Really Good Restaurant is not a really good restaurant… it’s just a literal translation of its Chinese name which should be pronounced as Geek Ji Ho (極之好粥麵茶餐廳) instead.
Actually we went into the restaurant because I was desperately in need of a washroom when walking around in Mongkok. At first glance they had an interesting variety of food (lots of Hong Kong specials) and from their billboard it seems like they were highly rated by local papers.
Cart noodle, egg tart and pineapple bun
We ordered a cart noodle (車仔麵), an egg tart and a pineapple bun (菠蘿包). The food quality was quite a disappointment honestly… it was not too bad, but it’s the kind of quality that I would not be interested to visit the restaurant again.
Well, at least I managed to try the cart noodle and pineapple bun before I left Hong Kong… so I shouldn’t be complaining too much.
Cart noodle was one of the food icons in Hong Kong; it got its name from street vendors who used to operate their business on roadsides using carts (I think they no longer exist these days). This restaurant was supposed to be famous for selling this noodle.
There is nothing special about the noodles; the essence of cart noodle is actually the variety of toppings the customers could choose from… the common toppings are radishes, pig blood cubes, fish balls, pig skins, Chinese sausages and beef balls etc. The customers could choose according to their likings or simply include everything (like what we did).
Nam Long Congee Restaurant (南龍粥店) is located at Fa Yuen Street (花園街) in Mongkok, Hong Kong. We were on a food hunt in Mongkok area (looking for stinky tofu in particular) and stumbled on this congee specialised restaurant.
Congee cooked with pork and pig organs
It was odd hours (~11am) on a weekday, but the restaurant was still packed with customers… it got to be good.
We ordered a pork innards congee (猪杂粥) - rice porridge cooked with pork and pig organs like intestines, liver and stomach… and it was great. The ingredients were fresh, and they didn’t add too many additives (pepper, sesame oil etc.) in the congee, so you can really taste the core flavour of the pork and organs.
We also ordered two dessert soups, which was quite tasteless and forgettable… we should have just stick with their congee.
Stinky tofu (臭豆腐; chou doufu) is a fermented bean curd that stinks. It’s an iconic Hong Kong street food and can be found at some other places in China and Taiwan.
It’s not easy to find stinky tofu in Hong Kong these days; luckily we still managed to spot (or smell) some eateries selling it around Ladies Street in Mongkok (旺角) when we visited Hong Kong in October 2007.
Stinky tofu stall in Mongkok, Hong Kong
This was my first try on stinky tofu (in any places)… the smell stunk but not as bad as expected. Most people who tried it before would suggest that it smells bad but taste ok (or good), and it’s quite true. It’s a bit salty but it’s edible… no way near as bad as how it smelled.
On positive note, Hong Kong style stinky tofu is normally deep fried and had a crunchy texture on the outside, while spongy in the inside… it’s nice.
It’s an adventurous experience, but I don’t think I would ever become a stinky tofu fan… I don’t mind trying other styles of stinky tofu though when I spot it somewhere else.
Tea break at Main Street Corner Cafe during my Hong Kong Disneyland visit in October 2007.
The restaurant had a lovely Westernised deco, but surprising offered mostly Chinese food on its menu. We ordered a spicy stewed beef (with rice) and mushroom soup… nothing superb, but not bad.
Spicy stewed beef and mushroom soup at Corner Cafe
Tang Yuan (汤圆) is a traditional Chinese food made with glutinous rice flour and is normally eaten during Winter Solstice Festival (冬至; Dong Zhi) on (or around) Dec 22 and some other special occasions.
Tang Yuan has evolved into a common delicacy these days with great varieties… including the traditional plain Tang Yuan, Tang Yuan with stuffing (sesame seeds, red beans etc.) and Tang Yuan with flavours added to the flour.
Traditional Tang Yuan made by my mum
I wish the 7-Eleven convenience stores in Malaysia are selling sushi, just like some of those in Hong Kong… but then, I wonder if 7-Eleven in M’sia would be able to make it looks as good…
Sushi bar at a 7-Eleven convenient store in Kowloon,
Hong Kong
Cotton candy at Hong Kong Disneyland.
Cotton candy…
I am not really a fan of cotton candy, I don’t have sweet tooth. It brought back some childhood memories though… it’s always fun seeing the candy vendors making the fluffy candy floss.
Had dinner at Hollywood and Dine (inside Disney’s Hollywood Hotel) after checking in at the hotel on Oct 7, our 3rd day in Hong Kong (2007).
We didn’t have much option for dinner in the hotel… this restaurant seemed like a cheaper one. It was a fast food style restaurant which served ready made salad, sandwiches, pasta, rice, congees, desserts and drinks.
We hesitated for a while when we reached the entrance of the restaurant, as we were the only group there… turned out that the food was actually ok. Besides, the staff were super friendly… thumbs up for that.
