View Poll Results: Do you cook?

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  • Often - several times per week

    35 67.31%
  • Rarely - a few times per month

    13 25.00%
  • Never - restaurants and take- out

    3 5.77%
  • Never - helper cooks

    1 1.92%
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Do you cook?

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  1. #11

    Join Date
    Oct 2012
    Posts
    6,531

    It all depends, some have ovens, some don't. I love to cook, and back in the UK when I was unemployed I took up a lot of cooking. I've been able to manage pretty well in our tiny kitchen here (gas stove 4 burners, about a foot of counter space next to the sink, and only inaccessible cabinets). It actually doesn't matter how big your kitchen is, when there's a desire to make delicious food, then you will! I think I was appalled at the idea of no built in oven, but we got a good Tefal countertop oven. Then I was appalled at the idea of giving up my only counter space to keep it accessible (other option was to store it in the closet and only take it out as needed). But in the end, I can make do with my one foot of counter space, and I feel I can make anything I want in the little oven (even managed a whole turkey this Christmas). There's some things I don't bother to make anymore (like home made pizzas), but then I've discovered other great things I can make (like pots of beans or lentils). Some of my bakeware doesn't fit, but you can buy smaller versions here in HK (had to get a muffin tin that didn't have superfluous handles!).

    So don't worry about the kitchen you end up with! It's far more important to find the location and right layout for yourself. Just think of the great food being made all around the world in each country without massive Western kitchens!

    By the way, on average HK people aren't very tall, but I've seen plenty of kitchens with only one or two very high up cabinets and some wasted wall space. I guess they don't consider it any priority to install cabinets or build up functional kitchens? Has anyone else noticed this? I remember turning away from one apartment just for this reason of wasted space! It was mind boggling!!

    Last edited by Elegiaque; 18-01-2015 at 12:40 AM.
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  2. #12

    Join Date
    Jan 2014
    Location
    NT/CUHK
    Posts
    910

    We have an oven, but this was a pleasant surprise. When we moved here we didn't expect to have one, and for our first months had to get by w/out any of my cookbooks that dealt with baking.
    One of the annoying things about so few HKers having ovens is that cookware is made on the assumption that there are no ovens. It took some searching before I could find decent skillets that didn't have plastic handles on them. Eventual trip to Shanghai st. (I think - near there, anyway) in Kowloon solved that problem.
    Kitchens are often small, on the expectation that those who are doing the cooking don't matter.


  3. #13

    Join Date
    Oct 2012
    Posts
    6,531
    Quote Originally Posted by Bob Loblaw:
    We have an oven, but this was a pleasant surprise. When we moved here we didn't expect to have one, and for our first months had to get by w/out any of my cookbooks that dealt with baking.
    One of the annoying things about so few HKers having ovens is that cookware is made on the assumption that there are no ovens. It took some searching before I could find decent skillets that didn't have plastic handles on them. Eventual trip to Shanghai st. (I think - near there, anyway) in Kowloon solved that problem.
    Kitchens are often small, on the expectation that those who are doing the cooking don't matter.
    WingOn and Pantry Magic have plenty of selection of oven proof skillets. Sometimes they have plastic handles that are still oven proof.

  4. #14

    Join Date
    Dec 2013
    Location
    Hong Kong
    Posts
    12,323

    The liveabord boats in the marinas at Discovery Bay, Gold Coast, Sai Kung and Aberdeen typically have fabulous (western style) kitchens. all the ones I viewed before getting mine did - it was a huge selling point for me. I cook pretty much every night and use my oven several times a week. (I also have a dishwasher, 2 microwaves and a full size fridge-freezer with ice maker, also things I never saw in ANY of the places I looked on land!).


  5. #15

    Join Date
    Jun 2007
    Location
    Ex Sai Kunger Sunny Qld for now
    Posts
    8,318
    Quote Originally Posted by merchantms:
    I've seen quite a few HK apartments now and am realizing that my regular cooking habits aren't going to work given the kitchen sizes - and in some cases the complete lack of ovens.

    So does anyone cook at home here?

    If you choose to live in an area that is very popular with single ' professionals ' ( because it is close to the office ) he he, the priority or interest in cooking amongst this extremely time poor demographic just isnt going to warrant much of, if any, kitchen.

    Quite a contrast to much more family oriented area's that have a large percentage of ( 1400 - 3000ft2 ) private standalone villas or western standard renovated village houses where ovens are pretty much standard issue in a dedicated functional kitchen.

    Places that have a lot of property that have ovens/proper kitchens would be as follows:

    Pretty much most of South side of HK island from Shouson Hill to SHek O, I have never seen a property there yet ( my Chinese uncle is one of the main agents in that area ) that hasn't had a proper functioning kitchen.

    Gold Coast and the Siu Lam area, majority of the 3/4 bedroom apartments and gated villas there all have ovens.

    Sai Kung where I live, a very large percentage of stand alone duplex, tri level village houses and gated villas ( not including low budget single floors of village houses they usually dont ) have fully functional kitchens, including proper ovens. Same would apply to gated villa complexes in Clear Water Bay around Pik Sha Road and Silverstrand etc.

    The terrace houses in Tat Chee ave Yau Yat Chuen closest to festival walk have ovens in them.

    Pok Fu Lam ie Bagiou Villas, houses along Bisney road and on the hospital side, most of the complexes around there have ovens. Quite a few that neighbour Cyberport do also.

    Most of the complexes along Tai Hang road that neighbour the HK cricket club have ovens as do properties on the peak.

    Hong Lok Yuen in the Tai Po area, most f not all of the villas in that gated complex have ovens.

    Quite a few houses in Fairview Park in Yuen Long have ovens.

    Most of the gated villas along Fei Ngo Shan have ovens.

    Most of the larger places in Discovery bay do.

    Mui Wo would have quite a few stand alone homes that do.
    .

    Thats about it off the top of my head...




    And to answer the original question, yes we cook most of the time, my wife and I enjoy cooking together and fortunate for us that we have proper sized kitchen inc gas oven on the ground floor of our tri level ( Familyroom/kitchen/mealsarea ). Pretty much the same as everybody else in our immediate area as most of the houses are similar configuration and demographic.
    Last edited by Skyhook; 18-01-2015 at 10:36 AM.

  6. #16

    I think it's important to focus and what you can do and not what you can't do. Even in the most basic kitchen you can do good curries, soup and stew. Most wok stuff will be fine too.


  7. #17

    Join Date
    Jun 2007
    Location
    Ex Sai Kunger Sunny Qld for now
    Posts
    8,318

    Also bear in mind, you can sometimes negotiate with your landlord and have an oven installed to the existing kitchen providing there is physical room for it, at a mutually agreeable price. I have had quite a few friends who have had ovens retrofitted to rentals that didnt originally...

    Further adding to my previous post.....
    I've also seen quite a few ovens installed in kitchens of larger apartments in Happy Valley, 1400ft2 and bigger, a lot of those do.

    Last edited by Skyhook; 18-01-2015 at 12:45 PM.
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  8. #18

    Join Date
    Jun 2014
    Posts
    219
    Original Post Deleted
    It is because baking cooking technique is less often used in Chinese cuisine
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  9. #19

    i cooked tadka dahl last night


  10. #20

    Join Date
    Sep 2014
    Posts
    3,921

    I cook on occasion, and I make do with what I have at hand, whether the kitchen is large enough or not. Besides, I observed plenty of locals around my block cook at home, the small kitchen does not seem to have stopped them.

    Gotta be adaptable, that's the name of the game.

    Last edited by Cho-man; 18-01-2015 at 03:04 PM.
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