H O N G K O N G

 

We have departed Bali. 

Now onto the final 21 hours in Hong Kong!

A night out in Lan Kwai Fong! Late night eats at Tsui Wah, a traditional Hong Kong tea cafe for dumplings and spicy chicken soup.

A good night sleep on the 25th floor at hotel 2 MacDonnel Road located in Central - Western HK. 

A walk through the Botanical Gardens. Breakfast at a local coffee shop. No real plan, just wandering! Through Hong Kong Park, then into a luxury mall. Malls are outstanding here, I was in awe of the restaurants, food stalls, shopping etc. Taxi to the harbor where we took the Star Ferry to Kowloon. Gorgeous city views from the water, then more aimless, happy wandering in Tsim Sha Tsui - a shopping and nightlife district with neon lit streets and more of those fascinating luxury malls. Tsing Tao beers and ground pork + seaweed soup for lunch at Chuan Po Po. A couple more beers in the neighborhood. Train to Hong Kong International Airport. 14 hours back to Boston on Cathay Pacific. 3 movies (Lion, Why Him and Snatched) and a lot of sleep!

Twelve Hours | Brighton

 Twelve Hours is my new favorite neighborhood spot for comforting and flavorful Asian inspired street noodle soups. The name is indicative of the broths twelve hour preparation + cook time and the combination of their opening hours (12hrs/day!)

The café featuring exposed brick and colorfully painted weathered wood beams is a quiet and charming self service space should you choose to dine-in, however, most of their business leans towards takeout + delivery. Besides noodle soups the large menu also includes and array of stir fry noodles, fried rice and grilled dishes. (I've only had the soups, plus a few sides.) 

The Street Noodle Soup is a must order. It's a Thai style hot and sour soup with ground pork, chicken, shrimp, crushed peanuts, bean sprouts, cilantro, fried wonton, and soft boiled egg. The broth flavor is remarkable and truly takes noodle soup to a new level of comfort. They offer excellent Ramen Noodle soups like the Sakura Falls Ramen - a Japanese shoyu style or a Red Curry Ramen which is Thai style broth - both with braised pork and all the the traditional fixings. 

Twelve Hours

559 Washington Street

Brighton, MA 02135

Little Big Diner | Newton Centre

I've love Ramen! And I'm not ashamed to admit I will eat a bowl of Maruchan at home when the mood strikes. It's a comfort thing. I've had ramen at a handful of places in Boston - that's certainly not an exhaustive list and I had yet to proclaim a favorite among them. Little Big Diners Miso Ramen ($15) changes that. A traditional patian broth with miso paste achieves a savory depth that's further enhanced by a wealth of umami flavors - ground pork, a gorgeous ajitama egg, and an alluring swirl of black garlic oil. The bitter crunch of bean sprouts, plus sweet corn kernels, heaps of scallions, a strip of nori, and delicate, chewy noodles impart balance and texture. A dose of chili heat is optional, and advisable. This ramen is the one!! Its my favorite! The Forest Mushroom Ramen ($14) loaded with heiwa tofu and shitake mushrooms is also wonderful and well suited for vegetarians. It offers a uniquely subtle yet dense and earthy broth, capped with a confetti of crinkly watercress, scallions and sesame seeds. 

Dishes from the "little" section of the menu like the Grilled Shrimp "Salad" Buns ($9) with pressed cucumber, lime, and mayo, cradled in soft, pillowy Chinese steamed bao are a revelation. Three rotating draft cocktails include a fizzy Singapore Sling ($10), plus a rum, campari, green chartreuse and almond syrup concoction called Flip The Bird ($12) and my choice - the Umami So Fat ($9) with bacon washed bourbon, maple and umami bitters. Beer, sake and wine lists have 6-8 solid offerings like the Great Divide "Colette" Farmhouse Ale ($6) on draft, and the Bushido ($7) junmai genshu sake - also on draft!

They don't take reservations - on a recent Friday around 7 pm we only encountered a 15 minute wait. LBD is a fun, casual, energetic spot to get your noodle on and definitely worth a trip to Newton Centre!

Where is your favorite place for Ramen?

 Little Big Diner

1247 Centre St.

Newton, MA 02459