sandarella's Profile

The Location: Hong Kong represents a collision between almost-unrestricted capitalism and fascinating Chinese tradition. Together with the city’s popularity amongst Asian tourists, its major stopover status and its financial importance, Hong Kong is one of the most interesting destinations in the world. Hong Kong’s lifeblood is certainly eating out and shopping. The busiest place on Hong Kong Island is Causeway Bay with many of Hong Kong’s malls being located there such as SOGO, Times Square, Hysan Place, just to name a few. Causeway Bay is flashily cosmopolitan with smaller Chinese eateries placed in the middle of prominent buildings and luxurious shopping. Just around the corner of Causeway Bay’s Times Square MTR exit and right next to Prada, you’ll find an easily accessible commercial building with different businesses and restaurants inside having “Babbo Trattoria” located on its 5th floor. “Babbo Trattoria” is a highly modern and fairly authentic Italian restaurant with high class cuisine which was opened in March 2015.The Place: After the elevator opened on the buildings 5th floor and we stepped into “Babbo Trattoria”, I was immediately flashed by the restaurant’s beautiful wooden floors and modern outlook with interesting details to it all; there were white-painted brick walls, framed pictures leaned against the walls, sacks of, for instance, wheat placed in some restaurant corners, a fully visible kitchen protected by glass windows, tons of different bottles of water spread around the restaurant, display cabinets with cheese and other yummy looking produce, soft lighting giving the room a warm and comfy feel, rhythmic tunes putting us customers in a good mood; the ambiance was relaxing and kind of quiet.The Food & Beverage: We were absolutely starving that day and had been badly craving good Italian cuisine for a while; we had planned to visit “Babbo Trattoria” after having read a couple of reviews in which the restaurant dishes were praised for its rich and authentic flavours. We ordered 3 appetizers, 2 pasta dishes, 1 pizza and a bottle of water, as follows:1) Bruschetta (HK$98): this appetizer is an Italian classic, extremely popular throughout Italy and in Italian restaurants around the world; there were 7 pieces of bruschetta; the bread was delicious and so were the cubed tomatoes, thin-sliced garlic schnitzels and the olive oil used; being European and a big fan of Italian food, I’d say that this dish would be absolutely no different in terms of taste or presentation in Italy2) Carpaccio di Manzo (HK$138): the beef carpaccio was presented on a smaller plate having cut the rocket salad into palatable pieces; even though it was practical to have bite-sized pieces of Rucola, it was not quite authentic; the meat itself was not very rich in taste and cut into too thick pieces; I personally missed the use of Balsamic vinegar being part of this dish; the presentation was nothing special; needs improvement3) Insalata di Cesare (HK$118): the Caesar salad is not a salad which is typically being served in Italy, I, however, have to admit that I was quite fond of its presentation and taste; the salad was being served as two halves of a head of romaine lettuce topped with bacon bits, croutons and dressing. The waitress was kind enough to cut the lettuce halves into palatable pieces for us and then scraped Grano Padano off a big block of cheese which was then sprinkled on top of our individual dishes4) Spaghetti alle Vongole (HK$168): this dish is very popular throughout Italy. The briny juices from the clams deliciously flavoured this brothy white wine sauce. The clams were fresh in taste and texture. This dish is fairly easy to cook and equally easy to mess up; these spaghetti alle vongole were perfectly al dente, the sauce was fingerlicking divine and the overall dish was breathtakingly yummy5) Babbo’s Pasta (HK$228): Babbo’s Pasta is one of the signature pasta dishes of “Babbo’s Trattoria”; it is a seafood spaghetti dish refined with cubed tomatoes and basil leaves. Delicious, however a little more pricey than what you'd pay for in other restaurants, but worth every extra dollar6) Pizza Diavola (HK$188): Pizza alla Diavola is another Italian classic, and typically a pretty spicy pizza. Diavola contains spicy Italian salami, peperoncino, which is a spicy pepper, and even red chili flakes. A devilish pizza that left water in my mouth. The taste was very excellent though the dough could have been spread out a little more to make the pizza larger and the pizza base thinner; fabulous taste, great presentation7) Natio Still Water, 750ml (HK$40)8) Grano Padano, which is similar to Parmigiano Reggiano, is a hard, slow-ripened, semi-fat cheese from Italy, was served along our dishes; we were able to have as much cheese as we wanted along with our food; free of chargeThe Price: This culinary experience including 3 appetizers, 2 pasta dishes, 1 pizza, a bottle of water, and free flow of Grano Padano plus a 10% service charge came to HK$1,076 for the two of us.The Bottom-Line: To conclude this experience, we had a great time at “Babbo Trattoria” – the food was both delicious and authentic, the service was good, the staff was personable and fast, the ambiance was nice and relaxing, the tunes were rhythmic, the lighting was pleasant, the place itself was cosy and inviting, the variety of food was vast, and we had the feeling that the value for money was reasonable. Thanks to “Babbo Trattoria” for this culinary experience. Grazie mille per questa esperienza culinarian impressionante. Arrivederci.…Read More

The Location: This young and modern Café with all-day-breakfast is located on Wellington Street in the heart of Central. Central is Hong Kong’s central business district and its core urban area. This restaurant can be easily accessed either using the Central-Mid-Levels-escalators, or by foot (5 min. walk) from either LKF, or the Central, Hong Kong, or Sheung Wan MTR stations.The Place: Zenon Café being situated on the ground floor of 86 Wellington Street offers a menu for all-day-breakfast, salads, and sandwiches along with different types of coffees, teas and other beverages (cold and hot). This place is fairly new and has a certain vibe to it.When I first entered Zenon Café I was struck by its large bar, trendy tunes, and lively atmosphere; there are also many hip and trendy art works such as paintings around the place; its furniture consists of marble tables with wooden chairs both with steel legs, and brown leather couches – all of which perfectly match each other giving the place a certain modern look and filling it with warmth. There were 5 staff around that were quite chatty providing good advice on food, its quality and shedding details on the overall concept (i.e. the eggs served at Zenon Café come from Dutch free-range livestock).When I first spotted this Café on Wellington Street, I saw “Salon Café”, I later figured that there was much more behind this concept which impressed me….on the first floor of 86 Wellington Street there is a Toni & Guy salon where you can have your hair fixed and even get your nails done. Food and drinks can be served from Zenon Café; the place is huge, airy and filled with tons of light; WIFI, magazines and fancy tunes keep you in the right mood too.I just luv this kind of concept.They are working on expanding their portfolio by adding happy hour cocktails, and a wider variety of food for their international and local guests once the liqueur license has been granted.The Food & Beverage: I felt like a good Western breakfast today and decided to give Zenon Café a try.I asked for the signature dish and was advised to take the all-day-breakfast. It was served a plate with eggs, different meat and a waffle. I was given the choice to decide whether I preferred baked beans or a house salad, then got to choose 3 out of 4 meats having comprised bacon, sausage, corned beef and turkey breast, along with eggs either being scrambled, sunny-side up, over easy or a cheese omelette, and a waffle with either banana, strawberries or blueberries plus whipped cream on top, alongside coffee.I went for scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, corned beef (and even got to try the turkey breast) with baked beans and a blueberry waffle with whipped cream; the food even came along with a little salad garnish.I have to admit that I really liked the cutlery that was given to me; smaller restaurants usually do not care too much about such details :-)The food was presented well, and tasted good. There is only one thing that I need to be slightly negative about which is that the plate for all the food that was being served was just not big enough :-) LOLThe Price: The food at Zenon Café is competitively priced. The whole platter including house coffee came to HK$120.Bottom-Line: Great find in Central. Zenon Café’s menu is clearly arranged and soon to be expanded, there is quick service sitting, modern and compfy seating, young and trendy décor, lively ambiance, hip tunes, fast service, artistic work around, friendly staff, good food, reasonably priced, and clean.Nowadays, going out to eat is far more than just stuffing your face and filling your stomach – we intend to switch-off for a bit, re-boot, see some new faces, meet some new personalities….going to Zenon Café, I had decent food, nice drinks, chatted with some awesome and very talented ladies (Fion & Winter), discovered Toni & Guy, slightly danced along some hip tunes and then returned to my desk happier and with a positive mindset.Zenon Café or Salon Café impressed me and for next time, I’ll have my hair and nails done while nibbling on a sandwich, or so, and having a Salted Caramel Latte. Cheers. …Read More

The Location: This venue is one of Hong Kong’s hidden gems and must be visited. I have to admit that the entrance is very understated, tucked away behind the scenes and extremely hard to spot, unless you are actively looking for it. This place is hidden down in a random alley with no sign leading to it, except for the address itself. It is a hot spot for insiders, keeping away the tourist crowds making it somewhat unique and kind of exclusive.The Place: Brickhouse is the name of this marvelous Mexican restaurant and bar inconspicuously located on No. 20 D’Aquilar Street in the heart of Hong Kong’s party mile Lan Kwai Fong (LKF).Brickhouse belongs to Maximal Concepts. Maximal Concepts is an empire owned by a bunch of Chinese, Canadians, Americans etc. that deal with Property, Lifestyle and F&B. Bars and restaurants belonging to this group include Fish & Meat, Stockton, DoubleD, Mott 32, Hawless, Lime and many many more…Mexican is a flavour that is very much appreciated in Hong Kong; there are quite a lot of Mexican restos that have been in business for a while, and there are constantly new ones popping up and then closing down again; a new Mexican chain that seems to be doing pretty well is Cali-Mex, which cannot be compared to Brickhouse at all as it is a Tex-Mex fast-food chain and not really a restaurant, but I have to admit that there concept seems to be working for the time being. Having said all of this, in my opinion, all of these other wanna-be Mexican eateries are not able to hold a candle to Brickhouse in terms of food, beverage, ambiance, and uniqueness.Brickhouses décor consisting of a red brick wall alongside colourful graffiti paintings (by local artists) and its scruffy-looking furniture make the place look pretty hip and funky in a unique kind of way. Loud music is blasted out at a high volume making you want to dance and sing along with it. The staff was super cool and super chatty and seemed to be having a blast while serving customers and keeping the place in order.The Food & Beverage: I paid Brickhouse a visit yesterday again as I had a friend from Italy in town. I was not planning to go out that night, so I decided to send my friend to Brickhouse as I reckoned it was a good spot for him to have good food, some decent drinks and chat with some nice people. Anyways, I surprised my friend and arrived when he had already ordered, gotten and eaten half of his food. He ordered Pollo as a main and nachos-chips with creamy guacamole and salsa fresca (home-made tomatoe-onion salsa, spicy) on the side which he all downed with a Mexican bottled beer.Brickhouse’s food and drinks are absolutely amazing; I usually order all kinds of tapas so that I can choose a handful of different dishes and share them with others instead of ordering a main.Upon my arrival, I first ordered a Diabla for us, which is a cocktail comprising vodka, jalapeños, raspberries, pomegranate and lemon; this beverage is refreshing, fruity and spicy with a subtle chillie kick (my all time favourite at Brickhouse).We soon switched to Margharitas which are made slightly differently at Brickhouse as they somewhat add Pineapple juice to it.I did not order any food that day, and only spooned up my friends’ salsa fresca and guacamole, and must have looked very starved or something….Brickhouses’ staff let me try 12 hours slow-cooked beef shortrib which was beautifully tender and kind of sweet, cooked in a brown sugar reduction, served with mash. I was hardly required to bite it - absolutely divine and mouthwatering. I mentioned before that I usually go for different kinds of tapas, next time I’ll have that lump of meat by myself instead.Obviously, staff at Brickhouse is very assertive and customer-oriented ;-) Soon after having tried the meat, we downed a few Tequilas with them, and then continued with some more Cocktails whose names I forgot. All very yummy.The ambiance at Brickhouse was very vibrant though it was around midnight on a Monday morning. There was a group consisting of 4 Chinese men around 32 of age that wet their noses at Brickhouse almost every night of the week after work; they kept drinking Tequila shots after Tequila shots…….it was so funny to watch them; we almost joined in.The Price: Prices are reasonable at Brickhouse; it is not cheap to eat or drink there, but taking everything into account, from the delicious food, tasty cocktails, friendly and fun waiters, super upbeat tunes, artistic design, great service without adding extra service charges, I believe that it is absolutely worth it to pay Brickhouse regular visits.Bottom-Line: It went to Brickhouse on several occasions, and it has become one of my favourite places to eat and/or drink in Hong Kong. I am a regular guest already ;-) Say Hi next time you see me. …Read More

The Location: This high-end gastro-lounge sits in the heart of Soho – just a few steps away from the Mid-Level-Escalators crossing Hollywood Road (@ Old Bailey Street).The Place: Wagyu Lounge (Old Bailey Street) is the little brother of Wagyu (Wyndham Street) – both places are conveniently located right in the center of Hong Kong’s action and attraction (Central).Wagyu Lounge is a combination of a restaurant and a bar with comfortable seating and a loungy ambiance; I would call the place a high-end gastro-lounge.Wagyu Lounges’ interior design can be described as being both stylish and modern with comfy dark brown leather sofas, perfectly matching wooden tables with cast iron legs and dim lighting. Tables can accommodate 2 to 6 people at a time without feeling cramped.The atmosphere was vibrant and lively with smooth tunes in the background; due to the fact that the restaurant was rather packed, my friend and I needed to raise our voices a little to talk and thus understand each other, but totally not to the point that it got annoying :-)I’d say that the crowds’ average age was probably around 33, and approx. 80% of the guests were Caucasians.It has been my second time in a week to wine and dine at Wagyu Lounge. When my friend and I entered, not having booked a table in advance, we needed to wait a few minutes to be seated, which was perfectly fine; the place is very popular and it is worth it to wait.The Food & Beverage: When you have the munchies or would like to have a lush cocktail, or just a glass of a decent wine, Wagyu Lounge is a good bet (only for carnivores though who do not have a religious restriction on food i.e. kosher or halal).Wagyu Lounge offers a whole range of different dishes (here: for dinner) ranging from meat (tenderloin, Wagyu, ribs and many more) to saldas, pasta over fajitas and burgers….with a whole bunch of yummy side dishes and sauces.As for drinks, Wagyu Lounge serves an array of lush cocktails, mocktails, and wines to complement your food or longing.Side dishes to choose from include double cream mash potatoes, beans, peas, cream spinach, chips (and more). There are different sauces to accompany your dish i.e. Béarnaise, Café de Paris, Mushroom (and many more).My friend and I both went for the same dish – 8oz tenderloin with rocket salad, cherry tomatoes, and wasabi mash potatoes on the side. Their meat was of high quality and was cooked as ordered (medium-rare and medium-well done). As a sauce, we went for Béarnaise and Café de Paris; we found out that these two sauces are not home-made, however the mushroom sauce would have been, nonetheless we really enjoyed them anyway. We were both really happy with our today’s choice.The Price: Wagyu Lounge provides high quality food and beverage in a vibrant, young and cozy ambiance for your money.Wagyu Lounge’s prices are perfectly reasonable. What’s amazing is that Wagyu Lounge offers “2 for the price of 1” deals every Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday from 6pm to closing time. Almost all main dishes are included in that deal as well as all salads, pasta, fajitas etc.; excluded food are basically the starters and extra side dishes.As mentioned before, my friend and I both had the same dish; its original price was 270HKD, so today we only paid 135HKD each – a price that is almost unbeatable.Bottom-Line: To summarize my experience at Wagyu Lounge, it was a culinary experience for sure, there was a great range of different drinks which were yummy, the staff was super friendly, assertive and fast, the ambiance was lively, there are many options for different budgets to be found, the interior design was modern with warm lighting, the overall feel was comfy and cozy, the crowd was great, the tunes were smooth…the venue is fab for any kind of get together – breakfast, lunch, dinner, late night munchies or just drinks. I’ll be back soon. See you.…Read More

The Location: Causeway Bay (Chinese: 銅鑼灣) is a heavily built-up and highly populated area along the eastern shore of the Island’s north coast and is considered as one of Hong Kong’s main tourist drags along Central and Wan Chai. This part of town has a lot of malls, shops, cafes and eateries to offer, and competition among bars and restaurants can be quite harsh.The Place: I have been craving Italian-style food for a few days already and decided to redeem a prepaid coupon and extra coupon that was given to me at “Pizza Hut” on Percival Street in Causeway Bay. I went there with a friend to make my stay worthwhile.As we arrived on the 3rd floor of the building, we had to pick a number. There was no queue whatsoever, however we still had to wait for around 5 minutes to get noticed by staff and be seated. Albeit many empty tables, we were seated right next to two girls that talked so loudly that it got to the point that we found it annoying; we wondered why we had to be placed there, but did not mention a thing to the staff.We were presented with the menus and decided to go for Pasta a-la-carte and half roast chicken wanting to use coupons that offered reduced prices. Unfortunately we were only able to use 1 coupon at the time, so we went for Pasta a-la-carte “2 for the price of 1”.My friend ordered Tuna Spaghetti and I ordered Spaghetti Aglio e Oglio with shrimps. There were many “Pizza Hut” employees around, and to my surprise, only half of them understood English, and again only half of the ones that understood English were able to respond in English. I do not want to be negative or too demanding, but I kind of expected to be understood in English in an American chain restaurant, which was filled with mainly tourists – most of them being Westeners. We placed our order quite fast and then waited for the food to arrive.The Food & Beverage: My order arrived first (around 15 to 20 minutes after having placed the order) and I decided to get started with it. When one orders Spaghetti Aglio e Oglio with shrimps, which is a typical Italian dish, one expects to get “al-dente” pasta tasting of garlic and olive oil and having shrimps on top.Well, what I got was: 1) super soft spaghetti with 2) some schnitzels of garlic in there which were completely white as they chef did not fry them accordingly having left no taste of garlic in the dish; 3) the oil used did not taste of olive oil at all – it could have been either really low quality olive oil, or a mixture of olive oil and some other oil, or just no olive oil at all; 4) what also came with the dish were tons of peppers (red and yellow), and onions - ingredients which are not typically part of this dish; to my surprise, these ingredients were not even listed as part of this dish on the menu; 5) there were 4 pieces of shrimps on top of the pasta; these pieces of shrimp were completely raw and I hope fresh (we shall see :-)As a result, the dish had no taste at all…..!I had to ask for salt as the restaurant only provided its guests with pepper and cheese. I added salt and tons of grated parmesan cheese. I did not come as a surprise that the parmesan cheese was of really low quality too, and hardly tasted of anything.I ate very slowly, and after around 20 minutes in my meal, I kindly asked staff for my friends’ dish. Staff said “5 minutes”. Around 7 minutes later I asked other staff the same question. I kept playing the game. Every staff member I asked, and there were at least 5 of them, that I came across said “5 minutes, 3 minutes, coming immediately, etc etc”. I had finished my meal and my friends' dish still had not arrived. This got me annoyed and certainly impatient. Around an hour after having placed the initial order, my friends’ dish finally arrived. Yay! Unfortunately, no one said sorry, no one offered a free dessert, no one even had the slightest thought that there might have been something wrong with their customer service. Nobody gave a s…..!My friend had ordered Spaghetti Tuna. There was hardly any tuna, tons of tomato sauce which was overly sweet, and super soft Spaghetti. I tried the dish and even though it was not a good dish, it still tasted better than mine. No further comments.We had initially considered to order desserts, but decided that we did not want to spend even one more penny in this restaurant.The Price: Luckily we were able to use my voucher to get “2 for the price of 1” and the free set was based on the lower priced item which was the only thing positive about this restaurant visit (albeit prices being twice as high in comparison to places around anyway). I wanted to use my prepaid voucher, but I would have had to leave the change behind, which I was not happy to do as the difference was too high etc. I just hate being forced to pay in cash even though I had two different kinds of vouchers….The Bottom-Line: to summarize our experience at “Pizza Hut” in CWB – the service was terrible, staff was not committed, and neither felt responsible nor cared. The food was no good. The prices were only acceptable with the use of the vouchers (otherwise I would have felt really ripped off). The ambiance was non-existent – it was just overly loud and the light was too bright. So what do we learn from this experience? As the name “Pizza Hut” reveals, never try anything else but Pizza at “Pizza Hut”!!!!…Read More

The Location: Causeway Bay (Chinese: 銅鑼灣) is a heavily built-up area and among Hong Kong’s main tourist drags along the eastern shore of the Island’s north coast. Causeway Bay can be considered as “shopping paradise” with its numerous shops, malls and stands around the area. The rent in the shopping areas was not long ago ranked as the world's most expensive, even having overtaken New York's Fifth Avenue. The area has tons to offer with Times Square (Chinese: 時代廣場) and Hysan Place (Chinese: 希慎廣場) which are both major shopping malls with the most exclusive brands you can think of, not forgetting the nearby Happy Valley Racecourse (Chinese: 快活谷馬場 or 跑馬地馬場) with one of the two racecourses for horse racing taking place every Wednesday from 7PM onwards.The Place: “Qi Zhong Tian” was opened around 3 months ago in one of the commercial buildings on Tang Lung Street one of the back alley streets of Times Square. “Qi Zhong Tian” was nothing like an ordinary Chinese bar, in fact, it was more like a gentlemanly gastro-bar or even more so a gastro-lounge. When we first entered I was struck by the dimmed and excellently placed lighting having used prominent and classy-looking chandeliers all around the place, the dark-brown heavy leather with wood furniture, and the harmonious sounds of Sinatra & Strings. I really liked the mysterious effect of the place complimented with its classic design. “Qi Zhong Tian” is a real beauty in its 1960s Shanghai style. The ambiance was both really chill and stylish with a Chinese twist to it all to remain humble. A James Bond scene could have been shot in this place – it was that cool. As Leonardo da Vinci once said “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.”“Qi Zhong Tian” offers a lot of room for people to relax and feel comfortable. I believe it is the ideal place for a classy after-work apero accompanied by a few snacks or even a light dinner, or alternatively a paperless work discussion during the late afternoon (open from 5Pm to around 1AM). The place consists of large windows overlooking Times Square. Due to its altitude - 19th floor - the view is quite decent and the sun can also peek through the windows enlightening the bar from the inside.What is really special about “Qi Zhong Tian” is that the owner really thought about its customers and their interests also taking care of their privacy. What they constructed as part of the bar with the possibility to completely be separate is a Karaoke room fit for a small to medium sized group of people. The room has been furnished with traditional Chinese furniture in red and gold and equipped with a 40 inch TV comprising a Karaoke program capturing Chinese (Mandarin and Cantonese), English and even Japanese songs, a stand-up microphone and an additional two hand-held devices. The doors can be completely closed off the public without any party sitting on either side being disturbed. In order to book this room, there must be a minimum of 6 people, and the charge will be 500HK$ per person.The staff was very passionate and committed to their work, assertive, super friendly, fun and funny, personable and speedy. If I had a bar, I would not hesitate to employ them.The Food & Beverage: My friends and I decided to check out this new place to nibble and tipple a little. We were really keen on trying their Cocktails that they have been praising (“Qi Zhong Tian”) and also having some dishes. We started slow but then got the hang of things. Take a look at the amounts of booze and bites we had, as follows:1) Drink / Bottled Asahi - Pro: iced glass, decent price. Contra: Krounenburg pint glass is just not suitable for a 33cl bottle of Asahi2) Drink / Cosmopolitan - Pro: very skillful bartender, fragrant in orange, it was not the best Cosmo I’ve ever had but it was pretty decent and I would order it again. Contra: I thought that the bartenders drinks were, overall, weak in the taste of alcohol; not sufficient use of cranberry juice to intensify the red color of the drink which was not a big deal and did not make a difference really when tasting it3) BBQ Skewer / minced chicken with chicken bones - Pro: juicy, decent amount of meat, nice presentation. Contra: personally I found the meat too soft, and dislike chicken bones in my food; moreover it was rather mild in taste. Caveat: don’t blame me, I am European, my Chinese friends absolutely loved it!4) BBQ Skewer / Sugar Pork - Pro: very very tasty, good texture, juicy5) BBQ Skewer / Chicken breast with leek - Pro: very tasty, very moist and tender6) BBQ Skewer / Chinese mushroom (dong gu like Japanese Shiitake) - Pro: very moist, fresh with good texture; 28HK$7) BBQ Skewer / Chicken wings without bones and inserted Japanese fish roe - Pro: amazing dish, so yummy, next time I order more of these; the best skewer I’ve had and unique way of preparation8) Drink / Snowball - Pro: sweet, creamy yet light. I have not had this cocktail before and I liked it9) Drink / Coffee Bomb - Pro: it had a strong but not overwhelming taste of coffee, it looked very creamy but was not so bad, and it was yummy. Shockingly, it consisted of hard liquors like Whiskey, Vodka, Gin, Tequila, Frangelico as well as Kahlua and of course coffee. Contra: this cocktail can kill you without you noticing it….!10) Soup / Truffle Mushroom soup - Pro: black truffles, very flavorful, purified mushrooms, thick soup without containing of annoying bits and pieces. Amazing….too yummy to be true! I wish there had been more….!11) Dinner set / Beef with potato salad and garnish on soy sauce - Pro: very tender meat, no tendons whatsoever, high quality beef, very tasty. Contra: it was a rather small portion12) Drink / “Qi Zhong Tian” Signature Cocktail - Pro: 7 different kinds of cocktails, all completely different in flavor, and color, 98HK$ each; they all tasted yummy. Contra: they got me drunk after all!!!!The Price: We had a few BBQ skewers, some dinner sets and an enormous amount of cocktails and beers to wash it all down. I am not quite aware any longer how much we paid and what it came down to per head, but bear in mind that the cocktails at “Qi Zhong Tian” are only 98HK$, whereas the prices at nearby places charge up to 140HK$ per cocktail in locations that are not half as decent. It is worth giving it a shot, not only financially but also in terms of ambiance and chill factor.The Bottom-Line: We had a really great time at “Qi Zhong Tian”; the food was pretty good, but I have to admit that I was rather focused on the drinks (instead of the food) during that occasion which completely satisfied me and did their job well! The staff was assertive, really friendly and personable, and the service was fast. The interior design was mystic and the lighting was gloomy, the atmosphere was chill, the prices were absolutely reasonable and in comparison to other bars in the area - being surrounded by famous TV chefs, and well-known franchise businesses – they can even be considered as cheap. I had a blast and will certainly come back once I feel like drowning myself in cocktails again. Cheers!!!…Read More

The Location: Wan Chai (in Chinese: 灣仔) is a metropolitan area situated on the northern shore of Hong Kong Island. It is one of the busiest commercial areas in Hong Kong with offices of many small and medium-sized companies also featuring many office towers, parks, hotels and an international conference and exhibition centre. I do not want to hide the fact that Wan Chai remains famous for its city’s red light district, but having said that it has way more to offer than shady mama sans and so-called saunas.The Place: “Ham & Sherry” is one of the world class restaurants by Chef Jason Atherton. Jason Atherton is a Brit and was once part of Gordan Ramsey’s Group before he decided to head his own way and open up his own restaurants. He now owns restaurants in different parts of the world, having started off in London in 2011 where he was awarded a coveted Michelin star within just six months of opening; soon after he opened up several restaurants in Singapore, two in Hong Kong, one in Shanghai while opening up more in London, and is currently looking to launch in Dubai. What I found quite astonishing and somehow weird was to find two restaurants by Jason Atherton on the same tiny street (Ship Street) in Hong Kong with around half a minute walking distance from each other. Having been to both places - 22 Ships and Ham & Sherry - both places offer tapas, yet cannot really be compared in terms of taste, which is a good thing.“Ham & Sherry” is a fairly small place when looking at it from a global perspective (from a Hong Kong perspective it can be regarded as being pretty spacious). It can seat around 30 people on tables, and around 20 more people at the bar/around the cooking area. The restaurant has the kitchen in the center of attraction with around 6 people working behind there to please its guests. The restaurant itself has been equipped with modern and, at the same time, comfortable furniture. What I found amazing were the urban looking tiles in blue and white around the restaurant – it gave the place a special look. Loved them.The Food & Beverage: My friend and I decided to take a bite at Jason Atherton’s Ham & Sherry after having tried 22 Ships some time ago. We got there just after the restaurant opened and found ourself being in the “Pica Pica Hour” where we got to nibbles and tipples at lower prices – when you pick three tapas during pica pica hour, your drink of choice (list provided) is free of charge. We took advantage of this great offer and immediately ordered 6 dishes of our choice and got two drinks for free. In total, we went for the following:1) Cold Cuts --> consisted of a few slices of chorizo and jamon having been presented on a wooden board2) Pan con tomate --> two slices of roasted bread topped with thin sliced tomatoes spiced up with garlic and olive oil3) Crispy garlic & chilli prawns --> prawns in a delicious panade of garlic, chilies and seasonal herbs on a bed of aioli salsa4) Goats curd & jamón croquettes --> amazingly prepared croquetas de patata with a fresh and light filling of goats curd and Spanish ham; they were rich in taste and soft inside and deliciously crispy outside; served along an aioli salsa5) Pork scratchings and spices --> this dish raised a lot of attention as it was so load to eat; the cratchings were really crisp and not a bit greasy; the absolute best part of this dish was the sauce having consisted of aioli with vinegar and something else6) Potted egg, morcilla, potato & mushroom --> this was the most amazing dish of all; I had never tasted it before, and will certainly go for it again; the dish consisted of potatoe and mushroom mash with a potted egg on top and bits of morcilla (blood sausage) which all needed to be mushed together to bring out the essential flavor; this dish was rich in taste but not heavy, creamy but not stuffing, I was so full, but could not help it to finish the entire dish……..OMGD (oh my goodness delicious!)7) With these 6 tapas we had a glass of red Spanish wine, a glass of white Spanish wine and a glass of Manzanilla (Spanish Sherry);8) Beetroot, red onion, crumbled goats cheese --> amazing dish, certainly my second favourite! Technically and visually phenomenal with all the different colours and flavours……just wow!9) We were so keen on the morcilla, that we asked the Chef to prepare us a dish which was not part of the carte. The sausage came cut up into mouthful pieces and was fried and served on roasted bread.10) Manchego cheese --> last but not least we had some goats cheese that came with marmalade and roasted bread on the side;11) We had some more wine and tried two more Sherries…..The Price: We had 9 tapa dishes which were all visually and technically phenomenal, 4 glasses of sherry, 3 glasses of wine, and paid around 1,000HKD. I’d say that this was a reasonable price for this culinary experience.The Bottom-Line: We both had a really great time at Ham & Sherry; the food was amazing, there were plenty of different beverages to choose from, the staff was assertive, really friendly and personable, the service was fast though we sometimes had to give them a hint that we wanted more, the interior design was refreshingly interesting, the music they played seemed a little loud at the start, but was perfect as the night went along, the toilet was kind of hard to spot (you’ll see when you get there), the prices were reasonable, and I liked that the staff prepared the food in front of everyone. In comparison to 22 Ships, I had a better time at Ham & Sherry in terms of atmosphere due to the gloomy lighting and music. On the downside I have to say that we chose a lot of dishes that were served with bread, I wish we had gotten different kinds of bread instead of the same type all along. I definitely recommend Ham & Sherry, and will be back! Ta!…Read More

The Location: The Central and Western District on Hong Kong Island with Central being on the forefront comprising countless places to shop, eat, drink, dance and sleep. When roaming around Hong Kong, one will somehow always pass through Central which is not only the city hub connecting Hong Kong Island with the Kowloon Peninsula, but also filled with office buildings, tourist attractions and last but not least bars and restaurants tailored to please both locals and travellers. Lan Kwai Fong (in short: LKF) is a popular area in the heart of Central where the party people hang out to grab a bite to eat, get their noses wet, and burn the midnight oil until the wee hours of the night.The Place: Loyal Dining is a conventional Yum Cha restaurant in the heart of Central, and just around the corner of LKF. The restaurant can be accessed from street level. The restaurant does not stand out when seeing it from the outside, but it is pretty well taken care of when being inside. The furniture is not brand new, but it is visible that they have made an effort to mix and match different styles. Nicely framed pictures can be found on the walls, beautiful Burberry-like looking wallpapers have been put to improve the atmosphere. Lighting was good and decent Jazzy music was played in the background. The staff was very attentive and nice too.The Food & Beverage: My friend and I had four different dishes all of which were really outstanding in terms of taste and in addition to that nicely presented. We were given different sauces to use with our food. The restaurant used high class chop sticks, and also placed cutlery including good quality napkins next to our plates (without having asked for anything or feeling insecure as a foreigner). We asked for iced water, and were not forced into buying a drink. Our waters were also refilled having added sufficient ice including a lime.The Price: This Yum Cha place was a little more pricy than other Yum Cha places around, but I need to admit that the food (visually and technically), the great service, and the overall atmosphere made up for it. We placed four different dim sum orders, and paid 38HK$ each.The Bottom-Line: I was very pleased with my choice of Yum Cha restaurant for today. The atmosphere was cosy, the staff was very friendly, the food arrived fast and was fresh, nicely presented and superb in taste. I will certainly come back here and bring more friends along. Thanks.…Read More

The Location: The place under review is located on the 118th floor of Hong Kong’s International Commerce Center (in short: ICC, in Chinese: 環球貿易廣場). ICC comprises many offices mainly being financial institutions (Deutsche Bank, Morgan Stanley, etc.). In 2014, ICC was Hong Kong’s tallest building with its 484 meters and its 118 stories; ICC is situated in West Kowloon (MTR station: Kowloon Station) and faces Hong Kong’s second largest building, the International Finance Center (in short: IFC) being directly located across the Victoria Harbour in Central on Hong Kong Island.The Place: Ozone is part of The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Group. In order to reach the 118th floor, one must take two different elevators. The trip up there was easy and surprisingly fast (once your ears pop, you know you almost made it!).Ozone is an amazingly modern and stylishly decorated bar with restaurant. When dining at Ozone, one better book a table in advance if the dinner ought to be enjoyed at the roofless bar area where one can make the best of the places’ mere advantage – the amazing 180+ degree view of the Victoria Harbour over to Hong Kong Island plus all surrounding areas. I personally believe that it is best to visit Ozone earlier on in the evening to enjoy the last moments in sunlight and see the sun go down.The Food & Beverage: we decided to have evening snacks and drinks at Ozone. We tried food up and down the menu having started with fresh Oysters, fried Calamares, Sushi, Sashimi, fancies veggies, all along with a little bit of Champagne, some Longdrinks, and some Cocktails.The food was presented in an innovative and flashily fancy way and it was delicious indeed. All ingredients were fresh, and tasted - all in all - amazing. No complaints here.The Price: The food and the beverages were really unique and devine; the atmosphere was vibrant; the music was loungey and young; the lighting was comfortable and charming; the furniture was chic, classy, modern and matching each other perfectly; the view was absolutely breathtaking; but ~ the service was not good - it took the staff way too long to serve us and, moreover, they forgot half of the stuff we ordered so we had to follow up and make really sure to get what we wanted and were charged for; the prices were pretty high – obviously established according to Ritz-Carlton standards and the locations in which we were in – I get it, however, it would have been easier to walk out of this place after only having had a few snacks and drinks (….and we honestly remained hungry and were not even tipsy when we left) had the service been better; we were 5 people and paid over 6,000HKD;The Bottom-Line: the location was breathtaking, the cocktails were divine, the food was innovative and pretty good, the other guests were classy and well-behaved - all in all - it was a great experience; the service, however, needs to improve for the prices they charge. I’ll be back for a Dragontini at sunset, not sure whether I want to spend so much money for snacks again that did not even slightly managed to fill me up ;-) Cheers!!!!…Read More

The Location: The restaurant under review is situated in Tung Chung which is an area located on the north-western coast of Lantau Island. Tung Chung was formerly a rural village and a major defense stronghold against pirates and foreign military, and has developed into one of the latest generations of new towns in Hong Kong.Tung Chung and its surrounding neighborhoods have a lot to offer such as shopping and outlet malls, hiking tracks, and temples as well as other tourist drags like the cable cars, Big Buddha and Disneyland, not to forget the nearby airport and the new housing estates in the area. The Place: “Mansarover” offers Indian fusion cuisine and is located around five minutes drive from Tung Chung MTR station. The restaurant was named after a holy pilgrim place for Hindu’s (Mansarover Lake - a freshwater lake in Tibet) where Lord Shiva, who is the most important Hindu God and the creator of Yoga, is being cherished.“Mansarover” is situated just off one of Tung Chung's main roads and right next to Tung Chung Fort (which is another great tourist spot). The restaurant cannot be spotted from the main road, so it is best to get there using the restaurants’ free shuttle-bus service or by using your own means of transportation (free parking is provided) though there would be a bus stop directly in front. This restaurant does not just offer superb food from a renowned Hong Kong chef who used to work for big names such as Peninsula, Maxim, Sheraton, Renaissance and Langham, but also a charming atmosphere in a great location with inside and covered outside seating (including an effective heater for colder days).“Mansarover” is ideal for people that adore authentic Indian cuisine and like to have it in a more natural environment; I believe that this place is just perfect for the real-deal Indian food-lovers, couples in love, and active families - as a visit to this place can conveniently be combined with a shopping stroll, some sightseeing and to top it all up, there is a children’s playground right in front of the place so that you can nip on a Mango Lassi or have a pint of Cobra while keeping an eye on your kids.Chef Kumar grew up in the northern part of India - a hillstation called “Masuri” where he also learnt how to cook; his ancestors used to have an Indian restaurant there where they served their dishes to tourists and some of Masuri’s 2,000 guesthouses. Chef Kumar has not only acquired the necessary cooking skills at an early age, but also perfectionized them by working as a Sous Chef for 5-Star-Hotels prior to realizing his dream of having his own restaurant (Mansarover was opened early 2012). His family currently owns two restaurants in Hong Kong, one led by his elder son Sunny in Tsuen Wan (Baba's Station), and the second run by Chef Kumar and his younger son Eshant in Tung Chung (Mansarover). The Food & Beverage: When we first arrived, we grabbed some chairs and sat outside to enjoy the afternoon sun. After some chitty chatting with all the staff we got quite hungry and went for all the signature dishes that were recommended to us plus our all-time favorites, as follows:1) Lamb Chops (with onions; roasted in Tandoori oven) --> deliciously marinated meat, lightly spiced, tender and fresh2) Pomfret (fresh whole chargrilled in Tandoori oven) --> greatly marinated fish, great presentation, yummy flavors3) Turkish Chicken Kebab Roll (with lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes and dressing) --> delicious marinade, light dressing, fresh ingredients, superbly fluffy bread4) Butter Chicken (also called Makhani Chicken; BBQ-ed chicken, cooked in butter and tomatoes); --> creamy/buttery note without being greasy or stuffing, soft Chicken, greatly marinated5) Garlic & Butter Naan (baked in Tandoori oven) --> very delicious and fluffy6) Dipping Sauces: Tamarind (for fried food), Mint Sauce (for tandoori meat), Mango Chutney (for curries), Vindaloo (to spice it all up) --> great for adding additional flavors7) Mango Lassi & Lemon Water & Masala Tea --> loved the Masala tea; Mango Lassi was a little too sweet for my taste8) Cobra & Kingfisher Beer --> I really like Kingfisher, found Cobra too bitter for a Lager beer9) Chicken Korma (with cashew nuts, almonds, raisins) --> my friends absolute favorite! Loved it too though10) Saag Paneer (I know it as Palak Paneer; home-made cottage cheese, fresh spinach) --> absolutely yummy – the best one I’ve ever had so far! Very creamy yet light, and fresh!11) Chicken Biryani (spicy chicken with basmati rice, fried) --> very good too; It was (s)lightly fried, and though we had eaten a lot of food when this dish arrived, it was easy to eat, not stuffing or too filling;12) Vegetable Samosas (fried; filled with peas and potatoes) --> yummy especially with the Tamarind sauceThe food was prepared and presented with love and dedication using finest ingredients; I was curious and asked where the ingredients are sourced from and have been told that all spices directly come from India while the meat comes from New Zealand (lamb) and the US (chicken). I am very fond of Indian cuisine and have traveled extensively, but I was astonished by the way the spices and thoroughly fresh ingredients blended in. My taste buds went absolutely crazy with regards to the Chicken Korma, Saag Paneer, and even though it does not seem to be so difficult to make – the Naan. “Mansarover” use a Tandoori oven (import product from India) that positively reflects on the taste of every single item that is cooked in there.Chef Kumar just knows how to please his guests.The portions were plenty, and we definitely ordered too many different dishes. As we were too full to finish all of our food, so we decided - and did not feel embarrassed at all - to take all left overs home to have a second round of Curries and Biryani at a later stage. Unfortunately we were not able to try desserts such as Gulab Jamun this time, but for next time, I’ll go for that for sure, and I already know that I won’t be disappointed.The Price: Prices were reasonable. A lunch set for instance Indian Thali, Kebab Roll, Fried Rice or else - including a drink - costs between 55-58HKD; dinner obviously depends on what exactly one chooses and how much is consumed, but I guess that it’d be around 100-150HKD/person.As mentioned before, the restaurant offers a free shuttle service from Tung Chung MTR station, and free parking for guests; if one wants to be picked up from other locations, a pick up charge will apply which is fair too (40HKD from airport, 60HKD from Disneyland, 90HKD from Lantau itself).The restaurant also delivers food and offers catering services; prices for these services depend on location and quantity; Bottom-Line: I loved the food, I loved the location (though at the beginning when we stood at the car park I was not quite convinced that we’d be going to a decent place, but I changed my mind pretty soon after), the staff was really really friendly and super accommodating and also spreading their passion (and even sharing their recipes), the atmosphere was really relaxing – I just loved to be able to sit outside, enjoy the fresh air, watch some people walk by, stare at the Fort etc.; the only thing that was actually negative, which was most probably just bad luck, was that the water in the toilet sink was stuck; right after I mentioned this issue, the problem was solved; I guess this can be totally overlooked; I will surely be back soon, and bring all my Indian friends as well as the ones that are into Indian food with me to try Chef Kumar’s cuisine. Thank you all!!!!…Read More

The Location: North Point (in Chinese: 北角) is a mixed urban area located in the eastern part of Hong Kong Island, neighboring both Causeway Bay and Quarry Bay, projecting toward Kowloon Bay. North Point offers a lot of eateries and places to shop and is a little bit more Chinese and a little bit less flashily cosmopolitan than Causeway Bay and Wan Chai which are the main tourist drags along the eastern shore of Hong Kong Island’s north coast. North Point might not be on top of the list in Hong Kong tourist guides, but it offers loads of hidden gems that make it well worth a visit.The Place: 潮樂園 is a contemporary family-owned Chinese restaurant located in the heart of North Point with around 5 minutes walking distance from North Point MTR. The restaurant is not located on a main street (here: Wharf Road) and thus a little hidden when you have not been to this part of town before. Wharf Road consists of many eateries – one after another, so the choice is vast.If you are looking for traditional Chinese cuisine, 潮樂園 is the place to go. It offers what your heart desires as long as you are a carnivore (I would not really send a vegetarian to this place). 潮樂園 displays its meats by hanging them in the window, so can you can judge before you pay them a visit. We all know that Hong Kong residents love their snacks – whether it be during morning time, for lunch, afternoon tea or late night – with queues stretching across the streets for these eateries, there’s no excuse not to ditch the diet and join the line; due to this, 潮樂園 decided to further display food at the restaurant entrance for the walking public to take a peek and thus to take away.The restaurant itself is fairly small and only offers seating to around 30 people. The lighting is bright, but not to the point where it gets annoying. There was hardly any decoration on the walls, maybe because of the places’ size thus not to make it appear even smaller. The restaurant also provides a toilet which was clean and is to be used by both men and women. What I noted was that parts of the floor within the restaurant was extremely slippery, which made me almost fall twice - hadn’t there been signs, I would definitely have landed on my bottom.The restaurant is accessible on street level, and there are also (if you are lucky) parking spaces available. In addition to that, when entering the restaurant, there are no steps or other obstacles to overcome, so paying 潮樂園 a visit is even possible for wheelchair users (the washrooms are, however, not wheelchair friendly).The Food & Beverage: When I first entered 潮樂園, I was immediately seated and presented with a cup of hot water, and later asked whether I felt like any other drink. On this occasion, I only went for iced lemon tea, which was nice – neither too acidic, strong, nor to sweet.The menu is extensive and offers a variety of many different traditional Chinese dishes.I made a pact before arriving in Asia that I would be adventurous and try all kinds of local cuisine rather than stick with what I already know.On today’s menu we had a whole range of dishes (excuse me in case I am using the wrong vocabulary) such as oyster congee, fried oyster pancake, duck intestines and tongue, sliced goose, goose wings and legs, pork knuckle, octopus, noodle soup with Chinese yellow eel both sliced and made into fish balls ~ all to be enjoyed along their two home-made and absolutely delicious chili sauces. Not for the faint-hearted! Please take a look at the pictures that I took. All dishes were prepared and presented with love and dedication. What makes 潮樂園 stand out from the crowd is the diversity of food they offer and the warmth of service / hospitality.The Price: I cannot really tell what the menu looks like and whether there would also be an English menu, but no worries, you will be understood ~ no matter what language you speak as long as you are adventurous and not too picky with food and willing to try traditional Chinese cuisine. In terms of price, again, I have no clue, but I am certain that prices are very reasonable.Bottom-Line: I was very pleased with the food I was presented with today – it all looked fresh and tasted yummy; the atmosphere was very vibrant and cosy; the staff was assertive and very friendly; we even got a brief solo concert by a little guest astonishing us with Christmas Carols! I’d certainly come back here when I have adventurous guests around that would like to find out what real Chinese cuisine is like. Thanks. …Read More

The Location: Kowloon (九龍, "nine dragons" in Cantonese) is the peninsula to the north of Hong Kong Island. Kowloon is one of the most densely populated places on the planet, and has countless places to shop, eat and sleep. Jordan is an area in the Yau Tsim Mong District to the south on the Kowloon peninsula. Jordan is conveniently accessible and somewhat situated between Tsim Sha Tsui and Kowloon Station. Tsim Sha Tsui is Kowloon’s main tourist drag where Kowloon Station offers the high-end shopping mall “Elements” right next to Hong Kong’s tallest building ICC. Jordan is both, a place for tourists with its Temple Street Night Market, massage parlors and its many shops, and a typical place where locals hang out and live ~ overall being an area where things become a little bit less flashily cosmopolitan and a little bit more Chinese.When exiting Jordan’s MTR (Exit B) and strolling towards the end of Jordan Road, you’ll reach “Beef King Seafood” after around 5 minutes. “Beef King Seafood” is a modern and bright Chinese hot-pot restaurant situated on the ground floor giving easy access to wheelchair users and elderly people with parking space on the street.The Place: When standing in front of “Beef King Seafood” your look will be pulled to the aquarium of fresh seafood that will be served as your food of choice. Stepping inside the restaurant, you will find a well-lit and modernly decorated restaurant in a charming atmosphere; the colors and styles of all found furniture, dishes and other interior design has been carefully chosen which matches each other perfectly. There are tables for two, bigger groups, and even a private room for special events. Guests in the main dining area can overlook the chef while cooking, whereas the washroom, kitchen and restaurant staff is located towards the end of the restaurant without bothering the socializing and eating restaurant guests.The Food & Beverage: The restaurant offers a vast variety of mouthwatering dishes ~ all in all being fresh and not frozen. This is what we had:Sashimi & Deep-Fried FishWe were presented with a fresh water fish that we got to pick from the aquarium prior to being cut open and being presented as sashimi. The entire platter with the sashimi was beautifully presented with flowers and other decorative items. The sashimi itself looked and tasted amazingly fresh and delicious. According to Chinese tradition, the remainder of the fish was also presented on the platter which was later taken back to the kitchen to deep-fry for us. The entire fish which we consumed as sashimi and as fried fish was mouthwatering and presented beyond expectations.Seafood Hot-PotThe hot-pot was prepared for us by the chef in front of our eyes on the modern single-table stove. Out hot-pot consisted of different seafood such as fresh crab, clams, shrimp and a whole variety of different fresh and carefully cut vegetables in order to intensify the soup bases’ taste.On the side, and to dip or cook into, we were presented with thinly cut beef slices, different varieties of mushrooms, balls (fish, shrimp, meat etc.), vegetables, and won tons. We could have ordered more, but it was fully sufficient and matched each other perfectly in terms of taste. All ingredients were fresh, cut to a size so that we could handle it all easily, nicely presented, and just yummy.OtherEach one of us also got three sauce bowls, one with soy sauce that we were able to pimp up with chilies, garlic and charlottes, one with fish sauce, and one with soy sauce including wasabi.The waiter came regularly to stir our soup so it was cooked equally, fill the pot up with liquid so our food would not burn or taste too intense, and also fill our glasses with ice cold beer.The Price: Amazing food with great and friendly service served in a nice atmosphere for a reasonable price (240HK$) without time restriction.Bottom-Line: Hot-Pot is always among my favorite picks when dining with friends as it facilitates communication and interaction with each other. We spent a wonderful time at “Beef King Seafood” ~ the food was amazingly fresh and delicious, the atmosphere was pleasant and surprisingly quiet, the service staff was friendly and assertive, the restaurant itself was inviting and conveniently located, the prices were reasonable and fair. I’d gladly come back to go for another round of sashimi and hot-pot again!…Read More

The Location: The restaurant under review is situated in the heart of Soho, right next to the Mid-Level-Escalators. Soho is part of Central in the Central & Western District of Hong Kong where most Westerners live - as the name might suggest :-) The Place: Lotus is a modern Thai restaurant situated in the corner of Shelley Street and Staunton Street offering outside and inside seating. The restaurant is fairly small yet still being able to accommodate around 60 people, I would guess. It does not feel cramped however it is still not possible to have a completely private conversation in there as others guests are just too near which is really a Hong Kong issue rather than Lotus’ fault.The Food & Beverage: I went to Lotus with a friend, we shared an appetizer – Vietnamese Spring Rolls, and each had a curry. My friend had a glass of sparkling water, whereas I decided to simply have a glass of iced tab water.The spring rolls were pretty good (I might be a little too subjective as I was about to starve when I arrived at Lotus) however they came fried and not in a soft dough as I am used to it. The rolls were not overly fried and did not taste of cooking oil, which was certainly a plus, so the inside stuffing of the rolls was still fresh – in terms of look and taste. Good Vietnamese Spring Rolls, but not overwhelmingly superb.I had Panaeng Curry with Chicken and Rice. The Curry was nicely seasoned and very tasty. The Chicken was mostly tender (some bits and pieces weren’t though) and there was sufficient of it in terms of quantity. The vegetables were cooked in the Curry and had absorbed the full flavor of it. I ordered a glass of iced tab water with lemon, the glass was small, there was hardly any ice, I did not get a lemon and my glass was not refilled.My friend had red Curry with Chicken and added Prawns to it. His food was equally nice when it comes to the taste, however I thought that an extra 48HK$ for prawns (3 pieces only) was rather exaggerated.The Price: Our bill came to 481HK$ having included Spring Rolls (78HK$), 2 Curries (108HK$ each), added prawns (48HK$), Jasmine rice (50HK$ each), sparkling water (45HK$) plus 10% service charge.My friend paid almost 220HK$ just for his curry (including the 3 extra pieces of prawn, jasmine rice and service charge), which I believe is fairly overpriced considering the service provided and the state the restaurant was in.Bottom Line:To summarize my experience at Lotus, I’d say that I had a good meal and a good time. The atmosphere is lively, the restaurant is airy, the crowd that hangs out in there is a mixture of both young and mature (but young at heart). The staff was friendly but they just did their job and could not really be bothered to provide more than that (no smile, no nice words, no extra drip of water, they did not even ask if we wanted to order anything else). Lotus is a great hangout but mainly because of its very convenient location and only when the weather is nice.…Read More

The Location: Jordan is located in the central part of the Yau Tsim Mong District on the Kowloon Peninsula of Hong Kong. Jordan is around 1km2 in size with around 150,000 people living there.The Place: Sen Hot Pot is a Chinese hot-pot restaurant in the heart of Jordan, not far from Jordan’s MTR Station (exit B). The restaurant is officially located on Jordan Road but the entrance to the building is really around the corner.The restaurant can be found on the 1st floor of Liberty Mansion. When you enter, the room is large with sturdy tables and seating for four along the windows and walls around, and bigger round tables in the middles of the room. All tables at Sen Hot Pot had an on-table cooker. The whole room was very brightly lit and gave me a kind of old fashioned vibe. The staff was friendly but unfortunately too passive in serving me as their only foreign customer (due to my lack of Chinese and their lack of English language skills). Being how I am, I used all necessary body parts to express myself and tell them what I wanted, and I got exactly what I wanted; luckily soon after, my Chinese girlfriends arrived to take over :-) The Food & Beverage: We decided to have crab stir fry with chicken including diverse vegetables; the restaurant staff came along to stir fry our food for us which was very nice of them; the crab was extremely fresh, the vegetables were firm and the chicken added that certain flavor to our combination to make it awesome. We also ordered some noodles that we added to our little mix later on. The food looked and tasted delicious - see for yourself, as follows: As a second dish, we ordered duck. The duck had an intensive yet fresh taste. We ordered some steamed rice to go with our dish. This was a very yummy yet very filling dish.I really liked both dishes a lot, but did not think that they perfectly matched each other – but this was not the restaurants' recommendation…We got a free-flow of Chinese tea with our food.The Price: The price was really reasonable. We only paid 140HK$ per head, and were happily stuffed.Bottom Line: Sen Hot Pot offers good authentic Chinese food at a reasonable price. The portions were large in size, the ingredients were fresh, the food tasted pretty good; in addition to that, the staff was assertive and friendly, the service sitting was fast, the food was delivered fast; moreover, the restaurant including the toilets were clean. The restaurant was not super fancy in outlook, but the food was good, and that is all that counts! Thanks.…Read More

The Location: Kennedy Town is a new and upcoming area in Hong Kong, located in the Western District of Hong Kong Island.The Place: Breaks is a sports bar conveniently situated at the edge of Kennedy Town nearby the waterfront. When you feel like a football match of the English Premier League and a cold Lager (or any other beer or even a cocktail) this is the place to go. Breaks does not only offer a thriving selection of drinks but also delicious Thai food at a reasonable price.The Food & Beverage: Last Sunday afternoon, a friend and I decided to make our way to Kennedy Town to have a couple of fresh and cool Lager beers along some Thai food. It was “happy hour” when we arrived at Breaks so the drinks were offered at a particularly good price (45HK$ for a pint of Heineken).After a few cold ones we decided to order a bite to eat.Firstly went for Yellow Chicken Curry with Chapati (or whatever you may call it in Thai) on the side. There was a good blend of Thai spices in this yellow curry along some coconut milk not overwhelming the ingredients at all. In terms of ingredients, there was tender chicken (without any bones or fat), onions, carrots, and green peppers. The so-called Chapati was soft and not too greasy at all. The dish was good but unfortunately not enough to fill “two” empty stomachs, so we ordered a second dish.This time we went for Thai-style ground pork with chilies and basil in lettuce. The ground pork was lean, and this dish came with a dipping sauce consisting of soy sauce, hoisin sauce, chilies, freshly squeezed lime juice, finely chopped ginger root, garlic cloves, jalapeno, and green onions. The sauce intensified the taste of the dish and when having added too much, it burned :-) The ground pork was to be wrapped in the lettuce leaves with some fresh Thai basil sprinkled on top. It was my first time to try this dish and I was amazed by its intense taste; I also liked the fact that I was able to use my hands to eat, which made it way more fun. Absolutely delicious.The Price: Our entire bill came to around 280HK$ consisting of, I believe, three pints of Heineken (45HK$x3) plus the Curry (ca. 80HK$) and the Ground Pork (ca. 60HK$). I’d say that was a pretty good deal for the yummy food and drinks we had.Bottom-Line: I enjoyed my afternoon at Breaks. The atmosphere was decent though there could have been a few more other guests around, the place was in order and inviting, the football on TV was entertaining and not a single bit annoying, the toilets were super clean with a nice smell of food coming from the kitchen, the staff was friendly but seemed a bit bored at times, the food was honestly speaking pretty yummy, and the beers were the opposite of stale. It was the perfect place to be on this Sunday afternoon! Thanks for that. We’ll come back one day.…Read More