香港美食图景中的新秀.docx
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香港美食图景中的新秀
香港美食图景中的新秀
IgotoRomeandIknowthattherewillbeprosciuttoinmydays,bucatiniinmynights.IgotoLisbonwithanuncontestableagendaoftheshellfishandthesausagethatthePortuguesecooksoenviably.
IgotoHongKongwithnoforegoneconclusions,justablankmenutobefilledanynumberofways.That’swhatIloveaboutit.
Technically,HongKong’scuisineisCantonese,andyoushouldfitsomedimsumintoyourdining.Butwhatreallydistinguishesthiselectrifyingcityisitsalmostunrivaledculinaryinternationalism.It’snotjustaglobalcrossroadsforbusiness.It’saglobalcrossroadsforfood,oneofahandfulofcommercialcapitals,likeNewYorkandLondon,thathavenoparticularconcentrationofambitious,accomplishedrestaurantsinanyonegenre.Themostappealingandimportantplacescutacrossalltraditions.
That’sthecaseinHongKongpartlybecauseit’sasettingwheremanyofthebest-knownchefsfromothercountriesestablishoutposts,sometimesevenexportingversionsoftheenterprisesthatmadethemfamous.SushisuperstarsfromTokyohaveplantedflagshere.AsinManhattan,there’saMotorinoforNeapolitanpizzaloversandaCarboneforfansofItalian-Americancooking.AsinParis,there’saL’AtelierdeJoëlRobuchon.
DuringavisitImadetoHongKongin2013,twoofthenewspotsdrawingthemostchatterwereaMexicanrestaurant,Brickhouse,andaJapaneseyakitori,Yardbird.
WhenIreturnedrecentlyandtookafreshinventoryofnewcomersthathadgeneratedsignificantenthusiasm,thelistincludedmanyrestaurantswithMediterraneanmoorings—Spanish,French,Italianoranamalgamofthose.OnerestaurantadvertisedameldingofItalianandJapanese.AspotspecializinginupscaleAmericanhamburgerswasabighit,aswasonespecializinginJapanesecurry.
Andthat’snotcountingthefivestandoutsdescribedinmoredetailbelow.Sufficeittosaythatinthisonepolyglotcityacrossonehungryweek,Iatethewholewideworld.
Nur
ThemaindiningroomopenstoaterraceseveralstoriesabovethestreetsofcentralHongKong,andonthenightwhenIdinedhere,agentlebreezeblewin.
Butthatwasn’tallthattheterraceprovided.Timeandagain,regardingdishafterdish,ourservernotedthatsomeleaf,shootorblossomhadcomefromthegreeneryoutthere,merestridesaway.Forgetfarm-to-table,thiswaspatio-to-table—andavividillustrationofNur’sstatedcommitmenttolocalproducts.
Ihadsatdowntomydinnerherewithsomedoubts.Therestaurant’snamerecognizesthefirstsyllableofthechef’s(NurdinTopham)aswellastheArabicwordfor“light.”ItswebsitelaysoutbothMr.Topham’sbeliefinarestrained,healthfuldisciplinehecalls“nourishinggastronomy”andhispastinvolvementin“asomewhatunorthodoxproject—thedeliciousnessofinsects.”Ibracedforpreciousnessandstrangecritters.Ineedn’thave.
TherearetracesofmoleculargastronomyinsomeofMr.Topham’sartfullycomposeddishes,whichreducecertainingredientstoconcentratedpastesorbrothsofintenseflavor.Andthere’savigorousnodtotheCopenhagenculinarytempleNoma,whereMr.Tophambrieflyworked,andtoitslocavoreethos.Forthatreason,NurhassometimesbeencalledaNewNordicrestaurant.
Butit’smoreoriginalthanthat.Withascrupulousemphasisonthebestvegetables,fishandmeatavailableandwithabsolutelyflawlesscooking,atleastwhenIvisited,Mr.Tophamproducesfoodthat’ssensationallyrobustwithoutbeingtheleastbitrich.It’salmostoxymoronic,packingalightwallop,withaclearnessandpurityofeffectthatI’veseldomencountered.Andit’sbug-free!
Ifthisisnourishinggastronomy,putmedownforceaselessgastronomicnourishment.
Nurdoesn’tgiveyouanychoices.Itservesjustonetastingmenuofninecoursesincludingdessert,andtheycameinrapidenoughsuccessionandsensibleenoughmeasurethatIneverfeltimpatientoroverwhelmed(though,bytheend,Ifeltamplyfilled).
Therewereorbsofheirloomtomatowithatexturealmostlikesorbetandapooloftomatowateraroundthem.Asubsequentdishcombinedsalmoneggswithwalnutsandhorseradishyogurt.Squid,pairedwithcharredonionsandlemonbasil,wasexquisitelysuppleandsweet,anddessertwasafitting,fetchingcaptoamealwithsuchavegetal,herbaceousbent:
icecreamthattastedlikeFrenchonionsoup.
Althoughthatterraceaccommodatesafewdiners,Isatataspaciousandrelativelyquiettablejustinside,withinviewofanopenkitchenmorefullyandpleasantlyintegratedintothediningroomthansuchstagesoftenare.AndIhadaglassofwhiteBurgundy,followedbyaglassofBarolo,fromawinelistthatcoveredmanyofEurope’shighlights.
Nur,1LyndhurstTerrace,ThirdFloor,Central;nur.hk.Dinnerfortwo,withoutdrinksortip,comestoabout2,375HongKongdollars,or$315,at7.50HongKongdollarstotheU.S.dollar.
Souvla
Thewhitegranitetablesarerimmedinbrightred.Theboothsandbenchesareupholsteredindeeppurple.There’salong,longbarthatrestsatopalong,longrectangleofpalestonesheldtogetherbyameshcage.Asvisuallyarrestingasallofthisis,I’mnotsurewhatithastodowithGreece,whichisthecountrywhosecookingSouvlapaystributeto.
ButthemenuwouldbeinstantlyrecognizabletoanyAthenian.Thefoodwouldpassmusteraswell.Greeksliketothinkthattheyhavesomespecialsecretforoctopusthat’stendererthananywhereelse,butthey’dbehard-pressedtooutdothekitchenhere,whichsculptedandarrangedthethincolumnsofpalepinkfleshintoasortofpyramid.ItwasoctopusLegos.
I’manardentloveroftaramosalata,thatGreek(andTurkish)spreadofsmokedfishroeandoliveoil,andSouvla’sachievedtheperfectpitchofsaltiness,alongwithanetherealcreaminess.Itspreadlikeacloudacrosstrianglesoftoastedpitathatwereglossedwithoilandstillwarm.
Thosetwodishescametowardthestartofourmeal,andIfiguredthatthey’dbethehighpoints.Butthereweretallerpeaksahead.Onewasgemista,ahearty,earthycasseroleofpotatoes,tomatosauceandpeppersstuffedwithrice.Theotherwastheslow-cookedlamb,ribbonsofmeltinglysoftlegmeatplacednexttoaglitteringrelishofpomegranateandatinyglassbottlefilledwithatangyyogurtdressing.
AsIlookedattheartfulpresentationofthelambandthoughtbacktotheoctopus,thedécorsuddenlymadesense.ItwasanannouncementthatSouvlawouldrespectGreecebutreinterpretitwithfillipsallitsown.SowhileSouvlacoversthehoaryclassics—spanakopita,moussaka—itgivessomeofthemaface-lift,andittacksonalonglistofelaboratespecialtycocktails,thefocalpointofalivelybarscene.
Souvla,1/FHoLeeCommercialBuilding,40D’AguilarStreet,Central;conceptcreations.hk.Dinnerfortwo,withoutdrinksortip,averages1,150dollars.
Chachawan
WhileSouvlaandNuraretuckedaway,almostinvisibly,intallbuildings,Chachawanopenswidetothestreet,withthesidewalkalmostactingasitsvestibule.Thisbefitsitsairofscruffy,ragtaginformalityandamenuthat’sinspiredinpartbystreetfoodfromThailand,or,tobemorespecific,thenortheasternThaiprovinceofIsan.That’shownarrowlyfocusedthisrestaurantis,andthat’showethnicallyambitiousHongKongcanget.
WiththecookingofIsanyougetamplespice.Yougetseriousfire.Onedishalmostbroughtmetomyknees.Itlookedsoinnocent,sopretty,asaladwithabright,approachablemedleyofcolorsandtextures,courtesyofgreenpapaya,cherrytomatoes,driedshrimp,peanuts.Buttherewereafewsmallchileslurkinginthere,andtheysoonenoughregisteredtheirpresenceinmythroatandinmygut,whichwassuddenlyacaldron.Itseethedandbubbledforhourstocome.
Chachawanwasworththeburn.Noteverydishcarriedthatrisk,butnearlyeverydishhadtheinterplayofcontrastingeffectsthatareattheheartofSoutheastAsiancooking.Inthe“LarpMoo,”aloose,wetmixofchoppedpork,porkskin,shallotsandmintneededsomethingdryandfirm,soitgotthat,fromleavesofcrisp,coolicebergtobeusedaswraps.
Sweetandsour,sugarandspice,coldandhot:
Thesewerethecurrentsthatranthroughmostofthedishes,includingagarlicky,bonelesschickenthighonastick:
asupersizedsatay.Sweetandsaltyweretheplaymatesinanexcellentdessertofcoconutricedumplingsinasaltedcoconutcream.
Chachawanisroutinelythronged,butit’snotforeveryone.SituatedintheincreasinglytrendyneighborhoodofSheungWan,itdoesn’ttakereservations.Someofitsserversarebetteratstrikinghipsterposesthanseeingtoyourneeds.Theseatingisontheawkwardsideofsnug.
Butthere’snoarguingwiththefoodthatthechef,AdamCliff,produces.Andiftheself-consciouslyscruffysettingisn’texactlyrelaxing,youcanuseChachawan’svivid,creativecocktailsanditssmartinternationalselectionofbeerstounwind.
Chachawan,206HollywoodRoad,SheungWan;chachawan.hk.Dinnerfortwo,withoutdrinksortips,averages675dollars.
AberdeenStreetSocial
ThisrestaurantisaspolishedandrefinedasChachawanishectic.Itspreadsoutovertwostoriesthatincludeadownstairsbar,outdoorterracesandanupstairsdiningroomthat’sdominatedbydarkwoodsandbringstomindtheinsideofachestofdrawers.Theserversarenumerous,properandhovering.
Andthepricesreflectthis.EspeciallyifyouorderwinefromAberdeen’swidelyranginglist,thebillcanclimbhigh.
TherestaurantisaffiliatedwiththeEnglishchefJasonAtherton,aGordonRamsayprotégéwitharapidlygrowinginternationalroster,includingseveralpreviousplacesinHongKong.Hismenuherehasbeencalled“modernBritish,”aculinaryphrase