Third wave coffee is all the rage, at least in California and other parts of the USA. Some of the overrated and overhyped places get a lot of hipster love as well, because it is cool to visit and drink the type of coffee where they place emphasis on where the beans come from and the roasting/brewing process. While some are good, there are those that adopt that attitude, and the results do not shine in the very end.

So I had a little chuckle when someone called Coffee Academics "HK hipster" coffee!
A friend visited here and took some really good pictures, and recommended this place to us.

Unfortunately we did not share the same love.

Bottom line, the cakes/pastries were very good. The matcha square cake was probably close enough to Salon de The (Robuchon) quality. 

The coffee however, left a whole lot to be desired. Particularly the Chemex and the Ice Drip.
There was emphasis in those "single point of origin" and kind of beans they used. But in the end they both tasted rather weak. I've had stronger tasting Kyoto style drip, and cold brew coffees abroad. So not sure what is the issue that lead to this quality.

They offer free WiFi in here for customers, but unfortunately for my iPhone 6, the signal kept coming and going.

The goal was to hit up the grill room for breakfast, after seeing a ridiculous looking video clip uploaded to the WOM guide where they served a tableside ham and eggs (upscaled via Iberico ham and perhaps duck eggs, over some delicious looking salad). Unfortunately they were closed, so the only other choice for hot food was Cafe Causette.

The experience overall was quite pleasant. Not busy at all but there was still a moderate wait of about 5 minutes. We were lead to a table further back from the reception area. After that it was fairly smooth sailing.

This is Central, and it's the Mandarin hotel, so do not be surprised by sticker shock. 

Cafe Au Lait was fairly textbook in nature, but well executed. Perhaps it cannot compare to a proper French bistro. I was glad I didn't pay hotel prices for a Starbucks...

The egg florentine was somewhere in the mid price range of their breakfast choices, some a touch too much for me to spend. The side of sauce (Hollandaise?) was nicely done, but I really really enjoyed the style of poached egg, where the egg white was so damn fluffy. I live in California and I have yet to taste an egg done like this, which goes to show the level of skill and effort put in, even for a hotel restaurant like this in HK, is significantly higher than where I am from. The only way to get an egg done like this where I am from, is to go to some out of the way place, or a fancy upscale restaurant. It's pretty sad.

I did not taste the ricotta pancake, but my friend enjoyed it. The presentation of serving it in a skillet is quite unusual, but it works.

The breakfast here is nothing earth shattering, but if you are seeking a place off the street and want to indulge in conversation with your dining compadres, in a hotel, with comfortable surroundings and adequate service, this is not a bad choice.

One evening in early January 2013, I had a very memorable experience at Sushi Mori 鮨森日本料理 in Causeway Bay, right in front of Mori-san himself. It was my one and only visit, and it was extremely memorable. I had been wanting to come back.
Then fast foward sometime to December 2013, I tried looking for Mori-san, but he left the restaurant. Then much later he resurfaces in North Point (closer to Fortress Hill) at Sushi Mori Tomoaki where he has more business decision power, and his loyal local fans managed to find him.
Mori-san is an interesting fellow. Half Kansai Japanese, half Hong Konger (he's also a local!). And he speaks both fluently. His father is trained classically in kaiseki, though he chose the route of sushi. Made a reservation at the bar in front of him the day before, and it was like reconnecting with an old friend. Non stop conversation with delectable solid bites in between. As it was my last lunch in town, I did a pretty much full blown omakase and went to YOLO town (in the United States, young girls love to use the term YOLO, YOU ONLY LIVE ONCE, but usually they are partying hard in Vegas and puking on the dance floor with their Cosmopolitans), despite the fact that two days prior I went to the 2nd best nigiri joint in Osaka.

So yes, Sushi Mori Tomoaki, is a very pleasant experience overall, despite the fact good sushi in HK is not a cheap endeavour. I still enjoyed my lunch very much.
The entrance is just a wall with an electronic sliding door, and a set of noren with a Japanese symbol. If you do not look for this, you will miss it. Then again this is the only JP restaurant on Shell street.
The restaurant expanded in the past 8 months to include two sushi bars side by side. All of the staff are well trained, but you want to sit in front of Mori-san himself.
To start, a spectacularl gorgeous authentic chanwanmushi with Matsuba snow crab, mushroom, yuzu zest (grated from fresh imported Japanese yuzu). Silky smooth, intense, delicious just like the one I had in Kyoto.
Thick pickled ginger slices (akin to daikon) placed on the earthenware dish. No excess moisture and very pleasant with a crisp.
Nigiri time! But before I begin, I want to place emphasis on Mori's style of sushi. It is not traditional Edomae, which you can find at very many places. His approach combines tradition with non tradition, in a way that works very interestingly. In that sense, his approach is subject to interpretation, and there will be fans, as well as those who do not understand it (and unfortunately be quick to judge). Once you realize what he is trying to accomplish, you may appreciate his work that much more. While the quality of the fish is very good, there are likely sushi snobs who will think the Michelin star places offer far superior quality. While that may be true, Mori-san compensates for this by applying very interesting techniques to further enhance the experience, and in some ways may work as good as, if not better than the competition.

Openrice only allows me to upload 12 pictures, but I ate far more than that. I went for the dinner omakase (nigiri omakase) but during lunch. Yes I was willing to go big...
Shima aji - a prime specimen with delectable garnish and knife strokes
Buri (wild JP yellowtail) - a light brush of nikiri seals the deal
Kawahagi (filefish) with raw liver on top - Two places in SF Bay Area used to offer this seasonally and now they don't get them anymore. Such a pleasure. The liver is soft and runny, guess it is advantageous for JP/HK to be within 4+ hours of air travel.
Aji - So delicate, with very light garnish! This lunch is getting good!
Applewood smoked Nagasaki oyster - fecking incredible
Seko gani kani miso (香箱蟹) - the tomalley/inside of the female JP crab head. Looks like ankimo had a one night stand with mustard seeds. Very interesting
Aka mutsu - look at the knifework on that!
Kohada - it's not a tip top prime specimen, but Mori-san puts in the necessary skill (and fusion touches) to make it complete. First he marinates it in apple vinegar which is already very unusual. Then he puts a thin layer of kelp on top, akin to Osaka style saba sushi (battera). His reasoning: you can find Edo style sushi easily in HK, the dare to be different and doing it right, makes you stand out. And I have to agree.
Kuruma ebi (imperial shrimp) - Last time I had this was Akiko's San Francisco before chef Ricky left last year. Here this specimen is more crisp and spectacular.
Chu-toro - it's excellent, can't complain
Shirako (cold milt) - look at the picture, it's so fecking CUTE! Seared and prior to that, smoked with apple wood. Genius and creamy!
Seared meiji maguro (baby bluefin) - Ridiculous hard to procure. He sourced this cut to a katsuo (bonito) specialist vendor in Japan. Sometimes baby bluefin are caught in the nets meant for bonito, and thus a rare treat.
Otoro - sublime
Japanese uni - nuff said, looks a bit like aka uni. From 888 Ogawa Company.
This one is interesting... blue fin tuna meat from the top of the head! A very unusual cut, and after searing almost looks like JP beef. Super interesting texture and taste!
Hokkaido scallop with shaved yuzu zest - tried and always true. Meaty with the right balance
Unagi senbei - Mori san doesn't screw around. The traditional approach is to steam, grill, then steam again. To achieve the crispy "rice cracker" effect, he doesn't do the final steam, but instead just heats it up more. This mofo is not deep fried like a jive ass roll. Great job Mori-san!
Steamed abalone - Kuro awabi must be darn expensive to get to HK, and whatever he used is good. Loved that extra nikiri/brushed sauce on top!
Tamagoyaki - this is his signature castella / Katsutera pound cake style tamagoyaki. Good stuff indeed.
Mori-san continues to season his sushi rice with aged red vinegar, and the color is far darker (once applied to the sushi rice), yet it does not taste terribly sour. I didn't even see this kind of colored sushi rice in Osaka. It's yet another attention to detail and skill that elevates the experience.
Had to run to the airport, and passed up on offer for free dessert and coffee (coffee in a JP restaurant in HK? Haha nice). Half the price of 3 Michelin star Sushi Shikon, and you can still leave satisfied. 

What that Fa? Yat Lok got a Michelin star? Then you walk inside and it looks like a run down cha chaan teng on the inside. Excuse me??

Anyways where else in Central would you go for roast goose? This was the obvious choice, and we didn't want to risk Yung Kee.

I like how they advertise the price and pictures of roast goose drumstick lai fun, but it is very likely you will not get one these days due to popularity and demand. If you want a drumstick, get half a goose or one of those lower quarters where you might get one.

In short, the carbs there, whether lo mein, or lai fun in broth, are just distractions and stomach stuffers.

The iced lemon tea isn't even great. The veggies just to ease the guilt.

The reality is that the star here is the goose. It's a lean variety based on our visit in late December, but is very good. The drumstick I had at Bor Kee was more like a Flintstones experience (humongous beast), yet a much saltier marination...though the skin was crispy. Here the skin is not crispy but the marinade/rub was dead on and just the right amount of saltiness. Juicy flesh and just hits the spot. There is not much more to be said, other than I agree with the fans of the place.

Now with a Michelin under their belt, they have to step up and offer more variety.
The lines are insane during lunch, so go early or keep your fingers crossed. 

It's funny, I loved wonton noodles as a kid. My earliest memory was maybe 7 or 8 years old long long time ago, eating at Wah Lai Yuen in Causeway Bay, opposite Tai Ping Koon.

But as I grew older, I do not cling onto this part of my past. Yes, wonton noodles are iconic but they do not appear to be what they seem anymore. Then there are major snobs and yobbos who want the absolute perfect trifecta of components (broth, noodles, wontons), and even nitpick down to the finer details and condiments. At this rate you cannot tell if they are clinging onto sentimentality, or if they are mouthing off for whatever reason, or both.

Our friends and I spent much of the day snacking around in Tai O Fishing Village, and wanted something light with variety in the evening. So we did a two part snacking, and started with Mak's Wellington just out of spontaneity.

The signature small bowl of wonton noodles in broth, was the perfect size that had quality, yet just leaves you sufficiently happy, if you are not set to fill your stomach. Obviously if that is not your goal, then there is Tsim Chai Kee across the street. Or pay a ridiculous sum for Porky King Ramen nearby (with a sizeable wait).

What can I say, the small bowl of wonton noodles was good. The noodles obviously not bamboo pole kneaded, but still had that delicate light crisp to it. The wontons were decent, though missing the skin slack that would have made other wonton snobs say "it's missing the goldfish tails!". For that you would have to go to Yung Kee.

But the broth...man alive this was clean and refreshing. A nice comforting simple stock, not enhanced with shrimp roe (like Mak An Kee on Wing Kut Street).

What I really enjoyed was the house orange colored chili paste. A tiny dollop of this, and the noodles taste so much better. Granted it was not Yu Kwen Yick, but it had a fiery kick that will scorch your throat a little bit if you add too much. Pity I did not ask where I could buy some of this.

I think the bowl was around HK$38 per. Consider a bowl of wonton noodles in California USA would run approximately $56, much larger portion but crappier quality and not so good broth (or noodles) with golfball sized wontons, I certainly wouldn't mind spending "more" yet less for a smaller portion of quality with this perspective. 

Saw an adjacent table have shrimp roe lo mein, but to me it did not look visually appealing, at least not like my favorite "Good Hope Noodle" in Yuen Long.

Guess it is best to stick with the classic here. Walk in, slurp and eat, then walk out and do the next thing. If you are here to fill your stomach on wonton noodles, you are doing it wrong. 

The last meal ever in Hong Kong during a recent visit, and this one was at the airport post security location of Taiwan Beef Noodle.

Tasty would have been the obvious choice, but somehow we had a hankering for Taiwanese style beef noodles. Was not holding my breath, and we were well aware of a possible airport markup.

The braised (red stew) beef noodle soup was decent, but of course a far cry from the more decent places in Taipei. The thing that bothered me the most was this restaurant's use of beef brisket instead of shank with slices of tendons inside, that would have made the experience better. The noodles and tendons were good, but the broth did not have much depth to it, but at least it wasn't watered down. It was still far better than eating food on the airplane.

After looking at the menu, it was very apparent that Taiwan Beef Noodle was designed for a more wider appeal, thus you see an incredible large variety of items ranging from HK cafe fare, roasties, dim sum (Cantonese and Northern), as well as regional Chinese type dishes from Sichuan style to Shanghainese. You can even get tapioca milk tea, HK cafe drinks. Very casual kind of eatery, but with ridiculous airport prices.

We had roast goose at Central's Yat Lok, and for some reason had a last chance hankering. I think we regret ordering it, as it was a lot of skin and fat, very little meat and a lot of bones.
How does that happen?

Three of us racked up HK$600....two bowls of beef noodles, xiao long bao, two drinks, a small plate of roast goose.

Taiwan Beef Noodle would be the obvious choice for eating in that part of the airport terminal (prior to boarding), and further away from the food court area where Tasty is located. If anything stick with the beef noodles, if you are too adventurous, you may be disappointed.

Had a chance to try this iconic cafe in Happy Valley twice in the last 3 years, first time was before they remodeled. This visit marks their triumphant return after remodeling (I thought they had closed down for good!)

First of all the interior is updated, yet retains that classic feel that they are known for.

They have upgraded payment options, and now include payment using Octopus cards! Nearby Cheung Sing is still cash only.

Ordered a hot milk tea and a pineapple bun with butter. Not sure what it was, but while the milk tea was decent, it was to me not that much different than Cheung Sing nearby.

The pineapple bun with butter for some strange reason took upwards of 10 minutes to arrive. It shouldn't take that long to reheat the bun in a toaster oven (unless they actually gave me a fresh one, which wasn't the case). Structurally it kept form and was not as messy as the competition, although it was not super remarkable or memorable.

As police cadet Lau (played by Edison Chen) in Infernal Affairs 2 movie remarked, "Hong Kong people are sentimental", it probably explains the popularity of this cafe in this part of the Happy Valley neighborhood. It is iconic in the sense of history, plus with a local backing that includes some famous celebrities, which the restaurant has no problems putting up framed pictures of their signatures (many of them I don't seem to recognize, illegible handwriting?)

But for me, other than the visuals and the atmosphere which seem rather familiar and comforting, the food just did not have the wow factor. Cheung Sing nearby is a bit more run down, but yet I know what to expect. Cheong Kee, while they are a completely different dining experience, more represents what true neighborhood grassroots HK dining is like. Cheung Hing is somewhere in between I suppose.

Making reservations by phone while in town just a few days prior was not a difficult task. Finding this place took a little perserverance however.

I am quite aware of the public relations disaster/fiasco that occured sometime late last year, an incident between restaurants and some bloggers. There may have been some miscommunication from the restaurant's part, but from a paying customer's standpoint, the restaurant and chef owner did not seem to handle things appropriately and set the wrong tone. Despite that, the bloggers still thought that the food was great, just that the service had issues.

In spite of that I was really curious and decided to try this place out myself, along with a large party that included family members and dear friends. 

We had the largest table that night, hitting the 11 to 12 person mark.

In short, the food was definitely above average, and while this was no 8 1/2 3 Michelin star, it was still very pleasing depending on what was ordered. The breadsticks in a pouch was very nicely presented. Waitstaff should have picked up and given us olive oil and balsamic vinegar sooner (mis step #1). We ordered two bottles of mineral water, and asked the waitstaff specifically to use it. However it was either miscommuncation or misunderstanding, that waitstaff started to pour regular tap for our guests, until we corrected them (politely without being rude), and we started getting a sense of coldness from the staff.

Some of us ordered a mixture of meat and seafood entrees, and then pastas and pizzas. We even had a whole bottle of Barrolo 2009 wine that everyone enjoyed.

The Magherita pizza was pretty good, although not a fan of the crust since it was too much like a cracker texture.

I had the sea urchin pasta with bottarga (gonads and eggs) which was definitely on the mark...perfect al dente. So kudos to the chef for this one.

The burrata appetizer dish was nice for Hong Kong, although it is hard to top the likes of Delifina (San Francisco) or A16 (San Francisco).

We asked waitstaff for parmesean/grated cheese for the table, and instead of bringing us chunks to shave, they brought over pre-grated powdered kind. We wanted some chili flakes for the table, and they put down two small servings, which was not enough for those who wanted to add more to their pizza (and the way they were placed down was rather atrocious).

At one point the chef owner came over to the table next to us, much smaller in size, and chatted with one of the customers who I assumed was a regular. The chef himself even shaved cheese and cured meats tableside for that table. I was at least expecting the chef to come over to check up on us, and my friends and I would have gladly told him we really enjoyed the food, and that a few of us came overseas just to try his restaurant. Pretty sure the chef and I exchanged some eye contact but he chose to walk back into the kitchen.

I think this is the first western restaurant (at least in a long long time for me) where quite a few of us thought there was an air of snobbery from the staff, as well as an air of coldness from the chef owner, who is setting an improper tone for his staff. I really wish for this restaurant to be successful, they have a solid base for food, but the management really has to step up and train their staff better. I am not asking for preferential treatment, but really please do not make it so blatantly obvious and within plain sight that regular customers (presumably local Italianos) get better treatment. Some of us are well traveled and understand the importance of service especially in these surroundings, and that can definitely make or break the experience.

Conclusion: the food is actually good here, but there needs to be a change for the better in the service. The rating would be between OK and a yellow dude in tears, but since I could only choose one, I'll slot the "OK" based on future potential and this one experience.

Not much more to say, this place is always a classic and maybe my 3rd visit ever which is not saying much compared to many others.

After a nice day trip to Tai O, followed by a decent foot massage, it was time to warm ourselves up from a mild wintery evening. Some comfort food was in order.

The restaurant was already 90% full and we got lucky with a small table of four to ourselves. After exchange a quick greeting with Paulina who unfortunately lost her voice from a cold, we flagged down our waiter and quickly put our order in. Two soups, a claypot rice, and a vegetable.

There is not much more to be said about their double boiled soups, they are delicious, simple, yet complex in flavor, and never stops hitting the spot. The standard conch head and fruit never fails, and the one with pork lung is always dearest to my heart (and incredibly sweet from the 無花果.

The highlight of the evening was undoubtedly the "lap mei fan" Chinese sausage and preserved meats claypot rice. It was adequately burnt at the bottom, producing that legendary (yet unhealthy) crispy layer with an absolutely killer smokey flavor that permeated throughout the layers, penetrating into the air and permeating our noses. Three of us drooled like Pavlov's dog and feasted happily into this masterpiece! What was more incredible tasting was the preserved meats/pork belly where the fat did not taste fatty at all, much like Tak Lung's pork fat marinated in sugar and rose wine (yet different).

We would then eat another claypot rice meal in Tin Hau (where the chef is ex Kwun Kee) but we have decided that Ser Wong Fun's claypot rice (which was not even cooked by charcoal) was vastly superior.

Really regret we did not ask to have the preserved oysters added to the claypot...

The Chinese broccoli stir fried with salted fish was done very nicely as well. Perhaps textbook for Hong Kong but very pleasing to us visiting.

Thank you again Ser Wong Fun, always look forward to the next visit!

2nd day in Hong Kong during a recent trip and we originally wanted the high end tableside cooked "Iberico bacon and duck eggs" at the Bar & Grill. Unfortunately we didn't realize they were closed on weekends. So Cafe Causette was open luckily, and we decided to give them a try.

We were promptly seated after waiting a little close to 5 minutes, and were brought to a table in the back. The cafe was not busy, although it was nice of them to seat us further back where it was a bit more quiet.

Our friends ordered a mixed fruit juice which she liked, and I ended up with a Cafe Au Lait which I enjoyed.

The Ricotta Pancake in a skillet was very presentable, and while I did not have a taste of it, my friend enjoyed it quite a bit.

I chose a similarly priced yet one of the cheaper options on the menu, which was an egg florentine/poached egg on English muffin. The poached egg was done very nicely, and I would say I enjoyed the fluffy texture of the egg white more than the yolk!

A simple, pleasant, yet efficient hotel breakfast. Polite effective service as well.