I recently tried the summer lunch menu at Kashiwaya 柏屋 in Central - the only overseas branch of the 3 Michelin star kaiseki restaurant Kashiwaya in Osaka! Located on On Lan Street, the restaurant had been designed immaculately with paintings from renowned artist Shiro Tsujimura to even the distance diners will need to walk from the elevators to the dining room. The owner and head chef Hideaki Matsuo wanted customers to experience a moment of zen before eating his kaiseki cuisine which is designed with the seasons in mind. His well-trusted student Atsushi Takahashi, who has trained at the original restaurant for over 20 years, had been selected to be at the head chef in Hong Kong. The dinner menu ranges from $1800, $2800 and $4000 for 9, 10 and 11 courses while lunch is more wallet friendly at $680 for 6 courses. The building that Kashiwaya is housed in has 3 elevators actually but the one closest to the dining room had been locked in order to force the customers to walk a longer distance. This is so the customer can experience a moment of zen by immersing themselves in Japanese art and culture. The first thing you will notice is a bell in the shape of a fish which is used in a monastery to signify the start of a meal to the monks. As you turn the corner, there are paintings by Shiro Tsujimura which are showcasing the sentiment of summer in addition to a washi wallpaper where the unique pattern is solely owned by the Sugino family in Kyoto with over 600 years of history.In addition to 8 counter seats and 4 tables in the main dining room, 2 private rooms are available as well which are named "Kaori" and "Minato" which means Hong Kong.I sat at the counter to enjoy the summer menu using specially sourced fresh products from Japan. 先附 / Appetizer

The first course was a refreshing combination of asparagus tofu, Gyrophora mushroom, wasabi, sea urchin and sweet potato. The subtle flavors of the tofu was balanced perfectly by the sweetness of the uni and the savoriness of the mushroom. 煮物椀 / Simmered Dish

The next course is a delicate simmered broth of peached pike conger, white gourd, white gourd skin and yuzu flower. The eel is a popular summer fish in Kyoto and requires a skilled chef to remove the abundant amount of tiny bones in the fish!造り / Sashimi

The two kinds of selected sashimi of the day were a lightly seared Suzuki (Japanese sea bass) and Aji (Japanese horse mackerel).八寸 / Hassun

The Hassun comprised of two boxes:

- on the left was a pike conger sushi with sweet soy, sushi ginger, Okinawan Spinach dressed with sesame and walnuts, sweet potato, broad bean, soy marinated ricotta cheese, eggplant with red miso, snap bean and dry fig.

- on the right was a roasted French duck breast, pumpkin wheat mochi, leek with tosa vinegar and mustard.

I was instructed to start with the box on the right first before moving onto to the one of the left. I loved the flavorful duck breast and while I found the pike conger sushi to be a bit dry, I thought the side dishes (especially the ricotta cheese) were very interesting. ご飯 / Rice

The rice course was a Ichijyu Sansai (which means one soup, three sides) with Koshihikari rice, miso soup and three kinds of side dish. Koshihikari is a premium short-grained rice prized for its sweet nutty flavor and chewy texture which went nicely with the side dishes including tamagoyaki, marinated tuna and spinach. 水物 / Dessert

The dessert signified the end of the meal which was a beautiful milk pudding with honey jelly and topped with pineapples, kiwis and blueberries. Verdict - I highly enjoyed my meal at Kashiwaya with its authentic kaiseki cuisine and attentive service which made me feel like I was back in Japan again! It is definitely worth a try for those who wish to try a traditional kaiseki experience in Hong Kong.

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Greater China Club is becoming a one stop dining destination by offering Italian and Japanese in addition to Chinese cuisine. I had a fantastic meal in the Chinese dining room last year so I was curious to see how the other cuisines will fare. The Italian restaurant Cadenza is offered in the lounge and as the chef is Spanish, the cuisine will also incorporate other European influences as well.

The Homemade Tomato Tartare Secret Recipe ($88) was unique and interesting as I've never had tomato made into a tartare before and the flavors were very nice and refreshing.The “Pettine” Carpaccio , (Scallops) with Fresh Almond, Apple and Black Truffle Dressing ($138) had a bit too much truffle oil for me which covered the flavors of the scallops but I did like the contrasting textures in the dish.The Deep-Fried Cepes Risotto “Arancini” Filled with Beef Cheek Ragout Black Truffle Sauce And Foam ($82) was another creative dish that tasted great too.The Grilled Homemade Semi-dry Aged US Prime Ribeye ($428) was aged for 14 days which was nicely cooked to medium rare here.If yout think this is just a ice cream bar, think again. It's actually a Caramel Panacotta with Carmelized Almonds ($65) in the shape of a popsicle!The “Cadenza Surprise Egg” ($65) was another creative dessert where the egg was cracked open to reveal the inner layer of passion fruit and mousse. 

After the closure of the Fatina & Chefo, EAT & PLAY cafe in PMQ, Chocolate Rain's Fatina and Chefo are finally back with a new summer afternoon tea set at the Garden Cafe in City Garden Hotel! Four super cute desserts inspired by the latest fantasy book "Magic Black Forest" are being offered which you can order separately or altogether as one Magic Dessert Island ($350):

1) The Magic Mushroom House ($98) with a custard-filled cupcake that looks like mushroom
2) The Chocolate Rain Forest ($108) looked like a Christmas log with chocolate sponge cake filled with whipped cream, blueberry jam and maraschino cherries 
3) The Treasure Box ($98) was my favorite with freshly cut bananas, candied walnuts and custard bundled together with a paper-thin crepe
4) The Rainbow in the Sky ($108) looked magical with sea buckthorn berries, lychee and cucumber panna cotta toppped with a beautiful pink cotton candy ballThe afternoon tea is only available until the end of August, and the best deal is probably to order the Magic Dessert Island so you can try everything altogether and the portions are big enough to share between 3-4 people. 

Le Bistro Winebeast is one of my favorite French bistro in Hong Kong with its quality food and reasonable prices, and I was glad to learn that it moved to a bigger and better location! One of its main selling point is that the wines at the restaurant are priced exactly the same as their retail shop so you're not forced to pay higher prices unlike most other restaurants. My only complaint of the old shop was the cramped spaces and uncomfortable seating which was hard for frequent visits so the new location should solve that problem as it is big enough to contain both the wine shop and restaurant as well. We came here for dinner and had the 4-course tasting menu for $458 plus wine pairing for an additional $100 which is such an amazing meal. The tasting menu changes every 4-6 weeks but you can order a la carte dishes as well which contains most of its signature dishes. On top of our tasting menu, we had an appetizer platter where you can choose from a variety of Frapas (French Tapas) at $38 for 1 Frapa, $68 for 2, $98 for 3, and $128 for 4. We had the Beef Tartare, Croquette of Haddock Brandade, and Homemade Hummus, and my favorite was of course the famous beef tartare with smoked chili, red onion pickles, basil oil and coriander!The first dish of the tasting menu was the Sea Bass Tartare with pineapple marmalade, red onion, and cream of horseradish. I liked the tartare as it was fresh but I thought the pineapple marmalade was a tad too sweet which overwhelmed the flavors of the fish.

Wine pairing: Alsace, Audrey & Christian Banner, Les Saveurs 2014I loved the beautiful and colorful plating of the Seared Red Tuna and Pan-fried Foie Gras with reduced raspberry vinegar jus and fresh fruits, but there was a bit too much going on with all the different sauces and fruits so I'm not sure what I'm supposed to focus on.

Wine pairing: Bourgogne, Dom. Pierre Damoy 2011However, the Braised Beef Cheek with grilled new onion, horseradish jus, and spring onion oil was executed beautifully with rich flavors and tender textures.

Wine pairing: Bergerac, Ch. de Larchere, La Coste du Moulin 2013The Strawberry dessert was also outstanding with strawberry and lemongrass coulis, marshmallow, vanilla and wasabi mascarpone, and strawberry sorbet. It wasn't the first time I had wasabi in dessert and it was very well-balanced here!

Wine pairing: Cremant de Loire, Langlois Brut RoseFollow me on Facebook! www.facebook.com/supertastermel

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Erawan Thai Premium, a sister branch of the Michelin recommended Moon Thai, is now my favorite Thai restaurant in Hong Kong! I don't usually make big claims like that, but I think you may agree with me after trying the award-winning Fried Crab with Tom Yum Paste here. Helmed by Executive Chef Lek who has over 35 years of culinary experience at Mandarin Oriental in Bangkok and Hong Kong, the food is traditional and authentic which is just what I've been craving for and reasonably priced as well.

Both sister restaurants serve the same dishes but what sets them apart are the creative cocktails available at Erawan Thai Premium with a new mixologist on board. I tried the Ocean Wave ($68) which looked gorgeous with its blueish ombre hue while the taste was fruity and refreshing with lychee flavors. Grilled Pork Neck ($88) is a dish that I always order at a Thai restaurant and the texture of the pork here was juicy and bouncy but a tad leaner than expected. I loved the accompanying tangy and spicy sauce though which was really appetizing.Red Curry with Roasted Duck ($138) is another favorite of mine and while the curry was spicy and flavorful, I thought it would have been better if the roasted duck had been laid on top of the curry so that the skin would still be crispy. I liked the use of fresh fruits in the curry especially with the sweet and juicy pineapples and lychees.I usually don't like to eat vegetables but the Fried Morning Glory with Belachan ($88) was a classic dish that I could eat everyday.Finally the dish that stole my heart was this Fried Crab with Tom Yum Paste (market price)! The whole stir-fried crab was really fresh and sweet while the tom yum sauce was amazingly delicious as it was spicy and sweet at the same time. It was so good that we had to order naans in order to finish off the sauce with it. This was hands down the best crab dish I've had this year!The Fried Tiger Prawn with Spicy Thai Herbs was another award winning dish that not only looked grand in presentation but also smelled deliciously aromatic from the spices and herbs they were stir-fried in. Our meal ended on a strong note with this Mango with Glutinous Rice and Coconut Milk ($88)! The mango was really fresh and sweet while the glutinous rice was superb as it had just the right amount of sweetness and texture. J was so impressed he finished all of the rice while I happily polished off the mangoes. Verdict - I was very impressed with the food at Erawan Thai Premium and I'm definitely coming here whenever I'm craving for the fried crab with tom yum paste!

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The rose petal gelato definitely looked pretty but the rose flavored gelato tasted pretty artificial while texture of the gelato was just off, plus the cone wasn't crispy at all and chewy like plastic - it was totally not worth HK$66 for the quality. I mean if you've had Amorino before, this doesn't compare at all and locally there are better places for ice cream.

Singaporean dessert queen and two-time winner of Asia's Best Pastry Chef Janice Wong has descended into Hong Kong with Cobo House by 2amessertbar where she will be showcasing her signature edible art desserts along with a full-blown savory food menu for the first time! Located right next to Artisan Room in Shek Tong Tsui, the spacious restaurant embraces a chic and yet minimalist design with simple black and white color tones so diners can concentrate on the food right in front of them. The best seats in the house are probably at the dessert bar counter with front row seats to the pastry chefs in action but since I was with a big group of friends, we sat at one of the tables next to the floor-to-ceiling windows and ordered some snacks and desserts to share since we were there for afternoon tea. Tsujirihei Green Tea Tart ($108) is a lava matcha tart made with Kyoto green tea and served with jasmine rice sherbet. The matcha was rich with a slight bitter undertone which was nicely balanced by the lightly flavored sherbet. Shades of Green ($118) was inspired by the Nanyang breakfast of kaya toast and kuih bangik in Singapore with pistachio sponge cake, coconut mousse and pandan ice cream where the flavors of all ingredients were evident and came together cohesively. The aerated frozen Chocolate H2O ($128) was one of my favorite desserts here with 65% dark chocolate, Evian, salted caramel, Kochi yuzu sorbet as it was both pleasing to the eye and the taste buds. Inspired by dead coral on the coast of San Sebastián, the rich chocolate and caramel flavors were perfectly balanced by the refreshingly tart yuzu sorbet!Inspired by cherry blossoms, the Cassis Plum ($138) is another must-try here with cassis bombe, elderflower yogurt foam, Choya granita and yuzu pearls. This edible piece of art was featured in MasterChef Australia and comprised of many layers of flavors and textures that came together perfectly like a sweets symphony!I was impressed with the artistic presentations and creative flavors in most of the desserts here which are definitely worth a try for the reasonable prices, and I'd definitely be interesting in coming back to try the savory menu as well! Executive lunch sets start from $198 while dinner set starts from $428 along with a 13-course degustation menu at $1280.

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Thanks to a slew of new hipster cafes opened in this area like Teakha II and LIFETASTIC, I've come to discover Shek Tong Tsui - a quiet little neighborhood sandwiched between Sai Ying Pun and Kennedy Town. This time, I was here for Artisan Room which strives to encourage its customers to disconnect from technology and connect with each other instead with a large communal marble table inside and comfy sofa seats surrounded by greenery in the spacious outdoor patio. The first thing you will notice inside the cafe is the massive Gothicism slow-drip cold brewer from South Korea's Dutch Lab which is literally a piece of art itself with its intricate and ornate designs. The cafe is also the only one in Hong Kong which uses coffee beans from Costadoro - an Italian brand founded in 1890 that is known for its slow-roasting of coffee beans at low temperatures and air-cooling the roasted beans to minimize the moisture.I was recommended to try this Macchiato Latte ($40) with almond milk where the espresso and the milk was served separately on a customized copper plate. I took a sip of each before pouring the espresso into the almond milk which turned out to be a heavenly combination with its sweet and nutty flavors.Besides coffee, the cafe has also partnered up with S'il Vous Plait to offer its sweet and savory eclairs which I had been dying to try! There were about 4-5 different sweet eclairs to choose from and I ended up trying the gorgeous purple colored Sweet Potato and exotic Chili Chocolate. The sweet potato was a bit mild in flavor while the chili chocolate was seriously spicy - I'd probably prefer the spiciness to be more toned down but I applaud its bold flavors. I really want to try the Banoffee flavor too which was sold out when I was here.I love the environment at Artisan Room (especially the outdoor patio area) which offers an oasis from the hustle of the city with a diverse offering of coffee and non-coffee drinks such as tea, beer, Italian soda and juice. I'd have to come back again to try its cold brewed coffee and savory eclairs!

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208 is a rustic New York-style Italian restaurant where you can rely on to get good food and have a great time for a reasonable price. My first visit was several years ago when J took me here for my birthday and we were impressed with the Neapolitan pizza which are made in a custom pizza oven from Italy so we came back to try the revamped menu at the lively bar area recently.

We started the night with some aperitivo - J went for the classic Negroni with Beefeater gin and olive while I chose the Fiore with Suze gentian liqueur and soda. Both were on the strong side but the bartender came prepared to adjust our drinks since everyone's preference can be different. Both the Fig, Curd & Vincotto Crostini ($78) and the White Anchovies, Raisin & Almond Crostini ($78) were delicious to eat as the combination of ingredients resulted in matching flavors and I especially adore anything with fig! The Mushroom Arancini ($78) was crispy on the outside with a creamy filling which was paired with a tasty truffle mayo.I liked munching on the crispy Whitebait Fritti with Salsa Verde ($88) like fries but the fritters could have used more seasoning though. The Polenta Cake with Maple & Mascarpone ($68) was moist and mildly sweet with a crumbly and grainy texture. After we were done with our bar snacks, we got some house bellinis next to go with our pizzas and mains. We tried the Cannella with pear & cinnamon and Sicilia with Limoncello & blood orange - I loved bellinis and I would have preferred ours to be a bit sweeter.We ended up trying 3 different pizzas and my favorite of the night was the Tuscan with a delicious topping combo of mozzarella, goat cheese, semi-dried tomato and crispy bacon plus I just love the crispy crust and chewy base of the pizzas here!

Salmone Affumicato ($188) with mozzarella, smoked salmon, horseradish, creme fraiche, black olive.Boscaiola ($178) with tomato base, mozzarella, cotto ham, mushrooms, peas.Tuscan ($198) with mozzarella, goat cheese, semi-dried tomato, crispy bacon and garlic.The Gnocchi ($128) with Pea, Mint, Walnut and Pancetta had all the classic flavors of a comfort dish and I especially loved the chewy texture of the gnocchi. We ended our savory dishes with a bang with this delicious Slipper Lobster with Garlic Risoni ($248). For our desserts, we each got some digestive cocktails with Hot Buttered Rum with Gosling's dark rum, Cointreau, chardonnay, butter, aromatic and bitters and Espresso Martini with Absolut vodka, Kahlua and espresso. Each were good in its own way but I think I prefer the hot buttered rum more with its rich aroma and soothing flavors. The Salted Pear & Frangipane Tart ($78) tasted rather light and not too sweet but I thought the pear flavor could have been stronger. The Warm Chocolate Fudge Brownie ($88) was my absolute favorite of the two with its rich luscious flavors, crisp edges and molten center!Follow me on Facebook! www.facebook.com/supertastermel

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This Purple Yam & Apple Compote Croissant was actually pretty good for only HK$28! The croissant was warm and crispy, and even though there was a lot of sweet potato, the purple yam was mildly sweet so it wasn't overbearing at all - makes for a great breakfast or snack!