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2010-02-26
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M @ The Fringe of HK has during its long tenure received at least some praise in the local press or the foodies community, earning a respectable number of followers during its years and even making it onto the inaugural edition of the Michelin Guide. I even know well one of the Chefs who used to work there and he or she has shared opinions about HK's food in some private conversations before, which I guess I'll need to carry to the grave. Upon hearing that ABC, the initials for A Better Co
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HOME MADE BREAD WITH BUTTER -
A bit Italian style, these were served piping hot and with a bit of herbs thrown in. Pretty good bread served in a Food Market's Stall, isn't it?
RED HOUSE WINE -
An Australian Shiraz Cabernet blend - the owner here is very knowledgeable about his alcohols, seeing that he used to run the bar area. He certainly has a few tricks up his sleeves. This wine was very approachable and 1 of 2 House Wine options, but he has a few more better bottles in his wine cooler.
ROASTED SUCKLING PIG -
This is the main theme of dinner, and when it arrived after around 20 minutes of patience before it had finished crisping up in the oven - it certainly looked its part! It even consisted of 3 different cuts of the baby pig - one is from the front shoulder and one from the ribs area with tiny baby rib-bones still attached, and another part from nearer the back. The first thing which surprised me was how crispy the skin layer was in a thickish way, like a packet of those Philipino crispy pork rinds. It was already pre-seasoned but without too much herbs or seasoning as I had anticipated but nevertheless, the meat was truly fork tender and very tasty... (Not bad for an imported 'Babe', which carried a perfect balance of fat to meat ratio too!)
The side of potatoes and half a baked field mushroom with diced garlic was surprisingly excellent, the slender asparagus meanwhile a bit too young to have developed flavour as yet. This whole dish @ $98 for 3 big pieces of meat and vegies, was surprisingly very good, just needing more seasoning to bring it to another culinary level in terms of taste complexity. The sauce made partially from its own meat jus and thicken-finished with a roux, was also slightly under-seasoned, transparent slimey and too Hongkie like! The owner's offer of a dollop of French Dijon Moutarde nonetheless makes up for the saucing defect in some way. If you missed M @ the Fringe: you can fly to Shanghai, or you can come now to get a Babe fix !
CREME CARAMEL -
This came with plenty of browned caramel sauce, which was tasty and viscous bar a slight annoying presence of 'burnt bitter' taste. The custard pudding itself could have been much smoother or with more egginess, but at least it visually looked smart, without much knifing scars or aerated bubbles from over-steaming in the oven or bain marie.
SPANISH 'SPARKLING' WINE -
Given around a half glass by the owner as a FREE trial, this was a semi-sweet sparkling version. I initially enquired about this as its included in their $338 Set Dinner for 2, otherwise you might choose a dryer version. Pretty decent, well selected drink by wine lover and owner.
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THE 'DAI PAI DONG 大牌档' LIKE SET-UP AND PLACE OF LOCATION CAN BE AWKWARD FOR SOME, ESPECIALLY FOR FOOD SNOBS LOL OR COUPLES WHO UNDERSTANDABLY DESIRE A PROPER ROMANTIC SETTING RATHER THAN WHAT RESEMSBLES A TEMPORARY STAGE SET... IT EVEN HAS INTERMITTENT AIR-CONDITIONER DRIPPING PROBLEMS (THOUGH FROM THE CENTRAL AC SYSTEM AND IS NO FAULT OF THE ACTUAL STALL!)
CUSTOMERS SHOULD APPROACH HERE FULLY UNDERSTANDING THAT FROM THE UNFORTUNATE CLOSURE OF M'S UNTIL IT FINDS A NEW HOME, CERTAIN STAFF MEMBERS STILL NEED TO EARN A LIVING AND SO THEY HAVE FOUND REFUGE HERE IN A FOOD MARKET. IN A CITY NOTORIOUS FOR NEW YORK OR GINZA LEVEL RENT, THERE IS AN UNLIKELIHOOD THAT EVERY WANNABE OWNER CARRIES AN EXTRA $2 MILLION OF LOOSE CHANGE IN THEIR POCKETS FOR OPENING THEIR DREAMED IDEAL RESTAURANT... IF YOU CAN DISREGARD ALL ITS SHORT-COMINGS, AND TRUSTING THE PEDIGREE OF THE EXPERIENCE BEHIND THIS VENTURE'S STORY, YOU COULD LEARN TO APPRECIATE THE FOOD AND OVERLOOK THE BRASHNESS..
PS: THE RATING BELOW IS MOSTLY FOR 'BABE'. OTHER DESSERTS AND SUPPORTING GARNISHES OR SAUCES ARE CLOSER TO A '3'. THEY ALSO HAVE NO INTERESTING ENTREES TO SPEAK OF, PERHAPS A BIT OF PARMA HAM COULD BE A SUGGESTION TO THE SHOP! FEEL FREE TO ALSO BRING YOUR OWN WINE BUT THEY CARRY DECENT AFFORDABLE TABLE WINES, AND BOOK TO RESERVE A WHOLE SUCKLING PIG FOR A LARGER GROUP.
张贴
