Roasted Pork Belly, Crispy Roast Duck, BBQ Pork - A Hong Kong BBQ Journey. [BONUS: Amazing Crackling Roasted Suckling Pig!] - Ruby BBQ, Ho Kee, Hop Woo, Sam Woo, New Duong Son BBQ, Lien Hoa BBQ, Noodle Boy, Monterey Palace [Thoughts + Pics]

Bookwich · August 13, 2018, 2:08am

It’s a food board, that’s what we do.

And @beefnoguy built a logical argument for his opinion. You are simply being dismissive, without giving us any explanation for your assertion:

It’s just cuz Cantonese food isn’t very good …

JeetKuneBao · August 13, 2018, 2:29am

Those are fighting words!!

beefnoguy · August 13, 2018, 3:25am

Haha for those who have been with us and CH long enough should know ipse well enough to get his sarcasm and style.

For someone who doesn’t like Cantonese food (or claims to), certainly has no qualms mentioning a few favorites about the dinners at Sea Harbor involving…gasp…Cantonese style live seafood but…in a restaurant that focuses on dim sum during lunch , or the boss fried rice at Dragon Beaux in SF (another dim sum restaurant, but Cantonese nonetheless) . Don’t worry, your secret is safe with us!

It’s all good. Everyone is entitled to their opinions and a little verbal sparing or jest is fun sometimes. You have to have skin as thick as his grandma’s dumplings to not be offended and get it .

Sgee · August 13, 2018, 3:26am

@Chowseeker1999 Its really more like a chili oil and very good. I have a ritual with the wontons; place wonton on soup spoon, apply a tiny dollop of chili add 2-3 drops of red vinegar take a bite and repeat. My SO thinks I’m nuts…

Sergio had more precise timing and consistency resulting in firmer noodles and wontons.

Sounds like its time for another visit to HK! Mooncake season just around the corner… perfect time to sample the awesome Fook Lam Moon mooncakes.

catholiver · August 13, 2018, 3:44am

Are you willing to share your CH ‘name’?

beefnoguy · August 13, 2018, 4:07am

Seems so long ago…

Chowseeker1999 · August 13, 2018, 4:23am

beefnoguy:

’ll probably end up offending some people by saying this…but I think Cantonese is generally very lacking in Southern California (and in some cases super appalling) due to a combination of things.

Easier to make low quality mass produced food that requires less skill

competition on pricing / price wars, resulting in cutting costs, so no need for skilled chefs for anything (how many mediocre seafood dim sum restaurants do we really need at low prices?). In the end the consumer gets screwed with no great choices but a bunch of crappy similar choices

the mentality of many non FTC consumers who prefer value over price/taste (probably the older non foodie crowd) and the ones who don’t give a duck’s butt what they are eating and rather have a plate of $25 pasta or hit up the 626 night market for 3 hour wait expensive thrills so they could 'gram it. Let’s face it, who wants to gram a microwaved duck when you can have Fusion Fries, Poke bowls, boba trucks, eggette ice cream sundaes all in one shot?

when there are treasures to be unearthed in a restaurant, nobody (except maybe FTCers and those with the right FTC mentality) notices them and puts on their Asian American Yelping hat, orders the equivalent of dim sum type popularity items (then hits the boba shop afterwards)…could be a millennial thing or parents not exposing the kids enough to what’s out there…but don’t worry, Hong Kong is catching up with millennial attitudes as well, giving traditional won ton noodles the finger and complaining about prices, but have no qualms lining up for $16 tonkatsu ramen. Anyone remember Bon Marche Bistro in Monterey Park? I’ve never been, but one of your local greats, exilekiss, reviewed it fairly extensively circa 2008 or so. Nobody else did Poon Choy like that, and some Hakka Cantonese (well we do have Hakka Restaurant in SF but it’s inconsistent)…and yet they did not survive…easy to point the finger at lack of appreciation but that’s entirely possible too. When Bon Marche shuttered, even though I have not tried the food, I was like “damn, there’s no hope for Cantonese in SoCal if the general public can’t even treasure something niche like this”.

whatever great skilled chef you guys had who left HK for LA and may have opened restaurants, probably retired and never took on apprentices (or maybe those who could have apprenticed, decided to learn other cuisines instead of trying to carry on the torch and craft, it’s already happening in Hong Kong). Word is that Embassy Kitchen in San Gabriel, the chef that created those great items, has retired or is no longer working there for other reasons (apparently is a friend of a famous ex chef up here), and those in the know noticed that the special dishes don’t taste the same as before. Take Seafood Palace Rosemead (with a branch in Monterey Park)…how many people flock there for the Chiu Chow simmered eats and true Chiu Chow style Cantonese? Look at Yelp and most people are ordering typhoon shelter crab…but in a way they did this to themselves (heck the Chinese name is Typhoon Shelter). Would people even care if the Chiu Chow centric items disappeared from the menu?

Last but not least, I would venture a guess and say there is a general lack of skill (and care) in the execution, and the lack of skilled chefs from Hong Kong around in general who knows what the true flavors are. I firmly believe that once people experience them, even the younger 626 night market gram type crowd, they will become believers (maybe not apprentices to the craft).

Hi @beefnoguy,

Thanks for the thoughtful post! There is truth and wisdom in your reply.

Competition / price wars: I remember reading about this on our old board and from some of our SGV friends. I remember seeing signs at Elite of all places (which used to be considered one of the better HK / Cantonese Seafood restaurants) advertising $1.99 Lobster or something like that. Ridiculous.
Re: Instagraming - Yah when Smorgasburg first opened up, @PorkyBelly took one for the team trying out that trendy Rain Drop Dessert place. It had the longest lines (more than Nicole Rucker’s Pies, Guerilla Tacos, Porridge & Puffs and everything else (which were far better)), because it was so Instagram friendly.

The last time we went to Sam Woo BBQ in Focus Plaza it was about 60% full, with only older people inside. Just a couple stores down was some random Boba Tea shop completely full with another 20 - 30 people outside lounging around taking photos and hanging out.

In the end I guess we were glad to have tried out a bunch of these places hoping to find some hidden gems. If you are in the mood for crispy Roasted Suckling Pig and don’t have something like that up north, then Monterey Palace’s version was nice.

BTW, since Ming Kee didn’t have any for sale, where do you usually go for delicious Roast Pork Belly? Thanks.

Chowseeker1999 · August 13, 2018, 4:29am

beefnoguy:

Hong Kong style Ja Jeung Meen, much like the highly beloved macaroni cheese, is subject to a number of interpretations. However the flavor profile focuses around sweet, sour, spicy, and sometimes other subtle flavors, along with julienne pork strips (being the more traditional pork prep of choice) or for the lazy shortcutters, ground pork. The more common interpretation is a ketchup and chili sauce (e.g. doubanjiang) base stir fried with julienne strips of pork (sometimes with onions) then placed on top of ideally bamboo pole kneaded egg noodles (broth on the side) where this would essentially be what I call “Cantonese pasta bolognese al dente” (more so if the shorcutter ground pork is used).

Even in Hong Kong, at whatever traditional won ton noodle shops remain, the ja jeung sauce recipe could vary to achieve different textures (and in some cases profiles)

http://gourmetkc.blogspot.com/2013/07/blog-post.html (example blog post of several of the author’s top favorites in Hong Kong)

the author’s top favorite ja jeung, the sauce is not ketchup, but hoisin…hence a darker shade.

in the second restaurant (which is Wing Wah in Wanchai, going to shutter for good before the end of the month), the sauce is quite refined. No visible signs of ketchup, and the addition of shitake slivers adds some umami and texture.

the third one sounds rather legendary, that despite the ketchup addition, the chili oil brings out a balance that mutes the sweetness from the ketchup. Deceivingly simple but yet steadfast and traditional

One last variant not mentioned, is by using some of the best traditional artisan chili sauce to create the ja jeung mix (e.g. Yu Kwen Yick @Ns1 knows what I’m talking about, which adds a wonderfully balanced complexity and sweet/sour/spicy balance from the fermented sweet potatoes, not to mention the wonderful acidity). YKY seems to have started off being the de facto chili sauce back in the heyday at won ton noodle shops, but eventually restaurant owners phased them out due to very high costs. I’ve used Yu Kwen Yick also in spicy tuna handrolls (cheap Ahi tuna of course) with killer results, and you could also add it to pasta. Hong Kong now has a craft beer and cocktails using Yu Kwen Yick too. Too bad this stuff is not exported, but is one of the absolute must buys as a food souvenir for chili sauce fans.

Without knowing anything more about Noodle Boy’s JJM and only looking at the picture, it’s otherwise a good looking “sweet and sour pork” over noodles dish. If the sweet/sour/spicy balance is good, then we have a winner. @Chowseeker1999 we need your review and pictures on this!

Hi @beefnoguy,

Fascinating and thanks for the informative post! I had no idea about this Hong Kong style Ja Jeung Meen (which looks totally different from the Taiwanese and Northern style Ja Jiang Mian (Noodles with Soybean Paste) that we’ve tried).

Since you asked, we’ll make sure to drive out and try this and report back.

Bookwich · August 13, 2018, 2:45pm

Okay, I keep forgetting you all go back so far. Sorry, Ipse!

attran99 · August 13, 2018, 7:57pm

Such fantastic work, @Chowseeker1999! Now I want roast pork!

LAFoodiePanda · August 13, 2018, 8:07pm

You should give Moon House in West LA a try. Though they don’t have a window display, they do serve BBQ Pork, Roast Duck and Peking Duck.

I, do, however, want to get your opinion on the BBQ Pork served at Paul’s Kitchen over by the Fashion District in SE DTLA. Their BBQ Pork is unique in it’s flavor and color, and I’ve enjoyed eating it ever since i was a kid back in the 70s. They used to make a good Roast Duck, but not these days. My family always say that it’s no longer as flavorful, and the duck seems to be older duck as the meat is rather tough & chewy…

Chowseeker1999 · August 13, 2018, 9:09pm

Hi @bulavinaka,

Ah I see. Yah I’m not sure the Roast Duck would hold up well with transporting back to the Westside unfortunately.

Chowseeker1999 · August 13, 2018, 9:12pm

Hi @Sgee,

Thanks for the tip on the chili oil and red vinegar! I’ll try that mixture next time.

I’ve never been to Fook Lam Moon (I just Googled it). Looks fancy! Besides the Mooncakes, how’s the rest of the food at the restaurant? Thanks.

Chowseeker1999 · August 13, 2018, 9:13pm

Thanks @attran99. I’d be curious to see what you think of Ruby BBQ and Monterey Palace’s Roast Pork Belly the next time you’re in the area. I know now that when we’re in Little Saigon, we’ll be glad to stop by New Duong Son BBQ again.

Sgee · August 13, 2018, 9:48pm

@Chowseeker1999 Haha funny you should ask, esp. on this thread. FLM is my current benchmark for suckling pig! Here’s the thread of that trip a couple years ago.

catholiver · August 14, 2018, 12:55am

I’m going to be doing that with all dumplings! Thanks for a great idea.

secretasianman · August 14, 2018, 5:45pm

i’m actually sitting in ohio with my 95 year old dad (b-day was yesterday) who i used to watch air dry his roast ducks in the basement. tied off the legs and used a bike pump with ball inflation needle to use air to separate the skin from the meat. that prompted me to do the same when roasting chickens by stuffing onion in between the skin and the breast. while that produced mixed results, those onions slow cooked in chicken fat came out awfully sweet.

Chowseeker1999 · August 15, 2018, 1:03am

Thanks @LAFoodiePanda. I have bookmarked your recommendation. I’ll try to stop by the next time we’re in the area.

Silverlakebodhisattv · August 15, 2018, 5:21pm

I have a recollection that someone, (back in the Chowhound-when-it-looked-like-a-mimeo days) once proposed that a multi-cityBBQ duck shoot-out be organized; and here Chowseeker1999 has shouldered this Herculean task alone! What a hero!
Gonna have to hit Ruby’s BBQ.

My own (2nd hand) duck story is of Cam the Man’s effort to make BBQ duck in his Chicago apartment, drying the skin with a hairdryer…

Wow!

JLee · August 19, 2018, 5:55am

I think you and I share many opinons being that I am of the Cantonese community its a disgrace as to how our cuisine is not upheld to higher standards in America while Sichuan food gets more recognition now.

I also blame it on current immigration patterns, less Cantonese people are migrating here and its more Mandarin speaking people with more money so the demographics are shifting.

While I have respected your opinion in the past this time you are dead wrong. Cantonese cuisine is probably the greatest of all regional Chinese cuisines. Maybe the Cantonese food you have tried in America makes you think that but if you’re joking I don’t find it funny.