Free Roaming Cattle and Buffalo @ Lantau Island [Hong Kong]

I was taking the photo of an eatery (above) where i had Ngong Ping's famous beancurd pudding when i heard a commotion behind me. Inheriting my mom's genes means i turned around immediately to check out the source! 

It's a bull (no see udders) right behind me and it appeared to be at ease around humans; trotting in a relaxed manner along Ngong Ping Piazza, with a companion right behind. 

Frankly, i must be crazy to get so near as the cattle did not seem to be herded by anyone and if it were to get irritated and head-butted me; i would have to stay in Hong Kong for an extended period of time, in a hospital. 

I should have taken a closer look at the above banner at the entrance of Ngong Ping Piazza; it's clearly stated that you might chance upon feral cattle and buffalo and one of the don'ts is don't approach! Heng that i didn't get attacked! 

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Location

Ngong Ping Piazza,

Lantau Island,

 Hong Kong

Ngong Ping Piazza - Connection between Ngong Ping Village and Tian Tan Buddha @ Lantau Island [Hong Kong] #ngongpingpiazza

I thought it would be a straight route to the majestic Tian Tan Buddha after Ngong Ping Village but no, you still have to cut across the Ngong Ping Piazza! Interestingly; piazza is an Italian word and it's weird to have a western term for a place so intentionally built to showcase Chinese culture.  

Buddhist World in the South - that's what the archway claimed to be. Known also as paifang (牌坊) or pailou (牌楼); this particular one was said to "reflect the northern architectural style of Qing dynasty".

Bodhi Path - it's not a path you want to take under the hot summer sun! If it's a cloudy day, you may marvel at the boring "lotus-shaped stone lanterns installed on both sides".

More impressive, however, were the statues of the "twelve divine generals"; besides being blessed with the role of being protectors of Buddha, they also represent the Chinese hours (every two-hour) and Chinese zodiacs.

How to know which zodiac? You can either see it from the plaque in front of the 1.8-meter tall statue or check out the animal on their head! The one above is of a dog! p.s. i didn't know about it until now. 

Last section of the Ngong Ping Piazza; a three-platform structure that i initially thought was awaiting an injection of new funds to build a pagoda or something. I couldn't have been more wrong! 

Facing the Tian Tan Buddha; the structure is called Di Tan (地壇) and was used for religious rituals from time to time. Even though i have been to Beijing, i didn't have the opportunity to check out the original Temple of Earth (地壇) and hence, couldn't compare with this one in Hong Kong.

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Location

Between Ngong Ping Village and Tian Tan Buddha.

Directory

As above.

For the summary of my seven days' itinerary to Hong Kong (with a day trip to Shenzhen), please click here.

Grilled Chicken Wings Stuffed with Rice (鸡翅包饭 / Jichibaofan) @Shenzhen [China] #Jichibaofan #鸡翅包饭

It's hard not to be drawn by the aroma of grilled food and it didn't take me long to find the source; a stall selling grilled chicken wings! Their appearance differs from the ones in Singapore by appearing much plumper though.

From the photos plastered all over the shop, i knew they were grilled chicken wings stuffed with rice and since it's not that heavy a meal; we got one to try and share between the both of us. 

Dotted with sesame seeds, the chicken wing was lightly marinated and tasted good on its own. I am more apprehensive about the rice as a similar concept involving sausages in Taiwan didn't appeal to me at all for being too bland for my liking.

Peppered with corns, my worries were unfounded as the rice was fragrant with a light spiciness that's actually palatable! It was a bit of too much of glutinous rice for me although for sake of novelty; it's still worth a try if you have never had it before.

The wing tip is my favourite part; boney and crunchy and full of flavours! From the photo, it looked like a dragon head with horn and beard!

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Location

广东省深圳市罗湖区解放路2034附近

Map

Refer to https://j.map.baidu.com/21/FMT.

Pricing

RMB 13 each

Tokyo Chopped Salad - Signature / DIY @ Millenia Walk [Singapore] #TokyoChoppedSalad

About half a year ago, i went to a retail outlet at Millenia Walk to troubleshoot my then new EOZ Air and by the time, i was done; my tummy was growling badly yet i didn't want to have too heavy a meal given that it's already past 8pm. 

That's when i chanced upon Tokyo Chopped Salad; it was a good dinner and i made a mental note to return in the near future so that i can blog about it. Well, i was back to the eatery today and as the saying goes "better late than never".

Do note that the seating area for diners isn't huge and the space constraint made it hard for a group of more than four to have a meal together. I was lucky that my visits were always timed, coincidentally, after the typical busy lunch / dinner period.

The long counter for preparation took up about one third of the store; hence contributing to the lack of seating area. However, i think they do have a lot of takeaway orders and i would explain why shortly.

Here at Tokyo Chopped Salad, you can choose from a range of signature salads like premium beef tataki salad, teppei's signature kaizen salad, corocoro shrimp tofu salad and even bento if you need to eat carbohydrates! 

There's also the DIY option where you choose your base, protein, toppings and dressing, including the amount of dressing you want, for a minimum of S$12.50! 

Pictorial guide on the DIY ingredients; i am too lazy to think and opted for the signature Mentai Teriyaki Chicken salad (which i had in my first visit too) instead. 

After payment, it's a chance to see the staff work their magic! There's a reason why it's called chopped salad; the ingredients were literally sliced into little pieces using the unique tool shown in the above photo! 

Here's my salad; comprising of teriyaki chicken, romaine lettuce, broccoli, corn, egg, cherry tomato, cucumber and dressed with mentai caesar dressing!  

Now, i can't seem to find a fork for my meal. I looked at the other tables and it suddenly dawned on me; you just need a spoon to eat since everything was already chopped up! 

That's convenient and definitely beneficial for takeaways, especially for butterfingers and messy eaters like mine. With just the spoon, i can use the free hand to hold my phone to read the newsfeed on my facebook.

Food wise, the general ingredients were fresh and it's not hard to see that the operator was rather generous with the serving size. I would have preferred the teriyaki chicken to be juicier and oilier, with a thicker layer of skin but well, healthy eating requires some sacrifices....

Shiok ah! Personally, the price tag of S$13.80 for my salad was a tad expensive to indulge on a regular basis and i guess i would have to make do with the usual, un-chopped version at home. 

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Address 

9 Raffles Boulevard, Millenia Walk, 

#01-102, Singapore 039190

Pricing 

Mentai Teriyaki Chicken Salad - S$13.80

(Inclusive of GST)

The Authentic Changsha Stinky Tofu at Laojie (Shenzhen, China)

I didn't do any research for my day trip to Shenzhen from Hong Kong as i relied heavily on google map and reviews which didn't quite work in China. Hence, we were totally blind-walking in the hope of chancing upon some interesting stuff. 

Food was one priority and there were like so many eateries to choose from! As we had breakfast earlier, i was only on the lookout for some snacks; lo and behold, a stinky tofu stall caught my attention! 

Serving supposedly authentic changsha stinky tofu, it's an opportunity as i did remember how tasty they were when i first tried them in the capital city of Hunan, despite the lack of their signature stench! However, i did recall the rather bad experience earlier in March this year at Guizhou with the smelly tofu there.

Anyway, there's not much of a foul smell coming from the stall even though the deep fried tofu with a black crust could still be a stomach turner for those who are visually sensitive. 

Our bowl of stinky tofu to eat on the go! I wasn't too happy to see the tofu half swimming in the broth as that would reduce the crispiness of the tofu. As expected, the soak in the broth had resulted in the texture of the tofu to soften and this was disappointing as i prefer a crispier bite when it comes to tofu. 

Similar to my experience in Guizhou, the stinkiness of the tofu hardly made the cut as the unique flavour came more from the soup, rather than from the tofu. Well, no one is arguing the authenticity (i wouldn't know anyway but it's different from the ones i had in Changsha) but it's not an enjoyable experience for Alex and I. Alex took one bite and almost wanted to spit it out! Guess who tried his best to finish everything? 

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Location

In a food court-alike concept near one of the exits of Laojie station in Shenzhen, China. I do see a few stinky tofu stalls under the same brand on this day trip.

Pricing

10 RMB for 8 pieces

For the summary of my seven days' itinerary to Hong Kong (with a day trip to Shenzhen), please click here.

Fijian Longan (Mom Called It Wild Longan) - A Fruit I Had Never Seen / Tried Before #fijianlongan

My mom messaged me the above photograph a few days ago and her following voice message requested that i buy back some on my next Batam trip. Problem is; i had no idea what they were and asked if they were some kind of pears. 

That very night, she passed me a bag filled with the pear-like fruits and i was visibly surprised to find them so tiny! The skin was definitely not the type i could sink my teeth in and my perplexed expression resulted in a smirk on my mom's face as she can proudly show us what to do.

She broke the skin using her fingernail and peeled it away; revealing the semi-transparent flesh within. It kinda looked like a cross between a bigger version of longan and a yellower lychee.

I gave it a light squeeze using my two fingers and found the flesh to be firmer than our usual longan and lychee. It's interesting that i have never seen them before in my almost 40 years of age. My mom called it wild longan and a search online revealed that it's known as "Fijian Longan" and commonly found in the Pacific Islands. 

In terms of taste, it was like a harder, less juicy form of longan. I wouldn't say i particularly enjoy it even though it still contained the sweetness; just not as sweet as longan.

Like lychee and longan, it has a seed in the middle which can be eaten after boiling or roasting. I should have asked my mom to keep a few so that we can try it out. Well, guess i would have to buy some back the next time i am in Batam!