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2014-04-03
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Dim sum is a type of Cantonese food which is usually prepared as small bite-sized. It is one of the most famous food cultures in HK. In the past few years, there are loads of chefs, trying to mix this traditional cuisine with other cuisine or with other techniques; a successful example of this is a Michelin restaurant in Wanchai which offers Molecular gastronomy.AND NOW, there is a new one!! MAN MO café, owned by a handsome Swiss gent, offering fascinating fusion dim sum. It is located in Upper
AND NOW, there is a new one!! MAN MO café, owned by a handsome Swiss gent, offering fascinating fusion dim sum. It is located in Upper Lascar Row, also known as the Cat Street, where you can find antiques and curios( near to Man Mo Temple). The restaurant is easy to spot as it is the most fashionable shop in that ‘historical” street. It is also an ART GALLERY, selling some paintings that tell HK stories, very unique.
When my friend and I entered the Café, we saw a lot of foreigners, including the waiters, maybe because it situated in the CBD of HK or maybe the café is mainly for foreigners. As we arrived at around 1:30pm which was during the busy lunch hour, we kind of waited for 10mins for our table. During our waiting time, the waiter kindly served us with 2 glass of water and showed us the menu. The menu was written in English, which explained why most of their customers were non-locals.
Tomato Mozzarella Dumplings (2pices) $48 It was displayed in a cubic wooden box, very “CHINESE” indeed. The dumplings looked very normal but when you cut it into half, you could see that there were some fresh tomatoes with mozzarella cheese. The green skin of the dumplings provided a great visual contrast with the red tomato. First bite… I could only say it was just like a dumpling-liked ravioli or mini-sized mozzarella tomato pasta. Sweetness of the tomato combined PERFECTLY with the cheese. Very fresh, chewy and cheesy of course.
Burger Bun (2pieces) $68What a great surprise!! It looked like a simple bun with tiny bit of sesame on top. Beside them, there were 2 small bottles that contained peach-liked sauce. The buttery smell given out was stunning. “Kind reminder from the waiter: take a small bite then add the sauce in.” Crispy was the first impression, then Fluffy. Adding the Thousand Island dressing into the tender minced beef in the middle, it created a sense of sourness to the burger bun. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
Kung Fu Creme Brulee $26 After the 2 dim sum, it was time for some dessert, my favorite part of a meal. Originally, Crème brulee is a warm French dessert consists of a creamy vanilla custard base with a contrasting crispy caramel top. Although the Kung Fu version crème brulee looked browny orange caramelized, it was cold in temperature when I felt it with my hands. Quite disappointed…
However, when I put my spoon on top it and tried to “crack” it, a crisp sound was produced. A little surprising to taste the light fragrance of chinese tea and the crunchy sweet caramel layer. They matched with each other, such a superb combo!!
Hong Kong Egg Lemon Tart $26 Egg tart is always HK ‘s signature pastry. It always brings back lots of my childhood memories and it is one of the dishes that every HK people love, no matter whether you are a child or an elderly. The looking of it was similar to a nano Lemon meringue pie with a golden yellow baked pastry crust. On top of it, there were some fresh sprinkled lemon pieces. Fluffy meringue topping, gummy lemon custard filling and crunchy egg tart crust… Speechless… What an unbelievable textural crunch!!
Nutella Ball (2pieces) $40 Coated with sesame seeds on the outside, it was exactly Jin deui, a type of fried chinese pastry. It looked so simple but when I “opened” it, there was a round nutella ball. In the very beginning, I thought the nutella would have melted completely after the extremely high temperature of deep frying but it turned out to be firm and strong. Unexpectedly, Nutella(my fav) fit in so well with the pastry that made by glutinous rice flour, resulting not only the normal crispy and chewy feelings, but also a half melted but firm nutella ball… Words just couldn’t explain the complicated mouthful.
All in all, the experience was unforgettable. The owner was really friendly and the service was absolutely attentive. The fusion dim sum brought us many surprises and if I had to use a phrase to illustrate today’s meal, I would say it was “Around the WORLD with 5 Dim Sums”.
Other Info. :
Remember to book or make a reservation before visiting Man Mo Cafe as there are only 20 seats :)
(The above review is the personal opinion of a user which does not represent OpenRice's point of view.)
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