Food Rebe.L's Profile

Came to this place for lunch as I saw a photo of their scotch egg on Instagram. It looked so irresistible, I just have to give this place at try.The Saints is located in the Soho area, on Elgin Street, one street below Caine Road. Thanks to the lovely mid-levels escalator, the journey up-hill was a breeze. We made our reservation in advance because come-on, it’s Central. But when we got there at lunch hour, it was almost empty (we’re probably too early). We picked a table in the middle of the restaurant, facing Elgin Street. It was really relaxing to get away (briefly) from the Central crowd. With the sun and the casual decor of this place, I was already in a good mood before I ate.Eyes on the prize. Look at how beautiful the Bacon-wrapped Boar Scotch Egg is. Runny egg engulfed in herb-y sausage meat wrapped in smokey bacon. It was made to perfection, very succulent and flavourful. I made scotch egg back in middle school, it wasn’t half as decent as this one!We also had something from their lunch menu. Set luncheon starts from $138 for two courses and $158 for three, and comes with a drink. We ordered a three-course lunch but were given two Raspberry Elixir - thank you Mister Manager for the extra glass. The Raspberry Elixir was ice cold, just what I needed on a sunny summer day. It was earl grey based iced tea with almost undetectable hint of the berry.For starters, we had Potted Shrimp with some sourdough. It came only luke warm, not good. The tiny frozen shrimps were like the ones used in Tesco/ Sainbury’s prawn cocktail sandwich filler (if you lived in England), they were rubbery and tasteless. The bay leaf butter sauce didn’t help either as it was under-salted and had no kick. This just wasn’t their strongest dish.My friend picked their Gourmet Burger for the main, which we shared between us. It was pretty standard. The bun was charred and in between we had a juicy beef patty, rocket and cheddar. The mustard was a nice touch which cuts through the grease of the patty. However, the bun itself was too soft and it couldn’t hold the patty well. Ladies could eat this with fork and knife. Wedges were good – finger burning hot, crusty and well-seasoned.We ended our meal with a rustic Toffee Banoffee. Digestive biscuit base with layers of vanilla cream (real vanilla seeds was a real bonus) and mushy banana topped with toffee flavoured pop rocks candy. Yum.The Saints is a place with hearty food with friendly staff and good vibe (though standard varies from one dish to another, so watch out). I would come when I don't feel like being fancy schmancy.…Read More

Influenced by a certain TV show, I made my way to this place for their beef/ pork ‘cakes’. It was packed when I went there at around 12:30pm on a rainy weekday. Lucky for me, as a single patron, I got a seat almost immediately.As you can see from the menu I’ve uploaded (in Chinese, English and even Japanese), they have several pre-set meals with either Shanghainese bok choi rice or Shanghainese ramen, small dishes and soya milk to go with your main. I didn’t go for their set meals as I had my eyes on their meat cakes. As far as I could tell from my neighbours’ food, the lunch sets were pretty decent (and good value too!). Might come another day for lunch sets.My cakes came in 2 mins. I guess they couldn’t do “make to order” as there tends to be a large lunch crowd in their cosy little place. It didn't matter, my buns were still hot. I liked that the cakes were not mouth-burningly hot as it would be a hazard since there were plenty of meat broth sitting patiently inside the thin, lightly fried, crispy crust, waiting to meet your palate. The beef cake was the better of the two. The patty was flavourful. It was soft and moist, with green onions to intensify the flavour. The pepper pork cake was not very exciting. The pork was a bit gamey and sour (probably inexpensive pork scraps). They could have hidden the unpleasant taste with more pepper, but they didn’t. Very tiny hint of pepper, ever so slightly spicy – I guess it was a localised flavour. I shouldn’t compare it to the Taiwanese pepper beef/pork buns you find in night food markets.Friendly and efficient staff. Cosy decor. Tissue paper provided for juice spilling actions. Iwould pay another visit for their beef cakes (@$15).…Read More

I hardly review what I had for dinner as I don't dine out often. Paid a visit to the Pierside on a Saturday night as we craved lobsters so badly. There were two reservation slots for dinner: 18:00 and 20:30. We picked the earlier slot as it’s easier to park on street of Kennedy Town in the late afternoon than in the middle of the evening.Bread and tap water were served after we made our order. It’s your everyday loaf with your everyday butter. We didn’t really touch the loaf as we wanted to save our appetite for the lobsters.We had their Pierside salad ($80), with feta cheese, cherry tomatoes, slices of radish, flannel, beet root, pine nut and mixed greens, came with vinaigrette on the side. They didn’t pay much attention to their salads – common amongst Hong Kong styled/ managed “western” restaurants. Could do without.Next came the Lobster Roll ($190). The brioche was soft and buttery, which went well with the succulent, springy but firm lobster. They don’t skimp on the lobster, you get the full claw. The lobster was coated in a light mango mayo, finely chopped celery and lemon grass that added a kick, making it an enjoyable light snack. It also came with thick cut chips (skin on, piping hot when served) and pickled radish (which I skipped).We also had the Lobster Thermedo ($390). A whole lobster. For those who are concerned with de-shelling the lobster, have no worry. The chefs did that for you. Claws de-shelled, lobster meat in the body taken out and diced into bite-sized pieces, so that you can enjoy the lobster as elegantly as you desire. The lobster meat was sautéed in a creamy white sauce along with mushroom, shallots, topped with stringy cheese heated under the broiler. The taste/smell of shallots was pretty prominent. I wasn’t a fan of shallots so left half of my half untouched. The nice waitress noticed and asked if I didn’t like my food and made other recommendations. How attentive! She also made dessert recommendations but at that point I was too full from the rich white sauce, which I ate with the bread served at every table.I guess Kennedy Town is slowly turning into a posh area. The bill wasn’t cheap, but I think it’s worth a try.…Read More

This takeaway shop is actually on Li Yuen East Street (利源東街), address on Open Rice is not entirely accurate. En route back to my office, I took Li Yuen East Street and noticed a crowd near one of the five takeaway shops on this street. Curiosity took over and I gravitated towards the crowd, only to realise the queue was for GongCha (貢茶). As said, there were five takeaway shops on the street and I picked Chum Chum Mi Box as their outlook appealed to me the most – clean counter, menu with variety, friendly looking staff.They had a lot of items on their menu – kimbap, fried chicken, kimchi fried rice, jjajangmyeon etc. I was hungry and ordered their lunch set, which came with kimbap, “Korean” style popcorn chicken (or so they say) and coke, for $55. It wasn’t a bargain as the portions were very small. Maybe good for tea but definitely not lunch.Out of several kimbap choices (tuna, fried prawn, spicy), I chose Bulgogi kimbap. You’ll get 5 pieces (which was a half portion) for the lunch set. Rice was very mushy, marinated beef wasn’t flavourful, vegetables pretty stale and no crunch to it. The whole thing lacks texture. I saw the grease from what supposed to be sesame seed oil but I couldn’t detect it. Much prefer K-roll - similar price, much larger portion and fresher ingredients. I was REALLY REALLY hungry but I still didn’t find the kimbap enjoyable. A ‘meh’ dish.The “Korean” style Popcorn chicken was better. It was reheated on the spot so it came piping hot. The fried chicken breasts were bite size, 8-10 pieces, came with Thai-chilli dip (same as that from Mickey D’s). They were okay - not dry, crunchy crust. I think Jolibee nearby serve much better fried chicken. The packaging was stupid though, the chicken sat in a plastic container on top of the coke, which would make your coke warm and chicken cold. I guess they realised this could be a problem and their solution is to give you very little coke (which was very watered down and fizz-less, just like Mickey D’s) so the coke won’t touch the plastic container which held the chicken. It was just a bad idea to me.It was a very unsatisfying lunch, I was still hungry upon finishing everything. Food was done half-heartedly too. I don't see myself re-visiting.…Read More

Naked is pretty high up on the mid-levels escalator. I guess one of the reasons why it was pretty empty during lunch hour. The decor inside the restaurant also hinted that it’s more suitable for dinner as all walls where painted black and servers uniforms were also black. Only thing that could be considered bright or cheerful were the servers there.They have a pretty focused lunch menu, 7 mains to choose from. For starters we had quinoa salad and scallop miso soup. Soup was standard; salad was fresh – crunchy veg with goji berries to give it the Asian flare and lots of quinoa to give texture. Unfortunately they used too much sesame dressing. It was too salty to eat the last few pieces of lettuce as they were soaked in the pool of dressing.For mains, we had Mount Fuji and Naked Sashimi Donburi. Mount Fuji was prawn tempura sushi roll topped with a bed scallop sashimi and quinoa coated with mayo dressed in their “lava sauce” (hot sauce). Supposedly the more creative dish in the menu. I think the lunch chef forgot to put the kombu flakes and seaweed flakes as listed in the menu - we didn’t see them when the dish arrived. They probably wouldn’t have an impact on the taste anyway, only there for aesthetic reasons. The tempura prawn was soggy, probably made way in advance so they could be efficient with the lunch ‘crowd’. The roll was wrapped very loosely and fell apart as soon as your chopsticks touched it. The scallop and quinoa topping saved the otherwise very bland dish, yet you can tell the scallops were not fresh. Naked Sashimi Donburi was rather disappointing. You think they would put more effort in the dish if they put their name on it, but no. Uni was very appallingly pungent (you know, the unique smell/taste of stale uni). They gave us very generous portions of yellowtail tuna and big eye tail tuna but both lacks personality. Quinoa was very chewy and personally I didn’t think it went well with the rest of the ingredients. Tried too hard to be a fusion dish, but failed.The sets came with tea or coffee. Two meals came to $271, we couldn't finish the donburi. Price was okay but maybe I’m not a big fan of wannabe fusion food, maybe their true potential is only realised in their dinner menu, I wouldn't bother walking so high up for lunch at Naked.…Read More

I dedicate my first “cross-harbour” restaurant review to Australia Dairy Company. There was a time when one doesn’t have to queue for a seat in this place, I think that was 6 years ago. But honestly, they have very quick turnovers there and the scrambled andbuttered toasts are really worth the wait! The clock starts to run as soon as you butt touches the chair. You have 1 minute to decide what you will have for the next 15 mins. Some might say the waiters are rude because they often ‘rush’ people into decisions, I personally do not agree. Rather, I think they are more efficient than rude. Majority of the patrons know what they want in the queuingprocess anyway as they are either frequent patrons or tourists who orderthe recommended dishes on their guidebooks. If the waiters aren’t efficient,imagine how long one would have to wait at the queue…Their “tea set” (茶餐), available even outside tea time, is my go-to choice. You’ll get choice of egg (scrambled or sunny side up), two slices of ham, buttered toast, spaghetti or macaroni in soup with roast pork and a drink of your choice.I absolutely adore the scrambled eggs and buttered toasts there, best consumed when they are freshly served (i.e. hot). The toasts are slightly thicker than ones from the average loaf, yet it is still airy. It is toasted to perfection – crusty outside, warm and soft inside. The toasts are lavishly buttered (with REAL butter, not the margarine crap). The heavenly fragrance of the slightly burnt buttered toast is to die for. I usually top my toast with the ham and scrambled eggs on top (as shown in pic) and eat as open toast. The cook salts the scrambled eggs for you, so I don't put extra salt in mine. I prefer Hong Kong style scrambled eggs (just eggs, no added milk) over English (or western) ones, where they put milk in (horrible English boarding school memories…). Scrambled eggs there are light, fluffy and sometimes still runny. I know I know, they use lots of oil to scramble and this is exactly why I would never make it at home! The macaroni in soup with roast pork is average – watered down version of Campbell creamy chicken soup, standard roast pork which lost its flavour for being in the soup for too long and macaroni that’s always too soft (don't expect it to be al dente). Yeah, your standard Cha Chaan Teng dish. Might not be a favourite amongst tourists. On to milk tea. Yes, it’s good! Smooth as stockings (lol), good balance of tea and milk. (Sorry, I guess I am not very good at describing drinks…).Would always come here on my own for a quick weekend lunch!…Read More

“Gotta grab meself some banh mi”, thought to myself one day. So I did.I decided to give Viet Kitchen another try due to its proximity. Last time I came here for its set lunch (sole fillet rice paper roll and beef pho, for the price of $98+10%). None of the dishes struck me as impressive. So I didn’t bother writing about them. I also remembered one of the waitresses was grumpy last time we visited (probably overwhelmed by the hangry Central lunch mob). Fortunately I had a different Experience this time round.Yup, went for The Pork Experience ($58) from their takeaway menu. A couple of colleagues recommended this and I was glad I took their advice. The banh mi was assembled to order, thus no soggy bun if you consume it within a reasonable time. Let me break down the banh mi layer by layer for you, from the top down. The banh mi bun was airier than its French cousin, la baguette, and with a thinner crust too! Just the way Asians (or just me) like it. The top bun was smeared with (what I think) sriracha mayo which glued the other fillings together with its signature garlic chili flavour. Then you’d find slices of deseeded chili (how attentive), shreds of pickled carrot (neither too pungent nor sour) and cilantro. These refreshing veg contrasted with the richness of the meat underneath. There were three diff cuts of pork products here: pork belly, Vietnamese sausage with chewy bits (pork cartilage?) and thin slices of pork knuckle. I was particularly impressed with the roasted pork belly which was roasted to perfection. The fragrance of the charred belly fat was detected in every bite. (Ah, how I enjoy the little fats in life.) You would find whole pepper corn in between the meat, which gave the banh mi a nice kick. Before being overwhelmed by the rich tasting meat and condiment, you’d get a bed of fresh lettuce and cucumber to balance it out. Followed by some creamy pork pate which gave the “comfort food” factor. Mmm mmm good!All these goodness assembled in 5 minutes, the friendly takeout counter lady who was also very professional, they even gave me wet tissue to go! Couldn't fault this (takeaway counter only), would come again!…Read More

It was a day for celebration in the office. Nothing’s better than having afternoon tea from Wing Lok Yuen!Since Wing Lok Yuen was famous for their hotdogs, I had their signature Double Sausage Hotdog King 雙腸熱狗王 ($15). Given it was from a local cha taan teng, the hotdog had some local twist to it. I liked the bun, which was on the soft side and slightly sweet (just like majority of local baked goods). It was airy and not too starchy. It still felt filling as you get a LOT of “mayo” in the hotdog. The “mayo” was a mixture of mayo and condensed milk (I think, cus it was sweet tasting more than sour) and had small pieces of pickle in it. The pickle was probably the only ingredient in the hotdog that had texture to it, as the slightly roasted chicken sausages were pretty tender too. I think children would love this hotdog.…Read More

Summer is coming and I am out of shape. I came here for a light lunch. I was going from IFC so I took the mid-levels escalator. Wasabi Warrior was on the same street as 春回堂, the Chinese herbal tea shop. I got there at around 12:20pm, before the lunch crowd. The servers there walked me through their choices – they had sushi rolls to nigiri, to sashimi, and even hot Japanese rice bowls (teriyaki chicken or eel). As it was very hot that day, I opted for one sushi roll and three nigiri.As recommended by my friend, I had the Cooked Tuna and Avocado sushi roll ($19). I ordered the spicy version but they gave me the one without the seven-spice. It was still enjoyable, probably better than the spicy version. The tuna was dressed sufficiently with mayo, on top of it there was a slice (or two) of ripe mushy avocado, making the roll creamy and airy. Glad they gave me the non-spicy version as it felt refreshing and clean (in line with my original intent).I picked two types of nigiri out of the seven they offered that day: regular salmon, regular tuna, regular scallops, seared scallops, seared salmon with avocado, inari sushi with crab sticks and inari with seaweed. (1 for $12, 3 for $32, 6 for $52)Both seared nigiri were lightly charred with lines of mayo drizzled on top. I had two seared scallops nigiri, which was coated with a sweet sauce which tasted like teriyaki sauce, a bit foreign but it tasted good. The scallops were soft to the bite, which was a big contrast tothe rice below. The rice was packed way too tightly, one had to work the rice in the mouth for a bit before it disintegrate. Same goes for the seared salmon nigiri, salmon and avocado were always a good match, upped by the sweet sauce. But the rice was simply too packed. Maybe it was how the Aussies liked it (??).I didn’t have the inari sushi but I had to mention them because OMG the inari sushi were gigantic! They were at least three inches long! They weren’t stingy with the crab stick/seaweed for the inaris either. I think it will be an excellent tummy filler.My lunch came to be $51 for four items, which was reasonable considering its location in Central (comparing to some upscale supermarkets where six pieces of salmon nirigi cost over $100). I usually eat much more than my fellow Hong Kong girl friends, but I felt full after my lunch at Wasabi Warrior, thanks to the bulk of sushi rice.…Read More

I always walk past this place and notice a long long queue. I had more free time one day and decided to join the queue for once. Got there at around 12:20pm, there were just a few people in the line, lucky us! We got our seats in 5 minutes. While we were walking to our seats (not seated yet), the server lady were already asking for our orders. I guess most people there were frequent patrons so they knew what they wanted even before stepping in. But as a first timer, we really needed our time to go over the menu as they offered differing toppings to go with the noodle. Just dumplings alone, there were 3 different variations! In the end, I settled for pork and veg dumplings (which seemed to be the most popular choice) and rice noodles. The rice noodle and soup were standard, no comment needed. I was impressed by the dumplings! Each the size of a squash ball and with at least 3 different kinds of veg, as far as I could tell – Chinese cabbage and bok choy and, surprisingly, coriander. You could detect the distinct (some say pungent) taste of the coriander in the first bite, which dissipated quickly so you could say hi to the bok choy and cabbage. I liked that they use more veg than meat in the dumpling. The pork was just there as glue so the veg could stick together.I also tried the chilli oil. I guess they remake their batches fairly frequently as I could not detect the smell of stale aged oil which you might find in some chilli oil. The chilli oil was not super spicy and more on the garlic side. It activated a different sets of taste buds for the otherwise very ‘clean’ tasting dumpling noodle. It felt healthy and clean having this for lunch, though guys might consider ordering seconds if they want a full tummy.…Read More

Dragged my lunch buddy to Boomshack for lunch. I have heard about this place through a friend and decided to give this place a try. We didn't have to wait for tables that day, I guess it was because this place was fairly new. The restaurant is inspired by fast food trucks in the US and it serves burgers, tacos and fries, some with an Asian twist. You will see their kitchen behind the food truck decor. If you are nosy like me, you can peep inside to see their chefs busily working inside. This place had a lively ambience, probably due to the music, the decor and the young customers enjoying their meals. The cashier and the server were quite unenthusiastic though. I was just there for the fast food, so the (lack of) service didn't bother me, just like you wouldn't expect service at Mc D. We sat at the 'normal' seats near the brick wall, instead of the high chairs at the centre. Our food was brought over by the server within 10 minutes. Their portions might looked pretty small, but it was denitely enough to fill the stomaches of two women with a much larger appetite than an average Hong Kong lady. We both picked something from the Boom Burger menu, rather than tacos. I had the Holy Kimchi (HKD$88) and loved it. The corned beef and kimchi pairing was interesting. The beef was succulent and the kimchi was flavourful (not spicy). Cheddar cheese and their 'baconaise' (bacon + mayo?) provided the grease that held the burger together wonderfully. All their bugers were served in potato buns. I assume it was made with potato powder and flour, with texture similar to a focaccia, and it has more air pockets than the usual flour bun, which means it can hold more sauce and juice from the meat! It was a very nice combination. My friend had the King Kong (HKD$ 98) which had a beef patty and a spam patty, along with bok choy, provolone and XO sauce mayo. You can smell the bok choy when you opened the box that held the burger. The burger was bursting with juice, and my friend didn't appreciate it as it made a whole mess and her precious engagement ring was soaked in the grubby grease (that was a hilarious scene when she panicked ...). The XO sauce was barely detectable and there were simply too much meat and too little bun. I guess the King Kong would be something for the macho macho man. We shared a portion of beet fries (HKD$58). My friends was not a fan of beets because she didn't like the sourness (I guess she had pickled beets), but now she was a converter! Fresh (not pickled) beets was lightly dipped into the batter before being fried. When you bit into it, there was a slight crunch followed by sweet beet juice oozing out. The fries was served with mayo, I didn't think it needed any condiment though. We loved the beet fries. I liked the place. The food was interesting and good ambience. Would come again.…Read More

It was a chilly day, so I came here for some hot Vietnamese food. This restaurant is a rare gem in the busy streets in Central. It is located on Wo On Lane, one of the small streets on the LKF slope. It offers decent Vietnamese food without taking a chunk out of your pocket. Pearl might not be as glamourous or trendy as the other Vietnamese eatery around the area, but it has its charms. The decor is minimal, with those little white/green tiles on the floor which reflects the rich history of this place/building. This is a no fuss place where you go with an empty stomach and leave with a full tummy.The food came in a jiffy. I loved their fried Vietnamese spring rolls, came in twos per serving. They were fried to order so were always piping hot when served. But have no worry, the fresh raw lettuce that came along with the spring rolls would protect your fingers from being burnt. The fillings were substantial, with shreds of carrots, black fungus, minced pork and vermicelli wrapped inside the rice paper and fried til golden brown. Yet, they were not too dry as the pork provided the moisture, which makes the roll crispy on the outside while succulent on the inside.Intending to be more “health conscious”, I also ordered flat rice noodle in tomato soup with beef brisket (番茄牛腩河). The sweet tomato soup was neither too thick nor thin, you could see tomato seeds and the tomato wedges (they probably made their tomato soup from scratch and not from a can??). The tanginess of the soup cut through the richness of the beef brisket to harmonise the dish. As you can see from my photo, they were very generous with their beef brisket, which took up half of the bowl. The flat rice noodle here was thinner than the usual ones you would find in a Chinese noodle place, thus you got a good surface-area-to-soup ratio. But mind you, if you came here with a white top, try not to slurp this goodness or you will get tiny red spots on your top.I also had beef cubes with red fried rice (牛柳粒紅飯). The rice was coated in an even layer of ketchup with a hint of garlic. I wasn’t expecting to find Vietnamese sausage in the fried rice, it was a nice touch. The beef however, didn’t have a lot of flavor which was a letdown. This dish was not as good as I remembered it to be.It was a satisfying lunch nevertheless, it was good value for money.…Read More

I had this major omega-3 craving on a work day so I went to Poloni with a friend during lunch hour. The place was not difficult to find, it’s on the slope of Graham Street in Central, slightly above the wet market. Stop when you see bright coloured surf boards at the door. We were lucky, we got there before the rush hour. The friendly guy in the store offered a quick poke tasting session to us as first timers (yay!). We got to try almost all their ahi poke. Who doesn’t like choices? I think we tried 5 to 6 kinds of tuna. The tuna chunks came in decent size – they were substantial enough yet not too big that you had to bite it in half. They had quite a broad spectrum of ahi pokes – from rich, creamy ones to lighter, soya sauce-based ones. The creamy choices: (1) Asian Creamy Ahi. This one had avocado chunks in it. To be honest, I only ordered this one because I wanted avocado. Otherwise, it tasted bland. A little but of salt would definitely help. (2) Wasabi Mayo Ahi. This had a very faint hint of wasabi. I was expecting a kick from the wasabi but it wasn’t there. (3) Spicy Mayo Ahi. As you can guess from the name, it was spicy and it has mayo. That was pretty much it.The lighter options: (4) Ginger Shoyu Ahi. I liked this one. The tuna chunks were coated with ginger bits and marinated in shoyu. The ginger was not too overpowering and the shoyu sauce provided the saltiness to bring the poke together. (5) Hong Kong Style Ahi. This was an interesting one. It tasted like curry fishballs on the streets, but with the texture of raw fish! (6) Thai Style Ahi. This had a distinct taste. There was marinated in lemon grass. I am not sure if I like tuna with lemon grass though. You can have your poke on rice (white or brown) or salad or a mix of both. My friend and I both picked rice as neither of us ate like the typical Hong Kong girl. We can eat… a lot. Yet we couldn’t finish the poke bowl as they gave you very generous portion here. I kind of got bored of it half way. The rice was warm (it’s not sushi rice) but it was quite dry with the ahi poke. I wished they use the soya sauce they put in the Spam Masubi rice in the poke bowls as the moist maker. Speaking of which, the Spam Masubi was good! They warmed the Masubis in the food ‘incubator’. I am not a fan of spams so I guess it was not particularly memorable to me. A visit to Poloni was a nice experience. The place was lively and cheerful and the novelty of Hawaiian ahi poke could not be found anywhere else in Hong Kong. …Read More