Zahrabel Dining Club (灣仔)

NEW LUNCH SERVICE
I went to Zahrabel over lunch since I heard they recently launched a midday service (they used to only open for dinner). At the beginning of June 2017, the restaurant introduced an Express Lunch Set Menu (HK$140) and an Executive Lunch Set Menu (HK$150-190). Both feature the famous Mezze Sampler packed with a variety of the restaurant's best appetizers. Their Executive Menu, meanwhile, includes an add-on of hot food, featuring their bestselling dinner dishes.
 They obviously put a lot of thought into their lunch service as they made sure all the food was served in a timely manner, given that most customers only have an hour or less for lunch in the middle of their work schedule. However, that didn't detract from the intimate feel of the Zahrabel experience, nor from the quality of the food.



SETTING
Situated on the 25th floor of a Wan Chai high rise, you will always have natural lighting and a view no matter where you sit. The layout of the restaurant is long, with tables arranged parallel to the floor-to-ceiling windows.
Nadia and Nysreen, the elegant Lebanese sisters who run the restaurant, were there when I went. As is their usual practice, they chatted with each table to make sure everything was up to standard. Zahrabel is a family business, and they said at least one member of the family has to be in the restaurant during operating hours to supervise the food and service.


SERVICE
The staff are as subtle and as classy as their owners. They were trained well, with that understated and old world touch that one hardly encounters in the Hong Kong dining scene nowadays (unless of course you go somewhere like The Peninsula. Even Mandarin Oriental hasn't been able to quite get it right in terms of their staff tbh - and I'm not the only one who's noticed!) 


FOOD
I'm surprised not more is being said on OpenRice about this restaurant, which for me serves one of if not the best Middle Eastern food in town (they had me at dessert - I asked for their house made date fingers when I went but they only have it for dinner!) 
Let's start with drinks. I very much appreciated the service water which they offered immediately. I ordered the Hot Mint Tea with complimentary refills, included in the set. If you come for dinner, however, I highly recommend you try Lebanese wine, which is incredible. Nadia happily informed us that wine was actually invented in Lebanon. Not hard to believe.



I went for the Executive Lunch Menu because I couldn't resist the Shish Taouk (HK$180) - however the Zahrabel Mezze Platter was so filling that I had to take my skewers home with me after just a few bites. They served me two grilled chicken skewers on Lebanese bread with garlic sauce. I begged the server not to forget to pack the sauce when I took it out, it's so good...

The mezze platter was a nutritious classic Lebanese combination of Hummus, House Salad, Felafel, Lebanese pickles, and pita/flat bread.  And of course, the best part is the house specialty dip and my personal favourite in Zahrabel: the Jos Mahrouse, a dish you can't find anywhere else in Hong Kong. Jos Mahrouse is a slightly spicy/sweet, nut-based dip only found in the northern region of Lebanon where the El-Mahmouds are from. 
Both lunch menus are served with either Lebanese Coffee or Hot Mint Tea, and the dessert of the day. The latter was a house-made freshly baked baklava when I went, the best in Hong Kong imho! (I used to love Cafe Habibi's baklava as well, but sadly they closed down)
Vegetarians (or healthy eaters like me) would appreciate the meatless mezze. It's such an interesting and delicious mix of flavours and textures that meat eaters wouldn't even miss meat having it. Zahrabel can also adjust the platter to suit vegan / gluten-free diets. 



WOULD I COME BACK?
Seeing as I'm a returning customer, the answer is clearly yes! I would return just for the date fingers and Jos Mahrouse!

Zahrabel is open for lunch during Public Holidays as well. They also accept private / company bookings and event reservations.

Mamasita's Cantina (中環)

After reading a decent review of Mamasita's Cantina on TimeOut or some publication, I added it to my list of 'must-trys' in Hong Kong. I was ill preprepared for the disaster that was to come.

Setting
Located in the former 'Blackbird', with a terrace overlooking Wellington street, Mamasita's is already given an advantage. However, that's where all the good stuff ends.

Service
Disgraceful. At one point, my friend and I were the only customers yet the server was doing all she could to ignore us in our alfresco seats. There they were, 4 restaurant staff inside the enclosed area doing absolutely nothing while we were trying to call their attention for a few minutes. I got fed up and walked to where they were. Our bill at the end, by the way, was a whopping HKD800 for two people with that awful service. And you haven't even heard the part about the food yet...
Food
Shockingly tiny portions. The Mini Beer & Sausage Corn Dog (HK$108) was the size of my thumb, and one order had basically one small corn dog DIVIDED INTO TWO. Didn't they say they were street food and not fine dining?! 
Fish Taco - HK$58 Sol Beer Battered Fish, Red Onions, Cabbage, tomatillo, Chipotle Mayo

The only decent thing we ate that night

Corn Esquites - HK$88 (V) Roasted Corn, Chili Powder, Lime Juice, Mayo & cotija Cheese

Three pieces of half-corn. Decent.

Sweet Potatoes - HK$68 Deep-Fried, Honey Mustard Dip

I appreciate that this wasn't a regular potato...

Trump mess cheese cake $88 oreo, snickers, Morello cherry ice-cream

We switched the cherry ice cream for salted caramel. The cheesecake was more like creamcake, but I still finished it. 
Would I go back?
For the food? Never. For the drinks, maybe. I just wonder how that staff can keep up with a bigger crowd seeing as they could barely even handle a house of two.

The Kitchen (大嶼山)

I had been meaning to try this cozy corner shop since I first passed it years ago. I was saving it for a nice day to make the most of the alfresco seating looking out towards the water and mountains. Unfortunately, the bad service has put me off a return visit. Ever. Service at China Bear across the street is much much better.We came in and already the waitress looked anxious because we - a party of four - were taking up a big table of around 6. She told me twice to move to the other table, and my girlfriend 4 times when I went to the loo. There were no other guests coming to take the table, and if there were any who arrived after, we would have been happy to move. Her mutterings and stressed out attitude were completely unnecessary.

Finally she nagged us so badly that we moved to the smaller 4-seater after a pair evacuated it. Ironically, a group of four arrived taking up the table she forced us out of. We were all rolling our eyes at this, but needless to say, it was so irritating to start our morning off like that prior to beginning the hike through Lantau Trail Stage 7.The Food
...was okay. The juice was not fresh. The omelette (spinach and feta) was dry. Coffee below average. 
Honestly, the only good thing about this place is the setting / ambience with the perfect view. It has so much potential to be charming, and it's so small that it's hardly difficult to create a nice feeling among customers. BUT NO. Can't even do that much.

The Drawing Room (中環)

When the skies opened last Saturday unleashing a torrential downpour that ruined Clockenflap for me, my girlfriend and I decided to recalibrate and comfort ourselves with an indulgent brunch at The Drawing Room (TDR). It also happens to be right across from where I live on Staunton Street, which means we got to avoid walking too much under the rain.

I had actually gone to TDR the night before only to get turned away at the door. Fully booked on a Friday night! Guess walking in is not an option here (on a weekend). Thankfully K had the good sense to call in advance and book us a table.The SettingYou'll get decent outdoor views and natural lighting here. We would have loved to move in and out of the wide terrace for drinks / coffee / tea had the weather not been so appalling. I can imagine doing the al fresco thing here would be pleasant (I see it all the time from my bedroom window, and always thought "lovely spot for tea and a book")

Layout is comfortably spaced out, arrangement is long like a corridor, so it doesn't feel like diners are concentrated.While waiting for K to arrive, I entertained myself with the paper and colouring pencils they provided. We adults never realise how we never do these things anymore - hardly do anything outside of a screen. Service



Food
We decided on the 3 course brunch for our eating spree. The 4 course with pasta would have been too much, so forwent the carb overload.

Appetizers to shareWe thought we would choose 1 each from the 4 appetizers, but to our delight (and to our diet's dismay) - all four appetizers were served to share. The Pawn does that too, feels a bit wrong to spoil ourselves this much, really...

Let's begin with the best one:Capesanta: Pan seared scallops & pork ragout on toast
Fresh scallops cooked exactly the way I love, the toast's crisp texture perfectly complementing the meat. K ever so generously offered half of hers to me when I gushed about it. That's a real friend.

The rest of the appetizers are in random order as they were more or less in the same level after the standout scallops.


Insalata: Organic mixed salad leaves w/ pickled mushroom Something green and fresh to make us feel 'healthier'  about the meal

Mozzarella & salumi: Buffalo mozzarella w/ italian charcuterie & gnocco fritto
I can't stand cured meat but the buffalo mozzarella was amazing - both in consistency and flavour.

Pesce: Marinated fish w/ avocado, green apple & espelette
Basically an Italian version of ceviche / tartare. I loved the tangy sweetness of the apple mixed with the raw fish marinated in lemon/lime.

By this time I was obviously so stuffed that I could have easily skipped the mains and gone straight to dessert. But we soldiered on:I got the Merluzzo & gamberi: wild caught cod & prawns “a la plancha” w/ parsley & garlic
I was able to finish the prawns, which were deliciously cheesy, but not as fresh as I would have liked. All the butter-garlic-cheese flavours made up for the slight rubberiness of the prawns.

The fish was drowning in oil and seasoning, but still delicious. I had this packed and ate it for lunch on Monday. It also came with sinfully good baked potatoes that invaded my office with its rich aroma. Needless to say, food envy abounded.K ordered the ginormous Manzo: black angus striploin steak “a la plancha” w/ rosemaryImpeccably tender, cooked to perfection. Loved the greens (overly flavoured and rich again) but we didn't touch the bellpeppers. Nothing against them, I guess that's just not our favourite vegetable.If there were to be a next time, I would probably go for the 'Polletto roasted marinated whole baby Ffrance spring chicken' instead of the fish.

And now to my favourite part: desserts! Unfortunately, this is not TDR's forte. The 'tiramisu' was a melting mess of cream and even more cream (except the latter was iced. Get it?!)The fruits were warm and caramelized, as if they needed to be any sweeter. I guess I prefer mine fresh and more natural. We tried to get artistic with this one. Can you spot the lady behind the complimentary sweets? Another masterpiece and joint effort by K and I.Bestie brunch

Would we go back?TDR is a luxurious, pampering, 2-3 hour long affair justified by a special occasion. The price point is too high for it to become a regular weekend thing for me though, but to try it once, on an indulgent day, I would definitely recommend it. Don't forget to book in advance!