Neighborhood Hong Kong

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

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