Hancham, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong

Let’s take a time capsule back to March 2015, when I was in Hong Kong. I should have known better when I was going out with my aunt and uncle, they never disappoint in the places they take me to. So, I was disappointed in myself for not lugging my camera around during our day of shopping. So, I sufficed with my phone camera, because I decided to feed you all as well #bloggerproblems.

Like many other Hong Kong eateries, Hancham is found inside an old building and would easily be missed if you were not familiar with the area. My aunt and uncle had actually stumbled across this gem while scanning the streets for food.

If the wait staff speaking limited Cantonese and resulting to me speaking to them in English was no indication of a more traditional Korean restaurant, then the photo of Big Bang’s leader, G-Dragon would have been.  I must say, the inner fangirl in me screamed a little, as this was totally unexpected – I had to keep it within me as my dining companions have no idea who he is.

 Short beef ribs HKD $250 (AUD $44)

We start with one of my must orders, the beef ribs! I’m surprised by how on the menu, you see on piece of beef ribs and it really does come as one. My aunt said, when they first opened, the photo had three and still served one piece, my uncle had made a friendly note that it was a little misleading. From that point, it had changed. It is quite steep in price for a piece of meat, however in saying that – it was so tender. The hints of garlic and soy marinade seeps through with a bite. The quality of the meat is noticed, so that is where you will note the price.

Pork jowl HKD $150 (AUD $26)

We got the pork jowl, because my aunt isn’t a fan of too fatty foods, so I had to put my pork belly love on hold. (Fun fact: I take pride in my pork belly cooking at kbbq). But the pork jowl, was delicious, it cured all my pork belly needs, in all the right ways. The tender pieces of pork cooked with a slight crisp exterior makes me one happy pork lover.

Beef tartare with pear and honey HKD $180 (AUD $31)

The beef tartare was a risk taker for me in the sense that I am a little weary about eating raw foods when overseas. But rest assured, I survived to tell the tale. There was subtle sweetness throughout, I did find the pear was a little lost, but that's ok because it offered a refreshing crunch. The beef had that slight chew but not tough, and if you’re all for tartares, I do recommend this dish.

Kimchi pancake HKD $130 (AUD $23)

The kimchi pancake was thin and massive – as most pancakes are served. It was thin delivered to the palate with the kimchi ratio. But because I’m all about crispy and crunch, I would have loved it to be pan fried a little more for that crispy layer, for a tiny crunch when I take that first bite.

Seaweed and oyster soup HKD $100 (AUD $18)

Because my grandma isn’t much of a spicy eater, though she loves it. We went for a more mainstream soup – seaweed with oyster. I love seaweed; I love soup so I love seaweed soup. If you’re not a fan of seafood, I would steer clear from this as the soup base is very concentrated, aside from that it was a very clean and clear on the palate. It was a nice contrast compared to everything else we had ordered, where they were much stronger in taste.

I would say that Hancham is on the higher price end compared to many other eateries. But I did find upon walking in, the interior did emit that feeling. Again, I wouldn't have expected anything less when with my aunt and uncle.

Because I was only in Hong Kong for a few days, I had wanted to eat EVERYTHING. I walked out of Hancham full, but before I went in I walked past the street food and wanted spicy fish balls, so my mind was set. Unfortunately, we did not see it again when we left.

BUT NO FEAR, I met up with my cousin-in-law the next day, and that craving was satisfied because he bought me fish balls.

And just because I love food sharing, Miss CC and I also got our cheung fun (steamed rice noodles with peanut and hoi sin sauce) and ngou lei so (sweet deep fried dough stick).

Have you ever been to a restaurant and found out a celebrity also dined there after? Or do you go to restaurants that you know they’ve been to?

And who here also loves street food? Because I am always up for a snack when shopping and Asia makes it so accessible! I don’t need a proper meal to waste shopping time! Just keep me full by feeding me constantly with food that’s just there!

Hancham Korean BBQ
Winfield Commercial Building,
1F, 8 Prat Ave,
Hong Kong

Second shop

Empire Centre,
Shop 43, UG/F, 

68 Moddy Road,

Tsim Sha Tsui,

Hong Kong 

Papi Chulo, Manly

“We’re all nearly 30!” That receives an instant rejection – perhaps in denial.

“How old are you again?” Because we never assume one’s age.

“25.” I really wish …

“25?! Really… are you sure? Not 26?” Someone was brought back to reality…

These comments were thrown around the table from various people.

Yes, we have gotten to the stage where this is a conversation that gets brought up more often than not. Yes, this may happen at every birthday meal. Yes, I finally understand why I was told once you turn 25 – every year you are 25.

Legit. Every time I answer with “I’m 25” I honestly believe it. I forget that I am no longer 25, because deep down that is the age I would just want to stay at.

So, on a lovely Sunday afternoon with a party of 12, we [NSF] were at Papi Chulo celebrating Miss CC’s birthday with what we do best. By eating.

Smoked hot wings with comeback sauce $16

The chicken wings were delicious and I must say, I was impressed with the amount of wings present in this serving. But what the real winner for the wings was the comeback sauce. A mix of chilli and mayo but there was a touch of pepper spice too, that is, on my palate. We simply loved this sauce to bits!

Roast Cauliflower, romesco, parmesan, brown butter crumbs $15

Cauliflower with Parmesan was delicious. I’m not much of a Parmesan kind of girl, but the cauliflower was cooked so well. It was soft and could only just feel like it melts in your mouth with a soft bite. The breadcrumbs scattered amongst the sauce offered an amazing textural bite.

BBQ baby octopus with grilled zucchini flowers, spring onions and soft herbs $19

The octopus was nice, but it didn’t blow my socks off. The octopus was soft yet chewy. I mean I didn’t have a tug-a-war eating it.

The food was served really fast, and I was impressed given how busy they were.

Papi Chulo BBQ platter: half rack lamb, 150gm each of wagyu brisket, chopped pork and pork belly, bread rolls $86

Pickles (comes with platter)

We opted for the meat platter, well because it has everything. The wagyu brisket would have to be my favourite, the charcoal smokey flavours mixed with their barbecue sauce was simply AH-MAZING!

Curly Fries $9

Who would ever say no to fries? Let alone springy, curly ones! And we kept that awesome comeback sauce for this! Bringing these fries to a whole new level!

Vietnamese Coleslaw $8

The coleslaw was a nice healthy touch; a nice refreshment breaking the smokey meat platter flavours for our next few dishes.

Balmain bugs, konbu butter $39

The balmain bugs were good, cooked perfectly. But nothing that made it stand out to me when I have been enjoying the wagyu brisket!

Baby snapper, lemongrass, chilli, macadamia and herbs $36

Now, this fish … wow! I mean, how can I explain this enough for you to order this when at Papi Chulo. Who would want to order fish when you’re there for that brisket! But this is a really tangy, spicy, and refreshing dish. It was a very Vietnamese tasting fish, it is definitely worth trying.

Warm chocolate cookie, vanilla-malt ice cream, butterscotch sauce, macadamia brittle $14

If only … if only we ordered two serves of this!!! I had one spoon and we passed it down the table and never saw the light of it AGAIN! The cookie was so warm, which was so pleasant to eat with the icy cold ice-cream drizzled with butterscotch sauce – which is to die for!

Banana split $14

Banana split was nothing too special. Honestly, all I could taste was the banana and cream.

BUT ALAS, hello to the Strawberry and Watermelon cake from Black Star Pastry! This is such a decadent cake! Layers of goodness, the rose water was not too overpowering and the watermelon adds a hit of refreshment throughout the cake. I believe I may become addicted to this goodness!

OH! And you know this is the place to be when the first thing you see are other foodie enthusiasts! It was great to bump into you Nessyeater, Annie and others which I am not sure who to identify!

Lastly, I wish Miss CC a wonderful birthday and may we have many more years of eateries to come where the next topic would perhaps be started as “Well, we are all about 40…” Let’s hope by then, we leave our ages behind us… I mean age is just a number, right?

Hit: Wagyu brisket, baby snapper, warm cookie
Miss: BBQ Baby octopus, Balmain bugs, Banana Split