NotFromHK's Profile

After arriving at the front door at 10:25AM, we were seated in less than 5 minutes. Contrasted with the Mong Kok branch where the wait was over 30 minutes at the same time, this is a huge difference. The Sham Shui Po branch has much more seating and is a much larger restaurant.As other reviewers have noted, the service is a bit harried and a bit disorganized, and sharing tables is the norm for small parties. However, I consider this to be a standard part of the ambiance at traditional Hong Kong dim-sum restaurants. The more important things were in order -- the utensils were clean, and the order was filled properly with no mix-ups. Now, let's talk about the food!1) The shrimp dumplings had a relatively thin wrapping, which was delightful. The shrimps themselves were not as 'crunchy' as I had hoped, but I still give this dish full marks.2) The Portuguese-sauce tofu-roll dish was a new dim-sum item to me.... I could have taken the sauce and poured it over the rice and it would have been great! If you like curry, you should try this interesting dish.3) The shrimp tempura with seaweed was also an unexpected fusion blast. They should serve this at sushi restaurants. The only downside is that the seaweed seems to have made the shrimp taste overly salty. 4) The fried spring rolls were visibly overcooked when they arrived, but not so overcooked that I would complain. C'est la vie! 5) The pork ribs with chicken feet rice dish had rice which is (probably) deliberately a little bit undercooked or harder than I am accustomed to. It seems nicer this way -- and I would order this dish again.Food quality, presentation, and service level appear to be comparable at both branches, so I would come to this one if I were going again.Compared to other dim-sum restaurants, I think this particular restaurant has hit on a mix of having the traditional setting with some more avant-garde fare to distinguish itself from other places. However, the quality control could use some improvement -- looking at other people's reviews, it's clear that we seem to have had varying experiences with the same dish. I'll bring friends who are visiting Hong Kong to this restaurant for the novelty factor.Note to all: If you want to know the Chinese names of the items ordered, please see the photo of the bill attached to this review. I wrote about them in sequence above.…Read More

This restaurant is on my re-visit list. They have an a-la-carte menu, but the daily set menu choices usually seem to taste better.Service was prompt, and food was served in a rational sequence and with rational timing. The pork chop was soft enough for me to cut through using only a spoon. The iced milk tea was smooth with little aftertaste.Reminder to first-time visitors: bring your own 'real' napkins/tissue or pay $2 for a pack of tissue or use these tracing-paper thin squares of paper they provide. I realize this is part of the 'authentic' nature of this style of local restaurant, so, this not a complaint. …Read More

This shop seems to perpetually have a line. They do take reservations, so phone in advance if possible. They don't do delivery.The tables are tightly packed, so you don't have a lot of elbow room. However, if you walk in and your whole party is a group of relatively big-boned folks, they will wisen up and seat you at a bigger table than normal. (I wish all restaurants would do this!!)Make sure to eat the Golden Fried Shrimp dish while it is still hot. The shrimps are so crispy you can eat the shell too. However, once the dish cools down, the shells lose their crispiness. I ate every last morsel on the dish, including the crispy wisps of some kind of fried noodle thing. The clam congee is good also, but just like the shrimp, they are sold out sometimes. If you are coming for the first time AND they are sold out of these dishes, I suggest coming again another time.The place seems a little bit understaffed, but I will go to again.Enjoy!…Read More

This shop is one of the newly renovated shops in this area. They have (technically illegal) alfresco dining. Therefore, if you smoke or if you are parking illegally nearby, the alfresco dining is a definite plus. When the cops come to ticket people, the shop owners will make a semi-announcement and a bunch of people will get up to move their cars.The interior is clean and brightly lit, the food seems to be prepared fresh, and the presentation is better than I expected. At afternoon tea time, there is no extra charge for iced drinks. I have tried the stir-fried beef noodles, and the Yeung Chow fried rice. Both were great. Portion size has shrunk a little bit compared to a few months prior, but it is plenty for one person. (It seems like the shrinking portion size is not limited to this store, but I first noticed it here)At lunch time, all the shops in the area are crowded with the secondary school kids coming for lunch. The lunch options are more limited, and in my opinion not as appealing. I would describe the lunch set presentation as better than cafeteria food. If possible, wait for tea time or go earlier at breakfast time.I will go again!…Read More

My co-workers in Times Square uncovered this place to me. Every morning, a surprisingly long line builds up at this shop. The level of surprise is exacerbated by the absolute lack of customers in the two adjacent shops.The reason is the price - this seems to be, bar none, the cheapest option in Causeway Bay for breakfast. (Please correct me if I'm wrong about this.)Although the queue is long, it moves at a fast clip, and you will be in and out in short order. Like most local bakeries, the most flavorful baked goods have some type of mayo or heaps of butter, so if you are health-conscious, don't pick one of those items. The sausage bun pictured here had a thick stream of mayo under the sausage, which was an unexpectedly tangy sensation for me. …Read More

This particular Burger King is my favorite because of the staff. They seem to have their ducks in a row when it comes to making sure the lunch rush queue is in order, and things are in a CONTROLLED a mad rush.The staff are friendly when I order, and I have no problems ordering in English even when I have strange requests. (bonus point!)Like most big chains, the quality control is good and consistent, so I have nothing special to report about the food itself. I will visit this restaurant again!…Read More

The first time I tried to go, I arrived at 2.30pm, and the man at the shop told me I could not order hot dogs because the 'si-fu' is out, and he didn't know what time the 'si-fu' would return.On my second try, I successfully ordered a frankfurter with sauerkraut. They handed me my order in a bag, where the hot dog is placed vertically if you hold the bag using the bag's handles. Note that the shopkeeper handed the bag to me in this vertical position, and I didn't realize the ramifications of carrying the hot dog vertically until I arrived home. The bubble tea in the $30 combo was good. The hot dog was a smorgasboard of mixed items at the bottom of the bag. I didn't try to 'rescue' it, I ended up eating it like a banana, going from top to the bottom, and then scooping out the sauerkraut and mustard mix from the bottom with a spoon.Recommendation: if you order a hot dog take-away from this shop, carry the hot dog properly -- not the way they hand it to you.…Read More

The setting is cozy, not crowded (at least, not on Sunday). The Mexican style nachos left something to be desired. The nachos are actually Doritos, and the salsa is ketchup with some chopped parsley and possibly oregano sprinkled on top. For possibly health-conscious reasons, the amount of cheese was sparse. I think 90+% of the flavor comes from the original Dorito flavorings and not from anything else on the plate. So, for $48, the nacho snack platter at Y House is essentially a plate of Doritos. If you like Doritos, go for it. I'm a Cool Ranch Doritos man myself, and had I known their nacho platter used Doritos, I would have asked for Cool Ranch flavor.Drinks were acceptable, and I would go again-- sans chips.…Read More

The place seems to be in need of some renovation or at least re-spackling/painting.Since there was no English menu, I took a stab at tea set C. What an interesting combo! I'll try my luck again next time I'm in the neighborhood.One thing which was a real turn-off was the huge boxes of lemons next to my table. Normally not a problem, but while dining, the waitress walked over to get some lemons. She opens up the box, I peek inside, and the fuzzy mold was so clearly visible that I felt the urge to leave quickly, lest I inhale some more spores. By the way, this has affected my drink choices, I no longer order lemon tea. Remember, out-of-sight, out-of-mind, so even though this specific incident was a turn-off, it's not egregious enough to make me blacklist the place.…Read More

This seems to be a typical western-style breakfast in a Chinese-style "cha-chan" restaurant. Service is good, fast, and is consistent with the environment. I will go again.…Read More

The place is nice and clean, seemed visually appealing to me... but, the food itself left something to be desired.I'll give them the benefit of the doubt, as this was on a Friday evening and it is easy to drop the ball when there is a throng of people, but that doesn't really excuse a soggy pizza.Also, dropping 1/8th of the place of lettuce (for the hotpot dish) on the floor next to the table without a word or hint of a nod of an apology seems a bit impolite to me. Granted, if the waitress had dropped this out of my sight, I would have been none the wiser.Not on my re-visit list.…Read More