This Chinese discovery on Arnaiz Street will give Hong Kong restaurants a run for their money
When asked what my most favorite food in the world is, I get confused. I love the simplicity, the quality of ingredients, the presentation, the richness, and the deliciousness of Japanese cuisine. But another cuisine that keeps me undecided is authentic Hong Kong Cantonese cuisine. Like I’ve said in the past, most countries have fewer than 10 very popular dishes that have become their signature. Hong Kong Cantonese food, however, has hundreds, if not thousands, of various dishes.
Many of them can be found all over Hong Kong, on the side streets or at the fine dining restaurants. I love walking around looking for long lines of people waiting to get a bite, even in the back alleys of Kowloon or the Hong Kong side.
I have been to Hong Kong twice with a group led by a friend, Nancy So of Eat Fresh and Shiok Shiok restaurants here in Manila. This lady will beat any culinary guide of Hong Kong. Before my first trip with her group, I had been to Hong Kong over 40 times. I thought I knew all the secrets, but the places Nancy took us to I had never been to before. Everything was new, a surprise, and the taste was impeccable.
We went to the oldest dimsum place in Hong Kong, a hole-in-the-wall wanton noodle place, two Michelin star Roast goose places ( Kam’s and Yatlok) and a simple taho place where at every table was a local.
Nancy also took us to a night market where they had the most fresh, bubbling displays of seafood, from lobsters, gooey-duck, prawns, and crabs to abalone, anything seafood. From there, with all the fresh seafood she bought, she took us to a fine dining Chinese restaurant in the New Territories. The head chef there was married to her sister Helen and an hour and half after buying the seafood, we were enjoying a delicious meal of everything we just bought.
We also had dinner at an area where they serve Gangster food. This was a street lined with various restaurants where unusual cooking was done. All I remember was the freshly roasted suckling pig, claypot rice, and fried silver fish. What a winner evening! Nothing beats this. Problem with this kind of exposure, your standard and expectation goes way up.
In Manila, I have been to many lauriats, most of them quite good. Most, if not all, of the dishes at these lauriats are food I’ve experienced in the past, but I have never been to one where each and every dish was not only new, but in fact outstanding!
Shreaded fish mao soup with sea cucumber, pan fried rock lobster, steamed deep sea garoupa with pork and Japanese miso, sliced abalone with sea moss and lettuce, crispy minced shrimp with beancurd and fresh scallops, LuckyTikoy… I have never in my entire life experienced a lauriat of this level.
I was invited at Hai Shin Lou on Arnaiz Street (formerly Pasay Road) for a Chinese New Year Eve’s dinner. I was sent a copy of the menu in the morning and the only thing I noticed was everything was seafood. None of the dishes on the menu were familiar.
The lauriat started with a shreaded fish mao soup with sea cucumber. This was hot, creamy, sticky, and so, so delicious. Seasoning was just right, but when I added the house black vinegar and chili, the taste went up another notch. It was a wonderful way to warm our tummies.
Next came the pan fried rock lobster, the steamed deep sea garoupa with pork and Japanese miso, sliced abalone with sea moss and lettuce, crispy minced shrimp with beancurd and fresh scallops (this you have to dip in a mixture of soy sauce and their chili sauce), and we ended with another homemade LuckyTikoy.
I have never in my entire life experienced a lauriat of this level. Each and every dish that was laid out on the table was new, unfamiliar, and simply outstanding! They brought some homemade XO sauce and that too was superb! Each was new to me, unique, seasonings were mild and perfect, and to top it all healthy. This has to be the most perfect Chinese lauriat I have ever experienced.
Oh and, of course, we ordered a side dish of sweet and sour pork, which as expected was also very well made! The tikoy, just fried, looked like a slice of salmon, but its simplicity could be deceiving because it was the best-tasting Tikoy I have ever had.
I was in front of a friend’s son, Javi Tengco, and this young boy, who is obviously a foodie, was telling me about one of his favorite dishes in the restaurant—the lechon kawali fried rice. Hmmmm! Unusual dish again and I do plan to try everything he suggested. They have the usual roast duck, lemon chicken etc. This restaurant’s food is waaaayyyy up there. I am told many Taipans dine there. Regularly. I would say, this place will give many of the fine dining restaurants in Hong Kong a run for their money.
It was indeed a superb Chinese New Year celebration! You have to try the food there or order what we had.
Happy eating!
Hai Shi Lou is at 810 Arnaiz Avenue, San Lorenzo Village | (02) 8892 5148 | (02) 8752 7433 | (02) 88138491