Derby Restaurant

Derby Restaurant @ Hong Kong Jockey Club

Back in November, we visited Derby Restaurant for a birthday celebration. They were featuring white truffles on their menu by their new chef Eyck Zimmer... so I was all the more excited.

"wheat baguette"

A waiter came around to let us pick our choice of bread.... out of the four kinds I picked this disappointing and overly chewy baguette.

Amuse bouche - "Pigeon Leg"

Served on top of a red sauce, which was hard to distinguish because of its lack of flavour. Very oily as well. 

First - "Scrambled Eggs" with brioche (photo below) 

white truffles from Alba are in season, so naturally we had some to go with eggs! These were scrambled very well, slightly runny, soft and fluffy with chives. It was very good on top of the brioche toast and would be a perfect base for truffles, except they weren't as pungent or aromatic as I hoped they would be.... a little did not go a long way indeed! 

"scrambled eggs" take 2. 

"toasted brioche" 

"lobster bisque"

with its ravioli (lobster) and tarragon cream

there was way too much alcohol which actually burnt my throat a little. Either the alcohol was simmered long enough to 'burn-off', or just too much was added! Bisque was also very thin and lacked the lobster aroma and flavours...disappointing.

Palate cleanser "cassis sorbet" or "granite"

This, was a well made granite! it achieved its purpose, cold, grape-like and refreshing. Not too sweet nor sour either.

"Butter poached Boston Lobster"

served with peas, carrots, pilaf rice (pictured below), and a 'Sauce Neptune'

The lobster was poached medium well so its meat was still slippery and quite tender nothing like the over-cooked chewy or over-boiled mush you get at buffets and whatnot. 

The butter poached crustacean was, despite its name, not buttery, but sweet, succulent and oh-so-yumm! The 'Sauce Neptune' was really a seafood sauce scented with coriander (not the herb but the spice). 

This dish was one where its accompaniments truly matched the star, from the peas and Indian rice to the coriander-scented seafood sauce. The coriander seeds definitely gave it some Indian flair and was a very enjoyable dish. 

"aromatic pilaf rice"

"curry crusted monk fish"

with pickled melon, sautéed romaine hearts, coconut essence

This fish never made it into our stomachs fully, but was sent back to the kitchen, for good reason. The romaine was interesting but fiarly bland, The coconut essence was actually coconut foam... too light in flavour. The melons were hardly pickled, but just diced and got quite lost in the plate. 

But those weren't the reasons why it failed. It was the 'star', the monkfish, which was chewy, overcooked and the crust was not crispy as the description had promised. It was masked by salt and a little curry spice on the skin part, and was so overcooked it was chew and tough.... whilst monkfish is meaty and firm, it shouldn't be rough, dry and chewy.... after all its known as the 'poor man's lobster'. We were suggested to order something else in place to avoid disappointment.

"pan fried U.S. beef tenderloin"

with horseradish pommes mousseline, baby carrots, kenya beans, sauce bordelaise

This dish was cooked to a perfect medium well, red, but with no trace of blood and incredibly tender... hmm.. i don't think I've had tenderloin this good recently. 

The pommes mousseline aka mash potatoes were incredibly rich and creamy too, though I think a little too thin in consistency? But since potatoes aren't my favourite thing in the the world I shouldn't say more. 

"slow cooked dover sole fillet"

bed of crushed potatoes, shredded cucumbers, oyster beignet, caviar, champagne foam

Sounds like a lot...and it probably was. The fish was again, disappointing but we didn't have the heart to tell the super-nice Manager again. At least it was edible this time...

Sole is meant to be a soft fish which flakes easily when cooked just right, but this was again over cooked and the fillet had even curled upwards. But I mean, at least the fish knife went through the flesh unlike the monkfish above. It was also overdosed on salt, which I still felt when dessert came round. The saving grace of this dish was probably the lovely oyster beignet which made even the non-oyster-eater in me enjoy it. Crispy and yum on its own with the caviar.

"tiramisu birthday cake" 

was complimentary after they found out it was my ma's birthday, but we had no intention to celebrate formally... we were just here for dinner! our guess is that they found an alert when they ran the membership card through their machine? was a good thing most diners had left by now or ma would've been embarrassed..!

anyway, this small gesture was very much appreciated, and the cake itself was actually very decent (but then again HKJC's cakes have always been reasonably good) and very light. 

sliced tiramisu and plated

house-made chocolates as petits fours was very yumm. 

The tiramisu and chocolates were a lovely sweet ending to our dinner....service certainly makes a huge different to a dinner! 

Food: ♥♥- ♥♥♥♥

Service: ♥♥♥♥♥

Price: $$$$$

Derby Bar and Restaurant

Hong Kong Jockey Club

1 Shan Kwong Rd,

Happy Valley, Hong Kong

Guru

Date of visit: 19^th October 2010

Guru Boutique Indian Dining @ Soho 

For a causal dinner I chose Guru for some Indian food. I really like Indian food, though I enjoy it more in Autumn/Winter weathers as chilli and hot weather doesn't go so together well for me... 

Although there are quite a number of Indian restaurants, I wanted to try Guru for their slightly more modernised menu...it just stood slightly above the other places like Tandoor, Ganga Din, and Bombay Dreams, although the latter has recently relocated with a new menu....which calls for a worthy visit some time in the near future!

"sizzling jeera prawn" ($118)

and again.

tiger prawns marinated with cumin, ginger, yogurt and paprika

This arrived sizzling hot on the heated metal plate. Underneath the prawns were some bell pepper and tomatoes that had been sauteéd, and was coated in the same sauce as the prawns. Although this dish was relatively spicy I appreciated the heat and with the help of some naan and icy water I finished it easily. The seasoning was spot on and I couldn't complain... 

"kadai paneer" ($68) 

Sauteéd cottage cheese with bell peppers, garlic, chilli and tomatoes

This gravy was awesome, so light and balanced with sour and heat.... a very good vegetarian option indeed.

"naan" ($25)

Plain leavened bread, arrived warm with crispy base and fluffy top, how I like it. Paired very well with the two mains we ordered. 

service was very accommodating, and there was something about this small and cramped restaurant which I liked....perhaps it was the fact that they provide shisha on their patio, with a nice crowd too?

Food: ♥♥♥1/2
Service: ♥♥♥

Price: $$$

Guru

No.13 Lower Elgin St, Soho

Central, Hong Kong

Tel: +852 2547 9998

Song Cuisine D'Indochine

Date of visit: 18^th Oct 2010

Song Cuisine d’Indochine @ Soho

I don't really have the recollection of why K and I came here, but I do remember what we had, and what it was like =P 

 "Bread basket" 

comprised of sesame crackers and prawn chips, all very crunchy and yumm. 

 "Lime soda" ($35) 

We both ordered a lime soda each to wash down our meal. It was very sour with lots of fresh time and lots of fizz. Totally my kind of lime-soda! 

 "Vegetarian Curry"($120) 

Was a bowl of green curry that was chock full of assorted vegetables such as eggplant, asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower and carrots. The sauce was thin and very slightly spicy and sweet....quite like the Thai green curry. Was very enjoyable and K seemed to love it too. 

"Baguette"

came with the curry above

"Halibut in Banana Leaf with Turmeric, Lemongrass and Coconut" ($160)

The fish was cooked perfectly, but the marinade of coconut, lemongrass and turmeric was lacking....salt. Was a bit on the bland side for my tastes but good nonetheless. The thick coconut sauce came through quite well too, very aromatic. 

"Chocolate mascarpone cake" ($75)

This was a very rich (I think flour-less) chocolate cake, with a thin layer of slightly sweetened mascarpone cheese in the middle (the yellow bit in the picture). With a little drizzle of chocolate sauce for sweetness, this cake was every bit rich and indulgent as it looked. 

For some Asian food in Soho, I would recommend Song, but whether you can find it is another story. It's quite hidden... =P (And make reservations too!) 

Food: ♥♥♥ 1/2 

Service: ♥♥♥ 1/2 

Price:$$$

Song Cuisine D'Indochine

LG, 75 Hollywood Road, 

Central, Hong Kong 

Tel: +852 2559 0997

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

Sen-ryo

Date of visit: 1st October 2010 

Sen-ryo @ Elements

salmon avocado roll 

Prime fatty tuna

lean tuna

salmon belly

kani miso + sweet shrimp gunkan

sen-ryo platter: tuna, hamachi, crab leg, sweet shrimp, scallop, salmon roe, minced tuna belly gunkan, Japanese sweet egg

only thing worth eating for me was probably the prime fatty tuna and scallop. P said the salmon belly was fresh and good too - for those who like raw salmon. 

Food: ♥♥ to ♥♥♥

Service: ♥♥

Price: $$$

Sen-ryo

Shop 1086, 1/F Elements Mall, 

 Tel: +852 2196 8209

Veggie SF

Date of Visit: 27^th September 2010

Veggie SF @ LKF

My friend K is a vegetarian, and I took advantage of this and suggested we go to Veggie SF to try out some veggie fare. I was initially torn between Life Café and Veggie SF, but in the end we decided on Veggie SF….

We didn’t make any reservations, so we were lucky to get a just-become-vacant table when we arrived at half eight, in the fully packed restaurant.

 

 menu, with only six choices, but there's also a side menu of smaller dishes

"Veggie Balls" ($28)

texture was bouncy like a cross of fish and squid balls, in an aromatic and spicy curry sauce, with paprika on top 

8/10

"Spirulina spinach soup"

Soup of the day, part of the Light Combo ($78).

Not something I'd order, but it was good to at least try spirulina once. Spirulina is a fresh water algae, and is often trumped as a 'super-food' in the western part of our world. It is incredibly rich in protein, vitamins and minerals.... so yes it is good for you. But what did it taste like?? Gummy moss.  Sorry, but that was how it did taste, and I could tell only a little had been added because the soup itself was quite thin, but its flavour masked any spinach flavours...

4/10

"toast"

this came with option A, with the soup and salad. the dollop of pesto was very tasty - herby, the olive oil was pungent and the ground nuts were also pronounced.

8/10

"salad"

romaine, cherry tomatoes, mesclun mix, fresh mint, raisins, beet, chopped peanuts

the vinaigrette dressing was basic, but good nonetheless. I wish they listed the ingredients of the salad, so diners could have the option to remove certain items. I don't care for dried fruits to begin with. So the raisins, peanuts and mint didn't work for me, and I wouldn't have chosen to pair them together...

6.5/10

"I am fabulous" ($98)

veggie burger with a beetroot paté, cucumbers, tomatoes and alfafa sprouts. the sides were a salad and potato and pumpkin wedges. 

This burger tasted sinful and incredibly healthy at the same time. The beetroot paté was beyond our expectations. It was red, resembling medium-rare beef, but definitely fully cooked here! The patty was slightly on the thin side, and was a very tasty burger patty. The cheese layer on top can be opted out of if you are vegan, but the thin layer of cheese combined with the patty didn't even make me miss the meat!

Pumpkin wedges were damn tasty too - starchy and sweet, with a caramelized flavour from the grill. 

"Ginger Ale" ($20)

After the above we were so stuffed we had to skip the Ghiradelli Chocolate Sundae which San Francisco is so well-known for....=(.(note to self: must save room for dessert upon next visit!) The good food and friendly service we received definitely warrants a next visit for us!

Food: ♥♥♥ 1/2 

Service: ♥♥♥ 1/2 

Price:$$$

Veggie SF

10/F, Stanley 11, 

No. 11 Stanley St, Central, Hong Kong 

Tel: +852 3902 3902