Behind the Kitchen Doors: Episode 20
Published 06.01.2010
People Power
If you're hoping for a tale of newfound redemption in a Biblical way this might not be it, but I wanted to share something positive. This is about the people behind the food.
My Merry Christmas
Okay, one Biblical reference.
Once again my computer is 'overused' so I send my dispatch
to you via email, and by some Christmas miracle I discovered my camera card can
be fed into the drive. Some of these pics are a bit 'raw' but remember, we're
behind the kitchen door and not in PR land.
This is a Christmas that was odd, and I have only the chefs and managers at the
venues I swung by to thank for making it far more merry than it could have
been. My mum died last year and it was really difficult to raise the ol'
Christmas cheer. But these places and especially the people did it.
RED SOHO
I have no idea why these people seem to like me, because there are plenty that don't. Restaurant manager Daniel Ungavari, Hungarian by descent but hailing from New Zealand, was my captain-at-arms so to speak for Christamas Eve at RED SOHO. You could ask for no better, as he is a great big bear but like a teddy bear, always happy to see you and will keep you company throughout your visit. My dinner started with country-style pate with rustic bread, cornichons and port jellly, a roasted tomato soup with ricotta, basil and pine nut tortellini, a main of pan-seared ocean trout (how rare is that in this city?) and a dessert of raspberry and white chocolat mousse tart. I sat at what is called the "Captain's Table" where you get a fantastic view of the restaurant and easy access for requests to the DJ 'Gruv', though we all know his real name is Darrell.
Izote rastaurante Mexicano & bar
'Haute Cuisine Mexican' you say? You might just learn a little about an ancient culture, long history of fantastic tequilas and the country that brought you chocalate and potatoes among other great foodstuffs and booze. Oh, the tequila. Many are imported and exclusive, and the interestingly-named Helios Lopez Chao, son of executive director and character Carmelo Lopez, led me through the choices.But first, the food: a delightfully playful platter of three dips and colourful chips,the follow-up to the main event: Duck breast in Red Mole sauce. "There are more than 20 ingredients," says Lopez Sr. Three kinds of nuts, three different chilies, duck, for the local palate instead of pork, chicken or beef in Mexico...
And yet, the best dish, I thought, recommended by Helios, was the beef filiet in morita chili, a smoky, not-so-spicy beast that reminded me of the flavours of my first trips to Mexico. But on to the tequila: Three grades, the 'Plata', also called 'Silver' and 'Blanco', then the 'Repesado', a mid-grade and very popular drink, finally the 'Anejo' (accent on the 'n' please), the mother of all tequilas with a 100 percent Agave rating. I tried a few diifferent brands from strong to smooth, and highly recommend a tasting set.
Moosa As-Issa is the managing director of Life Cafe. His mom is from Finland, his dad from Iraq, yet felt connected with Hong Kong culture right away. "People here are interested in being healthy, but I want to show them 'healthy' does not mean boring, or not sexy or sophisticated." By a strange coincidence he is also from my hometown of Calgary, Alberta, Canada, so of course I instictively was into his food and philosophy, having been a chef myself. He knew his calling much earlier than I, at the tender age of 12 years old deciding to become a chef.
Philip Unicomb is the restaurant manager at Tivo on Wyndham Street and is a good man to look for if you are in need of a stiff martini or a nice pasta. Just down the block is Kaisa Lehnussaari, at Simplicity, adding to the list of fine people with odd names, which I have to disable the computer to even write out. She serves up good-value crepes both savory and sweet, with a good wine list and coctails until the wee hours
I'm sure I've left out a good number of people and will do my best to keep you in the loop. All the best in the new year, my God is it 2010 already?
Heartwarming
What a great article!
The picture of Red doesn't look raw at all; it looks real.