TBLS Kitchen Studio by Chef-Owner Que Vinh Dang

Chef Que Vinh Dang brings you through his culinary journey at TBLS.  You may recognize his name, as he was the original Executive Chef at Duke's Burger in Soho Hong Kong.  Born in Vietnam and raised in New York, Chef Dang has been gracing Hong Kong with his culinary talent the past few years.   

Recently, I met a true foodie from Spain.  When asked where some of his favorite restaurants were, he responded, "follow the chef.  Always follow the chef."  Great advice.

And so I followed Chef Dang to his sparkling new kitchen in Central.  TBLS (as in tablespoon) is tucked away in an unassuming building on Hollywood Road.  Going up the ancient elevator, I was surprised to step out and see the modern and cozy roof top terrace.  It is a small intimate space with a reservations-only policy so the Chef can personally greet and serve each guest.

TBLS is open for dinner only, though they also host private events (a place I'd personally recommend for any private occasion with their isolated rooftop terrace and beautiful open kitchen).

The menu is a set 6-course menu, changing seasonally or whenever the Chef sees fit.  His menu inspiration?  Comfort food.

Comfort food is first and foremost about hearty deliciousness.  He brings out the full potential of ultimate comfort foods by applying fine dining techniques in original ways.  I was pleasantly surprised by items such as the Peanut Butter & Jelly dessert.  It turned out to be a macaroon filled with jam and peanut butter ice-cream.

Continue on if you would like a glimpse of each course.  If you like surprises, I say stop now and just head on over to TBLS for your own experience.

 

The amuse-bouche started the meal with a punch.  Rich, flavorful short ribs, balanced by the sharp daikon radish.

 

A soup and sandwich.  The chicken rillettes sandwich was delicious.  A lot of texture and crunch surrounded by the very buttery moist bun.  All chicken nugget serving places should look into his recipe.  The mushroom soup was a bit lacking for my tastes.  I was hoping for something creamier, more mushroomy, and well... more comforting.

Lasagne is definitely one of my personal comfort foods.  However, until last night, I had yet to taste a "fine dining" quality lasagne that has matched up to the same satisfaction I get from normal ol' homemade lasagne with layers of ground beef, tomato and bechamel sauce.  Que's take is not too far from the original, though he substitutes the normal beef filling with oxtail and iberian chorizo.  Delicious and comforting.

Slow poached salmon, celery, celeriac puree, in black truffle sauce.  The slow poached salmon was beautifully done.  The celery root puree made for an excellent pair, but unfortunately it overwhelmed the black truffles.  I couldn't taste them.  Chef Que did point out later that the black truffles were never meant to be highlighted.

Braised short ribs on creamy polenta, with sous vide endives.  At first bite, the short ribs were ordinary.  But knowing Que, there is a purpose to every last bit on the plate.  The sultana raisins and toasted almonds took the short ribs to a new level with the subtle flavors and texture.

Green apple and Hoegaarden sorbet for our palette cleanser.  This sorbet was one of my favorites at Duke's Burger.  I was very happy to have it again last night.  I don't know where else to get it!

 

Caught up in conversation with my friend and the allure of the dessert description, I accidentally took a bite before the photo!   French toast topped with pear & apricot compote.  Salted caramel ice cream sandwiched by two chips.  Need I say more?  

Peanut Butter & Jelly.  A clever twist, using macaroons and in-house made peanut butter ice-cream.  

It was nice to see that the menu was distinctly Chef Dang's with his specific techniques and flavors I recognized.  Yet, I was still kept on my toes as there were still small pleasant surprises with certain dishes.  Don't come expecting typical fine dining French or New-American dishes.  You're here for delicious comfort food, served with a white napkin.

Another plus:  You can walk out having eaten all things, buttery, gooey, fatty and delicious and not feel all that guilty about it.

The 6-course dinner is HKD $480 + 10% service charge.

TBLS
7/F, 31 Hollywood Road
Central, Hong Kong
Tel: +852 2544-3433
(dinner only, reservation only)

[ Also posted on www.geoffstwitchen.com ]

Edit:  Also be sure to check out Geoff's Q+A with Chef Que Vinh Dang!

Mastering Scrambled Eggs (whether for one or for a crowd)

This past December, a group of 20 of us went on a skiing trip to Killington, Vermont .  We rented out a cozy cabin in the mountains, hot tub and all.   My ultra-organized and efficient friends collected money from the group and bought cartons of eggs, shin ramen, cereal, bread and tons of snack food (first time I saw Dunkaroos since I was 15!) for our two day trip.

During the morning rush before hitting the slopes, try feeding 20 full grown adults at once.  One friend was in charge of frying the bacon, another was in charge of the peanut butter jelly sandwiches, and a last was in front of a pot cracking a dozen eggs at a time.

I peered over at the pot of miserable scrambled eggs, tempted to take over and try to salvage the wilted dry little pieces (with a good portion stuck to the bottom of the pot in a thick layer of burnt brown egg bits).  Alas, I was on a skiing trip, not a culinary tour... and the chefs of the morning probably didn’t need pressure about my pestering egg advice.

For hundred and hundreds of ordinary people like you and me, the challenge to prevent scrambled eggs from sticking to the bottom of the pan is a great one.  Everyone seems to have their own way of making scrambled eggs, but here are some personal tips from my own research and experimentation to help you improve those chunky yellow yummies.

Australian Dairy Company has one of the best egg sandwiches I've ever had.  
See below for more about it.

• Use a heavy pan with a nonstick coating.  You want an even distribution of heat.
• Use low heat.  Patience will pay off.
• Warm the pan before adding a bit of oil, then the butter.  The oil will raise the temperature at which butter burns.  Using clarified butter will help immensely as well.  You don’t want your butter to burn.
• Yes, there is a remarkable taste and texture difference between grade levels and between the standard eggs and free-range or organic eggs.  I'm not one of those organic health freaks, so I assure you there is an enormous difference when it comes to eggs.
• Adding a tad of water to beaten eggs will already make your eggs come to life.  As they cook, the water turns to steam, causing them to puff.
• If the eggs are cooking too fast, take the pan off the heat.  This seems like common sense, but you’d be surprised how often this doesn’t occur to people.
• Remove the eggs from the heat while still moist.  The hot pan will continue to cook the eggs and this will prevent overcooking.
• Adding heavy cream or crème fraiche just as the eggs are almost finished cooking will turn your eggs into a delicious rich, creamy masterpiece.  Throw a bit of chopped chives over the top and look like a pro.

Mass production scrambled eggs:
making eggs for a crowd

Same rules as above!

Here’s what my friend should have done when she had that pot and dozens of eggs (not that she cares, I think.  And for the record, I appreciate her effort regardless!):

As stated above, she should have coated the heated pot with oil and then butter on a medium to low fire.  When the eggs were cooking too fast, she should have removed the pot from the heat… and NOT stir.  Let them sit.  When the eggs begin to set, then use a spatula to push the eggs from the bottom to the side.  The uncooked eggs will then flow to the newly empty space at the bottom to cook.  Repeat the process, pushing the cooked eggs to the side.  When the eggs are all almost done (still quite moist), remove the pot from the heat and begin dishing it out onto a plate.  This will prevent overcooking, since the heated pot will continue to cook the eggs even off the burner.  By the time they are out, they will be perfectly cooked.

For those who need a visual, Gordan Ramsey demonstrates how to prepare the "perfect scrambled eggs."  I personally make my scrambled eggs a tiny bit differently, but the fundamentals are still there.

Egg hunting in Hong Kong 

If you're an egg lover and find yourself in Hong Kong, I highly recommend a trip to Australian Dairy Company.  They have the best scrambled eggs and egg custard I've ever had here.  Australian Dairy Company has a big reputation for deplorable service even for a chachangteng, but I've personally had a great experience with the wait staff.  Non-native speakers of Cantonese, never fear!  There is now an English menu available too.  They good-naturedly poked fun at my measly Cantonese, but the service was swift and helpful.  Check out Geoff's review of Australian Dairy Company for more details about their back story.  Special thanks to Vince for recommending this spot to me two years ago.

Served hot or cold, these little bowls of custard deliciousness is made from almond milk and egg whites.

 

I certainly can't complain about the prices (HKD)

One of the secrets to their eggy goodness.

  

I was lucky to arrive during a quieter moment.  This chachangteng is usually packed to the brim.  Just take a look at how many wait staff there are!

Australian Dairy Company

47, Parkles Street

Jordan, Kowloon

Hong Kong

Tel: +852 2730-1356

Moleskine Passion's Recipe Journal

Moleskine notebooks has a new line of journals coming out.  They have sent complimentary copies to Geoff and myself (as writers on Geoff's Twitchen) and have asked us to log our food journeys.  They will then showcase our personal notes, tips and secrets in 12 different cities across Asia.  Fun!!!  It's good being here in Hong Kong.

I received my copy today and just filled out the first page.

I already have personal notebooks at home filled with recipes, reviews, food to-do lists, F&B ideas, etc, so getting started in a notebook specifically designed for this is a fluid transition.

- Posted from my iPhone

Duke's Burger

I'd like to clarify for those who are confused about my involvement, that my direct hand in Duke's Burger (Hong Kong) began with my initial concept and ended in September 2008.  Since then, a lot has changed from the previous Executive Chef Que Vinh Dang to the management in general.  Since I am permanently located in New York, my current role with Duke's Group is on a consulting basis instead.

I am proud of what Duke's was when I left to New York, but I'm not so proud of all the changes.  Let's just say it's getting more and more different than my initial concept and how I left it.    The owner and I have very different visions about the F&B biz.

However, Duke's Burger is still a fantastic joint to spend a lazy afternoon sipping beer and munching on their shoestring fries.  The burgers are also significantly cheaper now (good), but don't expect the same gourmet quality it once was.  Duke's Burger's well-known interior designer, Andre Fu is probably reeling at the owner's decision to blast down a wall a few months ago.  It makes the entire restaurant open air and I'd say it was a choice for the better.  It's probably the only change I 100% agree with.

I can't really delve into more details of my opinion without sounding too biased or perhaps offending people I'm rather close to.

Duke's Burger (right next to the escalators)
5 Staunton Street, SoHo
Central, Hong Kong
Tel: +852 2526-7062

www.dukesburger.com

Dropping in with Juicyndelicious for Chili Crab

Tonight, foodies Juicyndelicious were so kind as to invite me onto their show in a last minute arrangement for some of Singapore's famous chili crab! (see video clip preview below)

I've been traveling through Hong Kong, Bangkok and Singapore the past three weeks.  Unfortunately, I've been having extremely limited internet (problems with my Macbook Pro) so despite my constant food gorging, updates have been few and far between.  I'm eager to share the experiences from the past few weeks including being tricked into eating Japanese prepared fish sperm to watching my friend's reaction to fresh SE Asian durians to a comparison review between Ippudo Singapore and Ippudo New York and much more.  They will come in time!  I'm heading back to Hong Kong tomorrow, so hopefully then I can find wifi that my computer won't make a fuss about.

As for Juicyndelicious' episode on Chili Crab, expect it in a few weeks.  In the meantime, do check out their site, especially if you're looking for ideas on where to go in Singapore!

Check out this post for the follow up.