In Hong Kong, as in most of southern China, the most popular types of meat are pork and chicken. Of course, as luxury crazy as we are, we also have a fanatical devotion to wagyu beef, whether it is from Kobe or Australia. However, our loyalty to these three meats, with some duck and goose thrown in for good measure, means that game-lovers sometimes feel that it is next to impossible to find a bite to eat in Hong Kong. The category game can be applied to any animal that is not normally domesticated, but rather hunted for food. Depending on local tradition, this loose criteria can include anything from reindeer to kangaroos. To show that Hong Kong is a true gourmand's heaven, Asia Tatler Dining goes hunting for the best game in town.
Deer
Some game can have a wilder taste that people used to eating mild meats like chicken can find hard to accept. Venison, meat from deer, is one of the least "gamey" meats and for those who are trying it for the first time, a natural progression from beef. Venison is leaner than beef and is generally recommended as a good healthy alternative to fatty beef, as it is lower in calories, cholesterol and fat. However, because it is leaner, it also tends to be tougher, especially if cooked beyond medium rare, or medium at a stretch. This is why we would recommend Swiss Chalet's take on carpaccio. Instead of beef, the Swiss restaurant serves deer carpaccio with Sbrienz cheese, thistle oil and pickled mushrooms as a cold appetiser. The thinly sliced venison is sparsely garnished, allowing its subtly sweet flavour to shine through.
12-14 Hart Avenue, Tsim Sha Tsui. Tel: +852 2191-9197.
Reindeer
Another type of deer that is eaten, especially in Artic and Scandinavian countries, is Santa's helper, the reindeer. Also known as caribou in North America, reindeers have been herded and raised for centuries by indigenous groups in the Artic for their meat, milk and hide. Unsurprisingly, as the only Scandinavian restaurant in Hong Kong, Finds features reindeer on its menu. Reindeer is best accompanied by lingonberries or cranberries and is traditionally boiled. At Finds, there is a light reindeer Waldorf as a starter, or a more hearty reindeer "roast beef", served with roasted pumpkin, baby spinach and mixed herb nuts sauce.
1/F, Luxe Manor, 39 Kimberley Road, Tsim Sha Tsui. Tel: +852 2521-6600.
Pigeon
A lot of first-time visitors to Hong Kong are perplexed by our love of pigeon, often seen as little more than a flying rat that pecks on our littered streets. However, the humble pigeon, or the squab as it's known in Western fine-dining restaurants, has been a delicacy since ancient Roman and Egyptian times. Like a duck, it is made of primarily dark meat, meaning that there is not a part of the bird that is not flavourful. One of the best ways to eat this bird is when it is young, for when a pigeon gets too old, it becomes easy to overcook and the meat is stringy and tough, due to its low percentage of fat. Zen, the Cantonese restaurant at Pacific Place, does a particularly delicious rendition of roasted baby pigeon, simply served with a dash of salt and a side of Worcestershire sauce.
Shop 003, L/G Pacific Place, 88 Queensway, Admiralty. Tel: +852 2845-4555.
Quail
Similar to a pigeon but even smaller are quails, the collective name for small birds in the pheasant family. Because of their petite size, quails are usually served with their bones and sometimes even eaten with the bones. Although these birds are small, they pack a strong flavour and are roasted or sautéed. Quail is often served with foie gras, as the taste of the liver complements the sweet gamey meat of the bird perfectly. Drawing Room, the Italian fine-dining restaurant run by acclaimed chef Rolland Schuller, for example, has a signature dish of pan-fried quail and foie gras with fig and hazelnut. L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon in the Landmark also has a signature dish of free-range quail with foie gras served with its infamous buttery mashed potato.
Drawing Room: 1/F, 1-5 Irving Street, Causeway Bay. Tel: +852 2915-6628.
L'Atelier de Robuchon: 4/F, The Landmark, 15 Queen's Road Central, Central. Tel: +852 2166-9000.
Rabbit
While venison has a passing resemblance to beef and pigeon is like duck, rabbit is also a good place to start any gaming adventure, thanks to its resemblance to the most inoffensive of meats, chicken. New York Times food writer Mark Bittman once wrote that domesticated rabbits taste like chicken because they are both blank palettes upon which any desired flavour can be layered. Unlike a chicken, however, rabbit meat is lean and generally has a springier texture. Rabbit is not the easiest to find in Hong Kong, but La Marmite, the new French bistro on Staunton Street, has chosen to put it on its menu. Paired with foie gras, it is stuffed into a pie that is flavoured with old Port and served with mesclun. A bite into this rich decadent pie will prove Bittman was right: the rabbit absorbs all the rich decadent flavour of the foie gras and Port, while lending the pie some much needed texture.
46 Staunton Street, Soho. Tel: +852 2803-7808.
Kangaroo
Although many children who grew up with Winnie the Pooh may feel a twinge at seeing kangaroo (or Kanga and Roo, Winnie's best friends) on a menu, in reality, the kangaroo is plentiful enough to qualify as a pest, and most Australians have no qualm about eating their national symbol. High in protein and low in fat, kangaroo meat is also said to have anti-carcinogenic and anti-obesity properties. As they are not commercially raised, kangaroo meat does have a strong flavour. Also, like venison, if eaten as a steak, it should not be cooked further than medium rare, as its lack of fat means that it can be dry when overcooked. Black Stump, the Australian restaurant in Tsim Sha Tsui, is familiar with this concept, and serves either a rare grilled kangaroo skewer with peppers and onion as an appetiser, or the strip loin of the marsupial can also be ordered as a main course. Just remember to get it rare!
G/F, 1 Knutsford Terrace, Tsim Sha Tsui. Tel: +852 2721-0202.
