跑馬地的玫瑰花

香港現在是Easter復活節假期，所以大家都有一個long weekend，雖然不能說閑來無事，因為我的工作本來就是不可能沒事的，只要手機在，就肯定有事，而且通常找我的都未必是好事 ，但也無奈悶得慌，於是吃過午飯後還是決定出去走走，在家附近散步。

走著走著，正好見到跑馬地的花店新到一批貨，還是香港本地種植的玫瑰花，粉色系，感覺不錯。疫情期間，有很多大小領悟，也發現家里如果有點花花草草，自然會生機盎然許多。

想起來我已經兩年多沒travel了，但是現在看看上海的情況，又覺得其實香港還算是不錯的。香港目前還沒有完全封城過，就算是三月疫情高峰，大家還是靠自己，盡量不出門，但是有必要還是可以出去走走的，比如買日常生活用品和食物。現在想起來，依然記憶猶新，三月的時候，香港許多超市都斷貨，一眼望去，都是空蕩蕩的。

好在香港的電商物流還算是暢通，正如港人比較多用的HKTVmall，疫情期間從未斷貨，我也確實網上買了很多，幫助我度過那些混沌的日子，說起來要謝謝HKTVmall的老闆Ricky，有他在，保持HKTVmall運作，對香港的貢獻大過特首！

不說了，說多了生氣，血壓高。希望上海平安，香港快點恢覆國際旅行。

一切都會好起來，一切也都會被記住，因為人民不會忘記。

花很好看，買了一打，500港幣有找。錢啊，真是好花，不是嗎？

From Osaka, Liked in Hong Kong

Japanese ramen is typically made of pork or sometimes seafood-based broth. But I’m actually a fan of ramen in chicken-based broth, and this is how Zagin Soba (座銀) in Happy Valley (note: it also has a branch in Central) makes a difference for all chicken fans.

Known as “the must-go ramen place in Happy Valley” for many years, Zagin Soba gives you nothing but the most authentic Japanese ramen experience you can probably find in town, from its extremely polite and considerate (yes, that is so Japanese!) service to the full set of tablewares especially for ramen eaters, including one-time paper apron just for you.

Originally from Osaka, the restaurant has a small and refined menu at its Happy Valley branch: you only have three choices including two in soup (chicken or seafood) or just the dry ramen. What you cannot miss apart from the ramen of course is its fried chicken, which taste very juicy and soft.

Let me also say something about its chicken broth, especially speaking as someone whose favorite type of meat is chicken. It’s just so good — not too heavy or creamy, and not too light either. The soup reminds you of what the right balance for broth is all about. After I ate all the noodles, I drank the rest of broth and emptied the bowl. And then I felt very content.

I used to visit Osaka and Kyoto every year in the pre-Covid era. A good bowl of ramen in the winter time can easily make you so happy. It is said every Japanese must know his or her favorite ramen place. I like a little-known ramen place in Kyoto near my regular residence in the ancient capital city. My last trip to Kyoto was late 2019 and I remember somehow on the last day during my stay in Kyoto, I went to the restaurant — I ordered and ate two bowls of chicken ramen.

Who can have ever imagined I haven’t been able to return to Kyoto for holiday since then. But now I know I will go to Zagin Soba more often for the best chicken ramen I can get in Hong Kong.

Address: Zagin Soba, G/F, 13A King Kwong Street, Happy Valley, Hong Kong

(Special thanks go to Alfred Hui for recommendation)

Milk Cafe

Perhaps one of the “biggest news” ahead of Lunar New Year for the neighbourhood of Happy Valley is a new cha chaan teng (茶餐廳) has opened for business after several months of preparations.

That’s the “Milk Cafe” (牛奶冰室), which already has a branch in the nearby Causeway Bay. Its Happy Valley branch is the latest addition to the chain restaurant, owned by Taste of Asia, a local fast food group that also operates other businesses like Korean BBQ and hot pot restaurants all over Hong Kong.

To impress the (demanding?) neighbourhood of Happy Valley is definitely not an easy mission. We have too many foodies here, not to mention Happy Valley is the home for the most historic Cheung Hing Coffee Shop (祥興咖啡室), a favourite among many celebrities and tycoons in Hong Kong. So what’s special about the new Milk Cafe?

I have been there for three times so far, once for breakfast and twice for some takeaways. First, you need to know Milk Cafe is actually a combination of bakery and dine-in (well, currently you cannot do dinner dine-in due to existing Covid rules) restaurant. It has an open shelf where you can grab all kinds of breads and cakes and the most famous one here is the Pineapple Bun (菠蘿包). I actually quite like its Swiss Roll (瑞士卷). Don’t go there too late. Many breads and cakes are often sold out before dinner time.

Breakfast wise, it’s pretty standard. Milk Cafe has a breakfast menu that’s available before 11:30am everyday and it has everything that you can probably find in any other local restaurants. Noodle lovers will be happy to find many choices of noodles (instant noodles, rice noodles, etc) to go with assorted vegetables, satay beef, and spicy pork cubes. They all come with a butter toast and fried egg. This feels so Hong Kong — like ”One country, two systems”, and our local noodle breakfast has been always “One breakfast, two styles” — in both Chinese (noodle) and Western (toast) styles.

The restaurant also has a rich menu of dinner food, well, fast food in Chinese style. My favourite so far is its set dinner Satay Beef with Vermicelli Noodles in a pot (沙爹粉絲肥牛煲), coming with rice and a drink free of choice (and charge). It has other family-style pots for set dinner, like tofu, fish, and lamb. This is not your Michelin-star restaurant but it is not too bad for some local comfort food especially when you are in a hurry to grab something.

Restaurant staff are pretty nice here. Don’t know if this is related to a previous incident in its Causeway Bay branch where some of its staff got complaints from local diners. Perhaps the restaurant learned the lesson. Or perhaps we have a more demanding reputation for Happy Valley. Anyway, for me it’s nice to have another cha chaan teng just around the corner.

The restaurant remains open during Lunar New Year holiday but it will charge an additional 10% service fee per table/meal. Fair enough.

No OT, and more coffee

A new cafe was born on Wong Nai Chung Rd — actually it is so far the only one on the part of the road around the racecourse in Happy Valley.

NOOT in fact means “No OT” and the name perhaps already tells a lot about the cafe’s attitude as it wants to serve as a “hea” (meaning “relax, take a break” in Cantonese) place for the local. Hongkongers are often known as the world’s busiest and most hardworking workers, and we do need coffee, more coffee, and good coffee!

The cafe, just opened at the start of the new year 2022, provides more than just coffee. It also serves all-day breakfasts and quick snacks like honey wings. The design of the coffee shop tends to be more in Scandinavian sense — focusing on simplicity as well as elegance. It’s a good balance to take.

Coffee wise, it has a pretty good range of options, sourced from Ethiopia, Colombia, and to Costa Rica, and you can choose more nutty or fruity flavour when you order your cup.

The staff there are all pretty nice and chatty. As I told them I am a resident here in the neighbourhood, they smiled and asked me to spread the word. And I am doing now.

Address: NOOT, G/F, 149 Wong Nai Chung Road, Happy Valley

The Private Kitchen in Happy Valley

This is already my 4th month of living in Happy Valley and I keep exploring the happy and delicious neighbourhood.

You may know The Chairman (大班樓) in Central, which used to be one of my favourite local Cantonese restaurants. Unfortunately The Chairman suddenly became too famous for me to get a table (yes, you need to wait until Q1 2022) after it won the Michelin fame. Never mind. I found my new favourite, the Tasting Court (天一閣) in Happy Valley. The founder and chef of Tasting Court was one of the co-founders of The Chairman, hence my favourite crab steamed in 15-years Shaoxing Huadiao wine (十五年紹興花雕) is an iconic course at Tasting Court too.

You have to make advanced booking for Tasting Court, which is more like a private kitchen than just another restaurant for the public. Tasting Court hides inside an ordinary apartment building on Wong Nai Chung Rd, facing the Racecourse. You probably will miss it when you walk by if you don’t pay enough attention to its small board showing the restaurant name. Low profile is its attitude.

Other signature dishes include fragrant chicken oil and flat rice noodles and smoked Chinese pork (aka cha siu), pomelo skin and jujube and coconut milk pudding and etc. In fact, you don’t need to remember those items. Everyday the restaurant has its own and the only menu for you. Just come, sit, and enjoy the food.

Address: 1/F, Bonny View House, 63-65 Wong Nai Chung Rd, Happy Valley