Bagels....in Providence

Bagels are one of P's fave breakfast foods - naturally before I left for New York she took me to her fave spot Bagel Gourmet. Here they do a fine selection of sweet and savoury bagel sandwiches, but also a wide selection of burritos, baked goods and just about any kind of bottled drink you could wish for. 

Pumpernickel with lox and lox cream cheese (US$8.25)

I going to make a confession.

 I chose the bagel purely because of its colour - though it turns out I loved the slight bitterness of the pumpernickel with the savoury smoked salmon and cream cheese filling! 

 

 P was very happy with her staple of an everything bagel with egg, cheese and sausage (US$4.63)

Food: ♥♥♥ 1/2 

Service: ♥♥ 1/2

Price: Around US$1.50-8..25 per bagelwich depending on your filling

Address:  Bagel Gourmet

222 Richmond Street 

Providence, RI 02905

T: 401 454-8800

Dim Sum at Man Fa Hung Hotpot Restaurant

This hot pot joint in Soho, Man Fa Hung is relatively popular at lunch and dinner. Although I haven't been for dinner, I am certain I've found a cheap and cheerful dim sum joint in Central. 

dim sum sheet

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

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)

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!

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).

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. 

Portobello's

Date of visit: 18^th Oct 2010 

Portobello’s at Soho

So, after a month (or two) long of hell, I have finally returned and ready to write more reviews =)) I have missed this site! It’s a little sad to begin with a disappointing review, but since this has been on my list for a long time I must writeeee!

So one day for tea, a couple of friends and myself hit Portobello’s in Soho hoping to have some afternoon tea and coffee.

We settled for coffee-based drinks (cherry mocha + cappuccinos and coffee for $40+ each, but two came with the set we ordered) and an ‘English Afternoon Tea’ set that charged no less than $160, meant to feed two.

coffee with milk

cappuccino 

from top left: cream, jam, mocha cheesecake, scones, turkey wheat sandwiches

The set came with a cake of the day, which we hoped to pick our own from their cake display out front, but we were rejected from our choice, so we had to deal, which was fine…

But when the actual set came, the problems came. On the lowest rack was half a sandwich cut in four. Inside was some tomatoes lettuce and stale turkey. Next to this was 2 heavy stone-hard scones which reminded me of a tennis ball for some reason. It was lacking in the crumbly texture fine scones should have, it was rather cold, and it really hard! And needless to say, the blob of cream was hardly Devonshire cream that one would expect to have with scones. 

Top tier was two thin slices of their ‘Mocha Cheesecake’ which was no less than…..crappy. It was gummy in texture, and the base was… not good at all.  

The drinks weren’t any better either.

Food: ♥

Service: ♥ 1/2

Price: $$

Portobello's

G/F, 9 Staunton St, Central

Tel: +852 2523 8999

Chez Shibata

Date of visit: 15th September and 1st October 2010

Chez Shibata @ Elements

Chez Shibata is a Japanese-French patisserie which has been franchised in Shanghai and in September, Hong Kong. My first visit to Chez Shibata was shortly after its opening, and tried out the first five reviewed desserts below, and on a second visit, tried the two signatures plus one croissant. My experiences with each cake varied, but nonetheless good overall.

 after I snapped these two pictures I was informed no pictures are allowed...!

"Tranche Maccha" ($40)

green tea mousse, chocolate mousse, sponge, green tea powder and crispy chocolate balls

this was naturally my first choice, since i love matcha and chocolate (both separately and together!). but i must say this was one of my least favourites from Chez Shibata, since this was poorly executed. the cake comprised of green tea mousse, chocolate mousse, and (orange?) sponge, all of which were overly 'wet' and not very pleasant in the mouth. green tea mousse could have been stronger, and so could the chocolate mousse. sponge layers were so thin and drenched you could hardly taste them. i have no idea if they are always like this, or if it was just my unlucky day, but a pastry chef should know when his batch of cakes have gone bad and therefore not allow them to be sold... 4.5/10

"Mont Blanc" ($38)
chesnut, cream, chocolate flakes, chocolate sponge
this was E's first choice, as she loves all things chesnut! as far as I remember, the top underneath the chocolate flakes were chesnut puree and beneath that layers of sweet cream and chocolate sponge. the whole dessert was not too sweet and was quite good, balanced, but again towards the bottom of the cup was wet cake... 7/10

"Macaron Emotion" ($34) 
cream, macaron, strawberries, custard, jam. 
my favourite so far, the crispy macaron shells were surprisingly not overly sweet, and the filling of fresh strawberries, custard and strawberry jam worked very well, was balanced, and very enjoyable. 9/10

"Verrine Plaisirs" ($36)

white chocolate mousse, chocolate mousse, passionfruit jelly, mango

mousses were not set properly (i.e. liquid when spooned), and I didn't really think the sour fruits went with the white and milk chocolate mousses at all... 2/10

 "Mi Cuit Fromage" ($36)

cream, berries, cheesecake

this cheesecake was a toned down version of the American cheesecake - a lot smaller and much less sweeter for the Asian palate. one thing we noticed was the lovely strong fragrance of the cheese when we opened the box, and the taste and texture definitely did not disappoint. before you reach the biscuit base there's a thin layer of berry puree as well. would definitely recommend if you like baked cheesecakes! 8.5/10

 "Éclair au caramel" ($32)

choux, caramel, salted butter cubes

upon examination, this eclair is slightly different to the standard pastrycreme filled choux pastry and a glaze. this thinner and longer version had no pastry creme, but only layers of a strong and wonderful caramel. the cubes of salted butter melted instantly in the mouth, and matched nicely with the already-perfect caramel (strong in flavour yet balanced in sweetness). my only complaint would be the texture of the choux - if it could be crisper this pastry would have been peerrrrrfecttt! 8/10

"Couer de bois" ($38)

sponge, peanuts, mousse, raspberry mousse, raspberry jam, red sugar, raspberries. 

this, being one of Shibata's signatures, as well as its perfect red heart shape prompted me to pick this. the red exterior is simply coloured sugar (very thin layer), and inside is a very light mousse-type layer, sort of like whipped mascarpone, not very strong in taste. in the middle you will find raspberry mousse and raspberry jelly, which gives the cake a tangy/sweet punch of flavour - quite refreshing indeed. lastly, at the bottom is a thin sponge as base sprinkled with some peanuts, which I disliked passionately. I believe the purpose was to add crunchiness and textural differences to the cake but the taste of peanuts really did not match the sour raspberry and light (mascarpone) mousse...! 7/10

"Raspberry almond croissant" ($20)

croissant, custard, jam, almond topping. 

definitely not something for breakfast. this pastry is sweet with its raspberry jam and custard filling,  as well as the sweet almond and butter topping. again, better if the croissant could be more crisp. 6.5/10 

on both times I had the desserts to-go, but had them around 10 minutes after being packed. there are a couple tables in-store if you wish to have them there, but this will cost you an extra $5 per piece, plus 10% service...

Food: ♥♥♥

Service: ♥♥

Price: $-$$

Chez Shibata 

Shop 2003, 2/F, Elements, 1 Austin Rd West, 

Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong

Tel: +852 2196 8921

Green Waffle Diner II

Date: 4th September 2010

Green Waffle Diner @ Soho

This is my third time here, but I didn't mind at all. My previous two visits were good enough to warrant another visit, and this time I brought three hungry dining companions! 

"steak and egg hash skillet" ($8x)

mushroom, onions, peppers, potatoes, chopped medium well steak and a poached egg

there was quite a lot of steak cubes in this. my friend proceeded to down the entire thing as well. 

"country skillet with sausage" ($7x)

peppers, onions, potato cubes, tomatoes, chopped sausage and two poached eggs

definitely for potato-lovers. not a lot of sausage, so a fairly meatless dish. the poached eggs cooked perfectly and the onions + peppers were sweet and tender. seasoned very well as a whole, yumm..

"Pit beef sandwich" ($68)

salad, fries, roast beef and cheese sandwiched between a burger bun

this was my order. the salad was not fresh at all- tip of the leaves were greying and didn't have the usual brightness in fresh mesclun mix. beef sandwich wasn't huge (size of a double cheeseburger from HK Mc.D's) but actually really filling, the beef was surprisingly moist and perhaps even 'juicy'. the cheese sauce could have been better, perhaps using a deli swiss cheese? the bun could also be lighter - it was small and dense. 

"chicken and waffles" ($70)
probably my favourite of the four savoury dishes we ordered today. chicken drumsticks were cooked so well! tender chicken meat on inside and crispy crunchy brown coating....lovely! waffle was an original flavour, light and crisp like how it should be. 

"bananas foster waffle" ($52) 

original waffle, dollop of cream, choice of chocolate ice cream,  chocolate sauce, sliced banana, cinnamon, golden syrup 

this was a champion combination - the three of us love cinnamon so this dessert was naturally a winner for us. waffle was crisp and light as always, chocolate ice cream was not bad (we could've chosen movenpick), and the bananas were tender and sweetened by the syrup and cinnamon. my only complaint would be the presentation of the bananas, and perhaps real whipped cream would've went better with the waffles (like the really light cream in cafe causette!). otherwise, a must-order if you love cinnamon! 

also worth mentioning were the fact that the unfriendly waitresses last time were not present this day, and instead there were two friendly waiters. however, they failed to serve water again...until we asked and even gave us hot water because they ran out of cold!

Food: ♥♥♥1/2 

Service: ♥♥♥

Price: $$

Green Waffle Diner

Shop 3 G/F Kar Ho Building, 35-39 Graham St, Soho

Central, Hong Kong

Tel: +852 2887-9991

Café Matchbox - new-style bing sutt.

Date: 5th September 2010 

Café Matchbox @ Causeway Bay

Attracted originally by the décor and the type of food they serve here in Matchbox, I brought a friend here to try out the food. Honestly we were quite pleased with this new-style bing-sutt, even though its slightly out of reach. Upon stepping inside we were in love already! After being seated to a mini booth we studied the menu, and decided on the following...

main menu 

another menu + dessert menu 

B Jai Yin-Yang Drink (Horlicks + Ovaltine) 

Chicken Pie in Pea Soup 

Pancakes with banana and caramel 

We picked two items to share, one being their signature meal set of chicken pie in pea soup with pancakes ($38) which comes with a drink - we ordered 'B Jai Yin Yang' for an extra $5. The other item was a very normal beef and tomato rice (, just to be safe!

The chicken pie in pea soup was a little strange for us, but not bad at all. We agreed we would've preferred eating them separately, and I shall bare that in mind for next time! Here at Matchbox the chicken pie is a Hong Kong-style pie, being made with a sweet shortcrust pastry crust and only a little filling of chicken breast in white sauce with mixed vegetables. The crust was in no way soggy despite being served in the soup, and was quite rich, but good. The pea soup proved to be better than I thought. Green peas are probably one of my most hated vegetables, and this soup in no way resembled the boring old pea. It was flavoured with lots of ginger and puréed, so it was a hearty and healthy contrast to the pie. 

Pancakes came with a light caramel flavoured sauce and chopped bananas. The pancakes were warm when served, and nicely browned on both sides and soft on the inside. The caramel sauce is not your typical caramel sauce, this one being lightened by the addition of (corn) starch, which also makes it less-sweet! Although some might think they aren't being genuine, serving 'fake' caramel and all, it is actually the preferred taste of many Chinese people who don't like their sweets too sweet any way! Of course it would've been better if served later, but then again we should have told them to - this is a cha chaan teng after all. 

Beef and tomato rice

Beef and tomato on rice ($42) was good as well. Whilst the rice could've been better, the beef was soft but not too much so as a result of tenderizing ingredients (yes, baking soda), and the tomatoes were chopped small enough before being fried so they cooked thoroughly and softened easily, rather than being semi-raw big chunks which I got from Tsui Wah recently. Also in here were button mushrooms, and the main character - the tomato sauce, was not overly acidic and not too sweet either, a wonderful balance! 

 Really neat utensils drawer on the side of each table!

We were very happy with this visit, and I'd definitely come again! 

Food: ♥♥♥

Service: ♥♥♥

Price: $$

Cafe Matchbox

G/F, Highland Mansion, 8 Cleveland Street, 

Causeway Bay

Tel: +852 2868 0363