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C12 Friday, August 16, 2019 FOOD & DRINK RESTAURANT REVIEW RAJASTHAN RIFLES Indian newcomer will make diners stand to attention

From goat kebabs to chicken, river fish to creamed spinach, every dish hits the target

Susan Jung changed on the menu to beef). [email protected] The six fat cylinders of spiced minced were soft and succulent, their strong flavour At Rajasthan Rifles, Hong Kong tempered by accompaniments of restaurant group Black Sheep’s mint chutney and a crunchy, newest establishment, we were tangy salad of cabbage and carrot. presented with a happy dilemma From the sizzler section of the – a menu that was so tempting we menu, we tried the soola salmon wanted to eat everything. (HK$278). It used salmon from The large, airy space on The the , and was beauti- Peak is designed to resemble an fully charred from the tandoor. It army officers’ mess hall in the was fully cooked, but still moist days of the British Raj, and there’s and tender, and fragrant with a nice alfresco area. the mild spices. Butter chicken The menu includes sections of (HK$178) was creamy and rich. sizzlers from the tandoor, curry, We were comped a dish of fish biryani and puddings. havildar ramu (normally HK$228) Samosas (HK$78 for two), – river fish with onions, tomatoes served with a tangy tamarind and goraka (also known as Indian chutney, were fat and delicious, tamarind and brindleberry). The with crisp pastry that was stuffed sauce looked watery and insipid, with seasoned potatoes and peas. but when spooned over rice, it had Keema pau (HK$128) – a a complex kick of chillies, ginger speciality of executive chef Palash and other spices. Mitra, which is also served at We felt guilty about not having sister restaurant New Punjab any , so ordered the Club – was a rich, savoury mess: clubwala palak (HK$158). The you spoon the simmered spiced creamed spinach – mild and minced mutton and chopped soothing – was topped with mixed The edible known as dulse has been part of the Irish diet for centuries, and young food artisans are inspired by its potential. Photos: Alamy, Rathina Sankari boiled egg over the slightly sweet vegetables of cauliflower, squash, bun, then add red onion and a green beans, carrots and peas. squeeze of lime. It’s not easy to eat neatly, but it’s worth the effort. Shop G01, The Peak Galleria, 118 We love goat, so we homed in Peak Road, The Peak, tel: 2388 on the goat seekh kebab (HK$228 8874. About HK$350 without drinks Irish delight that’s (although the meat has since been or the service charge a gift from the sea Keema pau (left) and samosas with tamarind chutney from Rajasthan Rifles. The restaurant is designed to resemble an army officers’ mess Dulse is a nutritious seaweed with a long history in ’s larder as snack and staple including baked with hall in the days of the British Raj (below). Photos: Jonathan Wong dulse, carrot and duileasc loaf, scones with dulse, and duileasc Rathina Sankari “Based on the tide time, I At Sawers, a delicatessen that ice cream. [email protected] harvest the dulse early morning has been in Belfast since 1897, a One of the oldest surviving along the County Down coast be- 100-gram bag of dulse is sold for a dulse experiences can be had at tween Donaghadee to Portavogie. little more than £1 (HK$9.50). “My the Ould Lammas Fair, held on When most of us think of seafood, I get back, say, 8am, dry it for septuagenarian granny loves to the last Monday and Tuesday of it’s usually just the animals – fish, maybe three hours and then turn have dulse sandwich – butter and August every year in Ballycastle, shellfish and other creatures – that [it over] for another three,” says dulse on bread,” says Kieran Northern Ireland, since 1606. come to mind. But the sea also 68-year-old Alan Coffey, a fish- Sloan, 23, manager at Sawers. Here stalls sell dulse in different offers a wealth of edible plants. monger at St George’s Market in “Many years ago, with the forms, including with yellowman, The Japanese and Koreans Belfast. “You have to watch the Troubles [in Northern Ireland], it an Irish honeycomb toffee. “Have have been eating seaweed for forecast. If you get showers, the was one of those foods which was you heard the Ould Lammas Fair centuries. So, too, have the Irish. dulse is destroyed.” easier for people with less access country song? It has references to Dr Prannie Rhatigan, a During low tide, the translu- to money. It is cheap, nutritious dulse and yellowman,” says Scott, qualified general practitioner cent fronds cling to the rocks, and delicious,” he says. “It was fit breaking into song. from Streedagh, County Sligo, in making it easy to harvest, a for the working class, like a Ireland, has been harvesting and process called “dulsing” said to peasant snack.” cooking seaweed from Ireland’s date back some 1,400 years. Billy Scott, our fifty-something waters since she was young. She Rhatigan, who refers to the tour guide from Belfast, jokes: says about 700 species of seaweed seaweed by its Gaelic name “Dulse gets you thirsty, hence is are found along ’s coasts. duileasc, with a rolling “l” sound, best enjoyed with beer. Water has My granny loves to have HK$100 & UNDER PHO 5 Surrounded by the Atlantic has a section, “Memories of toxins so better to avoid.” dulse sandwich – butter Ocean to the west, the Celtic Sea to Duileasc”, in her book, Irish Sinead McKendry, a Belfast the south and the Irish Sea to the Seaweed Kitchen. She says the food tour guide, says: “As a kid I and dulse on bread east, Ireland enjoys a coastline comprehensive set of Irish laws watched my mother nurse her rich with that have called the Brehon Laws, laid down hangover with a bag of dulse the KIERAN SLOAN, SAWERS DELICATESSEN, BELFAST numerous health benefits. Of in the fifth century, had a section next morning. It probably has to these, dulse, palmata, that mentions it served with do with the salt levels in it.” The younger generation of holds a special place in Irish life. bread, whey and butter. In recent years, Irish chefs and Irish haven’t taken to dulse as She ate seaweed as a child at artisans have been working with their parents and grandparents the recommendation of her dulse, bringing new life to the did, however. “It’s because we’ve doctor father – and says dulse seaweed. been brought up with access to would be given to children suffer- Dulse butter is an example of other types of foods throughout ing from worms. (The Irish have that. Milled seaweed, with its the world. We’re in a better time You have to watch the another medicinal use for sea- natural salt, is mixed with freshly now in terms of the economy so The signature pho with beef slices, beef brisket, beef balls and forecast. If you get weed too – seaweed baths, which churned butter, and sold under we can go out and afford to buy Vietnamese from Pho 5 in Prince Edward. Photos: Oasis Li are said to do wonders for your the Abernethy brand. different things,” Sloan says. showers, the dulse is hair, skin and joints.) And at Hadskis, a restaurant in Deirdre McCanny, of award- Today dulse is popular in Belfast, I relished smooth and wining Co Couture chocolate destroyed Ireland with middle-aged and creamy seafood chowder with shop in Belfast, says dulse is Tiny Vietnamese venue ALAN COFFEY, FISHMONGER, BELFAST elderly people. “I have it maybe squid accompanied by romesco packed with umami, the so-called twice a week. You can catch me sauce. But the star of the dinner fifth taste. “I have a classic palate is well worth discovering watching television on a Saturday was the perfectly cooked Irish and dulse is a step beyond,” she High in minerals, vitamins and night with a bag of dulse and a hake with smashed celeriac and says. trace elements, dulse has been an glass of wine,” Coffey says. dulse gremolata. When I tasted the seaweed Fifi Tsui and Oasis Li beef balls and Vietnamese important part of the Irish diet for Andy Rae, executive chef of “The texture of fresh dulse is from a bag bought at a green- [email protected] were just average. centuries. Also called dillisk, this Sawers in Mourne Seafood Bar, in Belfast, is like cold pasta. You can chop it grocer’s in Belfast, I found it salty, The silky, flat rice noodles seaweed is said to have more Belfast sells 46, and has vivid childhood mem- and add it to pasta like a . dry and chewy. I realised that, like (pho) soaked up the broth, which minerals than land plants. It was 100-gram bags ories of dulse. “When I was a boy, Dulse can be used in dressings wine or whisky, it is a taste that Tucked away down a lane in was neither too thick nor too light. the go-to food in Ireland during of dulse for they had these corner shops be- and seasonings. It goes well with needs to be acquired. Rae says: Prince Edward, Pho 5 serves the The whole dish tasted delicious the Great Famine in the 1840s. under HK$10; fore the advent of supermarkets. A pork stews and soups,” says the “It’s like chewing tobacco – you fabled national dish and a range of when garnished with shredded Easily harvested along the Andy Rae, bag of dulse from these shops was restaurant’s executive chef, David keep chewing and you get the other Vietnamese favourites. onions and chopped spring coast from March to September, of Mourne like eating a bag of chips. It was al- Gillmore. He also recommends taste of the sea, but it’s quite sort of It is a small, casual spot with onions, but if you feel it is a bit the is dried for a few hours Seafood Bar, most like our street food,” he says. adding it to flour when making salty. It’s got a heavy texture too.” bright lighting and a large sign light, the home-made satay sauce before being packed in bags and compares it Coffey adds: “When deep fried bread. Despite Rae’s caution, I proclaiming “I Love Pho”. Condi- is a good way to give it a bit more sold in greengrocers and to chewing it comes out green and very crispy Rhatigan’s book lists many cannot help buying a bag as a ments – fish sauce, fresh chilli and body and flavour. supermarkets. tobacco. and nice.” dishes containing the seaweed, souvenir to take back home. chilli paste – are on each table. Moving on to the snacks, we The main dishes give you the chose the lemongrass chicken option of a larger portion of rice or wings (HK$22 for four). They were noodles, at no extra charge, which crisp but slightly oily, and had is good news for those with larger tender, moist meat. We balanced appetites. the oiliness by adding a squeeze of So generous was the portion of lemon juice. lemongrass grilled pork with cold Iced lemon tea (HK$16, HK$8 vermicelli (HK$42) that we could with the set) was well balanced barely finish it. The pork neck was and had a good dose of acidity that well grilled and juicy, and had did not overwhelm the tea flavour. great texture, but could have used You can ask for different levels of more lemongrass and herbs. sweetness, and the request for less The signature pho (HK$52) sugar made it just right. has sliced beef cooked medium Prices are even more reason- raw, beef brisket, beef balls and able during off-peak hours Vietnamese sausage. (2.30pm-6pm) when the after- We particularly liked the fleshy noon tea sets of a main dish plus red beef slices; lightly poached, drink are HK$35-HK$40. they were tender and tasted fresh while being a little sweet. 14 Boundary St, Prince Edward, The well-cooked brisket was tel: 3596 7923. Open: 11.30am succulent and chewy, while the to 9.45pm (last orders). Cash only