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Tuesday, November 1, 2011

A visit to Hong Kong's Michelin Restaurants with Canon Powershot

This is a media trip made possible by Canon and Tourism Hong Kong.



Christine Ng
It used to be a ritual to pray before eating. Now, it's to photograph.
I hate eating with food bloggers. It doesn't matter if we each have our own dishes, like on auto pilot they would pull my dish towards them, slant it to the side and snap. With each snap, my food goes cold by 5 degrees. If there's 10 bloggers, there goes my piping hot dish.
I hate eating with food bloggers.
In envy, i want what they had (that DSLR camera). In jealousy, i want to be a food blogger too.
My ill equipped cameras failed me, until i tried the new Canon Powershot SX230 HS.
The best pocket megazoom camera around, it produces pictures just like a DSLR! 
Makes me salivate all over again going through the pictures.


Yu Joy Chinese Restaurant
Shop 1028C, 1/F Elements, 1 Austin Rd West
Tsim Sha Tsui
+852 2196 8100


Dim Sum is a staple and a must-eat when in Hong Kong. I learnt that it isn't true that every pizzera is good in Italy, thus we can't say that every restaurant's dim sum is as good as the other one in Hong Kong.


1 Quick Tip to Food Photography
Small details make a big difference.
While the small details actually mean things like keeping in mind clean cutlery, table cloth etc. Small details to me means capturing that succulent prawn bit embedded in that thick creamy yellow pumpkin puree. Also let's not miss that small detail of the water chestnut that fell out. Crystal clear thin wheat starch skin.
This is unique, never eaten in Singapore. My favourite!
Quick Tips to Food Photography
Use props.
Jazz up the set with a funny expression in the background. Or chopsticks fighting over the last dim sum, reenacting Kung Fu Panda.
To eat or not to eat roast goose.
Quick Tips to Food Photography
Get up close.
With the Powershot's macro mode, you can seethe gloss on the fried rice.
With the Powershot macro, the background is automatically blurred just like a DSLR without the adjustment!
My favourite Salted Egg Custard bun. It just oozes with flavour!
This is one bun i don't mind food bloggers hogging it because it takes long to get cold!
Loaf On
49 Market Street, Sai Kung
+852 2792 9966 


A Michelin Star is given to quality restaurants without restaurant owners knowing that they are being audited. It's almost like a covet operation! The Michelin judge travels around the world and audits the list annually. Once a Michelin Star won't mean forever a Star! Loaf On holds on to it and rightfully so. Although the service could be speedier.


Best to make reservations for till 10pm, it is packed to the brim.
 4 Quick Tips to Food Photography
Keep the background clean.
This is a combination of a few tips. Normally, you should have a contrast against the background. Not strawberries on a red plate and not fish on white. But with the Super Vivid mode, it brings food photos to life by increasing hue and saturation, leaving my fish far richer! I added props (the garnishes) as well to make it more delectable.
Loaf On is by the sea in Sai Kung. A stretch of sea food restaurants, you pick your fresh catch and take it to your preferred to get it cooked. The fish was merely cooked with oil, water and salt. The meat was tender, i licked up every drop of juice.


Succulent prawns boiled plainly, it came off its shell easily. They were super sweet, soft yet springy. Raw sea urchin and boiled Geoduck. Some of the most expensive seafood, the key was eating them without heavy seasoning or cooking.
Darren's comical expression shot candidly.
The cost of the seafood was HKD 940 and the total bill as HKD 1530. Do a simple calculation, a dinner for 4 at Michelin Star Loaf On costs  SGD 255. That's $63 per person, what a good deal!




Tian Hao Yun
Flat 8, G/F Phase 2, Tsui Yuen Mansion,
2-20 Kwong Wa Street, Mongkok 
+852 2332 2896
Prince Edward Exit A, Turn right.



This is another must-go. A Michelin Star dim sum restaurant. By noon, you will have to queue for 30 minutes. That won't be a problem for Singaporeans who love to queue.


The total bill for 3 was ONLY $20! We had 8 dishes and ate till our pants were bursting. How cheap is that for a Michelin Star!?!


Quick Tips to Food Photography
Cut it, slice it, dice it.
The food bloggers are getting it wrong. They take food at face value when they should EAT it first before telling any story. What good is food if you don't eat it hot to taste it as it should? What's inside makes a great shot too! Saliva may even add as a prop!
My favourite dish here is the honey pork chang fen (rice roll)!
Another must-try, the pineapple bun filled with char siow!
Quick Tips to Food Photography
Use natural lighting
With the Powershot's external flash that can be pushed down or flipped up, it is best to shoot in natural lighting. Even in low light, the aperture can be easily adjusted on the Powershot. It really is a no brainer camera!
As the lights were too bright at the Chinese restaurant, the manager decided to dim sum. 

3 comments:

B&B Brugge said...

Yummy Food and beautiful Restaurants ! Excellent this post

Enmark Dalanon said...

Thank you for your photography tips and ideas, also the foods you have capture with your camera are so yummy.

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Xtine said...

thank you! Reviewing food in a different way!

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