Egg Tarts from KFC Kentucky Fried Chicken

I'm not bluffing you! Your eyes are not bluffing you!

A REAL family meal - chicken, and its "eggs" in the form of tarts

Portuguese Egg Tarts from KFC! You think I'm gung-ho enough so free to smuggle Portuguese Egg Tarts from Macau into KFC, place them side-by-side a bucket of fried chicken and take that picture? I must be having too much time to spare and too many heads to roll.

Do they look authentic ?

Well, there you have it. Portuguese egg tarts in Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC), Taiwan :D

This egg tart even comes with mochi beneath the egg custard. Can you see it?

KFC, Taiwan offers the classic Portuguese egg tart and other creative tarts such as the one with mochi in it(above). To verify my words, hop over to Taiwan KFC menu and take a look!

And there is a KFC opposite where I am staying :) ....I will go back for egg tarts more so than KFC fried chicken.

So what is there in your country's KFC or Mcdonalds that is really local and only available there? Curious! Curious! I wanna know!

It is not surprising, really. For example, new ideas for McDonalds come anywhere (source: Fortune article, May 2008 issue). You can now have McKroket in The Netherlands, Maharaja Burger in India, Croque McDo in France and a Bulgogi Burger in South Korea. They may make it back to the United States someday, if it makes business sense.

Tag: egg tarts, portuguese egg tarts, kentucky fried chicken, taiwan eating

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Deep Fried Tofu Meat Balls, Tofu Rock-a-pop-pop!

Using potato flour 地瓜粉 will give a more springy (QQ-with dialect connotation) texture of deep-fried coat when compared to the crisp golden coat from cornflour + breadcrumbs (panko) combination. The former still has that crunch to it... just of a lesser degree. I've said, tried and done it in these nori seaweed coated shrimps and repeating this again with pork-tofu mix. Try the steamed version of tofu "pops" if you are opting for super-healthy version. However, "pops" and "steaming" just do not gel together in my head. Fit for a family-style sit-down homemade meal perhaps - this steamed Tofu Balls, and maybe Stir Fry Tofu with Shrimps and Mushrooms, but in a party, THIS is definitely a more welcoming snack! Deep Fried Tofu Pops! Rock-a-pop-pop!


Not at all messy. Bite on these mini tofu pops and beware of "juice" spurting out...

Tofu Pops/Deep Fried Tofu Meat Balls
Ingredients:
-1/2 lb or slightly lesser ground pork or chicken
-1 pack of standard size tofu (Note: silken contains more moisture and the resultant "pop" tend to be more "juicy", not dry. You can use medium-soft or firm but the texture is going to be different)
-1 egg white (as binder)
-1 tbsp soy sauce to season/marinade the pork
-1 tbsp rice wine to season/marinade the pork
- dashes of white pepper to season/marinade the pork
- less than 1 tsp sesame oil to season/marinade the pork
- cornflour to thicken the tofu+meat batter/mixture if too hard to shape into little rounds (plays a binder role, too)
- potato flour for coating

Directions:
1. Mash up the tofu and mix with seasoned ground pork. Add in egg white and mix thoroughly
2. When in a consistency easy to be shape, make rounds out of the mixture (similar to making fish balls from fish paste)
3. Dust or roll them over a light coat of potato flour, set aside

4. Prepare hot oil in wok for deep frying
5. Slide those rounds by the side of the wok into the medium-hot oil to be deep fried
6. When starts to change color to light brown, strain out from hot oil and set aside to drain excess oil from paper towels
7. Before serving, you can dash a lil' white pepper over the tofu pops to enhance the flavor. Also, sprinkle some nori strips or flakes.



Warm, moist inside...crisp and chewy outside...

I was trying to think of a better description - the texture of crisp and chewy. Hmmm....it is almost like mochi... daifuku...the chewy portion...springy (go *toint toint*). Why not you think of a warm crispy mochi-coat of something? You are almost there. And the filling is a familiar taste of savory mix of meat and tofu. That is not too difficult to imagine?

Definitely more finger-friendly than steamed tofu. So you gotta try it! Rock-a-pop-pop! Once you pop, you cannot stop!

Other version:
Wandering Chopsticks Popcorn Tofu.

Tag: tofu balls, fried snacks, snacks, party food

Wonton noodles - Maks noodles in Hong Kong

Noodling in Noodledom Hong Kong...

Noodling in noodle-dom, taken at Maks Noodles ~ Jardine Bazaar location

In Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations (Hong Kong), he speaks "...taste, texture and dedication to a century-old craft......resulting in the perfect noodle..." after visiting one of the oldest and most traditional noodle maker of bamboo noodles. I could not agree more. You should watch this episode. I tried searching Youtube using keywords "Anthony Bourdain No Reservations Hong Kong" but it was futile. Thanks to my reader, Vince, for leading me to this video. I did not use the keyword "Sem Reservas" and would not have known!

OUCH! The noodle maker bounces on the bamboo using his body weight to flatten the noodle dough. "Bouncing" is critical and imparts gentle yet firm forces on the dough so that the finished noodles are crisp but not fragile.

Bamboo-noodle art happens at ~ 2min-mark in the video. You MUST watch this! (Courtesy: Youtube contributor)

And of course, some of the the best Wonton Noodles in Hong Kong have just this perfect texture.

Maks Noodles use duck eggs which impart a different flavor to the noodles. This flavor is particularly upped a notch when paired with saltwater shrimp/prawn dumplings.


Wonton noodles - flavorful broth with top quality wonton skin, wonton fillings and special textured noodles. What could be better. Well, Maks Noodles makes the mark :)

Maks Noodles
44 Jardine Bazzar, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong - Causeway Bay MTR
Other locations (including but not limited)
G/F, 77 Wellington St. Central - Central MTR Exit D1 & D2

Other review on Maks Noodles @ Precious Pea

You can also try Mak Man Kee. However, on our return trip to Mak Man Kee this time, we found the standard has dropped drastically. Beats me.

Tag: hong kong eating, wonton noodles

Candy - sweet or sour ?

Candy: Sour plum encased in a sugar-molasses-type sweet

Offered after a Thai meal, while we were in Taiwan - to refreshen the breath (too much garlic?) and cleanse the palates perhaps? But I think there are better options of candies around to do that ? -_-

Tag: candy, sweets