites, such as toad in the hole, bangers and mash, and steak and kidney pies. You can enjoy a hearty meal with pints of beers offering at good value.

Not far away is the newly renovated Bar George on D’Aguilar Street. With every corner of the bar and décor breathes and lives the British gastropub atmosphere, it first flung opened its door in 2002. The classic a la carte menu serves traditional British pub grubs in large portion prefect for sharing. Recommended the signature cottage pie and the fish and chips. The chips are cooked using a secret recipe, with every bite tastes extra crispy. The open bar has an extensive selection of alcohol to go well with each dish. Also, watch out for the just arrived platter menu.

With the food trend never recycle the way fashion does, no one can predict what’s next on the menu. Let the ever-changing culinary surprises you!

With the food trend never recycle the way fashion does, no one can predict what’s next on the menu

Yorshire Pudding Steak & Kidney Pie

Bar George Meat Pie Bar GeorgeYorshire Pudding

FOODIE | JULY 2009

JULY 2009 | FOODIE

[ COOK IT YOURSELF ]20Both recipes are provided by chef Christoper Gallaga from MIX

2 31

Step 1Evenly spread water on one side on the tortilla, and Teriyaki sauce on the other side.

Step 2Spread a layer of rice, Teriyaki beef, sliced sweet & sour onion, sliced Japanese yellow turnip, pickle ginger, and chopped spring onion on the tortilla.

Step 3Roll the tortilla tightly, and place it on a frying pan or in a grill for 1-2 minutes.

SERVES 1 person

INGREDIENTS 1 piece tortilla 2 or 3oz Teriyaki tenderloin 1oz steamed Japanese rice 1 fluid oz Teriyaki sauce 2 teaspoons water scant sweet & sour onion, sliced scant Japanese yellow turnip, sliced

scant pickle ginger scant spring onion, chopped

TOOL Non-stick frying pan/grill

PREPARATIONMarinate the Teriyaki beef in Teriyaki sauce for at least 4 hours or best overnight.

Teriyaki beef wrap

TERIYAKI BEEFCook or grill the Teriyaki tenderloin for about 2 minutes per side, turn every minute. Thinly slice the beef. If the beef is too raw for you, cook or grill them longer.

* Heat the frying pan until very hot before cooking the beef to prevent it from sticking onto the frying pan

* Water prevents the tortilla from breaking

* Even spreading of Teriyaki sauce on the tortilla gives a stronger flavour

Tips

FOODIE | JULY 2009

[ COOK IT YOURSELF ] 21

16oz Organic breakfast smoothie

coupon

SERVES1 person

INGREDIENTS8oz soya milk380g banana2 teaspoons oatmeal1oz honey

TOOLBlender

CHEF PROFILE

An Italian-American, chef Gallaga has been working as a chef and consultant for over 30 years. In recent years, he fell in love with the challenge of gourmet quick meal cuisine. His new menu takes MIX’s food to an extraordinary new level of healthy indulgence.

PREPARATIONChop the banana into pieces and freeze them overnight

METHODPlace all ingredients into the blender. Blend for about 5 seconds, pause, and then blend again. Repeat this on/off blending for approximately 4 times. And finally keep blending for about 1 minute.

* Frozen fruits give a thicker smoothie

* Pause in between the blending can

give an even stir to all ingredients

* When preparing for two different smoothies. Always even out different

pieces of fruits on a plate before freezing to prevent the pieces frozen

into one big lump

Tips

Chef Christoper Gallaga of MIX

22 [ STYLE]

Summer loveSeason your dining area with hot items

JULY 2009 | FOODIE

Kitchen heart timer$138Homart

Big love ice cream bowl and spoon$480Alessi

Alessi Shop 247, Prince’s Building, Central T2869 6377 Good Laque Gifts Gallery 40-42D Stanley Main Street, Stanley Market T2899 0632 Homart, Shop LG/F, 81A Hollywood Road, Central T2291 6231 I Love Kitchen G/F, 1 Leighton Road, Causeway Bay T2572 0009

Love fondue$259I Love Kitchen

I love you toaster$398Homart

Hug salt and pepper shakers

$80Good Laque Gifts Gallery

FOODIE | JULY 2009

24 [ EAT SMART ]

JULY 2009 | FOODIE

Everyone loves to look beautiful. You can apply layers of silky creams and lotions, colour your face with gorgeous make-up or dress in stunning clothes to simply look beautiful outside. But do you have skin that glows from inside out to look delicious? Check out the food list to say goodbyeto wrinkles, fine lines, freckles, acne and dark circles and hello to beautiful skin! F

GLOWmake your skinFoods that

Wrinkles, lines and frecklesNeeds: Vitamin C and omega fats

Reasons: Rich in antioxidants to repair damaged skin cells from harmful rays

Top Picks: Citrus fruits, vegetables, fatty fish and nuts

Tips: Peppers contain double amount of vitamin C more than citrus fruits

AcnesNeeds: Zinc

Reasons: Improves skin condition by speeding up healing of wounds and reducing oil production

Top Picks: Seafood, poultry and cheese

Tips: Oysters contain the richest zinc and have skin toning effects

Dark circlesNeeds: Vitamin K, A, C, E and iron

Reasons: Vitamin K is the best vitamin to boost blood flow and reduce dark circles under eyes

Top Picks: Green vegetables

Tips: Fresh parsley is richest in vitamin K

Dry skinNeeds: Vitamin A

Reasons: Forms new skin cells

Top Picks: Eggs, fish liver oils, milk products and butter

Tips: Barley is high in fibre and an ideal anti-ageing food

Don’t forget to drink plenty of water. Water helps to remove excess toxins from our body to keep us glowing healthily!

FOODIE | JULY 2009

25 [ HOT READS ]

Want to save your wallet on pub grubs? Here comes Gordon Ramsay’s new cookbook, which he teams up with fellow chef Mark Sargeant to recreate some of the classic British pub dishes. Featuring 120 recipes, the culinary duo creates a range of simple, affordable and tasty dishes to cook in your own kitchen, such as crab cakes, pork pies and rabbit hotpot with perry. Gordon Ramsay’s Great British Pub Food by Gordon Ramsay and Mark Sargeant ($360)Bookazine

Making sushi can be pretty fun if you find a cookbook to guide you right from the beginning to the end. In this cookbook, you can find tips on choosing fresh ingredients and using different sushi tools. Each of the 85 innovative recipes inspires you to create sushi for every occasion. Not only learning how to make traditional nigiri sushi, but also sushi incorporating the diverse tastes of German sausage, peking duck, Thai fish sauce and more!The Sushi Lover’s Cookbook by Yumi Umemura ($290)Dymocks

With 81 Morton’s restaurants worldwide offering high quality food, there must be magic in the kitchens to create every mouth-watering dish. In fact, you can try to turn your home into the next Morton’s of Chicago by recreating their signature dishes and cocktails with the help of this new cookbook. Compiling over 100 recipes, ‘wow’ your family and guests with tempting dishes this weekend! Morton’s the Cookbook: 100 Steakhouse Recipes For Every Kitchen ($295)Morton’s of Chicago

JULY 2009 | FOODIE

[ SWEET ESCAPE]26

A hidden gourmetI n the middle of nowhere, one-

thirtyone is well hidden in Sai Kung. Here is sure to separate you from the outside world, yet a place where

dining is an experience. Situated inside an organic farm and fenced by iron front gates, you can spot the 3-storey red house nestled by the bay of Three Fathoms Cove. Overlooking a panoramic view of mountains, you can enjoy a relaxing meal surrounded by the sounds of nature.

The ground floor has been converted into a dining room, where a maximum of 20 people can enjoy an authentic French/Continental cuisine cooked by chef Gary Cheuk. With a prix fix menu of 4-course for lunch ($500) and 6-course

FOODIE | JULY 2009

27[ SWEET ESCAPE]

One-thirtyone131 Tseng Tau VillageShap Sze Heung Sai KungT 2791 2684Close on Monday

for dinner ($900), every dish is prepared using seasonal produce freshly picked from that day. Ingredients can also be amended upon special request. Lunch is only served on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays from 12pm to 2pm. All reservations must be made a day in advance. F

JULY 2009 | FOODIE

28 [ EDITOR’S BLOG]

“One of the very nicest things about life is the way we must regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating.”Luciano Pavarotti – late Italian operatic tenor

Born and bred in Hong Kong, I understand living in this city is all about speed. But no matter how busy we’re, we all just need occasional breaks in between life to recharge.

I’ve been drowning in work and struggling to find any free time, I need a perfect spot to unwind and treat my taste buds. Knowing that the Peak Lookout had created a new seafood and dessert menu for the summer, I dashed up the hill.

My menu

* Blue fin tuna tartare

* The Peak Alaskan crab and avocado cocktail

* Tandoori chicken

* Mojito cheesecake

The mixing of Japanese seaweed, pickled ginger and vinegar with blue tuna tickled my appetite and prepared me for my second appetiser. The Alaskan crab meat tasted incredibly sweet, and the cayenne pepper that was sprinkled on top gave the starter a mild chilli flavour. The tandoori chicken which was recommended by the waitress, is one of the signature dishes. Accompanied by plain or garlic naan, raita yogurt sauce and mint sauce, the chicken was perfectly roasted and marinated. The mint sauce was mild, and did not overwhelm the taste of the chicken. Last, but not least, the mojito

cheesecake mixed classic mojito cocktail flavours with cheesecake to create an unusual and refreshing dessert flavour.

I can’t believe I actually spent 2 hours enjoying my meal. The Peak Lookout is the place to relax on a lazy day and enjoy international cuisine, which incorporated old favourites and Asian specialties in a more modern style.

Mojito cheesecake

Alaskan crab and avocado cocktail

Peak Lookout – The Conservatory at daytime

Tandoori chicken

Blue Fin Tuna Tartare

The Peak Lookout121 Peak Road, The PeakT 2849 1000

JULY

SUBSCRIBE TODAY!The FIRST 20 subscribers to our magazine can get a free scoop of dark chocolate ice cream ($28) offered by awfully chocolate!

YES I want Foodie delivers to my door!

6-month subscription (6 issues) for $50*

1-year subscription (12 issues) for $100*

*For postage fee

YOUR DETAILS

Name

Contact No. Email

Address

SEND SUBSCRIPTION ORDER TOY’s Media Limited, Rm 1618, Pacific Trade Centre, 2 Kai Hing Road, Kowloon Bay, Hong Kong.

PLEASE ENCLOSEa) A crossed cheque payable to ‘Y’s Media Limited’ORb) An original copy of bank’s pay-in slip / ATM transfer slip (deposit to the Bank of China A/C

No. 012-777-1011-0792, A/C Name: Y’s Media Limited)

voic

e Looking for a space to share? Write to magazine.foodie@gmail.com to voice it!

We want to hear from you, whether it’s your dining experience, family recipe to share or simply

your comments on Foodie! The Star Letter wins a copy of

Gordon Ramsay’s Great British Pub Food by Gordon Ramsay and Mark Sargeant

(Turn to page 25 to read more about the book)!

Drop us a line at advertisingfoodie@gmail.com!

Season this space