louisaluisa's Profile

藏在舊市區中的悠閒 ─每年來到聖誕，最喜歡在這幾天假期約老友們見個面。前陣子還在愁著和朋友A到那兒吃個下午茶，剛好朋友A的家附近特別有一家Café。說到是開店不久的，還有店裡專賣柚子產品，我就立刻知道，是雜誌先前訪問過的「柚屋」喔!聖誕正日大概三時來到，跟想像有點距離。想不到原來店面只有大概半個班房般大，門口直望，可見有一條靠牆的長橫凳，放了四張二人檯；門口左邊是廚房，右邊則有一張二人吧檯，可以望窗；另外放在店的中央就有一張四人檯。雖然店面一眼就能看盡，檯與檯之間的空間感可想言之不多，不過店裡溫暖的黃光、簡單的木材擺設、在長凳放著的幾個小咕𠱸、靠牆邊掛著的可愛公仔吊飾、以及陣陣的柚子香氣，會讓人看到店長們在這個小地方所繪畫的夢想。剛好店裡還有兩個位子空著，很快就和A坐好。這裡提供很多不同款式的飲料，不少得的有一系列的柚子特飲，用上日本品牌的柚子醬調製，可以配茶、檸檬、綠茶、柚子梳打等。茶的款式坊間少見，每種茶都有幾款材料混和而成，其中較讓我深刻的是一支蘋果黑莓茶呢，當然還有不同種類的咖啡。而小食也有十分多選擇，鹹甜好像也各有特色，亦有All Day Breakfast可選擇。熱柚子綠茶 ($36) (4/5)其實那一整天都鼻敏感得要害，剛好來一杯柚子熱飲讓症狀舒緩了不少!看見杯裡一顆顆柚皮碎在飄浮，應該是隨著柚子醬而來的，蠻可愛喔。陣陣的柚子香迎面撲來，嘗一口，柚子酸香濃郁。雖然跟坊間的柚子茶少了一點蜜甜，但卻突出了最天然的橘果味，口感清爽。綠茶的甘味也隨著柚子散發出來，可惜aftertaste有微微苦澀，相信是泡綠茶時熱水溫度太高所致。(*由於綠茶的葉身比較軟弱，通常用攝氏70-80度以下的水沖泡大概一分鐘最為理想，這樣茶葉的細胞便不會容易破裂而流出苦澀的味道。)說得話多，肚子又餓起來了! 於是要了一份柚子戚風蛋糕 ($36) (4.5/5)這裡的戚風雖不及大坑的La famille 出品般濕潤軟熟，但店舖特意從日本購入的柚子醬，卻成功為他們的戚風畫龍點睛。柚子醬強烈的酸香深化了本來味道較清淡的戚風，吃罷蛋糕感覺也濕潤順喉，而且吃完一整件感覺仍是零負擔，很輕盈。下午吃一件配個茶很不錯喔!店舖的招待有禮，獨有的柚子味道，不大卻原來溫暖得很的環境，重要的是從每個角落都看到的熱情，的確讓我無法不再次回去。誠意推介!…Read More

星期天到訪過大坑的八寸後，在附近走走。路過一家店，門口放著一架咖啡車。不愛咖啡(其實更重要的原因是飲完頭會暈)，店裡也沒太多裝潢，本就是沒怎麼吸引我和S，但看見牆上掛著一幅幅畫得漂亮的刨冰畫作，一對夫婦在店裡吃得津津有味的樣子，放在吧檯上幾本有關刨冰的日本雜誌，這樣的格局有點像日本的傳統小吃店。好奇地走進店裡，原來餐廳還在試業階段。被吧檯前小雪櫃內的戚風蛋糕吸引著，有原味、巧克力、抹茶及Mont Blanc 四款口味 ($50)。將戚風切半，中間夾進不少奶油及水果/白玉，賣相很吸引，而且銷售運作方便。不過，除非對自己的奶油很有信心，而且奶油跟戚風的味道有刻意配搭過，否則在戚風中預先加入奶油/水果這回事，還是不要冒險較好。個人覺得若奶油能夠在有客人點餐時，以及按客人需要才加進去，這樣蛋糕就不會吸入過多水分，而且戚風本來的魅力是在於其濕潤鬆軟的口感。不過絕對明白這樣的安排，在運作上有一定難度。就留待下次正式開業後再來試試。說回正題，剛才提過的那對夫婦，在我們旁邊大呼超好味，這樣的高度推介下，這次來我和S就點了他們正在吃得滋味的Baguette French Toast。Baguette French Toast ($50) 有一個開放式廚房，客人能看見店裡用的材料及準備過程。見到雪櫃放著一支Meiji 4.3牛奶，就不禁對這裡的奶油期待萬分，新店新設備，地方也很乾淨。但就在店員打開冰櫃拿出雪糕盒時，我們好像夢得要被叫醒 ─ 店裡用的雪糕是香港熟識的D品牌。並非對D品牌有意見，只是不見得味道出眾，而以$50這個定價來說，所用的雪糕大概可以有更多選擇。大概10分鐘，吐司就準備好了！老闆娘叮囑我們小心吃，吐司真的非常熱燙。輕輕咬一口，帶著點點焦化的外皮脆，但內裡特別糯軟。麵包濕濕棉棉的，滲著甜甜的蛋香，有點像麵包布丁的口感。老闆娘說，他們的吐司用料很足，浸蛋漿的時間較長，讓吐司充滿蛋香。一球冰凍的雲尼拿雪糕跟熱騰騰的吐司同吃，的確是一個標準不失敗的配搭。唯一問題是店用的膠叉子很鈍，很難成功叉上一件吐司，顧得吐司時又未能蘸點雪糕吃，我和S都吃得有點狼狽 。以這個價錢在大坑吃個下午茶，其實都在正常水平。但有吸引力讓我們再去嗎? 好像還是缺了一兩個原因。…Read More

大概上年十二月剛開業不久，擁有兩間分店的Leclair de Genie，受歡迎得可以每天下午三點前，所有泡芙已經售罄。聖誕前夕更有每人限購數量，午飯時間來排隊也可以大排半小時有多才買到。星期日下午五時，想到太古廣場的超市逛逛，剛好又經過金鐘總店。難得沒有人龍，泡芙仍然有少量存貨，雖然我最愛的柚子口味仍有最後一件，但旁邊寫著「恭喜發財」的特別口味非常奪目，最後決定和友人試試，也來個吉利吧！Chocolate Orange ($55) 3/5相比起其他味道，新口味價錢的確高得有點距離。香橙朱古力口味並非人人喜愛，但剛巧我是大粉絲，對這新口味帶著一點期待。面層糖膠大概是要顧及揮春的設計，味道所以就只有糖膠的甜。同意友人所說，一入口滲出幽幽橙香，巧克力不太濃，大概是牛奶巧克力般，正好跟橙味平衡得恰到好處。不過由於糖膠較甜的關係，整顆泡芙就較其他味道甜膩一點。但若想今年突破嘗新，在新年裡頭拜年，買幾件贈以親人朋友，也不失為一個選擇 :>P.S. 店員知道我們倆分享一件，遞上一張卡紙代刀，將泡芙分一半，其實很可愛。…Read More

這天約定了S 放半日假，打算下午周圍逛逛。可是雷雨交加，從新太陽廣場走到地鐵站，我們也只好經地下隧道，行多幾步路總好過變落湯雞。一直想找個地方下午茶休息一下，想起K11是不錯的選擇。K11是我一直以來最喜歡的商場，雖然也是離不開香港連鎖效應的文化，但欣賞K11會以藝術為題，在整個商場裡擺放著很多不同的作品。超市Marketplace鋪位減半來個大裝修，剛好經過見到有兩間新店已經開業。其中一間是金黃色的門面，利用木質麻質等家具，簡單樸素地報置，帶點日本風，還有一個開放式廚房。有預感在這裡喝個茶應該也不錯。 時間四點半，客人也不少。不過餐廳內的四人檯就算沒有坐滿，店員都不會安排搭檯。踏進門口，第一印象感覺不太被歡迎，但明明店內人手十分充足…兩三位店員在我們面前經過了好幾次，但一會兒過後才有一位照顧我們 ：「幾多位？請等等，宜家安排緊位比你」…幸好不久就可以入座了。像日本餐廳一樣，每桌都會有一個小籃子放袋，桌上都已備有餐具。這裡的餐具用上價錢不菲，是來自葡萄牙的 Cutipol 的手製品，執上手也真的有點重量。金色的刀叉在桌上閃閃發亮，連餐具都襯托著餐廳的主調顏色，誠意可加。店員遞上menu 仔細看看，覺得班戟的款式似曾相識。我聯想起剛剛上星期在大阪吃過的那間新興鬆餅店Café Gram，回家再翻查網站資料擺盤，又真的有幾分相似…不過鬆餅這回事，材料配搭多寡十分影響質感，每家店都一定會有自己的味道的。由於在大阪和姊姊跟Café Gram的Souffle Pancake無緣，我毫不猶疑便點了這店的出品試試。Souffle ($68) (4/5)等了大概十分鐘，鬆餅連一小瓶楓糖漿一同奉上。跟S有同感地覺得鬆餅及配料，以$68的價錢而言份量較少;Menu上不同鬆餅的定價有頗大分別，例如只加多$10 就能享用配料更豐富的All day Breakfast Pancake了喔。不過若只談味道，這個梳乎厘鬆餅的確非常驚艷！日本人用「ふわふわ」(FU-WA-FU-WA) 來描述梳乎厘鬆餅該有的口感，一聽下去仿佛已經能想像到那種超綿軟的感覺，而這店完全能做到這種幸福的口感！輕輕一刀就能把鬆餅切開，像梳乎厘的外層包著輕盈又濕潤的鬆餅。鬆餅本身散發著點點鹹牛油香，一入口已經開始融化，蛋味非常濃郁，配上清爽不膩的楓糖漿，超美味!如若鬆餅能做得更厚，旁邊的忌廉能夠更輕更富奶香，必能更上一層樓。由於晚上七時就吃晚飯，跟S猶疑應否點多一個鬆餅試試，最後還是點了 Strawberry $78 (4/5)!喜歡草莓的朋友不能錯過！來到的時候，見到擺盤很甜美，我和S都很驚喜！這次用的是店裡的signature鬆餅，再慷慨地淋上草莓汁、吉士汁，旁邊放著充滿雲尼拿籽的雪糕、帶著果肉的草莓醬、忌廉及新鮮草莓片，配料豐富。Signature鬆餅比剛才的梳乎厘鬆餅熱多了，可惜口感不夠棉滑，蛋香也較弱；不過這次旁邊的雲尼拿雪糕香濃幼滑，草莓醬味道很自然而且酸度夠，不似是加工貨，一熱一冷的配搭當然惹人喜歡。最後談到服務及衛生方面，有幾點留意到的, 先是發現桌底有兩三塊煙三文魚及麵包碎；店員將第二碟鬆餅奉上的時候，想將吃完的碟子收起時，把碟子微微推向我這邊才將碟子收起，感覺有點危險而且不太專業；最讓S抓狂的是，用餐後店員遞上問卷時，店員竟然漠視了S，只遞上了問卷給我…這些小地方大概能做得更得體。幸運的是，到我們填問卷時才知道，原來這天正好是第一天開業，所有店裡的消費都是免費，大概是想做最真實的試食評估吧！其實能夠在第一天開業，剛巧放假，又剛巧經過這裡，一試這裡的味道，很是緣份吧!會再來試這裡的鹹鬆餅的。…Read More

夏天過後，有一陣子沒有來炸包店了。前幾天和姊姊到朗豪坊分店吃過晚飯了，知道menu 已改頭換面，這陣子更暫停最有名的沖繩便當，只可以散叫飯及意粉，或最新推出的火鍋套餐 (一人前$98 – 138 /二人前 $258) 。這晚又再拉S到新蒲崗來這裡晚飯，能一星期內讓我吃兩次 這份魅力可真不少‧‧‧最新的火鍋套餐，湯底任選一款，有沖繩壽喜燒、蕃茄鏗魚、咖哩味噌及海鮮墨魚四款味道；每個一人前套餐都指定有雜菜、沖繩海葡萄、花生豆腐、豚肉、燒米餅及少許芝士；主菜可以從琉球蒸雞、燒魚柳及香草羊肉配薯仔中選一款；套餐還包括一杯果蜜梳打呢。另外二人前套餐是以海鮮作主題，有大蝦、青口、燒魚柳 及蟹棒，而其他指定的材料都跟一人前一樣。如果不是超喜愛海鮮的話，其實散叫兩個一人前反而會有很多自由度。 這裡最特別的就是吃完火鍋後，可以有一窩超美味溫暖的雜炊飯作結！吃完所有蔬菜及肉類後，以及當湯底只剩下大約1/3的份量時，可以放入燒米餅，不停攪拌，將其煮成像白粥一樣很棉很濃稠的質感，最後可以熄火並加入芝士，輕輕拌好就完成了！一人前火鍋套餐 $108主菜: 琉球蒸雞 / 湯底: 蕃茄鏗魚 (4/5) 欣賞這裡的餐牌會推介火鍋最佳的食法，同時也是最健康的呢！先吃野菜再吃肉類，除了能避免野菜在烹煮過程序時，吸入太多來自肉類的油分；野菜內的纖維更能給肚子較多的飽肚感，繼而減少進吃過多肉類，吃火鍋吃得最輕盈的方法就是這樣了！要煮雜炊飯，所用的材料都需要新鮮及不能太油膩，否則煮出來的飯腥味會好重。剛好這裡的野菜及豚肉都很新鮮，而且少油脂；雞肉預先調味及蒸過，翻熱後肉質有點過哽，不過味道是很不錯的；蕃茄湯雖然不太濃郁，但用作做雜炊飯，味道清新多了，推介這個晚餐給注重健康的朋友！沖繩海鹽焦糖紅芋日式多士 $48 (5/5!)因為太美味的關係，在郎豪坊店及本店都有點這份限定甜點！不過郎豪坊店的比較出色。剛上桌，碟上的海鹽焦糖醬是熱燙的！日式多士其實就是沒有餡的炸包，外皮微微烘過 內裡仍是軟軟的，配上紅芋茸、雲尼拿雪糕及溫熱的焦糖醬，冰火交融喔！焦糖醬夠鹹中和了雪糕多士的膩感 ，沾少許旁邊的咖啡奶油還會令焦糖醬更濃郁‧‧‧超好味！繼博多道場的牛腸鍋雜炊飯後，這裡的雜炊飯會讓我再三回來的，這個新派火鍋值得在這個冬天一試喔！…Read More

這間馬卡龍來到香港後，雖然價錢一加再加，以$26的價錢值不值得買一件法國小甜點，見仁見智。不過，可以肯定的是，吃過這個多馬卡龍的品牌中，Laduree 若不是第一 就是第二。其微脆而又鬆軟濕潤的餅子，無論每一塊都能焗得出美麗的Pied，以及平滑無暇的表面，是無可置疑的高水準。跟另外一間超有名也在香港有開店的PH 的差別，我會說是在於味道,款式及營銷上的。Laduree的馬卡龍味道必較傳統、專一及出眾，吃她們的Macaron 就算Blind Tasting都會說得中是什麼味道；而且個人覺得甜度控制得宜，就算一次吃一整盒馬卡龍也算可以。購買時並沒有任何數量的限制，豐儉由人，除非想要指定的禮物盒來包裝。PH的馬卡龍相對而言則味道的配搭非常大膽，款式很多元化，由不同水果香料配搭的口味到很奢華的鵝肝口味都有；但能否在這一顆馬卡龍中完全帶出相應的味道，這個答案很難定奪。而且在香港店每次購買數量有限制，要最少七顆，毎次購買都是真的準備好買一整盒才會光顧。亦因為Laduree可以隨意選擇購買的數量，每次逛過海港城或置地廣場，經過 Laduree 都必定會兜個圈。看看限定的馬卡龍口味，有緣的就試試看! :) 今期的限定口味有Maple Syrup 及 Spices and Soft Fruits! 對後者很有興趣，一於試試:Spices and Soft Fruits Macaron (3/5)把馬卡龍接道上手後，就已經有陣陣的甜香料味，例如：玉桂、 豆蔻、少許雲尼拿等。入口像甜版的Mulled wine 口味，有點熟梨子，葡萄的甜香,而香料方面依然玉桂及豆蔻的味道很出眾，後勁更是凌厲，吃罷整個馬卡龍後仍有微微的辛辣感；馬卡龍的蓋子的原材料本來就是杏仁碎及糖，所以必須要以內餡的味道來取個平衡才能令口感清爽不膩。但這馬卡龍沒有一點酸度來平衡本身的甜膩，很可惜呢。下次有機會試試Maple Syrup口味。…Read More

It was one promotion from a HK food magazine which drove a lot of readers booking Alchemy’s newly launched weekend Brunch in end of May. That dishes were created by Chef Pascal Breant and a 8-course brunch at only $268, who would not come for a try? I was too late to secure a seat on a Saturday in mid-June; actually it would be S’ birthday. The manager confirmed that bookings were full and I just couldn’t imagine all seats could have gone within a day after the magazine write-up has published online. Desperate about which restaurant I should be bringing S to…But it was after two days that the manager called again and exceptionally opened its library area for us to have enjoy the brunch!(Thanks Jackie;>)A bit not easy to climb up stairs from Central MTR to the restaurant under sunny hot weather.We finally arrived at the very ebony black restaurant entrance and reached the first floor. Turning to right was the Alchemy in the dark restaurant; while on the left was the lounge where you could feel the immensely layback tune of life: bookshelves, antique sofas, wooden floors shining with natural sunlight and a decent cozy bar were all that you need for a relaxing Saturday. Jackie nicely escorted us to a window seat (instead of library area after her rearrangement). It was the only table far away from other family / cocktail tables and we liked it! The brunch menu every weekend could have slight difference, and this week we have this. Bread (4/5)A trunk of small hot baguette was served to start off today’s brunch. Looked cute and up to standard with crunchy crust and soft bread interior. South Pacific Oyster with ginger and spring onion (3/5)I would never judge oyster by its size because there could always be fantastic character even for a tiny oyster. Unfortunately this oyster was too light in taste. The spring onion and ginger paste at the same time was a tad too salty and dominated the flavor. Sadly.Homemade smoked salmon with lemon mayonnaise, cherry tomato and smoked eel (4.5/5)Happy that this dish washed away the negative impression from oyster. This actually was one of the best dishes we would recommend. S adored the homemade smoked salmon so much as the smokiness was just right – not too salty and enhanced the salmon flavor with long aftertaste. The tender smoked eel was also impressive to complement with the lemon mayonnaise and salmon nicely. Octopus Carpaccio with roasted pepper and olive oil (3.5/5)Unfortunately I missed this photo. Simple but delicious, with enough saltiness and oiliness to soak the octopus carpaccio. Rich in taste but at the same time fresh enough! Duck Terrine & Savoy cabbage with crispy saffron risotto (3.5/5)The terrine with cooked cabbage layered on was soso. It might be due to my terrible impression on cooked cabbage. Interestingly however the risotto in deep fried croquette got me. So lovely to pull the cheesy linings out after cracking off the croquette! I especially loved the beautiful orange color and slight sourness infused by saffron. Crispy Polenta with Quail Egg, Carabineros Red Prawn (4.5/5)“Carabineros” in Spanish means police; and the stunning scarlet color of this prawn resembles the uniform color of Spanish custom police. Many restaurants desire so much of this prawn for it is full of robust and delicious flavors, especially from its head. Enticingly the prawn was wrapped with a layer of red oil, the flesh was juicy and tangy; and it lingered some time with subtle ocean freshness and sweetness that a prawn should have. The prawn head was full of tomalley and that was just heavenly sweet and flavorful. The summer truffle slice though not that strong flavor was definitely a star to the quail egg. It was my first time to try polenta and the texture was just soso to me though. But overall a very nice kick if I consider it as our main.Seared Scallop with spinach puree and Australian Truffle with lemon mayo (3.5/5)Thanks for having another dish with Truffle slice! The scallop was up to standard, just seared the outer layer and the interior was still soft and silky. The lemon mayo was a bit too fatty to season the scallop though. Roasted Veal Tenderloin with artichoke, asparagus, baby potato and madeira jus (3.5/5)A soso dish to us as the tenderloin was not soft and tender as it was supposed to be.Dessert (3/5)Dessert was again soso, except the Varlhona lollipop which was had smooth ganache in the middle. Creatively the chef used half of a kiwifruit as a stand for candle for the birthday boy. And the candle was surprisingly on super big fire! Overall, the brunch was very comprehensive with versatile ingredients and cooking style which made it super high CP value. Though the seasonings and cooking time could be controlled more accurately.…Read More

新一年先在這裡祝大家新年快樂！踏入2016年，在這美好的新年假期下，和S來個港島遊，並到訪了S說過很多很多次想吃的煲仔飯店。雖然這個冬天不太冷，但為一試馳名的煲仔飯暴走到西環，其實也是一種浪漫。『坤記』馳名，差不多每篇介紹西環的飲食文章，她都佔一席。不過S 卻希望到訪『嚐囍』，想先試試街坊生意多的餐廳。不確定新年這些公眾假期餐廳會否營業，我們在當日下午大概四點多撥個電話去。奇怪的是餐廳主動問我們有否需要訂位？！反正沒所謂，我們也就預訂了 6:15pm 兩位。餐廳6時正開店，我們6:10pm到達。非常誇張的是，鋪面也不少，有起碼廿張大大小小的抬，居然已經九成滿!那一刻就明白來『嚐囍』要訂位的重要性‧‧‧ 來這裡當然吃有名的煲仔飯，我們各點了一個。『嚐囍』的餐牌裡 除了煲仔飯外，小菜款式也是琳瑯滿目。價錢分分鐘比廟街便宜，一大夥人來吃一餐一定很豐富。我們對面正是幾台大抬 上的小菜都很吸引呢。看過『嚐囍』背景，原來是由『坤記』前師傅開店坐鎮。利用上一條長條炭爐，烤煮十個一字排開的煲仔飯，差不多熟透的煲仔飯會疊在上高 用餘溫煮熟。等了大概15分鐘，兩個熱烘烘的煲仔飯終於到了‧‧‧先說煲仔飯的靈魂 ─ 白飯豉油。這裡用上泰國米，飯能夠煮到一顆顆粒粒分明；口感有嚼勁偏軟，不會死硬 而且飯香很甜美。豉油相信是加了冰糖，讓清爽的甜味更明顯；還有一些蔥香，最後會滲出少許薑的辣味。這個豉油味道層次很豐富，很惹味！黃鱔煲仔飯 $72 (5/5)白鱔黃鱔都有供應，但S選擇了黃鱔，聽說黃鱔較稀有。其實當兩個飯蓋一打開之時，黃鱔飯的鱔香真的大搶鋒頭，加上香噴噴的飯香，我們已經忍不住要起筷！這裡的煲仔飯用料很足！配料都完全蓋過了白飯！有異於平常見到的火鍋白鱔肉，黃鱔肉的確是黃黃的，肉質也比較柔軟；魚味更比白鱔濃郁，白飯都吸收了鱔的油分，就算未加豉油都已經好香‧‧‧正!臘腸滑雞飯 $70 (5/5)雖然這煲飯香味未夠黃鱔的出眾，但吃罷臘腸的味道原來藏在飯裡頭，少許雞油滲到飯中，微微的臘腸甜及香香的油飯，很美味！最精彩的是飯焦可以原個拔起，烤得金黃色的模樣。我們倆都對飯焦沒太大興趣，但這次卻讓我們完全改觀‧‧‧用鐵匙輕輕一挫，飯焦「噗」一聲清脆的裂開。一嚼之下，飯焦不太黏牙，而且很清爽不油膩，加上惹味的豉油，我們一口接一口很快就KO這兩個煲仔飯！(不過黃鱔飯的飯焦有可能是因為我們太遲起飯焦而有點燶)為了煲仔飯走到西環，這次我和S都覺得很值得。和S 靜靜地分享著兩個煲仔飯，舌尖上的飯熱燙得美味，心裡藏著這份小小的溫馨。…Read More

上一次暑假來元朗遊玩，感覺樸素但十分美好，那次過後便對元朗的餐廳多加留意。和Simply研究，究竟我們的紀念日在哪兒吃一頓飯好。從我們的喜愛餐單中，最後決定到 S經常提及的 [壽司の神] 來一頓午飯，順道到元朗再來個一日遊。我們訂了位，一點半準時到達。等了五分鐘多就安排入座了。店面其實面積不大，只能勉強放2-3張四人枱；另外圍著開放式廚房的，有大概10個counter 位。而樓面只有一位女同事，服務周到，而且點單上餐等都安排得很精明能幹:>。最喜愛研究廚藝刀功的我們當然選了counter位置！這裡跟日本的料理店一樣，師傅就跟客人隔著一個工作枱而已，客人能近距離地一覽無遺整個備料及烹調的過程。而這次為我們打點這頓午餐的是 Gavin龍師傅。看一看menu，我們想也沒有想 就點了Omakase ($450)。最豐富並且吃師傅最推介最時令的食材。點單後，我和S都已經目不轉睛地看著三位師傅備料。精彩的程度真的像小朋友看電視一樣，一邊吃飯一邊看，絕不會移開視線。前菜來了：茶碗蒸 (3.5/5)表面光滑的蒸蛋內的材料豐富，有冬菇、水菜、蝦、及大大顆的帶子等。味道偏淡，並且蒸蛋裡還是有一點點泡泡，口感因而未夠嫩滑，不過整體是不過不失的。原個番茄沙拉(3.5/5)要剝番茄皮剝得好看，必先將其微微燙過。燙得過多會令番茄肉面層熟透，有明顯的沙粒並且有一些網紋；燙得太少卻剝不了皮。這裡的番茄剝得很漂亮，與酸汁及京蔥碎同吃也很開胃。唯偶爾京蔥碎會滲出微微苦味。蟹肉沙拉 (4/5)蟹肉份量豐富，沙拉菜亦新鮮。------------------------------龍師傅於我們吃前菜的時候，在我們倆的桌上預備了一隻長碟作上菜之用。他先在S的碟子上放醃菜(牛蒡、蒜頭、黃瓜)、薑花絲、小芽菜及海苔，再往我這邊放。唯獨放了醃牛蒡後，師傅看看我一眼，就突然將所有配菜的擺位都轉了反方向。那時我就知道，他留意到我是左撇子。其實想說很久，和一位相識已久的老友記都是左撇子。並不是要標奇立異，只是我們由小時候開始，就明白社會上很多設施都只能方便右撇子，特別是餐飲上的用具。曾經買過一本有關日本餐桌禮儀的書，看著禮儀書上要左手拿碗右手拿筷子的規則，到現在我仍然會疑問，究竟左撇子是否跟著禮儀書逆著方向做就好。而龍師傅這微小又細心的安排，實在讓人倍感窩心。亦讓我對於日本桌上嚴肅的餐桌禮儀，放下了一點緊張。在烹調海鮮的世界裡，我仍是一個初學者。很多疑問有時候也不敢直問師傅，偶爾會先問S 意見，剛巧就在吃配菜時，我咬咬S耳朵：這種菜我好像未曾吃過，但香味很強很熟悉‧‧‧龍師傅一口答了：是薑花 (師傅可是有順風耳)那麼乾脆有什麼問題就不厭其煩問師傅好了，哈哈！------------------------------午市的廚師發辦，包括：三款刺身、七貫壽司、一個迷你三色丼/手卷、最後會有煮物、味噌湯及甜品。刺身：野生油甘魚 (4/5)野生的魚肉會比平時養殖的血紅色。雖然油脂不多，但魚味相當濃郁；肉質亦比養殖的結實，而且口感清爽。響螺 (5/5)處理響螺刺身繁複，眼見龍師傅要將一個不規則的螺頭切片，十分講究經驗。不過龍師傅想沒有想，就手起刀落就輕易切完一片一片的刺身，並以青檸及新鮮即磨的岩鹽點綴。我們已經急不及待，放進口一嘗鮮味。果然刺身非常爽脆，愈嚼愈甜！不過最讓我們驚喜的，是青檸及岩鹽的味道融入了響螺當中，沒有搶過風頭，為響螺提鮮。不得不讚的是，龍師傅下調味下得很準，非常準。要是我們沒有眼看師傅的準備過程，大概我們不會想到有用上這兩種調味。秋刀魚 (4/5)S說過，秋刀魚魚腥味較重，要作刺身不容易。而師傅這次就用上最經典不過的薑蔥醬油與刺身作伴。秋刀魚濃味而膠質較豐富的魚身，配上咸香的醬油，味道濃郁。刺身過後，就上壽司了 。左口魚 (3/5)平常跟姐姐最喜歡吃火灸左口魚邊壽司，因為燒過的魚邊油香滿溢 。這次一試左口魚壽司，想不到竟然口感清新，並沒有明顯的油香 。肉質爽彈，但味道較淡。日本紅衫魚 (3.5/5)港式蒸紅衫魚就吃得多，紅衫魚壽司也是我們的第一次嘗試。看過@香港武滕鶴榮先生的食評後多，才知道原來這也叫糸撚鯛多，是日本中的高級魚。第一口味道雖然同樣較淡，不過魚肉微微的鮮甜隨之而來。很有趣。金目鯛 (4/5) 常常在電視聽到金目鯛一字，但就未曾真正嘗過。魚身被輕輕燒過令魚脂輕輕融化，油香及肉汁亦隨之變得豐富。喜歡金目鯛有型的紅皮，也是其特徵之一。牡丹蝦 (5/5)龍師傅在雪櫃找了找，拿出一個膠袋來，說：這是新鮮從日本運來的牡丹蝦。師傅純熟的剝掉蝦殻除腸，並小心翼翼地將蝦肚上的淡藍色蝦子留起。蝦頭怎樣處理呢？原以為會原隻蝦頭上。怎料師傅將蝦膏腦隨刮出並伴入醬油，淋上蝦肉及蝦子上。這個醬汁簡直是精華所在！一嘗之下，超豐富的膠質，蝦醬及蝦肉極鮮甜的味道爆發在舌頭，蝦醬的豐腴更待在口中不散‧‧‧超美味！大愛！鮮北寄貝 (3.5/5)龍師傅在握壽司時大力一打，讓北寄貝變成了翅膀般漂亮的形狀，屹立在壽司飯上。北寄貝非常爽彈，不過大概是牡丹蝦太甜美的關係，北寄貝壽司的味道反而比下去。大TORO (4.5/5)這裡的大TORO 油香並不是超豐富，但魚香反而比平日吃的大TORO明顯。綿軟的口感及油花帶出的膠質，跟師傅的醬油及壽司飯配合得很好！香濃美味！海膽軍艦 (5/5)龍師傅製作這件軍艦時手腳很快！不過下海膽的份量同時亦很慷慨！！！海膽粒粒分明，顆顆都是鮮燈色，非常吸引。師傅說：「不要等朋友的呀！先吃！」我一口就放了軍艦入口。喔‧‧‧紫菜超脆，一咬就瞬間爆；海膽超級鮮甜，在口中很輕易就融化了‧‧‧一問之下，原來是北海道的馬糞海膽喔！超喜歡！品嘗完以上的壽司，我們肚子仍然有很大的戰鬥空間。我們想也沒有想就選了三色丼，還希望別太迷你 (笑)。迷你三色丼 (海膽、三文魚子、蔥吞拿魚腩) (5.5/5!!!)我們總覺得師傅聽到我們的對話。師傅先在飯上鋪好一大份蔥吞拿魚腩。眼見師傅又再次打開藏著海膽的木盒，我們非常非常雀躍！跟S 一直緊張的瞪著師傅，一匙一匙超慷概的在放海膽，然後又將一大匙的三文魚子撒到壽司飯上，喔！開心死了！！但還是要保持儀態‧‧‧師傅笑咪咪的遞上刺身飯，我們已經急不及待將脹波波的魚子放進口中。魚子非常鮮脆，味道是偏向甜的，超鮮甜的海膽及郁香滿溢的蔥吞拿魚腩好creamy，又甜又香！配上醋酸的壽司飯就剛剛好‧‧‧超幸福！又有細心的一點：龍師傅製作我們倆的刺身飯時，給男孩子的份量會多一點的。不過‧‧‧其實我也有個男人胃，這個龍師傅失了預算，哈哈。來到這裡，壽司的部分就完成了。接下來是煮物、味噌湯 及 甜品。是日的煮物是燒牛柳粒 (2.5/5)可惜，牛柳粒燒得過了火，肉質都哽了；而味噌湯亦是普通；甜品也是不過不失的芝麻及抹茶雪糕 (3/5)不過抹茶雪糕來到的時候已經開始融化了。龍師傅問我們是否第一次入元朗，雖然不是，但我們也只是來過一兩次。的確要從九龍區來元朗，要不是有特定的活動也不會驀然走來。不過，最後龍師傅的小邀請，要我們再來一試這裡的晚餐，我們相信我們肯定會回來！『壽司の神』， 一個像在這個現實世代中活靈活現的天使，在這短短兩小時中將我們轉移到這個十分有趣的壽司世界，帶領我們在揮舞的刀、柔軟的手握技術中穿梭，讓我們看著師傅繪畫這場美麗得令人感動的おまかせ。…Read More

It was his big love to bring me here. Not focusing much on Spanish cuisine, I had actually heard nothing about this restaurant, until it became my birthday lunch place.Located at one level above Isono from the same restaurant group, Vasco is a Spanish (with a little French fusion) fine-dining place by Drawing Concepts. The reception shares the same as Isono, and servers will guide you through stairs to eventually a rooftop with a greenhouse-like setting, and guests are the one to be pampered at this place. This natural and clean environment instantly transformed into a golden interior design with dark wooden floorings and antique furniture when we entered. We were brought to a sofa seat which was quite spacious, at least not locating us too close to the adjacent table. Lunch menu could be ordered in 2, 3 or 4 courses ($349, $389 and $558 respectively, plus 10% SC)  **Good to have a glance at the lunch menu online as they changed the dishes every month*.  Sometimes you may get yourself indulged further by adding extra black truffle at $99 supplement, or a selection of cheese as a dessert at $49 supplement.Vasco did have a very strong gastronomic sense in terms of the whole menu design. The ingredients could be so interestingly and creatively paired up, which you could never aware that their flavor profiles could that intriguingly match together. You would never be disappointed if you like something different.Hors d'Oeuvres (5/5): What a nice start to have them kick start our tasting journey.i)Jumbo green olive stuffed with Campari cream and olive caviarI am a big fan of green olives but it’s always hard to find big sized green olive in HK, only chance you could find is in GREAT or those that have been prepacked in jars. The olive burst with a lot of juices and it went so well with the olive caviar which smoothened the mouthfeel. I couldn’t taste much of Campari though but I believe it did contributed to this juiciness somehow. ii)Fish cracker with bell pepper sauce A soso finger food but the cracker was crispy enough. iii)Pickle with salmon roeSalmon roe was fresh to go with sweet pickles! Crunchy enough with sweet-and-sour.iv)Curry infused caramelized pistachioManager highlighted this to us and explained that the nuts are intentionally packed in this small plastic bag for preventing from losing its special curry infused aroma. The bouquet was actually intense in the mouth with some caramelized flavors. Amuse bouche (4/5): King Crab Meat, bell pepper, Black garlic ice cream and dried black garlic crunchesIt was our very first time to try the black garlic ice cream! Interestingly sour at first and with some toasted bread flavor, the black garlic did paired well with the juicy crab meat. Pain (5/5): Very rarely would a fine-dining restaurant served only a single kind of bread. And I think Vasco did because they wanted to put their emphasis on their premium olive oil and butter.Their homemade sourdough however was also deliciously right on the mark. Right when you tore a piece out, the steam came all over! It was really really that hot enough bread which you wouldn’t get it cold even when you finished.Butter from Bordier: (From the left) Beetroot, Spinach, Tomato, Mushroom and Original salted Girls would always be impressed with colorful dish! I particularly love the tomato and mushroom flavor as their characteristic flavor were more pronounced and intense. The original salted butter was amazing too, it was really silky and soft when spreading at your hot sourdough.Olive oil Brand (Origin): Flavor like (From the left) Oro Bailen (Spain): Green banana;Mas Auró (Spain): Artichoke; Santa Oliva (Spain):Almond; Olivares del Derramador (Spain); Ripe tomato; Terre Bormane Citrino (Italy): 30% Lemon JuiceServers actually asked about our preference but we finally decided to have all five to try! All 5 olive oils did share one same attribute , they were all very complex in flavors yet so rich and elegant in bouquet.I fell in love with Oro Bailen and Citrino. Both of them were of very strong flavor. Oro Bailen gave really grassy green banana taste; While the Citrino provided my first ever experience in tasting sour citrus olive oil. They were all so fresh. Amuse bouche: Croissant with Iberico ham (4/5)The manager recommended so much to us that this croissant must be consumed hot. We got a bite and that enduringly umami smell of fatty ham exploded in our mouth. Croissant itself was soft, moist but with crispy layers. Fantastic. Asparagus curd with Mediterranean prawns, crunchy sweetcornand a touch of spice (5/5)Have you tried Mediterranean sashimi? This was my very first time to try red prawn sashimi. The plate decoration was really enchanting and the prawns were like swimming in a special “white ocean” – the Asparagus curd. The prawn was incredibly sweet and fresh, I could say this has been the best prawn sashimi (if not counting Scampi in AUS) I ever tried. Topped with the asparagus curd, the sweetness between vegetable and fish just doubled together so harmoniously. A very nice tickle to appetite!Fregola risotto style with sea urchin, mussels and crustacean mayonnaise (3.5/5)Fregola is a dot shaped pasta very common in North Africa, getting this special pasta cooked like risotto seemed interesting to us. The Fregola was slightly larger in size than we expected and was wrapped with reddish orange crustacean sauce. Mussels were small in size but juicy. To me, cooking sea urchin could hardly give a very pronounced flavor as it is to be eaten fresh. This dish could not get over of this barrier because additionally the crustacean sauce was so muscular to cover other ingredients. It was a bit not easy to finish the dish. Fresh strawberries with shiso sorbet and yoghurt sponge (5/5)I was very amazed by Vasco’s dessert creations with their inspiring and innovative ingredients. My another first trial to shiso sorbet also happened in Vasco. The sorbet gave a sense of sweetness like mint gum but at the same time brought forward the crispiness of Shiso. No doubt to be enjoyed in summer together with fresh strawberries and the fluffy yoghurt sponge. Very clean and refreshing to my palate indeed! Petit-Four: Hazelnut powder candy, caramel chocolate and Financier (4/5)Out stomach were already so filled up when we finished the 3 courses (and all amuse bouche and breads). However, the petit four was just so beautiful that you could never resist it.I was very much impressed with the hazelnut powder candy (wrapped in candy paper) as it was surprisingly creamy and infused with Nutella-like aroma which recalled so much my childhood memories.Caramel chocolate was also smooth with moderate sweetness, while financier was a bit dry but eggy though. The climax of the day arrived when server brought me a birthday card with my name written; and an instant camera to capture this sweet moment. So thankful that my boy brought me here and arranged this little surprise. Finally for Tea/Coffee, just knew that Vasco has a mixed Chamomile and Lavender tea. That was super super relaxing and lay-back when having a zip after this comprehensive lunch. Nice one :>Service at Vasco was professional. Servers and Managers all around you are so humble and eager to help as always; they are also very experienced about the whole menu. I did enjoy the spacious setting in Vasco. There could actually be rooms for more tables but instead they make use of elegant furniture (and many are nice sofa) to setup each corner for best experience. Just one thing that caused slight nuisance was the bumping noise whenever people walked on the wooden floor. Not sure but it was so obvious that I could always feel people coming back and forth. To mention about “fine-dining”, I just keep one ruler to all: From the start to the very end, every served items should show passion. And I am so much impressed with this lunch because Vasco handles every detail carefully, from finger foods to butter; and from the furniture they used for dining and to the utensils they have prepared for you in washroom. P.S. When browsing the webpage of Drawing Concepts, just recognized that one of the managers here was from my favorite restaurant in the past – Messina. Hope to meet him again in my next visit. :>…Read More

上月到東京旅遊時 到我最愛的高島屋超市逛逛逛過日本的超市的朋友們都知道 哪裡的便當店,甜點店是很誇張地琳瑯滿目的當時經過這店時毫不起眼唯獨姐姐大推這裡的閃電泡芙 Éclair 在巴黎有名得厲害那天剛好買了限定的焦糖蘋果, Marron (栗子) 及熱情果口味三款口味一試之下讓我們很驚喜!晚上還在回味 瀏覽面書時發覺原來Christopher Adams 繼巴黎日本之後 會在香港開店!並已於黃竹坑設立了製作工房 看來是要大展拳腳呢在金鐘太古廣場開了第一店不久 中環太子大廈分店也在今個星期開始營業了問過兩間店舖負責人 都說每天大概三點泡芙就會售完今日襯午飯時間到訪 從忙碌的工作放肆一下大概快兩點來到中環分店 只有幾個客人在排隊幸好有做功課 約略都清楚店裡有什麼味道初次來的朋友也可以拿一份介紹看看 裡頭會列明每款泡芙主要的材料以上為時日款式 大概比較受歡迎的味道會有兩行(對嗎?)每件價錢$38-45不等店裡還有三文治, 幾款預先包裝的巧克力及焦糖醬供客人購買另外隨著聖誕來臨 也有推出禮物藍及聖誕限定泡芙set (一盒6件指定味道 $288)雖然是外賣店 但兩間分店同樣 都有少許位置讓客人dine-in就讓我們這些打工仔抖下氣偷個五分鐘享受下人生哈哈眼見PASSIONFRUIT RASPBERRY ($38)只剩下三條 (雖然不知道還有沒有存貨)我也就師奶心態買了而友人則選了我也很想一試的CITRON YUZU ($38) PASSIONFRUIT RASPBERRY(3.5/5)泡芙有我一個手掌般長泡芙本身是夠挺身有嚼勁塗在泡芙表層的是熱情果味Glacing 薄薄一層酸溜溜的內裡的熱情果吉士餡超豐富的將所有空間都滿塞 熱情果的酸甜很平衡不過跟東京分店的版本相比 這裡的熱情果香味略為淡了一點CITRON YUZU ($38) (5/5)友人吃了一口 嘩一聲 我也忍不住偷吃了一口喔!柚子的清香真的香得誇張! 吉士餡味道很清爽 酸度夠強讓這個泡芙感覺很清新自然跟熱情果味相比 柚子魅力太強了!我認為吃一件最正的閃電泡芙 就是能夠每一口都有冰涼順滑的醬餡滿瀉出來的口感這裡的泡芙完全達標 而且甜度不會過份相信不嗜甜的朋友也能輕鬆吃掉一整個泡芙!友人說 $38 能有這樣口感及味道的甜點實在超值我不能同意更多 在香港 普通一件Patisserie 價錢都加到四五十元的時代Christopher Adams 的閃電泡芙真的又大件又抵食了聽說太子大廈的SIFT/ COVA 的出品都是很多中環OL熱愛的下午茶小點/ 散水餅相信這間Éclair必在很多辦公室掀起一番熱潮…Read More

從某雜誌的一篇有關大角咀高cp值食店的推介中認識這店上月本想星期日到來一試 但一查才知道逢周日休息是晚分外悠閒 於是再次來碰運氣 希望人不會太多大概晚上七點來到 原來鋪面不大 只有一張高枱能夠容納四人 及五個吧枱位幸好當時還能於吧枱佔一席 (大概半小時過後就full house 並且陸陸續續有人外賣)整間店由兩位師傅坐鎮 其實他們是應付有餘的 但點了單後 等15-20分鐘是無可避免晚市沒有套餐 只有一張點心紙單點壽司以及老闆的時令推介在我進餐時 一邊聽到老闆跟旁邊的客人說明今晚的時令食材有剝皮魚, 紅衫魚, 粒貝, 廣島蠔等 (魚刺身半條起)壽司價錢 可真的很便宜 跟平常外賣單點壽司的很相似大部分款式$4-$8 (例如: 三文魚, 鰻魚, 象拔蚌, 八爪魚, 馬刀貝, 原隻有頭甜甘蝦, 赤貝等)較特別,肥美的$10-$20不等 (例如: 吞拿魚, 花之戀, 帶子, 劍魚腩, 油甘魚, 加拿大海膽等)只有特別的珍寶牡丹蝦 $75轉手卷加$3 便可坐吧枱最好的就是能看師傅準備食材 雖然這次被刺身雪櫃一點點擋著但也能粗略見到兩位師傅手起刀落 不停切魚片 開新魚途中發現 師傅握好壽司後 會用小毛掃塗過醬油才遞上 而好感大增了超多最喜歡的是像日本一樣 壽司是一件一件握好就上! 最新鮮就是這樣了!左起:墨魚 ($4)這裡的墨魚雖然沒有日本當地吃一般膠質超豐富但亦比一般的外賣壽司口感QQ師傅在魚身切的花紋 漂亮得讓我真的覺得這四元吃的是心機油甘魚 ($13)脂肪雪花紋滿報魚身 我會說這件是油甘魚腩! 有夠厚度 份量很足入口超順滑肥美 油脂都溢出 很美味!劍魚腩($13)我一向的最愛最愛劍魚腩 比油甘魚更厚身最喜歡劍魚腩口感夠爽 每咬一口都散發油香 這裡出品完全達標!赤貝 ($8)這件反而是不太欣賞的 明白材料方面要是用新鮮的必定做不到這樣的價錢左起: 加拿大海膽 ($20)加膽我們都很熟識 但做軍轞最基本的 要紫菜夠脆這個條件 就很多餐廳也做不到但這裡做到 並且海膽也新鮮夠甜 加上師傅的醬油更鮮甜原隻有頭甜甘蝦 ($8)又是一場刀功的表演 讓一隻甜蝦開了邊 除了腸 貼貼服服的躺在飯上 雖然口感因為開半的蝦肉比較薄身 未能完全跟壽司飯完全平衡但蝦頭有膏 蝦肉也是新鮮甜美 這壽司又是超值得點的汁燒三文魚 ($6):汁燒味道不夠 感覺是普通的一件燒三文魚壽司廣島蠔 ($36)就是剛好聽到老闆的推介 由於其他時令魚order 都要半條起怕吃不完的了 唯有試試廣島蠔 老闆以甜醋汁加蔥伴生蠔 像prawn cocktail 一般生蠔size也不少! 其實蠔味比較淡 但也有一點點creamy 跟甜醋汁滿配蔥吞拿魚腩手卷 ($15)吃完海膽軍轞 深感這裡的手卷一定不差最後點了蔥吞拿魚腩手卷 希望給這一頓壽司餐一個美好的句號果然 紫菜又是帥帥的夠香脆老闆也真的很大方 餡料真的不少!這裡的手卷包出來是長方體的 跟方間的有點不同特別喜歡這裡用上京蔥代替蔥花令魚腩蓉味道更香而且口感亦更嫰滑 魚腩是夠肥夠香的 不偷工減料喔!滿足的帶著幸福的肚子及玥屋的點心紙回家路上研究了一番 發現午市的壽司套餐超豐富 而且cp值是同樣高得讓人興奮!一定會再來的 支持小店經營!P.S. 若要提及可改善的地方 大概是刺身櫃外層可以更為整潔乾爽…Read More

It is always nice to get ourselves with a decent Sunday lunch under this wonderful bright summer. With recent restaurant week promotion and knowing that Isono is offering a 4 course lunch at only $198+10%, I decided give this Spanish restaurant a try.Located at P M Q at Sheung Wan, mounting up to this mid level area was not easy under this sunny weather. When I arrived Isono, I was all sweating. But when the door was opened, its high ceiling and those natural sunlight shining through really amazed me. Very frankly telling that I was alone instead of coming with my companion today, the servers somehow showed their empathy and provided a lot warmer service. Having reserved the sofa seat, it was particularly nice to slighted soak up the sunlight which shined through the windows. Finally got myself settled and prepared to be self-entertained at this lunch, the bread arrived just in time. Baguette (3.5/5)Single variety in the bucket. Baguette was steaming hot and soft inside, but the crust was a bit too hard to chew. Olive oil was extra virgin and I liked the grassy flavor overflowing in my mouth. A so-so start. Fresh Japanese Hamachi w/ Tomato, Capers, Olive & Red Onion Dressing (3.5/5)Opting for a cold appetizer that could chill myself up from summer heat, I chose the sliced Hamachi. This fresh sashimi went so smoothly even with just olive oil and salt. However, adding tomato mashes and capers freshens the dish with a tinge of acidity. If to pinpoint this appetizer gave a tad too oily finish, with a real layer of oil painted on the dish. Green Pea Soup w/ Squid & Black Ink (4/5)Green Pea has brought a lot of bad impression to Hongkongers esp. kids as those frozen peas at grocery store tasted so….bad.This sandy and viscous soup however was far sweeter and veggy than I expected. The soup was at first all green when served, and it was so fun to mix it with the dirty ink underneath. Double-cooked Beef Short Ribs w/ Grilled Seasonal Vegetables (3.5/5)Was around 60% full when the main was served (though I had requested to slower down the pace). The short ribs were actually layered with melting fats and collagens and juicy, but I was just too full to finish all. I did enjoy the creamy potato mash (in small portion). Catalan Cream Foam w/ Pineapple & Toffee Ice-cream (2.5/5)Catalan Cream is another name for Crème Brulee. This foamy presentation was not that appealing to me with its rougher mouthfeel, which differed so much from what a crème brulee should like. It was too monotonous and milky with the toffee ice cream and the pineapples dices were too few to establish an acidic backbone from this sweet dessert. Service at Isono was warm and friendly. Servers were proactive to start a conversation with you whenever they passed by. They missed the food order twice but had quick followup though. Isono would be a cozy venue for an easy brunch or family gathering with affordable cost but comfortable environment. The happy hour drinks and tapas are good for your pocket and nice to enjoy at its artistic round bar area.…Read More

Sweet and thankful that my sister had finally put on her wedding gown, under this whole year from engagement to organizing the whole wedding ceremony, my family decided to round this important moment up with an elegant finish (believe it was actually a kick-off of this newlywed couple's brand new page) by joining Epure again for a decent dinner. In contrast with the shiny and forestry atmosphere in the afternoon, Epure turned to be a lot more romantic and elegant with its dimmer environment this evening. Golden linings along the interior walls, doors, and all utensils shone all over to adorn this beautiful dining night. To start off this evening, we ordered the 6-course "His" tasting menu, which comprised very appetizing oyster, foie gras, green asparagus which was on season, wagyu (with supplement $200), cheese and dessert.Finger food (5/5): (From left: Comte cheese ball, Artichoke tart, foie gras ball with cherry glacing) -This very HOT comte cheese ball had its cheesy heart wonderfully melting! (It's like the Pizza Hut ad which you could pull the cheese string out!) The strong flavor of Comte was enhanced after deep-fried. -The foie gras ball made me think of another haute restaurant's signature lollipop. Nevertheless, it was also perfectly executed, with slightly sour cherry glacing on top and the umami foie gras filling inside. A combination that could never fail.-Artichoke tart was refreshing enough to be stood in the middle of the other two and cleaned our palate.Amuse Bouche (3.5/5): Pan seared tuna, topped with basil (green), olive (brown), lemon (yellow) and chilli sauce (red). The tuna was medium-seared with beautiful pink flesh. These 4 sauces were interesting, each paired with tuna to give its own typical character. But overall it would say it's creatively presented, rather than outstanding in taste.Pain (4/5): Baguette, Croissant, Mustard seed bread, Black olive bread, Black pepper and cheese bread, soft milk bread*With orange chilli butter and unsalted butter Have been writing about pain de Epure in my last review but this time they slightly earned their marks. The new flavor black peppers and cheese bread was ultimately impressive, imagine cheesy savory flavor lingered with exciting black peppers dancing on your palate. This piquant orange chilli butter was only spicy in nose and a bit salted only. It did complement all breads very well. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UPQVCHnF9k Huitres de Bourcefranc(5/5): Special French Oyster, cucumber, melon & spicy crunchy peanutsThe dish setting was enchanting to kick a nice start of the night. The delicate french fresh oysters was carefully wrapped with a thin transparent greenish cucumber jelly and an beautiful orange french melon sorbet came along to garnish this hearty cradle. A nice blow of cooling dry ice vapor ran out over the dish once the servers poured water to the bottomof the dish. (The dry ice effect is always adorable, even for a milk tea in HK Tai Hing). The oyster was remarkably crispy and fresh. I always agree that tasting freshly shucked oysters alone could retrieve its biggest taste. But out ofour expectation this time, the honey sweetness of melon sorbet accented the oyster’s tangof ocean and went along so harmoniously with all ingredients. Rarely could anoyster dish offered such a clean finish. Chateau Haut-Brion 1993 (4/5): Daddy brought us one of his prestigious wines to Epure for our celebration tonight (as Epure has great discount on corkage: Purchased 1 in-house wine and receive 1 self-brought infull bottle corkage free). Again, not a big fan of reds, but found this wine rather intriguing. Garnet in color, a medium+ leather and blackberry aroma and hints of black peppered meat. On palate, it was a very elegant and full bodied wine with obvious coffee and smoky wood, medium+ alcohol. The black fruit revealed after it had been breathed along the dinner.Le Foie Gras de Canard (4/5): Seared duck foie gras, poached rhubarb, Tonka beans sauceHave been in love with Epure’s foie gras since my last visit and I did expect something new (or outstanding) this time. The foie gras was again thick and juicy enough, it just smoothly melted on your palate luxuriously. Rhubarb, with its natural tart flavor, has been used this time to offset the greasiness of foie gras. Impressed with the use of tonka bean nuts as sauce as it burst a wonderful nutty, vanilla-like and coffee aroma which exceptionally complemented the foie gras. A very special combination indeed.L'asperge de Jerome Galis (3/5): Warm Jerome Galis green asparagus & mousseline sauceAttendant suggested that Asparagus was just seasonal and I believed she was right. Keeping the texture crispy, and smooth without any residue, the flesh was also sweet and juicy. However, the mayo foam with lemon was a tad too oily, and seems it walked alone itself. It might be my prejudice that vegis should always be kept less oil and healthy when preparing them.Le Bauf Japonais (supplement $200) (3.5/5): Seared Kagoshima Wagyu striploin, pointed cabbage, cider jusBefore serving wagyu, a strawberry sorbet was served to clean the palate. Actually we had been more than 70% fed up when this course was approaching. This was meant to be the main course of the night but seems it had slightly pulled the climax down.The potato soufflé was cute and airy, but again seems it did not participate much in this dish. Wagyu slice (not at generous portion) was at medium and its interior was pinkish, however it didn’t show up adequately with luscious greasiness nor meatiness. Cider jus at the side was a tad too sour in my opinion.Trust me, desserts from Epure could never disappoint anyone, and we even got their in-house sauternes collection: Chateau Doisy Daene Sauternes 2004 (4.5/5)A golden yellow hue sprinkling in the glass, you could feel its honey and apricot bouquet. The palate demonstrated even more strongly, with caramel, honey, peach jello, pear and dried apricot dancing all along. Just that the acidity could be more pronounced for a perfect balance.Quelques Fromages de Saison (4/5): Selection of matured cheese by Xavier, from Toulouse, France (Starting from 12:00) Ossau, St. Maure, Tomme de Soulor, Cabrioulet, RoquefortThe cheese were very new to me, seems they were not easy to find at supermarkets except St. Maure and Roquefort. I especially love St. Maure, (I rarely like goat cheese) and Tomme de Soulor. Both was mediumly strong in character and revealed intense milky flavors. Le citron de Menton (4/5): Light lemon mousse, marinated pineapple, faisselle sorbetI did appreciate Epure that they endeavored to exhibit perfect artpieces to you, you could never be pampered less from any aspects. This dessert was a good example which they made several layers of ingredients in this really tiny cup, pineapple compote and white choco coated rice crunches at the bottom and on top fresh and tangy lemon mousse with a zest of lime peel. A la carte - Le Souffle de Grand Marnier (Epure's signature dessert) (5.5/5)!We picked our favorite souffle in Mandarin flavor out from the a la carte menu because of the highly acclaimed dessert reputation at Epure. The souffle was a pretty large one and the surface was beautifully smooth and flat. Spooned a mouthful out, you could see the very small bubbles formed a fluffy yet concrete souffle, and it went very smoothly, lightly like wind but at the same time reflected deep citrus flavor. Every single part of the souffle was densely packed, without any bigger holes or hollows you could find. This was absolutely the best souffle I have ever meet. Complementing with the Mandarin sorbet at the side brought out the full citrus bouquet. Truly well executed dish. Petit Fours (4.5/5): By the time we finished whole menu, we were super full (and a bit drunk actually) to enjoy the Petit Fours. Nevertheless, the quality of these little sweets were still outstanding (Attendants even asked us to try even a tiny bit as they just recommended so much on the mango tart and truffle macaron). For a wonderful restaurant like Epure, it would be definitely regretful if you missed the chance of visualizing this esteemed secret kitchen. Attendants invited us for a little "tour guide" to the cooking area and I was more than pleased to have this fascinating opportunity! The working environment in Epure was really really decent and hygenic as you could see, and I was really thrilled to have a little chat with Chef Nicolas and Chef Matthieu that night to know more about the other side of this pretty place...:'> …Read More

來自日本過江龍的Bake 還記得第一天在香港開幕的時候中午十二時到 隊龍非常長 隊頭告訴我排了三個多小時最後還要暫停排隊 情況十分誇張本打算還是有緣再聚 怎料男友為了慰勞我近來上班辛勞在一天平日 特意到sogo排了四十五分鐘 勇奪芝士撻在剛放工腦袋累了 肚子也有點打鼓的那刻 送到我眼前 真的讓我感動萬分芝士撻 $20 (4/5) 到我手中時已是微暖狀態 但其芝士的香氣 卻依然厲害唯一是撻皮有点焗得過火 有少許燶了但一入口 發覺撻底比半熟工房的厚身 是有點硬得像真曲奇一樣咬開撻面的芝士薄皮 溶漿會瞬間漏出來 內餡非常非常流心及fluffy 充滿豐富的奶香及芝士的咸香微微的乳酸中和膩感 卻不會喧賓奪主 熱情澎湃得要你立即整個吃掉 我相信要是新鮮出爐的話 味道層次一定更鮮明寫好這篇食評時已翻兜!! (這裡的圖片包括了這兩次試吃的) 相信下一次會在不久的東京之旅再重遇你P.S. 第二次來 是25/10 星期日早上11點 今次排了半小時 還可以接受但看似11點半後人龍又長了很多咧@@不過今次芝士撻不是新鮮出爐 接到手又是微暖的 :<…Read More