deuxtamanoirs's Profile

Poulette is in essence the copy-paste of the more established and well-known La Rotisserie.  French-style roast chicken, with a choice of sides (vegetables, pasta) , but with a touch of middle-eastern influence via their choice of herbs and spices. All is fair in love and business. But if you want to blatantly copy someone else's business idea, at least do it well. We had half a  roast chicken, which was pretty much flavourless, and still pink near the bone.   For the sides, we had the potatoes and green beans, which were then way too salty. The potatoes were dry, and the green beans under-cooked. But what was more dismal than the food, was the service.The owners are pretty much disinterested in your business. As the servings are small, we tried to order the chicken sandwich as well. To which the owner replied that they are too busy, and explicitly stated they do not have time to make a sandwich. I don't know in which universe does a sandwich take more than 10 minutes to make. But I guess when you are disorganised, anything is possible. While they have a huge kitchen,  they pretty much can only serve half a dozen roast chickens at a time, meaning a twenty minute wait between each batch. Which is enough time for you to get to the nearest La Rotisseire in Wanchai and get served immediately.  Also, seating at the establishment is minimal. But despite only having around 10 seats, it is a huge challenge for the the staff to keep the area clean, so be prepared to tidy up after the patrons before you.All in all, I would definitely not be back.…Read More

I could barely contain myself when we found out Pirata Group had opened another establishment. Being a huge fan of Pirata, and The Optimist, I honestly had pretty high expectations, but I am happy to report I was not disappointed.Pici Pasta Bar doesn’t take reservations, and honestly the wait can be a bit of a downer, especially on an empty stomach.  We maybe had to wait close to a half hour at 8:30pm on a weekday. But hey, good things come to those who wait! The menu is designed for sharing, and we spotted some of our favorites from Pirata’s menu, but decided to give it a miss this time, and jump straight to the pasta, since that’s  supposed to be the highlight. We had: OrecchietteI have never  had handmade orecchiette, and can say there is a tremendous difference with its pre-packaged counterpart. Of course fresh pasta is worlds apart from whatever you can get at the grocery store. But the difference is even more pronounced with Pici’s orecchiette.The texture is delightfully chewy, bouncy almost.  If you like your pasta with a  bit of a bite, this is definitely for you. It comes with Italian sausage, and spicy nduja, so it has a nice kick as well. This would definitely be a dish I would order again. 5 stars. Liquid Parmesan RavioliniI mean if liquid parmesan doesn't sound appetizing to you, just..what is wrong with you..  I almost expected the parmesan to be flowing out of the raviolini once I cut it, but thankfully the texture of the parmesan is more like butter. So it stays intact on your plate, but melts in your mouth. Each raviolini is like a tiny pocket of buttery, cheesy goodness. The sauce contains beef ragu, which honestly was a little salty for my liking. But easily solved with just ladling less sauce on my fork. 4/5PapperdelleThis reminded me of Pirata’ duck ragu pappardelle, which is one of my all-time favouties, so of course we had to try this dish as well. It is similar to the dish at Pirata, but not quite. The pappardelle is slightly thinner, but still has that egg-y goodness, and has veal instead of duck, which I actually prefer as the veal was cooked to perfection, tender and juicy. 5/5 Overall, I enjoyed all the pasta dishes. The portions are slightly on the small side, which is why we had three dishes between the two of us. So you’d want to either do that, or get some appetizers to start. To end the meal, we had two of the  Raspberry Panna Cottas which were excellent. Creamy and smooth, with just the right touch of tartness.Service was flawless as usual. The servers were attentive and pleasant, and we never had to wait long for attention, which can be rare in Hong Kong. A very lovely experience, and I’ll definitely be back soon. …Read More

I've been to Le Pain Quotidien (LPQ) a number of times now, but always just to grab some pastries to-go. I love their Cinnamon Swirl. I’m a sucker for anything cinnamon, and their swirl is not a let-down with rich, buttery bites in every mouthful. Reasonably priced as well at HKD22. An unhealthy, but great way to start any morning.Anyone who has passed by this quaint bistro at The Avenue will know how attractive their patio area is, and will understand why I just had to give dining-in a shot, even though nothing on their menu really appealed to me. Their dine-in menu mainly consists of all-day breakfast items, baked treats, sandwiches, and some hot food. I’m not a breakfast person, so yes, I may be biased.I’ll cut to the chase now. LPQ is expensive. I’m a pretty cheap person, but if the dining experience is worth it, you will not hear a single complaint from me. Unfortunately, this was not the case at LPQ. For their prices, and the kind of menu they offer, I not only expect the food to be flawless, but service to be decent.Let’s start with the food. We had two tartines. The Curry Chicken and Cranberry was pretty good, I’ll hand them that. Fresh bread was generously coated in a thick, creamy curry sauce. The curry was mild, and aromatic. I think I would have preferred it if the curry was actually spicy, but I’m just nit-picking.The second one we had was the Avocado and Spicy Shrimp, which was mediocre at best. The avocado spread was bland, not a hint of seasoning. Shrimp was definitely frozen, chewy and NOT fresh at all. If I’m paying HKD100++ for a slice of bread with shrimp on it, that shrimp better be so fresh, it be wiggling on my plate. It’s completely ludicrous how some establishments completely rip off their customers because they stand behind a “name brand”. Overall, the food was slightly disappointing and severely overpriced. If you enjoy tartines, I would definitely just jaunt a few stops to Central to Tartine.Now, let’s get to the service. A key trick to spotting if a restaurant has terrible service, is to just observe the managers. If the managers are just standing idly around, letting their staff do all the work, LEAVE. LEAVE NOW, or be terrorized by the horrors of mediocre service that await you. I’m still kicking myself for not leaving, when I noticed this at LPQ.We had to wait a good half hour for our food to arrive. And mind you, the restaurant was maybe only 60-70% full at this time. Yes, 30 minutes, for someone to spread ready-made curry sauce and avocado and shrimp on two slices of bread. If I knew I had to wait that long, I would have asked my 86 year old grandma to make me one. It would have taken maybe 5 minutes longer, but at least it wouldn’t have to pay HKD200+ to endure a half hour of hunger pangs.Needless to say, we alerted the staff, who went to follow up with the kitchen. When we did not hear back within 5 minutes, we decided to speak to the manager, who neither apologized nor acknowledged the situation… gave us an “O RLY?” expression, and walked off. At least, the waitress apologized…Also, there were two managers during the time of our visit. Someone solve this mystery cos I cant’ figure it out. Why would a restaurant need TWO managers who do absolutely nothing? This is even tougher to figure out than the Da Vinci’s Code. For the ENTIRE duration of our meal, I did not see either of the two managers do anything other than waltz around the patio area, go out and take a smoke in full view of their customers.At one point, one of the managers was even yelling and ordering the staff around. That definitely added to the dining experience. The noise from nearby Johnston Road with its trams and traffic was not enough, the yelling really helped improve the ambience. Like really, didn’t Managing101 teach you to never air your dirty laundry in front of your customers?Fellow Openricers, I paid the price of not listening to fellow reviewers who all complained about the service. “It can’t be thaaaat bad”, I thought. Well, it was THAT bad, and actually WORSE. There are so many better options, like Passion, who deliver much better value and service. I might come again, just for the pastries to-go, but never again to dine-in.…Read More

Finally gave this exotic French bistro a shot for Super Monday.It’s always a pet peeve of mine to be made to wait any more than 10 minutes when a reservation has been made prior. But hey, it’s 2-for-1 entrees, I won’t nitpick.Anyway, we finally get a table… not actually in Bouchon, but at their next-door neighbour, Soho Spice. It’s kind of a weird setting, where the two restaurants are actually connected at the back. I assume both restaurants are owned by the same group. That would have been fine, if we weren’t given the most wobbly table in the house (our wine glasses almost fell off the table), and it was right next to the washroom- which meant occasional wafts of sewage.Also, not being seated in the actual restaurant itself, made it impossible to get service. Instead of being able to relax at dinner, we had to try to identify the servers from each establishment.With ambience like this, the food better be amazing, right?I’ll let you be the judge.We had the Escargots de Bourgogne, and Soup a l’Oignon soup to start.French onion soup is my absolute favourite, and Bouchon’s did not disappoint. The soup was aromatic, with a nice portion of cheese. I just wish there were a little more onions, and that the broth was a little thicker.The Escargots, however, was not equally pleasing. They might have forgotten the salt, so the snails tasted a little too ‘earthy’ for my liking. But maybe I’m just not French enough to comprehend the dish.For my entree, I had the Tartare de Filet de Bouef. First off, I wish they could have provided a more generous portion of toast, especially since I ordered the 230g portion.The Tartare itself was a little too acidic for me. A great Tartare should have a nice balance of flavour and acidity, and while Bouchon’s was palatable, it just missed the mark for me.My partner had the Entercote, which was just slightly overcooked. But still, the meat was tender and juicy enough, with a nice sear. The sauces, at HKD $10 each, were not a good match for the steak. I am certain that these are store-bought sauces, and not home-made. The pepper sauce had a chemical aftertaste, and was too salty. The Bernaise was one of the worst I ever had. Made me miss La Vache’s Bernaise so bad.To end our meal, one of the servers dropped a knife on my leg. Thank God it was not the steak knife…All in all, the food at Bouchon was palatable, but the dining experience was unsavoury. Given that French cuisine is synonymous with class and sophistication, our experience was anything but.…Read More

I cannot figure out why some are displeased with the tsukemen at Mitaseimenjo! Maybe I’m just not a connoisseur of tsukemen, since I’ve only had this Japanese dish once before at another establishment, but I found my tsukemen to be delicious.We were always curious about Mitaseimenjo since there is always a snaking line outside. Thankfully, when we came both on a weekday and weekend evening, the line wasn’t too long. Maybe about a 15-20 minute wait both times.Service is quick, your noodles arrive within minutes upon ordering. I got the spicy tsukemen, which I enjoyed immensely. The noodles are thick and have just the right amount of bite in them- not too hard, not too soggy. The broth was extremely flavorful, with both pork and fish incorporated. The spiciness was also just the right amount, to give the dish a good kick. The dish is served with a piece of chashu, bamboo shoots, half an egg, and spring onions. Not an impressive range of toppings- the chashu is too salty and I don’t like bamboo. But that didn’t dampen the star of the dish, the noodles itself. I am craving for it, just as I am writing this review!I got the large portion, which is the same price as the small and medium portions, so no brainer right? When the noodles first arrived, I thought I would not be able to finish it. But it was so good, I actually had no problem! I will admit though that towards the end, the broth got a bit salty. But that is expected, given how flavorful it is.My boyfriend got the original (non-spicy) version. He did not like tsukemen before, but thanks to Mitaseimenjo, he is now a convert!Service was efficient to boot, so I will definitely return if the line is not unreasonably long!…Read More

Lupa, with Chef Mario Batali's name behind it, has long been a restaurant I've wanted to try. Imagine my excitement when I found out it was on the list of establishments for Super Monday!We visited the establishment twice. I had the Tonnarelli Al Granchio (spicy crab) pasta the first time, and the wild boar pasta the second time. The texture of the pasta somehow felt a bit like Chinese noodles to me. I somewhat prefer more egg in my pasta. Out of the two dishes, I definitely prefer the former. The wild boar pasta was a bit too acidic for my liking.My partner had the Linguine All'Astice (lobster) both times. But I did not like the dish. The sauce was too fishy for me, it reminded me of one of those steamed fish dishes you can get a Chinese banquet restaurant.Taste preferences aside, even if I picked my favorite dish of all I had sampled at Lupa, I would say that there’s really nothing special about this restaurant, apart from a big name backing it up. There are lots of Italian restaurants that serve better pasta, such as Cecconi or my all-time favourite, Pirata, just to name a few.Considering we were there for Super Monday, and the entrees were one-for-one, I'll say the portions were passable. But I'll definitely have something to complain about if I had to pay full-price (238HKD++) for four tiny pieces of lobster or a mere sprinkling of crab meat.Last but not least, I found service at Lupa to be subpar at best. Everyone from the hostesses to the servers to the manager, seemed cold and unfriendly. If I’m being brutally honest, the service was reminiscent of a local Hong Kong cafe… You know what I mean, everyone is here to just do their job, take your order, serve you your meal. Making you feel welcome is not part of their job description. Only difference is that the staff here are just dressed fancier.Overall, after giving Lupa two chances, I’d much rather spend my time and money elsewhe…Read More

I’ve been to La Vache twice in the last month. The first experience was underwhelming. After all the hype I’ve been hearing about the place, and having to wait more than two hours to get a table, suffice to say, I had pretty high expectations. Really, if you have to wait two hours for a piece of cow, that cow better be able to sing you a song before you eat it. When we did get a table, which was after 9 on a Friday evening, the place was still packed. Which is great for La Vache’s business, but terrible for the ambience. Why do so many restaurants not invest in sound-absorbing walls, especially if it’s an enclosed area.La Vache and Ho Lee Fook should have a competition for loudest restaurant in Central. This is definitely not the place to go on a date, especially if you plan on having long, meaningful conversations. If you want a place to fill the awkward silence, on the other hand, then La Vache is ideal. The ordering process is pretty fuss-free, all you have to do is tell them how you want your steak done. I ordered my steak rare, and within minutes it arrived after we finished our salads. The steak was good, but did it sing to me? And I don’t mean literally… Not really. It was also a bit more well done that I had liked. But that’s okay, I know not a lot of people have their meat rare. The Béarnaise sauce that accompanied that steak was delish, however. And the fries were crispy and golden. So even though I’m not a fan of fries in general, I enjoyed a few bites. I returned a second time just a few weeks later on a Thursday evening. This is just me nit-picking but they wouldn’t let me reserve a table when I first called, saying the wait was 45 minutes. But when my boyfriend, with his “exotic” French accent called two minutes later, they said a table would be available in 20 minutes and that he could leave his name. Not cool. Anyway, I had a much better experience this time round, without having to wait two ridiculous hours for a table. Also, the restaurant was less packed and quieter this time around, making for a more pleasant experience. I don’t know if the aforementioned played a part, but I felt my steak tasted a lot better this time. The grill on the meat was excellent, and it was better cooked than the first time- more to my standard of “rare”. The meat was better marinated, and had a more pronounced flavor. The meat was also less chewy and more tender to the bite. Now, I understood what everyone was talking about. My boyfriend complained that the meat was more fatty than the first time though. But for me, that was not a big problem. To sum up my take on La Vache, would I wait two hours to dine there again? Not in hell’s chance. That being said, their steak is actually delicious, one of the best in Hong Kong. I would come back on a weekday.…Read More

When we first came across this cheerfully-coloured corner restaurant in Tai Hang, we were extremely intrigued as the tiny spot was packed to the brim. We asked for a table but were turned away, as their waiting list was too long. Needless to say, this only made us want to come back even more!We returned on a weekday, being extra sure to make a reservation beforehand. We showed up at Mustard, to find all the tables were occupied, but only due to poor planning. They had seated couples at tables of four. We had no choice but to be seated at the counter overlooking the kitchen. It was nice to be able to see the chef in action, but the novelty wore off as the discomfort of the bar seats and inconvenience of eating at the tiny counter-top wore in.To start, we ordered the Padron Peppers. To be fair, I need to provide a disclaimer that I probably have high standards since my first experience tasting this delectable dish was in a humble tapas place in Barcelona. Though only seasoned with pink Himalayan salt, I will never forget how incredible the peppers were, and I’ve been hunting to find a local substitute in Hong Kong ever since. Unfortunately for me, Mustard’s padron peppers did not live up to that standard. The peppers were indeed well cooked, crunchy and juicy, but I could not appreciate the balsamic vinegar and almonds that it was served with. For me, the pairing did not work. The balsamic vinegar was no doubt in itself, delectable and sweet. But together with the sweet peppers, the sweet on top of sweet did not work for me. The almonds as garnish, also seemed unnecessary. The peppers were already crunchy on their own, and need not more texture for amplification.Next, we ordered their Mushroom Soup with Truffle Foam, which was served in a tiny cup. It’s pretty hard to go wrong with truffle, so I definitely enjoyed this. Not sure why the truffle could not be infused directly in the soup itself… I cannot decide if the foam elevated the dish for me, but it was a fun experience.We also had the Seared Scallops with Cauliflower, and Quinoa. The scallops were fresh and well-cooked, with a perfectly bouncy texture I enjoy. However, again, the quinoa that was paired with the scallops did nothing for me. It was not bad, but it wasn’t great either. The quinoa added a sourness and tanginess to the dish, but not in the way I’ve often experienced like with lemon or lime zest. The latter often brings freshness to the seafood, the quinoa just added sourness.Lastly, we ordered the Vongole, as we wanted some carbs to fill up on, without ordering too many additional dishes. So far, we had not had any real hits with any of the dishes… and did not feel like we should keep ordering in the odd chance we got a hit. We had to wait a while for the Vongole as the chef had apparently left the restaurant. When it finally came, I was a little disappointed with the portion, but the pasta itself tasted fine. No different than many of the other Vongoles I’ve had. I did appreciate that the clams were fresh and clean (i.e. no sand), which can be rare in Hong Kong.All in all, I did not have a bad experience at Mustard. Maybe my expectations were set a little too high from being turned away the first time. I mean, this restaurant has to be amazing if their waiting list was that long. Also, I have to be honest, that I have very unsophisticated and uncultured tastebuds. I prefer simple and comforting dishes, nothing too fancy, which I think is what Mustard is about. I felt very much that they were trying to elevate dishes that have been perfected, by adding foam, or quinoa, or what-have-you. For unsophisticated me, it did not work. But it might work for diners who are more attuned to the finer things in life. Service was friendly and fast, which is what you would expect from a restaurant of this size. Worth a try if you like your dishes done fancy and creatively executed.…Read More

Came here on a quiet weekend afternoon as we were craving pasta. Without hesitation, I got the Portobello and Mixed Mushroom Pasta. I’m a sucker for anything with truffle oil. I mean, what could go wrong with truffle oil?Quite a bit, apparently.The dish was not terrible. I could definitely stomach it, but was quite underwhelming. Definitely tasted like something I could whip up at home if I invested in some Portobellos and a bottle of truffle oil. Interestingly, the dish was also served with a poached egg. Usually, I love eggs, especially if it’s poached! But this combination of egg, pasta and mushrooms did not work for me. The egg also had an alkali taste to it. Put together with the under seasoned pasta and mushrooms, all I could taste was the alkali egg. I had to use the salt on the table generously to make the dish more appetizing.For what you get, I think the dishes are quite over-priced at O’delice. I can name at least 5 places in Wanchai you can get better pasta at. That said, they might be more known for their galettes. I can’t say if I’ll be motivated enough to come back to try that.…Read More

I have been wanting to try The Pawn for a while now, but could never justify spending the prices they charge when there are a plethora of more economical choices in Wanchai. But fortunately, I have a very sweet boyfriend who took me there last week.We had a tough time deciding on a starter, because so many of them looked very appetizing. The Tuna Tartare, Foie Gras, and Razor Clams were equally tempting, but we settled on the Duck Liver Parfait upon the recommendations we read on Openrice. The Parfait was absolutely delicious. And the manager very kindly offered us extra bread (which was priced at HKD $50), even though the dish came with thin slices of toast. The duck liver was creamy, well-seasoned, with a playful crunch in every bite that came from the deep fried duck skin. I thought the dish might be too rich after the first couple of mouthfuls, but that wasn’t the case at all. While waiting for our extra bread, my boyfriend suggested we not help ourselves to any more of the parfait. But neither of us could stop sneaking tiny spoonfuls when the other was not looking. This dish was irresistible.And a side note on the complimentary bread, it was delicious as well. I would not mind paying the HKD $50 if I just came for drinks. The bread was buttery and fluffy, and came with creamy butter and onion jam!For my main, I had the Suckling Piglet Belly with Poached Pineapple and Confit Squid. Though not perfect, some parts of the meat were a little dry, it was otherwise quite delicious. The roast on the skin and meat was well executed, giving it a slightly smokey and sweet flavor, and of course the perfect crackling of skin you would expect when biting into suckling pig meat. The sweetness and tartness of the pineapple complemented the meat quite well , and the squid was a surprising but appreciated addition.My boyfriend had the Beef Burger ‘Extraordinaire’, which was indeed quite extraordinary, in terms or both taste and portion. It was huge. I am not big on burgers, but I enjoyed stealing a few bites of his dish. The beef patty was well seasoned and cooked to perfection, and made for delightful mouthfuls with the crispy fried onions and melted cheese. Our only complaint would be the fries, which tasted a little like it had been cooked in oil that had been left in the fryer a tad too long.Even though we were positively stuffed by the end of our mains, my boyfriend insisted on ordering dessert. He justified it by saying it will be a while before he takes me to The Pawn again, given how it is a little on the pricey side… No matter, I am delighted to be just dining here once!So we got the Lime Leaf and Basil Panna Cotta, as well as the Brined and Compressed Watermelon. Unfortunately, the desserts did not live up to our expectations… perhaps because the bar was set so high by the starters and entrees. But it could also be because; the desserts were a little too progressive and contemporary for our very traditional tastes. We like our desserts simple, sweet and satisfying… no need for surprises and twists, which was very much our impression of the desserts at The Pawn. The panna cotta was decent, a very interesting and refreshing twist with the infused lime and basil. However, I would pick a traditional interpretation of panna cotta any day, just sweet, silky smooth, and creamy. Furthermore, I didn’t really like the addition of olives to the dish. It was strange and stuck out like a sore thumb.The Brined and Compressed Watermelon with Chili and Vanilla was plain weird. We’ll take part of the blame for ordering such an unusual dish, knowing our preference for the old and traditional, but honestly, this dish left us confused. It was mostly sour, apart from the coconut ice-cream, which was the dish’s only saving grace. Our server assured us the chili would not be spicy, but would merely add flavor... But it was actually very spicy! There were too many flavors that did not complement each other. If they say a good dish is one that is able to invoke emotion, this dish gets 5 stars for making me the most confused since my college quantum physics class.Some people complain about the service, but I honestly had a very good experience at The Pawn. The servers were professional, friendly and for the most part, attentive. But it could be that we were having a late dinner, so they were not as occupied as they would be during more conventional dining times.All in all, apart from dessert, it was an enjoyable dining experience at The Pawn, and I can only hope that I have the chance to come back soon!…Read More

I've been wanting to give this place a shot for a while since there's been so much buzz about this playfully-named restaurant. I never quite mustered the patience since they usually have a long line, and only take reservations for a party of five or more but I finally found the determination to come here when my family from out-of-town insisted on it. Turns out, the wait actually wasn't too bad. 15-20 minutes for a Monday night.In short, yes, the food was good. But with prices like that, one is definitely paying more for the experience of dining at a restaurant called "Ho Lee Fook" than the actual quality of the food. They have many interesting choices on the menu, and prices did not seem exorbitant... But when the food arrived, Ho Lee Fook... the portions are tiny. Honestly, $68 for a small bowl of Lu Rou Fan?? And this was categorized under "not a small plate"! How deceptive. My favourite dish of the night was the Wagyu Steak Tartare. It was served with what I assume was deepfried beancurd skins. The tartare was flavourful, and had just the right amount of sour and spiciness. Eaten together with the crispy beancurd skin, the "gooey" and crispy textures complemented each other very well. Another dish that I surprisingly liked was the very simple Stir-fried Asparagus, Broccoli, Sugar Snap Peas, Garlic. Shaoxing. It looks like any regular Chinese vegetable dish, but to have so many different vegetables all perfectly cooked so that none were under or overdone is quite a feat. The vegetables were sweet, fresh, and tender and went very well with the simple sauce. Other items we ordered were the Mom's "Mostly Cabbage, a Little bit of Pork" Dumplings. This dish was average, and severely overpriced. You can get much better dumplings for less than half the price anywhere else in Hong Kong. Same can be said about the Grilled Pork Belly. Again, pretty average. Some parts of the meat were a little dry. Not something I would order again.In short, too expensive! People who know Chinese cuisine well would know where else to get better food for lower prices. Ho Lee Fook feels very much like a restaurant for expats or tourists who want to have Chinese food, but prefer to dine in an upscale and contemporary environment, rather than a dingy street-side stall (where all locals know that's where the best food's at). While the decor was very contemporary and edgy, it was't very practical. Since the dining area is in the basement, it was cold and poorly lit. And in an enclosed area like that, sounds were bouncing off the concrete walls, making it extrmely loud. I could barely hear my family and boyfriend though they were right in front of/ beside me. Service was fine, nothing to complain or rave about. Although if I'm really nitpicking, it's impossible to identify who was a server. Some were wearing black t-shirts and pants, one lady was wearing a blazer, a couple were just wearing jeans and a top... we had to be careful not to to misidentify the servers to avoid offending anyone.All in all, it was an experience but I probably wouldn't return unless friends or family visit Hong Kong and make me take them here again. …Read More

My boyfriend took me to Kokomi for Valentine's Day. In essence, if you're looking to pay marked-up prices for average Japanese food, accompanied by terrible service at a restaurant that lacks proper business ethics, then Kokomi is definitely the place for you.As a starting note, to be completely objective, the food was alright. Some were a hit, others were a complete miss. The Garlic Beef Fried Rice was the best dish of the night. The beef was tender, rice was fluffy. Unfortunately, the garlic was slightly overpowering. I had garlick-y taste lignering on my palatte for the rest of the evening.The Beef Udon was alright, average at best. Nothing out of the ordinary that you can't get anywhere else. The udon was well cooked, al dente, which I like. The broth, however, was uremarkable. The egg, you can tell from the photo, was not perfectly cooked. Some of the egg yolk had started to become hard-boiled. By far the worst dish of the night, and perhaps one of the worst udon dishes I've had in my life. Pork Cutlet Udon in Cold Sesame Sauce: Bite after bite, the udon and pork cutlet were soaked with the sour sesame sauce which was too sour for my liking. I don't know what they put in it.... Vinegar, perhaps? Whatever it was, I couldn't taste any sesame, just vinegar. I did not enjoy this at all, we couldn't even force ourselves to finish half the bowl.Only thing that was worse than the food, was the service. As a start, the set menu the restaurant promised would be available when my boyfriend made the reservation was not available upon arrival. The manager stopped by our table to apologize for the miscommunication and offered to give us additional items FOC for the mistake. He then took our order personally.... and thereafter never spoke to us again for the rest of the evening. It might be my imagination, but he did not even come within a 10 ft radius of our table. You would think that the only restaurant manager on that shift should not avoid a good 30% of the restaurant, but he avoided where we were sitting like we were the plague. I left the restaurant with a lingering sense of displeasure. What the manager did to us was an extremely unethical tactic to pacify us and have us dine at the restaurant when it was the restaurant who clearly made a mistake. A sincere apology would have sufficed. Blatantly lying to our faces to get our business is a pretty low blow for a supposed "upscale" Japanese restaurant.On that note, the ambience and decor were definitely on point. The restaurant was one of the most spacious I have been to in Hong Kong. The downside was that it was impossible to get the attention of any of the servers. On average it took almost 15-20 minutes for us to get them to serve us, which I do not appreciate considering the service charge. I would definitely not return to Kokomi again.…Read More

I've been a loyal customer of Sagrantino's for a long time now. I LOVE pasta, and Sagratino offers a unique selection of Japanese-Italian choices.Ever since a friend let me try a bite of her Zuke pasta-- cold pasta with marinated tuna chunks, I've been hooked. The soy dressing coupled with perfectly al dente pasta and a generous amount of tuna is amazing. I find myself craving it every week or so, and have to resist going back.Other choices I've enjoyed are their Vongole and Soft-shell crab options. Service is friendly and fast, Sagrantino is my favourite choice for pasta in the Central area. …Read More

I've been here twice in the last week, that's how much I love the food here. Pirata is rare combination of excellent food, pleasant ambience and friendly service all rolled into an authentic Italian restaurant located on the top of Wanchai. A dish we had both visits was their Duck Ragu Pappadelle. Defintiely one of my favourite pasta dishes in Hong Kong by far. Handmade pastas are just not the same, it was perfectly al dente accompanied by flavourful duck and sauce in every bite. Writing about it now just makes me want to go back! Only complaint is that the portion is far too small. They do half and full portions for their pastas. And our full portion really felt more like a half portion. The table behind us shared our thoughts, and questioned their server on the portion size as well. Pirata can definitely be more generous!Another of my favourite dishes here is The Butcher's Cut- 500 grams worth of juicy, tender flank steak. It was a huge pity that there was a delay in it being served to us. We requested to have it served with our pastas. But they only served it to us close to a half hour later, when we had to remind them. By then, we were quite full so we could not fully enjoy the dish. Nevertheless, I would come back to try this on an empty stomach to see if it makes a difference. Other dishes we had were the Vitello Tonnato, the Beef Ragu Agnolotti, Prawn Tagliatelle, and Raspberry Panna Cotta for dessert, all of which I enjoyed immensely  as well.The view is, to be honest, overrated. Yes, it's on the 30th floor, with huge windows. But in a concrete jungle like Hong Kong, all I could see were buildings all around. It's a decent view, but not as romantic as some have described. As for the service, the servers were all friendly and genuine. My only gripe was that it was difficul to get quick serivce when we came here on the weekend, but that's not enough to deter me from coming again. …Read More