Ho Lee Fook

With a name like Ho Lee Fook, I've been wanting to try for a while now so I came here to celebrate a friend's birthday since they only take reservations for 6+ ppl. Unfortunately we did not have a good experience here. Firstly, they screwed up our reservations as they thought we were coming on the following day. Luckily there was still a table available but we just had to return the table early to them. The table they gave our party of 6 though was very weird as it was a large square-ish one where 3 of us sat on one side while the others sat on the opposite side but the distance between us was like 3-4 ft long so we couldn't talk to each other especially with the loud music which defeats the purpose of gathering with friends. Towards the end we kept getting rushed even though we haven't finished eating yet let alone cut the cake because the other party arrived already, so they had to kick us to a smaller table so we can eat our friend's birthday cake in a hurry. Kudos to the service manager who tried to rectify the situation by comping our drinks and cake cutting fee but sometimes what's done is done especially since we were there to celebrate an occasion. I've since heard from others that they had the same experience even though the restaurant had called to confirm days earlier so perhaps a better reservation system could solve this service issue. Cooler ($88) - oolong infused vodka, apple and maple syrup. It looked like a bubble tea drink and tasted like a fruit tea which was decent. Gimlet ($98) - lemongrass infused gin and lime. It was not a bad drink per say but it was only half full so certainly not worth the price for the amount of liquor you get. Hamachi ($168) - cucumber, lemon jam, horseradish and puffed buckwheat. It was a very refreshing dish as a starter with its acidic flavors. Mom's "mostly cabbage, a little bit of pork" Dumplings ($88) - sacha soy dressing. The dumplings were pretty good but also not as amazing as it was hyped up to be. Fried Cauliflower ($88) - brussels sprouts and maple bacon chili jam. This dish took me by surprise with its contrasting textures and complex flavors! Roast Platter ($358) - with roast goose, soy chicken and Kurobuta char siu. The soy chicken was the best with its soft and moist meat while the other two was disappointing. The char siu was over-seasoned and salty without any charcoal aroma while we were given a cut of the goose in turkey style so we had pieces of lean meat as big as our hands - not sure how we were supposed to eat that with chopsticks. The skin was also not crispy enough as well. There are better places for roast items elsewhere. Grilled Pork Belly ($158) - red cabbage salad, roasted chili and almond salsa. Not bad but nothing special either as it was not a memorable dish. Roast Wagyu Short Ribs ($448) - jalapeno puree, green shallot kimchi and soy glaze. Hands down the best dish we had that night! The short ribs were crispy, tender and bouncy while the jalapeno puree was a show stealer as it definitely made the dish. Kimchi Fried Rice ($118) - edamame and crispy lap cheong. #FAIL. The fried rice was spicy yet overly salty (to the point where my face was cringing) which was too bad because I quite like the crispy lap cheong. Verdict - the food in general was decent with a few hits and misses while the service could use improvement. The environment was also very crowded and noisy so it's not a place I would go if I wanted to talk with my friends. At the end of our meal, we each got a fortune cookie which to be honest I haven't seen in a long time. Most legit Chinese restaurants in the bay area don't serve this anymore so it was fun to see this American invention in Hong Kong actually. At least I got a good fortune from my fortune cookie - "Super Lucky - you may meet benefactor."Follow me on Facebook: www.facebook.com/supertastermelFollow me on Instagram @supertastermel …Read More

Located at Soho, this Chinese fusion restaurant has always been in my to-eat list since the day I saw the name - Ho Lee Fook. Yes, you did not read it wrongly. It is definitely a marketing strategy to attract attention. Every single decoration in the restaurant is chic, stylish and modern.The restaurant has two floors. The first floor is the kitchen, whereby you can see the chefs in action. The second floor, which is the basement, is the dining area. You would be greeted by a wall of golden prosperity cats, that will be waving their hands at you. And once you reach the basement, it would be a dimly-lit environment, with funky songs playing in the background. I didn’t really pay attention to the song selection.So, I went there for a Christmas eve dinner. And we ordered quite a number of dishes that night, but they were mostly roast dishes. I would come back for their other fusion dishes for my next visit.So first up, the soy chicken. I heard many positive reviews about their soy sauce chicken, so I went with a high expectation. To me, this dish was pretty normal for the price paid. Soy sauce tasted pretty good on its own, but it didn’t infuse much into the flesh. No doubt that the meat, even the breast, was tender.The Kurobuta pork charsiu. The charsiu was surprisingly good - sweet, fragrant and juicy meat. Enough said. Something that is pretty different from the normal Maxim’s standard, or I would say, incomparable. Next up will be roasted goose. We ordered the lower quarter, and this plate of roasted goose had crunchy skin, flavourful and tender meat and priced reasonably as compared to their competitors nearby. Everything I expected from this dish, they had it here. Of course not forgetting the sweet-sour plum dipping sauce which enhanced the flavour of the goose.We also ordered Lu Rou Fan with 5-grained rice. I ordered this dish because of the famous Taiwanese-born head chef here. So I wana see how far he can execute this simple dish. Look at that chunks of meaty goodness, very well-cooked and seasoned. But to me, a good lu rou fan, is when the sauce evenly coats each grain of rice. This bowl somehow missed it. This is no doubt a healthier version and I really like the flavour.Here comes the highlight of the night, and also the restaurant’s signature dish. The roast wagyu short ribs with jalapeno puree, green shallot, kimchi, and soy glaze. You must not leave the restaurant without ordering this dish. It had big size, big flavours. And also big bucks, but of course this dish was big enough to share among 4-5 people. The meat was really tender, and by having a spread of jalapeno sauce on it and top it with the scallion kimchi that would enhance the umami taste, bring out the heat and of course add texture to the whole dish.To me, this restaurant is great for gathering and party. The food can be shared among friends and family, because the portion is considerably big. But also keep in mind that, this place has a higher price range. To me, it lives up its expectation, and I would come back and try something different next time.Side note: I did not get to order the Breakfast 2.0 dessert, because their fridge was broken that night. I guess that means a second visit for me in future.Rating: 8.0/10Price: $$$…Read More

記得許多年前，從一個名叫「尋找他鄉的故事」之電視節目裡，獲悉幾乎世界每一個角落都有著華人的足跡，而節目內所講述每一個華人在他國落地竹生根、拼搏與及生活點滴的真人真事，更為之動人！有些更是差不到，曾經歷大屠殺、種族滅絕的盧旺達，神秘的百慕達，以至令人迷失的撒哈拉，只要有陽光照耀的土地，便能引來華人植根，而中國菜的種子也藉華人飄洋過海，在海外結出不同特色的唐人餐果子來。中國民族共有八十多種方言，相信無一方言能比得上麻雀這種共通語言，不用開口便能心領神匯地溝通，亦是老少咸宜的一種娛樂。「口利福」有一面麻雀作裝飾的矮牆，將富有中國文化特色的點子揭開！大門口的左手邊便是開放式廚房，有著摩登大牌檔的感覺，主廚 Jowett Yu 也在忙碌中！徐徐地從樓梯往下走，便進入了用餐區。用餐區燈光昏暗，播放著搖滾音樂，不忘注入不少的本土玩味，氣氛輕鬆！細看牆上掛畫取材自香港大牌檔的面貌，更能體現主廚 Jowett Yu 熱愛香港文化的心態！那邊廂「九龍皇帝曾灶財」的墨寶又以屏風的格式呈於眼前。「口利福」餐牌的封面紅紅綠綠，富有六十年代的懷舊氣息！「口利福」設有八款雞尾酒和三款 Mocktail，我選了雞尾酒中的 Mule。 Mule 以美國威士忌 Jim Beam Black、荔枝、薑和 Fever Tree 薑啤調配，味道較清，但找不著主題，效果未有驚喜！先來 Fried Chicken Mid Wings 作小食。雞中翼炸得皮薄香脆，肉質不乾帶嫩，而精髓則在於酸、辣、甜、香的 Shrimp Sambal 醬上。香脆的雞中翼一經蘸上，便立即變得惹味無窮。Shrimp Sambal 確實調得非常出色，那突出的層次與味道，一想起便令人口水急增！Jowett Yu 小時候愛在媽媽旁觀看做餃子的步驟，於是便成了這道媽媽的餃子。餃子體型較大，皮偏向厚身，但沒負累的感覺，餡料採用了椰菜和豬肉，而底部則自調的沙茶豉油作醬汁，再加入芫荽和蒜蓉提昇味道。整體餃子的層次感不俗，味道並非不佳，只是未能嚐到特色之處而已！近年各餐廳的廚師多用了椰菜花。這道炒椰菜花配上抱子甘藍，加以蜂蜜煙肉辣椒醬同炒，口感具脆香甜辣，但效果未算明顯，相信可以來得更震撼！生菜包的豬肉碎混上蒜蓉及不同香料同炒，味道芳香。第一大特色是附設韓式醃製的青瓜和甜蘿蔔。而第二大特色就是配備泰國的是拉差辣醬，DIY 生菜包時大可放入一點點，絕對可提昇食味。這生菜包混合了韓國、越南和泰國的風味。燒味是唐人餐不可缺的元素。我們也來一份叉燒、豉油雞和燒鵝的大併盤。整體達到一定水準，或許要比不少唐人餐館更加美味。三者之中我較愛豉油雞，帶有玫瑰露的酒香與嫩滑的雞肉也甚為吸引。Jowett Yu 對醬汁的調製自有一手，侍應送來的幾各款醬汁也別具一格，味道不錯，當然少不了最喜歡的 Shrimp Sambal！嚐過豉油雞，再來一客當晚特選的炸雞。炸雞皮層的脂肪給炸掉，只留下薄脆的雞皮，肉質也保持細嫩，可見火喉與炸功不錯。賣點仍放在如淮鹽的調料上，可惜並未能試出其特色來！Roast Wagyu Short Ribs 是當晚最愛的主菜。和牛肋骨牛味不遜，做到外脆內軟，可以的話，將熟度稍為下調至 Medium Rare，相信更能發揮牛肋骨本身細緻的肉質。而那個富有藝術風格，如大筆一揮的青綠墨西哥胡椒果泥，酸香辛的濃郁味兒，正好與牛肋骨匹配，令肉味更香，膩意全消，確是驚喜之作！當晚特選的還有這道燒魚鮫。魚鮫燒得有點焦黑，入口未夠甘香，但豐盛的魚油足以彌補，可是隱約的魚腥味又令人卻步。而配搭的醬汁是富有日本風味的燒魚醬油，感覺還可以，可是未見突出！主色嘗試了台灣的滷肉飯。呈烏紫色澤的米飯原來採用了五穀米，帶出健康的創意。不過五穀米口感軟乎乎的，不是我喜歡的質感。反而黑漆的滷肉和醬汁，味道濃郁，感覺不錯，而面層放上醃製的白蘿蔔，除較特別外，亦可減輕滷肉飯的膩意！蝦撈麵就是將麵條簡單地混入炸蒜、蔥條和蝦油，香氣不絕，若是麵條來得爽彈一點，相信會更加可口。「口利福」的甜品只有三個選擇，當晚頭款的已沽清，必定是最愛歡迎的了！我們挑了餘下兩款，一是抹茶蛋糕，配有朱古力淋漿、榛子、杏仁糖和士多啤梨，除了稍甜了一點外，在味道變化與層次都做得不錯，令人滿意！而這一款凍涼的甜品是我十分喜歡的。選用了 Calpis 酸奶製成的雪葩，加入 Granny Smitch 的蘋果沙冰，日式糯米滋及 Koji Jelly。蘋果及 Calpis 的酸清味道，爽口又清新，而 Koji Jelly 內的小粒粒，集結香甜酸的滋味，非常可口！挾著 Mr Wong 及 Ms G 兩家悉尼的獲獎餐廳名氣而來的「口利福」，為唐人餐注入東南亞地方色彩，彷彿要為細小的香港開闢一條唐人街似的。在香港居住的外籍人士或回流的港人，「口利福」或許為他們添上不少口福，藉此可懷緬昔日唐人餐的風味。而作為土生土長香港人的我，對唐人餐沒有特別的情感，相對而言回味指數並不不高！…Read More