Eleven Madison Park - New York

The month leading up to my NY trip I was extremely excited, excited because I was going to visit the legendary French-American restaurant headed by chef Daniel Humm (also the mastermind behind NoMad), a restaurant I had read (just a little) too many articles, reviews and blog posts on...

Hence from the moment I left Hong Kong for Boston, Eleven Madison Park was always on the back of my mind, curious as to what I would be served... The below will be mostly pictures, with a few comments here and there. Given the time we were seated, we weren't able to do the full tasting as it lasts 4 hours - i.e. we would've finished eating 2am! So the four of us went with the more feasible 4-course tasting...

Southern Food - Red Rooster NYC

My first meal off the plane was at Red Rooster Harlem, opened by celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson, the Ethiopian-born Swedish chef that was crowned Top Chef Master in Season 2 (2010). For those who don't know me, I am (openly) obsessed with anything Top Chef and Iron Chef (only the US series please!) :)

Naturally, I had high hopes....and this was my first time trying Southern food. We were led downstairs upon arrival (make reservations weeks in advance if you want to go on a weekend!), and their decor reminds one of a speakeasy. With their red leather sofas and all. 

"Cornbread" with tomato jam and honey butter

Tea at Four Seasons Lounge

Four Seasons Hotel's Lobby Lounge is one of the more popular tea places on Hong Kong Island (Mandarin Oriental, Island Shangri-la being the others) where people from all sorts of backgrounds (youngsters, business partners and tai-tais) frequent. 

As my friends and I have an affinity for high tea, we decided to have our catch up over tea. We arrived to a small queue, but were seated quite quickly after about 10 minutes wait.

Set for 2 - comes with 2 tea/coffee drinks

Savories

 Very average with a few hits and misses. My favourites were egg salad truffle on toast and the smoked salmon finger sandwich. 

Sweets

This tier was largely a miss for me - room temperature, lacked freshness, macarons were wet/soggy and nothing was memorable... 

 

Scones - raisin in front; plain at the back.

Probably the only thing I would consider returning at tea time for, these scones were drier than other ones I've had in Hong Kong yes but warm and crumbly in the middle for you to take advantage of the devonshire cream and apricot and raspberry jams. Hmmm...

Food: ♥♥♥ 1/2 for the scones, ♥♥ for everything else.
Service: ♥♥♥
Price: $$$

The Lounge, 

Four Seasons Hotel, 8 Finance St., 

Central

Tel: +852 3196 8820

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 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.... 

Oolaa

Date of visit: 30th Oct and 22nd Dec 2010

Oolaa @ CentreStage, Soho

Back in November I visited Oolaa with M and B for tea. I remember it was a weekend, because the other patrons were diving into breakfast-y items which looked so mouth-watering I vowed to return for a proper meal.

For tea B and I only managed a cappuccino and for M, a mango crumble. The cappuccino was not bad and the biscotti on the side was a nice touch, though on a more recent experience a latte my friend ordered was very dry, throwing the froth/milk/espresso proportions out of line.

"cappuccino" ($3x)

tall fluff and cocoa powder a nice touch, but not the smoothest froth ever and the drink was pretty mediocre

"mango crumble" ($65)

mangoes, crumble topping, vanilla ice cream, fluff

The mango crumble was quite average, the crumble mixture could've been better - more sweet and buttery and crunchy. The portion was quite small for its price too - my initial thought when it arrived was 'that's it?!'. The ice cream was very average, tasted like... Dreyers.

Anyway, fast forward to a couple months later, I was here for dinner with several friends for an early dinner. We started off with an appetizer of pork belly lollipops.

"Pork Belly Lollipops" ($95)

If the name didn’t sound intriguing enough, allow me to describe how tasty it was. Layers of crispy skin, fat, lean meat, fat then lean mean again, all slathered with a sweet dark glaze which was made of I think primarily hoisin sauce, soy and sugar. The only slight problem was that I thought the lean meat was a little too chewy, not fork tender as I hoped….

A salad was served up next.

 "Pumpkin, Asparagus & Couscous Salad" ($110)

with green pea, chick pea, coriander and a mint yogurt (far back in the pic) 

This dish was very light, and the couscous was perfectly cooked, and seasoned quite well. I also liked the small bits of pumpkin and bell peppers mixed throughout. 

"Lemongrass and Chilli King Prawns" ($195)

with Singapore noodles, sesame honey glazed pak choy. 

There were three prawns slit and grilled, but they lacked in flavour, and was a tad overcooked. The noodles was where all the spice went and after a couple fork fulls there was just too much chilli for A. I agree they could have been more light-handed with the chilli but what disappointed was the lack of other flavours in the noodles apart from spice and pepper, and the overcooked prawns. 

 "Glazed Soy Salmon" ($165) 

with cauliflower mash, grilled vine tomatoes and broccolini. 

The salmon was the star - still pink on the inside and melt-in-your-mouth tender. The glaze was on the sweeter side, but nonetheless good. The cauliflower mash was pretty good too, and a lighter alternative to the commonly served potato mash. 

"Smoores" ($80)

S'mores is an American sweet snack, usually where there is BBQ / camp fires, where a toasted marshmallow gets sandwiched between chocolate and graham crackers. This divine treat was deconstructed a little at Oolaa - so they had a home-made gingery cookie, with house-made marshmallow that was torched, and a chocolate sauce for dipping. However, for the price, what was served was hardly worthy in my opinion...

All in all, pretty good food and very interesting menu. If you forget the outside trash collection site, inside the restaurant will definitely suit most occasions. If you want something casual, there's the cafe on one side. If you're a smoker, there's a terrace for outdoor dining. Otherwise, pick the amber fine dining section with big and small tables, like what we did! 

Food: ♥♥♥-♥♥♥♥

Service: ♥♥♥ 

Price:$$$ 

Oolaa

G/F, Bridges St, CentreStage,

Soho,

Central, Hong Kong

Tel: +852 2803 2083

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

Sunday Brunch @ Zuma

Date of visit: 22nd August 2010

Zuma @ Landmark 

spinach in sesame sauce (chilled)

baby clams in miso soup

veggie soup - think it was ozoni soup minus the mochi (less filling + more suitable as appetizer); kombu salad; deep fried sliced tofu; seared tuna. 

second plate with meat patty skewers, mushroom skewers, assorted sushi, sashimi

chilled soba in broth with onsen (hot spring) egg, bonito, seaweed

plate three with chicken and leek skewers, chicken wings, smoked salmon, rice skewers

hand-made tofu with scallions, miso paste, ginger and sesame seeds

Zuma had an impressive spread when we walked in at 1.30. Two long tables, one filled with sushi and sashimi selections, the other with assorted Japanese 'starters'. 

To begin with, the chilled spinach in sesame sauce was not bad. The sesame dressing seemed to be made from purely ground white sesame seeds, rather than mixed with other seasoning which is what you often find at Japanese restaurants. This results in a white sesame dressing which is quite strong, and a little goes a long way.

Miso soup with baby clams was one of two soups available. The clams in this were well-cleaned and not fishy at all. The broth I think had a little sake, but mostly a miso broth which wasn't salty....yumm!

Plate one with the Japanese vegetable soup was, I believe an Ozoni soup, which normally has mochi as it is served as a main during the Japanese New Year. In Zuma's version was some radish, carrots and bak choy to give the dashi and soy broth a lovely sweet taste. It was light and tasty and I loved it. 

There were also platters of different salads. One which I tried was a kombu (seaweed) salad which was nothing special in my opinion. Also on plate one was some seared tuna (pretty good), crispy tofu (okay) and grilled zucchini skewer (tasty). 

After this I went to over to the other table and picked out my favourite sashimi and sushi. The hotate, ama ebi (quite large) and hamachi were really sweet and fresh. The sushi rolls are small, enabling one to try several without getting too full and the ones I picked were good, my favourite being the cooked salmon with flavoured rice and caviar - this piece is a must-try! 

The skewers which I tried included the grilled mushroom, scallop, chicken and leek, mini minced meat patty, flavoured rice and zucchini (mentioned above). Whilst the scallop was way overcooked and chewy to the point of being inedible, the others were in good size, tasty and satisfying.

Also available on the buffet table was soba noodles with onsen (hot spring) egg, which I only managed to try the egg - nicely done with soft whites and a slightly runny molten orange yolk center.

To end my 'starter' course I had some hand-made tofu with assorted condiments which just come out. I must say the first bucket of tofu available when we arrived looked grainy, runny and just...unappetizing. The new bucket looked fairly neat so I scooped a portion and topped it with some miso sauce, grated ginger and scallions and sesame seeds for flavour. The tofu was properly set this time, and it was wonderfully creamy. On its own it tasted very natural and a little of the miso sauce for seasoning made the soya curd taste all the better. Definitely recommend this ONLY if it looks 'set'! 

Sirloin with sauteed mushrooms, wafu sauce and garlic chips.

'

Salmon marinated in a teriyaki-type sauce, pickled cucumber

For main course, each diner may select one of several dishes. The menu included items like tempura, grilled mackerel, mentaiko udon, miso chicken fillet etc. We only selected two different items (we probably should have tried the other items rather than doing repeats!), the sirloin and the salmon. 

The sirloin was quite disappointing as it was chewy and tough despite being cooked to medium or medium-well. The taste was good, but a chewy steak just doesn't cut it! Portion was generous though. 

The salmon on the other hand, was impressive. It was a fairly generous portion of fillet again, and the light salty-sweet marinade made for a tasty fish. The salmon was perfectly cooked and not at all dry like many salmon fillets can turn out. The cucumber on the side also provided for a nice refreshing crunch to balance the salmon.... yummm! 

 

For brunch alcohol is free-flow, but juices are $70 each. The fresh grapefruit juice was quite nice, but can hardly justify its price. 

To end our meal we were served a dessert platter. Each table, we noticed, have the same four pots of matcha mousse with banana, mint and chocolate mousse cake, raspberry sponge cake and a blueberry and mascarpone fool. On top of the huge ice cube in the centre was FIVE scoops of ice cream. I would've wanted to have 5 different flavours of ice cream / sorbet, but I'm not complaining! Two were chocolate, two were green tea, and one maple-walnut. 

The matcha mousse was good, but the banana topping sort of ruined it for me. It was a mis-match.... I think a chocolate-something would've paired better with the not-so-sweet matcha mousse. 

The mint and chocolate mousse cake was alright, but since I'm not a fan of mousses I didn't love it.

The raspberry sponge cake was a nice light cake and wasn't too sweet. 

The blueberry fool was good taste-wise but definitely too 'liquid', as if it had been assembled and served right away without being in the refrigerator to 'set'. At the bottom was a whipped cheese layer, and topped with blueberry sauce and fresh blueberries. Sweetness was right, but definitely not appealing once the spoons were put in...too watery!

The ice creams were fantastic - green tea could've been slightly stronger in taste, but good nonetheless. My favourite was the maple-walnut though.... I wonder if it was made in-house? As it resembled Movenpick's a lot!

Service in general was okay from the waiters, despite a few being clueless whom were obviously new. Because of these newer waiters, we were under the impression that the juices were free-flow like the champagne and sake with the brunch, and so when we were billed for the three glasses of juice we ordered we wanted to understand why. We spoke to the manager, and he said that it was not his fault because he instructed the waiters that juices are not together with the brunch deal.... he also dragged out all the waiters who supposedly served us, and asked us to identify who said that!  My mother was shocked at his manners and definitely couldn't remember who said they were free-flow with the brunch but someone did and that's all that matters. The manager definitely ruined our celebration of a family birthday for us that day.... 

So although the food was generally great, the service just seemed....appalling for Zuma. 

Food: ♥♥♥♥

Service: ♥

Price: $$$$$

Zuma Restaurant

5-6/F, The Landmark, 15 Queens Rd Central,

Hong Kong