Azure Restaurant Slash Bar offers the best semi-buffet deal so far.

We were a party of 10 people. We went there on May 12, Sunday, Mother’s Day. Azure has a special buy one get one free semi-buffet deal. A hostess placed us in a private room on the 29th floor for easy access given there were a few seniors. Normally, the 29th floor serves as a bar but the manager has turned it into a restaurant setting during the day time.
We were promptly seated and the hostess did pass out enough menus for all of us to order. The semi-buffet came with a choice of appetizer, main course, coffee or tea plus of course the semi-buffet. The appetizer had two choices of sashimi or seafood platters which included fresh oysters, shrimps, and crab legs. The selection of the semi-buffet was somewhat limited. While it lacked in selection, it made up in quality. There were cauliflower soup, fresh smoked salmons, sun dries tomato, a variety of salad, a few selection of cheese and desserts etc.
The main courses were outstanding too: flank steak was cooked to perfection, spring chicken was tender, fish & chips were done in the right way, and even pork sirloin with apple sauce was tender although it came with white rice.

I am not easily pleased and have been a harsh critic of many highly rated restaurants such as Domani at the Pacific Place to the point that Open Rice has refused to publish it. So far, Azure has won my praise. Azure may not have attractive waiters and waitresses but they were attentive, polite, and diligent. The overall pleasant dining experience had made a good impression on us. Whether Azure is on the coveted Michelin Guide is inconsequential as long as you know what’s good. But if you believe in credit rating agencies, then you probably should buy into Michelin Guide.

Grand Hyatt Steakhouse might not be my top choice when it comes to steaks, but they do have a few lovely appetisers and desserts that I really like.

(1) Their Seared Maryland Crab Cakes ($280) were delicious, with a beautifully fried surface and generous strands of crab meat in them.

Tuk Tuk Thai is known for their great-value, tasty Thai food. I sometimes come here for lunch when I am craving Thai food. They do take reservations for lunch but I'm not sure if having a booking will get you anywhere. It is really chaotic during lunch hour and the service isn't great as the restaurant seems to be understaffed.

A lunch set, which comes with a soup, a main and a drink, only costs $62.

(1) The Tom Yum soup had a beautiful flavour and there was also a suitable amount of ingredients in the soup. It was quite spicy, and I adored the spiciness.

I was very late to a dinner gathering at Mr. Steak Grill and therefore only managed to try the desserts when I arrived at the restaurant. However, the desserts turned out to be delectable - I didn't expect such brilliant desserts from this steakhouse.

(1) The Hot Soufflé ($68) was accomplished. The portion of the soufflé was generous, and the texture was fluffy and ethereal. There was a hint of ginger and a nice eggy taste, and the level of sweetness was just right.

Lemon chicken
Hot and crispy. I would prefer more sauce thoughSweet n sour fish
Very tasty. I love fish n they make it really niceFried squid. Very fresh
fried garlic sprinkled on top is very yummyBeef pot. Which has three spicy level to choose. We thought it won't b very spicy so we chose the middle level. It ended up really hot n spicy. So for those who can't eat spicy food should try the least spicy level Scallop egg white fried riceOverall a yummy meal
The service is excellent
There's a lady who is very polite and efficient
The food is made instantly upon order so they arrive very hot n fresh

I have heard great things about Le Goût, a tiny cake shop in Tai Hang, so I went to buy a few cakes for takeaway from them one weekend. Apparently the chef trained at L'Ecole Lenôtre, a highly reputable cooking school in France.

(1) The Mille-feuille ($42) was accomplished. The three pastry layers were appealingly thick and crunchy, and the custard tasted delightful with a natural vanilla taste.

I love waffles. I love looking at them, smelling them and tasting them. Even though my personal favourites are chewy, buttery and caramelised Belgian waffles which can rarely be found in Hong Kong, local versions of waffles are also a ray of sunshine to me.

Ocio is a cosy little cafe in Causeway Bay that is famous for their waffles and mille-feuilles. The first Ocio cafe is located in Mong Kok, and the owner later opened a second outlet in Causeway Bay. "Ocio" means "leisure" in Spanish, and the cafe attracts a predominantly young clientele who come here for their range of scrumptious desserts. The interior of the cafe, in a brown tone, is small but homely and relaxing. The prices on the menu are very reasonable and the portions are generous.

The mille-fueilles were sold out on the day I went so I didn't get to try any, but this meant that I had more stomach space for their brilliant waffles! The cafe doesn't take reservations and gets very packed during lunch hour and in the afternoon, so I sneakily came at 2.30pm when it was the least busy.

我實在很愛吃窩夫，當一碟新鮮製成的熱窩夫配上一個冰涷的雪糕球放在我面前時，我臉上一定會展現出一個燦爛的笑容。最近，我去試了銅鑼灣登龍街的OCIO。這小店的窩夫和拿破崙都很有名，而我就點了原味，朱古力味和綠茶味的窩夫，三款都做得很出色。我最欣賞是窩夫有嚼勁的質感，又不會太飽肚或太甜。我還點了其他甜品和熱飲，味道都不錯。價錢很合理，而且份量很夠，所以難怪OCIO近期都是銅鑼灣的熱店之一。

I've been to Amico a few times over the months, and the first thing you notice is the warm atmosphere resonating from the low ambient lighting, and warm accentuating colors of the decor all the way down to the Italian tile floor. The warm colors really make the place inviting and lend a European summer feel.

The front of the restaurant is elegantly stocked with Italian goods, and as soon as you enter you may notice some nice touches, such as the large coat closet as you enter next to the buffet table, and the modern and elegant wine racks lining the dining hall.

The service has been friendly, attentive, quick, and professional for each of our visits. After introducing us to their signature dishes, we ordered a little bit of everything--from Risotto to lobster bisque and porcini cream soup. Since we didn't mind sharing with one another we had a chance to taste a delicious variety .

As for the main course, we tried the prime beef, spring chicken, and king prawn in brandy sauce. The beef was juicy and tender and quite a good size. Although, I'm not a fan of seafood, I also quite enjoyed the king prawn. Overall, the dishes were well seasoned, sophisticated, and just delicious. Something I also noticed is that the staff did a really good job of coordinating how the dishes were served just at the right time, and left the kitchen just at the right temperature. Commendable too was that in between courses we were entertained by a couple of musicians who took requests for our table. A nice touch for those who enjoy listening to soft love songs.

It's quite satisfying to experience this high quality dining experience, and I highly recommend it.

Date of visit : 1 May 2013 (Wed) 3 pm
No. of diners : 8
Average cost per head : $205
Corkage : free on Saturday lunch
Food quality : 7.6/10
Environment : 7.5/10
Service : 7.5/10
Value-for-money : 7.5/10
Overall rating : 7.56/10

Indian restaurants in Tsim Sha Tsui is not only limited to Chungking Mansions. In view of a relatively large population of Indian in Hong Kong, there are still many Indian eateries scattered around the Yau-Tsim-Mong district.

Tandoori Nights sets itself in the medium-high tier, at least reflected from their price range and a stage setting with live performance by a singer and 2 musicians. The hour-long singing and music playing in high volume was not my liking as the venue was very noisy already. However, given the mandatory dancing and singing scene in almost every Indian movie, this may be what every Indian diner expects.

a) Masala Papad ($12) – 8/10This thin and crispy disc-shaped cracker was a good though simple appetizer. Even without eating with the spread by the side, the parsley, tomato and shallots already gave a strong flavour.

b) Samosa 咖喱角 ($32) – 7.8/103 choices of stuffings - vegetable, mutton and chicken were offered and we picked the vegetable one. Freshly deep fried and mainly stuffed with potatoes, not greasy and with the right amount of spice.

c) Daal Tadka 燜黃扁豆 ($72) – 7.5/10, Channa Masala 秘制雞豆 ($72) – 7.8/10, Aloo Gobi 馬鈴薯燴椰菜花 ($82) – 7.8/10Both the Daal Tadka (yellow lentils on top left) and channa (chickpeas on top right) were creamy, the chickpeas was even better as cooked with cumin and raw mango powder to spice up the dish.
I am glad that tomatoes and fresh coriander wer added in the aloo gobi (stewed potato with cauliflower) to give more dimension of flavours.

d) Seekh Kebab 串燒羊肉卷 ($112) – 8.3/10Minced mutton was seasoned with cumin and garlic, skewered and chargrilled. The flavour of mutton was not very strong (or just that the cumin has dominated everything).

e) Chicken Masala 咖喱雞 ($104) – 7.5/10The size of the dish was just slightly than a bowl of rice. Chicken pieces was pan cooked in onion tomato gravy which made it didn’t taste like those curries from Indonesia or Thailand.

f) Tandoori Pomfret 印式烤倉魚 ($162) - 8/10, Tandoori Chicken 烤春雞 ($158) – 7.5/10The pomfret was slightly larger than a man’s palm, however, it was well marinated with ginger, garlic and lemon juice to please the palate. For the tandoori chicken, whole bird on bone was marinated in curd mustard and few selected spices. Served in a sizzling hot plate as usual. The frozen chicken didn’t taste as good as it sounded.

g) Vegetable Biryani 雜菜香料炒飯 ($82) – 7.2/10Another bowl-sized dish. Indian basmati rice was cooked with seasonal vegetables and fresh mint.

h) Naan 烤餅 ($22) – 7.8/10, Roti ($18) – 7.5/10Both flatbread looked and tasted very similar, however, I would prefer naan as it has a softer texture.

i) Kingfisher Beer ($44) – 6.5/10
The Indian beer was pretty mild and tasted like soda, and it was expensive too.

05.2013

水: 酒店水池邊的餐廳;
魚: 深海魚類為主。提供可持續魚類。
吧: 有戶外位, 淺酌或可。

部份海鮮質素不錯但炸魚薯條不推介。

Lovely poolside alfresco setting;
Professional service;
Specialized in Sustainable fishes;
Decent seafood but limp fish and chips.
Might be good for drinks.



So close yet so far away:I've been working in this area for a number of years but have never tried this until very recently.

It's located right next to the pool at Marriott with an indoor and a small outdoor area (good news for smokers.) It could get pretty warm during the day though.

Menu:

The menu was rather simple and, as the name of the bar suggests, consists mostly of fish. What's interesting was that they supply "Simply Fresh Sustainable Fish". The manager showed us a black board with daily selections to choose from. The polite manager explained the differences in textures and tastes of those fishes, Garoupa , Barramundi, Red Snapper, Salmon, Sole...etc., as well as the recommended way of cooking - essentially, most of those were suitable for pan frying or grilling, nothing fancy really.

The sole was the "sole" candidate for fish and chips so that's what I ordered.Before I go on about the fish, I have to say the loaf of bread served was cold, hard as a rock and tasteless. The olive oil and weak balsamic vinegar did not enhance the taste. None of us touched it after the first piece.



These were what came with the fish:

French fries: Average. Less oily and less salty that those served at McDonalds but not significantly different otherwise.

Mushy peas were significantly diluted from the normal type of mush peas, which made it easier to dip things into it that normal. Nice pea taste.

Even theTar Tar sauce was also diluted. Taste was light. Little did I know that without these two condiments, I could not finish the whole fish.



I was expecting a nice and crunchy pice of sole dipped in golden crunchy batter and served piping hot. The moment I cut the fish open, my hopes were dashed. I didn't see any steam coming out of the battered sole.

The beer batter was a bit oily and soggy, as you could see from the oil drenched paper beneath the fish. The batter wasn't seasoned nor crunchy enough either. The taste of the batter was bland.

The sole lacked firmness. It was too limp at certain parts and I was worried that it was just half cooked. I think increasing the temperature of the oil should help significantly.

The vinegar which came with the fish was exactly the same at the one placed on the table for the bread roll. They should really use malt vinegar instead.

The type of salt they used (rock salt? sea salt?) was way too salty. This did not help the fish too.



My colleague commented that the different types of seafood in the fettuccine were fresh but the fettuccine itself was too tough (c.f. al dente). A bit pricey for$190.



Sleep with the fishes:

The fish and chips came down to Hk$180 plus 10 percent service. I can't recommend the fish and chips here - so I'm afraid a Crying Face it has to be.

If you like fish and chips, I'll recommend "Chippy" and "Jimmy's Kitchen". Nevertheless, I will not rule out returning to try their other fish dishes since they have a nice alfresco area good for drinks.

Fish and Chips: Not recommended.

Went to have high tea with my friends one afternoon. We've had our eyes set on the tea set at Kowloon Shangri-la for some time... one of the main reasons being the huge tea stand! The stand was set on the ground next to our table. We shared the set for 2 amongst the three of us. Theres quite a lot in the set, so we were all full by the end. There's 4 'layers': scones, savoury, sweet and petit fours. The set also includes 2 drinks, either coffee or something from their selection of teas.

I heard about Wild Grass from friend and finally had the restaurant visited last week. I’m not particularly fond of French or any other western dishes but I have to be a bit cliched to say they are doing a very good job. No matter you like organic or not, their food is recommended. I think $180 for a 2-course set or $198 for 3-course set for lunch like this is not expensive, it’s moderately priced.

Food:
I like the idea of adopting all organic, sustainable ingredients. They import organic wines and even single slice of meat or egg are from stocks fed organically!

Starter- Baked Breaded Goat’s Cheese, Beetroot Jelly, Rocket & WalnutsThe baked breaded goat’s cheese was scrumptious!! It was crisp outside but filled with savoury cheese inside! Also, rocket usually tastes bitter but it didn’t at all together with the cheese and their vinegar plus olive oil.

Main Course 1- Mergues & Chorizo Cassolett with Cous Cous, Lima Beans & TomatoIt reminded me the cous cous I tried and disliked in Italy in first impression. However, it tasted surprisingly good with the sauce. Those slightly spicy sausages increased my appetite.

Main Course 2- Wild Mushroom Arancini with Poached Free Range Duck EggThe mushroom arancini was fresh and good mixed with the smoothed egg yolk.

Service:
This is excellent. The owner Mr. Jean-Paul Gauci came and chatted with us. I like his smile, very passionate. Servers there are overall polite and helpful.

Environment:
I love feeling breeze while dining. Therefore, I was happy to be seated by windows. During daytime, the natural daylight illuminates the tables offering a bright, cheerful environment for a business or casual lunch occasion. If you get a seat at inner area, you will find the restaurant being dimly lit with a yellowish toned lighting enhancing the elegance of the dining room.

This was, frankly, a good experience. I know they hold special events sometime and I would recommend Wild Grass to all of you.

JS.

★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Chicken curry:
Got the chicken curry again because I haven't had it in ages.
When I tried the curry sauce it was so much hotter than before.
It turns out that they put chili in it because I found a chili seed.

Went to KFC to try their new XO Sauce chicken.

I got the set with the soft roll because I wanted a light meal.