SJHK's Profile

Friends and I were looking for a spacious venue for a leisurely brunch, a change from the usual crowded HK spaces. we found it at Heritage Parlour where the room is beautiful, the food was good, and the service was excellent. When we booked for 1:30 we hadn't noticed that brunch ended at 2:30. (Afternoon tea is served later.) So when my friends texted to say they wouldn't arrive till 1:45 I was concerned that we would be rushed. But without us even asking, the staff informed us that the chef had agreed to leave the dessert and cheese buffet open until 3pm and they would continue our free flow prosecco till then as well. So instead of rushing, we were able to relax and enjoy. They weren't busy so they didn't rush us out at 3. We chatted over coffees till almost 4. The brunch is great value at $398 with soft drinks and $100 more for free flow prosecco/wine or $200 for free flow champagne and premium wine. The $398 semi buffet delivers more food than most people could enjoy at once. First, a bread basket containing fresh, light, warm pastries (3 per person).Then a starter of fruit, yogurt and fruit, Caesar salad, or soup.Next an "appetizer" of fried or scrambled eggs, omelette, eggs Benedict, or eggs Florentine, each with a small salad. The Benedict and Florentine were only a single egg, but still substantial for an appetizer and quite good. (A bit too much vinegar in the Hollandaise for my taste, and oddly carmelized on top, maybe from warming lights, but still good.We tried three of the four mains. Figuring I would be more than satisfied by the other courses, I decided to take a chance on the lobster roll. Not good. HK restaurants have a habit of varying from traditional recipes, often inserting mushrooms (which I despise). Biting into a lobster roll is one place I didn't expect to encounter them. Yuck. But no worry, I had a few fries then went ahead to dessert. My friends had the prime rib (good) and the prawns and spaghetti. The prawns got praise but the spaghetti sauce was overly sweet. All in all, prime rib is the safe choice, but again with all the other courses it's ok to take a chance on the main.The dessert buffet was modest but tasty and included an assortment of nice cheeses with crackers. There is no way to come away hungry. Coffee and tea rounded out the meal nicely. I would go again.…Read More

Every so often, as a North American in HK, I crave a taste of home. And what's more. North American than a classic pastrami sandwich? Simple, reliable, delicious. Not so, unfortunately. First off, they toasted the rye bread. Nothing classic about that. Worse though, the meat was terrible. Greasy, tough, even hard in places. Sliced too thick, which exacerbated the toughness. Decent fries, and good service, but you come to a deli for the sandwich, and this one was a big letdown. I won't be back. HK has too many great restaurants to bother with this one again. …Read More

This is a quick Chinese food place across the street from the Citibank and Manulife towers, beside WeSpace. They now have English menus for dim sum and other regular items, and the gentleman​ at the cash register is very helpful, translating specials into English. Whenever I get take away it is very quick.Specials are typical HK tea restaurant staples like spare ribs, omelet or chicken with rice, fried noodles with prawns, bbq pork, etc. A set with tea or coffee is around $40-50 HK. Today they threw in a banana free of charge.They are consistently busy at lunch time but still fast. For a quieter meal, go before 11 for breakfast or in the afternoon for tea sets.…Read More

I had dinner alone at this cafe inside a clothing store. The menu is small but varied, and good value. The server loaned me her phone charger to bring mine back to life, which was a nice "above and beyond" touch.I had the surf and turf as a dinner combo. The "surf" was two broiled tiger prawns, butterflied for easy eating. The "turf" was two beef tenderloin medallions. I asked for them rare and would not have been surprised to get medium rare, but they were solidly in medium to medium well territory. Disappointing but as they were still juicy and I was hungry I didn't send them back. They were served with a red wine sauce, green beans, and a few chunks of roasted potato. The dinner combo upgrade for $30 HK added coffee or tea, a lovely carrot soup, and a large but average Caesar salad (bottled dressing). All in all good value and very convenient if shopping at K11 or staying at the Hyatt Regency. …Read More

A local dog lovers meetup told me about this new cafe and I can easily see it becoming my go to chill spot. It's small but airy and open, and ground level despite what the name suggests. I had Saturday brunch and got to meet several cute, well behaved little dogs whose owners were having food or coffee. I asked for eggs benedict with hollandaise sauce on the side since I am trying to cut calories. It came with olive oil on the side. I'm not sure if that was a language gap or if that is normally what they put on it. It might be since their take on eggs benny included greens and bruschetta style chopped tomato on the benny along with the more typical poached eggs and English Muffin, and choice of smoked salmon, parma ham or bacon. I chose parma ham and the paper thin slices provided just the right amount of salty, chewy accent to make this a healthy and delicious take on the classic. It came with coffee/tea and fresh fruit, and it was so pretty that another customer asked to take a picture of it.Relaxing pop music, open kitchen, an exposed brick wall, and dog themed touches give the place a friendly, laid back vibe.They have a full Western menu from appetizers to steak and pasta, with lots of cocktails, milkshakes (!), and fancy coffees. Definitely a good addition to the neighborhood. …Read More

I had searched OR for Sri Lankan before and only found one place, out in Sai Kung, so it was a nice surprise to notice Serendib offering kottu as I passed by. I had been heading for restaurant in Sai Ying Pun but changed my plan due to mouth watering smells. It's a tiny place with very friendly staff and a short menu that covers the basics - kottu, string hoppers, and curry. Really what more does a Sri Lankan place need? They also had several $30 tea time specials but I went with the very reasonable regular menu.I went with the chicken kottu. I forgot to specify which curry I wanted with it so they gave me chicken. Both were good, but especially the kottu which a very welcome change of pace. The spices were complex and flavourful, not too spicy for most people I think. I suspect they might have toned it down for the neighborhood or just for the pale redhead, but either way it was delicious. It would have still been good hotter but the heat level was just right fir my taste. It didn't overpower the other flavours.The chicken curry was good but not outstanding. Next time I will try the daal curry which I've read is done with coconut. Sounds lovely. But for me it was all about the kottu anyway and they did that really well. Lots of veggies, and bits of chicken, mixed up with the chopped roti and spices.i had a cold Sri Lankan tea which was refreshing and didn't compete with the food. I'll definitely be back when I need a kottu fix.…Read More

I love dosa but can't claim to be a connoisseur since I have never had one that I didn't like. So me saying the dosa here was good doesn't tell you much. But it was good. Crispy and stretchy/spongy, good flavour. The sambar and chutney had nice flavours and nothing too, too hot. Service is what stood out. I am often the sole Westerner in South Indian restaurants (and local Chinese ones, etc.) and it's interesting to watch how that's handled. For the restaurant it's a balancing act. If they are too helpful, I might be insulted. If not, I might feel awkward. Sangee that struck the balance. Help was offered but not pushed. The older gentleman who seemed to be the owner or manager gave me a tip on traditional technique for tearing the dosa but did it in a way that didn't imply I had been "doing it wrong". Hard to describe how he achieved that but it worked.The dosa was good but the masala tea was stand out. A bit spicier than most, with just a hint of sweetness. I don't always put sugar in masala tea and when it's presweetened it's often too much, overpowering the tea and spices. Sangeetha's was perfect. Just a hint of sugar with strong tea and spices. A very small serving (maybe 4 ounces?), served in a metal cup. Just the thing to top off a light meal.…Read More

I like the Knutsford Terrace because it has one of the few quiet stretches of patios in this part of Kowloon. And the Salted Pig is one of my favorites because it has an interesting menu and great service at a medium price point. Today I had brunch and chose the pulled pork hash. It's basically a big, thick potato pancake with pulled pork mixed in, and a fried egg on top. I asked for the hollandaise on the side so am not sure if it is normally already on the food, but it came with a little pitcher of hollandaise and a little pitcher of bbq sauce/gravy. The bbq had a little bite and was nice for changing up the flavour. the pancake size is about the same as a really large hamburger patty, so this isn't a huge meal for really hungry people but with a latte I found it quite filling. Not too salty, not greasy. Crisp on the outside and the grated l potato still had a touch of crispness rather than being mushy like some places do it. The latte was good, too, and the server was quick to assure me he would personally make it. It was nicely presented, with a flower design, and the perfect temperature for me but not as hot as some people like so you might want to request extra hot. The server checked a few times to make sure all was good and I really got the sense that he cares a lot. Perhaps he is one of the owners? Once I finished, he cleared the dishes right away but brought me a cup of warm water and I didn't feel rushed. By the way, I enjoyed the music, soft rock from the 80's, but that's a matter of personal taste. Relaxing for a 50-something's New Year's Day brunch but those looking for something more hip might not be into it. Overall, A+ from me for food, ambience, and service.…Read More

There are lots of good dumpling places in the neighbourhood (Temple Street Market) and this place holds its own with any of them. Plus the host (owner?) is a very friendly man who speaks good English, so if you're intimidated by Cantonese you have no worries here. Today I had the pan fried pork buns, French green beans dry fried with minced pork and preserved vegetables, and tea. He warned me tea would be $6 extra for one person. That's about $1 Canadian, less in USD, so I splurged.The green beans were very good. Nice and crunchy as a dry fried bean should be. Minimally oily for this dish. It's minced pork so some fat is to be expected but less here than many places. The dish is often served very spicy, which I like as well, but when I want a non-specific version this place is my go to. There is plenty of flavour, just jo heat, so if you're expecting the burn of chilies you will be disappointed. There is, of course, chili sauce on the table in case you need to amp it up, but I like the mild taste sometimes.The pan fried pork buns are my favorite of their dim sum. They come with the crispy crust from the frying pan still connecting them so it's almost a second snack in one dish. The buns aren't too thick so you get a good bun to pork ratio. (A lot of places have too much bun for my taste.) The pork filling is juicy, with a hint of sweetness, and the crispy fried bottom adds a nice variation in texture. I'd prefer a touch more ginger in the filling but they are good as they are. Served with a sprinkle of black sesame seeds and a garnish of green onion. The menu has good variety overall but relatively few dumpling choices for a place with Dumpling in the name, and most have pork in them, but if that isn't a problem thos place is a good bet for a few dumplings along with some main dishes.…Read More

I eat here from time to time and it's consistently good. The menu is quite small but includes most of the most popular dim sum dishes and a few unique ones. I'm fond of the fried sticky rice with chicken. The outside is crispy and gives a nice contrast to the softer dishes without being deep fried.They don't speak much English bit sign language works fine and the menu has English so no problem there for tourists.They offer 4 kinds of tea which are listed on the placemat so you just have to point to your choice. I like the puer. It's dark but mild tasting, not bitter, maybe because it is an aged/fermented tea. If you aren't local you might be confused by the empty plastic dish with your tea. It is for rinsing your tea cup and chopsticks in tea, a local custom you will see in some restaurants that are more traditional. Feel free to rinse or not. They are easy going. Prices are low so if you are dining solo you can order a few dishes and not worry about leaving left overs (though you could also take those home anyway). I usually order 3 dishes plus tea and eat 1/3 or 2/3 of each. That comes to about $65 HK ($8.50 US)…Read More

I have been to the Curry Leaf several times since it opened, usually for dinner and once for the noon buffet. There are lots of good Indian restaurants in Jordan/TST so what sets Curry Leaf apart for me is the service. I always feel welcome and feel they enjoy serving good fod. It's quiet and I'm left alone to read but someone is always at hand the moment I want them. My favorite dish is the tandoori cauliflower, but I have enjoyed everything I've had there.I prefer ordering a la cart here but the buffet had a nice selection the one time I had it. Not expansive but a good variety. The tomato soup was excellent. All in all, a nice addition to the neighborhood.…Read More

In the lead up to Canadian Thanksgiving I have had a chance to sample three Canadian treats from TTPP. Their maple butter tarts are a touch sweeter than regular butter tarts but it worked, and the bit of crystallized maple sugar that formed on the second day gave them an added flair. The crusts were like cookies I could eat on their own. Really good. I took pumpkin and spice bites to the office and they were a big hit. To me, those tasted like home. Just like Gramma's pumpkin pie (but with a better crust... sshh!)I also tried the gingersnap pumpkin pie. It was very tasty, but I prefer the traditional pumpkin and spice.Bottom line, I know where to go if I get homesick, and I'm looking forward to trying more TTPP treats.…Read More