Sturdy's Profile

I have always been a fan of the "old school" dim sum restaurants with ladies making the rounds with their carts bearing towers of bamboo steamers filled with goodies. The Metropol is brilliantly located in the heart of Admiralty, making it a very convenient choice for office dwellers in search of lunchtime sustenance. Also, they're big, so chances are that you will get a table. This time, we had a little office gathering for a colleague's birthday and I think I speak for all of us when I say that the food was delicious, the service good and we all had a fabulous time. Must haves include the BBQ Pork and the Steamed Beef Balls, but with the exception of the Xiao Long Bao (which sadly arrived deflated and dry), the food was all very enjoyable. This is not the "haute cuisine" of a Tim Ho Wan or Shang Palace, but nitty gritty wholesome dim sum for the casual munchies. If you want unpretentious authentic dim sum at affordable prices, you cannot go wrong with this one. It is not crowded with tourists like Maxim's and while you need to be quite proactive to get any food, this is a quintessential Hong Kong dining experience and I always love to take my visitors here.…Read More

My friend and I had an inpromptu lunch at Bibo today. It was my first time at this stylish restaurant that combines amazing artwork with unpretentious fine dining and I must say that I was thoroughly impressed with the service as well as the quality, taste and presentation of the food.Being a little pressed for time, w eopted for the set lunch and while we contemplated the menu, we were treated to a delucious palate cleanser that appesred to be a velvety cauliflower cream in a delightful presentation featuring delicate edible blossoms.For starters, we chose "Le Veloute", a comforting,light but creamy soup of chestnut, diced celeriac, carrots, croutons and chestnut flakesOur main course was "Le Cochon", two succulent pieces of slow-cooked Japanese pork belly that was of perfect texture and very flavourful. It was accomoanied by luscious truffle mashed potatoes, a few tender pan-fried baby artichoke pieces and leaves of sucrine and endive. Absolutely wonderful.My friend had an amazing looking Pink Lady Apple on Puff Pastry and my order of L'assiette de Fromages,which offered three different cheeses with perfectly complimenting fruit pastes, and a double expresso were the perfect ending to a perfect lunch.I will definitely come again!…Read More

Today, my lovely colleague was kind enough to queue up for the chicken sandwich and while I normally wouldn't write a review for a takeaway, I must say this sandwich was awesome (and I am EXTREMLY picky when it comes to sandwiches!).The fresh white baguette was laced with a light mayonnaise and then generously stuffed with shredded lettuce, grated carrot, fine slivers of cucumber, copious amounts of still warm and deliciously roasted tender juicy chicken pieces and freshly chopped chillies and coriander. For me - a heavenly delight. (Some of my colleagues found the chillies too spicy though, but not I.)Will I have it again - hell yeah, for sure I will. Yumster! …Read More

Once again I was blown away by an amazing dinner night at Aqua.With the cold temperatures announcing winter and Christmas creeping up on us, what better way to warm your heart than with a precious Abruzzo white truffle dinner!I dined alone and therefore didn't order too many different items, but I couldn't resist trying the Abruzzo White Truffle Butter Cocktail for starters. Normally, I wouldn't want truffle in my drink but this wasn't the cheap black summer truffle (which can be rather nauseating at times); this was the white truffle and the cocktail was made with vodka and egg white and lemon and pear and I don't know why but somehow it worked and I found this to be a very yummy and morish drink.For starters I ordered the home-made Parmigiano cheese risotto with shaved marinated egg and of course, plenty of Abruzzo white truffle. The truffle was ceremoniously brought to the table, resting on a bed of raw rice (to keep out moisture), shielded from the elements under a glass bell. That glorious nugget would've probably paid for my next two vacations, but I tried not to look too greedy when I oogled the precious shavings being grated all over my risotto right in front of my eyes. What an aroma, what a luxurious treat! The risotto was cooked to perfection, not too mushy not too hard, just right, and even though it was quite rich with all that cheese and egg, it certainly didn't distract from the truffle and neither did it spoil my appetite for the main course. The knowledgeable somelier Mr. Ocean Cheng recommended I pair the risotto with a wonderful crisp white wine from the same region as the truffle, to stay true to the theme of the evening, and while I'm not usually a white wine drinker I really enjoyed this Pinot Grigio.As a main course I ordered an amazing dish that looked picture perfect and tasted divine: Scallops, veal sweetbreads, grilled Porcini mushrooms and pumpkin, along with pumpkin tortelli "in consomme" and Abruzzo white truffle (what else!). The scallops were tender and smooth in texture and tasted ocean fresh. The veal sweetbreads (one of my favourites) were buttery soft and rich without being too heavy. I was most impressed with the Porcini mushrooms that had such an intense flavour, it was an absolute delight. The pumpkin tortelli in consomme, though not my favourite, were perfectly cooked and the sweetness of the pumpkin was a surprising difference from the norm, while the consomme had a pure and clean taste. The somelier's choice of the Montepulciano was excellent to go with this complex meal.I still don't know how I mustered the strength to turn down a dessert, which is definitely worth having at Aqua, no matter how much you've eaten, but I did let the staff persuade me to have champagne and to finish off with a limoncello. Another splended evening with excellent food and drink, gracious and helpful service and of course the most fabulous view. Happy to be there anytime!(P.S.: I tried adding more images, but sadly the software insisted on corrupting the orientation so I removed them again.)…Read More

It was my first time at this strange restaurant that reminded me of restaurants I visited in Guangdong / China. The staff was friendly enough and the weird crystal chandelier decor set the mood for a humorous evening, given that the restaurant was far from elegant (we saw the owner or manager come walking in with his upper body garment not quite covering his admirable Buddha belly...LOL... It's not a place for the faint-hearted.)As is typical with hot pot restaurants, punters can choose the food either from the live seafood tanks or from the menu and my generous hosts and well-versed foodie friends were busy doing just that as I already queued to concoct a spicy dip from the condiments buffet which offered crushed garlic, coriander, spring onion, spiced vinegar, chopped chillies, copious amounts of soy sauce, sesame sauce, crushed peanuts, XO sauce and another couple of maroon sauces that are hard to describe (one was very fishy, but not sure of the ingredients). I missed my usual favourites of specialty oils, ginger, sugar, lemon juice, etc. but managed to mix a very nice dip with what was available.We had a rather generous number of different dishes, ranging from scallops (very nice!), razor clam (very nice!), garupa (tiny, expensive and totally overcooked and chopped to bits so a lot of the best and most tender pieces were full of bone (and as a fish head fan I was sad to see that one of the eyes was already missing). Then we had a crab. It was a rather humble little thing but supposedly with roe in it. Sadly, while the legs and claws were perfectly cooked and juicy and sweet, the roe was totally overcooked and tasted pasty and dry. We also had a selection of balls: shrimp, cuttlefish, freshwater fish and pork. They were all quite delicious apart from the cuttlefish, which was also totally overcooked and hard and rubbery like a squash ball, because the staff who rushed us along throughout the meal cooked them all for the same length of time and "forgot" to attend our table even after the steam timer had done its bleeping.... (I reckon, had they allowed us to do our own steaming rather than patronizing us like children, the balls wouldn't have been overcooked.)Last but not least, we had the congee that had been cooking under the steamed dishes, receiving the aroma from all the food we had. To be honest, I had expected a more tasty congee but the thin broth with rice and hard dried scallop and some bland taro tasted rather boring so we ended up pimping it up with our condiment sauces, which surely wasn't the idea. (Maybe it was our fault for not having ordered anough "aromatic" dishes to steam. Most of our dishes were on plates so no juices could enter the congee below.)Anyway, overall I'd say it was a fun evening (we had a lot of laughs, though many at the expense of the decor or the texture of the overcooked food), but the experience of having food steamed under a funny straw farmer's hat in the centre of the table was quite appealing. Sad was that my poor friend got a "facial steam" due to the steam escaping from the hot pot directly into his face the whole evening...)I probably wouldn't go again because I've had far better and judging by the mutterings of my generous friend who paid for us all, it was quite expensive, too.…Read More

Many times had I thought about visiting this restaurant, and every time I either couldn't afford the time or the place was full. This time, my friend and I got lucky. In fact, we managed to get a nice table "al fresco" that was just right in terms of temperature (and let us enjoy a conversation as inside was a screaming child plus music, which was more than I could handle in my lunch break).I started with a cranberry juice and was pleasantly surprised that the waitress told me it would not be "fresh" cranberry juice (I liked the honesty and decided to have the juice anyway!). My friend and I decided to share everything. We ordered a salad and the pork belly. We loved the presentation - all the food had retained its colour and looked fresh and appetising. The salad tasted healthy and was just the right size to get us going. The pork belly looked almost too pretty to cut. The apple that was served with it had a pink hue (possibly red wine?) and the entire dish was just picture perfect and delightfully Christmasy and yummy to the last morsel.Very glad that I finally managed to try this place and will most definitely be back. I'd like to mention that the service was very nice and the staff was extremely likeable. ;-)…Read More

The moment I saw the name and the nice interior I've been eager to try this restaurant and finally, I found the time....Given the name, I was under the (probably wrong!) impression that this would be a Singaporean style restaurant similar to the one that "used to be" nearby and that I still sorely miss... So, I innocently ordered the Chicken Laksa with lemongrass chicken. I don't want to sound ungrateful, because the dish was nice enough, but a "Laksa" it was not! First and foremost - there was no Laksa leaf in it so it didn't taste of Laksa at all. In fact, it didn't have any of the flavours you find in a traditional Laksa. Instead it tasted like a Japanese curry gravy, which is NOT my favourite flavour, and in the fusion confusion it was garnished with Thai sweet basil, which I adore but it just didn't fit in this dish. So, the lack of authenticity is why I would definitely not recommend this dish, because it will lead to disappointment given the name. In all fairness though, the dish wasn't bad as such. It just didn't taste like a Laksa. Had they called it Japanese curry broth with egg noodle and chicken, I never would've ordered it in the first place and I bet there are many folks who'd actually love this dish.However,.... I must say that the restaurant did endear itself with me, and that is for their "Lolliporks". I ordered them merely out of curiosity, but oh my they were so delicious! Honestly, I'll be going back to that restaurant and order three plates of those next time. The presentation, the flavour, the texture, just perfect - I was well impressed!So, bottom line: I will definitely be back to give this place a second chance and to get another Lollipork fix, because these are super addictive!…Read More

The Metropol is the absolute go to place when guests are in town who want no-nonsense dim sum that is of good quality, affordable and without any of the touristy drama. The place is also great for big group dining. The good is consistently good and they have all my favourites, including char siu tzan bao (is that how you spell it?). Important to remember: this place is popular with locals so it fills up fast at lunchtime. If you're on a tight schedule, better book in advance, memorize the booking code they give you over the phone and remember that even with that booking code, you may still have to wait up to ten minutes when you get there. It's worth the wait though!The restaurant is absolutely huge, but there are several ladies moving through the aisles of tables, pushing their carts with all the yummy stuff... Spring rolls, deep fried squid tentacles, egg tarts, crispy pieces of suckling pig, congee, har gao, siu mei, char siu bao, lau sa bao, cheung fan, and much more... It's great fun to check what's in all the different bamboo steamers. You can't be shy though because the ladies will move on if you don't stop them; they don't have time for indecisive tourists (....and quite rightly so, there are many diners who're on a very short lunch break and who need sustenance and cannot afford to wait for people being awkward. This restaurant is fun for tourists but it is not a designated tourist attraction. People mean business here....LOL)  …Read More

This visit to Shiro at Hysan Place wasn't my first and it sure won't be the last. For a while now I had been intrigued by the brand new concept of "Crystal Sushi" that has been the talk of town lately. Yesterday, I finally got the chance to try it along side a few of my all time favourites. We began the meal with rolled spinach that came with a fragrant sesame / peanut sauce that was ground fresh at the table. I had this before and it is just wonderful every time, so healthy and green - you can't go wrong. Next came the grilled chicken cartilage skewers I had never tried before but was eager to test. I must admit that while the colouring was mouth-watering and the lemon juice complimented the dish, I really didn't care at all for the unusually crunchy texture so it wasn't a favourite. However, what followed next was so amazing that all was forgiven. The Crystal Sushi came on a long glass platter and the chef arranged it in a way so we'd start with the most delicate flavour and ended with the most intense. The Bluefin tuna with Daishy jelly tasted very fresh and light and perfect to begin with. The deluxe scallop with sake rose jelly and caviar was as amazing as it was beautiful, though the rose flavour could've perhaps been a little more pronounced. The fatty salmon sushi, always a favourite, was assembled with white ginger and panzu jelly and had a great depth of flavour without being too heavy. The next was a pretty roll of Bonton ebi and uni (which I adore!) that had an ume sauce on ponzu jelly. This was my personal favourite, also because it included a Shiso leaf the frangrant taste of which I'm particularly fond. Then we tried the Yellowtail with Kimchi sauce and Shochu jelly which to my surprise tasted incredible - to my surprise because it was perhaps the least colourful of the lot. Last but most certainly not least we had the Wagyu beef with leek onion and black truffle jelly that was intense in flavour yet not overpowering. It was very hard to say which of these gems was my favourite but as the dishes have just two pieces each, you can go with a friend and have them all - like we did. Being the gluttons that we are, we were far from done. Next we had a yummy array of tempura, which included the usual condiments and came golden crispy and light and had just the right mix of ingredients from heart-warming pumpkin and sweet potato slices to juicy prawns. Next came my beloved favourite of Sakura shrimp and spicy cod roe with udon noodles and wakame seaweed - it was way too much but I couldn't stop eating. An absolute delight! The dessert we shared was a surprisingly light tasting banana and mango tempura with yuzu ice cream. Piping hot green tea and heated Houraisen Bi Jyunmaidaiginjyo sake complimented our meal. Needless to say we left well fed and very happy. My recommendation if you want something absolutely amazing and out of the ordinary is definitely the Crystal Sushi, because each and every one of them was unlike any sushi I've ever had - a truly special experience not to be missed.…Read More

Having turned up without any prior restaurant booking, I was relieved that the friendly reception staff immediately escorted us to a nice table by the window (we were very lucky, because it was a Saturday night and though it was late, they were quite busy actually). It was after all their "A Night in Omotesando" evening, and we already had plans to head up to the Aqua Spirit bar after the meal....My friend and I don't really splash out on posh nosh that often so it took us absolute ages to decide what to order. While we struggled to make up our minds, we were invited to a free glass of Veuve Clicquot champagne and a few delightful appeteasers, which sure helped put us in the mood but made the ordering no easier.Eventually, we decided to order starters and main courses from the Italian menu and share all.First, we had the scallop and Taleggio cheese fondue with truffle caviar. The three white gems were seared just enough so they were perfectly tender and of delicious smooth texture. The creamy sauce was a pure delight and the luscious pearls of truffle added a touch of luxury to this appetizer.Next came the hand-pulled Burrata, probably the most precious of all buffalo mozzarella cheeses, with the unique texture that is highly addictive. The presentation of this beautiful plump sphere was truly magnificent: resting on a nest of rocket salad surrounded by an emerald green pond of gorgeous herbs and garnished with the most delicate leaves and a stunning blue petal - it was almost too beautiful to eat. But of course, the inhibitions were short-lived and once we started on the Burrata, it soon disappeared.My friend had ordered the garoupa, which came served on a bed of spinach and delicate mushrooms was complimented by an utterly decadent helping of freshly sliced white truffle. The fish was moist and tender and its flesh was shiny and white, just was we like it. The spinach worked perfectly with the fish while the truffle gave that certain "je ne sais quoi" that made it a very memorable dish.I had opted for what I thought would be a slightly pimped up Carbonara, but oh my, this was something in an entirely different league from any Carbonara I ever tasted before. The pasta was perfectly cooked, slightly al dente (neither chewy nor mushy) and the creamy eggy sauce was of mouthwatering colour and tasted absolutely divine. The sauce was well balanced in flavour and texture, and it coated every single strand of the pasta and adhered well to it without being sticky. The crispy bacon that sat on the pasta like a crown was an unexpectedly tasty delight and it cumbled easily over the pasta to blend with the rest of the dish so you got a piece with every mouthful. Even my friend had to admit that my dish reigned supreme that evening and I was very happy with my choice.To go with our lavish meal, we had humbly ordered the most affordable Pinot Noir by the glass - and it was an excellent choice.After that lavish pasta I was pretty much done but ever the glutton, my friend ordered a portion of the classic Aqua signature Tiramisu. I didn't even have to try it to know it is awesome as I had tasted it many times before. And judging by my friend's sheepish grin, it was just what he had wanted.This was again a spectacular dinner with excellent service, breathtaking views and an atmosphere that is very hard to trump if you ask me.After the meal, we went upstairs to the bar where the party "A Night in Omotesando" was in full swing. The professional make-up artists was there beautifying women, turning them into gorgeous geishas, while two stunningly beautiful dancers in short kimonos did a jaw dropping performance on the dancefloor. We indulged in Porn Star Martinis - it was a night to remember!We sure will be back for more over the festive season!…Read More

We started with a glass of my favourite (Veuve Cliquot Champagne) which, through the course of the evening turned into a bottle, because we loved the atmosphere of this place and had such a great time.As we were a little late, we omitted the appetizers and went straight for the main course, which wasn't on the menu any more, but the friendly staff said they would be happy to oblige our craving for "Moules Frites" (mussels with French fries).The presentations was really cute - the fries came in a little basket that looks just like the frying baskets you see in restaurants in France...The Moules were just perfect: They served the really small mussels that you usually only get in Europe (very sweet and aromatic flesh; must more intense than the usual fare). The Moules were just right, tender but not overcooked and with a generous juis and pretty little gem-like nuggets of lemon that added the zesty flair to the amazing aroma. I dare say these were the best Moules I've had outside of Europe so far. The French fries were golden and had a nice crunch to them while retaining a fluffy texture on the inside - just how we like them.We were offered second helpings of fries, but instead of giving in to our inner pig we indulged in our inner hog and ordered some delicious desserts.My chocoholic friend ordered a rather devilish cocolate cake that was filled with hot chocolate "lava" like a fondant and came topped with a very nice icecream and a dollop of praline. It didn't last long on his plate so I think it is safe to say that it was excellent.I went for the Paris-Brest, one of my favourite desserts at La Marmite and while it was very yummy, I was a little disappointed that it came with pistaccios than with the usual almonds that I love so much. Still, it was rather delicious and I didn't leave a morsel.Overall, a successful dinner. The staff was extremely friendly and helpful and we really enjoyed the relaxed unpretentious atmosphere and the nice background music. It felt just like dining in Paris. We'll be back for sure!…Read More

This little hole in the wall diner is so unpretentious that everytime I visit, I'm reminded of the fact that THIS is what food should be all about: Simple, fresh, healthy, delicious - and affordable & fast as well - what more can you possibl want!As usual, I started with an order of a fresh young coconut, which - in this case, was again of perfect age, meaning that the flesh was still very translucent and jellylike, making the water extremely thirst-quenching and healthy. (The properties of this drink change with the maturity of the coconut. Sadly, most other diners in HK serve coconuts that are way too old, with hard flesh and coconut water that already lost most its original health benefits...)I ordered my favourite salad, the chicken salad with crunchy vegetable. It is always a delight and everytime I eat it, I think to myself: How could I have forgotten how wonderful this is and why don't I come here more often?! The vegetable is so finely shredded that it is like a crazy birds nest and it is laced with crunchy bits of fried shallot and gently poached chicken that has been hand-pulled. The salad has a Vietnamese dressing with delicious punctuation of lemon and a sweet note that is highly addictive.Since I wanted to try something new, I also ordered the Turmeric grilled Vietnamese fish, which came on a bed of steamed rice noodles. How glad I am to have ordered this. Another perfect dish that I was truly delighted with: The fish was grilled to have a slightly crispy skin while the inside was succulently moist and perfectly shiny, just how I like it. I'm not sure what type of fish it was but it reminded me of my favourite black cod. The fresh dill herb was the ideal condiment for this dish and the noodles added extra texture and held the lovely juices from the fish. Again, I am amazed by this wonderful little diner. Wish I could go more often and pray that one day they'll open a branch near my home... Love it!…Read More

This wasn't my first visit to this yummy diner and I think it is high time for a review. While some foreigners may be fooled by the name Xi Yan "Sweets", this little restaurant serves far more than just sweets (though their desserts are legendary!). The moment I sat down, a waiter came and poured hot tea (which is complimentary - a very civilized notion that I keep missing in Western restaurants...). With the tea arrived the long menu and I studied it hard for a very long time as choosing is a little difficult, because everything sounds delicious and I had to remember that I was eating alone and couldn't go overboard....I wanted something I knew was good and something absolutely diffrent and new so I decided on a rather naughty combination of my favourite "Dry Dan Dan Mien" noodles and the intriguing sounding "Crispy Fried Duck, Stuffed with Rice".The Dan Dan Mien arrived pretty pronto and I must say that while it wasn't quite as spicy as I would've liked, it was absolutely divine and the texture of the noodles was superb, springy and elastic and just that little bit chewy.... Perfect!When the duck arrived, I was at first a little disappointed as the colour didn't do much for me. But I needn't have worried, because the delicious texture and flavouring more than made up for its bland look. The duck was crispy on the outside and the meat was succulent and moist while the rice was fragrant and with just the right amount of stickiness to make these oblong pieces easy to grasp and eat. Overall, this was a very good dining experience. Only "slight" downturn was that they brought the bill even before I had finished. But I guess they had to ensure I understood what "last orders" means and I may have outstayed my welcome by ordering two main dishes...hahaha... Still, I'll be back of course. Love this diner. …Read More

The younger hipster sister of TiVo Central is located at a prime K-Town Praya location, right on the corner of Holland Street, and is super easy to find as the Ding Dings and buses stop right outside. Due to my friend's travel plans we needed an early breakfast and were pleasantly surprised that this friendly diner had their doors already wide open by 8:30am to greet us on this Mid-Autumn Festival morning. (A little later, the staff opened the restaurant's huge French windows, which fold all the way open and allow the fresh breeze from the nearby ocean to enter - what a delight!)We flung ourselves down on the gorgeous distressed leather seats in urban shabby chic design that reminded us of New York rather than Hong Kong actually. The tables were already set and the menus were nicely laid out on the table, so we could get down to business right away while water was being poured. My cappuccino was perfectly excuted and though it didn't last long in my cup, it certainly woke me from my dopey morning state and helped me make a decision on my food. Being a fan of good eggs, I ordered the 63 degree eggs, which came on a lightly toasted English Muffin with a glorious mash of grilled squash (pumpkin) and a lustrous bed of mesclun mix salad with a mild vinaigrette. The eggs were absolutely perfect, possibly the best poach I've seen in years and the sweetnes of the squash/pumpkin combined so well with it that I begged my friend to try it, too, and she admitted that it was a truly awesome dish she'd wished she had ordered. Having said that, my friend had ordered the Swiss muesli with toasted almonds and fresh berries and it did look rather yummy, too. (It didn't last long so I can only assume that it was as wonderful as it looked.)All in all, I must commend the team of TiVo-KT to be super friendly and always at the ready the moment we wanted a refill or something else. I will be back to visit this "new kid on the block" again, probably for brunch when they offer an extended menu with even more delights.…Read More

While I'm not a fan of the often mediocre coffee and dubious "food items" to be had in our countless coffee shops that seem to be popping up like mushrooms everywhere, I must say that I was pleasantly surprised with this outlet.True, the staff seemed a little inexperienced and didn't help us find a table nor did they tell us if they would serve us or if we'd have to order from the counter (these things are not "self-understood" these days... or maybe I'm just a bit old-fashioned). Anyway, we found the perfect seat with a splendid view of Johnston Road and ordered capuccinos and some "Churro" (a curious South American delight I've been dying to try for ages...). I must say that the wait for our order was a bit long and I think others who came in after we did were served before us, but I suppose it was to ensure that we'd have our coffee with the "Churro", which obviously was made freshly and took a while.Oh, and it was SO worth the wait!!!The "Churro" was hot and crispy crunchy, coated in a delicious combination of cinnamon and sugar and accompanied by a very good coffee ice cream doused in a little caramel sauce. Absolutely addictive and wonderful.This is something I will come back for.The coffee was good, too, and came with a cute heart-shape in the foam, but I must admit I found it hard to concentrate on the coffee while considering whether to have a second helping of the Churro or not...Well done Coffee Academics!…Read More