It's been a while since my last blog, and what better way to pick up where I left off than with a full tummy and complete satisfaction at a modern yakitori joint

Service
Came here on a Friday at 8pm and was told the wait would be around 2 hours, so my friends and I had a drink at a nearby restaurant down the street. Before we knew it, after about 1.5 hours, I got a call saying our table would be ready soon. Yardbird staff are all chilled out and all full of smiles. We had to call out a few times to one of the friendly servers as it was a full house, but they were quick to respond.

Food
From chicken heart to tail, you would think their best dishes are all about the chicken, but I found quite the opposite to be true!sweet corn tempura
so crispy, so sweet delicioushad to give the tail a try, but it was just too fatty for me and could take no more than one bite. The waitress saw this and took this item off our bill. It wasn't necessary but a very nice gesture. slightly sweet, loved this dish!a tasty combination of tender meat and yolkfull of flavour and not too sweet, we each had two orders Verdict
It's always loud and noisy here, but also very chilled out. I like that this place is quite small. Of course this means a longer wait, but if it had the capacity for more, it would lose the homey feeling and turn into more of a food court. I would be glad to come back

Came here for a friend's birthday celebration on a Saturday night and was surprised to see the restaurant nearly empty. Better for our group I suppose since it felt almost like a private dining room We went for the three-course set dinner...

Service
This place would not have even been an "ok" if it weren't for the friendliness of the staff. Granted there were only a few tables and thus no reason at all for them not to be attentive. The waiters also very gladly took photos for us. One even boasted about how good a photographer he was. Nice people.

Food
Too bad I was not blown away at all, even somewhat disappointed. Starter scallops - a bit on the salty side. Wasn't bad, but nothing to rave about.lobster bisque - waaaayy too salty that I had to dip bread into the soup and eat it that way. I'm normally a huge fan of the soup part of the meal, but could only finish half of this bowl.My friend described the cod as buttery, but I could not taste the buttery-ness. Instead, the cod felt "slippery." Not to say that it was raw. It did have the "melt in your mouth" kind of feeling, which I'm sure a lot of people prefer. But the fish was bland. I couldn't make out any particular taste with the sauce. Saving the best for last? The petits fours were much better, and I loved the pecan crunch! But if I'm paying almost $700 for a meal, the petits fours alone being delicious just doesn't cut it.

Verdict
The staff took a polaroid photo for our group, a nice little gift for the bday girl Apparently they are no longer giving out stuffed bears, owing to a change in management. Not sure if their dishes on the a la carte menu are worth a try, but it might take a bit of convincing for me to be back.

I've been told that this is the best burger joint in town. Can't believe I had never been in all my 1.5 years living in HK. It's so good that it makes packing on a few (hundred) more calories worth it.

Service
Ok the service kinda sucked. On a late Sunday afternoon, the place was packed, and there was only one waitress. The food took a little longer than expected (around 20 minutes... which I'll let slide since the burger was so good) and the trash left behind by people sitting at the table before weren't cleaned up until we asked the waitress a second time. Other than that, you pretty much self-serve everything else, and get your own drinks in the fridge.

Food
The burger hands down stole the show. Maybe it's just the tea set, but the smaller sized burger was so much easier to eat. The toppings didn't fall apart. The patty was juicy as well, and cooked just right (I'd say it was between a medium and medium well - I'm not a fan of bloody nor burnt meat patties). The sesame bun was also sweet and so delicious that I could've eaten it by itself. The potato wedges paled in comparison though. They were a bit too soft and not crunchy enough for my tastes. Next time I'll try the curly/twisted fries and mozzarella sticks - the table next to us ordered it and I couldn't stop looking over!

Verdict
I'll be baaaaccck!

Came here on a Saturday and had to wait a little while. Mou Mou Club differs from other hot pot venues in that it's cleaner and has fewer options on the menu. The buffet section had a decent selection of fish balls, veggies, tofu, sausages, tomatoes, noodles, corn, mushrooms, etc. but limited sauces. No sha cha or peanut sauce *sigh* But if memory serves me correctly, adding $20 gets you unlimited Asahi, score!!

[Service]
The waiters here are friendly but can be kinda slow (not sure if this is some sort of tactic to give us less meat as the eating session is timed).

[Food]
We had a pot with two different soup bases ~ both sides ended up overflowing and thus the flavors were all mixed anyway -_-" The flavors of the soup bases don't really stand out, especially after mixing the cooked foods with soy sauce. Did anything really stand out here though? Not really, it's just your average hot pot. We found it strange that the meat looked different every time the waiter brought us more O_O But it was okay. The dessert at the end was also just your average supermarket ice cream. Not bad, but nothing really wowed me here.

[Verdict]
It's not expensive for all-you-can-eat, but the selection is meager compared to the average Chinese restaurants serving hot pot. I don't really see how it's Japanese style though besides the fact that there's udon... which is quite often used in Chinese hot pots. Regardless, I don't mind coming back to this place, though it wouldn't be at the top of my choices.

It should come as no surprise that with any fine dining restaurant, the wait is normally a few weeks. Chesa's no exception, but this place was truly worth the wait! Especially for cheese lovers... this place is cheese heaven. Amid the grandeur of the Peninsula, you almost would miss the humble entrance of this restaurant. From the outside walking in, it looks like some storage room. Inside, however, is a dimly-lit, cozy Victorian-style living room. The perfect setting for dates and nice for small family gatherings, but kids under age 3 are supposedly not allowed in according to the website. Whether they observe this rule is beyond me.

Service
As expected, the waiters here were very friendly and ready to assist. Your glass doesn't go empty, or at least not for a long time. Also helpful with food selection if you're not sure what to order.

Food
[Riesling]
If you like overly sweet and carbonated wine (I do!), order the bottle from Mosel, Germany. It will complement your meal.

[Bread basket]
Let's start with the bread basket, as that's complimentary and always comes first. Nothing too special about the bread. Unfortunately it wasn't one of those where you could simply savor the flavor of the bread. I had to add butter. The pretzel bread was nice though - imagine a lightly salted and very soft pretzel but in the shape of an American football. It was pleasant and I wish they had served more of that

[raclette]
Following the mediocre bread, I was relieved to find that the raclette cheese was sooo gooooddd. A slice of cheese thinner than the plate itself. I compared this to the raclette at Swiss Chalet and found this to be better. It was bit burnt (which I liked) and didn't have much seasoning on top, which left the cheese in its almost natural state *drool* Served with potatoes and a side of olives, gherkins, and pickled onions. Eat together with the cheese. Yums!

[champagne fondue]
Mouthwatering and delicious. I LOVED IT. The cheese used was emmental, a Swiss cheese that is popular for fondues. It has a creamy and light sweet flavour, and blends well with plain sour dough. The bit of champagne did not overpower the melted cheese, but rather complemented it. I found both the fragrance and the taste of this enriching. I lost count of how many bread cubes I dipped into the pot. It was just too good to resist >.<

[veal with mushrooms and cream sauce]
This came a bit later, when I was almost full from the cheese. Luckily I had some room left in my stomach for this, because it was again amazing. The veal was thin and tender, and the creamy, gravy-like sauce - which was a little on the salty side - goes well with the blander potato sticks meshed together like a hash brown.

[chocolate house]
One word: overrated. I was already full at this point but took a few bites. It looks cute, but doesn't mean it's good. Maybe I just like sweeter and thicker pieces of chocolate. The vanilla ice cream was also just alright, nothing too spectacular.

Verdict
Given the price, atmosphere and quality of the service and entrees, and the fact that I'm a cheese lover, I'd gladly come back. Wouldn't order the dessert, but yes to more cheese, meat and wine Us three girls sat there for 3+ hours.

If you're off to Elements for dinner on a Sunday evening, be prepared to wait for a table... that is, unless you're dining at Yamashiro. I was surprised to find that all the restaurants at Civic Square were much quieter... almost dead quiet compared to the hustle and bustle inside the mall. My friends and I had wanted to try some of the other Japanese restaurants downstairs, but there was a wait at each venue. Yamashiro was actually our last resort, as it looked expensive, but we were in for a nice treat!

Unlike typical Japanese restaurants, which are adorned with traditional Japanese decor (think Shoji room dividers, sliding doors, brush art, etc), Yamashiro has a more modern feel to it. From the outside, it looks more like an Italian restaurant. And when I first walked in, I thought I'd be getting fusion food. But rest assured that this place has a decent Japanese menu - one that's quite innovative as well. Just bring enough money if you want to leave the place feeling satiated. sushi bites ~ so very good. I may not be a sashimi fan but I do like spicy tuna, and the ones here were fantastic. The mayo and chili sauce blended well together (although to be fair, I don't think I've ever tasted bad spicy tuna anywhere). The sushi were presented neatly and almost artistically I'd say. plum wine with soda. We opted for this rather than plum wine on the rocks (which would've meant less volume lol). Plum wine by itself is delicious. The soda just made it sweeter, which I don't mind, and added some carbonation, again which I don't mind. plain udon with shrimp tempura on the side - nothing extremely special about this, but my friend wasn't feeling well and this was something nice and simple and not too salty. the tempura was battered and fried to a crisp. I like how the shrimp wasn't humongous (like how it's served in some other places) as it somehow gives the dish a more exquisite feel that matches the restaurant's setting, if that makes any sensethe soba was good too. It was the udon's twin really. They both tasted the same... the only difference was the noodlesthis snack was yummy though a bit on the dry side (looks like they used white meat). It was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. From the picture, you can tell that it's flavorful with the flowing lava of sauces the eggplant was one of the innovative dishes for me. Half an eggplant served with the skin, with each side tasting different. I liked the green side better and thought I tasted some seaweed flavor in it. The other side was pretty bland.

Would like to come to this place more often if I had the budget. Even their lunch sets range from $148 (daily grilled fish set) to $350 (Australian beef tenderloin stone grill set) O_O Sounds pretty baller to me...

Japanese all-you-can-eat seated buffets are becoming quite the rage in Hong Kong. But is it value for the money? Or is the quality of the food sacrificed at a cheap price? Kaneda has its ups and downs... some dishes were nice while others were just blah. It's not expensive, but I'd rather spend $200 elsewhere. Too mediocre for me to come back. if you've read any of my previous reviews, you'll know that I'm not a sashimi fan and thus it wouldn't be right for me to judge the sashimi. My co-workers found it okay though, no complaints, and they ordered more, so I'm guessing it wasn't bad. I just like sharing sashimi pictures because they're colorful I wish they had English translations on their order tickets like at Kichijyu in the Loop. NO to the mushrooms. They were dry and plain (no sauces to add flavour... boooo) and the bonito flakes didn't make it better because they were dry and plain as well The best part was the sawdust pudding dessert (right), which had a strong creamy and milky flavour, with crumbs at the top. On the opposite end of the spectrum was the creme brulee - the worst I've ever had >.< It was not only bitter and cold, but lacked the crackly caramelized top coat as well. I wasn't expecting anything fancy as I'm sure desserts aren't the restaurant's speciality, but seriously this was so bad... major disappointment.日式汁煮牛肉鍋... umm... I'm not sure if this was an attempt at sukiyaki... because if it was, it was very very sad. You can't just put some cabbage, mushroom, tofu and beef in super sweet broth and call it sukiyaki. That just doesn't do sukiyaki any justiceon the brighter side, this tofu (with a bite taken out of) was good ~ the sauce was sour, and sour things are appetizing in general, at least for me. I think I had about three of this... not worth $200 just for this though lola thumbs up for the okonomiyaki! very flavourful, lots of mayo and okonomiyaki sauce... what would normally cost about $100 for one I can get unlimited here! finally... an entree that I liked! woot! I wasn't sure what to expect when I read its name on the menu at first... the small circles that you see are balls of fried cheese, and the corresponding Chinese name is "a bite of cheese" ~ how fitting. The cheese wasn't very cheesy... as in it didn't have a strong flavour, but it was alright... the 年糕 had a vague cheese flavour as well. As a cheese lover, these two items get only a mediocre rating from me.

Overall... the quality of the food here varied drastically. It's one of those places that I'll say I've been there done that, but probably won't be going back... at least anytime soon!

Came here for lunch on a Wednesday. The place was never fully packed even though we were there at peak lunch hour, which is a surprise as the food here is good! Only problem is there's very few waiters. At one point, only one sleepy-looking waiter was serving the entire room of customers.

Lunch sets here are a bit pricier than the typical Wan Chai lunch, ranging around $80, but worth it. It's got four courses after all: miso soup, steamed egg custard, entree and then dessert. Both starters were quite disappointing, however. The soup was too salty (even for me... and I'm the type to add soy sauce to rice) and the egg custard was pretty plain. The mushroom in the custard had almost no taste. Maybe this meshes well with the overly salty soup, but I would've preferred if some of that sodium from the soup went to the egg.

Thankfully, the food after was a lot better! The tempura was crispy and even came with a side of fatty tuna (though the fatty tuna was a bit too hard to chew). My mistake, however, was not ordering the spicy tuna rice that my friends ordered. I had a taste of the fish and it was fresh - chewy but not elastic. I'm not a huge fan of sashimi, but the spiciness masked the rawness. Generous portions too - one of my big-eater friends couldn't even finish the whole thing!

For dessert, I went with the western choice of black sesame ice cream. Sweet with a strong black sesame taste, and not too milky - it was very good in my opinion!

This place wasn't the best Japanese cuisine I've had, but I look forward to getting the spicy tuna rice next time!

I had brunch here a few weeks back with some friends, and think the branch in Causeway Bay is better than the one in Soho simply because there's more room inside. Got there at around noon and waited less than 15 minutes for a table ~ not bad for a Saturday!

As always, I ordered eggs benedict, a brunch favorite, and the one with mushrooms was quite nice! The eggs were poached to perfection - thin layer of cooked egg white wrapping the liquid yolk. I was able to poke at it lightly a few times without it bursting. There was a good amount of Hollandaise sauce, enough to add sourness to the bun but not over the top so that it drowned out the plain yummyness of the egg.

Drinks-wise, in addition to the usual coffees and teas, the restaurant offers a number of smoothie choices, including mango, pineapple and orange flavors. The mango smoothie was pretty bland, but still refreshing. I guess a bit more sugar to it wouldn't have hurt, or maybe I just prefer smoothies to be sweeter. At least it was healthy!

The waiters were friendly for the most part... until the end. Don't decide to order muesli just for one when there's three of you. The waiter gave us an attitude when we told her we wanted just one order, but I'm glad we stuck with just one as the muesli turned out to be just alright anyway. Nothing really that special about plain yogurt, rolled oats and a limited assortment of fruits.

Overall, a two thumbs up to the eggs benedict, a one thumb up to the mango smoothie, and the muesli was just okay.

Loveee brunching on chill Sundays, and decided to try the semi-newly opened "American" restaurant at Civic Square in Elements. I recommend sitting on the upper level during the day as the dining room is comfy (aka spacious) and naturally well-lit with floor-to-ceiling windows (is there another word for those??)

The setting, while praiseworthy, is most definitely NOT a positive indication of the food nor service, much to my disappointment.

Talking first about service, the waiters and waitresses just... don't know how to wait on tables. It gets old, but often times a huge complaint for dissatisfied patrons is that they didn't refill your water. And yea, that's what happened here too despite the restaurant being mostly empty the whole time we were there (testimony perhaps to its sad service/food?) The service was also ssslllooowww. How long does it take to make a martini? (Ice, alcohol and pineapple slice does not equal 20 minutes) Amateurish much?

Cost-wise, the lunch sets are decently priced... that is, until you take a bite out of their pulled pork ciabatta. Then you feel ripped off!the slushy martini wasn't bad. The liquid nitrogen, which the waiter spilled over my pants by the way, really wasn't necessary though and lasted a whopping 15 secondsclam chowder was a thumbs up. Lots of clams and not too watery. no to the ciabattas and prawns paninis, which have no real distinct taste. The burger one of my friends ordered that wasn't on the set lunch menu was quite good actually. It may have been that we ordered the wrong stuff.

The check took a long time too. Not sure I'll be back until the waiters undergo some serious training!