**** Caprice

6/F Four Seasons Hotel
8 Finance Street
Central, HK
中環金融街8號四季酒店6樓
Ph: 31968860
12noon-2:30pm; 6pm-10:30pm

excellent
green lentil velouté with Alaskan crab cappuccino
wagyu beef flank, pommes pont-neuf and fondant tomato in black pepper sauce
hazelnut dacquoise with light lemon cream, praline feuilleté and caramel ice cream

good
blue fin tuna tartare with fine de claire oysters and nori seaweed
prawn and eggplant ravioli with enoki mushroom in miso nage
dark chocolate marquise with marinated raspberries and vanilla ice cream
petit fours (complimentary)

average
foccacia with olive oil (complimentary)
bread - baguette & brioche (complimentary)
spring vegetables roll (accompanying green lentil velouté with Alaskan crab cappuccino)

poor
-

price: 550pp for 3-course set lunch (incl. service charge)

value for money: 3 $$$

foccacia with olive oil

butter (salted & unsalted)

green lentil velouté with Alaskan crab cappuccino (and spring vegetables roll)

the spring vegetables roll

blue fin tuna tartare with fine de claire oysters and nori seaweed

prawn and eggplant ravioli with enoki mushroom in miso nage

wagyu beef flank, pommes pont-neuf and fondant tomato in black pepper sauce

dark chocolate marquise with marinated raspberries and vanilla ice cream

hazelnut dacquoise with light lemon cream, praline feuilleté and caramel ice cream

petit fours
(raspberry marshmallow, milk chocolate, orange cookie)

comments
a well-deserved 2 michelin stars. excellent food, and though we rarely care to comment on service, must say that the service here was excellent. we were well-cared for, but did not feel intruded upon. waiters not snobby either. very comfortable environment. ok the food. the green lentil velouté with Alaskan crab cappuccino was divine. frothy, light, not too heavy. flavour just right. the spring vegetables roll that accompanied it was very average. too "healthy"(i.e. strong "raw vegetable" taste). b tried a bit of the blue fin tuna tartare. was very fresh. a good choice for tuna lovers. the prawn and eggplant ravioli with enoki mushroom in miso nage was great, but made b think it really was just 3 fancy giant wontons. (b forgot that she is not really a fan of fusion.) b wished that she had ordered the wagyu beef flank, pommes pont-neuf and fondant tomato in black pepper sauce. that was fantastic. b tried a bit of the medium-rare (hk 30%) wagyu, and it was perfect. really really good, could possibly be the best steak b has had in hk so far. desserts. hazelnut dacquoise with light lemon cream, praline feuilleté and caramel ice cream. this is a must must must try. the hazelnut dacquoise base and lemon cream was perfectly matched. delicious! the dark chocolate marquise was also fantastic. petit fours good. b's favourite was the milk chocolate ganache. overall really good. pricey, but set lunch was good value considering a la carte prices (average 380 for an entree).

*** Café Y Taberna - 穌棧

G/F, 16C King Street
Tai Hang, HK
大坑京街16號地下
Ph: 25777165
8am-midnight (closed Thursdays)

excellent
banana & chocolate crépe

good
-

average
-

poor
-

price: less than 50pp (if dessert only)

value for money: 3 1/2 $$$

banana & chocolate crépe

comments
recommended by juz. nice little café. b is no crépe fan, but does find the banana & chocolate crépes here delicious. the crépe isn't too floury, and made so that the edges are light and crispy. and a generous amount of chocolate topping is never a bad thing. interesting selection of beers also, so something for the boys. will be back to try their mushroom & truffle paté spaghetti. dinner sets look to be good value - 98-118 each incl. soup, main and coffee/tea with no service charge.

***** Mimosa Patisserie

Shop 36N, G/F, Golden Court
22-52 Electric Road
Tin Hau, HK
天后電氣道22至52號金殿大廈商場36N
Ph: 28060782
11am-8:30pm

excellent
mango napoleon

good
-

average
-

poor
-

price: 26 each

value for money: 4 $$$



comments
the best napoleon ever. the best. the best. the VERY BEST. in contention for best pastry ever. super fresh and not-at-all sour mango. sweet (but not too sweet) custard which is also not too heavy. light and crispy pastry. there is also a strawberry version, which b has heard is also very good but not quite as perfect as the mango.

**** Fook Yuen - 福元湯圓

Shop I-1, Rialto Mansion
17 Fook Yuen Street
Fortress Hill, HK
北角炮台山福元街7號利都樓地下I-1舖
Ph: 31060129
1pm-1am (incl. Sundays & public holidays)

excellent
芝麻湯圓
花生湯圓

good
-

average
-

poor
-

price: less than 15pp

value for money: 3 1/2 $$$

湯圓

芝麻湯圓

花生湯圓

comments
super delicious 湯圓s here! a generous amount of filling is put in each 湯圓. really this is what "流沙" means. and the skin of each 湯圓 is also very nicely made, chewy but not sticky. the 芝麻湯圓 was clearly a winner - the 芝麻味 was just right! the 花生湯圓 filling was also excellent. they also put 芝麻 in this one, so it makes it very 香. excellent, will definitely be back! tip: it's not easy to find - it's under the footbridge near fortress hill mtr station. oh and it's tiny. fits no more than 10 people, so not really recommended for large groups. but does do take away.

b's kitchen (feat. feifei) - cauliflower soup & zucchini farfalle

b doesn't cook much. esp in hk. so when her pal feifei invited her over for a girlie day of bumming around & cooking, b was v excited! here's what they made (courtesy of http://thepioneerwoman.com):

cauliflower soup
ok, so it wasn't as good as the BEST EVER cauliflower soup b has ever had (at pink salt, manly), but this was pretty good considering b & f had less than a third of some of the ingredients required... hehehe ... b learnt that f is good at improvising. and f is definitely less anal than b is about many things ... : )
recipe: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/01/cauliflower-soup/

farfalle with zucchini
more improvisation required. b & f didn't have white wine on hand (that could be trusted anyway ... unrefrigerated shiraz rosé sitting in 30+ degree heat anyone?) nor the suggested substitute chicken broth/stock. so what did b & f use? good ol' 紹興酒 (shaoxing wine) of course! ah, authentic italian cooking is what they do! heehee. anyway, it was fine!! in fact, b & f's guinea piggies (f's lovely flatmates) even went so far as to say it was delicious. and b & f couldn't agree more! yummmy! zucchini (which b was a bit suspicious about because they didn't quite look like the ones you find in australia) were super yum. farfalle was al dente, as pasta always should be. basil and chives were a nice touch. only criticism was that the sauce was a teensy bit "shaoxing" at the end, but definitely, definitely very good. mmmmm. : )
recipe: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2008/07/farfalle-with-zucchini-a-yummy-summer-meal/

** Wai Yat - 唯一麵家

G/F, 10 Hau Fook Street
Tsimshatsui
Kowloon, HK
尖沙咀厚福街10號地下
Ph: 23111498
7am-10:30pm

excellent
-

good
鍋貼
北京餡餅
梅菜扣肉

average
蔥油薄餅加蛋
上海菜飯
酸辣麵
豆漿

poor
-

price: less than 50pp (incl. drink)

value for money: 2 1/2 $$$

鍋貼

北京餡餅

蔥油薄餅加蛋

梅菜扣肉

上海菜飯

酸辣麵

comments
not bad overall. 鍋貼 was partly crispy on the outside, and quite juicy on the inside. it's actually quite decent, but difficult to achieve an "excellent" rating because mumsuya's 鍋貼 is so good. 北京餡餅 was a surprise. we never usually order this, but since it's been raved about we gave it a shot. very juicy and tasty meat filling on the inside. not bad not bad. r thought it was very good. b wished that it was as crispy on the outside as it looked. b orders 蔥油薄餅 at every opportunity she gets. so b considers herself to be a bit of a 蔥油薄餅 expert. 加蛋 seemed interesting, but b was not impressed because the egg overtook all the 蔥 taste and made it not as crispy as it could have been. 梅菜扣肉 was very very good, so delicious with rice! yummm. 上海菜飯 sounded very good on the menu, apparently it has all sorts of things in it other than the usual cabbage e.g. mushroom. when it arrived, b was instantly disappointed. it had less veg in it than normal 菜飯! r's 酸辣麵 was so so. nothing special. the 豆漿 wasn't sweet enough.

*** Good Satay - 好時沙嗲

Shop 144-148, Houston Centre
63 Mody Road
Tsimshatsui East
Kowloon, HK
尖沙咀麼地道63號好時中心144-148號舖
Ph: 27399808

excellent
gado gado (加多加多)

good
hainan chicken rice (海南雞飯)
chicken satay (串燒雞)

average
-

poor
-

price: 60pp (no drinks)

value for money: 4 $$$

加多加多

海南雞

雞油飯

chicken satay

comments
we were very impressed with the gadogado - coconut-y peanut sauce was just right, and the vegetables fresh, crisp and refreshing. yummmm. hainan chicken rice was pretty good too - boneless hainan chicken matching perfectly with the flavoursome rice. one of the better hainan chicken rice we've had in hk (it's hard to find rice with chicken flavour quite like the one we had at the 大家樂 in kingsford, sydney). chicken satay was ok, the chicken definitely very tender and yummy, but for a place that's called "good satay", it should be much more than that. will definitely be back again! tip: make sure you book. although they fit a lot of people, it gets quite packed even on weeknights!

**** Irori - 酒處

2/F, Bartlock Centre
3 Yiu Wa Street
Causeway Bay, HK
銅鑼灣耀華街3號百樂中心2樓
Ph: 28385939, 28387913
12noon-2:30pm; 8pm-11:30pm

excellent
炸雞軟骨 (fried chicken cartilage)
日式年糕薄餅 (japanese pizza)

good
麻醬番茄 (tomato with sesame sauce)
蔥燒牛舌 (grilled ox tongue with spring onions)

average
芝士春卷 (cheese spring rolls)
omelette on rice
assorted sushi

poor
-

price: 150-200pp

value for money: 3 $$$

炸雞軟骨

日式年糕薄餅

麻醬番茄

蔥燒牛舌

芝士春卷

omelette on rice

assorted sushi

comments
yet another jap restaurant recommendation from juz. the chicken cartilage is to die for. so delicious! especially with the fried garlic bits. mmmmmmm ... and although b is not really a huge fan of fusion, the 年糕 pizza is an exception. the 年糕 is very chewy and the cheese on top very tasty. mmm. 麻醬番茄 was ok but not fantastic compared with xi yan's version (the xi yan sesame sauce is more "sesame" tasting). b quite liked the 蔥燒牛舌, the 牛舌 is cut quite thin and 口感 is pretty good. cheese spring rolls ok, but cheese isn't really special (kind of asian-tasting, not your proper good quality cheese) so definitely not a must-try. would suggest sticking with the snack items when you visit this restaurant - sushi and other standard japanese restaurant items aren't bad, but no wow factor. 4 star rating based purely on the fact that we will be back for the chicken cartilage & 年糕 pizza.

**** Hot Dog Link - 德國熱狗

Shop C, 67D Waterloo Road (cnr of Victory Street)
Ho Man Tin
Kowloon, HK
何文田窩打老道67號D,Shop C
Ph: 26244002
8am-8pm; Sundays & public holidays 9am-6pm

excellent
豬柳腸熱狗 + 車打芝士 + 洋蔥 + bbq sauce
珍寶芝士腸熱狗 + 車打芝士 + bbq sauce

good
芝士腸熱狗 + 車打芝士 + 洋蔥 + bbq sauce

average
珍寶雞肉腸熱狗 + 番茄醬
hot chips

poor
-

price: 28pp (hot dog + hot chips/hash brown/topping + drink)

value for money: 4 $$$

豬柳腸熱狗 + 車打芝士 + 洋蔥 + bbq sauce

珍寶芝士腸熱狗 + 車打芝士 + bbq sauce

芝士腸熱狗 + 車打芝士 + 洋蔥 + bbq sauce

珍寶雞肉腸熱狗 + 番茄醬

hot chips with ketchup

comments
very good! the 芝士腸熱狗 + 車打芝士 + 洋蔥 + bbq sauce would have been better if the extra cheddar flavour wasn't lost in the onions. good quality juicy 芝士腸. mmm. and they use flavoursome cheddar as topping (not that tasteless "cheddar" they use at dan ryan's). hot chips, although brownie points awarded for being crinkle cut, were disappointing. not crispy or tasty enough. the fact that this place offers bbq sauce makes it a winner. will be back to try out their mash (sold out today).

**** Kai Man - 佳文魚生店

12 Spring Garden Lane
Wanchai, HK
灣仔春園街12號地下
Ph: 25736625
12:30pm-3pm, 6:30pm-2amm

excellent
海膽手卷
海膽炒飯

good
三文魚 sashimi
hamachi & spring onion 手卷
帶子 sushi
california roll

average
-

poor
-

price: 300-350pp

value for money: 3 1/2 $$$

comments
recommended by irene. r says that this is the best sea urchin in hk. the best. the BEST!!! the filling in their hand rolls goes right to the base of the cone. the 海膽炒飯 (although a bit pricey at $120) is so delicious, although the 海膽 flavour is lost in the goodness of the fried rice, overall this dish is so good it may make you tear up! would suggest asking for the 海膽 to be put on top of the rice rather than mixed in with it. all sashimi is extremely fresh. no credit cards. photos to follow.

**** Yixin - 益新美食館

G/F, Shanghai Industrial Investment Building
48-62 Hennessy Road
Wanchai, HK
灣仔軒尼斯道48-62號上海實業大廈地下
Ph: 28349963
11am-3:30pm, 6pm-11pm; Sundays & public holidays 10am-3:30pm, 6pm-11:30pm

excellent
西檸雞
大良炒鮮奶

good
蜜汁叉燒
魚香茄子保
葡汁焗四蔬
煙倉魚
yumcha

average
-

poor
-

price: 150-200pp for dinner

value for money: 3 $$$

the BEST lemon chicken IN THE WORLD

comments
recommended by irene. ok, so it may be a bit pricey for lemon chicken, but since we believe that it is the best in the world, it is definitely worth ordering (again and again). the chicken is very tender and lemon sauce is unbelievably delicious! the 蛋白炒鮮奶 (with甜醋) is also super yummy. all other dishes although not exceptional are all above average. fantastic choice for a garp soong 食飯 dinner. yumcha is also very good.

**** Spoil Café

Shop A, 1 Sun Street
Wanchai, HK
灣仔日街1號順好樓A舖
Ph: 35895678
12noon-10pm

excellent
penne with tomato base & prawn
crunch cake
lychee rose tea

good
garden salad with avocado and mango

average
-

poor
-

price: 120pp (lunch set incl. salad, main, dessert & drink)

value for money: 4 $$$

comments
b's favourite casual dining café in hk. pasta cooked perfectly & flavour is just right. crunch cake is one of the best in hk (if not the best), and perfect when accompanied with the rose lychee tea. great environment for a relaxing lunch. weekday lunch bookings need to be made weeks in advance (probably because they can only fit about 10-15 people per sitting). photos to follow.

*** Bing's - 炳記

5 Shepherd Street
Tai Hang, HK
大坑施弼街5號側
Ph: 25773117
7am-5:30pm (closed Sundays)

excellent
豬扒丁

good
-

average
-

poor
-

price: less than 40pp (incl. drink)

value for money: 3 1/2 $$$

豬扒丁

comments
well-marinated, very tender 豬扒. yummy!

***** Sift Dessert Bar

46 Graham Street
Central, HK
中環嘉咸街46號地面
Ph: 25304288
3pm-11pm (closed Mondays & Tuesdays)

excellent
sift chocolate cake
chocolate & strawberry pavlova
cupcakes* (lemon / luscious chocolate / red velvet)
molten chocolate cake

good
sticky toffee pudding with banana ice cream
chocolate fantasie (chocolate créme brulée, chocolate sorbet, warm chocolate tart, chocolate napoleon)

average
variation on strawberries (strawberry napoleon, strawberry vanilla panna cotta, mini strawberry baked alaska)
hot chocolate with roasted marshmallow

poor
-

price: 100-150pp

value for money: 3 1/2 $$$

sift chocolate cake

chocolate & strawberry pavlova
(with chardonnay gelee)

sticky toffee pudding with banana ice cream

chocolate fantasie
(chocolate créme brulée, chocolate sorbet, warm chocolate tart, chocolate napoleon)

comments
absolutely divine. b's favourites are the chocolate & strawberry pavlova (pavlova with chocolate inside! but could be done without the chardonnay gelee which is very strong) and sift chocolate cake the special feature being its many textures created by the layers of valhrona chocolate sour cream cake between layers of jivara cremeux, praline crunch topped with 72% araguani chocolate ganache (i.e. it tastes superb). cupcakes are also excellent, but since you can buy them from the patisserie, its best to try the desserts only available at this dessert bar.

* not always available here, but available for purchase at Sift Patisserie (51 Queen's Road East, Wanchai, HK) open 12:30pm-8pm (closed Mondays)

**** Kung Wo tofu factory - 公和荳品廠

118 Pei Ho Street
Shamshuipo
Kowloon, HK
深水埗北河街 118 號
23866871
7am-9pm

excellent
豆腐花
煎釀豆卜

good
煎釀豆腐
豆漿

average
-

poor
-

price: less than 50pp

value for money: 4 $$$

豆腐花

豆腐花

煎釀豆卜

comments
b's favourite place in hk for 豆腐花 (even better than 山水豆腐花 at lamma island). so very good ... r highly recommends the 豆卜s