608238 Tue Mar 31 02:08:26 -0700 2009 3 46 China 0 4553395 ...well, at least until the estate is demolished. Lower Ngau Tau Kok estate 牛頭角下邨 is about to be torn down, which means all the dai pai dongs, cha chaan tengs, food stalls etc. will go with it. Has anyone ever eaten there? Any thoughts? Would it be silly to rush over there now *just because* it's closing? Tue Mar 31 02:08:26 -0700 2009 119622 e_ting 1 4553431 my "dinner" the other day... charcoal baked "egglettes" (無名炭爐雞蛋仔), Good more dense and cakey than the electric version, strong baking soda taste, not unique as it's available in Tin Hau. - misc hot snacks #1 (方媽小籠包), Fail xiao lung bao, dumplings, soy milk, all sub standard fare, no point going. - misc hot snacks #2 (文記傳統車仔麵), Fail stuff you get in Mong Kok street stalls: steamed plain "churn fun", squid, siu mai, deep fried eggplant etc, nothing was really edible. - noodles #1 (源發潮州粉麵), Excellent Braised pig offal (lung, liver, intestine) in clear soup & braised beef butterflied "song lam" in clear soup. Both dishes are really good and not common in HK. - noodles #2 (何興記), Ok braised brisket with hor in clear soup & beef balls. If you choose your own cut (which we did) it's pretty good, but not special to them. - snacks #1 (肥媽甜品粉麵小食), Fail HK style "Panna cotta" wasn't set properly and tasted purely of milk powder. Durian "pudding" didn't have that Roquefort taste of durian. - dessert#2 (華記糖水食品), Fail all three soup-desserts have gone bad and the chef wouldn't admit it. - congee/viet hybrid (林泰興越南館), ok decent congees, nothing special about them, the viet rolls lacked mint and basil, and were overdosed with fish sauce and garlic chips. - dai pai dong #1 (金利來食坊), Excellent they have 2 stores, same menu and equally "historic", we ate the one in "block 12". Chili fried clams, deep fried mantus shrimp, deep fried chicken/pork ribs/shrimp in "mayo" and pineapple, "strange sauce" chicken, port "braised" oysters, "cheese" stuffed shrimp quennelles, stir fried squid celery and nuts in fermented shrimp sauce. Everything was really good with no technical faults, the flavours were "authentic". - dai pai dong #2 (雲興隆小廚), Excellent "Potlette" rice with eel and chinese miso, "potlette" rice with pork quennelle and dried squid, they use gas not charcoal but the chef tilts the pots very frequently so the heating is even, creating a very crispy rice "crackling", remember to not soy the rice in your bowl and not the pot. Not so busy when we ate so the chef paid full attention to our two pots, in places like Mong Kok one chef has to cook 30 or so pots. - dai pai dong #3 (輝煌小食餐廳), Ok Stir fried razor clams, steamed glutenous rice with pork riblets, both standard fare done well. Soy poached goose, not a "see tao" goose so not very food. - cha charn teng #1 (興記茶餐廳), Excellent Very caramelised and crispy pork chop in sandwich, deep fried (but oilless) chicken leg in rice, milk tea, omlete, macaroni with satay beef, pineapple "crusted" buns with butter. One of the best cha charn tengs I've ever been to. - cha charn teng #2 (鳳凰冰室), Ok satay-beef instant noodles, omelet, toast, milk tea. standard fare executed well. Tue Mar 31 03:40:26 -0700 2009 4553395 124519 Sher.eats 2 4553441 can always trust you to put on a detailed account, Sher.eats. that's an awful lot to eat for dinner though!! with "One of the best cha charn tengs I've ever been to" and 4 Excellents, i think it's time for me to make the painful mtr ride on the green line... thanks for the report! Tue Mar 31 03:57:37 -0700 2009 4553431 119622 e_ting 3 4553444 haha well the "dinner" started at 4pm and only ended at 11... the place is really rundown, more so than shum shui po, and don't go when it's raining and don't go alone (female), make sure you print a map, the "phase" and "block" notation is very confusing.... Tue Mar 31 04:02:46 -0700 2009 4553441 124519 Sher.eats