fangfiona's Profile

One of my favorite bakeries in town. Very excited to visit upon my return home.Why I love Don Q:They go to a deeper level when it comes to ingredients, i.e.. Not using flavoring, but the actual ingredients as the product is named. Eg. Using pumpkin puree and pumpkin seeds in pumpkin bread, adding extra custard in the cinnamon roll, being generous with the raisins in the raisin bread, using lots of spinach and cheese dice in the spinach and cheese bread…So anyway, here are some products I tried in May 2011riginal cakeMoist and pleasantly spongy texture, with a sweet vanilla flavor. My favorite sweet item from Don Q. I used to like the coffee flavored cake more, but it is usually drier, and I opted for this one because the coffee cake has noticeably shrunk in size – it’s now more of a cupcake than cake!! X(My absolute favorite premade sandwich in the worldon Q’s Crab and Egg Salad SandwichThey are so ooey-gooey, with Kewpie mayo, bursting with sloppy eggy and sweet-and-savory crabstick goodness!!Maybe I’m biased because I grew up eating them, but they are so sinfully rich and good. And it’s cheap relative to the bakery items at Don Q.Cinnamon rollRich buttery bread base, with cinnamon glaze gluing the bun together in the middle. What’s special about the cinnamon rolls at Don Q is their custard topping, which actually goes great with the bread. I like the cinnamon rolls here because it’s not sickly sweet like the ones from Cinnabon. Recommended! Custard breadCute disc shaped dense butter bread, topped with a dollop of custard and dusted with shredded coconut, which adds a nice hint of coconut smell to it. Good size for an afternoon pick-me-up.Bean jam rollA more airy and soft bread base (as opposed to buttery and dense like the cinnamon or custard bread), with lots of sweetened adzuki bean swirled in, and topped with a butter/sugar mixture which, when baked, becomes a streusel topping. A sweet treat with an Asian twist!Butter raisin breadSoft, airy bread with a hint of milk flavor, topped with egg wash. Lots of plump, sweet dark raisins in the bread. Great with a cup of coffee (or tea).Chestnut bunWith chestnut puree filling. The filling has a deep chestnut taste to it – seems very authentic as it has a solid texture, like smashed sweetened chestnuts.Pumpkin bunWith pumpkin puree and topped with pumpkin seeds.Pumpkin sconeA dense, crumbly biscuit with pumpkin seeds and bits of pumpkin, and not too sweet.Spinach and cheese French bread $12One of their signature items. I’ve had this many times before and it’s still that good. I like it because it has lots of cheese and chopped spinach, albeit a bit on the dry side. I usually like it with some cottage cheese, but it’s still good on its own.Onion ham and cheese bun $12While I’m not a big fan of savory bread, I wanted to try it because it looked so attractively plump and luxuriant! The bread was soft and pleasantly buttery, with a mixture of sautéed onions, ham and melted cheese swirled into it. Try heating it up so it’s just warm and even more soft before consumption.Milk bread $10A disappointment; nothing to write home about. Not even that “milky” in flavor, taste or smell. No wonder it was one of the last things left in the shop at 9.20PM!English sliced bread $12?A good bread for making sandwiches with, because the texture is soft enough that it’s enjoyable to eat, yet it won’t tear easily if you like a big hearty sandwich. Overall. Don Q is a wonderful bakery in terms of location, food quality, hygiene and service. …Read More

Came on a wednesday night to celebrate my dear mother’s birthday. This restaurant is another old time family favorite. Dining area is very comfortable, ambiance is great and the place is not garishly lit. Adequate space and ample room to accommodate big parties. Also a child-friendly restaurant with comfortably well- cushioned high chairs! For 8 people we ordered:Vegetarian goose rollsjulienned carrots and mushrooms are cooked and wrapped around rehydrated tofu skin sheets and then smoked. Golden bauhinia mostly serves Cantonese dishes but this shanghainese appetizer is a pleasing starter that should stay on the menu. Barbecue pork (char siu)Pork meat was tender and somewhat fatty but not overwhelmingly so; sauce was mildly sweet and thinner than usualWok-fried groupa fillet The groupa was very fresh with subtle umami; meat was cooked just right so it was firm without being tough. Wok frying brought out flavor and crisp texture of the broccoli.Scrambled Eggs with crabmeat, fish maw and beansproutsThis is a classic dish that combines different flavors well, I personally like it with steamed white rice. Eggs are well separated and blended well with the other ingredients, tender bits of fish maw lent a chewy, jelly-like texture and the crabmeat. A sophisticated way to upgrade comforting scrambled eggs. Deep fried fish cheeks with spring onionsDeep frying resulted in a crisp outer layer, enrobing the delicate fish cheek flesh. The dish also smelled pleasantly strong of garlic and spring onions, but you need to really suck the bones to relish the flavors as fish cheeks don’t have a lot of flesh.Garlic fried whole chickenThis is one of their award winning dishes. Again a highly fragrant dish – the garlic permeated through the thin crisp skin into the tender meat. Pigeon lettuce wrapsGround pigeon meat was very finely chopped and well blended with a variety of ingredients – fried wonton crisps, water chestnuts, shitake mushrooms, and a cuts of battered fried duck were thrown into the mixture. Flavor was good but I found the dish a bit greasy with all the deep fried mix-ins and stir-frying of the pigeon meat. A little is good enough.Lye noodles (a casserole)We always order noodles to celebrate birthdays. Usual lye noodles served in a chicken broth with choy sum.Seafood, mixed vegetable and vermicelli casseroleWith medium sized shrimps, sliced groupa fillets, bay scallops, cuttlefish, garnished with conpoy (dried scallops). Oysters fried with garlic and spring onionsMy favorite dish of the meal. Fatty (as in fleshy and big!) oysters were quick fried with whole spring onions and slices of ginger which complimented with the fishy umami of the oyster meat. There was abit of sauce which would go well with plain white rice.Almond sweet soupSmooth and not overwhelmingly sweet, served at the right hot temperature. Mango puddingServed chilled with evaporated milk. Did not eat it but apparently it was creamier than usual. Perhaps they used less gelatin and more cream in the mango mixture.Deep fried fritters “dan san”Not as commonly found these days, we just had to order it when we saw it on the menu. The fritters were almost paper thin and melted right when I put it in my mouth. The syrup glaze was too sweet but I liked the black sesame garnish.Egg tarts Traditional puff pastry was delicately light, the best part was the warm eggy smelling and tasting custard – best dessert of the meal!Service was commendable, waiters were obviously well trained, polite and efficient. …Read More

As a long time Wanchai/Causeway Bay rat, I have noticed and passed by this restaurant too many times over the past several years and decided to give it a try to satisfy my recent Thai food craving at new venues.Reserved a table for 3 the afternoon before our dinner. The servers were very polite and friendly and quick to respond. Half of the servers were Thai, which gave me a false bias that the food may be more authentic... We were directed to a table upstairs; the dining area overall is comfortable, well-ventilated and brightly lit. There is even a TV upstairs.The menu had a la carte items as well as seasonal specials. We orderedeep fried shrimp cakes $4xServed hot, fresh from the wok, with the usual sweet Thai chili sauce on the side for dipping. Shrimp patty tasted mellow and not offensively fishy. Texture was acceptably chewy.Satay skewers: chicken and pork $58A satay platter of 6 skewers, with a choice of chicken, pork and beef. The house-made coconut milk based dipping sauce was mildy sweet with a mixture of spices that gave an authentic aroma. However I thought the satay marinated meat itself was pungent and flavorful enough. The roasting was just right, so meat was tender and juicy with hints of smoke. This was the more authentic dish of the meal.Gai lan (Chinese kale) and salted pork stir fry Fresh chili peppers were thrown into the stir fry but the dish wasn't spicy at all. Wok-frying retained the right crunch for gai lan. Thai style fried rice with chickenJasmine white rice fried with mild spices, diced gai lan, carrots, egg, and shredded chicken. "Thai style" typically implies a spicier (hotter) dish, which this fried rice wasn't.Rice noodles with pork in thick sauceThis was the flop of the meal. The sauce was a tasteless and cornstarchy slop which, mixed with the hot rice noodles, made the dish a heap of bland mess. The rice noodles were thicker than usual ho-fan sheets that stuck together. Topped with cauliflower, broccoli, napa cabbage, carrots, and straw mushrooms (the $7 a can kind found at supermarkets!) that were overcooked and almost mushy.Overall, big pluses for great service, convenient location, cheap prices, comfortable seating and variety in Thai food. However, the flavor and authenticity is hugely compromised; perhaps to cater to the more watered-down Hong Kong tastes that are not used to heavy pungent spices. Can improve if fresher spices are used to heighten aroma without overwhelming the overall dish.…Read More

Chose Peking Garden for a farewell lunch as it has been an old favorite among our friends.Restored recently (2 years or so) and the decor is stylishly traditional Chinese. Dining area is spacious and can accomodate big groups. Service is attentive and above average.I especially liked the appetizer dishes of cold pickeled cucumbers, marinated firm tofu and edamame. The unusual variation is a good start to a fine authentic Pekingnese meal and goes well with black tea.Ordered:1. Yang Chun Mian (thin noodles with shredded chicken in broth)Fine white noodles (like somen) in a mild broth that we ordered for the child who seemed to enjoy it and finished it quickly.2.Golden salted egg yolk shrimpGiant tiger shrimps, shelled and deveined, battered in salted egg yolk and deep fried, garnished with raw Chinese leeks and petals. Shrimps were plump and firm to the bite. 3, Dried beancurd and chicken in brothThe broth was a lot like the noodle soup base, with slightly more flavor. The finely julienned beancurd and chicken makes the dish a delicate pleasure. Although previously dried, the beancurd was pre-soaked well enough to be soft, not chewy nor dense.4. Shanghainese fried noodlesThick white noodles (a lot like udon) fried with a savory sauce that gave the noodles an orange color, with lots of shredded pork, and julienned mixed vegetables. A hearty and warming dish with a hint of toasted sesame oil, very freshly fried from a hot wok.5. Glazed tiger shrimp My favorite dish in this meal. Glaze was sweet, smooth, sticky with the right kick of freshly ground chili (you can tell from the red specks) which was perfect for mixing with hot steamed white rice. Cooking the shrimp in high heat (ie. deep frying) makes it curl into the shape of a ball and results in a juicy, succulent texture. Shrimps were fresh to begin with, which again gave it great texture and taste.6. Braised tofu with shrimp roeA sauce with subtle umami from the shrimp roe. Silken tofu that pairs well with white rice.7. Omelette-topped vermicelli and vegetable stir fryA variety of vegeables is used: alfalfa sprouts, woodear fungus, napa cabbage, carrots, shitake mushroom; however the stir fry with vermicelli was a bit greasy. 8. Pork and vegetable pocketsA dish of wok-fried ground pork, diced mixed vegetables, including pickled greens and mushrooms, is served with 4 baked sesame pockets. The sesame pockets were light and slightly crisp; pork and vegetable mixture was very finely diced and had satisfying savory flavors. A crowd pleasing dish.9. Whole roasted Peking duckThinly sliced, roasted just right to give a crisp skin that is not too smokey and carcinogenic. Served with very thin white flour tortilla-like pancakes, raw leeks and cucumbers, and hoisin sauce for dipping. Some cuts were higher fat and oil content, resulting in a richer, smoother and more moist texture, but the leaner cuts were fine.10. 酒酿圆子 Mochi dumplings in rice wine brothDense, small glutinous rice balls in a slightly sweet broth with Osmanthus. A delicate sweet ending.11. 楊枝甘露 Pomelo and mango cream soup a la modeA sweeter soup with rich coconut cream and satisfying bits of pomelo and ripe mango meat, topped with a small scoop of vanilla ice cream. Overall, a highly recommendable restaurant for many occasions, especially to entertain overseas guests with a picky palate. …Read More

Came with 3 other people for lunch on a weekday and noticed that it started getting busy at around 12.30. Dining area is spacious, well-lit and comfortable, with contemporary Chinese style decor to match, like a typical modern upscale restaurant in metropolitan cities in China.Good service with attentive, polite staff.We ordered:Ma lan tou ($46)With mild seasoned filling, a mellow hint of sesame oil, served cold. A good start.Spring onion pancakes ($22)Surprise: not the usual airy puff pastry-life pancake, but more like flatbread, and deep fried. It may be different, but enjoyable in its own way, with greasy crunch mouthfuls.Dan Dan noodles ($38)Ordered without any specifications on spiciness, yet the soup base was still very spicy and left a stinging sensation in the mouth even after the meal. The oily soup surface looked like it was doused with a bottle of La You (oil-based chili sauce). Noodles itself was not particularly exceptional, perhaps it was spoiled by the overwhelmingly hot soup.Steamed vegetarian dumplings ($30)Skin is just right, neither too thick nor too thin, with a hearty chopped vegetable mixture. Will order again next time.Regular Xiao Long Bao ($28)Pork filling was juicy, very pleasantly sweet and skin doesn't break upon picking up.Vegeable and meat Xiao Long Bao ($28)Even better than the regular xiao long bao - slight addition of chopped leafy greens complements the juicy, soft pork filling very well. Even my meat-loving friend enjoyed it!Sweet sticky rice roll ($22) Particularly mentionable is the chopped peanut, white sesame and white sugar mixture, combining to give much texture and flavors that match well. The thoroughly deep-fried thin breadstick (you tiao), resulting in a in the gives extra crunch. Will try the savory rice roll next time. Double-side fried noodles with shredded pork dipping soup ($60)Freshly deep fried ramen was drained well so it doesn't feel greasy at all. Soup was particularly enjoyable, looked like hot and sour soup but plainly savory, with a consistency just right for dipping. Lots of julienned white bamboo shoots and bell peppers and soft shredded pork.Egg white scallop fried rice ($62) (takeoput)A very deceiving name, with minimal scallops - it might as well have been called egg white fried rice! Otherwise, the medium grain white rice was tossed well with the broken egg white, chopped carrots and siu tong choi (looks like pak choy but less crunchy, with a greener stem) Definitely not worth ordering.Noticed they call themself the Dim Sum expert of Shanghai in the takeout bag; perhaps that explains their good dumplings and sticky rice roll, but the fried rice and dan dan noodles were not up to standards.A good choice for a very comfortable experience, with good service and seating, but the quality of the food really depends on what you order.…Read More

Came with a friend for dinner after hearing several good reviews about it from other friends.Appetizers:A range of pre-made salads of different cuisines, including Spanish chorizo salad, German potato salad (but not warm), and Italian zucchini salad. You can also make your own salad with different raw vegetables and dressings.2 soups to choose from every day; one Chinese and one western. I tried the Hungarian goulash with a small piece of wholegrain baguette, among one of the 4 different types of bread in the bread basket by the carvery. Perhaps the bread would be better if it wasn't placed directly under the very bright light, which may have dried them out!Chilled seafood was served next to the salads - I had two types of crabs, and the Alaskan (white with red spots) was definitely better than the Canadian; the meat was much more moist with much umami; whereas the Canadian was dry, rough and lacked flavor. Seafood overall was very fresh.A cheese and smoked meat platter was also on display, with smoked trout, tuna etc. The marinated smoked salmon (pictured) was fatty and just savory enough.Sushi and sashimi barMostly nigri sushi, including raw jumbo scallops, grilled eel (unagi), and pickeled mackerel (saba); sashimi bar had lots of choices. Meats were fresh; my favorite was the raw jumbo scallop sushi.Chinese dishesYangzhou fried rice, stir-fried crabs with garlic bulbs and ginger, stir fried scallops; all of which were good. - scallops were big and juicy; seafood was cooked just right so the meat is juicy, had a good mouth feel, not tough; the stir-fries were not greasy at all. A noodle bar with a choice of leafy greens, noodles, and proteins like shrimp, house-made wontons, fish and pork balls. I recommend the wonton, which had plump shrimps, tender pork, and soft cuttlefish paste. Served in a choice of spicy or chicken broth.International dishesTwo Indian curries - one vegetarian, with lentils and potatoes, one with duck - was served with freshly-fried (looks like it) papadums, and a very wet tandoori chicken (with lots of sauce)European dishes: chicken cordon bleu, cream sauce pasta (with meat) and seafood florentine: I only had the seafood florentine, and really enjoyed the cream-based sauce with the spinach and fresh (not canned!) straw mushrooms. The seafood however was a bit tpough perhaps from overcooking, as it was a baked dish; perhaps it's been cooked twice; which is also a reason why I hardly ever bake seafood.Made-to-order crustacean counter had mussels, venus clams and conch. I ordered conch and they gave a very generous portion; it was a bit disappointing as the conch was very tough and tasted very bland. They also offer raw oysters but you need to ask for them. They offered me one, and as you can tell form the picture it was very small.; I didn't bother ordering any more. But it tasted fresh.Given the limited space, the dessert bar actually took up a sizeable part of the buffet. 3 different cakes were prepared,; the chestnut was among the best. Different puddings, tarts were also laid out; I enjoyed the steamed egg white which was very rich and creamy, and just sweet enough. My favorite part of the dessert bar was the ice cream counter which serves Movenpick ice cream (my favorite brand the world over); with lots of choices - other than vanilla chocolate and strawberry, maple walnut, caramel, stracciatella (chocolate chips) and 2 sorbets were also available, with toppings like chopped oreos, m&ms and mini marshmallows for you to garnish.Service was good - staff was polite and fast but it took them some time to get the bill.Seating is very comfortable albeit a bit cramped. The whole area is actually quite big (I think it takes up the entire floor) but the buffet tables are cramped.At this price the quality overall is better than expected. A good buffet in a convenient location.…Read More

Maxim's snow mooncakes are sold in gift boxes (about $100-150 each) , individual packs, and recently, in a bag of 3 packs (2 mini mooncakes each pack) your choice. Bags are very attractive and come in different designs.I bought 2 bags 1. Angel and Devil : with "Angel" printed on one side, "Devil" the other2. Hong Kong theme (pictured) : using HK neon light signs as the theme.And chose the following flavors:1. Devil dark chocolate crunch (new this year): With a dark chocolate middle and puffed rice pieces, some of which became soggy and lost crunchiness!! obut overall a very chocolate-y experience. 2. Angel white chocolate crunch (new) With a viscous caramel in the middle, crisp puffed rice pieces - very sweet, with milky undertones from the condensed milk and other dairy ingredients. I liked this more than the Devil. 3. Hong Kong Milk Tea: apparently red tea paste in the middle, a mildly sweet mooncake but lacks tea flavor. I guess this is Maxim's HK version of the Japanese green tea flavor mooncake. 4. Apple pie crunch (new): Lots of cinnamon flavor. The frozen middle tasted a bit icy, it may be apple puree, like apple pie filling. Good if you are a fan of apple pies. With lots of puffed rice, but didn't taste of cocoa. I liked it because it tasted very much like what it is supposed to taste of. An interesting mooncake, but doesn't taste like one!5. Blueberry cheesecake: With a berry flavored cream cheese like middle. Pleased to see and bite into actual dried blueberry bits and its seeds! 6. Yin Yang (also new): With a coffee filling and tea-flavored white bean paste . Very velvety smooth and had stronger tea flavor than the HK milk tea flavor. Better than that too.Why Maxim's wins:The best skin out of all mooncakes from the bakeries I tried - Maxims somehow eliminated the "raw dough" problem that snow mooncakes generally have.Many flavor choices, including new ones this yearAppealing, fun and modern marketing and designVery clear and detailed information given on ingredients and nutrition.Ingredients are important because they combine to give flavors, textures; a slight modification can result in very different outcomes. Reading their ingredients, Maxim's really utilize a range of ingredients - like including cheese enzymes in their "cheese" flavors, white chocolate in the apple pie crunch, and potato starch in making their skin, perhaps their secret to a smooth, not plastic-y texture. Maxim's definitely wins in this field; making their mooncakes best in taste, texture, and overall enjoyability. To sum it up in one phrase: 真才實料!…Read More

Taipan introduced snow mooncakes in 1989 (five years after opening). It continues to make a variety of flavors and introduce new ones every Mid Autumn season. New flavors this year include green curry mung bean,banana chocolate, ginseng honey bean paste, 珍多冰 (cendol) with mung bean and chocolate puffed rice.I bought the gift box with 8 assorted flavors, mini-size:1. Black sesame with adzuki bean paste: Outer layer of white bean paste with ground black sesame, and a center of red bean paste. The black sesame flavor took over the red bean paste - it tasted as if the whole mooncake was made of black sesame.2. Mung bean paste: Very smooth mung bean paste and just sweet enough. A true original.3. Green tea red bean: Green tea flavor was not too strong, just enough. The red bean paste is the same as the one used in the black sesame mooncake, which I liked because it is a rough, grainy paste with bits of red bean that you can bite into. 4. Egg yolk and mung bean: Chopped bits of salted egg yolk blended in bean paste. A good traditional taste.5. Blueberry filled: Not enough blueberry puree, but white bean paste was nicely mild.6. Strawberry filled: strawberry filling was more runny than the blueberry., and had a strong artificial strawberry taste which I liked - it is supposed to have that taste, after all!7. Mango: Even the bean paste had a slight mango flavor - perhaps mango flavoring is added to the white bean paste. Not enough mango puree - definitely NOT the same as they advertised!8. Chestnut: The filling tasted of pure chestnut puree with chestnut bits. Rich in chestnut flavor, but would do better with more actual chestnut bits.I also bought another single pack:Coffee with chocolate centerCenter was a smooth milk chocolate paste, but disappointed with the lack of coffee flavor.Good:Many flavor choices, although their conventional flavors (like mung bean, green tea) are generally better than their new ones (coffee chocolate)Bird's nest mooncakes (their signature) are especially presentable for gift giving during the season Bad:The skin of the mooncakes, like the ones from St. Honore, taste like raw dough .Unlike St. Honore, they fail to list their ingredients in great detail for each individual mooncake in gift box collections - they only give an aggregate list of ingredients for all the flavors, so I cannot identify if the chestnut mooncake used bean paste, and whether mung bean or white bean is used in others.They also failed to give a detailed nutrition label for individual mooncakes in the gift box.Overall, I think Taipan snow mooncakes are fine if you stick to their traditional flavors. I have had their bird's nest mooncakes before and honestly don't remember how it tasted, but I think I enjoyed them. I still think they can improve on giving information (ie. ingredients and labeling) and their bag designs - it is unchanged from previous years - Maxim's especially designed different bags for different gift collections, and St. Honore also has a whole advertising campaign and bag that uses a theme of blue and purple colors with a rabbit and cloud silhouettes. Being the original maker of snow mooncakes doesn't justify for slacking in these areas.…Read More

As part of my snow mooncake sampling for this festive season, tried St Honore as I was lured by its variety of gift box choices ($100 each before September 5th, with 8 different flavored pieces per box). Snow mooncake boxes come in a special "designer" bag that has a special layer that keeps mooncakes cool for up to 3 or 4 hours.I bought the "Trendy assorted set" (orange box)1. Pineapple coconutWith shredded coconut and pineapple pieces in the filling. A very tropical taste, which weirded me out. The paste is actually made from mung (green) bean, which is the "norm", which didn't go well with the pineapple taste. 2. Lavender and blueberryLavender was overwhelming. I've never liked eating anything floral; I've had lavender ice cream from Japan before and didn't like it; didn't enjoy this mooncake at all. I tried to convince myself to eating the blueberries, which still was overwhelmed by the soapy lavender smell!!! If you read the ingredients, they actually used chocolate and orange, which I didn't detect; perhaps for good.3. Chocolate bananaThis was the 2nd best, althought not too chocolatey - it tastes a bit pasty, like raw uncooked flour dough. I liked the chocolate and banana combination. The banana filling was, I think, real mashed bananas. Overall, the mooncake had a stronger banana smell than chocolate.4. Sweet potato and bananaLooked very purple; tasted distinctively like the purple sweet potato, not the Chinese orange sweet potato (the one usually used in sweet potato dessert soups), with a starchy, grainy texture. Was also a good combination with the mashed banana filling. The 3rd most enjoyable of the box.5. Sesame custard and white beanEven the skin uses ground black sesame, giving it an authentic black sesame taste. I would recommend this to black sesame fans; I only disliked it because I am personally biased against black sesame. Objectively - this is an acceptable, classic snow mooncake. Really enjoyed the custard middle, which had a little eggy taste, like good custard should. And they actually used real cream, coconut milk, butter and milk (ingredients liste) - impressive!6. Caramel coffeeThe best of the 8 - with chewy rice pieces in the white bean paste, with a little coffee flavor, a little malt flavor (like maltesers chocolate!, and the skin didn't taste of raw dough, which was a problem with most other mooncakes in the box. Hazelnuts are actually used! 7. Rose and cranberryMost appalling snow mooncake ever - rose was very pungent, I cannot imagine why it was paired with dried cranberries which was just plain sour; the only sweetness comes from the sugar and sweetener in the white bean paste. Besides, the only "rose" comes form flavoring, not actual biological plants!!! 8. Osmanthus and chestnutThe most acceptable of the floral mooncakes, because the osmanthus flavor wasn't too strong; chestnut paste replaces the normal white bean paste, with chopped chestnut pieces. I did not enjoy half of the so-called "trendy" flavors; I would say this is a failed innovation, especially with the very perfume-like and artificial floral flavors. I won't recommend this assortment to someone doesn't like to experiment, especially first time snow mooncake eaters. If you are still interested, St Honore is having a "sampling promotion", selling individual pieces at $40 for 4 for your own choice of flavors; the only reason I missed this promotion was because I was too impatient and bought this box before this promotion started. Lesson learned!…Read More

One of the many cha chan tengs/ quick service restaurants on the Hennesy Road strip in Wanchai, I stopped by to try their long-standing mini bakery display counter and tried out 2 items out of curiosity:1. Triangle cake ($4)A triangle shaped (baked in a square pan, cut on the diagonal) sponge cake with a layer of cream spread in the middle. Sponge cake lacked had a dry body, almost like stale bread that collapses right when you bite into it. Perhaps they used too little eggs in the batter. The cream was the more enjoyable part, a bit like salted caramel in flavor and slightly rich body - not like whipped cream, more like the full-fat milk based cream in the cream buns with shredded coconut (nai yau bao) which they also sell. Will not buy this again.2. Ham and egg bun ($3 or $5 I forgot)Bun was a bit crusty on the outside, a bit hard on the bite. With a small (about 1'' square) piece of sliced (pre-packed) ham and a very dry and tough piece of square-shaped egg. Not good.They sell their bread items and egg tarts for $3 each as a discounted price on tea times (I think 2.30-5.30) but judging from their already mediocre state when I bought them (around 11AM), I don't think they will be any better then.There's Maxim's just a few shops down which is way more reliable than Wing Fat. If you have the time, there's always Happy Cake Shop which isn't too far, on Queen's Road East, past Gressen St, towards the Admiralty direction.The staff may be polite but it doesn't change the quality of what I had.…Read More

Their new summer promotion started in late July, about 2 weeks ago. Finally had the chance to buy their Summer Variety Bucket ($89!) which serves three people but is not available for delivery, only dining in or taking out. Made a trip to this branch at the beginning of the big Wanchai market after a long day at my summer job.For some reason the "Summer variety bucket" was in fact a rectangular box that held all the chicken - the sweet and sour glazed chicken was stacked on top of the drumsticks and chicken breasts The "bucket", with 3 soda drinks, consisted of:1. Sweet and sour glazed chicken wings 6 piecesThis is the ultimate champion of the bucket! Resembles buffalo wings chicken minus the liquid smoke and spice factor, just a sweet thick sauce, perhaps with worcestershire sauce. A good accompaniment to the mild-tasting mushroom rice, which is included in the bucket. This brings back the "finger lickin' good" back to KFC!2. Chili lime chicken 1 breast and 1 drumstickVery spicy. More like popcorn chicken, with a crunchy breading thicker than their original fried chricken. Could hardly detect the tang of the lime marinade though. Recommended, but be warned, it is tabasco-like, almost stingingly spicy.3. Flava Roast 1 breast and 1 drumstickAs the name inferred, it's roasted, the only in the bucket that wasn't fried. The meat is still very moist and juicy, even in the breast. The marinade is subtle and slightly sweet. Almost like homestyle herb-baked chicken, but not heavily spiced. It's OK, not particularly outstanding, just a change from the usual.4. Original 1 breast and 1 drumstickThe usual. A reliable standby to order at KFC. I actually prefer this over to Flava Roast. My dining partner agreed.5. Mushroom rice 2 regular size (about fist size)This is a regional dish in Hong Kong. Canned sliced mushroom pieces in a thin mushroom-tasting (mind you, it's the flavor, I don't know it's ingredients) sauce on top of plain jasmine rice. Bland and definitely passable. I suggest Campbell's cream of mushroom on top of fresh white rice as a substitute! The only reason it's included in meals is to make customers feel as if they are getting more for their value.6. Chicken a la king rice 1 regular size (about fist size)Another rice dish. White sauce (ie. cornstarch and chicken bouillon?) with frozen peas, corn, carrots, and of course, previously frozen shredded chicken, like Tyson's. Also passable.And last but not leastark sugar mochi egg tarts 3 piecesChewy but very soft, almost viscous (and liquid like), with a very deep brown sugar flavor. This was much better than I expected - I thought portugese tarts, with its already rich egg custard filling, would be over-the-top with mochi (made from glutinous rice) and with brown sugar! But These egg tarts had more mochi than custard. In fact the middle, with little egg custard, was cracked and revealed the mochi, hardly passing as "egg" tarts! But I still highly recommend this limited edition dessert if you have a sweet tooth. I will go back for more. Make sure you eat it fresh, or within 3 hours (because it was still fresh then), when the puff pastry is still flakey. Post-freshness, it just crumbles together.A highly enjoyable, cheap and quick meal for sharing. Think I will have another one very soon.…Read More

Delicious Kitchen sits in the middle of Cleveland St, next to the relatively new (from 2009?) ramen shop, noticeable with the queue outside on a typical Saturday night. I asked for a party of 3 and waited for about 15 minutes. Come with your entire crew if possible, because you will be asked to wait for the next available table if there are people absent.The dining area is very small, with traditional style wooden tables and stools (like in wonton shops). Delivery is a good alternative.Ordered the following for a party of 3:1. Smoked fish 燻魚 with vegetable rice 菜飯 ($38)Their smoked fish is different from that in many other restaurants because their sauce is unusually thick - but in a good way - great to pair with white rice. The fish is quite big and substantial enough for one person. 菜飯 was a big disappointing because it was made with jasmine rice, not the authentic short grain pearl rice. Not overly oily but it wasn't particularly fragrant. Even the 菜飯 from Cafe De Coral was (I don't know if it's on their menu any more?) better!!!2. Vegetarian chicken ($27)Ordered this only because I thought it was vegetarian goose, the dish of tofu skin stuffed with julienned carrots, mushroom, fungus etc. My own fault for not knowing that vegetarian chicken is only a heap of rolled tofu skin, sans filling! The taste was mild but nevertheless passable.3. Deep fried sweet and sour fish with pine nuts ($68)Battered skin was not too thick, just enough, and coating was crisp. Fish flesh was flaky and soft. Garnished with shrimp and diced sea cucumber, and lots of onions, bell peppers, pine nuts and pineapple. While this is not the best pine nut fish I've had, it is impressive given its price. Definitely worth a try.4. Scrambled egg white with crabmeat ($58)Served with a raw egg, but my finicky dining partner completely ignored it. Especilaly commendable is that it was not greasy at all, yet the egg whites are scrambled well and separate like it ought to! With little morsels of crabmeat.5 Rice cakes stir fried with three meats ($48)Rice cakes are non-uniformly handcut. The dish was a bit small but the portion of meats was not meagre. So called "three meats" consist of previously frozen peeled shrimp, sliced ham (ie. the ones you find in the sausage aisle in supermarkets) and shredded chicken. Tossed with bamboo shoots, canned mushrooms, bok choy. It's a " dry fry", flavor is just right, not too salty and fresh. It wins points for the pan-fried, not just straight-from-the-package ham!6. Pork and vegetable wontons ($38)By the looks of it, the wontons are fresh wrapped, with a good proportion of filling; the pork was soft and laced with lots of chopped vegetables, yet stays perfectly intact without fluffing into atoms! Broth was not too salty, just good enough to lend the wonton skins a little flavor.I think this is Hong Kong style Shanghainese, because the dishes are mostly Shanghainese food, but without the grease and at times heavy seasoning and sesame oil. Another reason is because the menu items are quite typical in Shanghainese restaurants in Hong Kong. A convenient dinner spot in Causeway Bay if you don't mind the wait and not-too-comofortable seating. Definitely recommended for its service and value-for-money.…Read More

Attention snow mooncake lovers: Arome Bakery (like many other bakeries) are offering a special early bird promotion on their snow mooncakes, at $50 for 2 packs (2 mooncakes per pack)They have 3 lines of snow mooncakes: 1. original round-shaped ones 2. a more aesthetic bunny shaped line, with jam fillings; and 3. Slightly baked mooncakes, so the skin is not raw dough (like usual snow mooncakes). There are different flavors for all 3 lines, but the baked mooncake line only offers 2 flavors.I can't miss my chance:1. Green tea tiramisu: In Chinese it reads green tea cheesecake, so its English name "Green tea tiramisu", I think, is for decorative purposes! The green tea powder blends into the smooth mung bean paste and is a great combination with the cream cheese filling. Would be better with more cream cheese.2. White chocolate with corn: Surprisingly good! The natural goodness of chopped corn goes well with the usually overpoweringly sweet white chocolate...my personal favorite out of the 4 flavors I tried! (Perhaps inspired by Royce's "Corn Chocolate" (corn cracker coated in white chocolate)?)3. Strawberry jam filled mung bean pasteStrawberry jam has an explicitly artificial strawberry flavor (think Japanese strawberry-flavored chocolate/cream cookies!), but it gets points for retaining strawberry seeds in the jam which I managed to bite into! Points for its very cute bunny shape too.4. Adzuki bean and chestnutI actually asked for the salesperson to give me this flavor of the baked snow mooncakes but she failed to do so. A big disappointment because I would have to go back and buy another 2 packs to try the baked snow mooncakes!! But the filling is so-so, with mostly adzuki bean paste and miniscule bits of chestnut. Arome Bakery seems to focus on presentation (ie. bunny shaped mooncakes) and innovations (ie. baked snow mooncakes, which Maxim's, Wing Wah, Taipan and St. Honroe do not offer)and not a diverse range of flavors - they stick to conventions like green tea and black sesame, with the most adventurous being the white chocolate corn. Also note: with the new nutritional labeling scheme, it's funny to see such explicit details of snow mooncakes and you may be delighted to know that a whole snow mooncake will be about 190-200 calories....just check the bottom of the package.I have had snow-skin mooncakes from Taipan (in 2007), Maxim's (in 2008) and St. Honore (also 2007) but have yet to try Arome Bakery ones, so I decided to give it a try. I aspire to sample others too during the 2010 Mid Autumn Festival Season, so stay tuned for more! ;)…Read More

Newly opened branch in Happy Valley, this Mak Siu Kee is on the street with the very first St. Honore cake shop, and across from McDonald's.Staff is polite and seem to value good service. However they were also sometimes not very responsive and missed out 2 of my orders! They also make tons of recommendations, especially for the more "deluxe" dishes...Dining area is not big, cramped with definitely less than 20 tables and booths.Onto the food!Cantonese style zha jiang noodles ($4x)I specify Cantonese style, because it is not the northern-China zha jiang mian; this style is what you would expect when ordering 炸酱面 in wonton shops in Hong Kong. The sauce itself is of good consistency, neither too thick nor thin; stir fried with good timing and heat. The shredded pork is very dry as per usual, but not unpleasantly charcoal-like. Only complaint is that they really could have been more generous with the sauce! The soup - I tasted this before everything else, because this was untainted, in its own little bowl. It noticeably is more deeper than soups I've had in other wonton noodle shops - I have read that Mak Siu Kee use more dried fish and white pepper in making their stock. Points for a good, strong broth.! Noodles - hand made (not sure if it is fresh, in store, but definitely not machinery mass-produced supermarket stuff!) with duck egg and lye water. Noodles here are softer than usual, and their lye taste and smell is not as strong. Diameter also seems slightly thinner. They cook it to softer than al dente, although it still has some bite to it.Beef tendon noodles in soup ($32)4 measly pieces of beef tendon - 2 of which were not chewy but rubbery - too hard; the rest were gelatinous, almost melt-in-your mouth with a bigger bite. I prefer a softer texture - not too soft that it collapses, but soft enough so you don't end up swallowing lumps! Also the noodles turned out quite oily. Perhaps the grease came from the broth?Original shrimp wontons with noodles in soup ($28)Again, 4 teeny morsels of shrimp wrapped in fine wonton wrappers. I daresay the ingredients seem fresher than in many other noodle shops - but I wonder why they have 2 sizes for this dish only - all other noodle soups come in one size, and they are the same as this "small size" wonton noodles...?Beef brisket noodles ($32)Beef brisket was not very tender. Not too impressed - seems just average in taste, seasoning wasn't exceptionally unforgettable. Ordered this because I thought beef brisket would be heartier than tendons, with a little meat. But like every other dish here, the beef chunks were quite insubstantial and had either fatty strips or more tendon attached to it. White blobs of beef tallow were noticeably floating on the soup's surface after the noodles were finished. Plain congee ($16) with an extra century egg ($10)Congee was thick and smooth. I can't compare because I hardly eat congee, but it certainly had oil in it. Century egg was, well, like any other, and I won't comment on this dish because it's more of an assembled dish than a laborious, customized one.Fried bread ($1x?)Freshly fried. For dipping with congee. Gai lan with oyster sauce ($22)Good - still crunchy, not overcooked! It was not just blanched; can definitely feel and taste a little vegetable oil which is OK. Wonder if they use Lee Kum Kee oyster sauce?Honestly, I thought the best dish of the night was the congee! And they offered tissues towards the end of my meal, how helpful!Perhaps it was all the hype that I read about it and got my expectations way too high. I was disappointed because the portions are crazily small and seating was not comfortable (hard surfaces with insufficient space). But then again, I don't usually eat at noodle shops, so it is hard for me to judge and compare in terms of the environment and portion sizes. Don't think I will come again, and I don't really recommend it. I was just curious and therefore ate here. After my experiences with wonton noodle shops, I think I will much rather enjoy a bowl of fresh-from-frozen shrimp noodles in the comfort of my home than having them in these eateries. But then again, I am very inexperienced with this kind of eateries, so I cannot compare to the "typical" wonton noodle shop.…Read More

I don't remember exactly when Beard Papa came to Hong Kong, but I do remember having it pretty frequently in 2001 in their Taikoo Shing branch, it was one of my childhood favorites!Tried two flavors today:Green tea ($14): Dusted with green tea powder and filled with green tea flavored cream. Green tea flavor was quite rich - wonderful for a green tea fan like me!Mont blanc chestnut ($17): This is a step above from regular chestnut cream - it consists of two layers of filling (and thus Mont Blanc name) - one sweetened chestnut puree layer and the other a cream layer, with a whole chestnut rested on top of the filling. It tasted as good as it looked - the cream felt airy and whipped, chestnut puree was sweet and had a strong chestnut taste. The whole puff, with all its components, may be a bit overly filling; great for sharing!I enjoyed both, but actually prefer the green tea as it is less filling. Beard papa continues to please with their quirky flavors!…Read More