hpcollect's Profile

Another one ticked off in my ongoing burger quest! While baos aren't exactly burgers, they fit the category well enough.The FoodSo, I legitimately went in there promising myself "One savoury bao and one sweet bao - that's it." I started with the pork belly bao and it was amazing! The bao bun was beautiful and soft (but structurally sound). The filling of slow braised pork belly, leek and shiso red onion salad, sesame dressing and hoisin ketchup had all the right flavour elements (savoury, sweet, salty, sour) and texture elements (soft, crisp, tender). Seriously delicious.Because it was so delicious, I broke my promise to myself and ordered a second bao - the Szechuan Fried Chicken bao, which has a piece of fried chicken, Chinese black vinegar glaze, coleslaw and Szechuan mayo. This was also delicious and had the same great combination of flavours and textures as the Pork Belly Bao. I was particularly impressed with the fried chicken - super juicy on the inside, not over-breaded and fried perfectly (no oily taste or texture, just crisp deliciousness!). The only reason I didn't love this as much as the Pork Belly Bao is that I'm not a huge fan of the Szechuan pepper sensation, but that's a personal preference.Finally, dessert. The ice cream baos are made of mini baos that are deep fried (and possibly have some kind of sugar glaze?) and then have a pat of ice cream sandwiched between them. When it come out, the bao is still hot and so the ice cream starts melting, but the contrast in temperatures really works - just like a hot dessert with ice cream on the side, but all in one tiny handful. Gets a bit tricky to eat towards the end with the melting and running out of bao handholds, but really good.The ExperienceLittle Bao doesn't take reservations, so I rocked up at 5:55pm and was one of about half a dozen people waiting when they opened at 6pm. I was seated at the bar overlooking the kitchen and enjoyed watching the staff work. It's a small space but doesn't feel cramped and the decor is light and clean. Staff were responsive and food came out pretty quickly. I love being able to just add to my order as I go. Would I come back?Yes! I really want to try some of the non-bao dishes like the Hot Chicken and Truffle Fries. I'd also definitely eat the pork belly bao and green tea ice cream bao again. …Read More

I went to Honbo with a colleague for lunch and we both got the lunch set - she had a Cheeseburger with sweet potato fries and a drink ($118) while I had the Classic Burger with added bacon, sweet potato fries and a drink ($108 + $15 bacon). We didn't share the burgers, but we did split the fries so I got to try both kinds. Apologies in advance for mediocre photographs.The FoodFirst up, I will say these burger are on the smaller side, especially compared to some of the monstrosities you can buy. However, high quality ingredients and skilled cooking more than makes up for it - I'd much rather have a well put together slightly smaller burger, than a bland triple patty tower.Honbo makes a point of sourcing many of their ingredients locally and also making things like pickles in-house. The milk buns are a really nice change from the seemingly ubiquitous brioche bun and are made on 15 minutes away, according the my menu. The burger took a little while to come out, but I am pretty sure it's because they were shaping the patty fresh (a good sign). When it did come, and I took my first bite, I realised they had hit the magic spot as far as grilling was concerned - not overcooked, but with caramelised edges. The patty was a little uneven around the edges, another sign of a handmade patty and, more importantly, one that hasn't been over-handled. These little irregularities were also some of the most lovely crispy bits. The rest of the ingredients of the burger complemented the patty well and were very fresh. The regular potato fries were average - not amazing, not terrible. The hand cut sweet potato fries I really enjoyed. They were thick, steak cut fries and a little soft but quite fluffy inside and had good seasoning. The ExperienceHonbo is located on Sun St, which we accessed from Queen's Road East up a flight of stairs at the back of Dominion Garden. It's part of the larger Star St Precinct. The interior feels quite open and there is one big table (where we were seated) plus a few smaller bar tables and some seating outdoors. It's not a huge place, but arriving for lunch at midday we didn't have a problem getting seated. The staff were responsive and while the burger took a little while to come out, as I said above, it's because they are paying attention to quality.Would I come back?Definitely! I really want to try the Honbo (which has 2x 2oz beef patties, rather than one 4oz) and I want to bring other people back to introduce them to this place. I wouldn't bother with the regular fries again, but would order the sweet potato fries.…Read More

Okay, so if you've looked at my profile and previous reviews, you know I have kind of a thing for burgers (I love them and they are my savoury comfort food of choice). So I was therefore pretty excited to see that Morty's had added burgers to some of its menus and had to get down and try one.I went for a weekend lunch and was at first aghast that the burger I'd planned to eat was not of the menu I was presented. Turns out that's only on the dinner menu, at least in the Star St Precinct location. But I had planned for a burger, was expecting a burger and knew if I got a sandwich instead, no matter how tasty, I'd be cursing myself the whole time (like every time I don't order the pad thai at a Thai restaurant). I figured there was no harm in asking, so spoke to the waitress and she told me that on weekend lunches, you can also order from the dinner menu - crisis averted, burger ordered. I went with a side of sweet potato fries and asked for some extra pickles because I am a pickle fiend.The FoodAnd I got a lot of pickles! Two full sized ones cut into spears brought over to my table while they prepared my burger. I powered though them and don't even want to think of how mu sodium levels looked after that. The pickles here are not my favourite type (I think these are a half sour, whereas I'm more of a dill or sweet pickle person) and I find them just slightly too soft, but I still enjoy eating them.Now for the burger. I wasn't sure what to expect from the Double Smoked Meat Burger - Would there be smoked meat in the burger? Were the patties themselves smoked? After eating, I'm still not sure. There was definitely no added smoked meat in the burger, and the patties didn't seem to have any special flavour so...who knows?As you can see from the photo, both burger and fries were massive servings. Two patties, plus cheese, tomato,  lettuce and thousand island dressing on the burger. I really wanted to love this burger, but I think it was just a bit too much. The two patties were cooked fine, but didn't have that delicious griddle caramelisation flavour or crispiness around the edges. I think the burger as a whole needed both some kind of texture contrast (the lettuce wasn't super crisp and was overwhelmed by the patties) and some kind of flavour contrast (sweetness from more tomato or caramelised onion, some sourness from relish or pickle in the burger). This is not to say it wasn't good (I definitely ate the whole thing), just that it didn't live up to my dream burger standards. The fries were really nice. Thin cut and lots of them.The ExperienceBefore this I'd only been to Morty's in Central, which is in the basement level of Jardine House. The Wing Fung St location has a similar American diner aesthetic, but is much more bright and airy (natural light!). I enjoyed the NBA game on the screens above the bar. The staff are friendly and the food came out in a reasonable time. I will be back for their sandwiches (definitely want to try the 72-hour sous vide short rib sandwich), but I wouldn't order this burger again. …Read More

I finally got my act together one Sunday morning and made my way to this widely, if not always highly, recommended roast goose restaurant. I've been meaning to start exploring Hong Kong's roast goose/meat options for ages and I figured why not jump in with a Michelin Star joint?Kam's has a big menu, but since I was there by myself I stuck to the roast meat with rice section and got the roast goose and suckling pig with rice. I had plenty of time to consider my choice - having arrived five minutes before opening, I then waited for about an hour to be seated. To be expected on a weekend and by that point I'd committed, so  even as customers around me abandoned the line, I stayed firm.The FoodIt was a good sized serve of roast goose and suckling pigs, with lots of rice, a few greens (although sadly, these were lukewarm) and two accompanying sauces. The roast goose was juicy and savoury, although the skin was no longer crispy when it arrived. I also hate eating around the bones (but that could just be due to my mediocre skill with chopsticks). The real star for me was the roast suckling pig. Beautiful crispy skin, tender meat and really great, savoury flavour. I could eat an entire plate of this stuff on its own. The sauces (I think one was a plum sauce) were both a little bit sweet and were a perfect counterpoint for the salty and fatty meats. I also liked the way the meat juices from the goose soaked into the rice underneath - delicious!The ExperienceThe queue outside was well-managed. I'd say there were 60+ people in front of me when I arrived. Once the doors opened and the first 30 or so were let in, a staff member came down the line and recorded your party's size, then gave you a numbered slip (I assume to prevent people pushing in and to find the right group size when a table came up). If you arrive after opening, you need to go collect your own slip from the front counter and then join the back of the queue. While the queue manager was quite abrupt, the staff inside were pretty friendly and I heard them taking the time to explain the dishes to other customers. Service was quick and although it's a small space, it wasn't too cramped. I ended up sharing a four seater table with a family of three and there was enough room for all our dishes and drinks without encroaching on each other's space.I would go back again to try some of their other meats (particularly want to try the bbq pork), but definitely need to try some other roast meat joints before I can make a definitive call on how good this one is. …Read More

I've been to Bakehouse a few times now and have watched as it's become more and more popular (and harder to get a table at). But they are popular for good reason - their baked goods are fantastic!I've tried a good cross-selection: croissant, cheese danish, two types of fruit danish, cinnamon bun, bergamot tart, soft pretzel, and the Okinawa black sugar cream bun. I desperately want to try the lunch menu as well, but haven't found the time yet! All of the above are very good, but I'd say that the quality of the vienoisserie really stands out. The fruit danish was probably the best I'd ever eaten (amazing pastry, rich creme patissiere, fresh fruit). Another stand out was the soft pretzel, which has a beautiful texture (slightly chewy outside skin and soft interior) and makes a perfect little savoury snack. The only disappointment I've had there was the hot chocolate - the chocolate and milk weren't properly emulsified, so there were little chocolate bits floating in the milk, rather than the rich hot chocolate I was expecting.The staff are lovely and so is the owner/head chef. I was there on a quiet day when the store first opened and the lady next to me was sharing a croissant with her young son. The owner came out to chat and gave her son and Etch A Sketch to play with. Very sweet. The staff at the front counter are always friendly and helpful, no matter how busy it gets. For the quality you are getting, I think the prices are great value.…Read More

I've been to Quarter Master twice now and really enjoyed the burger both times. I kept it simple on the first visit with just a beef burger with bacon (my preferred 'test' burger for comparison purposes), and was honestly thinking about the burger for weeks after so had to go back and make sure it was as good as I remembered! The second time I got the cheese and bacon burger and it was just as good as I remembered.What's great about Quarter Master: They make the patties fresh daily, sourcing the meat from their attached butchers (Bones and Blades) next door, so the flavour is very good. And they don't waste a good patty with poor grilling - these are cooked perfectly and the bun is toasted on the same grill, so you get a little bit of the beef fat on there. Pickles on the side (and I asked for extra, because I love them) so that you can distribute them on the burger yourself. Tomato sauce and mustard on the table. Bun did not disintegrate as I got close to the end of the burger and there was a good patty to bun ratio. Tried the garlic parmesan fries the second time. These were good, but not incredible. That's okay though, because I'm all about the burger. Would like to try some of the other variations of the fries (as well as the other burgers!). We also had the churros, which were a really generous serving size and very tasty.Verdict: A straight forward burger, well executed with high quality ingredients and good cooking. Will eat again. …Read More

As a burger fan, I'm always keen to try burgers from overseas chains as well as local and gourmet burger joints. Gruber's, which originated in Monaco, had therefore been on my list as soon as I heard they had opened in Hong Kong. It took a while for me to get out there and actually finding the restaurant in the shopping centre proved difficult (or maybe that was just me?). Anyway, just keep heading to the cinemas and you'll find it.Since it was my first visit, I kept things basic and didn't try any of the four flavoured beef patties or the chicken or vegetable options. I got plain beef single patty, minus the cheese and add pickles and bacon plus a small serve of fries. Verdict: this is a good fast food burger, but not spectacular. As with most burgers, it needed to re-assembled on arrival to optimally distribute the sauce, pickles and bacon. High quality patty, quite thin (think McDonald's), but you could double it if you want more. Way too much shredded iceberg lettuce, which was not super fresh. The bacon was crispy, and although there weren't huge amounts of it it wasn't so little I felt ripped off having paid extra for it. On the other hand, lots of pickles, which I love. Special sauce was flavourful and added something to the burger, but as I said above, more care needs to be taken with distribution. Bun was decent, but started to disintegrate towards the end.Fries were better than average. I liked that there were stations to get mayo, mustard and tomato sauce for yourself.Worth a second try? I would go back and try one of the flavoured patties, and maybe one of their hotdogs. …Read More

...when it's bad it's mediocre, would be my summary of my experiences at the Butchers Club Burger in Wan Chai. I'll summarise all the visits in one go by the food eaten, rather than distinct visits.Fries: don't bother paying extra for the duck fat fries. The were so unevenly cut that some were overcooked while others were hard and undercooked. The regular fries are tasty, but not out of this world good. Burgers in general: I think what it comes down to is the cooking technique and attention to detail, which will make or break your visit. The beef is very good quality, but when not cooked well is a bit nothingy. However, when they are on game (beautifully charred exterior, perfect moist interior) the beef patties are absolutely delicious. It's the luck of the draw as to who and how it's cooked that night. Quality of the bun is good and soaks up the sauce and juices nicely, although does start to fall apart a bit towards the end.Wu Tang Style Burger: On this visit the patty was cooked beautifully, so no complaints there. I love kimchi and spicy food and thought it had good flavours, although not very spicy. Perhaps the mayo counteracted that somewhat. The kewpie mayo added a good creamy flavour, although there was a little too much of it for me so I scraped some off before I got stuck into the burger. With the other big flavours, I didn't think the tempura sweet potato had a chance to shine, but it certainly didn't detract from the burger.The Gambler: The fried chicken was crisp on the outside, tender on the inside - no complaints there. I found the hot sauce it was coated in a little too vinegary, but that might just be personal taste.  Pickles and coleslaw both unobjectionable. The main problem was the distribution of the chicken across the bun, which is always tricky when you are not working with patties which can be shaped and sized to fit the bun perfectly.The Burger: The signature burger and a classic combination of ingredients. I have tried this on two occasions and one was great, the other mediocre. As I said above, it really does come down to who is cooking the patty on the day and how well they do it. The burger sauce here has good flavour, although again applied a bit too liberally for my tastes.…Read More

I arrived around 7pm on a Tuesday night and was able to be seated immediately. Service was quick and friendly and I ordered the Texas BBQ Burger as a combo with fries and an iced tea. The restaurant was close to full and had a nice bustling atmosphere and decent music playing without being too loud.First, the accessories. Fries were thin but not shoestring, with some kind of coating. Well-cooked and nicely flavoured/salted, and came in a decent but not huge portion. The iced tea was pretty standard, although I appreciated that it wasn't too sweet and had several slices of fresh lemon floating in it.Now onto the main game. Overall, the burger had good flavours, but it fell down in the detail, particularly the construction of the burger.- The patty was nothing special, but also not terrible. Cooked well-done and with no discernible grill or char flavour, but moist and decently tasty beef.- The bun was an issue. First, it committed one of the cardinal burger sins - being far too big for the patty (or perhaps the patty was too small for the bun - perspective!). There was at least 1-2cm or pure bread all around the outside of the burger patty. Not only that, the bread was not particularly high quality. I don't think brioche buns are necessary for every burger, but this was a bit dry where the patty juices and sauce hadn't moistened it and was perhaps somewhat stale. It was also slightly burnt in parts on the bottom where it had been over-toasted.- Bacon was another problem for me. It was definitely crisp as advertised, but there were only two tiny pieces of it (which I ended up pulling out and crumbling back over the patty to distribute the flavour more evenly). I believe that if you advertise a burger with bacon, the bacon should at least cover the surface area of the patty and this was nowhere near that.- Lettuce was a chunk of iceberg, which I again redistributed myself as it was all clumped together in one spot underneath the patty.- The bbq sauce added a really nice sweetness and depth to the flavour and the cheese was good and melted nicely onto the patty. The three breaded onion rings added an interesting texture and flavour as well.I may sound overly critical - this was not a bad burger,  it just has a lot of unrealised potential!…Read More