Everybody loves a top 10 list. But I'm too greedy to narrow things down, usually. And I'm waaay too piggy to be able to list the top 10 things I've eaten in my life, or much less in the past year, though I can probably name 10 awesome things I've eaten since the beginning of 2012 -- that being only three months. In no particular order:
1) Scrambled eggs with shaved truffle from Uno Duo Trio
The one time you'll hear me tell all the smokers at a table to go smother their lungs in tar, just so I can sneakily eat more than my share of eggs. So simple, yet so effective at making my tummy say yay!
2) Lemon poppyseed cupcake at Green, Hotel Icon
People talk about Sift, Blisscious, that place that used to be at Elements with the cherry cupcakes... I say pooh. The definitive best cupcakes in Hong Kong are at Green. They are moist, cream-filled works of art. And they are big, too. And pretty. Not a lemon fan? Apple's my next best bet. (The one pictured was a special-edition version for V-day, so the one you'll see there is different.)
3) Duck rice at Casa Lisboa
The rice is, like, coated in duck fat or something... it looks like a simple baked rice dish but every bite is like heaven, and the bites that come with fall-off-the-bone duck meat are like heaven, on acid.
4) Hot pot at Megan's Kitchen
I always get tomato-crab-souffle and tom yum kung-cappucino soup bases. One spicy, one not. And then get awesome beef (even the cheapest cut is yums), and funny dumplings like lamb/pumpkin or kimchi, and rainbow balls. Although all you really need is those fried tofu balls that soak up soup like a gold digger on a millionaire, so tasty.
5) Apple and brie grilled cheese at California Vintage
My favourite "healthy" lunch spot. I used to only eat the fish tacos, which come with the best garlic fries, but now I've discovered the miracle of apple and brie, which are an even better pair than, say, Joey and Chandler. I don't say that lightly, either. The tomato soup it comes with is good, too, but you might need a pinch of salt, unless the manager yells at you for trying to ruin the integrity of the dish, eeks.
6) Te salad with Japanese dressing
I don't know why, but this is good. Good dressing, right amount of leaves, perfect dressing-to-salad ratio (with just enough to dip your bread in when you're done with the greens...) My fave dinner takeout, I don't care if it's uneducated, unfoodie or provincial to say so.
7) Lobster roll at MO Bar
I'm from Boston, so the fact that lobster rolls and fried clams don't exist in Hong Kong is, like, super sad. I might cry just thinking about it. Luckily MO Bar has this awesome Sunday lobster lunch now, and one of the "appetizers" (in quotes because it's kind of bigger than an appetizer) is this lobster roll, almost as authentic as a real Massachusetts one except for the brioche bun.
8) Black pepper soy burger at Veggie SF
The first time I had this, I went back three times in three weeks to have it again and again and again. I freaking love fake meat though, so I might be biased. Everything else there is kind of ma-ma-dei but this is the best soy burger I've had in Hong Kong (er, as well as the only one, haha).
9) Akamaru ramen at Hakata Ippudo
Ever since someone told me those white bits floating in the Akamaru soup base are actually fat used for flavouring, I can't slurp this stuff with the same abandon I once had. But, if I close my eyes, it's just as yummy as it always was. I get it with the gooey-centred egg, and occasionally with cheese too, but then you're really just sinning.
10) Sea urchin chitarra at Doppio Zero
I'll blog about my traumatic doggie-bag experience at Doppio Zero another time, but before that blights your experience (it's not THAT bad, I'm just being a baby about it), let's talk about this pasta -- people were iffy about it when it first opened but I honestly think it's the best pasta in town, and the flavouring on the sea urchin chitarra so good, I ate the whole thing, and it wasn't even my entree!
Images: Here, here, here, and here.
