I had read about this restaurant in a local magazine and decided to pay a visit before its official opening. Not surprisingly, there were only two seated tables when we walked in. Having had a positive experience at its sister restaurant in London, I was expecting the same kind of quality and authenticity that had impressed me then and I was certainly not disappointed!

Minced Pork Omelet Rather than a typical flat omelet, this came as a gigantic fluffy pancake. Though it would have fared better wiith additional pork stuffing within, the egg was crisp and moist with a hint of lemongrass and chili.

Lamb shank curryThis was a mild red curry with a huge lamb shank resting in the middle of the dish. The lamb was absolutely tender with the meat falling effortless off the bone and this was paired with the a sweet curry without it being too overly creamy.

Thai grilled chickenThis was my favourite dish of the whole night! The chicken was so tender and seared with a caramel sweetness to it. The best part to the chicken was the accompanying sauce which was absolutely amazing - it was a tantalizing mixture of fish sauce, crushed peanuts and chilli which gave the chicken an extra pinch of flavour.

A meal consisting of three main dishes set us back around $500 in total which is considered relatively expensive for a Thai meal in the middle of Causeway Bay. Yet, I understand that they are promoting high-end authentic Thai cuisine which I believe is reasonable given its quality of food. I will definitely return there once it officially opens and continue trying out the rest of the dishes on its extensive menu!

I originally did not have a booking at the restaurant when I first arrived but was whisked to a table almost immediately, which was a pleasant surprise. We opted for the set lunch menu priced at $138 which included a drink, soup/salad and main course. The staff were friendly and efficient, probably conscious of the fact that most customers were under a time constraint during lunch-time.

Cream on mushroom soupThis was a delicious creamy mixture with generous portions of fresh mushrooms. The soup had a perfect balance of cream and actual soup which was perfect to get your appetite going without feeling full after the first course.

Green Apple SaladThe salad, on the other hand, was unfortunately bland. Though the green apples were fresh and sweet rather than sour, the salad dressing that accompanied it tasted like a watery concoction of Thousand Island Sauce dressing.

Steak with a fried egg and coleslawThis dish was absolutely amazing and was the highlight of my lunch. The steak was lean but it remained tender whilst seared to a perfect pink. Pairing this with the semi-cooked egg with a delicious runny yolk and egg white on the top and a crispy friend egg base made for a delightful combination. The coleslaw also had a signature twist to it; tangerines were tossed into the mixture, giving the crunchy salad a juicy and sour tinge.

Spicy chicken with riceTo our surprise, the rice was not your typical jasmine rice but it was a long grained rice, similar to risotto. Nonetheless, the rice was mixed with basil leaves, pine nuts and figs giving it an authentic Cajun burst of flavour and drizzled with a touch of lime, it was the perfect comfort food. They were also generous with their chicken. Though they used chicken breast which tends to carry a tough texture, it turned out to be quite tender, soaking up the strong Cajun flavours in the rice.

My lunch experience here was certainly better than a lot of lunch experiences I have had in Central. Although smack in the middle of the hustle and bustle of Central, Simply Life can still give you a quick and tasty meal in a relaxing atmosphere!

Don't be fooled by the dark alley you have to walk through to get to the restaurant as once you enter, you will find a spacious outdoor eating terrace with a bar and indoor restaurant tucked inside. All the waitresses greeted us with smiles and were all very friendly. The menu, though limited in dessert selection, has a wide range of antipasti dishes, beautifully sliced cold cuts (which I regret not ordering!), traditional pasta dishes flavoured with their own twists and their famous veal selection. We attempted to try all types of dishes and most of them turned out to be quite tasty.

Breadcrumb coated crab cakesUnlike most crab cakes I have tried in the past, this had a rather thick layer of batter coating. This gave the crab cake a toasty crunchy texture with every bite. The filling was soft and creamy with the tangy salsa adding a citrus-y surprise to the filling. A downside to the crab cake was the minimal fresh crab meat that was stuffed into the filling which they definitely could be more generous with.

Semi-dried tomatoes and grilled marinated eggplants duoI am used to semi-dried tomatoes that have a tangy sour taste due to its natural preservatives. However, these tomatoes arrived on our table swimming in a pool of olive oil. To make things worse, the tomatoes were rather tasteless, leaving me with a mushy mess stirring around in my mouth. On the other hand, the eggplants were grilled to perfection, giving it a slight smoky taste. The marinate was also light, preserving its succulent texture.

Classic Spaghetti with meatballsThis was definitely one of the top 5 pasta dishes I have had in Hong Kong. The meatballs came tender and juicy with a hint of basil and rosemary tucked into the chewy mixture, though I was slightly disappointed that there were only two on the dish! The pasta was also cooked al-dente and there were hints of aioli tossed into the pasta.

Veal Sealoppini MarsalaTo our surprise, the dish was presented to us with two very thin and lean cuts of veal drizzled with limited mushroom sauce. As a result, the veal was slightly tough to chew through and lacked moisture. The sauce also lacked an aromatic mushroom flavour though there was a hint of the marsala wine.

Due to the shortage of staff, many tables were waiting on the waitresses to take their order and there were plates of food also waiting to be served. Many times, the overwhelmed waitresses would miss out certain dishes or requests that customers had made in the flurry of tasks that were awaiting them. However, my overall experience was above average, thanks to the amazing pasta and nicely cooked crab cakes. When I return, I will avoid the veal and focus my attention on their wide selection of pastas as well as check out their cold cuts!

The restaurant has a very comfortable and relaxing environment with large comfy sofas and spacious tables. They have an open kitchen as well, allowing aromatic smells to linger throughout the whole restaurant. Staff were also friendly and helpful in tending to our needs and introducing the menu to us.

1. Red tuna tartareThis dish was exceptionally fresh and bursting with flavour. There was no hint of a 'fishy' smell or taste and the tuna was paired well with the chopped onions and chives to give it a refreshing and appetizing feel.

2. Scottish smoked salmon with green asparagusI was very attracted to the cute 'flower' decoration the salmon and asparagus resembled when it arrived. Without disappointment, the salmon was lightly smoked to perfection and the asparagus was light and crispy.

3. Beef rossiniThis dish was recommended by the waiter and it was a seared filet mignon topped with a slice of fois gras. I must say, the fois gras was absolutely AMAZING and literally melted in my mouth like a slice of warm butter. The fois gras was not entirely fat but had a good proportion of liver in it. The beef was juicy and was again, very very tender. I especially liked how the dish was well balanced between the beef and the fois gras, hence you could experience both the beef and fois gras with every bite you took - a mouth-watering sensation!

4. Barramundi fillet with scallops & lobster bisqueI would say this dish was rather average and did not 'wow' me as much as the beef rossini. The barramundi was slightly overcooked, leaving a dry texture to the what would be delicate fish meat. Nevertheless, the scallops were succulent and very bouncy. Though the lobster bisque was a bit too salty, it gave the fish a little moisture and I just wish there was more to wipe off the plate!

I would definitely return here to try their different dishes and may be brave enough next time to try their famous escagots. I am happy to find such high quality and delicate French cooking at such an affordable price. This is definitely a hidden gem within Soho!

I was invited to dine at the Racing Club Western Dining Room by my dining partner on a quiet Tuesday night. Right from the beginning, I was impressed when the waitress at the front desk matched our booking to our party without having to ask us. Throughout the night, the staff were extremely friendly and knowledgeable about their menu and were very attentive as well!

I was also struck by their use of exotic and new ingredients which I had never come across. They were successful in exploring and cleverly incorporating them into traditional dishes without sacrificing the comfort and familiarity of popular flavours.

1. Swordfish Carpaccio scented with citrus & ohba (Japanese dried anchovies) with pomelo & seaweed saladThe swordfish was very fresh and paired very well with the citrus dressing to give it a well rounded flavour whilst the pomelo also added moisture to the swordfish. What I thought was very interesting was the crisp seaweed scattered around the dish. Rather than using fresh seaweed, they used dried seaweed crisps that gave the dish a salty crunch which I thought was a very unusual but tasty combination.

2. Pappardelle with grilled chicked aubergine & tomato sauceTo our surprise, ‘chicked aubergine’ meant grilled chicken and aubergine. The chicken and aubergine were grilled to perfection without it being overcooked and tough to eat. In addition, the tomato sauce was rich with fresh tomatoes tossed in the mixture of al-dente pasta.

3. Salmon poached in olive oil in shimeji mushroom & spinach ragout and herb jusThis dish was highly recommended by the waiter as he stated that contrary to how the outer layer becomes drier when the salmon is grilled or fried, the entirety of the salmon stays soft and succulent in the olive oil even when it is cooked to a higher level. When salmon is grilled or fried, chefs typically cook it to a medium rare level to avoid leaving the salmon dry and overcooked. True to his word, the salmon was extremely tender and paired very well with the creamy herb jus.

4. Beef tenderloin with Boston lobster tailThis was a special in this month’s menu and the waiter recommended the beef to be cooked at a medium rare level in order to fully enjoy the cut. When the dish arrived, I was immediately attracted to the tiny pearls sitting below the beef which tasted like cous-cous but was firmer in texture and rather chewy. We were informed by the waiter that this was in fact ‘Indian cous-cous’ made out of organic wheat! The beef was also very tender and cooked with a pink centre without being bloody. In addition, the lobster tail had a fresh crunch to every bite and they definitely were not frugal with the portion.

5. Yogurt pudding with blueberry and lime reductionThis was today’s special dessert and was recommended by the waiter for those who did not particularly enjoy eating extremely sweet desserts but still had the appetite for a final course. This was exactly how we felt so we went straight for this option. We were told to eat each bite with all the ingredients in one go and I must say, it was a perfect combination. The pudding was not sour but had a rich milky and creamy flavour, typically what you would expect from Hokkaido milk puddings. The berry reduction was also very well paired with the pudding, giving it a slight sweet zest to the creamy mixture.

The entire bill came up to around $400 per person, which in my opinion, was a very good deal given we had two glasses of wine in addition to our food. It was a wonderful dining experience straight from the entering the restaurant to the signing the bill. The food was impeccable and the staff were very helpful and friendly, they definitely paid attention to every detail of the dining experience. I will definitely be back for more!