Expressions Through Food in Hong Kong

Most cities are cosmopolitan by nature and Hong Kong is one of these places.  Look anywhere and you would swear that you were someplace else if it weren't for the all Chinese staff.  Hong Kong does a good job of imitation, interpretation, and in some cases; improvement of world cuisine and style.

Take Classified for example, a characuterie with a weathered charm that reminds me of the New York aesthetic. Classified also offers a nice selection of wines, coffee, and--what do you know---an international edition of The New York Times. ( In China and HK they give sugar syrup instead of packets which I think all places should do.  It mixes so much better with no grainy residue at the bottom---ick)

If you want a stab at Hong Kong's British roots, I recommend heading over to Pawn--a rehabilitated tenement building from 1888 that is a restaurant-cum-bar at night. As a concept from director Stanley Wong, the interiors really do echo movie sets in their picture-perfect arrangements.

I loved these old theater chairs in front of the elevator entrance.

Tenement buildings were originally laid out with store fronts on the ground and residential sections above.  The downstairs is now used as a living room/lounge and the more segmented and intimate upstairs is now used as a dining room.  The picture below is on one of the balconies where (my hosts) Stevenson,  Xiu Dan, and I dig in to Pawn's English breakfast (bangers, ham, fried eggs, baked beans, mash, toast) and fish 'n chips.

Sogo is the busiest department store in Causeway Bay, Hong Kong.  For its 25th anniversary and Mother's Day, Sogo featured products from Chocolate Rain, a design firm inspired by childhood nostalgia.  I really like their brilliant colors and the firm's direction toward DIY personalization.

Downstairs in Sogo they have an amazing international food market.  Here are Japanese desserts from Minamoto. I actually know of one Minamoto outpost in New York circa Rockefellar Center, but I can never bring myself to eat them--only stare and take pictures.

 

Continuing with the Japanese theme, for dinner I met with Jerri, a fellow Syracuse Interior Design studio buddy now working in Hong Kong.  We had sushi and sashimi which was great because I had basically avoided uncooked meat and fish before then coming from mainland China.

The dish in the martini glass is  a shrimp cocktail with cucumber and pumpkin puree. An unusual combination but delicious! I also tried raw scallop, but remain a loyal fan of the yellowtail above all else:-)

 

In addition to great food, we hashed over the joys and pitfalls of our industry.   I have come to think that it might be human nature to believe the grass is always greener on the other side.  Or maybe it is human ambition that renders us to be curious creatures; always in search of new horizons to conquer.