guaguamole's Profile

This is not the typicalJapanese curry. It originally came from Sapporo, Japan. We came here for lunchand were seated immediately. There are a few things you need to choose: Soupbase, level of spiciness and toppings. There are three different soup bases:tomato; coconut and pawn. The spicy level is from 0 to 30. If you were to attempt level 30 and managedto finish the whole bowl, you will have your picture taken and post of theirwall. We witnessed a customer that finished his level 30. The wait for food wasquite long given it that the curry base should already be boiling away.Vegetarian Bear with udonI went for the VegetarianBear with udon (HKD 78 + 10 for udon), tomato base and level 10. It was morelike a soup rather than the usual thick curry sauce, its taste lean towards Indiancurry.I thought I would go withan average of level 10, the tomato gave a bit of sweetness. It was still spicybut bearable. Their udon tasted like store bought ones but I thought a soupy currysauce suits noodles more. I got a large variety of vegetables but I found them slightlytoo oily.-Z…Read More

Lupa is Mario Batali’s venture in Hong Kong. You might be familiar with him if you watch Iron Chef. They have a wide range of pizza, pasta and main to choose from, price ranges in HKD 200-350. They also offer an extensive wine collection.LUPA saladWe shared a LUPA salad - Mixed Green Salad with Citrus, Parmigiano and Balsamic Vinegar (HKD 138) Hard to comment on a salad, it was fresh and portion was quite generous.Tonnarelli AI GranchioTonnarelli AI Granchio - House Made Square Spaghetti with Spicy Crab and Fennel (HKD 238)When it says ‘square’ I was imaging square sheets of pasta, it turned out to be normal flattened spaghetti. The egg pasta was surely homemade, it tasted more like Chinese yi mein to me. It’s a bit overdone and was all clumped together and soggy.PolpettePolpette - Meatballs, Tomato, Mozzarella, Basil (HKD 188)We wanted meatballs and we got small bits of minced meat. It was thin crust but it was already all soggy when I came to the table. Given that meat was quite scarce like but it was lacking salt.Delizia Alle Perre Delizia Alle Perre - Pear crumble with pear sorbet (HKD 88)Pear sorbet on top was refreshing. The crumble has a tart base which I found quite weird. Although 2/3 of the dish was crumble or tart, I still found the pear filling sweet.The whole meal was quite a disappointment. Without the Super Monday offer. Instead of exploiting their fame, celebrity chefs should really be putting more emphasizes on food.-JAddress: 3/f, Lht Tower 31 Queen's Rd, Central, Hong KongPrice: HKD 511 for 2 (with Super Monday buy 1 main get 1 free offer)Good for: would not recommend…Read More

Metropolitainis a small France bistro in the Sai Ying Pun. It has a nice outdoor seatingarea where most people sat and enjoyed a glass of wine. The atmosphere is relaxing,somewhere you can just lounge and have a drink.Salmon Tartar (HKD 138)Homemade Foie Gras Terrine Served w/ Chutney (HKD 158)Snails in Garlic Butter (HKD 88)Bread basket was brought over once we ordered but the bread was rock hard. The snails were a let-down. I was envisioning the ones still in the shell, instead they were out of their shell, submerged in a butter seasoning. I found the seasoning not rich enough. The foie gras was so so, chutney that came with it was normal thai chilli sauce but I like how it cuts the richness of the foie gras. The bread that came with the foie gras was plain white toast, I would personally prefer something fancier. Of all the three entrees, I like the salmon tartar the most. Flavours mixed together well, but I did think there could be a bit more salmon inside.Lamb Rack w/ Tomatoes with Garlic & Parsley and Fondant Potatoes (HKD198)To my surprise, the lamb chop was cooked perfectly. We went for medium rare and it was just right. The portion was quite generous with three chops. The presentation with a wilted herb stem was not a good look.Chocolate Fondant w/ Vanilla Ice Cream (HKD 68)We were quite full after the entrees and main, but my friend wanted to try their chocolate fondant. As expected, the gooey rich chocolate center oozed out once cut and it’s not overly sweet. On the other hand, the vanilla ice cream was too sweet to have it on its own. The combination of warm and cold was good tho.With a bottle of wine, the total bill came around HKD 900. I don’t think I will return any time soon. With the money we paid, there are many more places I would rather go to. If I were to visit again, I would try more of their mains.-ZPrice: around 900 for 2Good for: would not recommend…Read More

There are a few restaurant that I love bringing my visiting friends to for the real authentic local foods and Kwan Kee is one of them. The weather had been quite warm and that might be why it was not as packed as the previous times I visited. Even with a booking, I usually have to wait for another 20 minutes or so. We ordered Spare ribs with Chinese sausage clay pot rice 臘味排骨煲仔飯; Chinese kale 啫啫芥蘭; Tofu with Fish pot 豆腐班腩煲. I went over board and ordered all clay pot dishes but they do offer normal dishes too.Spare ribs with Chinese sausage clay pot rice 臘味排骨煲仔飯Tofu with Fish pot 豆腐班腩煲Chinese kale 啫啫芥蘭The best part of clay pot rice is thecrispy rice. Keep the lid on for a while and add sauce soy to loosen the burntbits. The toppings were cooked with the rice, hence every single drop offlavour is retained. My favourite dish to order here is the Chinese kale. “啫啫” is aunique Cantonese cooking style. High heat causes the liquid inthe clay pot to boil and evaporate rapidly, creating the ‘ji ji’ sound. What I likedabout it was the intense flavour from the whole dry shrimps. As for the Tofuwith Fish pot, it was well seasoned. However when compared with the otherdishes, it seemed ordinary. Never the less, the fish fillets were tender.The whole meal with drinks was around HKD 250 for 2 which was a bargain. They have two branches in Sai Wan but I have always go to the one tucked in the side street. Now with the newly opened Sai Ying Pun MTR station, it makes it so much easier to get there. Definitely give it a try.-JWebsite: OpenriceAddress: Shop 1, Wo Yick Mansion, 263 Queen's Road West, Western DistrictPrice: HKD 250 for 2Good for: Casual dinner…Read More

Quemo has been voted as the best upcomingrestaurant in the recent Restaurant Week. 4 course menu for HKD 328 is a pretty good deal. Clockwise: Cold cuts and cheese selection; Pan Con Tomate; Fried Egg with slow cook chorizo; Patatas Bravas; Crispy Fish Tempura; Mackerel SaladFor starter, it was sharing style. Not much surprises for the starters, nevertheless all dishes were well seasoned. Being Asian, I like sharing plates cause I get to try a lot more. I had better tapas elsewhere. Not much I could comment on the cheese platter. Pan Con tomate was essentially tomato on toast, perhaps it wasn't served immediately, it was slightly soggy. The yolk for the fried egg was still runny which was good dipping. I liked how the egg was not seasoned as the chorizo was salty enough. Patatas Bravas was deep fried potatoes. They were not crispy at all, even with the sauce on top, they tasted bland. Crispy Fish Tempura on the other hand was indeed crispy and the chili dipping sauce that came with it gave a good hit of heat. Mackerel Salad was just an ordinary salad, good to have some veggies tho. Surf and Turf PaellaCharcoal Grilled US Rib EyeFor main, we had Surf and Turf Paella and Charcoal Grilled US Rib Eye. The paella was not the typical saffron rice. It came in a plate pan and the server helped us to portion it all straight away. I would prefer it being left on the pan so that we could slowly work our way through to the crispy rice. The chicken was tender but overall, slightly over salted.I enjoyed the Rib Eye a lot. Char-grilled gave it a nice smokey crust and added in loads of flavour The inside was still pink and juicy. The beef is good enough on its own and I didn't even use the sauce.Parfait Glace with coffee cream and Liquid BombonAs for dessert, we had Parfait Glace with coffee cream and Liquid Bombons. Although the the Parfait was made out of pure coffee, it was light and not too sweet. The bombons was nice not overly exciting. DecorDecorI enjoyed the ambiance. Came on a normal weekday, it wasn't crowded but full enough to give a slight buzz. Overall, for the price we paid, it was good. I couldn't mind coming back but definitely not my first choice for Spanish food.- JAddress: QRE Plaza, 202 Queen's Road East, Wan Chai, Hong KongPrice: HKD 328 pp + scGood for: casual big group…Read More

Noodle Mi is always packed during weekdays, it can only sit around 20 people. We were lucky we only need to wait for one table. Noodle Mi is a quick bite restaurant that promotes healthy Vietnamese food. It states that they use no MSG; no unnatural additives, no artificial flavours and gluten free. We were given the seat by the window, looking out at the street, good for people watching.Simmered Beef with Tomato and Star Anise with Rice VermicelliI ordered the Simmered Beef with Tomato and Star Anise with Rice Vermicelli. I was drawn by the star anise. The soup base was aromatic, rich with tomato flavour. The carrots had absorbed all the flavours and beef brisket was plentiful. For the starch, you can choose from rice vermicelli or bread. I could image how good the bread would taste after dunking it into the soup.I wasn't left feeling thirsty so I guess it’s a good sign that they aren't using MSG. The place is a bit too cramped for my liking. I saw many people getting takeaway and I would love to try their salads.Website: noodle-mi.com; Open Rice Address: G/F, 2 Bonham Strand, Sheung WanPrice: HKD 70Good for: Quick bite…Read More

There area couple of Peruvian restaurants in Hong Kong. Previously tried Maya in LKF, I enjoyedtheir food. We saw Chicha on Groupon and thought might give it a go. We boughtthe HKD98 lunch set. The restaurant was much bigger than we have expected andwe got to choose from the normal lunch set menu.Aguadito de Pollo (Peruvian traditional rice soup with shredded chicken) This wasweird and I couldn’t put my head around it. It tasted like Cilantro pesto soupwith cooked rice and shredded chicken. The soup was more like a broth rather than athick soup and nothing really mixed together.CevicheI thoughtCeviche is raw fish ‘cooked’ in citrus. However this dish did not have theslightest hint of citrus. It was more of a sashimi dish. The little bits on thesides are actually corn kernels. Brown ones are dried kernels and the whiteones were Choclo, (Peruvian corn), they tasted quite starchy and bean- like.Marisco Jugoso (Aji Amarollo sea urchin rice with sea bass, squid, prawns and scallop)No sightor taste of urchin, the seafood looked like that they had just been poached. As forthe rice, my companion thought it l tasted like Uncle Ben’s (precookedflavoured rice). I personally thought Uncle Ben’s tasted better. Pollo a la Brasa (Juzu marinated spilt chicken, aromatic rice and fiery Rocoto tomato)Thechicken was tender. However, the gravy over it didn’t do anything. The rice was nice, but it basically tasted like rice cooked in the soup we had for starter.Lucama Sundae (Mixed berries, honeycomb, espresso Manjar Blanco and amaretti crumbs)Thedessert was ok, The ice cream was smooth and the toppings were good. Although I like the design of the spoon, I found it a bit hard to actually eat off it.Portions were quite small, if I were to pay the usual price of around HK 200 per set, I wouldn’t be happy. We were left quite unsatisfied after the meal. One thing I do have to commend was the staff, they were very attentive and were happy to explain how the dishes were made. I have heard good things about this restaurants, but again most people came here for dinner (hence a la carte). I did look up some of the pictures on Openrice and have to say they looked much more appetizing. Yes, we were using Groupon, but the whole point of going on Groupon was to attract new customers and hopefully they will visit again.-J…Read More

This place is headed by a two-star Michelin chef Philippe Leveille, serving Italian cuisine with a modern twist. So it was a Sunday morning and of course we slept till the sun's up and bright. Had a booking for 1 pm, turned up at the restaurant around 1:30 pm and was told that we need to return the table by 2:30 pm due to a private event booking. Can't help but felt a bit annoyed since they should have told us when we made the booking. Anyhow, we weren't bother to look for another place so we sat down and ordered. Restaurant interior - The setting is simple, nothing too fancy but pleasant. OK. Fast forward to the main focus - food! So here's what I tried:Burrata di Andria, tomato and aubergine terrine, gazpacho shot - Nice mix of flavors - you can taste each of the ingredients complementing each other. Cold foie gras escalope, caramelized figs, red wine and brioches - Personally would have preferred a smooth piece of foie gras without the addition of the purple-ish vinegar 'skin' over it. Fresh spaghetti with lobster and three different tomatoes sauce - This was sooo good! Al dente spaghetti, great balance of acidity and sweetness, lobster meat was firm and succulentSponge pudding with rum (was offered as an alternative since the other desserts on the lunch menu were not available) - Was alright, the pudding was a bit stuff on itself - guess that's where the rum comes inFinal Thoughts: Wouldn't mind re-visiting to try their other dishes. A slight take back was the service - there were 4 waiters serving my table of 4 and another party of 2. Still, they were not very attentive and one of them was even a bit rude/ blunt. - Z…Read More

signature painting at Mama SanMama San was one of the participating restaurant in HK Restaurant Week 2015 and it was in the HKD 118 lunch set menu category. Arriving at 1pm, there were only 2 tables and we were seated at the high chair area by the window.Soft Shell Crab Rujak Salad with Green Mango Rose Apple Mint, Peanuts Sesame Seed and Tamarind chilli sauceFor starter, I went with the soft shell crab rujak salad. Ever since I tried soft shell crab in Bangkok, I would always order it when I see it on the menu. “Rujak” means salad dish with fruit and vegetable. In this salad, it was Chinese pear and cucumber. The tamarind sauce was tangy which I thought it went well with the sweetness of the Chinese pear, however my companion found it too sour.Sri Lanka Beetroot Curry with Ginger Pandan and Curry LeavesThere were three choices for main: Marinated Chicken; Sri Lanka Beetroot Curry and Pad Thai. I love Pad Thai but I thought it was not hard to master, so I ordered the Beetroot Curry instead. I never had a beetroot curry so I didn’t know what to expect. The curry was very mild, I wasn’t able to taste much spices but it was very rich in flavour. Paneer was sprinkled on top but I just wished there were more, it was literally beetroot and nothing else. Black Sticky Rice with Mango and Coconut MilkFor desserts, I went with black sticky rice with mango. It also came with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side. I would prefer the black sticky rice not drenched in coconut milk but I did appreciate that the milk was not sweetened. The vanilla ice cream was smooth and went well with the dish.Overall, the food was quite nice. The service was great, staff was extremely attentive, my glass was refilled quickly once emptied. I had a look at the drinks menu and cocktails were all HKD 78, I would love to come again for dinner sometime.-JPrice: HKD 118 + scGood for: Casual lunch, Casual dinner…Read More

It is pretty easy to get a good soft serve in Hong Kong but it's relatively hard to get a good matcha flavoured one. I've tried Via Tokyo and Sweets House Cha Cha but I didn't find them rich enough.I Cremeria is located in Fashion Walk, we got there at around 9pm and it was definitely busy. There are only few seats outside the shop so forget it if you want to go stay and hang.We went for Uji Matcha Affogato, for HKD 48, it's certainly not cheap. The server would wait until you reach the counter before pouring over the matcha 'shot'. In terms of intensity of flavours, it was definitely rich which I appreciate a lot. The balance of sweetness was just now but we found it slightly icy.Uji Matcha Affogato This place ranks quite high on my list for matcha desserts. Despite the iciness, I wouldn't mind coming again.Address: Shop F-9, 1/F, Fashion Walk, 11-19 Great George Street, Causeway BayPrice: HKD 48Good for: dessert…Read More