Dim Sum at Maxim in Hong Kong

Maxim is a pretty popular brand in Hong Kong that many locals go for comfort and for the food of course. They serve relatively unique dim sum items that you wouldn't normally find at other places. Dim sum has gotten so big that in order for places to differentiate themselves they spin off original classics to fresher up the options. This place serves dim sum both the new and old school way. Old school way means they have old Asian ladies strolling carts around for customers to pick their dim sum. The new way is just simply ordering your dim sum on a piece of paper and they'll come straight out of the kitchen.

I have been to this location couple times whenever I visit Hong Kong and it's pretty decent in options. Here are the list of a few items we ordered. If you haven't ate yet, be prepared to get hungry after looking at these photos! Please share if you like it!

Name: Maxim
Google Maps: Click Here!
Address: Unit 4, Level 13, MegaBox, Kowloon Bay, Kowloon

Sweet Deep Fried Egg Twists Drizzle in Honey (蛋散)

Cow Stomach

Fried Fish Ball

Turnip Cake (蘿蔔糕)

Taro Block

Lotus Leaf Rice (糯米雞)

Old School Cart - missing Asian lady in photo

Steam MeatBall (牛肉球)

Siu Mai (燒賣)

Curry Chicken Pastry

Fried Taro (芋角)

BBQ Pork Bun (叉燒包)

Shrimp Wrapped Rice Noodle (腸粉)

Random Assortment

And more

And more...

BBQ Pork Pastry

Pig Ears

Fried Fish

Malay Sponge Cake (馬拉糕)

Michelin Star Sukiyaki at Kitamura

I didn't realize there were multiple styles of Sukiyaki until I came to this place. Kansai-style focuses on cooking the aged meat with just sugar, sake, and soy sauce instead of a soup/stew type preparation. I was pleasantly surprised at the results but then again it was a Michelin star restaurant so they clearly know what they are doing.

They used a heavy iron pan that ensured tenderness. The waitress also cooked the beef and vegetables in front of you. She delicately cooked our beef and vegetables to perfection. As with many Japanese restaurants, we used raw eggs! They were used to dip/flavor our beef. Surprisingly it worked really well. There's not really any concept of Salmonella in Japan due to their high standard of care/safety/handling of their poultry. This place was a little tricky to find even with GPS/Google Maps as it was located slightly off the main strip.

Osaka is apparently known for having one of the most affordable Michelin star restaurants so I thought I'd try one out. Definitely recommend trying this place out!

Name: Kitamura (北むら)
Google Maps:  Click Here!
Address: 1-16-27 Higashishinsaibashi, Chuo-ku, Osaka

Store Front

MMmmmmm Marble Aged Beef

Stewed Egg

Iron Pan

Master cooks!

Everyone in the Pool

Mmmhmmm Beef and Raw Eggs!

Yum!

Maui's Finest....Mama's Fish House!

I don't praise many restaurants but when I do it's usually pretty rare. Mama's Fish House has left a remarkable impression on me. I have been here three times on three separate occasions and each time was as memorable as the last one. Usually I could care less about the waiter service and just want the best darn food served to me but the staff here just simply was one of the best I have witnessed. Getting excited about what they have fresh for today, popular dishes, often replenishing our drinks and bread, comp'ing appetizers because they feel like it, and etc, list goes on.

Excellent location as it's situated off the coast and have a nice little sand beach in front of it. My dish along with the other dishes I tried are top-notch and worth the price you pay for. Perfectly flavored and cooked dishes. It's really hard to pinpoint what to order here as honestly you can't go wrong with anything you order here. You can tell the kitchen takes their cooking and presentation very seriously.

Front Entryway

Restaurant Front

Ocean View!

Name: Mama's Fish House
Google Maps:  Click Here!
Location: Paia, HI (Maui)
Yelp: Click Here!

Here are the list of items I have ordered from their pretty exhaustive menu!

Fresh Hot Bread!

Ginger Tomato Bisque

Sashimi Plate

Fish Ceviche

Fish Panang Curry

Traditional Hawaiian

Macadamia Nut Ice Cream

Black Pearl

Coconut Jelly

FRY me some Crispy Chicken!

I was defrosting a pack of chicken drumsticks, getting ready to make my usual soy sauce chicken, when I thought to myself, "hey, why not change things up a bit tonight?"  I dug around my pantry and found some leftover Panko bread crumbs from my crab cake recipe... and ding ding ding! WE'RE HAVING FRIIIIIIED CHICKEN TONIGHT!

Ingredients:
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 3 eggs
- 2 cups panko
- no-salt seasoning (contains onion, garlic, carrot, thyme, rosemary, oregano, etc)
- salt
- pepper
- chicken thighs or large drumsticks
- lots of oil
- wok or some kind of pan to fry your chicken in

1) Prepare your dipping stations: one plate of flour, one bowl of eggs (beat thoroughly), and one plate of panko with seasoning.  I didn't measure how much seasoning I used... use your own judgement :)

2) Debone your chicken thigh or drumstick (I used a very large drumstick here) such that you get a nice steak of out it.  Proceed to pound it down with a mallet to achieve even thickness.  This allows for even cooking and for less shrinking in the fryer.  Pat the chicken very dry, and season with salt and pepper.

3) Now it's time to bread the chicken!  Have a designated "wet" hand and a designated "dry" hand to avoid getting gross and clumpy all around your fingers.  First, dip into the flour for a light event layer on both sides of the chicken, then dunk into the egg wash and shake off excess egg.  REPEAT the flour and egg step for extra crunchiness.  Finally, coat with a layer of seasoned panko.

4) Now to fry, heat your oil up to 350F in a pan or in a wok.  Gently lay the chicken down into the oil and fry each side for 4-5 minutes or until golden brown.

5) As with all fried foods, don't forget to rest the chicken on oil-absorbing paper (I just used paper towel on top of a roasting rack) to avoid having oily, soggy crusts.

**~ ENJOY! ~**