Australia Dairy Company

This beloved and quintessentially Hong Kong-esque cafe ('tea restaurant' / cha chaan teng) needs no introduction, here is a little food porn from a recent visit. 

All Day Combo ($30)

This set comes with a drink (iced milk tea / coffee!), your choice of creamy scrambled eggs or two sunny side-ups, with ham and soft buttered white bread.... Eggs benedicts has nothing on this IMHO. The barbeque pork in macaroni is merely a filler...

Egg and corned beef sandwich ($16)

 Another favourite, although those with hypertension should probably stay away ;) Very good take out option if you can't be bothered to queue.

"Fast" combo - bottle of fresh milk and choice of fried/scrambled eggs with buttered toast

On to desserts.. 

Steamed milk and egg white custard pudding

 Very rich in milk flavour, the hot version is definitely the one to order. Their version has one of the best flavour and textures I've had around town.

Steamed egg custard (available hot/cold)

Now, what are you waiting for?!

Food: ♥♥♥♥
Service: ♥♥♥ 1/2 
Price: $20-50 pp 

Australia Dairy Company
47-49 Parkes Street, 
Jordan, Kowloon
Tel: +852 2730 1356

Grand Hyatt Steakhouse

To secure a table at 8.45pm on a weekend, a booking about five weeks in advance had to made. This restaurant being one of the hottest restaurants at the moment, we had to see for ourselves what the type was about.

House garlic bread

 After ordering we were told that our meat will take around 45 minutes. To wait we munched on the house garlic bread which was well toasted with fresh garlic, herb and butter. The crunchy exterior and fluffy and soft made for a very tasty start to the meal. It's impossible to stop at one!

We decided to skip the appetizers and go with several sides and two mains to share. I have however, heard their crab cakes are amazing and am already planning my next visit.

White Aged Cheddar Macaroni and Cheese ($75)

 The Steakhouse's take on mac & cheese was very good. Not thick, stodgy or heavy at all. The macaroni retained a bite to it and the bread crumbs added a crispy element. 

Onion Rings ($75)

 These huge onion rings (larger than my palms) weren't for me. The batter was 'doughy' although I liked that the onion itself inside were so soft they gave way to the slightest force. The thick batter also meant when it got cold a little while later, it had lost any crunch.

Creamed Spinach ($75) was another side dish we had. Another steakhouse classic, the Grand Hyatt's version was surprisingly light and delicious. Although I did ask them to skip the nutmeg (can't stand the spice) and they substituted herb for us. 

Main event - Canadian Angus Porterhouse ($1450/36oz)

 Although the menu recommends the porterhouse for two, this will easily feed three. We had it medium and medium it came, although a little more rare on the sirloin side. The bit of fat clinging to the sirloin gave it lovely flavour, whilst the leaner side of tenderloin lacked the 'beefy' taste. To go with this beauty you can pick from a few sauces and a wide selection of mustards. We had the red wine and mushroom sauces, and I had the truffle and the whole grain mustards. 

The truffle mustard is heavenly!!

Nebraska USDA Prime Rib Eye ($550/18 oz)

  The rib eye was pretty massive... The ones I have had elsewhere now seem tiny. This cut definitely had more flavour to it and was perfectly cooked. Texture wise, I would say it was in between the tenderloin and sirloin from the porterhouse. I enjoyed this with the truffle mustard more than any thing else. 

The above fed the five of us very well and we weren't able to order dessert as we were so full. The steaks are reasonably priced for this establishment but I wish they had smaller cuts of a few cuts of steak (they only do 8oz size for the USDA Prime Tenderloin and Japanese Wagyu), so a table for two can have the option to go for two different cuts... plus dessert!

I am contemplating my next visit to try their crab cake and very famous apple crumble with soft-serve...

Food: ♥♥♥♥ 1/2 
Service: ♥♥♥ 1/2 

Price: About $500pp  not including drinks

Grand Hyatt Steakhouse 

Grand Hyatt Hotel, 1 Harbour Road, 

Wanchai, Hong Kong 

Tel: +852 2584 7722

Mandarin Grill

 It has been a while since I last posted.... so I have chosen to begin with my latest blog-worthy restaurant visit, the Mandarin Grill at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel. I've been dying to try this place for some time and am happy to report the food was no less than delectable and the meal in itself was  fun to watch it being presented and of course, eat!

Doppio Zero

Doppio Zero @ The Pemberton

On a Monday lunch hour Doppio Zero was quite empty. It was blazing hot outside and the first thing we ordered were two icy cold drinks, for me, an iced coffee that was actually quite delicious and for K, a lime soda. We then started to go through the lunch options and decided on the following: 

Loyal Dining

Loyal Dining @ Wellington St. 

Since its opening, Loyal Dining has received copious press attention and visitation from diners who wish see what the fuss is all about. Hell, even my mother wanted to come here to try. My first visit was lunch with a friend, and later I returned for dinner with family to try more dishes before I could decide whether I liked the place or not.

Opus Grill

Opus Grill @ LKF Hotel 

In recent years the LKF Hotel (Wyndham St one) has added more quality restaurants to their building. They also house Lily & Bloom, Gold by Harlan Goldstein and the more recently opened Hardrock Cafe. On the 7th floor sits Opus Grill, a steakhouse which also serves up other classics (think lobster risotto and pork ribs) with their own twist. However, tonight, we were determined to attack the possibly most expensive burger in town.

"bread basket"
Both types (brown and raisin walnut) were warm and soft)

Cantopop

Cantopop @ L Place

Having heard Cantopop's menu had changed (quite drastically I must say), I was back to try the items that I hadn't yet tried (e.g. the much talked-about Sous-vide char siu rice) and the other newer items. We proceeded to order up a storm... 

Sous vide charsiu and fried egg on rice ($68)

Linguini Fini

Linguini Fini @ L Place

After the opening of Cantopop, IHM hit harder with Linguini Fini, an Italian eatery focusing on great homemade pastas, fresh organic vegetables and surprisingly impressive desserts. I went for lunch and dinner the same day after being rather impressed with the set lunch. 

super-cute fireman art.

Kwan Kee Claypot Rice - Mid-summer heat treat

Summer in Hong Kong really is ridiculous. If its not raining, its blazing hot and this day was no different. It had been raining during the day, so at night there was a period of clear air and skies. During this period, we visited the older Kwan Kee at Wo Yick Mansion near Centre St to find a mini queue, and without thinking twice we trekked over to Kwan Kee on Des Voeux Road to find ourselves being seated at their last available table. 

The second branch is noticeably larger with better air-conditioning - much more suited for a summer day!

Amber

Amber @ Mandarin Oriental 

A couple weeks back it was my brother's birthday and Amber was where we decided to celebrate. We went for Sunday brunch but not feeling like having any wine some of us opted for the juice pairing and some without. 

La Parole

La Parole @ The Pemberton


La Parole had opened at The Pemberton not long ago and at first I have to say I had my doubts given the choice of  restaurants in the same building. The owner of La Parole is the same as Leonidas Chocolate stores around town, as well as the newly opened Shou Zen on the 7th floor upstairs.


For dinner they only do sets, there's a 3-course ($380), 4-course ($428), or tasting menu of 6-courses ($600). 
As for choices, there were 6 appetizers, a daily soup, 7 main courses and 6 desserts to pick from. 

bread basket

Salmon, two ways.

You may not know it if you don't know me personally, but I love to cook as much as I like to eat well. This post is one featuring salmon, if you haven't guessed already, done two ways which I really enjoy. 

Sushi Fuku-suke

Fuku suke @ Causeway Bay

It has been almost two months since i've had sushi (last visit was at Tenzen, which had decent but not particularly memorable quality fish, may post about it later) thanks to exams taking over my life for the past several months. how i crave this stuff! Note to self: must have decent sushi at least once a fortnight =) 

So on a friday afternoon i dragged my raw fish-loving brother to causeway bay to visit fuku suke in hopes of ordering their famous assorted sashimi rice bowl...

some appetizers

Pierre

Pierre @ Mandarin Oriental

This post should've been posted perhaps.... a month or two ago, but having been mega-busy i didn't find the time to update this blog. 

After having lunch at Cafe Causette downstairs, I was back at Mandarin Oriental the same night to try Pierre for the first time. I had high hopes for tonight's dinner, for it did gain another michelin star this year... 

Man Wah Chinese Restaurant - featuring Da Dong

Man Wah Chinese Restaurant @ 

Mandarin Oriental HK

For a week, Da Dong was at Mandarin Oriental's Chinese restaurant, and if you don't already know, Da Dong is famed for their lean roasted ducks.... 

Saikou, third time's not a charm

Saikou @ Wellington St

I know i have previously given a (sort of raving) positive review about Saikou about a month or two back, as one of my favourite lunch spots in Central for sushi... If only I could write this post having the same positive views... ! 

I arrived at Saikou today with my brother, hoping to introduce him to this place I used to to like. Without the 20% discount for after 1.45pm arrivals, it seemed a lot more expensive for what they give you. We hesitated at first, but finally decided to go for the pick-your own Tempura Set ($220) and the Sushi Platter ($190). 

Sun Tung Lok

 Sun Tung Lok @ Miramar, TST

I think Sun Tung Lok's status sort of shocked everyone, with its rise to 3 michelin stars quickly after its move to Kowloon side. This visit was a trip to try out their 'higher end' dim sum (i say this because dim sum in HK is often not very expensive, being a breakfast / brunch type food for many), and whilst overall quite good it wasn't exceptional or mind-blowing..  

Sushi Hiro

Sushi Hiro @ Causeway Bay

Despite the horrific event that happened to Japan back in March I haven't stopped going out for sushi or Japanese food for that matter, just because i believe that the government of HK and Japan take strict measures to make sure our food is safe. in fact, the centre for food safety of HK has daily updates about the radiation tests it performs on various food products... 

i firmly think that the best way to support Japan is to keep consuming their goods, and in any case, any potential hazard will be screened by the respective governments...

on a saturday the 10/f was packed to the rim - guess sushi hiro isn't one of the japanese restaurants experiencing a significant dip in business!

That said, this will be a super brief post!

Liberty Exchange

Liberty Exchange @ Central

Liberty Exchange's bar is packed every night. Promising drinks, food and great location why not? Tonight was a family reunification and heres what we had: 

Oolaa II

Oolaa, revisited @ Soho

It was L's birthday and Oolaa was the decided place to go. 8pm on a Friday this place was packed.  Upon seating we decided quickly to share everything... 

Hide-Chan

Hide-Chan @ The Loop, Central 

Hide-Chan had received an amount of media attention prior to its opening... and because of this i couldn't help but have certain (not necessarily high) expectations for this ramen chain.

L and I arrived to find a mini queue to be seated even though there were clearly empty spaces inside. That was ok I thought, maybe they're just not used to crowds just yet. Soon enough, we were seated and gave in our form in which we specified our order: Two white hide (orig tonkatsu) ($75) with lean(er) char siu (thin pork loin), 'hard' noodles plus an additional soft-boiled egg for $10 ($5 for half of one).

Saikou

Saikou @ Wellington St., Central 

Good raw fish is not easy to find in Central. Many could frankly do better, and the ones that have fresh produce are charging more for rent than for what you get. So, I was quite pleased to find this place =) 


The menu has horrendous English typos/mistakes....but language aside, there are a variety of staples including Tempura which Saikou is known for... On both visits, I was craving raw fish so I didn't have the chance to try their tempura...maybe next time. 

Sushi Kuu

Sushi Kuu  @ LKF 

A while back L introduced me to this place. Quality sashimi is not easy to come by in Central, but Sushi Kuu does have very fresh sashimi even during lunch. Their lunch menu features some cooked Japanese staples such as tonkatsu with curry on rice, miso black cod and tempura but most are here for the raw fish choices if not for the Kaiseki set. 

Gold

Gold  @ LKF Hotel 

I distinctly remember when this place just opened, there was hype everywhere. There was pages of 'congratulations' on Gold's opening in the weekly HK Mag, there was raving reviews..... the whole lot. So, instead of telling myself not to expect much as I usually do, I couldn't help but have slightly high expectations of this place... 

Isola

Isola @ IFC 

Isola is always full.... given the harbour view and the fact that its in IFC, there's no doubt why it shouldn't be. I finally got the chance to try out Isola but was quite underwhelmed with our dinner.

 

Zenku

Zenku @ Nexxus Building

My cousin was visiting from the States, and she had heard from her other cousin, a food-writer for a local magazine, that Zenku was a fun and good restaurant. We shortened our list so it was either Mirror or Zenku, but because she became unavailable on the evening I had made reservations at Mirror for, I happily joined her for lunch at Zenku...

Macau - Aurora

Aurora @ Altira Hotel

on our last half-day at Macau, we weren't able to get a table at Robuchon (seriously, book one month ahead if you want to go during CNY) so we resorted to Aurora, which recently gained a michelin star...

Macau Day 2

On the second day... we found out we couldn't get a table at Wynn Hotel's Chinese restaurant (who would on a Sunday, by making reservations just the day before on a CNY holiday period??)....or anywhere that was remotely popular for that matter...so we settled for the Chinese restaurant at a hotel called 'Lan Kwai Fong' - odd I know, because we're more familiar with it as the district.... 

Macau Day 1

Over CNY we made a last-minute decision to go Macau, primarily to watch the House of Dancing Water, but also just as importantly, to eat. 
We were luckily able to get great tickets for the show and hotel rooms at the L'Arc, last-minute by pulling some strings since every other respectable hotel had been fully booked since last year.... 
So on the first day, without reservations, we had no idea where to go... we ended up at Rossio, the buffet restaurant at MGM. Nothing was spectacular and no photos were taken... serves us right for not planning ahead!! 

OD-ing on macarons...

Jean-Paul Hevin; Island Gourmet

Friends who have a sweet tooth like my own are hard to find.... so when A and I met up I suggested to go for macarons...little did I know we'd end up having a meal's worth of macarons....

First stop was Jeal-Paul Hevin, where we ended up getting a box of six. Because the chocolate was their best-seller we thought we'd have one each, and the other 4 flavours, to share. The amer chocolate macaron shell was not too sweet because of the cocoa in the batter and the thick luscious ganache inbetween was stellar. Two other macarons I also declared my favourites on the spot were the bergamot tea - very apparent....like a cuppa earl grey tea and the raspberry one which had a similar dark chocolate ganache which worked to balance to sweetness of the shell. 

Jasmine Place

Jasmine Place @ Central

Jasmine Place has never disappointed from the several visits i've made here, and tonight's casual family gathering did not disappoint either. In light of the winter season they had a special menu for winter specials...

Sahara

Date of visit: 29th December 2010

Sahara Mezz Bar @ Soho

I've always been interested in trying Moroccan food which I don't know much about, save for their love for tagines. My first proper go was from an excursion to the widely-popular Sahara restaurant siting on Elgin street... It was only a Wednesday night but the restaurant was brimming with customers to the front entrance where some people were enjoying puffs from their shisha... 

We were seated to a really tiny table which barely held its food, but decor aside, on to the main event... 

"hummus" ($68)

with grilled chicken pieces and pita bread (below)

whilst the chicken was awfully dry and not pleasant to eat, the hummus was very light and tasted quite healthy, being chickpeas and all... The pita bread was also toasted it came burning hot and fluffy inside.

pita bread

"seabass tagine" ($140)

on the menu, this was said to be served with a red bell pepper dressing, fresh chives and a chermoula sauce... but instead this was a borscht-like soup with fish fillet and lemon and capers on top

this was served in a claypot rather than the traditional tagines... presentation-wise, i would say this is quite a failure the dish itself departed too much from its description

The fish was pan fried, and although the fish was quite tiny for its price, it was at least yumm, seasoned with only salt and pepper it tasted almost like cod for some reason...

Underneath was a vegetable soup which tasted a lot like borscht soup... and because the claypot was rather small there was extra soup on the side (below)

the extra bowl of borsht-like soup

"couscous sahara" ($160)

with roasted lamb shank and beef merguez

the couscous was perfect - each granule was separate and had a tiny bite to it, not mushy at all. the lamb shank was fall-off-the-bone tender, but the beef sausage (merguez) was too salty and hard for me.... the sauce however, was surprisingly 'western', in that it tasted like your regular western braised lamb shank dish with red wine...

To determine whether Sahara's the best for tagines and hummus I have yet to try other places serving up similar food like La Kasbah and Habibi, but I don't think this meal was particular good warranting a second visit in the near future.... 

Food: ♥♥1/2

Service: ♥♥♥

Price: $$$

Sahara Mezz Bar

G/F, 11 Elgin St, Soho

Central

Tel: +852 2291 6060

Ootoya

Ootoya @ Tsim Sha Tsui

It was 3pm and I was in TST thinking of options for a late lunch.... Ootoya was near and since i've never been I thought i'd give it a go... 

Upon looking at the rather limited afternoon menu, we decided on the following.

House-made Tofu ($20)

There was not a lot of flavour in the tofu, and the portion was pretty tiny.... (4/10)

"rice with vinegar ootoya special soy sauce flavoured raw tuna" ($100)

close up of the tekka-don (tuna sashimi on rice)

Minor errors with the english name on the menu, but language aside this set was quite enjoyable. 

the maguro was marinated in a soy sauce-based marinade and so additional soy-sauce dipping was unnecessary. the thin slices of fish was clearly the star here, succulent and the marinade was very light and didn't kill the taste of the raw fish.... the rice was also really good, plump grains which retained a slight bite, and pre-seasoned with vinegar.... (8/10)

chawanmushi

served alongside the tekka-don was this little cup of steamed egg. perfectly smooth but a little too light on the flavour... the dashi might have been missing.?? (6/10)

miso soup

also came with the tekka-don, not bad.

"rice bowl with deep fried breaded chicken and cold udon (in a wooden box)" ($72)

close up of the chicken katsu, on a bed of shredded cabbage and rice (7/10)

whilst the chicken katsu was pretty good, with tender chicken wrapped in a golden and crispy panko-crust, the rice underneath was normal long grain rice, and slightly too 'wet'... would've loved it more if it were the Japanese rice (unseasoned) that came with tuna rice set above. On the side was a vinegary and slightly sweet katsu sauce to go with it. 

cold udon noodles spread in the wooden box...

these udon noodles were pretty good texturally, though my favourite remains the thin inaniwa udon noodles. the mentsuyu (in a sake-like jar next to the cucumber in picture) was far to light in taste, so when the udon was dipped in and slurped out it was still very bland..... my guess is that it was too diluted. (7/10 for noodles only)

Ootoya is an affordable and tasty option for popularized Japanese food....though I think I'll need to return during dinner, with hopefully with a fuller menu and better execution of the dishes.

Food: ♥♥♥

Service: ♥♥

Price: $$$

Ootoya

1/F, Imperial Hotel, 32 Nathan Road, 

Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong

Tel: +852 2312 2675