Best Bites from Hong Kong, Beijing, and Tokyo
March’s Chef’s Kisses
All the way back in my January Chef’s Kisses newsletter, I wrote about a last-minute trip to Paris that Théo and I took to see his family. What I didn’t get to include in that newsletter is that, thanks to my husband’s travel points scheming, that long weekend trip turned into a full-blown 10-day vacation in Hong Kong, Beijing, and Tokyo. It was fantastic. We had a great time eating, doing, and seeing so many wonderful things.
Below is a selection of favorites in case you want to save them for your own trip. This is not a comprehensive guide, but rather a collection of some great (mostly food-related) moments from our vacation. This trip was planned almost entirely by my husband, in less than two weeks (thank you, Théo!), with help from Eric on where to eat, what to order, and making reservations (thank you, Eric!).
A Note On Packing
This past summer, I wrote about how I usually only travel with carry-on luggage. However, because of the different climates of this trip (Hong Kong was in the high 60s, and Beijing never warmed up past freezing temp), I was able to convince Théo to let me bring a larger suitcase.
This meant I could have a little more fun with what I packed. Almost all the same packing rules applied since I wasn’t able to pack much extra due to bulky coats and boots, but I did change up my strict color scheme. Instead of just packing black, white, and neutrals, I swapped out the neutrals for red, blue, silver, and packed a whole bunch of fun color stockings. It all started when I realized my L’eggs tights matched my J.Crew sweater (it seems to be all sold out in red, but they have many other red sweaters, and this one is at the top of my list – perfect for spring and matching with colored tights). Adding these pops of color was such a fun way to liven up my outfits.
I was also happy to notice this matching of tights and sweaters at the FFORME show back in February, so I have a feeling I’ll be doing it again next fall. Where should I get more great tights from?
Hong Kong
This was my first time in Hong Kong, but I hope it will not be my last. I loved it. While we averaged 4 copious meals + 1 egg tart a day, we barely scratched the surface of our saved spots. I can’t wait to come back, return to our favorites, and try some new places.
FAT J Char Siu – Simply divine Char Siu. Get the combo that comes with rice, vegetables, and an egg. It’s the perfect plate.
Big JJ Seafood Hot Pot – The broth is so good: a little briny (from the clams), a little sweet (from the corn), and truly delicious when paired with the veg, meats, and seafood. Our only regret was not traveling with friends so we could order more!
Seventh Son – Phenomenal. There are two items in particular that are musts in my book: the vegetable dumpling and the half suckling pig - cannot wait to return and have them again.
Mak An Kee Noodle – Light and bouncy all around (shrimp wontons, noodles in a light broth, etc.). The gai lan with hoisin was also cooked to perfection.
Jus – There are only three noodle dishes on the menu. I can confirm the two we tried are incredible. I’d pick whichever of the options speaks to you.
Forum – We truly loved every single dish we tried here, and we will be returning to savor the following again: deep-fried turnip pastry, crispy rice rolls with Hokkaido scallop, sweet and sour pork, char siu bao, and steamed eggplant. All are a must order in my book.
Oi Man Sang – Was so much fun. I would order the same meal again: clams with chili and black bean sauce (get the smaller razor clams or regular clams), typhoon shelter seafood (we got the mantis shrimp, but think we would have preferred regular ones or the crab), black pepper beef and potatoes, and gai lan with wine and ginger.
Bolton Cafe – On our last morning, before heading to our flight, we went to the closest cha chaan teng to our hotel. We tried our first light and fluffy, crispy-topped pineapple bun, and a Hong Kong style french toast stuffed with peanut butter and fried to perfection. We washed it all down with a delicious milk tea.
Egg Tarts – I planned to try two versions on this trip. I picked up a traditional crumbly pastry crust version from one of the oldest bakeries in the city, Tai Cheong Bakery. For the version with a puff pastry crust and more caramelized top, I went to Hashtag B. I enjoyed them both equally, but for different reasons. I loved the savory/saltiness of the traditional crust, but enjoyed the depth of flavor from the puff-crusted tart. I’m interested to hear which kind you prefer!
Activities:
Running along the waterfront every morning at dawn
A walk to see a view of the city at night (stunning)
Vintage shopping at HULA (one of the best vintage shopping experiences I have had – the location in Quarry Bay is massive)
Going to M+ and Hong Kong Palace museums
Stopping at I love Cake for baking supplies
Beijing
Xin Rong Ji – Our first meal straight from the airport. They have a beautiful dining room with food to match. My favorite dish of the night was the raw drunken mud crab with amber wine. The squab, hairtail (belly and flesh), scallop, and a baby yellow croaker are also musts.
Huaiyang Fu – Their signature shengjian bao (pan-fried pork soup bun) is one of the most heavenly bites I’ve had in recent years (I’ve been trying to find one as good back home, and I have tried some really delicious ones & Shanghai Time is next on my list, but please drop any recommendations you may have in the comments). Also, do not skip their sublime, jiggly-melty arrowroot braised pork.
Lamdre – They focus on a seasonal, vegetarian tasting menu, where they perfectly pair 3-4 vegetables in a dish, and prepare them absolutely sublimely. Each veg. is given the breathing room to shine in its unique, beautiful, textural deliciousness, while also working in harmony with other ingredients to create a dish that feels both familiar and refreshing. My high school English teacher always said that poetry is the best words in the best order – that was this meal, undoubtedly one of the best meals I will have all year.
Peking Duck – While in Beijing, we made sure to eat one of our favorite foods, Peking Duck, twice. At Da Dong, we ordered the suckling duck, which is the perfect size for two. It has lots of thick, crispy, crackly, and crave-able skin. At Siji Minfu, the skin was thinner, and the very juicy and tender meat was emphasized more.
Jichuan (located inside the Atour hotel) – The snowflake beef mapo tofu is the best I’ve ever had. Also order the chongqing chicken and the cold noodles.
Activities
Mutianyu Great Wall of China was absolutely incredible, a memory I will cherish forever
The Forbidden City is wonderful, especially with a tour.
The National Museum of China is incredible. Personal highlights include their phenomenal collection of ancient bronzes, terracotta, and porcelain. Be sure to set aside at least 4 hours to try and see as much as possible.
The Capital Museum also has some lovely gilded works (look at those boots!)
Tokyo
We were in Tokyo this year on nearly the same dates as our honeymoon last year. You can find all of our favorite spots from that trip (which also has our favorite spots from Hokkaido and Kyoto) on the AMIGO app (use code: PARISGO to skip the wait).
This year, the new J.W. Marriott Tokyo hosted us, and it was a really fantastic stay. The views from every single space are absolutely remarkable: you can see Mt. Fuji from the gym, Tokyo Tower from the pool, and cityscapes at breakfast and from your room (we kept the curtain open every night to look at it as we went to sleep). All the amenities–the breakfast, the bar, the spa, etc. were so thoughtfully done (I got to experience the comfiest massage table I’ve ever been on). Additionally, the hotel is conveniently located right off two metro lines, making it easy to get around for all your activities.
400C – While we loved last year’s itinerary so much, we wanted to try some new spots. This was the one exception. Last year, we loved their pizza for the balance of salt and olive oil (high in both), as well as the giant, fluffy, airy, and burnished crust. On this second visit, we noticed a lot of the pizzas also had capers, something I will now be incorporating in my own pizzas for a little salty brininess.
Yakiniku Kokoichi – We adored last year’s Yakiniku meal at Jumbo Hanare where we feasted on tender and flavorful premium cuts of meat. This year, we wanted to try more cuts we don’t get to have very often, so we went to Yakiniku Kokoichi and got some tongue, liver, and stomach lining (in addition to ones we eat more often, like short rib, beef cheek, etc.). All the meats were delicious, well marinated, and really opened my eyes!
Sushi Nogi – A new spot offering a great deal on an omakase sushi lunch. I am so happy we went. The chef beautifully balanced creativity with technique. There were hand-shredded, raw, marinated scallops, mackerel paired first with sudachi and then with chives, and baby eels blanketing rice with a bit of uni tucked in between and shaped with shiso leaf for a floral-bitter-sweet finish.
Osaba no Kouga – Here, I got to indulge in much more uni. I ordered the cold soba loaded up with a mound of it. It has just a hint of wasabi and thinly shredded nori on top to season. It tastes just as amazing as you would imagine.
Saki – There was another delicious uni dish (yes, I was very spoiled on this trip) at Saki, where I was invited to dinner by JW Marriott. One of the first courses included an aspic of uni and surf clam in a savory-sweet, tomato-seaweed broth. I wish all aspics tasted this good; if they did, I would eat them far more often. I also loved all the tuna courses, but the hand roll with Szechuan peppercorns, leek, and perilla was especially delicious. Then there was also tuna sashimi with each of the three types (akami, chutoro, otoro) treated differently. My favorite, as always, was the chutoro, plus it was served to look like a cup of ice cream – major bonus points. Speaking of dessert, the pastry chef is phenomenal. Despite being stuffed to the brim, I could not help but polish off both the strawberry tart with soy milk custard and the chocolate-tea ganache.
Ponta Honke – This place has the best vibes, and I thoroughly enjoyed the scallop (lots of little baby scallops bunched together and fried – so sweet and so perfectly cooked) and the pork (the thin and lean cutlets allow for maximal crunch and intense pork flavor). I <3 katsu.
Yakitori Omino – Here, the skewers only stop when you say you’re done. At lunch service, Théo and I were proudly the last two standing at 20 skewers each. The cook, flavor, seasoning, and texture were fantastic on all of them, and I got to try some new cuts I’ve never had before.
Teuchi Oyatori Chūkasoba – On our final day, we had ramen booked, but realized with a flight change, we would no longer be able to make it. I suggested we go here instead, and I am so happy we did. The noodles are thick, chewy, and bouncy perfection, and are paired with a rich, layered, and complex chicken broth. Théo ordered the special, which was indeed very special - if we had had more time before heading to the airport, we probably would have gotten a second bowl to share.
Activities
Tokyo has so many phenomenal museums. I suggest checking here to see what is up while you are in town, and pick whatever looks interesting to you. On this trip, we averaged about two museums a day.
A favorite was up at the Mitsui Memorial Museum, where a collection of classical poetry cards left my jaw dropped (sorry, no photos were allowed in that specific room, but I added a photo from another room).
We also love the Nezu Museum, which not only has a phenomenal garden and collection of ancient Chinese bronzes, but a divine exhibition of textiles (again, no photos allowed, sorry).
Tokyo National Museum consists of 4 buildings with so many wonderful pieces. It’s a must-visit. I suggest getting a sweet potato at the little truck parked outside after. It’s the perfect treat and is as sweet as honey.
Shopping + (More) Sweets
If you find yourself at Isetan for some shopping, go to the basement and head into the depachika (prepared foods wonderland) and get a selection of things that stand out to you. I love the banana cream cake at Nihombashi, which features a whole banana enveloped in a ~2” thick cloud of whipped cream, with the lightest, hot-dog-shaped sponge you have ever tried. I also tried the chestnut tart from Pomology, which I believe came with a chestnut frangipane on the bottom (I would love to try making this myself).
We wanted to take a knife-sharpening class while in town, but the company Théo found was off that week, so we decided to just head to Hands and pick up some knife-sharpening equipment for dummies like us. Hands is a variety store with carefully curated sections for just about every part of your life. It’s truly worth taking some time to browse all the shelves and get yourself a few items.
While I do love a well-selected variety store, I also love a store extensively dedicated to one item. Kanya Brush specializes in all things brush: pot scouring brushes, vegetable scrubbing brushes, wet and dry body brushes, lint brushes, hair brushes, and brushes for cleaning your brushes. I have loved using all the brushes I got.
The internet will probably have far better vintage and secondhand shopping recommendations than I will, but I would suggest looking at vintage and secondhand items in the Koenji neighborhood (I just did a Maps search for both ‘vintage’ and ‘secondhand’). I got a wild Pleats Please dress (you’ll see it next month), and Théo snagged a thick vintage roll neck sweater and a reversible light coat. All for great prices – score. I’d also check out the RAGTAG locations in Shibuya and Harajuku (among other secondhand stores), which are incredibly well curated!
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Past March Posts:
