eatpraylove~son's Profile

Bitters & Sweets is located near LKF, a calm haven tucked away on Wellington Street right opposite to The Loop. Its name are (surprise surprise) its signatures: "Bitters" - cocktails with house-made bitters and infusions AND "Sweets" - simple nostalgic desserts. Positioned itself as a modern and sophisticated lounge. Bitters & Sweets is somewhere comfortable where you feel you can have a meaningful conversation with friends. I sat by the window and looked distantly at the hustle and bustle on Wellington Street as I was handed over the menu. The menu pleasantly surprised me with a good number of savoury options (like cheese plate, paramesan fries, foie gras toast) on top of the sweets and drinks. BITESYes while the sweets are supposed to be in the spotlight, I couldn't help myself from ordering the Spam Fries (HK$90)! These spam fries came out piping hot (beware, handle with care)!! Packed with the addictive luncheon meat flavours, each piece was surprisingly crunchy with crispy edges (oh and not too oily at all). The sriracha mayonnaise sauce had a lovely peppery kick to it. The garlic aroma went surprising well with the spam fries. This is a nice twist to the usual potato FRIES. A superb bar snack to go with your drinks! Words just cannot do this justice. I just cannot describe how much we loved this S'mores (HK$100). Awesome presentation bringing us childhood flavours! The toasted marshmallows were served in a mini cast-iron skillet with chocolate sauce underneath and graham crackers by the side. I absolutely adored the tiny spatula spoons which were not only cute, but also allowed me to scrap every last bit of the mashmallows and chocolate off the skillet. Look at that!!  The fluffy mashmallows were perfectly burnt with a crispy brown top and melt-in-your-mouth soft centre. The chocolate sauce was not your ordinary chocolate sauce, it was infused with chilli! That gave this reimagined S'mores this extra dimension on top of the sweetness. It was finger licking good!! (I really literally licked my fingers..)Note: for the elegant ones out there who would like to keep your fingers clean, I heard that Bitters & Sweets will also be serving "Lollipops" soon - which is a portable version of the S'mores. COCKTAILSPresented like this (see above), and it opened up like that (see below) - WOW.This instagram worthy cocktail is the Smokey Joe (HK$180). As I tasted it, it reminded me of a traditional Old-Fashioned but revamped with coffee-infused bourbon. It was a good cocktail with some depth and hints of sweetness of chestnut and chocolate. Cherry wood smoke was pumped onto the drink and trapped under a glass lid before serving which gave this lovely visual effect as well as a distinctive woody and smokey taste to the drink. Absosultely my kind of a Comfort Drink - The Sesame (HK$150). It was made with spiced rum and roast black sesame. This was full-bodied and sinfully rich. Yes, it was quite creamy and did remind me of the Chinese dessert "Sesame soup". Fear not though, it was well-balanced, with hazelnut afternotes and (most importantly) be assured that you can taste the rum. Loved it!To lose balance sometimes is part of living a balanced life.As I enjoyed the bitters and the sweets from Bitters & Sweets, I reminded myself once again to enjoy both the bitters and the sweets in life.…Read More

As we got to the top floor of the new Tower 535, we were greeted by two tall, beautiful Russian hostesses and led into the spacious dining area. The space is elegantly decorated with chandeliers and tasteful artworks, with cosy tables for two by the window as well as larger tables for groups in the middle. For a moment, we felt like on the top of the world.We were not surprised at all. Seafood Room marks the Hong Kong debut of Bulldozer Group, a leading hospitality and nightlife group from Russia. Marketed as one of the biggest restaurant openings of the year, Seafood Room proudly boasts its sweeping views of the city and Victoria Harbour.   Note: the restaurat area is splitted into two areas - one showcases the harbour and the other side presents the city view; remember to indicate where you want to dine when you book   Requesting a table by the window is (of course) a MUST.The menu is divided into a number of different sections like Carpaccio, Tartare, Ceviche, Sashimi and even (!!) Cantonese style dishes. For meat lovers who are accompanying their friends to the SEAFOOD room; fear not, there are a few non-seafood items on the menu which can satisfy your cravings. FOOD First up, we ordered the Tuna Carpaccio (HK$240). Nice, long, thin slice of tuna was placed on top of a bed of foie gras mousse, this was topped with some virgin oil and truffle bits which brought some nutty and earthy elements to the dish. The fresh unami of the tuna went surprisingly well with the rich and buttery foie gras mousse. We were glad that there was no truffle overdose or the pungent flavour would have overpowered the natural aroma of the tuna! :)This was a solid dish, but would be even more to my liking if the foie gras taste can be more prominent; it was slightly played down by the cream. Next up was the highlight of the night - Langoustine Tartare (HK$260). The tower of avocado with raw langoustine toped with truffle (yes again), caviar and gold flecks is a luxurious luring art piece itself. It was certainly an aromatic delight as the chef cleverly paired up avocado (love love love) with raw langoustine for that EXTRA creamy silky texture, the herbaceous fragrant of the avocado paired well with the sweet soy sauce and the caviar on top. I loved how the caviar in my mouth, and the rich, slightly sweet taste oozes and dresses over the unbeatable avocado langoustine mix (hehehe). A must-order item here! Loved every bite of this dish!! We decided to add an extra cold dish since the langoustine tartare was an absolute star, and so we picked the Yellow Tail Carpaccio (HK$230)... unfortunately, this was not even half as good. The yellow tail pieces were nicely sliced (at least they got one thing right haha) - not too thick and not too thin. They were laid systematically on a pond of yuzu sauce and once again, topped with truffle. The acidity and citrusy of yuzu sauce did not really work with the truffle.  In fact, the yellow tail did not taste very fresh and we had a strong feeling that the chef was adding truffle to this dish to cover up the fishiness.As one of our mains, we ordered the Scallops (HK$320). The scallops were of fair size; but they were not as juicy and bouncy as I hoped. The lack of moist was perhaps because they were overcooked? (Nothing beats the Grand Hyatt Steak House Scallops!) The seasoning, I must say, is intriguing. I enjoyed the buttery cauliflower puree underneath, but the dish was not just about creaminess. They sealed the deal with the sweetness of the golden sauterns sauce.:) The mixture of dukkha spice, raisins and nuts added an interesting dimension to the dish. Ah, if only they did justice to the seared scallops...Finally, we were served with the Miso Salmon (HK$350). A thick fillet of salmon was brought to us on a large leaf with lime. What a generous portion! Yes, there was no other accompany ingredient or sauce. The salmon was nicely cooked, pink in the center, and slightly charred with a miso glaze on the top. Add a splash of lime for extra complexity. The lime certainly popped through the sweet and savoury classic miso aroma, and stimulated our apetite! Enjoyable dish~ All in all, the Seafood Room definitely has room for improvement (both food-wise and service-wise). Putting the good looking hostesses aside... throughout the night, service was generally not very attentive. It appeared that the servers were not very experienced (you can tell by the way they put down and arranged our plates and culteries hahaha). Naming itself THE Seafood Room entails expectation; with the price tag and the marketing, I came with even higher expectation. Hopefully, as we go forward, the Seafood Room will not only be a place to view our beautiful harbour, but a true and proud seafood restaurant itself. Brownie points~~~ The Seafood Room has a lovely outdoor terrace on the top floor. On the saturday night I visited, I was shocked to see NO ONE AT ALL on their top-floor terrace. What a shame.. what a waste.. Well, no complaints - I enjoyed my chilled Chardonnay at peace.…Read More

It has been ages since I last posted a review. I visited Seoul with my "twin" A some weeks ago and spoke of this good old hobby of mine. I knew I have been wanting to share on this platform again.It was one jolly and satisfying trip and since then I have been craving for some Korean food  (or perhaps I have been craving for the contentment I had? ).  Korean fried chicken has been a big part of the pop-K-cusine even since the popular K-drama "My Love from the Star" (來自星星的你) :) ~ There are quite a number of korean fried chicken restaurants in Hong Kong already, and then yes, here comes another one - Sodam Chicken! With more than 70 branches in Korea, Sodam Chicken opened up in the heart of Causeway near Times Square.So this casual diner does not only serve up the classic fried chicken here, be prepared to be spoiled with a range of flavoured fried chicken and baked chicken, as well as some hearty korean dishses like toppoki, cold noodle and seafood pancake. :)  Nice choice of Korean music (incluing latest hits from "Descendant of the Sun" 太陽的後裔) looping in the background which certainly set our mood right ! Service? Well, let's say this is a really, really rather casual diner . There was only one waiter (handsome, I must say) during Sunday lunch who held a "I-do-not-really-care" attitude. DRINKS  Here are two of the Soda Specials which they offer here (Note: they are mocktails) - "Kiss Me Honey" and "Passionate Love" (each, HK$58). Both beautifully presented in a generous big mug-like glass . "Kiss Me Honey" is basically a chrysanthemum flavoured soda which was refreshing and with hints of chrysanthemum floral fragrance. Apparently chrysanthemum aids digestion when taken with food, especially greasy and deep-fried foods! Perfect choice to go with the fried chicken indeed!   "Passionate Love" is a grape flavoured soda which came with a rainbow coloured ice lolly  ~ Of course   we have to order some beer to go with the fried chicken. This is called the Asahi BOMB (HK$78) - basically, it is beer with a shot of soju. Definitely go for this when you are here!! *cheers* FOOD Cheese Carbonara Toppoki (HK$120) - as you can see from the photo, this carbonara toppoki was somewhat disappointing  . The carbonara sauce was rather thin and watery, and totally lacks the cheese flavour which I was very much looking forward to. The kimchi over it was neither here nor there, the amount of which was not enough to spice up the dish. Nevertheless, the toppoki (aka rice cake) themselves were nice and chewy (which saved the dish from being completely disastrous). Although the rather disappointing delivery of this dish, we found the perfect solution... (see below)Lava Cheese and Sweet & Spicy Cheese Grilled Chicken (HK$145) - now this was a solid CHEESE dish (and presented as the perfect solution to the "cheese carbonara" toppoki). This is a mixed platter with half lava cheese grilled chicken and half sweet and spicy grilled chicken. Note: the sweet and spicy half was not that spicy at all (FYI, non-spicy-eaters). While the cheese flavour and the sweet and spicy flavour did not completely soak through into the chicken, the lava cheese was thick in consistency and scrumptious (I give it a thumbs up :) and the baked chicken was cooked just right with tender meat. We enjoyed it a lot and started scrapping the left-over cheese sauce with the chewey toppoki hahaha - YUMMY! Sodam Fried Chicken (HK$168) - 10 pieces of crunchy fried korean chicken, served with a plate of sweet and spicy sauce. Named after the restaurant itself, Sodam Fried Chicken is basically the original and the simplest version. Some may ask - why bother coming here and ordering this when we have KFC round the corner? Let me assure you, this is different. Not just because of the korean pop songs in the background or the cold refreshing beer by my side (okay to be fair, these may play a part too ), the fried chicken was juicy, held a nice crunchy coat and was surprisingly NOT greasy (this you will not get from your regular KFC).  :) :) Honey Mustard Fried Chicken with Green Onion (HK$188) - another 10 pieces here, but with honey mustard glaze drizzled over the chicken bites (oh and topped with some green onion). I enjoyed this the most. The fried chicken was, of course, good (like the regular Sodam fried chicken). The honey mustard glaze was sweet, pungent and full of flavours. Each bite was finger licking good. Each bite makes me want more!  All in all, this is one solid no-frills fried chicken restaurant to get your fried chicken x beer fix! The combo does the magic, not just the place.  "You're my destiny geudaenYou're my destiny geudaenYou're my everything"It still strikes me how one thing transforms when coming together with something else. Here, it is when fried chicken meets beer...當炸雞遇上啤酒...…Read More

Tai Ping Shan, is a developing, dynamic area above Hollywood Road in Sheung Wan, the neighborhood with the much-loved Cafe Deadend and Teakha.Nosh, opened by chef Danielle Yuen and pastry chef Aki Yamamoto, seeks to serve simple European-inspired cuisine. So "nosh" literally means "eat food enthusiastically". With such a simple, to-the-point name, I was not surprised when settling in its simple and homely setting. Although it is just a small eatery which can host around 20 people at the same time, I was pleased that I could still relax and enjoy the airiness.To start with, I ordered the Nosh Brunch. Two poached eggs on homemade sourdough - eggs were done right with a beautiful orange runny center. The cream coloured sauce was apparently "spicy harrisa yohurt". Albeit in a "cream" colour, it was not creamy enough.. I found it watery, uninspiring and bland. :(Homemade sourdough was a bit soggy, and it does not make much of an impression. Moving swiftly to the better components of the brunch plate. The german sausage was nicely roasted which gave it this irresistable crispy bite. Plump and delicious:):), there were nice gentle hints of herbs. This was one very good sausage (both look wise and taste wise haha)! Complimenting by the side, roasted vine tomatoes - fresh, sweet and juicy; they acted as the perfect balance to the savoury sausage. Grilled portebello mushroom was nice with a firm, meaty texture and delicate flavor. I loved the potato bits which were well-marinated with crispy edges. I could not stop feeding myself with more, then a few more - addictive bites. :)The Apple Tarte Tatin is itself a beautiful piece of artwork - a tower of puff pastry, cream, apple and more cream. It took me courage (and pain) to stick my folk into (and destroy) this beautiful pastry, but it became clear immediately that it was the right move to make. Most people may see (and indeed justifiably) the apple piece as the centrepiece and focal point. For me, the pastry base got my immediate attention as I tasted. The base was buttery and puffy, though I think there is still room for it to be even lighter and more airy. The cream was smooth and rich with nice vanilla aroma, it paired perfectly with the buttery pastry base and the caramelised apple piece. For the apple piece - I was pleased to savour a nice balance of fruitness, caramel and rum. It was nicely done, not too sweet, not too tart - it was just right. This is a nice pick for those who dislike desserts which are overpoweringly sweet.:)Finally, the Lemon Meringue Tart. In my younger day, I very much had a sweet tooth. Don't get me wrong, I still have my cravings but as the years went by, I have developed a more "adveturous" palate for desserts. I am not sure whether it is the excitement or freshness which draws me to it, but I have grown to love the "lemony sour" taste:). This Lemon Meringue Tart had an appealing and adorable presentation with a generous golden moutain of meringue. Three elements of lemon here  - lemon mousse, lemon curd and the meringue which also surprisingly displayed a hint of zestiness (was I hallucinating?). The lemon mousse was full of refreshing citrus flavours and had a distinct mouthfeel - it felt more like lemon gelato rather than the regular airy mousse one would expect. The blob of lemon curd was the bomb which was bursting with tangy lemon and lime with a kick of gingery spice. The meringue acted as a creamy and milky coat over each zest-explosive mouthful. I really enjoyed this!! :)To end, I had my usual skinny flat white. I took a deep breath and looked out of Nosh up into the beautiful blue sky. I did not give up writing and sharing here over the past months. I was away from Hong Kong for work, in a city where such a blue sky is one rare sight.Now that I am back, under this same blue sky, you will be seeing more of my ramblings... And I start with this piece about this cafe under this same blue sky.Nosh! Go eat food enthusiastically!! :)…Read More

Certain music casts upon certain feeling. Certain scent stirs up certain memories. Certain cuisine soak you up with certain mood. Thai food, nice thai food, reminds me of resort and relaxation. = It was a Friday when I visited Mint Thai House. Yes, I must agree that it is not siutated at the most convenient location (especially for an Island girl like me ). But once in a while, it worths venturing out and a bit further for a nice meal and for a journey. Mint Thai House (at least in the winter) operates as an open-air restaurant; facing a quiet street with the Yuen Long Theatre, private housings and stadium surrounding it. We enjoyed the ambience of the restaurant; the open-air together with the background music (nice selection of leona lewis, beyonce, cold play..) made the dining atmosphere quite relaxing. What a nice place to be after a long week.  :)  One slight let-down was the small wooden stools which were slightly uncomfortable (or you may say, it's exotic... haha ). First up, we ordered the Deep Fried Prawn Balls (note: there are two varieties - prawn balls and prawn cakes). We loved this dish - nicely presented, evenly deep-fried but not over oily, it was chewy and tasty with fresh prawn aroma. This was a delicious appetiser which went very well with the sweet and sour thai sauce which was served together. Loved this, and I must say this was a very appetising start.Thai Grilled Pork Neck Meat - we were served a super generous portion and I had this sudden fear that the meat may not be very nice. BUT thankfully, the quality of the pork neck meat was actually good. Every slice had a lovely fat-meat balance which made each mouthful extra tender and juicy. The pork neck meat was well-marinated, lightly grilled to lock up the flavours within the meat and displayed a nice smoky aftertaste. Now this beautiful dramatic dish is Shrimp Paste Fried Rice (note: a few other carbs dishes in this restaurant are served with this awesome egg-web presentation as well!). The shrimp paste fried rice was tasty and one good plate of fried rice (i.e. have 鑊氣). What made this dish even more flavourful was the garnishes around (including e.g. cucumber slices, chutney, dried prawns, onion, red pepper, spices, ginger slices). After mixing everything together, the rice had more complex mouthfeel and lovely dimensions in flavours. Next time if I were to visit again, I would love to try their phad thai as well (with the egg-web presentation).Flaming thai grilled chicken - a complete WOW when the waitress poured some liquor over the chicken and lighted it up. A very dramatic and exciting experience which lighted up our Friday evening. The waitress then nicely sliced up the chicken so it was quite handy for us to savour. The chicken was tender, but unfortunately towards the dry-side (not sure whether it was the flame which dried it up). Nevertheless, I enjoyed the spices they used to prepare the chicken - very tasty and exotic. = All in all, it was a very enjoyable meal which brought us promising thai food and a relaxing friday evening =)can't wait till my next resort holiday... (not in Thailand this time, but I am expecting the same awesomeness)…Read More

Fish and Meat, with a back to the basics name (or perhaps we can see it as a statement), is brought to us by Maximal Concepts (masterminds behind the the much loved Brickhouse and Blue Butcher). Nothing too fancy here; they aim to (and I quote) "stay true to the real fundamentals" focusing on the best produce and delivering ingredient-focused cooking. = This new rising star took over the spacious old spot of the late Sal Curioso (situated at this slightly isolated spot off LKF). An open kitchen, a nice bar area, an inviting and warm interior with rustic wooden tables and iron lightings here and there. The natural buzz there prepares you well for no-frills, rustic meal. An enticing menu to choose from consisting of (obviously) creatures from the land and sea (with a few extras); it is one which is easy to navigate through with dishes split by size - small or large. Service was however slightly disappointing:(, the servers were not very attentive (so yes, even the service is no-frills? lol). First up, Sea Urchin Bruschetta. A plump spoonful of uni covered with a thin blanket of lard resting on a nice crispy bruschetta. Thoughtful and brave touch adding the lard to balance off any fishiness. A love it or hate it ingredient, and probably a love it or hate it dish. Personally I find it slightly oily and would have enjoyed the natural oceanic flavour of the sea urchin simply interplaying with the soft hint of olive oil and rosemary diffusing from the bruschetta.Roasted Bone Marrow Crostini. Very similar presentation as with the Sea Urchin Bruschetta, but a more preferred bite (for me). At the outset, may I extend my appreciation to this ready-to-be-eaten bone marrow dish. You see, most places serve it with the bone (for presentation or maybe just to prove it is indeed bone marrow not a random chunk of fat lol) and it can get a bit oily and messy when you do the work. Bite-size and straight into the mouth; perfect (and thank you )! The moist and squishy scallop-shaped bone marrow was well roasted. I loved the toasted crostinin with delicious pesto spreaded all over; and there was a gentle and zesty kick of lemon and garlic as well! Beautiful. :) Hand-ground Dutch Veal and Pork Meatballs. LOVED THIS DISH!!! Sizeable meatballs which displayed the lovely result of being hand-ground. They were well-marinated, super tender and juicy. I think the fact that it was a combo of veal and pork gave it even fuller and bolder flavours. Fontina, and it was a generous amount, melted and wedded to the meatball bringing a flavoursome nutty and milky edge to the dish. And the tangy and heavenly pepperoni sauce (!!) brought just the right amount of spice and heat. Such simple dish, but giving such unbelievable satisfaction. YUMMY! Utterly irresistible!!Tagliatelle. My nose detected its arrival before it was placed in front of us.. oh the truffle aroma...! We were told it was fresh tagliatelle, but unfortunately it was slightly too soft for us.:( Nonetheless, the chicken and truffle emulsion was truly bold, mouth-wateringly rich and delicious. I requested for some parmesan cheese which totally built-up and peaked the flavours. A crispy skin on the top; personally I do not really see the point of it (not crispy and thin enough). Great potential with room for improvement.:)Soft Duck Egg Raviolo. A classic combining indulgent flavours and textures. It was still simmering when it was served in its hot pan!! Enveloped within the thin yet al dente pasta piece was a GIANT luscious duck egg. :):)As we sliced our spoon through, the duck egg bursted and oozed beautifully. I loved how the raiolo was stuffed generously with ricotta cream which gave the dish a creamy mouthfeel though neither overheavy nor overpowering. Burnt sage butter brought out the richness of the baked and melted percorino. This was totally my enchanting fantasy. :)Cannelloni. Since we very much enjoyed the pasta dishes (both the OMG-raviolo and tagliatelle), we (greedily) decided to opt for another one - the homemade cannelloni. Nicely presented, wrapped within the thin cannelloni tube was the glories from the sea: maine lobster, spot prawn and salmon. The fresh pea cream sauce was very appetising and inviting, but it does not cover the intense oceanic flavour which the dish displays. I felt that it might be slightly fishy for some and I was glad that the chef did pay thoughts and tried to soften the oceanic scent with herbs like lemongrass and sprinkle of zesty lime juice. "Cheesecake". A deconstructed form of "cheesecake" for those who crave for something "cheesy" without having to feel too guilty.  The soul of which was whipped mascarpone (it was a rather large amount); that was topped with shortbread crumble. Shortbread crumble really does the magic; it was nicely crumbly and slightly crunchy and tasted so, so, so buttery. The raseberry sobert by the side was very fruity and certainly stimulated our palate as we worked through this creamy dessert. It was a very (too) generous portion; perhaps "Fish and Meat" can consider less "cheese" and more more more crumble?Dark chocolate fondant. Served pipping-hot! I really enjoyed this delectable chocolate fondant; it was really chocolaty but airy enough and well-balanced. We were quite full and rather satisfied by then, but we finished that enjoyably in no time. What made it particularly memorable was the dense salted caramel sauce drizzled generously across the plate, it certainly brought a remarkable dimension to the dessert. The aromatic homemade vanilla ice-cream was a bonus. = Simple ingredients, served with simple plates, not much garnish - this is "Fish and Meat". A lovely commitment to the fundamentals; and it works. :) :) :) What are you commited to?...…Read More

Memories. Memories often come back as flashbacks with a song, a scent, a taste.. I used to study in London and near my student hall was an entire street with Indian restaurants and Indian grocery stores. Getting some nice curry in the bleak mid-winter was the greatest joy and exciting treat for myself.=Note: don't be fooled by the name of the restasurant 深井咖喱寶. It is NOT in Sham-Tseng (深井), the restaurant is in Kennedy Town. The restaurant was quite quiet for a Friday evening when we visited at around 9pm. It was quite airy which I liked.. I was delighted that I was not smell of curry when I left. Quite a user-friendly menu with photos which I also liked.. useful for those with "decision-making-difficulty-disorder" like me.Let's start with the drink - Mango Lassi. It was a strategic move for me to order this yohurt-based drink. Yes, in preparation for the spicy food ahead (you see, dairy-based drinks help to ease the spice immensely). It was a refreshing drink and I am glad that it was not too thick. I could pick up the tropical mango aroma from the good balance of sweetness and sourness. Recommended!Papadam was served as a complimetary starter as we waited for our food. The thin, crisp, disc-shaped papadum was sprinkled with chopped tomato, pasley, garlic and coriander. It was not oily at all and made me extra addicted to the simple, slightly roasted flavour. I only wished that they serve us one piece per person rather than having to share it with H.For curries - we ordered Chicken Korma (the bottom bowl) and Rogan Josh (the top bowl). Chicken Korma would be perfect for those who cannot take spicy food. The sauce was a delicious coconut-based, almond and chestnut cream which was aromatic and packed with nutty fragrance; it paired very well with the tender chicken. Rogan Josh displayed much more depth (and it was much hotter as well) than the Chicken Korma. I was not surprised when I discovered that "Josh" of "Rogan Josh" means "heat, hot, boiling or passionate". The flavoursome curry was red in colour (as if it's on fire) and brought us exciting waves of chilies and garlic aroma. We were warmed up inside-out. Out of the two, I must say I enjoyed the Rogan Josh more despite the tough lamb chunks because of the beautiful complexity of the spices.:)To go with our curry, we ordered the Garlic Nann (top right). I must say I was slightly disappointed. :(The nann was not hot enough when served and slightly tough (would appreciate more puffy and fluffy ones). I could not really taste much of the garlic as well. The better take was the Paratha (top left); that was pipping hot and soft, and that is what it takes to pick up and soak up the curry goodness! We also had a portion of Pullau Rice (bottom) (yes carbohydrate monsters we are haha), the rice was quite chewy with nice herbal fragrance. It went very well with the curries.=As I stepped out of the restaurant with the Rogan Josh aftertaste lingering in my mouth, I felt the cold breeze (it was quite chilly that night) and memories back from London struck me. I could still remember how ex-boyfriend and I popped across the street for some good curry fix....…Read More

"X-treme Chinese" cuisine at Bo Innovation by the "Demon Chef" Alvin Leung; I have been there, done that and loved it. Now, how can I resist other concepts introduced by the Michelin-2 star chef: MIC Kitchen (originally known as MC Kitchen) and Beautifood. You see, Beautifood is easy now that it has a branch conveniently located at LKF (easy spot to pop by to grab a quick, healthy, yummy pack of "beauty-food"). MIC Kitchen, on the other, is located in Kwun Tong. First, a MTR ride; then quite a bit more walking in an area mostly known for its industrial use. MIC kitchen occupies a spacious corner at the AIA Kowloon Tower. (It was a particularly hectic "jog" that night since I was held up in meetings and by the time I arrived, it was 9pm..). =One of the things I enjoyed at Bo Innovation (sorry not-completely-quality-of-food related) is its flexibility for a table to order different tasting sets. Same thing applies at the MIC Kitchen. Between the two of us, we ordered a "Tasting Menu" ($580) and a "Chef Menu" ($880) to share. I would highly recommend taking this approach since you would get to savour a larger variety of dishes and I must say there are memorable and delicious ones in both sets.Oyster (left of the photo) - Fresh oyster served with its shell sitting on a mini mountain of rock salt to hold its place. The oyster, full of natural flavours from the sea, was very creamy, juicy and topped with "Tom Yum Kun" (the spicy clear thai soup) "mini bombs" (as I named it) and Guava sobert. Round of applause for the "Tom Yum Kun" "mini bombs" which beautifully captured the essence of Tom Yum Kun and exploded in our mouths.  The interplay between the "mini bombs" and chilly sobert brought immense tingly sensations with the chilly HEAT from the "Tom Yum Kun" spice and the coldness from the mouthwatering, zesty sobert - you know what it reminded us? Lemon juice and tobasco which we normally add to our oysters! (clever..! haha) So this was molecular gastronomy, with creativity, to get us started.:)Iberico Ham (right of the photo) - One nice east-meets-west cross-over!  Within each smokey and toasty iberico ham wrapped a bunch of chewy vermicelli. Instead of leaving the vermicelli as it was and relied on the fragrance of the ham, the Chef braised the vermeclli with porcini (a type of Italian mushroom). The herbaceous and mushroomy notes worked surprisingly well with the iberico ham which was packed with bold and romantic flavours. :):):) The dramatic ball of foam displayed hints of aromatic tomato; I must say it was not the loudest flavour in the dish but it effectively introduced just the right (and light) amount of a sharp vinegary kick. "Lap Mei Fan" - One of my favourites of the night - LOVED the creativity. This is "Lap Mei Fan" (Chinese waxed meats rice) in a totally different form (but note the similar "clay pot" presentation which is mini, hearty and just cute!). Instead of the "Lap Mei", creamy and smooth foie gras mousse was used instead with just shreds of waxed duck meat to enhance the flavours and mouthfeel of the dish. Instead of rice, they used crispy WOBA!  Everything, the aroma and texture, worked beautifully. Undoubtedly, it was not our usual full-blown bold-seasoned Lap Mei Fan; but I must say I really loved this lighter, elegant and thoughful take of a traditional dish of ours.:)Aromatic Beef Broth (left of the photo) - Next up, the soup dish - Beef Broth. Sitting within the clear golden soup were a lump of daikon (also known as white radish), wagyu wonton and tendon. What caught my attention immediately were waves of lovely and dense aroma of beef broth. :) The daikon, fried wonton (soggy by the time we ate it..) and tendon were alright but nothing special; the gem, the key, the crown was the beef broth. There was impressive depth to the beef broth (to put it in an abstract way, it was an old story book ); I enjoyed the after-taste of sweetness on my palate. We finished every drip of it. :):):)Squid (right of the photo) - Delightful presentation.:) A swipe of yellow paste which I found out to be "Bottarga Cream" - tasted of salty and cured fish roe. The squid was cooked in two ways - tempura and grilled. The tempura squid was lightly battered only and not oily; together with the grilled version, both retained their moisture well and displayed the freshest and most natural fragrant of squid. By the side was some smoked herring roe which we certainly enjoyed adding to our chewy mouthful. MC Soda (top of the photo) - A housemade palate cleanser - which was a chilled pineapple mixer with some huadiao wine foam. Fear not if you were not a wine lover, the perfume of the huadiao wine was not overpowering. It was a delicious shot.Carabinero Red Prawn (bottom of the photo) - Oh. My. God. My absolute favourite and highlight of the evening. Carabinero Red Prawn, a deep-sea prawn species, was cooked to perfection leaving it slightly raw and creamy. Everything just worked exceedingly well together. Instead of regular Chinese noodle, handmade pasta was used which was deliciously eggy and served super al dente. The star was the "har mi" oil which was a bomb; just a few droplets of the essence and a quick stir around together with the mushrooms ("lo mien" style), the whole dish was topped up with the most aromatic prawn fragrance. I loved the hint of spice as well which gave the dish the extra and amazing dimension. ABSOLUTELY LIP-SMACKING! :):)Pigeon (top of the photo) - Pigeon with both the breast and thigh parts were served. We were not disappointed; well-marinated and succulent pigeon with rosy pink meat and slightly crispy skin.:):) I loved fusion elements were brought in with the long strip of "choy sum" sauce (yes!). Just the right amount; the herbaceousness did not overpower the gamminess of the pigeon. What I found most interesting was the shiitake mushroom cake; while it looked and chewed like a turnip cake, it was packed with the most stunning mushroomy and earthy scent.  For a few seconds, I was hoping that we could have that for Chinese New Year as well.Purple Glutinous Rice with Coconut Milk (紫米露) (bottom of the photo) - As dessert, we were served a creative interpretation of Purple Glutinous Rice with Coconut Milk. The purple glutinous rice pudding itself was scrumptious and fragrant, but we only got to appreciate the fuller picture after adding all the other components from the dish (mango, mango sobert, coconut milk "mini bombs", pistachio, sago...).  It was a beautiful symphony, a well-balanced and refreshing dessert with zestiness and sweetness with many textures going on. You would love it as it was, but it certainly deserves more thumbs-up when you take into account of its rather lovely intepretation of the Purple Glutinous Rice with Coconut Milk. Well done! :):):)I really enjoyed my meal here at MIC Kitchen, even more than Bo Innovation I would say. The Chef successfully gave simple dishes creative twists, without over-complicating it (I confess I found some dishes at Bo Innovation "too complex" and that they tried too hard..). The quality of the food was very promising (and with a lower price tag too) with commendable creativity! Loved it.=As we finished our wine, I checked my blackberry once again and dozens more emails were delivered to my inbox. I knew it would probably be a weekend with work for me. Putting that thought aside, we strolled extra-slow back to the MTR station..…Read More

"Hanging out" in Mongkok was the symbol of my youthful days. Since I joined the labour force, the furthest that I normally opt to venture is TST. It was a rare night when I wandered back in time, back down the memory lane and to Mongkok. :)Spade By Lassana - two branches. One in Mongkok and one in Yau Tong. And another cafe operated under the Lassana group - Express Bar By Lassana in Kwun Tong. Spade By Lassana offers a nice range of food, savoury and sweets (but specialising more towards the sweets side).Mixed Berries Smoothies - While the coffee selection looks exceedingly promising; I don't believe in caffine at night, so we resorted to smoothies. This mixed berries smoothies looked super inviting with the small heap of deep burgundy slushes. It was an elegant balance of fruitiness and refreshing acidity. Mouth-watering explosive amount of berries. When I munched (yes you would have to munch) through the smoothies, I could feel chewy pips and bits. Loved it!  Excellent summer drink!  :) :) Triple Chocolate Smoothies (note: photo taken after a few sips, sorry )- I really looked forward to the Triple Chocolate Smoothies and I got even more excited after I was told that this was a product of (i) chocolate milk, (ii) chocolate sauce and (iii) chocolate chips (oh and seeing the cream on top)! I guess I was expecting something really rich, really chocolatey, really romatic. I had a sip, but...  :(  i was disappointed. It was quite watery; definitely not triple chocolate standard. Not much more to say about this. Salmon with Squid Ink Bread. Often the unexpected, the out-of-ordinary attracts the spotlight. This squid ink bread displaying deep black colour (not the most traditional colour you would expect for - bread) certainly stirred up my interest. I must give a big thumb-up for the bread (I understand that Lassana bakes and prepares its own bread each day centrally in their centre then distributes to their various branches). Lovely texture - slightly crisp on the outside; warm and fluffy in the middle. Gentle aroma of squid ink with hints of saltiness, but that did not overpower the yeastiness and flouriness that a good bread should display. The salmon sandwiched in between was fresh, the lettuce and cucumber crunchy; and diced tomato appetising. No sauce, no dressing. Simply good. Very good.:):):)Spade Deluxe. Spade's signature dish. Gigantic honey toast topped with molten chocolate cake, generous scopes of home-made icecream (vanilla, sesame, strawberry and chocolate), cream and strawberries. It tasted as good as it looks! It wow-ed us when it came. It was super filling, could feed up to 4 people (no jokes!). Careful thoughts was definitely paid when preparing; the middle part of the cube was sliced into rectangular pieces (much easier to handle!). Honey was applied onto each piece and it was toasted to a beautiful light golden brown. Each mouthful was a seductive kiss of honey.  I thought that it would be a total carbs-overload; but surprisingly, I enjoyed it much more than I expected! :) The sweetness level was well-controlled and spot-on which went very well with the various different toppings.Black and White. "Stir-fried" ice-creams: many flavours, many variations - available at small, medium or large. It is basically home-made ice-cream (chocolate / vanilla / sesame / milk / passion fruit / green tea / mulberry) stirred with different ingredients. Loved the cute and fancy names - "Whispering", "Milk Girl", "Open Sesame" etc. I opted for "Black and White" - vanilla ice-cream stirred with the most alluring combination of rich chocolate sauce, cheese cake and sponge cake. The cheese cake and the sponge cake totally melted and merged with ice-cream. Everything became one. One harmonious piece. What stood out most was the home-made waffle - very fresh, toasty and crunchy. Would love to try the others flavours!Promising meal. Promising and, I trust, a budding chain-to-be. :)…Read More

Yardbird. Backed with Chef Matt Abergel and Zuma's fame. Ranked no. 46 of the Asia's 50 Best Restaurants 2013. Famous for its awesome atmosphere, drinks range and (of course) food; infamous for its no reservation policy (we showed up before 6pm on a Saturday and was shocked to see that there was already a queue outside.  The restaurant was completely filled by 6:05pm and people were standing around the bar area enjoying good drinks).  = It is the bar area with several extra tables as you enter the restaurant, and the main dining hub is located at the basement. Funky music blasting, table settings sleek and simple. Servers are international, very personal, extremely relaxed, exceedly friendly (... and - as bonus: charming and good-looking too HAHA!). The food here is simple but tantalizing. No over-complicated ingredients; their food is straight up, to the point and just good. Extensive range of yakitori - chicken only; you would be amazed by the creativity and basically have a chicken anatomy class. Name it: thighs, breast, wings, neck, heart, oyster (dark meat near the thigh), tail, skin and knee. Ah, but no chicken feet.  To start with, we had the Sweet Corn Tempura. Fried as a tempura, but not oily at all. The many sweet and crispy kernels were clustered into a cute battered ball. It totally exceeded our expectations as each exploded in our mouths shooting out delightful and fruity sweet-corn juice. Salt and pepper were sprinkled over it for a light savoury touch. Loved it to bits!Next up - our first yakitori - the wings. It is not too difficult to make nice wings; but it is tricky to make really good ones. This was cooked to perfection - grilled with moisture retained in the wings and crispy skin, smoky with a hint of sea salt and topped with shichimi which really brought out the simple chicken flavours. (The server brought us a small bottle of shichimi seperately - just in case we wanted an extra sprinkle. I did!)Now this is the knee. Basically it is like the soft-bone of chicken, except that we both agreed that this was better than the usuals. Spot on and rather addictive balance of crunchiness and chewiness. Apparently marinated in sake (couldn't really taste that), but it did display nice aroma of garlic. We enjoy muching through this - yummy!I ooh-ed in excitement as we were served the meatball. Each skewer came with a bowl of thick tare sauce with a bright-orange egg yolk. Mix it yourself, then submerge your skewer in the pool of sweet soy sauce. The sauce was alluring thick and syrupy; it stained all over the meatball effectively. The meatball was very flavourful itself and tender; I loved its juciness.:):):) Absolutely delicious!Now - this was the the fabulous and flaming KFC (in full: Korean Fried Cauliflower). What worked was not just the lovely spice which lingered over my lips and tongue like a passionate hot kiss.  It was hot, spicy, sweet, tangy. Sesame showered all over, the crispy ball was infused with this addictive yuzu chilli sauce and coated over the crunchy cauliflower - the texture was purely awesome. Add a gentle squeeze of lime, for the extra citrusy kick. I could not stop licking my lips; memorable!!  (You could request to have KFC with chicken. Our server recommended us to stick with this original cauliflower version though. No regrets.)We then ordered more skewers - now this is oyster. Not oyster the shellfish, but "oyster" - round piece of dark meat near the thigh of the bird. Despite simple seasoning with sea salt and lemon, the artful grilling gave tinted skins with succulent flesh. It tasted amazing with the skin attached. There are some specials that Yardbird offers every evening (look out for the board hanging around) - we ordered the thigh of the day (different from the "thigh" on the regular menu which would have been marinated with welsh onion and tare). Each piece was very tender and displayed gentle aroma of ume (japanese plum). This skewer was topped with shiso which added a delicate hint of bitterness and mint.:) By then, we were stuffed; though we still had the rice cakes!! It was a rather gigantic portion (for just the 2 of us) (I wonder whether they do "half" portions for this). Each rice cake was slightly glazed and toasty on outside with a soft, chewy heart. It is an addictive combination. :)Stuck over each rice cake were sesame flakes and furikake powder bringing in nuts and seaweed fragrant.=By then, I saw the true magic of this place. I did not feel like eating in Hong Kong. It could be New York, it could be London.. It was the whole combo - the drinks, the food, the people, the attitude - the overall buzz and vibes.The buzz and vibes did the magic!:):)…Read More

I enjoy eating. Sometimes, I eat too much and feel over-satisfied (...I feel bad...:().It was 5 years ago, back at my uni days, when I first met T during a summer internship . Throughout the years; we wined and we dined, in Hong Kong, Shanghai and London. Recently, we cut down on booze during our meet-ups. That night, we decided to go really "healthy". Yes, here at Life Cafe. :) = An oldie (established back in 2004) and a well-known goodie (modern vegetarian restaurant serving excellent contemporary vegetarian and vegan dishes). Life Cafe is by the great escalators in the trendy Soho area. Apparently there are 3 levels, but I only noticed 2. The entrance brought me to their casual cafe/deli where you can purchase sandwiches, salad, dressing etc. The main dinning area is on the upper floor; earth-toned and wood-themed. T and I were there for dinner on a Wednesday; in midst of the dim and romantic lighting, it was still not difficult to notice that the restaurant was packed. Life Cafe offers quite an extensive menu (FYI - their full menu is online); and it helpfully specifies whether each dish is "vegan" and/or "gluten free". Organic Hummus Dip with CrackersYou have the choice of having the hummus dip with either warm whole wheat pita bread or organic flaxseed crackers; we chose the later. The scoop of hummus dip was absolutely finger-licking delicious. Chickpeas and sesame paste as the main ingredients; the creamy dip displayed aroma of lemon, roasted garlic and also light notes of paprika and pepper. The flaxseed crackers were thick enough to be crunchy (rather than just crispy); the nutty fragrant went very well with the smokiness of the hummus dip. P.S. I will refrain from listing out the health benefits of flaxseeds here - you could read a health magazine / research paper instead.Sesame Tofu SkewersIt was not T's first time here and she recommended ordering the tofu skewers; and - I loved it! The tofu was nice and firm, very well-marinated. While the tofu cubes were already packed with flavours themselves, the sauce really peaked the experience - it was a delightfully bold spinash and cashew sauce with spicy thai spices. It reminded me of creamy peanut butter but more savoury and with spices. Absolutely addictive. Underneath the skewers was a small pile of delectable red cabbage and ginger coleslaw; we finished every last bit of those as well. Yummy!:) Life SaladJust by looking at this, trust me, you will get super hyped. It was a whole gigantic mountain of salad; very substantial and generous amount of mixed greens, fresh grated carrot and beetroot. What made it extraordinary was the mung beans, chickpea hummus, different mixed nuts and seeds, and (yay more for me!) flaxseed crackers! I adored the mixed nuts and seeds which gave the salad even more crunchy textures (it was fun chewing my way through this). The hummus acted as some extra salad "dressing" on top of the refreshing herb dressing; the salad was full of flavours and actions. I was amazed how simple and fresh things could taste so nice, and just tasted amazingly "healthy" (yes, now "healthy" can also be a descriptive word for food! HA!). It would be a very difficult decision for me to order a different salad when I next visit this restaurant. African Sweet Potato StewA range of international cuisine was served in this restaurant. Now here is one; "African Stew" (?!?), the name caught our eyes. It was an interesting mix of fresh goodies with herbs - smoked tofu, sweet potato, red cabbage and brocolli stewed to form a sweetish (and incredibly healthy) stew. The quinoa fully absorbed the tomato puree and the sweet potato broth. I loved how they added roasted peanuts to bring a bit more of a savoury note to the dish. :) = Life Cafe totally exceeded my expectations. It was a very delicious and filling meal which made me full, super satisfied but (and most importantly) I felt really good.It was a lovely night as T and I shared our life experiences and values at the Life Cafe..I will definitely revisit.Eat, to feel good. =)…Read More

As I sat down, I was told by Dr. N that the last time we visited this premise (back then it was still Mesa 15)(and Princess A was also present) was, according to instagram, 39 weeks ago.  A lot have since then changed in my life (Princess A now engaged!); and much has changed in this same premise as well.  = Numero 15, the young and hip sister branch of Mesa 15, now occupies Mesa 15's old premise on number 15 of Hollywood road (while Mesa 15 has moved to the heart of LKF). Quite a distinct change of style - louder music, brighter lighting and a more youthful decor with large, colourful comic-style posters stretching across the wall.A simple one page menu presenting to us an alluring range of tapas; signature dishes in shocking red, other delights in black. Compared with the old Mesa 15 menu, we could sense significantly more of an asian influence on the tapas. We were very pleased to find that prices were (excitingly ) lower and more accessible than Mesa 15.   Salmon Trio We enjoyed the Salmon Trio as our starter. The honey mustard sauce spiked with lemon juice kept the cubed salmon fillet tartar very moist. The citrus and zesty note was refreshing yet delicate and brought out fully the fresh and natural salmon flavour. Just one piece of crispy salmon skin cracker (two please?); very crispy, but light on taste. Topped with beautiful orange salmon roes which popped and injected rich oceanic aroma to the dish. Enjoyable start. :) :) Slow-cooked Egg, Chorizo, Mushrooms, Smoked Potato FoamI have had many variations of slow-cooked egg with potato foam before; the most recent experience being at The Principal (now that take was unbeatable ). Priced at less than half of The Principal's signature dish, but thankfully not only half as tasty. The gorgeous slow-cooked egg sat in the middle of smooth and velvety smoked potato foam. The yolk was perfect-runny and was able to give me the awe effect as I spooned it with satisfaction. The egg, as expected, paired very well with the buttery and fragrant potato foam. Generous amount of spicy chorizo and herbaceous mushrooms on the top, which added more flavours and angles to the dish. Such scumptious comfort food! Ox Tongue SkewerThick ox tongue cubes, in threes, skewered together along a silver stick. The ox tongue was slightly marbled and nicely grilled - chewy (what make ox tongues GOOD! :) ), meaty and just purely satisfying as I washed it down with my glass of red. Served with spicy mojo dip (Note: mojo dips are originated in the Canary Islands and vary in spiciness). This particular one was not very spicy at all, but displayed lovely balance of garlic, paprika and citrus. Very addictive, I dressed my ox tongue with every last bit of the mojo dip on the plate. Iberico Pork Belly BunIn my opinion, this dish was just shouting out "fusion fusion fusion". Just look at the bun, that white familiar-looking bun - yes, Chinese steamed buns (Mantou!! ). The bun was rightly warm and fluffy, sandwiched between was the most tender slow-cooked pork belly. Oh I loved the kimchi mayo :) ; creamy with a gentle kick of korean spice - a generous amount was applied to both sides of the bun.. drenching the pork belly. A few slices of pickled cucumber were added bringing in hints of vinegary sourness which cut through the fat and lifted you from the savouriness. Nice! :) Note: Mind it, do avoid this dish if you are not okay with a bit of fat (come on it's the belly of a pig!..)... not fun trying to dissect the fat away.. and, to be honest, the beauty of the dish was the nice layers of fat. Crispy Boneless Suckling PigYes for "boneless", but not really for "crispy". The suckling pig here at Numero 15 was a "12-hour-confit" version. The succelent, falling-apart soft meat paired very well with the sauteed alluringly-sweet apple cubes. :) The syrupy sauce drizzled here and there along the plate were of a spot-on and balanced sweetness level. It was a pity that the skin was not crispy. :( Wagyu Beef Mini-BurgerI love burgers; but sometimes one whole big full-blown burger would be too much for me. Thanks to the invention of "mini burgers"! And this mini-burger at Numbero 15 was one great execution. Moisture was locked up in the wagyu patty within this bite-size burger. It was rich in flavours and crazily juicy. Mahon cheese is well-known for being buttery sharp; and that goodness was melted over the patty to bring in nice lemony and salty aroma. The mayo added was no ordinary mayo, but mustard mayo which successfully leveled up my taste experience. Love this!...Tapas can be deceiving. Small bites, and you end up with many small bites. We were very full by then, but still wanted to end with something sweet. Our pick was churros, but unfortunately, it was sold out already. (oh well, I will save my calories for another time ) It was a pleasant meal. I must admit Mesa 15 served better food (but also with steeper price tags). Nonetheless, I feel that Numero 15 has positioned itself well by distinguishing itself with its own identity (more accessible price, promising food, youthful and playful ambience). It is and will undeniably be attracting its very own fans.Time to revisit Mesa 15; and I hope with the same crew =)hmm.How would you position yourself in your life? :) …Read More

When I first heard of the restaurant "Tate", I instinctively thought of London (yes, because of "Tate Modern".. "Tate Britain"..) and my interest in "Tate" the restaurant formed ever so naturally (yes yes, London always has a special spot in my heart).=Tate is filled with elegant warm colours (white, cream and light grey), high ceilings, softly lit, it seats less than 30 diners per night. Food predominantly French with Japanese influences. Vicky Lau, ex-designer and ex Cépage chef, is the mastermind at the kitchen counter. Two sets to choose from. A six-course "sensualist" menu at HK$780 or a nine-course "gastronomy" menu at HK$1080. We were admittedly greedy and went for the nine-course one (with wine pairing; at HK$328). To start us off, on the left, warm bread (the fair white buns, the nice wheat & raisin bread; and the interesting, very crispy grissini with squid ink). On the right, Amuse Bouche - Beatroot with Goat Cheese topped with Foie Gras Mousse. The Foie Gras Mousse was flavourful itself; but to me, the Beatroot and the Goat Cheese undermined each other's flavour instead of complimented it (made it rather tasteless). The whole thing did not really awe me. Personally, I did not find this a very memorable start:( (but thankfully, what followed were truly delectable!:):))."The Beginning". Now, this (in total contrast) was a complete WOW. First, loved its presentation with the cute pot plant nesting in the middle of some "mud"; it was artsy and inviting (I see Vicky Lau's artistic background sipping through already). The combination of sweet corn puree and lime cream; smooth, creamy and sensual. Tate got the balance just right and the scumptious cream literally sent tingling sweet sensations up my glands (!!). Bacon bits and black pepper crumble were hid within the cream and brought along more complex texture and robust elements of flavour. Very appetising. A divine beginning. :):)Next up the dramatically presented and enticing - "Passion Marinated Scallop". White ceramic bowl filled with sea goodies sitting in the middle of a swirling cloud of white smoke generated by dry ice. Japanese, and not just Japanese influences, screaming through (lol). The main component is juicy hokkaido scallop dices, served together with sea urchin and caviar (hmm the natural sea-type-salty taste totally worked). This dish did not disappoint and undeniably brought to us very fresh scallops. The passion fruit soy vinaigrette was not overpowering at all; more of the soy vinegar element (instead of the passion fruit angle, which I might have preferred) shone through. Probably not a dish most testing of cooking techniques, but still we applaude this delightful quality dish. "Eel Foie Gras Terrine". Classic fine-dinning style presentation. The strip of eel was chewy and evenly smoked displaying delicate aroma of cigar box; the dense and elegantly creamy foie gras cubes blended in very well. The sake kasu cream and ginger gelee uplifted the dish adding subtle zesty and gingery notes with a hint of sweetness. I adored this combination and its explosive and complex flavours.:) The innovative cucumber apple maki was cute and refreshing (but I did not think it worked much on my palate). I was super excited when I saw "Liquid Casear Salad" on the menu, but the execution was not that impressive. Innovative idea - casear salad in soup form. Creamy and smooth lettuce soup in a deep soothing healthy green colour, with smoked trout slices and a quail egg sitting in the middle, mini bacon bits and crunchy sourdough crouton floating around. The soup was herbaceous, but it tasted slightly dull and on the bland side for me. Perhaps consider adding a bit more bacon bits and smoked trout for more smokey flavours? Even better, consider creating and putting cold salad cream foam / mayannoise-scented ice-cream as "dressing" to complete the dish with a kick?"Pan Sauteed Amadai". What stood out was the deep brown onion consomme, I could smell the fragrant aroma before tasting it. The amadai was fresh, and well-cooked in the warm and rich consomme - moist, soaked up all the oiniony flavours, with the daikon puree and deep fried enoki mushroom on top giving the fish a light peppery punch. A fine example of a good dish with not too many and over-complex flavours. :)I absolutely loved the "Sakura Ebi Tagliolini". Sakura ebi - quite clearly Japanese inspired. The pasta size was just right (not too big and this was good; big portions just do not work for tasting menus) and every single bite was fantastic (I was savouring every last bite.. did not want to finish it). Perfectly al dente (no jokes) tagliolini soaked in delicious and condensed lobster broth with sakura ebi lined up and kombu powder and dill sprinkled on top. Complex and heavy waves of aroma shone through reminding me of fresh seaweed and fabulous seafood. Cheese is not often added to pasta with seafood since it could wash over the natural fragrance; but the parmesan foam here absolutely aced it. Scrumptious!!Now the crowning glory - "Kagoshima Beef Tenderloin". We agreed that this was absolutely the best dish of the night. This was a truly perfect execution. The quality of the cut itself was awesome, the beef was very tender, juicy and melted in our mouths. I have had mouth-melting beef cuts before, but not often I had such perfect fat-balanced mouth-meltng beef. This cut I had on the night, melted in my mouth without making me feel all fat, oily, greasy, gross (the list goes on..). Very spot-on level of doneness as well, see the gorgous pink meat? The gorgeously flavourful beef was worked well with the exquisitely velvety and buttery miso potato puree, some nicely seasoned crunchy asparagus and grilled morel mushrooms by the side as well. The truffle jus dressing was just the perfect finishing touch. Absolutely amazing! I would revisit again just for this. :)"Soleil" - French for the sun. It was a refreshing dessert with mixed exotic fruit flavours. Cute presentation with the snow-white bomb resting on top of the orange mango soup. We were told it was "alphonso mango", seasonal mangoes are considered as one of the best in terms of sweetness, richness and flavour. And indeed, the soup was extremely fruity and aromatic. When I hammered into the bomb, I saw many different elements - sobert, partfait and mousse. As I tasted it, it felt like a harmounous piece :)- pleasantly full of exotic fruits (mangoes, bananas and coconuts), yohurt with a hint of zestiness (limes and grapefruits).We ended with the "Tate's dessert cart", which was basically petit four presented on a cute little cart (it had real wheels!). As usual, I took a tiny small bite off each piece to decide which (if any) worthed any further calorie intake. Unfortunately none did, the petit four were not memorable at all (but the cart itself was). Nevertheless, we were so filled and full by then; we did not really dwell on this.=All in all, Tate ticked every box for a relaxing fine dining experience. I am glad that my instinct (an interest stemmed from my illogical "association" of Tate the restaurant with London) worked out right, very right actually. I guess, the lesson learnt is - sometimes, you just have to trust your instinct and what feels right in your heart.…Read More

I enjoy looking out from the plane, looking upon all the tiny brick-like houses and bright dots (aka cars) glidding around. I like it, because I like to be detached now and then, take a step back and feel/acknowledge how the world and lives around go on regardless. In Hong Kong, very often we are engulfed by things around us; the mass of people, the hustle and bustle, there seems to be no escape."Secrettaste", located right at the heart of causeway bay, was a pleasant little secret place to escape for a quiet, pleasant and promising, value-for-money dinner.:)Slightly difficult to locate (as per the name), for there is no sign both at the entrace of the building and front door (as of the night when I visited). Look out for "Joy and Peace" (the shoe shop), the staircase is right beside it. We ventured up one of those typical steep, slightly ran-down staircases in an old Chinese building ("唐樓"), but as we entered the silver gate and white door, we entered into a "secret place", a secluded spot; suddenly we were shut out from the hustle and bustle of causeway bay.Simple decor with royal-purple wall linings and thick curtains, deep burgundy table linens and a candle on each table. Light-hearted music gently played at the background. The private glass room caught my eyes; I believe it could occupy around 10 people.="Secrettaste" serves a set menu with 6 courses (!!!) for a very reasonable price of HK$350.First course: Pan-fried watermelon and seafood mousse roll. An innovative dish. On the right was a thick juicy piece of watermelon topped with aromatic fried garlic and nuts, and bottomed with a thin lightly-roasted piece of pastry. A very interesting idea and thoughts were clearly put into this with the pastry-base balancing the distinctly-flavoured fried garlic and bringing all the elements together. While the fried garlic powder was pronounced, the natural sweet juiciness of the watermelon was not overpowered. For me, it was a refreshing and stimulating few bites. Some fresh greens in between. And to the left, it was the seafood mousse roll. The golden roll was generously stuffed and filled with the seafood-mousse-goodness and formed a cute fat roll. It displayed dense waves of seafood aroma (oh I could taste crab..) backed with buttery cheese flavours and with hints of uni seeping through. Tasty! It would be perfect if it is even crispier.Second course: Parma Ham & Black Truffle salad. Delivered at a pleasing standard (trust me, I had the same salad elsewhere and it could actually go very wrong... and the set menu was even pricier). The salad was very fresh; a colourful and crunchy mix of greens, diced tomato, red cabbage with balsamic vinegar and black truffle (wouldn't mind a bit more) dizzled on. The parma ham was each elegantly curled, lined up and served with a spot-on perfect temperate (frozen / over-cold parma ham, no.. merci..). The smoky and intense flavour was well reflected by the gorgeous silky pink each slice displayed; I was pleased to find a good fat balance as well.Third course: Cream of Mushroom soup. Nice warm croissants came together (warm bread, essential!!). The soup was very inviting (beautiful foam in the middle..nice!:)); coupled with the gentle scent of baked croissants, my senses were completely awaken. Just by giving the soup a quick stir, I knew that I was about to be treated well - dense, creamy, full-body and full of delicious ingredients (overwhelmingly generous amount of diced mushrooms and onions). The soul of the soup was the white creamy foam nesting the black truffle - the cream foam brought an extra dimension of butter and creaminess to the soup and the black truffle gave the soup a memorable and pronounced kick. It was one hearty bowl of soup. LOVE.Fourth course: There were a nice 3 choices to pick from for the main course:- (a) Roasted Chicken Asparagus Roll with Goose Liver; (b) Grilled Salmon, Mozzarella & tomato; and (c) U.S. Angus Rib Eye Steak. I went for the Roasted Chicken Roll. The sweet aroma of freshly baked chicken and honey came with the dish. Well presented, with goose liver paste and asparagus packed tightly in the middle of the roll; it was served with roasted vegetable and potato coated with herbs. The chicken was nicely roasted retaining its moisture; I adored the honey glazed chicken skin which was grilled to a crispy touch. The contrasting mouthfeel of the creamy goose liver paste and fresh crunchy asparagus went very well together and livened up the tender chicken roll. The thick syrupy and gingery sauce brought intense honey and marmalade flavours to the savory roll. A delectable main.Fifth course: Creamy Egg and Bacon Fettuccine with Sesame Sauce. When I saw this on the menu, I envisaged Spagehtti carbonara; but I was wrong. The rich sesame scent really spoke through and brought a lovely twist of Japanese fusion to the pasta dish. The balance of creaminess was just right (it was not too heavy even after 4 courses), backed with hints of freshly chopped onion and earthy bacon! Nice touches with the rocket, the bitter-sweetness went well with the flavourful sesame edge of the pasta. Sizeable scallop on the top as well! (...The pasta looked more of spagehtti than fettuccine to me by the way...) :):)Sixth course: 2 dessert choices to choose from:- (a) Chocolate Mousse and (b) Creme Brulee; my pick was Creme Brulee. Again, thoughts were put into the presentation (this I must applaud:)) - brought to us was not just a regular boring pot of Creme Brulee; butmore, with berries and vanilla ice-cream. Not the most traditional take of the Creme Brulee, but the custard base was certainly rich, "eggy" and smooth - nicely done. Brittle caramel glaze on top, could be crispier and better so if it covered the entire face of the custard for a more dramatic effect. Fresh and fruity berries with icing powder sugared all over and milk chocolate sauce drizzled over the vanilla ice-cream. Loved the extra sweet touches.=From time to time, I dream of the grand opening of my very own cafe or restaurant. I guess this is a major reason backing my curiosity and cravings to try out new establishments around Hong Kong. Thanks a lot to the owner of Secrettaste for inviting me to taste at his new restaurant; it was a very pleasant experience, keep it up Secrettaste!Maybe one day, I will invite you in return. *wink wink* …Read More

The power of social media, or to be more specific, the power of instagram (for this particular case). I was most intrigued and pledged a visit to Cafe Deadend after admiring photos of the its famous Apple Tart (photos which, yes, literally made my mouth watered).Located, as its name suggests, at the dead end of Po Hing Fong. It was a typical day of May in Hong Kong; steaming summer heat with the spring humidity still lurking around. I resorted to my best friend - Taxi. Swiftly I was taken to the quiet and peaceful neighbourhood. First thing you would notice is the wafting aroma of freshly baked bread from Po's Atelier (its sister bakery). Second thing you would see is the white concrete wall, the dead end... It was a Sunday morning, around 10:45am, and the cafe was already filled with people. The server greeted us, and as we waited, I sneaked into Po's Atelier which hosted a hypnotising variety of artisan breads. After short 15 minutes or so, we took seats at the bar table. :):)I was studying the menu (nicely and cutely printed on a long, thin sheet of paper(it is slightly sticky though..)) and the coffee "Dirty" caught my eyes. Upon enquiring, I came to know that "Dirty" is cold milk stained with hot espresso. My skinny, single-shot espresso version was served and I was told not to stir or mix and just enjoy.:) Beautiful layerings for sight. Their choice of coffee beans is slightly towards the sour and herbal side; not my top pick of coffee style. Nonetheless, the cold, creamy and soothing milk coupled with the hot, aromatic and prononuced espresso, unmixed and undisturbed, was certainly a stimulating sip.:) Definitely a good option if you want to try something different on a steamy day.First up, Poached Egg and Prosciutto (only available till 12:30pm). Basically it is egg benedict with prosciutto and rocket. Promising quality proscuitto and fresh rockets. Excellently done poached egg; just look at the runny centre! The elegant and smokey proscuitto was nicely balanced with the hint of sweet-bitterness from the rockets; the rich and velvety yolk brought everything together to a creamy mouthful. Though, blame it on the hollandaise sauce which was relatively bland... :( (you could sense so from the pale colour and watery texture of the sauce...); not a memorable egg benedict (I am sorry, but the one I made was probably more delicious). The red peppery spice sprinkled on top did not give the needed kick either. Overall, it was just okay for me.Now, this was the reason I went - Spiced Apple Tart; and I am pleased to report that it was truly impeccable and heavenly. When we made our order, the server told us that the Apple Tarts are only available, freshly baked, from around 11:30am (perfect timing for us:)). It was a gorgeous pastry itself; you could see the thin slices of apples stacked up on the golden glazed, caramalised base topped with white cinnamon sugar.:) Freshly baked, served pipping hot!! Each slice of apple was soaked inside-out with delicious caramel and fragrant cinnamon; but the natural fruitiness of the apple still surprisingly shone through. The side of the pastry was light, crispy and reminded me of warm roasted butter. The base was the star; moist and chewy infused with nutty caramel. Salted caramel sauce drizzled on the plate sharpened the flavours and cold creamy vanilla cream by the side was refreshing. It was a hearty and harmonious piece. Divine, truly scrumptious! I will come back again and again and again just for this (even if I have to "hike"). :):):)To end, Bostock, a luscious delicacy. The eggy brioche bread was thickly sliced, almond-syrup soaked, frangipane topped and baked to a crispy-edged breakfast glory.Topped with thick golden-brown caramel sauce and lightly roasted almond slices; it was served very warm and delightful. I loved the edges, all 4 sides, all toasty and complimented the buttery and rich bostock very well. The caramel sauce gave a sharp and robust syrupy and tangy edge, and the almonds added a further nutty dimension and a hint of crunchiness to this sweet treat. Very, very satisfying. =If life brings you to a deadend, perhaps consider paying a visit to Cafe Deadend, be pampered and "energised"!? :)I inhaled; I turned my back against the white concrete wall... against the dead end; and I was able to walk forward with joy.…Read More