The Tuesday Juxtapose - 17092013 Curry

Reference Number: 17092013HKG
Dish: 皇牌馬來咖哩牛腩飯 Malaysian Beef Brisket Curry w/ Rice
Venue: 翠華餐廳 Tsui Wah Restaurant
Address: G/F, 20-22 King Lung Street,, Causeway Bay 銅鑼灣景隆街20-22號新安大廈地下
Price: HK$60








To me, curry only works with beef. Lamb, maybe. Chicken? No, thanks.

Hong Kong is probably one of the few cities where you get to sample so many different varieties of curry - Indian, Parkistani, Malaysian, Thai, Japanese and the list goes on. I was torn between Malaysian and Japanese for this week's assignment.   The Japanese often add fruit to their curries, typically apple, to make it sweet. This also enhances the flavour and the curry is lighter and less spicy. The Malaysians add coconut milk along with a lot of spices, to make their curries extra fulfilling.  Since I was extra hungry that afternoon, Malaysian it is.

皇牌馬來咖哩牛腩飯
Malaysian Beef Brisket Curry w/ Rice

Tsui Wah is my top choice for beef curry. Firstly, because they have created the perfect balance of coconut milk and curry sauce.  Secondly, and possibly most importantly, the rice.  It would be a disgrace to have curry without a good plate of steaming hot white rice.

The perfect accompaniment to curry 

The hole in the middle is my own improvisation.  It is partly it's for fun, but is also a test. Good curry should be thick enough to stay in the pit (like lava in a volcano) instead of seeping everywhere. This one passed the viscosity test.

The Viscosity Test

True to authentic Southeast Asian experiences, there's no knife on the table.  Just a fork and a spoon.  Before you start to wonder how you're going to tackle that big piece of beef, fear not, you're in Tsui Wah and they do their beef right.  A gentle squeeze with the spoon, and the piece turns into easily-manageable threads. Pour on more sauce and dig in. The long cooking time not only produces moist and tender beef, but the spices have been cooked out to a gentle heat.  All of this enhances the beefiness of the meat.

Now, all that's missing is a good glass of iced milk tea.

Best consumed ... when you want a warm stomach

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