Lunch - Sunday, December 18, 2011
One thing that
constantly disappoints me about Chinese cuisine in the USA is the dearth of places offering Cantonese-style desserts (especially
糖水 - sweet soups). Thus, it wasn't surprising that immediately after landing and making ourselves (somewhat) presentable, we set out to sate ourselves on said food. Our host-companions suggested a popular spot in Tsim Sha Tsui, and we happily agreed to be spirited there. The Sweet Dynasty is like scores of other little snack shops in Hong Kong, but they are famous for their
豆腐花 (tofu pudding), a personal favourite of ours and a must-have on any trip to this city. Of course, we had to order a number of additional items as well to shake off the post-airplane food trauma...
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| Braised beef tendon noodles |
Rich, tender, salty, sweet, beautifully-spiced beef tendons (look at them glisten!) served atop a bed of perfectly springy noodles. I did not expect to find such excellence here, and was pleasantly surprised - a nice departure from the more ordinary beef brisket. This first dish was a portent of all the good things to come.
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| 炸兩 (Crullers in rice noodle rolls) |
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| Braised Shanghai bok choy with mushrooms |
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| 糯米雞 (Glutinous rice steamed in lotus leaves) |
Another dish that was better than expected - Sweet Dynasty's rendition was almost as good as the one we ate the next day at 添好運 (Tim Ho Wan), which is saying a lot. The traditional fillings (chicken, sausage, mushroom) were present and of high quality. Importantly, the sauce was very nicely balanced and really made eating the rice a pleasure.
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| Chilled sago soup with pomelo and mango |
Head and shoulders above anything I've eaten in the USA (including the much-vaunted San Gabriel Valley) - almost like comparing two different beasts. It was terrifically refreshing, and the slices of mango were amazing. As with the previous dish, this was very well balanced, with just the right amount of creaminess and sweetness.
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| 豆腐花 (Tofu pudding) |
Finally, the
pièce de résistance - a full tub of tofu pudding steamed to order. This lived up completely to (nay,
exceeded) my expectations. I'm not sure it's possible to improve on something so simple in its perfection - served with nothing more than a side of syrup (made with yellow rock sugar and slightly accented with ginger). It was sublime.
Like many East Asian cities, Hong Kong is a metropolis where restaurants live and die by their signature dishes - one's experience at an establishment will vary tremendously depending on how cleverly you've navigated the menu. Fortunately, our entire trip was spent in the care of knowledgable local eaters (to whom we willingly surrendered), and our meal at The Sweet Dynasty was just one highlight of what proved to be a brilliant 52-hour whirlwind of food.
糖朝 (The Sweet Dynasty)
100 Canton Road
Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon
Phone: (+852) 2199-7788
