喜客比薩 (沙田)

Okay, it was lunch time on a Monday, but still, no wait time. The manager guided us to a table for four, even though we were only two, and thoughtfully took away the extra place settings. Already of to a great start, as we had bags to stow on the spare seats.
I wasn't too hungry and was wary of the pizza size. Finally decided to split the mushroom mania pizza with my companion. We had it on a thin crust and ordered the small one.
Thankfully the pizza was not one of those giant American constructions. The base was wafer thin and the mushrooms were, as promised, fresh. The truffle oil added a really luxurious taste.

藍納泰 (九龍塘)

If you're hanging around Festival Walk and feel the urge to splurge on some Tom Yum Lanna Thai is not a bad choice. Okay, I'm not raving about it, but it wasn't bad. I stupidly felt like a little spice, though and of course got heaped with chilli. It would be so much better if they just put it on the side and let people help themselves, like most restaurants do.
My lunch partner liked her Tom Yum, I was very happy with the chen doll drink to cool the chilli.
For dessert we had the sticky rice and mango. Now, here's the thing, we had had it before. In fact we had taken two portions home. When I tried mine, though it was salty instead of sweet and creamy. A bit unexpected. I thought the chef had made a mistake so tossed it away. What a pity.
Well, once again it was salty. Of course the staff don't speak good english despite being in one of the top malls in Hong Kong. Eventually a charming manager came around, but even he had a wee bit of difficulty deciding what I wanted. It was this... first... is this how this dish is supposed to be Would you taste it and check If it is correct I am happy to eat it like this, if not... please change it.
Yeh that was a marathon session.
Well it was correct apparently but before I could dive in to the new experience, of course the plate was whisked away and the sauce changed. The sweeter version was great, and so I would give that the thumbs up if you have a secret love of a simple dish.

羅勒印度餐廳 (鰂魚涌)

There are no other Indian restaurants in Quarry Bay that I know of. In fact the whole area's a little dead these days since the Thai Orchid, Einsteins and that lovely Pizza placed closed. There used to be an Indian restaurant at this address previously and I would often order from there when working night shift - and I might add was seldom overjoyed at my food. The staff, however, were always nice enough.
So whilst wandering the streets in starvation mode after a heavy gym work out we decided to stop off at Tulsi.
We shared a dish of samosas - three pieces (HK$30)
I had the dahl makhani (HK$55) my friend had tandoori chicken half (HK$68) and we had garlic naan.
The chicken smelled and looked delicious and my friend said she was happy with it. I suspect a miscommunication with the waiter ended up in us being given two servings instead of one. My dahl was tasty and as I had asked them to hold back on the butter and cream, not too greasy. The naan was very buttery and fresh. I would recommend this as comfort food if you decide to go to this restaurant.
Sadly the service was just awful. The serving staff seemed completely disinterested in the clients, and there was the inevitable wait for the bill.
The thing is that the food was not good enough to lure me back for that kind of service.

Nomads (尖沙咀)

I'm moved to write about this place because, despite it being nowhere near gourmet food, it's still a great place for an easy meal with friends. Good place for an office party because the wide permutation of food is sure to please everyone from vegetarians to piscavores.
What sets it apart is that the staff are fantastic. They smile, they look like they enjoy what they do, they make eye contact with customers and service is swift and efficient. Emptied plates are cleared in a flash.
So for those who don't know what a Mongolian bbq is, you grab a tray with a bowl and a sauce bowl and work your way down the line, adding whatever you fancy to your dish. First up is the rice and noodles, then a selection of vegetables, bamboo shoots, mushrooms, and on to the proteins, with tofu for the vegetarians. The sauce station takes up about a third of the whole buffet. I recommend the Mongolian sauce which is rich, deep and mysterious. Spices and other aromatics complete a gastronomic journey of the silk road.
If I were to make any suggestions it would be to have fresh mushrooms and pineapple rather than out of the can.
In the Nomads in Ulaan Baatar, the chefs are performers, with sword like knives they use to flip the food. Space does not permit this in the Hong Kong version of the restaurant, but the design of the place is very well thought out.