食咩好?

*** Rainbow - 天虹海鮮酒家

2009-08-07T19:05:00.000-07:00

1A-1B & 23-25 First Street
Sok Kwu Wan
Lamma Island, HK
南丫島索罟灣第一街23-25號
Ph: 29828100
10am-11pm daily

excellent
豉椒炒蟶子
椒鹽瀨尿蝦

good
蒜蓉蒸象拔蚌

average
蝦醬通菜

poor
-

price: 150pp

value for money: 3 $$$

豉椒炒蟶子

椒鹽瀨尿蝦

蒜蓉蒸象拔蚌

蝦醬通菜

comments
super-fresh seafood. the 瀨尿蝦 was fantastic, very meaty and 鮮甜! flavour of the 象拔蚌 was great (the vermicelli was yummm!), but unfortunately the 象拔蚌 itself was overcooked so very tough. their famous dish is the 椒鹽鮮魷 (salt & pepper squid) which we have heard is very good. will try next time!

**** Si Sun Fast Food - 時新快餐店

2009-08-07T18:45:00.000-07:00

G/F, 1A Whampoa Street
Hung Hom
Kowloon, HK
(facing Hung Hom South Road)
紅磡黃埔街1A地下
Ph: 23621279
6am-9pm daily

excellent
double cheeseburger with fried egg
cheese burger

good
hot chips

average
-

poor
-

price: less than 30pp (incl. chips & drink)

value for money: 5 $$$

double cheeseburger with fried egg

cheeseburger

hot chips

comments
really delicious. apparently the first hamburger joint in hong kong. you'll need to wait a long time during peak hours (we waited 45mins, and overheard that some customers had to wait 1.5 hours). would recommend having a 雞脾 while you wait. beef patty is soft, juicy and has tasty well-cooked onions in it (i.e. not raw/undercooked onions which you always find at fast food joints). DELICIOUS! bonus marks for having crinkle cut chips. and top marks for value - only $11 for a cheeseburger!

***** Sue Korean Restaurant

2009-08-01T01:58:00.000-07:00

G/F, On Luen Building
17 Kimberley Street
Tsimshatsui
Kowloon, HK
尖沙咀金巴利街7號安聯大廈地下
Ph: 23110133
12noon-11pm daily

excellent
炆牛肋骨 (beef pot: marinated ribs with carrot, turnip, mushrooms & 年糕)
韓式燒牛仔骨

good
炸醬麵
海鮮煎蔥餅 (seafood & scallion pancake)

average
-

poor
-

price: 150-200pp (incl. drink)

value for money: 3 1/2 $$$

海鮮煎蔥餅

炆牛肋骨 (4pcs)

炆牛肋骨

comments

recommended by juz. nothing to say really. have the beef pot. and you will be back again and again and again. there's nothing quite like it. oh, and service is pretty terrible, but the beef pot more than compensates for that. one of b's favourite restaurants in hk!

*** Pho' 26 - 越旺

2009-08-01T01:56:00.001-07:00

Shop 3, 2 Landale Street
Wanchai, Hong Kong
灣仔蘭杜街2號3號舖
Ph: 26283939

excellent
蕃茄雪花和牛湯河 (tomato & wagyu beef pho)

good
雪花和牛湯河 (standard wagyu beef pho)

average
椰青

poor
-

price: 50pp (52 for 蕃茄雪花和牛湯河)

value for money: 3 $$$

椰青

蕃茄雪花和牛湯河

雪花和牛湯河

comments
the famous 蕃茄雪花和牛湯河 is really good!! tomatoes aren't quite as sour as 勝香園 and not as sweet as the place yuen long. mmm. very good!!

** Pierre

2009-08-01T01:51:00.000-07:00

25/F, Mandarin Oriental Hotel
5 Connaught Road Central
Central, HK
中環干諾道中5號香港文華東方酒店25樓
Ph: 28254001
Lunch Mon-Fri 12pm-2:30pm; Dinner Mon-Sat 7pm-10:30pm

excellent
complimentary truffle foam with hazlenuts accompanied by fine-cut Parmesan (?) biscuit

good
63° eggs, black risotto made as a foam, green asparagus, Bellotta, Parmesan
pan-fried fois gras, cherry, lin chi mushrooms and celery

average
complimentary bread & something (see below)
filet of cod, sweet & sour butternut velouté, pochas beans & squid ink gnocchi
grilled Chilean sea bass Nantua, yabbies with flat parsley and green cabbage
slices of veal, polenta & summer truffle
grilled US prime rib eye

poor
-

price: 2 course "express" lunch 360pp, additional course 80

value for money: 2 $$$

complimentary bread

complimentary truffle foam with hazlenuts accompanied by fine-cut Parmesan (?) biscuit

complimentary something (?)

63° eggs, black risotto made as a foam, green asparagus, Bellotta, Parmesan

pan-fried fois gras, cherry, lin chi mushrooms and celery

filet of cod, sweet & sour butternut velouté, pochas beans & squid ink gnocchi

grilled US prime rib eye

slices of veal, polenta & summer truffle

grilled Chilean sea bass Nantua, yabbies with flat parsley and green cabbage

comments
underwhelming. possibly because caprice was so good. best dish was the complimentary truffle foam which was really tasty and a good start to the meal. the famous 63° eggs were OK, borderline average but can be given a "good" as it's quite novel. fois gras delicious - but really, that's the least that a michelin 1 star french restaurant can do. (b's tip: take out the celery from the fois gras dish!) mains were disappointing. everthing tasted nice, but it was all quite ordinary. go to caprice!

*** Morton's of Chicago

2009-07-17T18:42:00.000-07:00

4/F, Sheraton Hotel
20 Nathan Road
Tsimshatsui
Kowloon, HK
尖沙咀彌敦道20號香港喜來登酒店4樓
Ph: 27322343
Mondays-Saturdays 5:30pm-11pm; Sundays 5pm-10pm

excellent
sauteed button mushrooms
USDA rib eye

good
onion bread
"slightly smaller" sirloin
hash brown for two
apple martini

average
-

poor
-

price: 800-900pp (steak + side + 1 alcoholic beverage)

value for money: 2 1/2 $$$

onion bread

sauteed button mushrooms

hash brown for two

"slightly smaller" sirloin

USDA rib eye

comments
really good steaks here! very meaty so not really for lovers of the wagyu variety. massive portions. b could barely finish half of the "slightly smaller" (12oz) steak. the sauteed mushrooms were super juicy and delicious. mmm. hash brown also quite special - and they had sour cream & bacon bits which is a bonus in hk. onion bread also nice. it was warm and soft inside and not too onion-y. pricey but worth the visit for steak lovers. steaks are better than ruth chris. sides are good, on par or almost as good as lawry's.

*** Ippei-An Ramen & Bar - 麵屋一平安

2009-07-16T08:23:00.000-07:00

Shop 1030, 1/F
Elements
1 Austin Road West
Tsimshatsui
Kowloon, HK
尖沙咀柯士甸道西1號圓方1樓1030號舖
Ph: 21968208
12noon-11pm (closed 4:30pm-6pm on Mon-Fri)

excellent
higomonzu ramen (什錦豬骨湯拉麵)

good
curry ramen (咖哩拉麵)

average
-

poor
-

price: standard size ramen varies from 52 to 77 per bowl

value for money: 3 1/2 $$$

什錦豬骨湯拉麵

什錦豬骨湯拉麵 close up

咖哩拉麵

comments
very good! we think this place is better than the famous Domon (札幌拉麵) ramen place in TST. ramen of the proper consistency (japanese al dente). soup nice and tasty. good portions. r very impressed with his higomonzu ramen. curry ramen not bad, but perhaps not a must-try. will return to assess whether it's worth 4 stars.

b's kitchen - angel cake

2009-07-16T07:46:00.001-07:00

b's first cooking class was at jam bakery at tin hau. b's never been much of a cake-maker, so fortunately angel cakes aren't too difficult to make. plus there were professionals on hand to help out...

the cake

1. using an electric mixer, beat 1 x whole egg and 1 x egg white until creamy. this is the "yolk mix"
2. separately beat 2 x egg whites with 50g sugar until just creamy. don't over beat. this is the "egg white mix"
3. mix in a bit of the egg white mix with the yolk mix
4. sift about 15g plain flour into the mixture. lightly mix. repeat another 2 times.
5. lightly fold in remainder of egg white mix. add 10 vegetable oil and 10g water. make sure you fold in the base as the water and oil will settle there.
6. pour mixture into mould.
7. bake in oven at 180 degrees for 25 minutes. when you see that it has risen, turn cake around in oven so it is baked evenly.

the cream

1. beat 250g 談 cream with 18g sugar until about 80% done
2. refrigerate
3. mix in 2-5g gelatine powder (or 1 gelatine strip already melted)

fresh out of the oven

remove layer at top, bottom and sides of the cake. eat - the top's delicious!
then slice cake in half.

cream it

decorate it.

admire it.

cut it.

eat it.
best served with honeycomb

we were also taught to make honeycomb. it's not really that difficult (sugar, honey, glucose, water & baking soda is all you need), but it can be quite dangerous. rather than risk burning your face and kitchen, b suggests that you just buy fresh honeycomb from your local bee farm.

*** The Big Bite

2009-07-08T21:14:00.000-07:00

Shop U12, Fitfort

560 King's Road
North Point, HK

北角英皇道560號健威坊U12號
Ph: 21551066
11am-11pm

excellent
-

good
poutine chips
juicy mushroom burger + cheese
crispy bacon cheeseburger

average
-

poor
onion rings

price: less than 100pp for burger, side & drink

value for money: 3$$$

poutine chips

onion rings

juicy mushroom burger + cheese

crispy bacon cheeseburger

comments
not bad. the patties are very good here, quite juicy, perhaps almost as good as shake 'em buns. poutine chips are a must try. lots of gravy. only criticism is that it could be a bit cheesier. mushrooms in juicy mushroom burger are very juicy. mmm. unfortunately onion rings, although they looked good, were not nice at all. batter wasn't really too thick, but you couldn't taste the onion for some reason. no "wow" overall but not bad not bad. worth a visit if you're in the area.

**** Favorite THAI - 泰式生香

2009-07-05T05:40:00.000-07:00

Shop J, G/F, Kimberley Mansion
15 Austin Avenue
Tsimshatsui
Kowloon, HK
尖沙咀柯士甸路15號金巴利大廈地下J舖
Ph: 23674388
Until 3am daily

excellent
泰式生蝦刺身
咖哩蟹 + 公仔麵
醬爆芝士蝦丸
燒豬頸肉
蒜蓉包

good
pad thai
椰青

average
臘腸炒西蘭花
咸豬肉炒芥蘭
雞腎

poor
-

price: 120pp (incl. drinks). no service charge.

value for money: 4 $$$

椰青

泰式生蝦刺身

醬爆芝士蝦丸

燒豬頸肉

pad thai

咖哩蟹+ 公仔麵

comments
what a surprise. we had always suspected that this place must be quite decent as it's often packed. r said that the 椰青 was very good, the coconut flesh sweet and fresh. 泰式生蝦刺身 was really hot. really really really hot. if we had chilli icons here, we'd give it 5. but it was really good, the shrimp extremely fresh. mmm. 醬爆芝士蝦丸 also very nice. the cheese really does 爆出來, so be careful. contents very hot. proper shrimps are used to make this, not just bits of left-over shrimp. excellent! 豬頸肉 also fantastic. mmm. pad thai very good for hk standards, but still quite some way off from the ones you find in sydney which are loaded with tofu, 牙菜 etc. the noodle here is quite nice, not too oily. general flavour of pad thai quite good - slightly sweet. we will be back to try the chilli mud crab with extra 公仔麵!

edit we came back for the 咖哩蟹 with 公仔麵. it was extremely good. definitely a must-have over and over again. garlic bread was excellent too - with or without the 咖哩蟹 sauce. it has bits of garlic on it, so trumps the spaghetti house garlic bread. 臘腸炒西蘭花 and 雞腎 quite ordinary. 咸豬肉炒芥蘭 ok, the 咸豬肉 was good.

* Le Goûter Bernardaud (LGB)

2009-07-05T02:50:00.000-07:00

Shop 2009
Elements
1 Austin Road
Tsimshatsui
Kowloon, HK
尖沙咀柯士甸道西1號九龍站圓方2009 號鋪
Ph: 21968488
10am-10pm

excellent
-

good
-

average
salami & avocado bruschetta
garden salad
rib eye

poor
tagliatelle with porcini mushrooms & eggplant topped with shaved parmesan cheese

price: 170pp for 2-course set dinner with coffee/tea

value for money: 1 $

salami & avocado bruschetta

garden salad

tagliatelle with porcini mushrooms & eggplant topped with shaved parmesan cheese

rib eye

comments
had no expectations really, but was still disappointed. perhaps the macaroons & high tea set are what keep the customers coming back? dinner here is definitely not recommended. the tagliatelle had virtually no flavour to it, there was hardly any porcini mushrooms and eggplant, and what there was of the porcini mushrooms did not taste any good. rib eye wasn't bad, but lacked the nice "beef" flavour that good steaks should have. in france, it's really hard to come across restaurants serving bad food. i guess that rule does not apply to "french" restaurants in hk.

*** Xi Yan Sweets - 囍宴甜‧藝

2009-07-01T00:54:00.000-07:00

G/F, 8 Wing Fung Street
Wanchai, HK
灣仔永豐西街8號
Ph: 28336299
12noon-11pm

excellent
rocher chocolate ice-cream crêpe (金莎朱古力雪糕 + 班戟)
apple crisp with milk ice-cream (蘋果香酥伴牛奶雪糕)

good
lychee ice-cream crêpe (私房雪糕班戟)
Okinawa black sugar ice-cream with coffee jelly (沖繩黑糖牛奶雪糕配咖啡凍)
banana ice-cream with banana fritter (印尼炸香蕉伴私房香蕉雪糕)

average
-

poor
-

price: less than 50pp (dessert only)

value for money: 3 1/2 $$$

lychee ice-cream crêpe

rocher chocolate ice-cream crêpe

Okinawa black sugar ice-cream with coffee jelly

banana ice-cream with banana fritter

comments
extensive dessert menu. the rocher chocolate ice-cream was very very good with nutty "rocher" bits. $38 on its own, add $6 for crêpe. apple crisp with milk ice-cream delicious! apple crisp bits are very cruncy, apple flavour very 香. not necessary to have milk ice-cream since the milk flavour doesn't really stand out, and a good vanilla ice-cream would be just as good. other items also quite good. coffee jelly had a very very strong coffee flavour - great for coffee lovers. banana fritter took quite some time to be made, but was quite good. batter not too thick. flavour of banana ice cream a bit lost if eaten with the fritter.

*** 再興燒臘飯店

2009-07-01T00:35:00.000-07:00

Shop C, G/F, 265-267 Hennessy Road
(entrance on Stewart Road)
Wanchai, HK
灣仔軒尼詩道265-267號地下C座
Ph: 25196639
10am-10:30pm (closed Sundays & public holidays)

excellent
-

good
三寶飯

average
雞腎

poor
-

price: less than 50pp

value for money: 3 $$$

三寶飯

叉燒 + 雞腎

comments
would recommend going early - we were disappointed that the famous 雞肝 and 燒肉 had sold out. 雞腎 was ordinary but the 叉燒 was certainly very good, though b & poon agreed that yixin's

叉燒 was better. 油雞 and 燒鴨 good, but not spectacular.

** The Lobby - Peninsula Hotel

2009-07-01T00:05:00.000-07:00

G/F, The Peninsula Hotel
19-21 Nathan Road
Tsimshatsui
Kowloon, HK
尖沙咀彌敦道19-21號半島酒店大堂
Ph: 29202888
breakfast 7am-11am; lunch 11am-2:30pm; afternoon tea 2pm-7pm; dinner 6:30pm-10:30pm (11:30pm on Fri & Sat)
note: no bookings taken

excellent
-

good
-

average
afternoon tea set

poor
-

price: 225pp

value for money: 2 1/2 $$$

comments
very average, disappointed. not worth the 30 minute wait. would expect a much higher standard from the peninsula. four seasons high tea is definitely better. raisin scones, clotted cream and jam were below average compared to what is offered at fortnum & mason in london. cucumber sandwiches had too much butter. chicken sandwich (with mayo) was also very ordinary. sausage pastry was not nice, the sausage was "so" but not in a nice way. the little chocolate topped profiterole looking items were not nice. b was not quite sure what it was, but it had a raspberry/cherry cough medicine flavour to it. the apple pastry and lychee pannacotta were both very good. good selection of teas (the black lychee was v good).

**** Caprice

2009-06-26T19:28:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-26T19:14:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-22T05:52:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-21T08:06:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-21T07:50:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-21T06:32:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-21T06:13:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-16T07:42:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-14T02:48:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-13T23:36:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-13T22:44:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-13T22:29:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-13T22:20:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-13T21:44:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-13T21:30:00.000-07:00

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

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

*** Wai Kee - 維記咖啡粉麵

2009-06-13T20:01:00.001-07:00

62 and 66 Fuk Wing Street & Shop D, 165-167 Pei Ho Street
Shamshuipo
Kowloon, HK
深水埗福榮街62號及66號地下及北河街165-167號地下D號
Ph: 23876515
7am-8:30pm

excellent
-

good
豬潤麵

average
-

poor
-

price: <50pp>

value for money: 2 1/2 $$$

豬潤丁

comments
b says the 豬潤 is very "潤" and very 爽口. r says not the "綿" type of 豬潤 so may not be every 豬潤 fans' favourite and a bit over-cooked. b will be back to try their famous 咖央多士. r won't be back.

**** Lung King Heen - 龍景軒

2009-06-13T19:09:00.000-07:00

Level 4, Four Seasons Hotel
Finance Street
Central, HK
中環金融街8號四季酒店4樓
Ph: 3196 8880
12noon-2:30pm; 6pm-10:30pm; Sundays & public holidays 11:30am-3pm & 6pm-10:30pm

excellent
龍皇帶子餃 (lobster and scallop dumplings)
鮑魚雞粒酥 (baked whole abalone puffs with diced chicken)
crispy shrimp dumplings with goose liver
deep-fried glutinous rice sesame dumplings flavoured with green tea
桂花糕
流沙紫米圓

good
steamed shrimp and garoupa dumplings with black truffle
chilled mango and sago cream with pomelo

average
小龍包 (steamed shanghainese pork dumplings with crab meat)
baked salmon tartlets with cheese and onions
叉燒酥 (baked bbq pork puffs in honey)
蝦餃
炸子雞
荷葉飯 (steamed fried rice with diced abalone wrapped in lotus leaf)
hot and sour shredded pork with golden noodles

poor
-

price: 300-400pp for yumcha

value for money: 3 $$$

鮑魚雞粒酥

龍皇帶子餃

流沙紫米圓

comments
excellent overall, but because they've been given 3 michelin stars, we've been tougher in assessing their food so "average" items above may actually be "good" elsewhere, and "excellent" really means excellent or absolutely delicious with lots of yumyumyum. very disappointed in the 荷葉飯 which was not even close to 北苑 (in sydney) standard. 炸子雞 wasn't bad, the skin was really crispy but the chicken was way too salty. there's no need to have 小龍包 and 蝦餃 at lung king heen - they aren't any better here than elsewhere. 龍皇帶子餃 was really really good - lots of lobster & scallop wrapped in a 菠菜皮. the desserts we've given excellent ratings to are definitely all must-trys! the deep-fried glutinous rice sesame dumplings flavoured with green tea is a crispy green tea shell on the outside filled with lots of black sesame. the green tea flavour gets a bit lost (which is perfectly fine with b). the 桂花糕 was very cool and refreshing. perfect summer dessert. 流沙紫米圓 was also a pleasant surprise. very very very very very good place to go for yumcha, but pricey!

**** The tomato noodle place - 勝香園

2009-06-13T08:05:00.000-07:00

Junction of Mee Lun Street & Gough Street
Central/Sheung Wan, HK
中環美輪街2號排檔
8am-5:30pm (Sundays closed)

excellent
檸密脆脆

good
番茄通心粉/麵(丁)/米粉 and your choice of toppings

average
-

poor
-

price: <50pp>

value for money: 3 1/2 $$$

檸密脆脆

comments
b could eat 檸密脆脆 every day. crispy bun layered with condensed milk, lemon and honey. yummmmmm ... tomato noodles are what this place is famous for, so a must-try. not given an excellent rating as the tomatoes used are on the sour side of the tomato scale, so not to everyone's liking. (we've had non-sour tomato soup rice/noodles in yuen long which are better). but definitely does make a 'homely' meal, and great washed down with ice cold (glass-bottled) coke in cold weather. b's choice is the tomato 麵 with beef. r recommends tomato 麵 with spam and sausage. also - be prepared to wait. the ladies at this store are not the most efficient, and food is prepared upon order.

**** Le salon de thé de Joël Robuchon

2009-06-13T07:15:00.000-07:00

Shop 315, The Landmark
12-16 Des Voeux Road
Central, HK
中環德輔道中12-16號置地廣場 315 號舖
Ph: 21669088
8am-10pm

excellent
le foie gras à la mangue (fois gras & mango sandwich topped with finely chopped nuts)
le sandwich jambon gruyère (ham, gruyère cheese & mustard baguette)
le brownie aux noix (walnut/chocolate brownie)
la tarte au citron (lemon tart)
high tea set

good
la focaccia garnie (chicken and egg focaccia)

average
-

poor
-

price: 150pp for lunch; 330 for high tea set from 3-5pm

value for money: 3 1/2 $$$

fois gras & mango sandwich topped with finely chopped nuts

ham, gruyère cheese & mustard baguette

walnut/chocolate brownie

high tea set - savoury items (front to back):
norwegian smoked salmon and caviar sandwich
tuna and fresh mache pave
lobster sandwich flavoured with tarragon
premium ham with mustard seed sandwich

high tea set - various pastries

high tea set: home made natural, lemon & raisin scones
with Devonshire clotted cream and home made strawberry jam

comments
recommended by irene. excellent pastries, desserts and savoury items. very french, very delicious. fois gras and mango sandwich (with nuts on top) is very very good - but mango flavour may be lost or too strong, depending on your luck. unbelievably delicious walnut/chocolate brownie. so very good. and only $8 a pop. high tea set is also good value. items are tiny (and perfectly created) but there are many of them so you do fill up.

*** H One

2009-06-13T06:40:00.000-07:00

Shop 4008, Podium Level 4, ifc
(next to Four Seasons Hotel)
Central, HK
中環港景街1號國際金融中心商場2期4樓4008號舖
Ph: 28050638
12 noon - 2:30pm; 6:30pm-10:30pm

excellent
sea bass
home made spaghetti with swordfish, capers, olives & basil

good
complimentary bread basket

average
chef's counter (appetizer bar) - includes salad, antipasto, parma ham, pizza & sushi (!)
dessert surprise

poor
-

price: 400pp for lunch (including non-alcoholic drink each & 1 bottle of acqua panna to share)

value for money: 2 1/2 $$$

complimentary bread basket

home made spaghetti with swordfish, capers, olives & basil

sea bass

dessert surprise

comments
b's home made spaghetti was very good, definitely not of the pasta-from-a-packet variety. al dente, very tasty, much like the good pasta dishes you find in italy - all in all very 正宗. r's sea bass was also surprisingly good - perfectly cooked, tasty but not too much. dessert surprise was not too sweet but not really that special (or surprising). actually, couldn't quite tell what it was. there was vanilla icing on top of a chocolate layer of something of a mousse-like consistency, then we couldn't quite figure out what the other mousse-like layers were. appetiser buffet was ok, but not anything special either. will return to try more traditional italian dishes.

* Dog Lovers - 熱狗狂熱

2009-06-12T10:00:00.000-07:00

Shop E, G/F, Pao Woo Mansion
77 Wanchai Road
Wanchai, HK
灣仔灣仔道77號-179號保和大廈地下E舖
Ph: 51831988
8am-8pm

excellent
-

good
-

average
wedges

poor
jumbo sausage
crispy cheese sausage
drinks selection

price: <50pp

value for money: 1 $$$

comments
very disappointing. the "crispy cheese sausage" was not crispy nor cheesy. r's jumbo sausage tasted exactly like the jumbo sausage you find at 7-11. there are many choices of sausage here, but variety does not mean quality. nor value. ok perhaps we have been spoiled by harry's @ woolloomooloo (see below). but still, this place is quite bad. and what kind of hot dog place closes at 8pm on a saturday night?

THIS IS WHAT THEY SHOULD BE AIMING TO ACHIEVE:
classic harry's hot dog de wheels (with no peas please) from sydney, australia

*** Ku-suya En - 吉酒家えん

2009-06-12T09:43:00.000-07:00

1/F, Golden Dragon Centre
38-40 Cameron Road
Tsimshatsui
Kowloon, HK
尖沙咀金馬倫道38-40號金龍中心1字樓
Ph: 34282500
6pm-2am; Sundays 6pm-12midnight

excellent
-

good
wagyu beef all-you-can-eat shabushabu

average
-

poor
-

price: 400pp (includes 90 minute all-you-can-eat shabushabu & unlimited soft drinks) - note that this is a promo price.

value for money: 3 1/2 $$$

comments
recommended by san. all-you-can-eat deal includes kobe beef as well as sashimi (including very fresh good quality salmon sashimi), yakitori (including 豬頸肉), 豬軟骨, 炸魷魚, vegies, tofu etc. lots of choice. 60pp for unlimited soft drinks or 150pp for unlimited alcohol. 90 minutes is enough to be really really bao.

** Aladin Mess - 阿拉丁咖喱屋

2009-06-12T09:31:00.000-07:00

2/F, Fu Hing House
60 Russell Street
Causeway Bay, HK
銅鑼灣羅素街60號富興大廈2樓
Ph: 28080250; 28080971
11:45am-3pm; 6pm-10:45pm; closed Sunday lunch

excellent
-

good
plain naan
garlic naan

average
chicken korma
lamb curry

poor
mango lassi

price: 100-150pp

value for money: 2 1/2 $$$

comments
not overwhelmed but not bad either. mango lassi was disappointing as it was way too sweet. chicken korma was ok but did not been rajboy (the local indian place we lived near in london). everything else was quite good but not spectacular. other diners all seemed to order the tandoori chicken which we didn't try, so perhaps we missed out. will return again to give it another try.

*** Farm Milk Co. Ltd - 農場鮮奶有限公司

2009-06-12T09:06:00.001-07:00

Base of Tai Mo Shan
Good luck finding it.
元朗荃錦公路78號甲龍村
28329218
9am - 6pm

excellent
餐蛋麵
熱奶茶
鮮奶

good
芒果布丁

average
-

poor
-

price: <50pp

value for money: 3 1/2 $$$

熱奶茶

餐蛋麵

芒果布丁 & 鮮奶

comments
recommended by eric & ca. hard to find, but definitely worth the trip to this little farm to try their milk & 餐蛋麵. use mosquito repellant. parking not easy. if you're wondering how good a 餐蛋麵 can be, you have got to try this place.

***** Kenjo - 見城日本料理

2009-06-12T08:40:00.000-07:00

30 Minden Avenue
Tsimshatsui
Kowloon HK
尖沙咀棉登徑30號地下
Ph: 23698307
12noon - 10:30pm

excellent
salmon sashimi
燒 whole squid with sweet sauce*
eel sushi
sardine sushi
lemon ice cream

good
scallop sashimi
jumbo parched scallop wrapped in seaweed*
prawn tempura hand roll
salmon sashimi hand roll*
sweet shrimp sushi
whole sea urchin sashimi*
assorted shellfish sushi
assorted white fish sashimi

average
assorted vegetable tempura
red bean ice cream

poor
-

price: 800pp (no drinks)

value for money: 2 1/2 $$$

salmon sashimi. look at those lines...

sweet shrimp sushi

jumbo parched scallop wrapped in seaweed

comments
restaurant recommended by irene. traditional japanese chef with principle. chef will not use avocado. we ordered a lot more than that listed above, but it was some time ago, so we have forgotten quite a bit. note that we are not white fish fans, so cannot distinguish between them. suggest that you talk to the waitress to ask what's in season and recommended e.g. 燒 whole squid with sweet sauce which was divine. must also try the lemon ice cream. all sashimi is extremely fresh. r&b agree that this place has the best salmon sashimi. and we are salmon sashimi lovers. so the best really means the best. the best. yumyumyumyumyum : )

* seasonal / not on standard menu / custom

*** Kichi - 吉田舍料

2009-06-12T07:46:00.000-07:00

6/F, Tern Plaza
5 Cameron Road
Tsimshatsui
Kowloon HK
尖沙咀金馬倫道5號太興廣場6樓
Ph. 23680000
12 noon - 2pm; 6:30pm-10:30pm

excellent
rainbow roll
螢光魷魚 tempura*
炸雞泡魚干

good
炸海龍魚干
豆腐沙律 (跟芝麻醬)
三文魚腩鹽燒
芝麻雪糕

average
署仔牛肉
金平牛蒡
鹽燒牛舌
成吉思汗
納豆魷魚

poor
-

price: 400pp (no drinks)

value for money: 3 $$$

金平牛蒡 & 納豆魷魚

豆腐沙律 (跟芝麻醬)

螢光魷魚 tempura

comments
home style japanese food as recommended by juz. limited photos posted here as customers are not supposed to take photos. rainbow roll outstanding (r's favourite) - standout sashimi, seaweed & egg. waiter recommended 螢光魷魚 tempura which was a very tasty surprise. 炸雞泡魚干 (b's favourite) makes a fantastic snack. yumyum.

* on Japanese menu only

食咩好?

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