Neighborhood Hong Kong

Nice to be able to bring some Aussie friends into the labyrinth of @davidtlai ‘s Neighbourhood.

First time ordering the Rockfish paella , the rice had plenty of crispy texture and the kinki was perfectly opaque , with the cheek a prize worth digging around for .

Beef tartare is served with burrata and black truffle but it is the scattered hazelnuts that drive the direction of the dish .

Sea snails are moorish and served with a terrific espelette mayonnaise.

Baby squid sizzles in a vat of garlic , extra bread to mop up the juices is mandatory .

Buffalo wings with Roquefort smothered lettuce will hit the mark with devotees , I think the lettuce steals the show .

Garganelle with black pork ragu is a terrific pasta dish , the main components utterly unified .

Grilled pigeon is meaty and hearty and lightened with figs .

To finish a deeply savoury yet lighter note , vegetable casserole with stuffed morels . Less

Shirako Mac & Cheese!!!

You read right… and found only at Neighborhood...

A real wicked spin by Chef David Lai! Sometimes I want to look into David’s culinary mind and see how he creates “whatever he wants”and make “whatever” taste so delish?

This culinary wit is the bedrock of Neighborhood and main attraction for his lieges. Ok, you are right, there is his love for wines too. Maybe David won’t agree, but his part-geekiness cuts him differently and above the noisy F&B scene in HK.

His food, sometimes exciting, curveball-ish; most times “what??”. This Shirako with Mac & Cheese tasted better in the mouth than on paper. Melty-creamy milt lushed up salty Cheese and coated the Mac so evenly. Don’t let your visual run wild please…

Just when I thought that Caviar-Marrow-Rubia Gallega during my last visit was a head turner, David cranked one up with a Caviar-Marrow-Hanwoo chunks (second pic) this visit. That glorious plate made ‘Hamilton to Ferrari’ second page news…

Beef Tartare with Clams (5th pic) - like a seabed sprouting clams? Iwashi spiked with Strawberries (7th pic), or was it the other way round? Ok, look at my “Crab Toast” (8th pic) - everything crab baked in crab shell stacked on toast - how insane and inspiring at the same time.

This is Neighborhood for you…

I sound like a broken record when it comes to Neighborhood, ain’t apologising, it is what it is. Surely I ain’t alone because it is tough to get a reservation, everyone wants a piece of David, his geekiness and “whatever”. #noneedmeepok

Thank you @davidtlai for a voracious experience!
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#macandcheese #shirako #hongkongeats #ulchongkong #neighborhoodhk #comfortfood #topcitybites #foodporn #foodphotography #foodie #foodgasm #foodstagram #foodies #foodiesofinstagram #foodlover #foodblogger #foodpics #instafood #sgfoodblogger #sgfoodies #sgigfoodies #singaporefoodie #singaporeeats #singaporeinsiders Less

Does this look bloody amazing?!

You know I will sound like a broken record when it comes to Neighborhood in HK. Look at the pictures, would you blame me?!

Some pictures should fire neurons to release flavours so you can “taste” them with your eyes. Surely this prized Rubia Gallega served raw with Bone Marrow brined with Caviar can do the trick.

The biggest challenge doing this post was selecting the dish to helm it. Should it be the crazy“Potato and Crab Salad” (4th pic) that was 70% Crab 30% Potato, that ultra-sexy Shanghai Hairy Crab Pasta (6th pic), my cougar-love the Salt-baked Chicken (7th pic) which transforms into David’s signature chicken rice, or that Teochew uncle approved whole Kinki (9th pic)? You tell me if I did well…

Unreal flavours and textures in David Lai’s symphony. This “I cook what I want” Chef is branding his food stylistically, non-compliance nor conformance (with mainstream) are features. These turn rebellious diners on, very on.

Whether David intends a cult or be the cutting edge for an upcoming cuisine, he is achieving both. At the core of it all, “cooking for neighbours” (that’s why Neighborhood) means he can create anything he deems scrumptious and sincere enough for a convivial night with like-minded friends, family and rebels. Like the setting?

We talk about Vibe-dining over Fine-dining, Neighborhood is it. While other joints struggle to fill, David has troubles to sit everyone in his unlikely joint. It is tough to get your bum on those coveted seats.

Did I go crazy with so much food this round? Never enough. We told David, “leave it to you”, then strapped in. You should do the same for a real Neighborhood experience!

Your biggest problem will be “what was my favourite?”…

#noneedmeepok #neighborhoodhk @davidtlai
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#onemichelinstar #michelinguide #michelinhk #michelinstar #rubiagallega #vibedining #hongkongeats #ulchongkong #topcitybites #foodporn #foodphotography #foodie #foodgasm #foodstagram #foodies #foodiesofinstagram #foodlover #foodblogger #foodpics #instafood #sgfoodblogger #sgfoodies #sgigfoodies #singaporefoodie #singaporeeats #singaporeinsiders Less

The last meal in HK for 2024 , so I wrapped up the year with a revisit to Neighbourhood and ordered the remaining dishes on the menu that I had never previously tried , and as usual it was all hits no misses .

Boiled artichoke was a staple growing up , I wasn’t super fond of it as a kid and then grew to like it as an adult but the preparation was always so tedious . Thankfully all the work is done , the asparagus flower is paired with chicken liver mousse and terrific black truffle which packed a punch .

Seasonal poached shrimp are served whole and lightly dusted with espelette pepper , the sweetness shines.

Bone marrow is blanketed by a generous serving of caviar and served with luscious mashed potato , the combination of the three is pure luxury , and while I loved all parts , I would be stupidly happy with a big bowl of the potato purée !

I really enjoy Shirako with European flavours so combining it with raclette , thick bacon and boiled potato was sure to please .

I rarely have room for dessert here but seeing I was about to board a 15 hour flight where I was quite happy to skip a meal , dessert became irresistible.
French toast is a HK staple , here it has cracking texture resembling creme brûlée and is topped with ice cream and truffle . Decadent yet still pretty light . Less

Back to Neighbourhood for more rustic and smashable dishes .

Started with a terrine of heirloom tomatoes with burrata - a great spin of a global appetiser staple . The tomato terrine was vibrant and had a great sweetness and acidity .
Beef tartare with Shima ebi , the prawn meat is served raw , the prawn oil seasons the beef and the prawn shells and head add texture . Sustainable and delicious .
Tough to avoid ordering the grilled baby squid , sizzling in garlic and perfect to mop up with bread .

Mussels were served with a light rockfish soup , again satisfying and addictive .

Local small fish were fried with a light dusting of flour and served with lemon and horseradish cream , the fish equivalent of eating popcorn .

Finally , the salt baked chicken - the 120 day old New Territories chicken is a great vehicle for this technique, the flesh is full of flavour and super tender. Chicken rice has plenty of chicken oil and soccarat . Plus a generous serve of Chicken offal is scattered thru the rice , I imagined chicken liver served this way would be dry and overcooked but that was certainly not the case , also chicken testicles are rather delicious . Less

I booked Neigbourhood with the intention of having some heartier dishes as the weather was sure to be cooler . It was “cooler” but still a balmy 30 degrees so the order became fairly light , but it was certainly satisfying !

Abalone and porcini was the standout dish , the porcini was tender and slippery , the abalone ribbons beautifully yielding , a light emulsion , some espelette and some bitter greens gave this great balance .

Prior to this some quality Parma culatello, I used to be in the “don’t order charcuterie in restaurants because I can buy at home “ camp , but living in Asia getting quality charcuterie is easier said than done . This hit of salty pork is a great start to a menu .

Fried baby whiting with horseradish cream were crispy and addictive .

The lentil, coddled egg and caviar salad is a @davidtlai staple . The egg is the dressing and the backbone of the dish , the texture contrast between the al dente lentils and the caviar is fun too .

A complimentary dish of Japanese greens with amazing persimmon and Parmesan shavings was a terrific palate cleanser . Thanks to the kitchen for sending it out .

Finally a simplified Mille feuille rounded out the meal , the pastry was super crisp and lacquered , with cream and freeze dried raspberries adding points of interest .

Have booked Neighbourhood again in a couple of weeks , maybe it will be a couple of degrees cooler then ! Less

Neighborhood- Michelin Star and Asia’s 50 Best restaurant. The world famous chicken rice is a must order! We also had short rib with gem lettuce and “potatoes that taste like hash browns but better”; baby squid and duck garganelli. Also not pictured was the classic staple warm vegetable casserole, Mille feuille and tart tartin! Everything was consistently impeccable as always!!! Thank you chef @davidtlai 😋😋😋 #neighborhoodhk #soyummy #nomnomnom #bestchickenrice #hongkong #hongkongfood #michelinstar #asia50best @michelinguide @asias50bestrestaurants Less

Back to Neighbourhood last night and ordered all the fav dishes .

The Salt baked chicken is a must pre order . Coming out of its salt crust , it is lightly tanned, perfectly juicy , and full of flavour . The rice is studded with morels plus all the chicken bits , gizzards , heart, liver etc.. are found after a bit of a forage . The rice also plays a starring role and you must grab your fair share of the rice crust at the bottom .

Mackerel was the smoked fish of the day , judiciously handled and the highlight just may be the horseradish cream which gives it the perfect balance .

Celtuce , anchovy , Parmesan is a terrific take on Caesar salad , utilising both the stem and Celtuce leaves . It’s delicious and I always ponder why I don’t try to emulate this at home .

Baby squid is served sizzling with a mix of garlic and espelette , mop it up with sourdough bread .

Seasonal veg casserole with bacon and black truffle is an excellent warm fricasee that also gives some salad vibes . Love the softness of the carrot and Sunchoke interacting with bursting sweet peas and then the savory hit of bacon and black truffle .

Thanks to @davidtlai for another great meal Less

First visit of the year to my favorite restaurant in HK. The Man in White T-shirt pulled out all the stops for us tonight.

The dried perssimon and bottarga was delicious as before. The garganelli with the soft shell king crab was freaking amazing... when the crab shell could be eaten as "chips".

The two preparations of spring lamb were fantastic as well. Wish we had more stomach space.

Full account of dinner on my blog: https://www.diarygrowingboy.com/2024/03/it-doesnt-have-to-be.html

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Somehow 6 months have flown by since my last Neighbourhood visit , so popping in for a quick bite before boarding an evening flight was the very least I could do . This visit just cemented that I have to return ASAP.

Sizzling and tender baby squid with a trinity of garlic , herbs and chilli pepper , all balanced and evoking strong Mediterranean vibes .

One of the better tartares that I have had ( and I essentially love them all ) , beef and Sicilian red shrimp is combined , the shrimp both chopped and left in pieces is a delightful sweet note , the herbaceous sauce which lies somewhere between an oil and a pesto is a great accompaniment. Absolute harmony

Revisited with an old fav , a hockey puck of black sausage , a perfect fried egg and a scattering of mushrooms .

Finally a Sichuan accented pigeon with terrific figs , very satisfying. Less

#chef @jimmy_limty ‘s famous Singapore style #curryfishhead . #neighborhoodhk x #jlstudio #taichung #4handsdinner , second series of Hong Kong x Taiwan collaboration. #fishhead is a staple of Neighborhood, and this curry version was the perfect solution for our menu. It’s so absolute yum we will try to replicate it on our regular menu. @jlstudio_tw @hongkong_tourismboard_ @asias50bestrestaurants @theworlds50best #asias50best #theworlds50best @michelinguide #michelinstar #3michelinstars #oadtop100 Less

2022 Top 10 Dishes
(No. 9 in chronological order)

Fish Skin, Fried Shirako, Potato Salad, Neighborhood, Hong Kong
December 2022

Neighborhood is one of those places I really miss when out of town. The menu changes everyday depending on what seasonal ingredients is available and David always manage to come up with new dishes that just works. Fried shirako here added creaminess and texture to the dish and the flavor reminds me of Chinese-style salt and pepper preparation

In addition to Hong Kong, visited Canada, Denmark, US, Sweden, Norway and Japan in 2022 Less

Thank you #hktatler for the timely dose of much needed encouragement. #neighborhoodhk is grateful and proud to be in good company of esteemed peers, and to be a part of the brilliant and ever evolving kaleidoscope that is #hk #fnb industry. See everyone again when we reopen in April! #tatler20 #tatlerdining #tatlerdininghk #hkig #hkchef #hkfoodie #cheflife #foodie #foodblog #foodblogger #hkrestaurant #chefsofinstagram Less

There are a few places that do good caneles, Neighborhood is one of them. They do a mini version as the final sweet treat. And if you are not into dessert 🤔, there are always some good cheese around. David knows his thing. Always the good stuff

littlemeg_best2019 #littlemeg_best2020
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#littlemeg_hk #littlemeg_neighborhood #neighborhood #neighborhoodHK #food #foodstagram #foodies #foodpics #instafood #instagramers #amazing #gourmet #iphonesia #photooftheday #bestoftheday #igdaily #theartofplating @theartofplating @gastroart @gastronogram #gourmeffe #dessert #sweet #canele Less

As this place was highly recommended by a lot of international bloggers, I really thought I have to go there. After we have checked the menu, select basically every course on the menu, we tried to figure out why this location is hyped so much. OK, it is in Central, the quality of the food was fine, but you will find hundreds of restaurants in Europe with the same style and quality. Maybe that is the reason. The service and hosts are really great, but the food was disappointing for me. And also the wine list was the same like all over Asia - labels, no really good stuff. Less