mycc

[JP] Tokyo Midtown - HAL YAMASHITA 東京

由於是假日...所以起床梳洗後已是中午，我們為了方便每天的第一餐都在酒店旁邊的商場 Tokyo Midtown 進食，所以對那邊的環境可說是瞭如指掌了。商場內餐廳多得很，尤其在地下層特別多小食及精美的甜點。在此提醒大家可避免「半桶水」的韓式料理「妻家房」'SAIKABO'，特別是他們推薦的沒有人參味的人參雞湯，我們被掛在他們店面的精美韓服騙了；以及吃超鹹雞串的 'Imaiyasaryou'，因兩位男士吃完晚飯後還沒飽才無意進入了一條不歸路。為了不要浪費大家的時間不好吃的也免詳談了，尤其在旅行期間我們沒有那麼多的胃去裝滿不好吃的東西。

在 'HAL YAMASHITA 東京' 外可看到這美麗動人的景色

Tokyo Midtown

還有一間24小時的超級市場

超市戰利品 :D

'HAL YAMASHITA 東京' 室內優雅簡潔，特別是隔着玻璃以外的櫻花景色，如在外面用膳更是非一般的享受。而他們的特色在於 'Japanese Fusion'，即是把日本料理融合世界各地多原化的材料以及煮法，可說是花了不少功夫去創造出新的菜式。如果你是一個傳統的人，那你未必會接受。想打破沉悶又想保留傳統的味道，這正是現時很多餐廳破舊立新的風格。而這絕絕非一件易事，要尋找多種從未接觸過的材料來配合，的確要動一動腦筋。

個人特別喜歡可讓食客看到廚師的一舉一動的餐廳

終於有一間餐廳有英文菜單和至少一位服務生懂英語..

很喜歡他們詳細的菜單，寫明每種使用的食材及不同煮法，好讓食客了解自己在吃甚麼。我們六人分別點了六個餐，而各有兩對餐是相同的。

Course 1: Sliced Kobe Beef Stew with Akamiso / 紅味噌燉神戶牛粒

HAL YAMASHITA Vegetable Salad

(+) 多種新鮮的蔬菜：黃瓜片、生菜、胡蘿蔔絲、甘藍菜 (Cabbage) 絲，還有南瓜等，加上些少醃制蔬菜 (Pickled Vegetables)、沙拉醬及鮭魚卵，單調的一道沙拉頓然增添了不少口感和味道

來到日本萬萬不能不吃和牛才回歸，因為日本甚麼都要比人特別，而對食的要求更高。他們的和牛是經嚴格飼養從而令他們的基因預先傾向呈現高密度的「大理石紋理」即是細脂肪紋路，以及更高比例的油質不飽和脂肪。這樣不但令牛自然地提升柔軟度及汁度，還提高了我們對食的品質。而這道菜的牛肉是來自於神戶，日本和牛正是跟着出產地而命名，相信在日本以外的地方也難以吃到最上等的和牛了。

跟我們華人的豆醬相似的 'Miso'「味噌」的製作原料可包括大豆、大麥、米、蕎麥、黍、裸麥、小麥、大麻籽和蘇鐵等。而其中一類味噌正是這道菜使用的汁料 'Akamiso' 亦可稱為 'Red Miso'「紅味噌」。因它的發酵可達一年以及氨基酸 (Amino Acid) 與還原糖 (Reducing sugar) 加熱的化學反應，令它由白色漸漸變成紅或深褐色。跟其他味噌例如 'Shiromiso' 和 'Awasemiso' 相比，它的味道會比較重及鹹。

Sliced Kobe Beef Stew with Akamiso / 紅味噌燉神戶牛粒

(+) 神戶牛肉、胡蘿蔔、球花甘藍 (Broccoli) 等配料燜得柔嫩的，再加上神戶牛肉本身口感上已是柔韌及肥嫩，簡直完美無暇..

(+) 甜甜鹹鹹的紅味噌醬汁已完全滲入材料，每咬一口都是醬汁，滋味極了!

(+) <相後> 特別栽培的「越光」上等日本米 "Specially cultivated 'Koshi-hikari' Rice" 好吃到不得了...飯熟度剛好，少許黏黏但仍吃到一粒粒彈牙的米，把濃郁的牛肉醬汁以及甘香的米混合起來，這樣的配搭更佳。

(+) 很有神秘感的它原來除了白飯以外，底部還藏着意大利麵條

(+) 選擇意粉作為配麵是明智之舉，因它的吸收性比其他種類的麵弱，所以重味的味噌只輕輕覆蓋意粉表層，而麵身微軟微硬的，整體口感及味道恰到好處

(+) 當我拿起鍋蓋時，發現小砂鍋原來是在1852年日本製造的，重量卻像石頭般重，不怪得煮出來的食物也特別好吃

餐包括了的綠茶

Course Verdict: 8.5/10

Course 2: HAL YAMASHITA Tamba Beef Hamburger Steak / 漢堡但馬牛排

另一道很豐富的菜色，把來自但馬 'Tamba' 的和牛弄碎成美式漢堡排，分別在於美國用較粗劣的牛肉碎。而漢堡排醬汁稱為 Miso Demi-glace Sauce 是由味噌及法式的一種褐色醬 (Brown Sauce) 'Demi-glace' 混合而成的。Demi-glace 是結合牛湯汁 (Veal Stock) 與法國菜的五大母調味醬 (Mother Sauce) 的其中一種 Espagnole Sauce，煮法是把芹菜、洋蔥、胡蘿蔔，這組合稱為 (Mirepoix)，以及番茄在水裏燉，最後加入乳酪麵粉糊 (roux) 將湯調濃。個人認為調味醬在食的世界裏是必須存在的東西，沒有它就等於一片死寂，但有了它廚師卻要好好控制，因隨時會輕易毀了整道菜。

除了菜單上所寫的茄汁意大利麵及馬鈴薯沙拉外，還包括香蔥豬排及蔬菜沙拉，但沒有通知我們冬菇湯飯 (Potage of organic dried Shiitake and organic Rice) 被換上了。

Homemade Hamburger Steak of Tamba Beef with Miso Demi-glace Sauce, Tomato Sauce Pasta with organic Potato Salad and homemade Thousand Island Dressing

(+) 鬆軟的但馬牛肉，咬下每口都是鮮甜肉汁，加上香濃的味噌牛肉醬汁與些少芥末，這個組合簡直天衣無蓬

(+) 半肥瘦的豬排跟牛排熟度同樣剛好，一點都不堅韌

(+) 輕輕碰着意粉的茄汁醬一點都不濃厚，並沒有破壞這道菜的主角漢堡排

(+) 餐再配上一碗日本飯 (Specially cultivated Koshi-hikari Rice)，醬汁混入飯中又是更上一層樓

(+) 很喜歡用「自製」及「有機」字眼來形容食物，感覺吃得新鮮健康

(-) 個人認為加豬排可能有點多了，因它的味道也重，影響了吃漢堡排時的感官

(-) 那漢堡排不是我在這個旅行當中吃過最好吃的，前一天在同一個商場內的 'Meat Speciality Store Sugimoto' 餐廳吃到的才是美味極了，詳情請繼續留意我們的Blog! ;)

Course Verdict: 8.0/10

Course 3: Light Lunch Course

Homemade Bread & Special Bread Sauce

(+) 自製麵包端上時仍是微暖的，口感十分柔軟而會黏著的

(+) 特別的麵包醬其實指自製的千島醬 (Thousand Island Dressing)，比一般在外面買到的較鮮甜、少油膩及稀薄，沾多一些也沒有問題

(+) 雖然只有這個餐有包含麵包，但我們每人都有，吃完一個還不停的端上，十分體貼

Private Farm's Vegetable Salad with Fish of the Day and sauteed Onion & Fresh Onion Dressing

(+) 這餐廳的所有蔬菜還真的很新鮮，同樣他們的 'Fish of the Day' 生金鎗魚片顏色紅潤，入口即融

(+) 嫩煎了的洋蔥和洋蔥作沙拉醬可殺菌和辟魚腥味

如想不通用甚麼方法煮海鮮，可選擇最簡單的用蒜頭及牛油略煎，然後再下幾滴醬油調味 (特別是扇貝)，cy 教落新鮮的海鮮是不需花功夫，煎一煎或蒸一蒸已很美味了。

Garlic Butter and Soy Sauce Saute of Red Sea Bream and Scallop HAL YAMASHITA STYLE

(+) 紅鯛魚及扇貝肉味都相當鮮美香口，熟度恰好，肉身硬挺，肉質卻軟滑

(+) 配上馬鈴薯、牛蒡、胡蘿蔔與鮭魚卵，倒下香料汁，吃起來海鮮一點都不乾身

每當我看到餐廳賣日本咖哩時就會在聯想他們是不是用超市賣的包裝好的咖哩方塊，可想而知這個偉大的發明是多麼的成功呢!

Small Curry of Kobe Beef with Rice

(+) 甜甜的日本咖哩牛肉味十分濃厚，白飯就等於它的最佳伙伴，不過個人比較喜歡吃辣的咖哩!

(-) 神戶牛肉切得過份小巧的差點看不到，材料可加多一點

Dessert of the Day: Vanilla Ice-cream with Strawberries

(+) 這香草雪糕看似平平無奇，但可看到新鮮的香草種子在內，怪不得弄得雪糕那麼味厚馨香

第二個同樣餐的 Dessert of the Day: Green Tea Sponge Cake

(+) 薄薄的奶油輕輕地覆蓋很有綠茶味的綠茶海綿蛋糕表層，灑上些少綠茶粉及開心果碎卻增加了不少美感與味道

*這個跟餐的湯飯 (Potage of organic dried Shiitake and organic Rice) 好像又被遺忘了，不要緊因為我們已經很飽了...

Course Verdict: 8.0/10

Course 4: Macrobiotic Course / 長壽餐

'Terrine' 是指用作蒸煮的長方形陶罐，也是法國菜餚的一種烹調法，先把蔬菜及肉類調味，然後放幾塊薄肉或菜鋪在 Terrine 的三面(低部及旁邊)，把材料填滿後覆蓋頂部再壓實。蒸煮定型後放入冰箱，食用時拿出切片再淋上醬汁或放上裝飾。

HAL YAMASHITA Terrine of 10 Varieties of Vegetables, Fresh Sea Urchin from Hokkaido & Salmon Roe with Collagen Gelée Sauce of Japanese Citrus flavor "Pon-zu"

(+) 這餐廳的 Terrine 是由十種不同的蔬菜結合而成，放上北海道海膽、鮭魚卵及少許魚子醬後卻增添了不少味道，從中還可攝取不同豐富營養，再淋上由味醂、米醋、鰹魚、海帶及柑橘汁組成的 Ponzu，柑橘味的醬汁更使人耳目一新

常吃腐竹糖水的食家，可能這是你的第二選擇。

Warm Potage of Potato and Fresh Bean Curd Skin "Yuba" with a Flavor of Japanese Green Horseradish "Wasabi"

(+) 這溫暖的湯喝完後感覺很健康，像真的變長壽了

(+) 馬鈴薯及腐皮完全溶解了，應已隔開渣滓以致濃郁的湯質結身而柔順

(+) 單調的湯加了一點辣根，無論在味覺或視覺上也被驚醒了

烤來自三重縣的鯛魚會比上一個餐用牛油煎紅鯛魚乾身，但也是一個比較健康的烹調法，加上再烤一烤草本植物及無味而含有滋補營養五穀飯，汁料一定要突圍而出。

華人常以粉葛，學名「葛根」'Kudzu' 常作煲湯之用，因它具有延緩衰老、養顏護膚、改善骨質疏鬆、改善循環、調節血壓等多種保健功效。在日本葛粉常用作醬汁調厚和凝結日式甜點例如和菓子等。

Grilled Sea Bream from Mie Prefecture, Grilled Rice of Coarse Cereal & Fresh Herb with Kudzu Sauce Japanese Style

(+) 鲜美醇正的鯛魚疊在香口的烤飯上，放上蘿蔔菜絲作點綴，淋上有少許味醂 (Mirin) 味的葛根汁，除辟去了魚腥味之外，更讓整個畫像變得充滿光澤

(+) 吃下去完全不感到油膩，相信是含有極少的熱量，是相當健康的一個組合

Inspissated Japanese Kudsu Jell of Vegetable with White Konjac and Orange

(+) 由葛粉製成的橙與胡蘿蔔味果凍味道濃縮而提神，不會過份甜，絕對是健康甜品之選

(+) 半透明的蒟蒻 (Konjac) 令我回想起小時吃的膠杯裝荔枝味果凍，如沒有添加任何東西的白蒟蒻幾乎是零熱量，還含有高纖維

日本人那麼注重飲食和常吃長壽食品，怪不得他們的老人是全世界最長命的! 如想長命一點，應由飲食開始!

Course Verdict: 8.5/10

After Drink / 餐飲

吃完後，看到每人的臉上也掛着滿足感，相信這次的膳食可說是值得犧牲我們的熱量吧。價格中上，不過份量不適合男士，可能要另再點菜。別出心裁的每一道菜送上優美景色及不錯的服務，這個地方特別推薦給情侶們、一班朋友或家人們去享受這良辰美景。

http://www.hal-yamashita.com/

Tokyo Mid Town 9-7-4 D-0119 Akasaka Minato-ku Tokyo

TEL 03-5413-0086

Hours／lunch 11:00～15:00　dinner 17:30～24:00

closed on every monday (except for national holiday)

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, by tmcy

Chinese Cuisine (Cantonese)

[HK] 容記小菜王 | Yung Kee

The recent visit to Hong Kong was more than a vacation or an eating expedition. To us both, it meant a lot more, almost like a dream come true for it was my first visit to tmcy's homeland since we first got attached almost 3.5 years ago. Many events unfolded along the way which led to this much delayed visit, but as the saying goes, better late than never!

Upon returning to UK, we were pretty amazed at the amount of food we had tried in HK over the span of 12 days. All thanks to darling who bought a guide book and did tons of research online for best eats did we manage to try the fine culinary skills of authentic Cantonese cuisines and other local delicacies alike. We had shortlisted a selected bunch of eateries or restaurants worthy of our calories and definitely worth a second visit and will be publishing the reviews over the weeks to come. For returning visitors, do accept our apologies for the slow updates for it is the time of the academic year where all students loathe, EXAMINATIONS!

It took us a while to figure out where Yung Kee was for the signboard was replaced with the above banner, which translates to 'Unscrupulous property owners forcing a move'. With property prices on the rise in HK, it would be a real shame if this fine eatery tucked in Sham Shui Po gets forced to move eventually..

Plastered with photographs of visiting celebrities and even the Chief Executive of Hong Kong, it was no wonder that the restaurant was packed full of diners even at 9.15pm. Coincidentally, we realised that there was a 30% discount on the bill for diners that visit after 9pm and beers (Asahi and Carlsberg) were at a promotional price of HKD10/bottle, which equated to about S$1.50!

Spoilt for choice, we decided to consult the serving uncle for recommendations, only to be rebutted with 'Everything here is nice la!'. Right, obviously that did not help us much, so we went for the few top dishes recommended in the guide book!

Roast Meat (烧肉)

This was their signature dish and definitely a MUST-TRY.

(+) One of the best roast meat I had in my life.

(+) Distinct layers with perfect proportions of crispy skin, fat and thick portions of lean meat.

(+) Every bite gives an ooze of the juicy fats, coupled with crispy crunchy skin that crackles.

(+) The lean meat at the bottom layer gave a very well balanced and complete feel to the delicacy.

(+) Unique wasabi and soy sauce condiments, though the latter tasted very much like 'hoi sin' sauce.

(+) All sauces used resembled a blend of various condiments, providing that unique difference.

(-) Unlike the Singapore/Malaysian style of eating, no chili sauce was provided as accompanying condiment.

(-) Each portion of the roast meat was a thick cut and chunk.

(-) Price seemed slightly steep at HKD128 for the above serving, approximately S$20/-.

Verdict: 9.5/10

Sweet and Sour Pork (生炒骨)

生炒骨 is a variation of the usual 咕噜肉, with the former using spare ribs while the latter uses shoulder meat. Did not seem all that different to me since both were cooked in the same style, sweet and sour.

(+) The sweet and sour sauce was of a prime balance in terms of flavours.
(+) The spare ribs omitted an ooze of juiciness upon each bite, though all bones were removed.

(-) The fried batter was simply not crispy enough, and this was not owed to the soaking gravy.

Verdict: 8.0/10

Stir-fried geoduck and celery with XO sauce (XO醬爆象拔蚌)

This was certainly one of the most divine dishes tried on my entire HK trip, particularly cos of my fondness for geoduck. It was my first time trying geoduck cooked in a typical Cantonese stir-fried style as opposed to the usual sashimi or dipped in tonic soup.

(+) The geoduck was cooked to perfection, maintaining a slight chewiness and did not taste too 'elastic'.
(+) A tinge of spiciness from the red peppers with fragrance from the minced dried peeled shrimps.
(+) The celery added a good crunch and varied mouthfeel, with a slight fresh sweetness.
(+) The gravy was perfect to go with the plain rice, and it was so good that we had to order an extra bowl!

(-) Might be a bit too spicy for people who cannot take the heat, otherwise it is definitely a MUST-TRY.

Verdict: 9.5/10

Fried Prawn Cake (炸虾饼)

This is not the usual Singapore/Malaysian kind of fried prawn cakes, which typically has a few prawns on the surface. This version has is in fact surimi-based, though you could taste the minced prawn meat and to a certain extent, octopus meat as well.

(+) Extremely crispy on the outside and the soft, bouncy-textured surimi on the inside was a great contrast.
(+) The surimi did not taste or smell overwhelmingly strong of the typical oppressive 'fishy' smell.
(+) Surimi inside was not the typical soft, 'lumpy' type, but rather firm and bouncy, like a good fishball!
(+) The mayonnaise provided was an unique blend, leaving a slight aftertaste of sweetness.
(+) Thankfully, being the final dish, it was not too greasy at all.

(-) If you are after a purely 'prawn-based' cake, then you might be slightly disappointed for the 'prawn flavour' was not distinctly strong.

Verdict: 9.0/10

We only knew about the 30% discount when we asked for the bill, and surprisingly, the meal was very affordable! For the four dishes above, coupled with 2 bowls of rice and 2 large bottles of Asahi, the overall bill came to just shy of HKD300! (approximately S$48) It was definitely a steal considering the quality of the food. Even at the original price, it was still worthy of every penny.

Unlike most eateries in HK, Yung Kee specially imports their serving cutlery, which has an anti-bacterial coating and not prong to breaking easily. Therefore you can be assured of eating safe and clean, unlike being served those chipped plates and bowls.

Do not however expect fine-dining ambiance for it is your classic local HK-style eatery (小菜馆), though I do enjoy the nice air-con after battling the humid weather. Upon leaving the eatery, we noticed that there was an adjacent extension to this main eatery just two stalls down, though they were cleaning up the place at around 10.30pm. I reckon business during dinner time must be real brisk in order for them to have two shopfronts, and considering that they are only opened for business from 5.30pm onwards. It is also worth noting that unlike most restaurants, the 10% service charge was waived. In addition, for diners interested in making reservations (recommended if you intend to visit before 9pm), they will only take bookings for 7 persons and above and would only allow you to take the table once all diners turn up. (So you cannot hoard onto the table prior to full attendance)

Yung Kee is easily accessible via the MTR, exiting at Sham Shui Po station, B2 exit, and you will land at Fuk Wa Street. Do take extra heed when trying to locate the eatery for it is masked by the street vendors. It is about the only eatery located along the stretch of eateries that has celebrities and accolades plastered all over the shopfront. If I were to visit HK again, Yung Kee would certainly be on my MUST-TRY-AGAIN list!

深水埗福华街118-120

Tel: (+852) 2387-1051

Opening times: 17.30 - 02.00