In the past when I tasted food or recommend Chinese food I have often mentioned that you can only find really good Hong Kong Style Chinese food in Hong Kong. There is certainly a great deal of truth in it because the ingredients or raw material that are used to cook Chinese food in Hong Kong differs from those in Thailand. The climate and the soil play a big part in determining the quality of these ingredients.Then the processes on making sauces are different. It tastes different. We in Thailand have the Golden Mountain Brand, which produces high quality sauces for seasoning food, but they still taste different from those produced in China.

             People are under the impression that I like all things foreign because I have written so much on how good Chinese food is in Hong Kong and other cities around the world.Actually I am very lucky to be able to travel all over the place eating my way and tasting. I am able to compare the quality of the food and the ingredients in other place to ours. It is not that we cannot produce high quality products but nature is the final controller of quality. I am not going to take you all to Hong Kong to eat this time. I have found my little corner of Hong Kong in our own Chinatown.

             I was taken to eat there by a very good friend who always accompany me on my eating journey in Hong Kong. He said that it was like having our own little Hong Kong restaurant here. Talk about small! This place is really small with only about three tables downstairs and another four or five table upstairs. The tables are not large either, the ones downstairs only four to six people can sit fairly comfortably while upstairs there is more space to fit in one round table for 10 and two or three smaller tables. There is only one chef in the kitchen because the kitchen is about the size of a small kitchen in a 60 square meter apartment. Well, I might exaggerate a little but you get the idea. Despite its size the food is very good. Let’s eat! We started our meal with a lobster salad, which was bound in mayonnaise with fresh fruits in it. I thought it would be too sweet but the lobster meat was perfectly cooked and the dressing was not while the fruits in the salad proved very refreshing. Then came the Chinese delicacy, sharkfins.

             I know some of you don’t like to eat it but once in a while I could not resist. They don’t serve it in the usual manner. They braised the fins whole and serve it whole as if you serve a steak with accompanying soup. It was delicious. For once you can actually taste the texture of the fins without having mixed with the soup. We had fish soup, which came out in a large bowl. It did not look too appetizing but upon eating it I changed my mind. There were pieces of gourd in it and the meat of the fish was very flavorful not at all fishy tasting. I guess they knew how to cook fish. Then came a whole fish steamed with soy sauce and scallions. It is here that you feel that you have discovered Hong Kong.

             The soy sauce used in steaming the fish came from Hong Kong. As a matter of fact all the sauces used here were imported from Hong Kong. No wonder my friend told me that it was like eating out in Hong Kong. The owner of this restaurant is wise enough to use the best quality, the freshest meats or seafood available in Thailand and combine it with the seasoning sauces from Hong Kong. There was the fresh shrimp steamed with garlic and soy sauce, and many other items that are the usual fare for Chinese restaurants but this place has other unusual items as well.

             These items represent the trademark of the restaurant. Have you ever tried ostrich meat stir-fried with onions and bell peppers in a spicy black pepper sauce? It was great. Ostrich meat is gaining popularity in Thai and Chinese cuisines because many Thais no longer eat beef. The meat is very lean and low in cholesterol. It is marinated to tenderize it before stir-frying it quickly. The result is a very tender and flavorful plate of red meat, which most Thais can eat. I would have been happy just eating this dish with a bowl of steaming rice and some red wine. Then to my surprise, they brought up a plate of stir-fry venison with slices of crispy Chinese fried dough, Pa Tong Go, a common bread eaten at breakfast by Thais for breakfast with condensed milk.

             This was unusual but the taste and texture combination worked! We finished the meal with a plate of fried flat rice noodle served with a sauce made of vegetables and ostrich meat. Ah heaven! This last dish is called in Thai “Sen yai rad na nua nok kra jog ted”. I did not have much room for dessert so I will have to go back next time to try other items on the menu. Should you decide to go eat there, it is advisable to book ahead because there are very few tables. Lets face it, it is better than going to Hong Kong to eat. It costs less but you should either go by taxi or have a driver drop you off.