Chicken Factory (西環)

It’s my second time ordering Chicken Factory and the service really could use some improvement. Greetings from staff isn’t welcoming to begin with and to top it off an item was missing. Luckily it wasn’t any of the add-ons, but only the ‘Seaweed soup’ from the lunch set ($49).
Food-wise: portion was reasonable, Hainan chicken, tender and the oily rice so-so. The chicken coconut with jujube soup (+$28) coconutty, but lacking in chicken taste.
The handcrafted coffee (+$12, with milk and sugar already mixed in) on the other hand has a rich aroma and just the right amount of sweetness.

Hungry Korean (荔枝角)

Visiting place: revamped old factory district. Located on the third floor of D2 Place Two, the Lai Chi Kok Hungry Korean looked grand. Unlike the branch in Tsim Sha Tsui, this one was a lot more spacious. In terms of comfort, it does a pretty good job (although the seats could be softer). 
For starters, we had Dumplings ($34) and Honey Garlic Chicken Wings ($46). The dumplings were crispy and dry on the outside, and soft and moist on the inside. For more flavour, dip them in the lightly spicy soy sauce. On their own, they tasted just as great. As for the wings, expect a garlicky snack with a splash of sweet honey. If you like honey and garlic, well, this dish is meant for you.      For mains, we ordered Bi Bim Bap ($46). Rather small in size, it is the right choice if you like to try/share different types of food or if you have a small appetite. To spice things up, add as much hot sauce as your taste buds can take. A sizzling hot dish seasoned to your liking. Tips: Don't wait too long before stirring, unless you like burnt rice and raw eggs. 
Next on the list, was Spicy Hungry Ramyun ($46). A small portion was enough for a rather spice-phobic such as myself. Look at that red soup! Topped with sliced fishcake, the spicy soup was served with noodles that had the right kind of chewiness, not too hard and not too soft either. Toss in an extra $15 for Ban Chan (Kimchi, Scoop of mashed potatoes & Fishcake) for a fuller "Creative. Healthy. Delicious." experience. 
To test the creative part, I have yet to try the Beef Burger or Jia Jiang Fried Rice. Some improvements to look forward to on the service part.   

Green Common (尖沙咀)

哇！好耐無係lunch hour食齋啦。
班同事為咗食Green Common對面嘅雪糕決定嚟呢到食中午飯。為咗杯雪糕有幾盡？答案係：極速地食然後直衝過去間雪糕店排隊。
其實Green Common嘅室內設計有啲似Ikea餐廳。
有個corner畀人買健康食品、都幾modern㗎。拿位自己黎、落order同埋卑錢唔該去具面。
呢到都幾注重環保同self service㗎、飲水自己沖啦。不過食物係唔使自己去拿會有職員帶過黎。
食物方面同服務態度都過得去啦。碟「純素芝士肉醬意粉」（＄58.7）番茄醬酸咗啲、稀咗啲但肉粒模仿得好似真一樣，似熟過頭唧肉。味道都接受到但我都係鍾意食菜多啲。
其他人叫咗意粉、「海南素雞配黃薑米」（＄69.7）、「麻醬植物雞絲粉皮」（＄64.6）、漢堡包等等。

意粉同漢堡包賣相都ok（我幾鍾意篤著漢堡包唧Beyond Meat標誌）唯獨係海南雞睇落唔太開胃而且聽食呢碟餸唧人話：『又硬又乾，食得好痛苦啊！』好彩甜品有美味雪糕食。
因為每張單超過200蚊所以得到免費杏仁水3支。我地只係開咗1支其餘2支都卑返餐廳等佢送卑第二個客。可能太健康唔識欣賞，呢啲情況底下飲水最實際。雖然唔係個個都對素食有興趣但其實食齋都可以唔太dry、最緊要揀啱自己口味。

南海一號 (尖沙咀)

Friday night, window seat harbour view in iSquare -- a result of months of preparation. This year, we celebrated mom's birthday at the fancy Nanhai No.1. For this big event, we made a 50% deposit and a reservation one month in advance. To satisfy our group of 16 people, we decided on Menu B with a few adjustments. 
Appetisers
Guava in Plum Flavor ---> Crispy Shredded Yam
This first snack was the highlight of our appetisers. Displayed in a pyramid shape, the thinly shredded yam, crispy from top to bottom with a drizzle of malt syrup. The bottom yam shreds were a little too sweet -- being submerged in syrup. It still deserves two thumbs up though. 
Baby Shiitake Mushroom in Sweet and Spicy Sauce ---> Crispy Pork Belly
Every piece was crispy (skin), moist and soft (meat). This dish was served with mustard and white sugar. 
Jelly Fish with White Pepper and Sesame Oil
The jelly fish appetiser had a strong sesame aroma. I usually enjoy this kind of food, but I found it not salty enough this time. 

Mains
Roasted Whole Suckling Pig
As you would expect good suckling pig: crispy on the outside, and tender and moist on the inside. Top with sauces for more flavour. 
Simmered Grouper in Seafood Soup ---> Daily Soup (Pork Shank with Chinese Yam & Lotus Seed)
What a refreshing flavour! Absolutely yummy. This was a great soup. 
Sautéed Prawn in XO Sauce
I did not taste this one, but I could see the prawns were big. 
Grouper Brisket with Spicy Chilli ---> Steamed Leopard Coral Grouper
There were two fish on the plate for this dish. It was a little undercooked I think. 
Crispy Chicken with Fried Garlic
Same as for the pig, the chicken skin was crispy and the meat, tender. A little salty for my taste, but still acceptable. 
Simmered Vegetables with Mushroom in Soup
Like what one can usually find in Chinese restaurant for "fancy" vegetable+mushroom dishes, a rather thick and gooey sauce. Personally, I like simple sautéed or slightly boiled greens. Less is more. 
Fried Rice with Diced Grouper 'Fu Zhou' Style
Nothing too special. I will give it a pass. 

Desserts
Double Boiled Aloe with Snow Fungus ---> Black Glutinous Rice Cream
It smelled sweet, but may be a little heavy after all the food served. 
Sweet Jujube Jello ---> Green Tea & Taro Jello
For those looking for less traditional desserts, the Green Tea & Taro Jelly is modern treat. The dessert had a cool refreshing feel from aloe along with a few taro cubes to munch on. We were still not done, the restaurant offered us mini longevity buns. It is always pleasing to receive presents I suppose.  
Overall, we were pretty satisfied with this whole experience. One downside was probably the rather sticky floors. Other than that, the service was good especially at the reception. Nanhai No.1 is a great place for celebrations (or perhaps more for romantic moments). 
 

Zoe (尖沙咀)

A while back, I visited three stores in the hopes of finding THE cake for my mother's 60th birthday. I was set for the last store, but in the end came back with my father to the first one, Zoë. 

The Zoë Cake with hazelnut cream and crunchy chocolate base seemed to suit everyone's taste best. With a big dinner ahead, a moderate size such as the square 10" ($1,300) would be more than enough for 16. The only addition we asked for was the golden "壽" (longevity - $80) character. As for the rest of the design, it was entirely up to the pastry chef — a bit of suspense for us then.Surprise, surprise! The cake was a success. Everyone was talking about it. It not only looked delicious, it tasted just as good. The most impressive part of the Zoë Cake was how the cake, only about 8cm tall, had at least seven layers to it. Every bite was a mixture of sweet, crunchy, creamy, tasty and soft textures — each so distinctive. I have to say: What a wonderful cake!