IN the early years of my career, my basis for ?authentic? Chinese cuisine was what you?d find at Kowloon House on West ave. I used to go there once a month and feast on dishes like sweet and sour pork, pata tim, camaron rebosado and fried rice. Today, it?s one of the places where I find comfort foods.

When travel became part of my existence, complications started to creep in. It was during one of my trips to Hong Kong when I first experienced authentic Chinese cuisine. All of a sudden, my standard changed, and it was already harder to satisfy my once simple palate. Many of the restaurants I once considered ?authentic? fell into a Filipino-Chinese category, like Tomas Pinpin café, Smart, and a number of establishments found in Chinatown and Escolta.

Unique style

Don?t get me wrong, those dining places have their unique style of cooking. In fact, there are many local versions that I prefer, like Ma Mon Luk?s siopao and siomai, our local pancit, kiampong and lechon kawali.

Soon, however, competition between Chinese restaurants became stiff. Many of our top restaurants brought in Chinese chefs from Hong Kong.

Recently, I experienced once such restaurant when I was lured these to have roasted goose for lunch. There were just two of us?Bong and I?sharing four dishes: Sweet and sour pork, roasted goose, Shanghai crabs, and a spinach dish topped with dried scallops.

The roast goose was partly deboned and was served with a plum dipping sauce on the side. The skin was crisp, the meat tender and absolutely delicious. We agreed that it was better than the one served by Yung Kee (which specializes in roast goose) in Hong Kong.

The sweet and sour pork was crunchy and authentic-tasting, and we devoured the crabs. All in all, the meal was superb. (A number of chefs have told me that goose and duck fat are not harmful to health.) Ben Chong, the manager, sent us the perfect after-drink: A piping-hot pot of ginger tea.

If you want to experience Hong Kong-style cuisine, check out Hai Shin Lou at 810 Arnaiz st. (formerly Pasay rd.), Makati City. I was told many of our local taipans frequent the place. Need I say more?

Happy eating!

E-mail sandydaza@shaw.ca