In my final post in Hong Kong, I wanted to share a few classic dishes and establishments that highlight the excellence of Cantonese cuisine.

The classic dim sum dish that most people know is shrimp dumplings or in cantonese "har gow".   Go ahead and try saying it at your next dim sum meal.  The ones at Fook Lam Moon are among the best with larger than average prawns wrapped by a delicate wrapper.  These are US$2 a piece which is definitely on the pricier side in Hong Kong but definitely worth it if you are looking for the best.

For my vegetarian friends out there, Fan Tang Restaurant offers the most incredible vegetarian dumpling with mushrooms, carrots, Chinese parsley, chives, water chestnuts, chinese black fungus finely diced and enclosed by an almost translucent dumpling wrapper.  A definite contender amongst the pork and shrimp varieties out there.

In the past few days, I have become acutely aware that Cantonese vegetable dishes are never salads or just sauteed with garlic but rather a complex mix of flavors and textures that have the potential to outshine the main dishes.  I actually learned a lot about different Asian vegetables and their western counter parts whilst researching for this post. Here are a few of those dishes.

1. Fan Tang restaurant's- gai lan (Chinese broccoli) prepared two ways in a hot pot.  The leaves from gai lan are chopped to a chiffonade then flash fried.  The slightly bitter stalks are stir fried with a fragrant mixture of ginger garlic, dried shrimp and dried scallops.  Once the stalks are barely tender, the vegetables are finished in the hot pot (pictured) and tossed with the fried leaves.

2.  Fook Lam Moon restaurant's- Boiled yin choy (like spinach but much tastier!) in a simple broth with salty duck egg, 1000 year old egg, and scrambled egg whites.  Simple yet flavorful.

3.  Chariot Club restaurant- Tong Sang Choy (Chinese romaine lettuce).  The greens are sauteed with garlic, chilis and fu yu- which is a fermented tofu paste and finished in a sizzling hot pot.  Fu yu is another acquired taste but will put you in a league with locals along side the 1000year old egg challenge.

Every time I come to Hong Kong, I insist on eating steamed whole fish and virtually all seafood restaurants will have this option as this is classic Cantonese.  It's simple preparation results in such a powerful and delicious meal, that pairs perfectly with a bowl of white rice. The texture of the fish is soft and flaky like chilean sea bass, steamed till perfection, with the flavor from the bones really shining through.  The final dish is dressed with sliced green onions, ginger, a splash of hot oil, and is swimming in a sea of sweet soy sauce.  I have yet to conquer the eyeball but the fish cheek is the best part!

See you all back in NYC :)