Carbee's Profile

I came across this cafe in a magazine recommending it for it's traditional full english breakfast. I got quite excited because it is difficult to find any traditional UK pork sausages in HK and I am from the UK, so I do get a craving for UK sausages every so often.. The cafe is run by a Scottish man in the old part of Tai Po Market where it can be difficult to find a parking space, but there is a local parking lot near the end of Bo Heung St after abit of searching on the day. The cafe feels like a family run business and the pace is very slow, almost feeling like a UK pace cafe. I had to wait 30 minutes for my full english breakfast and I was beginning to wonder if they were defrosting the sausages because all the food is fan-fried.The price for a full english breakfast is around HK$70. For the price, you get 1 sausage, half a tomato, baked beans, 2 fried eggs, 2 rashers of bacon, mushrooms and 2 pieces of toast. An extra sausage is another HK$18. Conclusion. The sausage is good. The mushrooms were tinned and awful. They should use fresh mushrooms. The baked beans, they totally forgot about them for me but my family had them and they were normal. The tomato was not ripe and not a full one. The fried eggs were normal but yolk was not big enough for toast dipping. The bacon was normal but they were not the crispy style. The toast was soggy and should be served standing. The coffee was normal with milk served rather than cream traditional UK style - good. Conclusion: Sausages were great but every thing else not really and abit pricey for what you get. (I can get the same with non english sausages for HK$35 in many other places)They also had scotch pie there. It is basically the UK shepard's pie but it did not have diced onions nor tomato in it. The meat filling was also too dry though each was made on the spot to order. They also have fish and chips but I noticed it was not bear-batter fried fish. The chips were home-made and looked good.The also have apple pie but it is not apple crumble with devon cream. They should also consider having scotch eggs, steak and kidney pies, real fish and chips, cornish pasties.Environment was homely. Service. One of the waitress looked like the spouse of the owner and was amicable. There was also a young girl serving. She should be fired. She was serving as if the whole world was against her and made customers feel unwelcomed (maybe she was the owner's daughter though). Overall, the speed of service was also too slow.This place still needs improvement in many areas before I can give it the thumbs up but sausages is real UK pork sausages. If you have never tried them, this is the place to experience it. …Read More

I have been to this restaurant 3 times for their evening buffet. I normally go early with my family around 6ish as it gets busy around 7pm and you may need to wait a while for a table if you after after 7pm.The choices available from this restaurant for the buffet is relatively good. There are many different things to try, some cheap and some expensive if they were ala carte dishes. So, you can definately get your money's worth. However, you need to decide on your order early because sometimes, the order can take along time to turnaround. In fact, the ordering seemed to be mixed up sometimes and your second / third order would even come before your first order. Some management improvement is required to the ordering system and food preparation queueing system.In terms of the quality of the food, it is ok. Not great and also not bad. For the price and the choices available, it is reasonable. The handroll here are made to order which is a nice surprise. The fatty tuna roll was a nice dish that my wife liked very much. I am not sure if the sushi are also made to order as I can't remember the experience. The soup noodles / udon are average. Nothing special but it is acceptable. The tempura is also ok. The sashimi is also ok. Proportion is appropriately sized and I tend to focus on the sashimi.There are better japanese restaurants in Sheung Shui but this is worth going if you are looking for a buffet style restaurant with a fixed price, lots of choices and ok food. Much better than Kushi. …Read More

This is the first time I tried this restaurant late Friday evening. The meal was HK$200 per person + 10% service charge. I would never go to this restaurant again.This is one of a few Japanes restaurant in Sheung Shui offering buffet with sashimi, sushi, teppanyaki, tempura & robata choices. However, the choices within each style were limited, particularly for sushi and sashimi.The sushi were machine made and the rice was rock hard. It was like eating a sushi left overnight.The sashimi was not fresh. The salmon was ok but the octopus was not fresh and for other fishes, the slices were too thin. It was so thin, it was in broken pieces. Cheap prawns were used for the tempura prawns. There was no prawn taste and the texture of the prawns were very dry. The tempura sauce was also not prperly made. There was no minced white turnip in it.The robata fillet beef was no made with good quality grade beef. The beef was too chewy and had no beef taste. The robata chicken wings had no sea salt and the skin was chewy, it wasnt crispy.The teppanyak pork shop was over-spiced and too salty.The restaurant staff had no concept of service. 2 kitchen staf walking pass me ignored me even though they looked at me when I asked for their service. They had no concept of manners and to tell me they will call a waiter to serve me. I would recommend readers to go to other japanese restaurants in Sheung Shui. You would be better off going ala carte to the japanese restaurant next door.…Read More

I have now been to this restaurant twice after seeing fairly positive reviews of this restaurant in openrice.This is a small family run restaurant that can house about 20 people. It was full around dinner time during the weekday and weekend that i visited. This restaurant stands out from other restaurants in the N.T. because there are alot of authentic choices in the menu that you would not normally find in a HK-style japanese restaurant where the sushi and sashimi are all usually ready-made out of a box delivered from a Japanese food merchant. For example, you can order 神戶牛肉, grilled puffer fish, real doa ting udon, etc.The sashimi in this restaurant is very good.The salmon is more fatty and sweeter than normal. I enjoyed it very much.The noodle and udon is also good. The soup base is not too rich nor too bland. More importantly, the noodle is still bouncy rather than being soft and soggy. The tao ting udon is very smooth and not the usual elastic bands from ready-made packets served by many restaurants. The sea-salt grilled chicken wings I tried was also very nice with a strong sea-salt taste.I didnt try much on sushi and handrolls, so I cant comment on this area.Overall, the price is this restaurant is probably 50%-100% higher than other Japanese choices in the area. The cost goes into the quality of the ingredients. This is a good place for sashumi with its own sashumi bar and noodles / udon. …Read More

Compared to nearby dim sum places in Sheung Shui, Chao Hak is probably classified as a relatively expensive place for dim sum in the eyes of the locals. My family usually come to this place for Dim Sum on saturdays. The service is normal and not outstanding. The environment is also normal and not outstanding. IN fact, the restaurant is quite small for a "Char Lau"There is a decent selection of dim sum to choose from and the key thing that this restaurant gets right is the dim sum is served hot straight out of the steamer.Dishes I like.綿花雞 - 綿花 tasty 腸粉 - very smooth碗仔翅 - wife likes it …Read More

I went to this restaurant for a wedding anniversary dinner. It is a traditional french styled restaurant requiring formal dress code but it also quite a cosy place to dine and tables are well spaced and the environment is not crowdy or noisy like most restaurants in HK. So, it is a great place for romantic couples. There was a live jazz band the whole time I was there and all tables are basically set out to be candle lit dinner.The service is top class. Waiters are attentive, explain the dishes, give you personal space and try to be pre-emptive to your calls. The environment was relaxing with the space and the band but some may feel it is abit formal with the classy atmosphere.For the food, the ingredient quality is best in class and very well prepared. However, I found the menu had limited choices. Most things were either seafood or goose liver. That was the only down side. The other down side is the price. Expect 1000 per person without wine.…Read More

I went to this restaurant with family including a baby at 6pm on Saturday. The restaurant was already packed and we had to wait a few tables. We got a table in about 10 minutes. However, this is obviously a busy restaurant as we were asked to finish in 90 minutes.The restaurant is reasonably spacious for hk standards and it was very fast at serving the food. The food was very tasty, possibly abit too salty and strong on favours for some people. I enjoyed the meal. The standard was very good and above my expectation. It compares well with Jade Xiao Long Bai restaurant.Ordered 6 dishes and the meal cost $340.Would go again.…Read More

Gave this restaurant a special visit after the tv coverage by Ah So! Upon arriving, noticed that the restaurant is consulted by some Michelin chef and it was a french cuisine. Sat down and looked at the menu, thought the set menu price was quite cheap for French cuisine and was worried the food was going to be sub standard to cater for the price range.The food turned out to be enjoyable. The japanese sushi & tempura starter was normal, nothing exiciting but nothing bad.The soup was average. Texture was fine but taste could be abit richer.The quails with mash potato was a nice petite dish. The steak was great. It was actually a fresh piece of rib eye that has the taste and texture of a steak. Unfortunately, it was a little overcooked.The apple crumble and icecream was great. The apple crumble was a proper crumble rather than ready-made puddings. Well done. Overall, a easy place for dinner...easy on the wallet and enjoyable place to be.Overall, meal was enjoyable and good value. …Read More

It's has been a while since I visited La Fontaine. Coming back for a 3rd time, I was very disappointed. Basically, the restaurant has gone down market to survive. Prices has come down a little and the quality of the food has come down alot.The waiters are all very young and inexperienced. I had to ask for a glass of water 4 times because the waitress kept forgetting. I had to ask for pepper 3 times before I got it as well.The food has become like Cafe de Coral. I agree the steak was more like a sponge than a piece of meat...not taste & texture at all. I would n't come back again now that it has become a cheap restaurant rather than a proper western restaurant. …Read More

I went to try La Fontaine on Sunday after having seen a few reviews in Openrice. In summary, this is a good choice for a nice western dinner in Fanling. The ambient in the restaurant is fairly good, especially for a restaurant in Fanling. It kind of reminds me of those restaurant near Sai Wan Ho but at half the price. I went with my 6 month old baby in a pushchair & found the place quite spacious which was is a rarity in HK.It is approximately HK$100 to HK$150 per person excluding wine. For 90% of people in Fanling, this is probably too expensive but fo what you get, it is very reasonable per my comparison with the Sai Wan Ho western restaurants above which I found very similar.In terms of the food, it's not 5 star hotel but for Fanling, it's pretty good. Like most restaurants run by Chinese cook, they kind of customise the dishes HK style with oriential ingredients but the taste is fine. Personally, I prefer La Fontaine to Deluxe Restaurant in Lun Wor Hue and it is a good choice if you want a dinner near Fanling.…Read More

I went to this restaurant by invite with my extended family of about 20 people & got to try out a few dishes.This restaurant is located in the countryside, so a car is needed. Otherwise, trying to catch the public transportation or a taxi will test your patience. Upon arriving at the restaurant, you're immediately given a holiday feel with the outdoor grill & thai dukduk. It's a small but cosy place & you can sit outside or remain indoors.The restaurant is probably family-run, so service is friendly but abit haphazard when things get abit busy. The dishes & smoothie drinks are quite good. Must try would be the roast piglet (pre-order), the sea-salt baked fish & the curry crab. verall, the dishes were very tasty but they are probably very heavy on the seasoning as I was drinking water the whole nite after the meal.A good place for a party if you live reasonably closeby & have a car. …Read More

I once had a very enjoyable dinner at BB Bistro with my spouse a few years back. The food was good back then, so I decided to re-experience it again with visiting relatives. Unfortunately, the dinner was very disappointing this time around. We had a meal for four and it was HK$1,400. The price would have been reasonable if the food was enjoyable but.... We ordered mussels which were going off & tasted like it was just rinsed from the sewers. We also ordered pan fried goose liver but it was super undercooked & wasted. The steak we ordered were wrongly cooked...medium to well cooked ended up being medium rare...what's more...what the waiter recommended as sirloin steak was actually fillet steak?!!? My spouse also commented that her spagetti was the saltiest spagetti in her life.We were so dissappointed with the dinner, we did not order any coffee or dessert & left as soon as we were finished. The waiters knew we weren't pleased & they just avoided us rather than try to address the issue. Then I realised they must have changed the chef who was a very yound lad walking in & out. The whole experience was unacceptable since there were only 2 table of customers at the time. I would not recommend this restaurant...there are many other better choices for HK$400 per person.…Read More

This vietnamese restaurant was once a tiny 200ft busy food joint that was constantly packed with customers trying their Garlic Butter Chicken Wings. It later expanded into 2 restaurants across the road & has now again moved into a massive 5000ft joint in a commercial building.Over the course of time, this once decent food joint has dissappointly become very much like a food factory trying to move customers through the tables as quickly as possible. In the evenings, this place is still packed & sometimes you may need to wait 30-60 minutes during the golden hours.The environment of the new location is definately more spacious & feels like any nice vietnamese restaurant. Customers no longer need to squeeze together on benches. In the new place, the service feels more rushed & sometimes neglected as waiters seem to struggle to cover the space with so many customers asking for attention. The signature dishes to try are:1. Garlic butter chicken wings. This was what made this restuarant special with an army of fans...however, it has become very oily lately though "the buttery to the bone" taste is still intact. ("I hope the kitchen changes their oil more often & keep the oil hot enough so the wings will be back to old standards!") 2. Diced beef fillet with red rice. Still nicely done!Lastly, I also noticed I became increadibly thirstly after the meal...if mgt is monitoring - easy on the msg please & rethink the differences on managing a big kitchen compared to a small kitchen!!!!Overall...taste has fallen from 4.5 to 3. What a shame!…Read More

I have never had dinner at \"Lin Hong Lau\" but I have been there for \"dim sum\" on a few occasions. It is always bustling for dim sum. For the young & those looking to experience something from the past, \"Lin Hong Lau\" would be a unique dim sum experience for you. It is essentially one of the few teahouses in HK that still continues to operate as it did in the 1950s, whether decor environment, service manner or food dishes.For the health conscious & conservatives, this means you need to more open-minded before visiting as most of the good dishes to try are the dishes that many teahouses no longer prepare for commercial reasons (\"the ingredient would probably scare the customer away!\"). The dish that I enjoyed were:\"大包\" - Big buns\"豬肚燒賣\" - Siu My\"粉卷\" - Pastry RollsIt is also suggested to go in a group as one basically needs to jump at the trolleys to grab the food and hound on a table for a seat...just like in the old days!!Not many of these left nowadays...definately worth visiting once in a while. …Read More

I have been to Via Quadronno for dinner on several occasions & consistently enjoyed their food & friendly service. Their signature dish - Spagetti with lobster sauce prepared traditional style is absolutely fabulous (spagetti is abit harder). Their seafood rice dish is also cooked traditional italian style & worth a try. The signature tiramisu is prepared uniquely with the biscuit, coffee & cake separated. However, the taste for me was so & so. The chocolate cake was better.The environment of the restaurant is only average (bright & clean) but the service is great & attentive.Overall, the experience is a little expensive but it is an enjoyable place for family / friend gathering. However, I wouldn't choose it for romantic dinners. Worth trying the spagetti with lobster sauce at least once. …Read More