Bettys Kitschen   (Closed)

Now known as St Betty

CRS REVIEW SERVICES

FSAP Grade: 31/100 E-

Food: 10/50
CRS tries to be as unbiased as possible, yet this restaurant truly deserves the dread 20% rating in the food section. Steak was extremely expensive, yet inedible, as pretty much all of it was composed of fat with a blob of meat in the middle. Disappointing. Another disappointment would be the eggs benedict, which loosely resembled mashed up salmon on sourdough bread. Very disappointing

Service: 8/20
Despite being the only ones there- it was very early in the morning- food came extremely late. Perhaps they should switch the waiters with robots- despite being inanimate these creatings would get the job done better.

Ambience: 9/10. a very cosy and warm ambience with a panoramic view of the harbour. Certainly what you want to peek out at in the morning.

Price: 2/10
The aforementioned beef was extremely expensive! going to a local char chan tent for beef would be better!!!

We booked a reservation for a party of 10, but when we arrived the staff told us that the group would have to sit separately since 4 more people showed up - that it was impossible to accommodate a table for more than 10 (under any circumstances). We made the reservation, they accepted it without stating clearly that they are unable to handle group of more than 10; and then not only couldn't they accommodate it nor giving us alternatives, the hostess was in fact rude. Apparently, it's the patrons who should use their "common sense" and just know that Betty's won't be able to seat more than 10 to a table... even when reservations for 10 were made and accepted.

Horrible experience overall; inconsiderate waitress, rude hostess and an incompetent booking / reservations system. The manager was 'ok' and seemed somewhat concerned for their patrons - otherwise, just about everything at Betty's was a 2 of 10. I am totally disappointed at this experience with Betty's Kitchen and would definitely never recommend it to anyone.

Betty's kitchen launched afternoon tea set recently and received good response. Booked in advance for afternoon on wkend.

Enivronment is good with good view over TST/Kowloon seaside. Seat planning is also comfortable.

Service is excellent, all waiters are very considerate, patient and always available to serve with great smiles.

Back to tea set ($328)Organic assam tea is strong and pure in taste. Friend's juice is fresh as ell. upper layer: scones: a bit sticky but creamy and warm. clot cream is great. middle layer: finger sandwiches- 1) cucumber ith dill cream- normal, 2) roast beef ith mustard, yummy, 3) house cured salmon -yummy, 4)cheese gourgere

We are coming second time in ST.Betty. The food was good, but, the service is poor!
 The Nepalese Captain have are bad face and strange eye contact, 
We asking the ham plate is what, he say is 5J ham plate, is ham man, 
We need some water, he say only have are bottle water,
We need some bread, he say is by request, but, we can see every table have bread,
We order orange juice, but, waiting about 15 mins, Not body taking,
And he often cough, Oral odor,
The ham plate is are new food, is good and salty,
The pumpkin soup we request no mushroom, but, is having inside,
350g rib eye steak is same quality before, Medium was good, but, we don't have steak knife,
The mushroom risotto was good, Have Japanese Sutaki inside, but, we don't know is have two size, The captain why don't tell me that,
We finished the food but not having the dessert menu, 
I can see some staff is lazy, but, the price in IFC is expensive!

Betty"s Kitschen changer the shop name to St. Betty start from 1st May 2012, because the new coming from Australian。
We are first time in St. Betty enjoy dinner, very quiet and romantic, we seating by the window seat, enjoy elegant Victoria Seaview.
The very nice Captain Alex the attitude of professional and attentive, smile naturally and enthusiasm to introduce the characteristics of food, Orange juice is fresh homemade, beef salad very fresh taste, Rare beef and yummy dressing, and the 350g rib eye steak correct temperature in medium , side dishes spinach and tomato onion salad from Alex recommend order. So happy & Satisfaction
St. Betty in IFC is are fine & casual dining restaurant, I will go again！  

We wanted to grab a nice and satisfying dinner before meeting up with our other friends for a girl's night, so the two of us booked a table (quite easy compared to most restaurants being full in Soho!)

Both of us were felt like some steak or ribs with mash as an occasional treat!

So my friend ordered the Short Beef Rib with Truffle Mash, and I ordered the USDA Rib eye steak (medium rare) with Mash for sides.

Short Beef Rib was slow cooked for 7 hours, it was really tender and had really strong fragrant beef flavour, didn't try the truffle mash but my friend cleaned her pot.

My steak was was dry aged for 21 days, it was cooked perfectly and very succulent - very strong beef flavour, I also cleaned my pot of mash

We were watching our calories so didn't go for dessert, rather, we went for camomile tea and pink rose buds tea to polish off the heaviness of the meaty meal

I love this place, it had such a beautiful night view, will definitely bring other friends or family along next time!

Claiming to be a kitchen with homemade food, I came for a try on my birthday lunch!
It isn't really that great, and the service wasn't hospitable at all, we ordered food and waited for almost 30 minutes but we still have to sit and wait for food to come.

So Lunch sets are a bit expensive, and for 2 course meals it is $298, and plus 10% service charge.
We chose salads as the appetizer and we chose either beetroot salad or the american cheese one, the quality was just so-so.The chicken linguini was great, a bit creamy but the chicken wasn't really very fresh nor homemade as the waiter claimed.

Further, actually we booked table for 6 but they still kept us waiting at the doorside when we arrived, I think the service quality still has room for improvement.

After not working in Central for so long, a trip to Bettys Kitschen reminded me of how expensive Central could be for mediocrity.

The restaurant was pleasant enough: huge windows that made the best of daylight and harbour view, tables were nicely spaced out... but oh, what's that on the table cloth Jam from breakfast... So I moved to the next table, hmm, this one has orange stuff on it... onto the third table. Come on, this is a fairly fancy restaurant charging fairly fancy prices, please make some effort beyond the decor. After sitting down for at least 10 minutes, still no one came to offer at least some water, most unusual service.

As I said, I was a little unaccustomed to prices in Central nowadays but $238 for a full breakfast (without drinks), $288 for a meat pie The set lunch at $258 for 2 courses (w/o tea or coffee) suddenly looked remarkably good value for money by comparison. All 3 of us opted for the set lunch with beetroot salad with goat cheese as starter and paella as main course.The beetroot salad was decent. Nice chunks of beetroot (both red and yellow) and two pieces of good-size goat brie on toast with drizzle of honey. It would have been much better if they were less stingy with the frisée and the honey; the former was scant and the latter was literally just a hint. As for the toast, could they at least remove the crust from the sides That would improve the presentation immensely...

As expected, the paella was a tiny portion but looked good. After the salad, I knew not to expect a lot of seafood in my paella. There were 1 mussel, 3 small clams, one of which full of sand, and a few pieces of baby octopus. It tasted fine but nothing to shout about.

Though still hungry, I really could not bring myself to ordering dessert. My cousin ordered the panna cotta with berries. As you can see from the picture, it was fresh from the fridge! I know, I know, obviously the panna cotta would be from the fridge, but seeing it with condensation dripping just killed appetite.

The one redeeming feature of the lunch was the espresso, rich and hot, and at $18 a shot, it was the only thing worth its price.

There is a big group of captive audience in IFC but still, they are not without alternatives. Bettys Kitschen needs to pull its socks up if it intends to stay in business for a while.

I struggled about reviewing this restaurant as there are already many recent reviews and I didn't take any photos. However, I do have some thoughts about the place and since it was only yesterday when we went, my short memory can recall it.

I was quite intrigued about this restaurant. The name, type of cuisine, whether it was casual or chic, expensive or not, maybe because it is unlike any of Alan Yau's restaurants that he opened in London. Since we wanted to celebrate a friend's birthday early ( her birthday on NY's eve, so inconvenient), it was between here and TWB and there is no booking at TWB.

So, the menu looked varied and I liked that they serve breakfast/brunch also as I like those smaller meals most.

As I was lazy and love foie gras, I went for the 2 course Christmas lunch which had a foie gras terrine starter and fish fillet served with chestnut puree. Birthday girl went for the All Day Breakfast and our other friend also had the 2 course Christmas lunch but she went for main course and dessert. Her choices were roast Capon with Brussels sprouts and stuffing and the chocolate and chestnut chocolate log.

As I always judge a restaurant by their bread and coffee, the fresh and crispy baguette scored high. Strange thing was that there were 2 for the 3 of us. They were quite hard to break apart, so could be a bit awkward if people don't know each other well. But hey, that didn't stop me.

My foie gras terrine was a big chunk with a tiny balsamic vinegar salad and a piece of toasted brioche. After the Christmas binging, it was a bit much. Luckily, my friend helped with a little and I happily ate the rest with the baguette. The fish main course was comparatively small but the fish had a good firm texture and flavour. My friend's Capon was done really well and even the breast was tender instead of squeaky or dry. Birthday girl's All Day Breakfast looked great, it even had fried Black Pudding, a real British treat if you like fried animal blood. My friend didn't and I wanted to take it home to my daughter but we forgot. My daughter is a Black pudding fan but we can't find it anywhere in HK. All 3 of us are lovers of All Day Breakfast and are always on the look out for a good one. Here, we found one.

Maybe it was Christmas overeating again but birthday girl said she didn't like any of the desserts on the menu. The Christmas log was beautifully presented as it was a small log all by itself instead of a slice of a big log. However, it was too sweet for any of us.

I had read that the coffee at this restaurant was served in glass pots with no lids. Luckily this had changed to normal cups and the coffee was good. So all my boxes are ticked.

And I get it, I know what it's about. Good fresh, unpretentious food and atmosphere. Not cheap but a nice experience. Will want to come back for brunch or tea some day.

Not sure why 'kitchen' is spelled this way. Maybe it's an attempt to prove that they are trying to do something different. Sometimes trying too hard, doesn't get the result you want.

Replacing Harlan's old space in IFC mall, it's tucked away in the corner, and my mom and I found it while searching for a breakfast place on Tuesday morning.

The place was practically empty, but as per Hong Kong style, had lots of staff around.
The decor gives you a fresh feeling, and the big windows to the waterfront helps (except for the construction outside). Why there are an overpopulation of ceiling fans beats me; got no clue, and seems redundant.

I got he Eggs Benedict ($98). It came on top of bacon and a huge slice of baguette, covered in Hollandaise sauce. It was very good except for the fact it came to me almost cold. However, the eggs were poached perfectly (and they were round!) and burst when pricked with a fork.
My mom got an over easy egg, also on a baguette. It was more scrambled than flipped over.

We both got knives that were too dull to cut through the bread and had to ask for steak knives. We couldn't have been the first.

We both also ordered drip coffee ($48). Tip: just order one and share. It basically came to us in two pots (there were not covered and got cold), and I usually only drink one cup of coffee a day, and today I ended up drinking 3 with leftover.
I also got Soy milk with my coffee. I liked that I had the option, but I still preferred the taste of the black coffee. I have to say it wasn't rich enough for my taste, and seemed watery. I would expect better at this price.

I think by Hong Kong standards, and in IFC it's okay, but would need to be improved to stay in business!

the venue is nice, with a good view and the ambiance is pleasant.

order: duck fat fries, truffle penne, breakfast plate

the duck fat fries didn't taste like duck fat fries. the truffle penne didn't taste like truffle and wasn't even penne but one big sheet of pasta rolled into the dish. my breakfast plate was supposed to be poached eggs, but they were soft boiled!

the food was ordinary and expensive for what it was. for brunch i would go somewhere else, if it weren't for the convenience of being in IFC

Had a few friends in town visiting and decided to check out Betty's for lunch. The service was top notch as well as the view of the sea. However I was shocked at the prices on the menu. $238 for a burger? wow. That is quite pricey if you ask me. Yes, I realize we are in the IFC and yes I realize you pay for the ambiance, but that was a bit expensive. Opted for the pre fixe lunch menu which consisted of 3 courses. I chose the beet root salad for a starter however they ran out, so the second best option was the salmon tartare on purple potatoes. Presentation was beautiful, but the taste was bland. My main I got risotto which looked honestly like vomit. The taste was super rich and cheesy, however the presentation with the yellow rice, the white foam and the red looking sauce honestly reminded me of someone spitting on the PRC flag. Blah. We actually were running late and did not get dessert (fail) but our bill was quite hefty, which included a 10% service fee as well.

Betty---- here is the bottom line- don't think I will be coming back, unless your portions either get larger or you lower your prices (which as we all know will not ever happen). Good luck.

Green bean lobster soup - it's all cold when being served to the table. The lobster meat is very hard and need to be cut up by knife. This is the first time i need to use knife to eat a soup. The lobster meat seems to have been cooked and stored for a long time already. The soup and lobster meat seem like 2 completely separate items which are not supposed to be put together. I got frustrated with the lobster and want to throw it at the waiter but afraid it will bust his head.

Water melon salad - basically a fruit salad which is available in any fast food restaurant.

炆牛肋骨 (for 2): the portion is ok as it's quite greasy which is expected and normal. first the waiter showed us the dish which does not look hot already. then he put it on the table trying to cut it up. then he seems to have trouble then he takes it to another table trying to cut it up. i was hoping the plate was heated to keep the meat hot. finally the meat is barely warm when being served on the stone-cold plate. it's disgusting to swallow cold fat.

side dish cherry + onion, fries - no comment.

Cream brulee - too cooked. not smooth enough. portion is surprisingly big though which is the highlight of the meal.

Everything costs 1600 for 2 persons. This is indeed a very mediocre meal even for a casual dinner.

The location is very convenient, but the food is very disappointing.

We had a big group of 10 people and each of us ordered different things. The food tasted bland at best and the portion is miniscule.

The burger was smallest I’ve seen in HK.
The dover sole looks decent but was overpriced and not very fresh
The skinny girl breakfast was so flavorless.
For $68, Normandy yoghurt was so tiny. It was the size of baby portion like the ones you get from city super… for babies!
Despite their claims, the fries were cooked with re-fried oil … tasteless and rubbery.
Roasted lamb was ok, also overpriced and a little bland

We ended up almost ordering double for everyone. We had some left over and asked to take it to go. The waiter told us we were “not allowed” to. He said he had difficulty explaining this policy to other customers but they simply don’t allow it. Not sure if they changed the policy now.

Went for brunch on Sunday.The full English breakfast (sausage, bacon, mushrooms, tomato, beans and 2 eggs) was very good. The bacon was meaty, salty just right. The eggs, fried were a tiny bit over cooked, excellent mushrooms, nice black pudding - not the best but nice, sour dough bread, Toulouse sausage - nice but perhaps not the best for a breakfast plate.The caesar salad was well dressed, nice miniature lettuce, but the seared tuna was slightly disappointing as it was not seasoned.Overall a reasonably enjoyable meal.