zia zia~~的个人专页

I decided to swing by Don Don Donki while waiting for my ride to pick me up.  It's been a few months since I've been to Donki having been overseas in the past couple months.  The last time I was here, the food court level was closed for renovations, and now it's open with new options.  One of them was the Yasuda Seimai Counter, which sells rice along with onigiri prepared to order.  I was transiting through Tokyo and wondered how fresh onigiri would taste like, and here I am with a counter that makes them!  I was heading home for dinner but couldn't resist ordering!About 5 minutes later, 3 minced tuna onigiri were ready to go home with me!Minced Tuna Onigiri: I'm not exaggerating, but freshly-made onigiri is a revelation!  The seaweed was aromatic and crunchy, and the rice was so fluffy and also aromatic!  Each bite was equally flavorful and delicious!  I'll sound stupid and say it, this onigiri is miles better than the convenient store stuff, and even the onigiri kiosks are no where in comparison! This onigiri is pricier but definitely worth the $30 price tag!I'm definitely coming back in the future and ordering the various onigiri on the menu!…查看更多

I came back to Hong Kong for the holidays, and as soon as my quarantine was over, godbro XO wanted to meet up for dinner.  We've been trying to check out Bacchus since it opened but between the pandemic and my travel schedule, we finally made it here right around Christmas!From the photos I saw on instagram, I knew that Bacchus has this special light effect from the lamp on the table. So, I decided to leave my photos as they are with the light effect from the lamp.The restaurant is very spacious with tables spaced far apart, and the seats are deep seated, comfy couches!We decided to go with the dinner set menu. I chose the fish as my main course.After placing our orders, the bread basket was served.The bread rolls were warm to the touch with a crispy crust.  The truffle honey dipping sauce was delish!Parm Ham Roll Salad: The salad greens were fresh and crunchy, while the salad dressing complemented the saltiness of the parma ham.French Onion Soup: The broth base was very flavorful unlike the bland chicken broth that most restaurants get away with locally!  This French Onion Soup is not overly cheesy with a singular slice of baguette, and the strands of onions were caramelized.  Seabass w/Apple, Fennel & Celery: The seabass had the perfect crispy skin, the scallop had a caramelized crust, and the prawn was plump and not a bit overcooked at all!  The plating was beautiful as well!Apple Crumble: This was a different take on apple crumble!  Instead of a caramel apple base with crumble topping, this had a crumble crust, sorbet base, and caramel apple on top.  All the different layers contrasted against each other, and it was an excellent combination of sweet and tart!Mulled Wine: The Christmas beverage was definitely cozy with the warm spices.  Very festive!Godbro XO and I had a cozy festive Pre-Christmas dinner at Bacchus.  If you're still looking for a venue for the winter holidays season, make a reservation at Bacchus through OpenRice right away!…查看更多

I was meeting up with godbro Garfield in Central, and I wanted to find something light and healthy for lunch as godbro was working out in the morning, and I had a marathon hair appointment afterwards where I'd be sitting for a long time.  I found this salad bar that's half a block from my hair salon, and we decided to avoid the lunch hour crowd and meet up around 2.Once I stepped into Lite, I was greeted by the gigantic REP sign, so you know the salad bar is a collaboration with the fitness center upstairs.Since we are still in a pandemic, of course, there's the usual temperature scanner and hand sanitizer.The salad bar has a glass partition, so it felt pretty sanitary that patrons cannot reach in to point at their selections.There's a spacious lounge area next to the salad bar.After looking at the menu and the specials they were offering, godbro went with his original plan of ordering a salad, and I was lured by the sourdough and yogurt!Godbro Garfield's lunch!My lunch!Our beverages: I got a banana smoothie, and godbro got a cold latte.Banana Smoothie: The sweetness level was just right without overpowering the banana flavor!Cold Latte: godbro ordered this cold latte with oat milkSourdough with Jam: Sourdough has a crunchy crust, and the bread had a good chewy texture. Jam was yummy with the fruit and nut loaf.Yogurt parfait: The Greek yogurt was thick and creamy, while the honey added just enough sweetness to balance the tartness. Granola pieces added a delightful crunch element.Customize Your Own Salad: I had a bite of godbro’s salad, and the mango vinaigrette was delish, and the avocado pieces were really fresh with not a tinge of gray!I liked the mango vinaigrette a lot, so I'm definitely going back to Lite to grab a salad in the future!  And, godbro Garfield has already returned in the same week for another post workout lunch!…查看更多

I was doing my hotel quarantine at Marriott Ocean Park, and I ordered a vegetarian dinner one night and didn't like it very much.  I decided to check out the food delivery option that the hotel was advertising in the room and ordered some food from Prohibition.The order was placed through an app, and promptly after I placed my order, the restaurant called to confirm my order, and they also asked what beverage I wanted to have with my chicken tenders!  It was not apparent, in the food ordering app, that a beverage was included, so this was a pleasant surprise!About a half hour later, the restaurant called again to let me know the order was ready and has been delivered to the hotel to be transferred to my room.  Shortly after that, I received my food at my room.American Chicken Tenders, Beer Potato Chips, Honey Mustard (HK$158): As the name of the dish was American Chicken Tenders, I fully expected the Beer Potato Chips to be American chips, rather than fried potatoes!  The chicken tenders were very delicious; they had a crispy crust, and the chicken meat was very tender and not dry at all!  The fried potatoes had a seasoned crispy shell and soft mushy potatoes on the inside.  They were probably a better companion to the chicken tenders than the potato chips I expected.  Most of the meals I had during my hotel quarantine were excellent.  On this night, it was a personal preference issue that I didn't like my dinner.  Prohibition came to the rescue with some delicious comfort food.  I would probably return to the restaurant for an actual meal in the future!…查看更多

During the Lunar New Year holidays, we decided to check out the new pizza place in Happy Valley.  Dough Bros is located on Yick Yam Street but hidden in the alley corner with a couple other restaurants/cafes.We called ahead to make sure they were open and took take away orders.  My brother ordered the Parma Ham pizza and meatballs, but I didn't try those.  I ordered my usual pizza--pepperoni pizza.Dough Bros called us when the order was ready, and there was a small cluster of people hovering at the entrance of the pizza place when I arrived to pick up the order.  There wasn't too much outdoor seating, so I guess most of them were take away orders.I picked up my order, and the server was nice enough to bag my order as I only had one free arm to hold everything.The Pepperoni ($108): The pizza was still warm when we got home.  The highlight of the pizza was definitely the sourdough crust with a nice crispy bottom and the right amount of chewiness.  They didn't skim on the cheese or sauce, but there could have been a couple more slices of pepperoni.  The pepperoni is the thicker slices that you usually get in HK versus the thinner ones on NY pizzas.  I wasn't expecting the basil leaves as the description of the pizza only said "Tomato, Mozzarella, Pepperoni".  There was a burn bubble on the pizza, but it happens.   This was definitely a good pizza, an the price is much better than other "specialty" pizza places in town! With the excellent quality and decent pricing of their pizzas, my family will definitely be getting pizzas from Dough Bros in the future, but my brother said he won't bother ordering the meatballs again (they were quite dry according to him!)…查看更多

As I love to munch on snacks all the time, I shop at The Hennessy a lot.  During one of my shopping trips, I saw that there's a new Japanese restaurant and decided to check it out for one of my birthday month outings.UO n is located on the third floor of The Hennessy.The decor is quite modern which represents the theme of the Japanese fusion cuisine the restaurant serves.  Godbro XO and I were seated in one of the booths which gives us a little bit of privacy.After placing our order for the $980 omakase dinner for both of us, an apple juice and sake aperitif was served.For the first course, we were greeted by this mysterious dome of smoke!When the cloche was lifted and the smoke dissipated, a bird's nest emerged.Nestled in the bird's nest were a golden bird along with a couple slices of smoked duck breast and eggs.We had the Smoked Duck Breast first, where the smoke flavor was much more prominent than the usual smoked duck breast we've had before. The Smoked Eggs would've been better if they were soft boiled rather than hard boiled.  As we had the duck breast before the eggs, the smoke flavor was much less detectable in the eggs.  The eggs were still delicious with the smoky element nonetheless.Next, we were served the Avocado Tartar, where you couldn't tell what was hidden in the avocado half shell when presented.Underneath the creamy avocado concoction were sashimi pieces and all the way in the bottom was one singular piece of tamagoyaki.  The sashimi pieces were incredibly succulent with the tantalizing concoction of avocado and wasabi dressing.For our soup course, the chef prepared the Bonito and Ox Bone Broth at the table.The Bonito and Ox Bone Broth was prepared in a siphon coffee maker where the ox bone broth gets infused with the flavor from the bonito flakes.After the ox bone broth finished cooking in the siphon coffee maker, the chef poured the hot broth into bowls that had the rest of the ingredients for the soup.The bonito and ox bone broth was very flavorful and delectable, while the rest of the soup ingredients such as the lotus roots and meatball were soft and toothsome!When the next course was presented, we were surprised to see newspaper on our plates!  Turns out the newspaper is actually edible paper wafer that had newspaper contents printed on it with edible ink!  Rolled inside the newspaper was a piece of teriyaki chicken.The Teriyaki Chicken in Newspaper was a chicken thigh piece that was very tender and seasoned just right with teriyaki sauce.  The newspaper wafer gave the teriyaki chicken a slightly crispy texture which was very interesting.For the fried food course, we had a Prawn Fritter with Wonton Strips.  The wonton strips were very crunchy, and the minced prawn ball had a bouncy texture.  Situated in the center was a delicately placed pieces of umeboshi which added another flavor dimension to the fritter!In between the courses, we had a Pineapple Sorbet to cleanse our palates.  The sorbet was served in cute pineapple cups!For the sushi course, the sushi was definitely not what we expected!  What were these mysteriously wrapped items on our plates?The first piece of sushi was a Botan Ebi Sushi wrapped in Soybean Paper.   The botan ebi was tender and succulent, and soybean paper was much softer in texture compared to the usual crispy nori.For the Salmon Lettuce Roll, a slice of seared salmon belly was wrapped in butter lettuce along with some sushi rice.  The salmon belly was incredibly luscious, and the butter lettuce and sushi rice balanced out the greasiness of the salmon!  The butter lettuce was an ideal choice as it had a crispy texture without being overly crunchy like iceberg or romaine.The rice course had a whimsical presentation, where the rice was wrapped like a tiny parcel and the garnish was plated next to it.The Shrimp Broth Sticky Rice Parcel with Crab Roe Paste was a flavor bomb! Each of the separate components (shrimp broth and crab roe paste) were umami providers on their own and consumed together, the umami factor was amplified!  The sticky rice was definitely delectable, and the pungent flavors of the shrimp broth and crab roe paste kept echoing in my mouth!For the dessert course, the Yuzu Jello had to be eaten while sipping on the Kyoho Grape Spritzer.  On its own, the yuzu jello had a slight bitter flavor, but if you take a sip of the grape spritzer, the sweetness of the Kyoho Grapes counters the bitterness!I'm usually not a big fan of fusion cuisine because so many chefs try too hard to combine elements that do not go together!  At UO n though, I enjoyed the whimsical omakase dinner, where there were many surprises while the food remained absolutely delicious!  …查看更多

I met up with a friend for dinner a couple weeks ago, and since she lives in the New Territories and I live on HK Island, we decided to meet up in Tsim Sha Tsui.  She recommended Xiheyayuan which is in Harbour City.  We were seated in one of the partitioned seating areas which had a bit more privacy, but the booths in the general dining area had duck cushions to highlight the signature Peking duck dish!By the entrance of the restaurant, you can see the special brick oven for roasting the Peking ducks!I let my friend place the dinner order as she's been to the restaurant before and knows the menu better!Black Truffle Seafood Soup: I was surprised that the black truffle didn't overpower the flavor of the seafood.  The black truffle was very aromatic, and there were plenty of seafood pieces!Stewed Fish Maw in Original-Flavored Soup: I took a sip of my friend's soup, and I could really taste the flavor of the dried seafood ingredients!The Peking Duck came with a variety of condiments, and some of them definitely delivered a wow factor, such as the popping candies and blueberry sauce.  I have never tried Peking duck with these condiments before.The pancakes that came with the Peking duck were very thin as you can see my hand was clearly visible beneath the pancake.The Peking Duck was served 3 ways--the crispy skin, the skin with tender meat attached, and the skin pieces that were not as crispy.  For each of the 3 preparations, there are recommended condiments to complement each of them.  With the various condiments, you can get the traditional way of eating Peking duck and try innovative ways as well!Crispy Pork Trotter, Fishermen's Style: This was an interesting fusion of Cantonese and German cuisines! The pork trotter was tender and succulent, and the huge mound of garlic was quite crispy and full of flavor!We thought the Fresh Okra with Soy Oyster Sauce would be a cold dish, but it was actually served warm, and the sichuan peppers gave it a nice spicy kick!With the restaurant's Beijing background, it was quite obvious that the wait staff was trained Chinese style. As we sat by the entrance, I saw that the hostess had a hard time communicating with English-speaking patrons. The servers tried to be courteous, but there were some hits and misses. Overall, the food was good, view excellent, and service average. …查看更多

I returned to Hong Kong a few weeks ago, and godbro XO told me that a popup store in TST was selling some minion goodies, so we decided to go shopping together on the 4th of July.  After some uneventful shopping, we decided to grab dinner in TST.  We wanted to splurge a little since it's the 4th of July, and we felt like celebrating a little.  We went to Hau Fook Street and found G One Sushi which has many happy reviews on OpenRice!As the elevator doors opened on the 18th floor, we were greeted by multiple posters and ads on the walls.Since we didn't make a reservation, we were seated at the sushi bar, where the tables were set neatly, and there were various condiments readily available.After getting seated, we decided to order quite a few items featured on the blackboard menu and a few other dishes recommended by the server.Japanese Sea Grapes and Tomato Salad ($128): I have been wanting to try Japanese sea grapes forever and had to order this salad after I saw it on the blackboard menu.  The seagrapes were crunchy and went pop, pop, pop in my mouth.  The tomato was incredibly flavorful and juicy, and the Japanese style salad dressing was delightful with the fresh veggies.The sushi chef combined the 3 types of sashimi we ordered in one big platter.The lobster was so fresh that the legs were still flexing in the platter when it was served!Lobster Sashimi ($348): The lobster sashimi was very fresh--the sashimi had a soft crisp texture and a natural sweet flavor!Japanese Live Uni ($168): You know you're in for a treat when fresh uni is served in the half shell rather than a wooden slab!  The uni had a fresh pungent flavor!  Yum!Scallop Sashimi ($128):  The sashimi from the scallop body was succulent and toothsome, and the skirt pieces had a slight crunch to them!Managatsuo Sashimi ($220): The managatsuo sashimi is thinly-sliced and garnished with delectable seaweed vinegar and uni sauce.  The managatsuo sashimi was incredibly flavorful and had a silky texture from its natural oils.Japanese Fresh White Corn ($158): I've started to love eating fresh corn raw.  I find that fresh corn can taste just like a fresh crunchy apple but better!  And, this Japanese corn had the same yummy sweetness just like the fresh New Jersey corn in the mid-summer season!Kuromutsu Sushi ($78): The kuromutsu is a flavor-forward fish with a soft meaty texture which was delightful with the sushi rice flavored with red vinegar.Shiro Ebi Sushi ($58): The shiro ebi was very fresh, and the teeny tiny white shrimps had the succulent natural sweetness that only comes from small shrimps!Wagyu Miso Stew ($98):  The wagyu in the stew was extremely tender, and the turnip and miso soup retained their own distinct flavors without overpowering the other components in the stew!Lobster Head in Miso Soup ($15):  This soup is the perfect way not to waste the lobster shells, but it was surprisingly flavorful for the short cooking time involved.  The leftover bits of lobster in the shell infused its flavor into the miso soup!Tsukune with Egg Yolk Sauce ($32):  I'm usually not a fan of tsukune because I find minced chicken usually dry and flavorless, but this skewer was very juicy and fully basted with sweet tare sauce.  I only needed to add a little bit of the egg yolk sauce, and it was already very tasty!Although the shopping in TST was quite disappointing, the dinner restaurant choice definitely wasn't!  With this Japanese dinner, I definitely don't miss the usual BBQ fare of hot dogs and burgers for the 4th of July!…查看更多

April is godbro XO's birthday month, so I decided to meet up with XO's honey to discuss some birthday plans.  We decided to meet up in Central after XO's honey got off work.  I made a reservation for the two of us at Amici after seeing the promotion on OpenRice that upon spending $400, there will be a complimentary oyster platter.  I didn't read the promotion correctly and printed the promotion instead of making the reservation online, but the restaurant still granted us with the promotion and gave us the complimentary oyster platter.The restaurant is nicely decorated with leather-like seating and geometric light fixtures.  The tables were spaced apart, so they were not crammed.  I would add some felt pads to the wooden chair legs as they did drag on the wooden flooring.Our seats were already set with the place settings, and once we were seated, the server filled our glasses with water and refilled them periodically throughout the meal.After looking through the menu, we decided to order a salad, a pasta dish, a main course, and a dessert to split between the two of us.After placing our order, we were served two types of bread with oil and vinegar.  There was a lighter white bread and an herbaceous focaccia-like bread.  After the bread, we were served the complimentary Oyster Platter which included 3 oysters garnished with different toppings.Oyster with Seaweed Jelly:  The seaweed jelly complemented the salinity of the oyster and had a surprising umami effect.Oyster with Salmon Caviar and White Balsamico: The Salmon Caviar wasn't overly salty, and the acidity of white balsamic balanced out the salinity of the salmon roe and the oyster.  It was an interesting match!Oyster with Lemongrass Foam: The lemongrass foam had an appetizing citrus burst, and it added a light bright flavor to the oyster!  Out of the 3 oysters, I liked this one the best!Roasted Quail Salad, Pecans, Apple, Truffle Oil, and Amici Dressing ($158):  The roasted quail was very succulent, the flesh was tender, and the skin was flavorful.  The truffle oil was quite aromatic, and the acidic dressing was delightful against the crunchiness of the fresh greens, pecans, and apple pieces.Pan-seared Grouper, Chorizo Sausage, Salanx Fish ($348): The grouper had a perfectly-seared crispy skin, and the salanx fish pieces were equally crispy.  The chorizo and haricot vert mixture atop the fish was very delectable and added another dimension of flavor to the grouper.Squid Ink Risotto, Sea Scallops, Calamari and Parmesan Cheese ($188):  The risotto was completely doused with squid ink sauce, and within the risotto were toothsome pieces of chopped sea scallops.  The calamari rings on top had the ideal firm and bouncy texture. Crème Brûlée ($78):  This crème brûlée had the perfect sugar crust that cracked when I hit it with the spoon!  The custard underneath was smooth, and I could see little dots of vanilla dispersed throughout.Amici was the perfect venue for XO's honey and I to talk about birthday plans for XO as the restaurant was cozy and quiet, the food was delicious, and the servers were nice and courteous!…查看更多

After a doctor's visit on Monday, my grandma wanted to have some pho for afternoon tea.  I decided to check out Pho Le since it's located in WTC More, where there is easy wheelchair access.We got to Pho Le around 5:30, and there was no wait.  The servers gave us a table right by the windows where we had an excellent view of the harbor.   The servers also gave us the condiments for pho when she sat us at the table.Along with the fresh herbs, lime, and bean sprouts, other condiments, chopsticks, and napkins were readily available on the table.My grandma decided to order a pho to share with her helper along with a rice paper roll and an order of spring rolls to share amongst us.I decided to order a pho and an iced Vietnamese coffee for myself.Iced Vietnamese Drip Coffee ($30): The coffee was served in the usual Vietnamese coffee dripping pot with a cup underneath that already had condensed milk in it.  So, I waited for the coffee to stop dripping, then stirred it up and poured it over the ice in the tall glass.  The coffee was smooth and strong, but I would have liked it to be just a tad sweeter.Shrimp and Vietnamese Sausage Rice Paper Roll (2 pcs) ($30): The rice paper roll was rolled nice and tight where it didn't fall apart when I took a bite.  The filling had a nice balance of meat versus veggies, and it was delicious with the seasoned fish sauce!Pork and Shrimp Spring Roll (4 pcs) ($38): The spring rolls came with pickled carrots which was a nice touch.  I wrapped a piece of the spring roll with the lettuce and added a few strands of pickled carrots.  The lettuce and carrots were fresh and crunchy, while the spring roll was equally crunchy!  While the flavored fish sauce gave the spring roll a nice savory flavor, the pickled carrots gave a bright acidic burst!  Next time, I'll remember to add the pickled carrots when I have Vietnamese spring rolls again!Pho with Med Rare Beef ($63): Last but not least, we have the pho, which Pho Le claims to be the best in Ho Chi Minh City.  I have never been to Vietnam before, so I can't comment on the authenticity of the pho, but this was one of the best bowls of pho I've ever had.  I followed the recommendation on how to savor the noodles as directed on the table.  So, I first took a spoonful of the broth, and it was very flavorful and didn't make me crave a cola, so the broth is not pumped full of MSG like some restaurants in Hong Kong.  Then, I crushed up the basil and tore it apart and dropped it into the bowl along with the bean sprouts.  Next, I swirled the noodles around as it was formed into a ball in the bottom of the bowl.  Then, I savored a slice of the beef which was incredibly tender!  (My grandma also said the beef was very tender, and she can't stand beef that is just a little bit tough!)  The flat noodles were soft and smooth and easily slipped between my lips!  This bowl of pho was so yummy, there was barely any broth left when I was done, and I usually leave the broth after I finish soup noodles!The pho at Pho Le was so good that I'm already planning my next visit at the end of the week!…查看更多

I wanted to go to Lee Tung Avenue and take pictures of the Chinese New Year decorations there.  The red lanterns were really pretty, and the piggy banks were quite cute.  I asked godbro XO to meet up with me at Lee Tung Avenue, so he can help me with snapping the photos, and after we were done, we decided to grab a bite to eat.  XO has been to Bistro Seoul before and said the food is pretty good, so we decided to go there.After getting seated, XO ordered a beer for his happy hour rituals while I picked the food.After placing our orders, the servers presented us with the banchan, which included three side dishes.The side dishes included a cabbage kimchi, a crunchy root vegetable, and a radish kimchi.  These side dishes went really well with the rice I ordered.Baked Soy Sauce Glazed Chicken Wings with Garlic ($98): I ordered these wings hoping they would be similar to the ones I've had at Korean chicken joints in the US, and they didn't disappoint!The wings had a crunchy shell that was full of sweet and savory soy and garlic flavors!  Yum!Eonyang Bulgogi Served with Fresh Vegetables ($198): The bulgogi had a very delectable flavor and was excellent with the Korean rice.The fresh vegetables were incredibly crunchy, and the lettuce had the perfect pop while wrapped around the bulgogi.Korean Rice with Daily Soup ($20): Since I ordered the bulgogi, I knew I had to order some warm fluffy Korean rice to accompany the dish!The daily soup was a little bland after the very flavorful chicken wings and bulgogi.I've been looking for a Korean chicken restaurant in Hong Kong that serves the same soy garlic wings I have had in the US, but none of the restaurants I've been to had them.  I have pretty much given up on my search, and, of course, I find them when godbro XO and I decided to have Korean food on a whim!…查看更多

During the Christmas holidays, I was checking Instagram and saw that DK Cuppa Tea has released a new afternoon tea set!  I couldn't wait to try it, so I made a reservation for the first Saturday of 2019 to kick off the foodie new year with godbro XO!As soon as we arrived at the entrance of DK Cuppa Tea, we were greeted by a reindeer surrounded by a giant wreath welcoming us to our Happy Paradise Afternoon Tea.When we were seated, it wasn't hard to tell that the new tea set has a color scheme of turquoise blue and a whimsical reindeer theme!Similar to the afternoon tea sets, XO and I have tried in the past, this set started with the drawing of Owner Kat's, Magic Cards followed by us making our wishes on the butterflies.Which Magic Card did I draw?  It's a secret!  Haha!After making our wishes, we added some Fascination essence to our Lavender Earl Grey Tea!Since I can't take my tea too hot, I watched the cotton candy cloud rain sugar icicles into my tea!  The cotton candy added a light sweetness to the very aromatic Organic Lavender Earl Grey Tea!After sipping on our tea, we were presented with the tray filled with the various components of the tea set!  With the numerous reindeers, the tray looked like an enchanted winter wonderland!We decided to start with the Black Truffle Porcini Soup which was incredibly creamy and had a rich black truffle aroma!Smoked Salmon and Hokkaido Jumbo Scallop with Potato Cake; Escargot with Mashed Potatoes: The escargot was tender and had a nice garlicky flavor which paired well with the fluffy mashed potatoes.The smoked salmon had a delectable oiliness while the scallop was very toothsome and cooked to the perfect doneness.  Paired with the potato cake, these made quite a delicious little tower!Salami with Brie and Cheddar:  The salami was quite pepper-forward, and I'm a little sensitive to black pepper, so it was a little strong to my liking, but the Brie cheese helped balance out some of the strong pepper flavor!  The butterfly that was fluttering above the salami and cheese is actually an edible wafer!Freeze-Dried Fruit Chips with Black Truffle Powder: I've had freeze-dried fruit chips before, but I've never had freeze-dried star fruit or figs before.Also, I've never had fruit chips with black truffle powder before, which made an interesting combination of aromatic black truffle and sweet and sour fruity flavors!I really liked the fig chips because they were bigger pieces, and it was like biting into chunky pieces of crunchy fruit puffs! Owner Kat had to perform a little magic on the Starry Chocolate Dessert Cup to reveal what was inside the starry chocolate domes!Hidden inside the chocolate dome were a yuzu cheesecake and blueberries.Starry Chocolate Dessert Cup--Yuzu Cheesecake, Blueberries, and Dark Chocolate Sauce:  The dark chocolate sauce was not very sweet, so it complemented the yuzu cheesecake and blueberries delightfully!  This dessert cup was the perfect combination of chocolate and fruits!Black Truffle French Panna Cotta:  Usually panna cotta is smooth, but this panna cotta had a slice of black truffle in it, which added a small crunch factor to it while not overpowering the vanilla flavor!Reindeer White Chocolate: this white chocolate cameo wasn't cloyingly sweet, but compared to the super chocolaty dessert cup, this was a little plain. but it was fun to munch on a reindeer!  Sorry Rudolph!While we were savoring on the new afternoon tea set and enjoying our time in the "Happy Paradise", we couldn't help but ask Owner Kat why it took such a long time with the release of this new tea set, and she let us know that she was working on another project for the majority of 2018!  She took on this "Magic of Happiness" project after some major life events, and since it's the new year, I'm gonna spread some of Kat's "Magic of Happiness" here too!…查看更多

My uncle treated the family to dinner at Belgos last month.  Belgos is a Belgian restaurant in the newly opened Lee Garden 3.  My uncle is a share holder of the restaurant, so he wanted our honest opinion of the restaurant.We arrived at the restaurant on a Sunday night, and since our party consisted of 8 people, the tables on the ground level weren't large enough for our party, so we had to help our grandma up the stairs to the upper level.  The ground level consisted of a few tables along with a pretty decent sized bar area.  The wall behind the bar area was painted to resemble a famous painting.Up along the ceiling were numerous umbrellas that were decorated with the Belgos logo and various pictures.Once seated, we noticed that on the placemat was the definition of a bonvivant.  Are you a bonvivant?  I'd like to think I'm a bonvivant!While we were looking at the menu, my uncle ordered a pot of mussels and a clam bowl to get dinner started!After we were done ordering our main courses, the pot of mussels arrived.Moules Marinières--White wine, garlic, onion, parsley, cream, with bread and fries ($238): The mussels were served in a heavy pot which was better than the traditional metal pot or bucket as the mussels didn't get cold quickly.The mussels were plump and perfectly tender !  I believe this is the ideal size for mussels rather than the giant ones you usually see in the frozen section (those are usually tough and hard to chew!)  The white wine and cream sauce was incredibly delicious, and I almost wanted to down it like a soup!Although the mussels already came with some bread, the mere couple of slices were no where near enough to sop up the sauce in the mussel pot, so we asked for extra bread and were informed that there's a charge for bread.  This was the side order of bread, where they charged $25 for the 3 slices.  We thought the charge was a little steep for bread!Clam Bowl--NY Manila clams in a white wine cherry tomato broth with onion, garlic, basil, and parsley ($178): The clams were very meaty and tender as well.  The broth was very flavorful, while the mussels sauce was creamy, this broth was lighter and had a robust tomato flavor!  We wanted to order another clam bowl, but they ran out!House Salad--Mixed greens, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, shallots, and sesame dressing ($88): While the salad greens were very fresh and crunchy, it was a little strange to see the salad dressed in a local-flavored sesame dressing which was not very European!Lobster Bisque--An aromatic lobster and vegetable soup, with a dash of cognac and star anise ($68):  Although the lobster bisque was flavorful and cognac-forward, it was incredibly thin and not creamy enough.  (This was my brother's soup, and I stole a spoonful of it!)I ordered the fish and chips for my main course, while it was aesthetically-pleasing to see the fish and chips piled high on a platter, it was a little clumsy to eat as I tried to pry the chips from underneath the heavier fish strips!Sole Goujons and Chips--Bread-crumbed sole fillet, fries, tartar sauce and fresh lemon ($158): The strips of fish were coated in a very crispy batter, and the fish fillet was flaky and tender, but I prefer the more traditional preparation where whole fillets of fish were battered and fried.  The fries were fried to a perfect golden crispness, and I just munched on them one after another!My cousin ordered the shrimp croquettes, and I stole one from him.Shrimp Croquettes--Lobster-flavored shrimp croquettes, served with tartar sauce and fresh lemon ($98):  The croquette had a crunchy shell, and it was filled with an ooey gooey shrimp filling.A meal is not complete without dessert, and when I saw Crème Brūlée on the menu, I couldn't resist!Crème Brūlée Aux Spéculoos--Vanilla-flavored crème brūlée with spéculoos biscuit ($70):  The crème brūlée is already a favorite of mine, and this one is topped with spéculoos crumbs making it even more enticing!The crème brūlée had a perfect sugar crust that shattered like a piece of glass when I hit it with my spoon.  The custard was smooth, and there were plenty of vanilla seeds through out.  Each bite of the crème brūlée consisted of smooth delicious custard, crispy sugar crust, and crunchy spéculoos crumbs!Although our dinner at Belgos was absolutely delicious, we couldn't help but notice the inconsistency in service!  Other than the manager, Ann, and a Filipino server named Jasper (I think that's his name, as it was a little loud in the restaurant, and I couldn't hear his name clearly), the rest of the staff were quite rude and absent-minded.  At one point, we had to ask four times before our water glasses were refilled.  We can understand that the restaurant is relatively new, and the staff can still be quite green, but the attitude was uncalled for. The servers kept walking away while taking our orders for main course, and they looked like they were angry at all the patrons (not just our table) and didn't want to be there.  I'm quite lenient in giving happy faces to new restaurants as it's not easy to survive in the restaurant scene in HK.  As the food was really good, I'm leaning towards giving them a happy face as they did have two servers that were very courteous compared to the rest of the staff, and that was the saving grace service-wise (or else, this would have definitely been knocked down to an ok for sure!)  Disclaimer: As my uncle is a share holder, he received a 20% share holder discount as shown in the receipt.…查看更多

Godbro XO returned from his Taiwan trip and had some souvenirs for me, so we decided to meet up for happy hour around where he works in Wanchai.He knows I like Hello Kitty, so he got me some Hello Kitty pineapple cakes!  In return, I treated him to free flow beer and snacks at Burn & Fight!Burn & Fight offers free flow snack and beer during happy hour for $200, so it's the perfect place for XO to de-stress from work with a few beers and crunchy bar snacks!Burn & Fight has put up decorations for Christmas  along the window panes.The bar area is on the far side of the restaurant.The walls are decorated with witty remarks and local illustrations.The tables were set simply with flatware and napkins readily available.After we were seated, we ordered our first round of drinks, XO had a draft beer and I had a cider, and we drank the same thing for the next couple rounds.We each picked two snack items from the menu to share between us.  After we placed our order, the server gave us some plates, and on each plate, there's a weather forecast stamped on it!  Baked Cheese French Fries:  The French fries were incredibly crispy and topped with ooey gooey cheese! Yum!Chicken Wing in Nagoya Style with Teriyaki Sauce: The chicken wings had enough seasoning that you can eat it by itself to savor the crispy battered skin.  With the teriyaki sauce, it added a sweet soy flavor to the chicken wing!Mini Crab Cake:  As the crab cakes are miniature-sized, I didn't expect them to have lumps of crab meat, but as I cut into the crab cake, I could see that it was filled with countless strands of crab meat.  The crab cakes were already seasoned, so a dipping sauce was not necessary!Deep-Fried Prawn with Tartar Sauce: The prawns were not small in size, and they were coated in a crunchy batter!  The tangy tartar sauce was the perfect accompaniment to the crunchy prawn!After the four snack items, we wanted a couple more wings, but we couldn't finish an order of 4 wings, so we asked if we could get a half order.  So, we got our order of two wings and didn't have to waste food!If you're in the Wanchai area for happy hour, don't miss out on the free flow snack and beer deal at Burn & Fight!…查看更多

I was shopping in the Hysan area and got a bit thirsty, so I decided to grab a drink from one of the many bubble tea shops in the area.  I was on Lee Garden Road and saw that there were quite a few of students from my secondary school in front of Jenjudan.  (I left the school over 20 years ago and still feel nostalgic when I see young 'uns in my old uniform!)  Jenjudan is famous for their Brown Sugar Bubbles Milk, and I decided to give it a shot!  I first tried brown sugar bubbles latte in the US last month, and there wasn't enough brown sugar to offset the funky American milk flavor,  so I wanted to try it in Asia with better tasting milk to see if I would like the beverage better.The queue was no where near the craziness back when Jenjudan opened, and I reached the counter within 10 minutes.  While I was waiting in line, I saw this poster which advertised the Brown Sugar Bubbles Milk with Milk Foam.  I decided to order this instead of the regular bubbles milk because I thought this would be creamier, and I was right!The POS system at the cashier has a screen facing the customer, so you can verify the order as you place it!When I placed my order, they asked the sweetness level I wanted, and I said normal and added that I wanted less ice, and they told me the ice level cannot be adjusted.  The drink didn't come with a lot of ice anyway, and I guess too much ice would interfere with the milk foam in the drink.Brown Sugar Bubbles Milk with Milk Foam($34): My drink was ready in about 5 minutes.  The server told me to shake the drink before drinking, so I snapped a photo of the drink right away.  After I shook the cup a couple of times, the three layers of colors merged together.  Each gulp consisted of chewy bubbles, brown sugar sweetness, and creamy foamy milk.  The bubbles weren't cloyingly-sweet as they were sweetened with brown sugar, and they have the right chewiness level.   The milk had a strong pleasant milk flavor, and it was thick and creamy.  This is hundred times better than the brown sugar bubbles latte I had in the US, and, now, I can understand the hype behind this craze!P.S. I have my own stainless steel straw and had some issues getting the straw through the plastic film lid, and the staff was very helpful and stabbed the lid with a fork thing for me!  So, if you're like me and carry reusable straws with you all the time, it's not a problem even with the Taiwanese beverage plastic lids!…查看更多