Godiva Ice Cream

Milk Chocolate with Dark Chocolate Chip Ice Cream (HK$39)

First tasted Godiva Ice cream in NY (1999) and somehow, it got stuck in my head as the best (so far) (dark) chocolate ice cream. So when I saw the Godiva counter at Sogo selling small (ay, so tiny!) cups of ice cream, I just had to have it.

There were only 3 flavors: Classic Milk Chocolate, Ivory Chocolate with Dark Chocolate Chip and Milk Chocolate with Dark Chocolate Chip - so i picked the one with most chocolate - Milk chocolate w/ dark chocolate chip. It did not disappoint...smooth, creamy, strong milk chocolate-y flavor (not watered down).

I tried to imagine this ice cream in dark chocolate... hmmm yum. Wishful thinking....

Hong Kong Eats (part 4)

I like to try new things and discover great finds when I travel.  And ofcourse I like to indulge.  Might as well after all the effort and money spent to get there, no?

After losing my companions and wandering around the Peak for 15 minutes, the need to treat myself to something special was strong.  Erase some of that stress.

I saw it from afar.  Hmmm, Gino's gelato.  Wondering who Gino was (was chinese named Gino?), I scanned the choices and ended up with Chocolate. Ofcourse, what else.

Hmmm.  HK$29 pricy for a scoop of ice cream.  But it was dark, creamy and not so sweet.  Not bad. not bad at all.  Godiva ofcourse was better, richer, tastier.  But Gino's Chocolate ice cream was far better than any of the ones here in Manila.

On the last day, I decided to check out Royce' in Lane Crawford.  A friend mentioned the chocolate dipped potato chips were good.  A box of that was HK$70 so i decided against it.  But I couldn't resist the Nama Chocolate.

The young sales lady was very accomodating.  She made us try the bitter chocolate with VSOP and the milk chocolate with champagne.  Naturally, bitter was a winner.  It's like a rectangular truffle.
 

Inside the well wrapped box was a tray of 25 rectangular pieces.

One rectangle is about 1 x 3/4 inch in size, dusted with bitter cocoa powder.  The box comes with its own yellow plastic cutting tool.

The sales lady warned us that it must be refrigerated.  She included a small packet of ice and said this will keep it cold for 3-4 hours.  Yikes, it was still 3 - 4 hours before we go to the airport and another 3 - 4 before we ride the plane... But, the weather was cool and i really wanted them.  The ice pack worked like a charm.  they arrived here intact. 

No wonder, such instructions to keep it cold.  It really melts in your hand.  High quality chocolates have a high level of cocoa butter giving it a lower temperature threshold making it melt easier.  Delicious.  Close your eyes and savor the brandy flavoured bittersweet chocolate melting in your mouth. 

How amusing that my last meal in Hong Kong would be the most miserable.  Early dinner at the airport was at CAN-TEEN (again! they're everywhere!) on the 2nd floor.  I ordered pork chop noodle soup  (something like it) and a bowl of noodles arrived.  I asked the waiter twice if it was pork.  Yes yes yes.  Looked like beef, tasted like beef.  Meat was hard as a rock! and the soup was so salty!  It was the most miserable "porkchop" I ever had.  Then the waiter comes with the porkchop noodles  - so what was i eating?  beef noodle soup my brother ordered.  Only consolation - porkchop noodles was just as bad.

 

Miserable beef mami

Hong Kong Eats (part 3)

Breakfast treats!

I don't normally like to eat breakfast.  At home, it's such a chore to prepare something so early.  I end up with coffee and toast.  It's the easiest.  But when out of town, I always look forward to breakfast.  For some reason, I associate vacations with a hearty breakfast.  maybe it is all those breakfast buffets when you check in a hotel.  

This trip we didn't have breakfast with the hotel.  But we had some interesting meals.  My brother in law (BIL) brought us to this congee place a street or two away from the hotel. I didn't really catch the name of the place but on the door was printed "Black and White".  It was full of people (definitely a good sign) and smelled good.  

 

I've never eaten congee.  I don't know why I have this feeling its like eating rice in too much water (maybe because it is?)  Strangely I love arroz caldo. I always say it is different because congee is tasteless without the meat (tastes like rice), whereas arroz caldo is tasty even without the chicken.  

In any case, BIL said the seafood abalone congee was great in this place.  I was a skeptic so i asked hubby to share with me.  And being allergic to seafood, we ordered the beef congee.  

beef congee

This is fried bread.  It's like bicho-bicho but  lighter, airier and chewy-er.  On its own it is awful, tastes like oil.  But when added to the congee, it gives the congee an interesting taste and texture.  I was able to finish my bowl because of the bread.  Without it, the congee was boring.  But that's me.  Hubby says it was really good congee.  Especially the seafood with abalone.

The most awaited meal was the dimsum breakfast.  I couldn't wait to use my "Ni yo may yo yum cha ma?" line.  Hehe.  Didnt get to use it but still had dimsum anyway.  

My dad was in the mood for hotpot on the last night of the trip.  We had dinner in this Taoheung seafood hot-pot restaurant on the 6th floor of the Windsor House Bldg across from Park Lane Hotel.  I sat at the non-hotpot table.  Being hungry, we wiped out the meal in seconds but it was a good dinner.  I like what we ordered - suckling pig, soy chicken, and my favorite beef hofan  among others.  

Beef Hofan

Soy Chicken

Anyway, the meal was highly satisfactory despite the chaotic ambience (the place was full with a 30 minute waiting line).  We found out that this place served good breakfast dimsum as well and decided to try it.  So the following morning, we had dimsum.

This is the BBQ pork puff (asado puff).  It was great! Soft pastry bread with a sweet, crusty topping servied piping hot.  I think of this often and wish I brought home some.  

 

Hubby's raddish cake - didn't try this though

 

Top - shao long pao - juicy and tasty.  Best eaten by putting the whole thing in your mouth to get all the soup.  Not very glamourous though.  Left - Hakaw - shrimp dumplings - didnt have these.  Right - Char shiu pao - BBQ pork buns - asado sio pao in other words.  Wasn't too happy with this one.  It was bland.  Maybe I was expecting too much but I've tasted better sio pao here in Manila.  

In the back - spare ribs (pay kut) and chicken feet combination - this was ok but a bit salty.  spare ribs was a bit tough but the feet was falling of the bone.  Had pieces of sweet taro that was a pleasant contrast to the saltiness.

In front - beef balls - Love this!!  In Manila, this is to me what sio-mai is to most people.  Dimsum for me is beef balls because it is shrimp-less.  I always order it at President teahouse in Binondo and that is ok.  But this one was wonderful.  It was tender and juicy, not rubbery at all.  There is chrunchy water chestnut bits and a tinge of wansoy flavor (cilantro) that just tickles the taste buds.

 

Taoheung Restaurant - full house even for breakfast

All that for HK$97.50 - not bad.  definitely a place to go back to in HK.

Part 4 (Last) - Last few treats and a rant!