The End is Nigh. Time for Dinner!

Braised Bean Curd with Black Mushrooms

Around the dinner table the other day, in the lull between the appetizer and the main course, the subject of the recent drought came up.  After that, the conversation took a turn for the worst and kept spiralling downwards into doom and gloom until it landed with a thud when one guest brought up the Mayans prophesying the end of the world.

Goodies in a Taro Root Basket

Not a cheery dinner topic to be sure, but instead of changing the conversation, I decided to hop on board and asked, "if you knew the world were about to end but you had time to eat, what would your last meal be?" 

I've posed this question to many of my foodie friends in the past and I've heard everything from, "the foie gras on toasted brioche at the Tour d'Argent in Paris" to  the more comforting, "my mom's mac and cheese and her home made chocolate cake."   To each his own, especially when it comes to food and a looming deadline.

Well, my choice for my last meal has been pretty consistent for the past 3 years, ever since my friend, Tom brought me to T'ang Court in the Langham Hotel in Kowloon for my birthday.  No doubt in my mind.  I know Chinese food may be an odd choice as a last meal but I adore Chinese food and T'ang Court elevates it to "end-of-the-world" worthy.

My last meal would start with their braised bean curd with black mushrooms, followed by sautéed macadamia nuts with white fungus and fresh water chestnuts in a taro root basket, and some ginger stir fried greens. Better yet, bring everything at once.  If the world is about to end we'd better hurry.

If you're starting to doubt my palate, Hubby put it into perspective.  "the difference between a typical Chinese restaurant and dining here is the difference between the taste of Wonder Bread and a hand-made, wood-oven baked artisanal loaf."  Leave it to Hubby to put it into perspective.

The food at T'ang Court is Cantonese and their chef, Siu Hin-chi, uses a light hand, makes all his own sauces, and presents the dishes simply and without fuss.   No surprise that T'ang Court has two Michelin stars and thankfully, a small but varied vegetarian menu.

To accompany the food, there's a basic Tea Menu with fragrant Oolongs and comforting Pu'ers.  I love that the tea is artfully served table side using a traditional Gaiwan.  Pairing tea with food is not typical in North America but it's something I love about Hong Kong's fine dining Chinese restaurants.

The Tea Menu

Let's not forget about dessert.  Since the world is about to end, I'd have three:  T'ang Court's Mango-Sago Soup followed by a bowl of their creamy, light, warm walnut soup.  To top it all off, I'd have a dish of Häagen-Dazs Green Tea ice cream.  Luckily there's a shop just around the corner.  I'd make it a double. 

What would your last meal be?

Dessert #1, Cold Mango Sago Soup with Pomelo

Dessert #2, Warm Walnut Soup

Dessert #3, Green Tea Ice Cream