威水苯猪的个人专页

... high (quality) afternoon tea! yes, it worths every cent u pay!of the top 10 high tea places around town, the price here is on par w/ the rest, but the elevation is unique. of course it could cost more than double the average 5-star hotel fare, but ICC at 102/f is 1 & only!we got reservation for the last seating of 4:30-6:30 pm. we saw the day view, sunset view, dusk view & night view, all in 2 hr time.1st, the ambiance is grand & outstanding, as expected of ritz carlton style. 2nd, table for 3 is not available right in front of the tall windows. but a little set back is just fine, since we can view the rest of the place & not bewitched by the outside view only. 3rd, service is more like on demand & not pro-active. 4th, food is high quality & excellent. the desserts are delicately made & very special, not what u buy in a generic cake shop.1. the choices of tea are not that many, which are not i would call exotic either, such as earl grey, english breakfast, or darjeeling. i ordered the darjeeling & had to change to earl grey after i tasted it to be weak & w/o aroma. but the green tea w/ ginger had a strong taste & herbal aroma. personally i think that kind of tea might not pair well w/ the food.2. top tier of the tray has non-sweet food. there are 4 of each kind per person. since the ingredients are complex, it is not easy to tell what exactly u are tasting (other than the ham, salmon or bread). but believe me, they all have delightful tastes. each kind has its own texture, feel & flavors.3. the middle tier has 5 sweet stuff, all looked pretty & attractive. again whether it is a tart, mousse, cake or whatnot, each has distinctive flavors & tastes. w/ advice from the server, we were able to consume from the least sweet to the more sweet kind, in order to enjoy the best.4. the bottom tier has 2 kinds of scone & a semi-sweet "bomb". the scone is good but not great, since it had cooled down & lacked softness. the jam was fruity & aromatic, but the buttery cream tasted quite plain. the bomb was a nice finale if u eat it last, though the interior might have begun to melt.being a "foodie" & have enjoyed high tea in 4 corners of the world, i cannot but to voice some personal dissatisfaction here. 1st, this place lacks the royal feel of having high tea in the old tradition. there is no special courteous welcome at the door. there is no tea cart to show & tell the different exotic teas available. the tea is not brewed in front of the table. 2nd, the food was brought out w/o fanfare or special attention. i have to summon the staff to request a verbal description of each item on the tray. and then he had to bring along the menu to recite from there! to be honest, high tea is not about, never been about, food & tea only! it should also offer a sense or aura of high society high culture. it is about getting the experience & the knowledge associated w/ the food & tea. well, am i really that old & pitifully nostalgic in this regard?unfortunately in hk, even the surviving dinosaur (peninsular hotel) from the proud british days cannot deliver the royalty sensation & modern high tea/food at the same seating. where else can i hunt for it?…查看更多

sometimes we just don't feel like paying extra (for view, ambiance, decor or mall realty) besides good food & decent seating. so this day we wandered around the eating neighborhoods between k11 & isquare & stumbled on this below ground lunch place.1st, this place knows & practices efficiency during lunch hr on a weekday. a staff at the street entrance asked us the need & radioed the basement staff. then we went downstairs & was led to the empty table at the back. 2nd, they have many choices of set menu for each day of the week, including both western & asian dishes. 3rd, the customers seemed to be white collars, local walk-in or high school students. so the atmosphere around here is not too loud or roudy. 4th, set lunch costs around $50, incl soup/salad, entree & optional coffee/tea (add $10).now to the food. 1st, borsch soup had a rich tomato color & good consistency (not too thick or thin). it is filled adequately w/ beef, cabbage, carrot & onion. the taste is authentic & fantastic, surprisingly w/ a hint of cinnamon (A-). 2nd, the singapore style fried rice noodle had more of typical ingredients than usual. it was cooked w/ the right balance of moist & crisp in the noodle. its spicy taste was not too overwhelming or weak (A-). 3rd, baked pork chop w/ tomato spagetti showed a light tomato color, which turned out to yield a plain-tasting sauce. however the pork chop was tender & flavorful (B). this dish definitely had deviated from the typical oven-baking in a casserole, hence the poor result. 4th, the coffee surprisingly had a strong & rich flavor, though lacking depth in taste (B+). but for its budget price, nobody would turn it away!in such budget local restaurant, i had my fill in a decent setting w/o feeling of being cheated as in a tourist mall restaurant. will i return there? definitely when i have an urge to go frugal w/o unduely high expectation.…查看更多

funny thing is a few weeks before eating at otto, someone emailed me a critical article from SCMP last dec (www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-wine/article/1373754/food-critic-andy-hayler-says-local-michelin-guide-gets-it-badly). andy hayler's suspicion matches mine when i looked at the michelin list prior to the article...i brought it up here to emphasize my impression after eating there is already precautionary in not biased 1 way or the other. afterall, a self-respecting foodie will never be influenced by other reviews or critiques, or whether there are stars or not.1st, as expected, each dish is high priced w/o logical reasoning. 2nd, as expected, each dish is meticulously created & executed. 3rd, as expected, the food is tiny but tastes wonderful if u ignore the physical & price shortcomings! 4th, as expected, the place is comfy & the service is unimpeachable!but but, why did i feel like eating in a high class cafeteria? was it the mechanical demeaner of the staff, including bombana himself who happened to be chatting w/ staff at the front door just as we entered & who only made a polite nod to us? (that definitely is not italian warmth.) or was it the contemporary, oversized yet stone-cold interior & decor that alienate the italian culture?not only that, but but i did not sense, see or taste abundance of creativity nor wow factor in what we ate. as they say so often, the body beauty is there but w/o adorable soul!yes, the roast duck foie gras was tasty, the crab caviar salad was unusual yet plain, the king prawn chitarra was awesome in size, the veal agnolotti w/ black truffle was fantastic... everything is a foodie's delight, except i saw little difference or distinction from a high end "contemporary" or "california" or "fusion" cuisine elsewhere in any major global city.if u have eaten at L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon, u know what i mean & u should be able to tell the difference too! so far in this hk match, french 1, italian 0!…查看更多

no kidding! there is more than decent cantonese food on this little island, only a stone throw's away from Central? the lucky thing about it was that we didn't consult open rice & stumbled onto this wonderful restaurant w/ our own radar.ok, to be honest, we were surprised that many of the attractive dishes, including seafood, were not available that day, due to chinese new yr & holiday closing of the wet market nearby.we ordered several dishes, some recommended by the staff.1. stewed pig's feet w/ peanuts (A-). very tasty w/ the sauce just right. the feet were cut into small pieces, w/ cruncy feel. the peanuts were huge & yummy too.2. stir-fried egg plant & green beans (A-). very good "wok" flash. all tasty & cooked right.3. steamed sticky rice w/ dried shrimps & mushroom (B+). this could be a local peng chau style, w/o abundant add-ons to the rice. but it is very palatable.4. deep fried tofu w/ 7-spice seasoning (B+). the crust is on the thick side, but the tofu is fresh & soft. the spices were not too overwhelming.an amazing fact of eating in an island local restaurant is the shortest kitchen to table time. every dish we ate was piping hot on the table. it could be a luxury in the city!tell u a secret, this place could worth 3 peng chau stars in my book!…查看更多

after hiking the finger hill, we randomly saw this place was so inviting to our thirsty mouths. it was coffee time after all. we sat down at the outdoor table & ordered 3 cappuccino. 1st, the foam was phenom, thick & tall. 2nd, the ceramic cup & saucer were 1 of a kind, w/ hand-painted chinese lotus flowers. 3rd, the coffee was high quality & rich. the taste can beat that of "simply life cafe" anytime. 4th, the staff was more friendly & open than in the city.we were chatting about ceramic cups & 1 of the staff happily joined in & told us the story of the cups used there. they were hand-painted by a local artist named Lam Chiu 林超, whose shop/studio is just around the corner...if uR not coffee drinker, they have other good stuff to offer. by any means, don't pass by this little haven w/o stopping!…查看更多

we literally stumbled into this restaurant when looking for lunch on a wednesday, attracted by a sign that says 30% discount on all lunch menu dishes (except dim sum). afterwards we were so impressed with the place & food that we returned for a sunday dinner with 6 people.the entrance to the restaurant is low key, but the spacious inside is western style décor. we were seated at the front section where all the chairs are small, low-rise, armed sofas. they are much comfy than straight back chairs. the tables are placed far more apart than usual, resulting in lower conversation noise around.since we are new to hunan cuisine in hong kong, we took time to choose only those dishes that are uncommon or unavailable in most cantonese or shanghainese restaurants.洞庭豆酥鮮魚 fish fillet with fried minced bean ($45/piece) rated A: the strangely paste on top of each piece of fish was very tasty & not salty like other similar sauce pastes. the poached cod was almost without added oil – the meat was tender & full of natural flavors. funny thing was: the menu says $45/2, which was explained to us by the waitress to mean “$45 each, with minimum order of 2 pieces”!蒜椒紅燒田雞braised frog with garlic & chili sauce ($98) A-: there are not only one frog dish on the menu, but four, each with a sauce of different degree of hotness. the whole frog was cut into small parts including bones. the meat was just delicious, period!樟茶鴨 smoked duck in camphor wood & tea leaves ($140/half) A-: this version had the most crispy skin I ever had before, almost looked like peking duck from afar. the duck meat was more tender & juicy than normal. i think this can be a “cheap” substitute for peking duck! the small buns were a tad dry & hard. on a minor note, i would like to have stronger tea leaf flavor in the duck.蝦仁小蔥炒飯 fried rice with shrimps & chicken sausage ($88) A-: the dish looked unassuming, but when it was brought out hot, it made all the difference in taste. the shrimps were cooked just right, the rice was al dente, and the little bits of chicken sausage added aroma to the food. the only issue was to ignore the oiliness.肉絲魚酸羹sour potage (soup) with shredded pork & fish ($88) A-: this soup tasted uncannily like shark fin soup! all ingredients were finely cut. the seasoning & soup stock were perfect. just a tad of vinegar flavor, not sour at all. consider this the poor man’s shark fin soup or environmentally correct substitute!金陵驢打滾 sweet pancake roll stuffed with ground coconut & peanuts ($38) A-: when you have a dessert packed with authentic materials & low sugar level, automatically high mark!桂花芝麻湯丸, 芒果核桃露 sesame dumplings in osmanthus sweet rice soup, mango walnut sweet soup ($25 ea) A-: can’t you taste them just from looking at the pics fantastically yummy!海鮮鍋巴crispy (sizzling) rice cracker with assorted seafood ($138) B+: weak seasoning, rice was not sizzling. but they give you lots of sea scallops for seafood.芝麻叉燒酥 BBQ pork & black mushroom sesame pastry ($13 ea) B+: like a pastry version of BBQ pork bun, nothing stood out in taste or feel.豆皮蝦仁 stewed shredded bean curd & shrimps ($88) B+: the bean curd ribbons were like noodles, the shrimps were crunchy. but the mild seasoning made this dish not impressive.素菜餃 steamed vegetable dumplings ($32) B+: generic, but large stuffing with good flavors.the service was above average, in that all little requests were promptly noticed & attended to. the staffing ratio is probably higher than other restaurants in that building. i think it is uncommon to have a specialty restaurant that offers both great food & comfortable upscale place, yet not charging a whole lot more. in my mind hunan garden is one notch above peking house in that perspective.…查看更多

warning: 威水苯猪 has transformed into simon cowell in this review!we were lucky to get a booking for saturday wine lunch at amber, just a few days before. despite all that glitzy setting & décor that are better than a hotel lounge/bar, I did not find the “french” cuisine here impressive at all. is it really french or just eclectic/contemporary and where is the wow factoramuse bouche: 1. green creamy stuff with tapioca or boba/bubbles, interesting fusion, little french, B+. 2. brown creamy ball on a stick, amusing to the mouth, eclectic, B+. 3. large deep fried cheese ball, too filling to be amuse bouche but tasted good, not french, A-.champaign: french n/v veuve clicquot, the best standby, A-.starter: duck foie gras terrine with quince & toasted pistachio, A-. very smooth & moderately rich flavor. nice to spread over the mini foccacia with kalamata olives on top (from bread basket). i would say the terrine is modern french rendition.wine: 2010 french grenache blanc, amoux, rhone, B+, good pairing with hint of spices.her starter: royal cabanon oysters (2), served over panna cotta, beetroot, cauliflower, hazelnut & malt vinegar, A. the oysters were raw inside, which was a pleasant surprise. the side ingredients added a new dimension to an otherwisely plain raw oyster taste. i like this creation. wait a minute, there were some red tapioca/boba/bubbles on the bottom too… why repeat an ingredient in two dishes, especially bland-tasting non-french onewine: 2009 italian chardonnay, ettore germano, langhe, B+, semi-sweet, not fit with oysters. the grenache blanc should do better.middle course: petuna ocean trout, fillet confit & seared belly with caviar & leek in vinaigrette, B+. the fillet was tender & juicy, but the belly was unusually firm & could be over-seared. definitely contempo & little french if at all.wine: 2009 austrian blauer zwelgeit (like syrah), leth, wagram, B, poor pairing.main course: braised lamb neck, with spices, carrots, apricots, yogurt & white beans, A-. the neck meat was served in rolled up slices. it was very tender, flavorful & distinctly lamb in taste. this is the best lamb meat, let alone neck meat, that I ever have. the only thing missing was an equally strong herb, such as rosemary or dill weed in the recipe. the white beans were out of place here. the brown sauce was too weak & could use some wine/balsamic vinegar reduction.her main: wild pheasant pie with foie gras & smoked pork belly, A-. it came with a side of autumn salad with chestnuts & cranberries. the pie was filled totally with pheasant meat & foie gras/pork belly. the flavors were intense & rich, more so than the lamb neck. actually the foie gras proportion might be too much as to overdominate the pheasant meat. it would be best if garlic, shallot & other pungent ingredients were blended with them. the sauce was too weak to be french.wine: 2008 italian red (sangiovese/cabernet sauvignon/syrah), castello romitorio, morellino di scansano, B+. this blended red was barely suitable to pair with the lamb dish, let alone the pheasant pie. i would prefer a 100% sangiovese or cab instead. don’t they have red bordeaux in francedesserts: 1. pink grapefruit & campari sorbet over hibiscus jello. 2. pineapple poached in spiced syrup, with raisins banana sorbet & grated lime peel. 3. 64% chocolate bar glazed with bitter chocolate & passion fruit sorbet. all B+, since sorbet is no match to gelato, & fruits are not desserts. this apparently healthy dessert lineup is definitely not french! the real dessert of sweet stuff came in a silver stack box that every lady loves to bring home for storing jewelries.the lunch is a good deal with 6 courses & 4 wine pairing, for $798. the service was fit for royalty. but if you can shell out more dough & want to taste real french cuisine with wow factor, L' Atelier de Joel Robuchon is in the next building.…查看更多

located in the basement of a historic building at central, this peking garden restaurant looks plush, elegant & inviting. but then why did I see more westerner tourists than locals on this saturday eveningthe carving was done at a kitchen counter facing the dining room, apparently by a substitute, rookie or trainee that night. he did his job hesitantly & slowly. this was the first time I saw that a peking duck was carved upright instead of laid down on a plate. I asked them to serve the skin separately from the meat. the skin was oily but crispy. the meat was tender but a bit dry (not juicy). the wrap was thin & became cold before all was consumed. I wonder if they know there is such a thing called tortilla box, in which mexican restaurants keep tortilla warm on the dining tablethis dish did not look the prettiest, but boy did it taste wonderful! the jumbo prawn was done just right, with crunchy feel. the crust with the salty egg gave an uncommon flavor & not salty at all.basically the tofu was deep fried to brownish & sprinkled with fried, diced garlic on the top. it would be better if there is a way to make the garlic stick to the tofu, so that one bite would take in both, without spilling the garlic.the soy bean wrap was not crispy as expected, but the filling was soft & tasty.nothing to write home about!service was good, as expected of a tourist class restaurant. the wine menu covers a broad range of prices. I picked a bottle of red ($300) that had a decent taste.I don’t know if this restaurant line is a flagship of the maxim corp or not. but knowing that 2 locations had gone out of business, I wonder if its management or executive chef needs to reinvent themselves on many fronts.…查看更多

why best value set lunch with 7 items, $65!why casual booth or grill table seating, for comfy eating or cooking show!it was friday lunch time, the restaurant was packed, and all 3 grill chefs were on duty.the menu has lots of choices, but it was easy to pick the best value ones.I chose the "bamboo" teppan yaki lunch set, $65 (yes, it was $58 last july).1. vegetable salad, mainly lettuce, small but nice appetizer.2. grilled sake scallop 3. grilled chicken steak with garlic 4. stir fried veggies (bean sprouts, zucchini) all on one plate.the scallop was fresh & tasty, especially when the orange-colored roes were included. the chicken (already cut into many pieces) was half-cooked inside, although the outside was browned from the grill. since we were seated at the grill table, i just asked the chef to recook it, and he obliged with apology. the result was tender yummy chicken pieces, forgive & forgotten.5. bowl of soft white rice6. black coffee (did not pick miso soup or tea)7. bowl of cold dessert, tasted like almond pudding, japanese style.she picked the "pine" set, $65.two items were different from the bamboo set: 2. grilled salmon 3. grilled beef (thin slices rolled up in a long roll, cut into 4 pieces). both meats were cooked 70% (just right for her), tasted tender & full of flavors.why did we like our lunch here the food was fresh, cooked in front of us and brought to us right away. that was very much like home cooking. the seasoning was minimal, the food was cooked fast on the grill with little to none manipulation, and that's healthy cooking.if you want to spend a little more money for more exotic seafood or otherwise, you come to the right place too. how about french foie gras (goose liver), japanese oyster, scotland razor clam, french tiger prawn, or even kobe beef the prices are from $58 to 138, except the last one at $1800!the secret is, ueno could be the poor man's wa sa mai (和三昧 causeway bay) la!…查看更多

i seldom go to kowloon city, let alone eat in a restaurant there, let alone a vegetarian one. so i did not have high expectations, other than taking the spirit of exploring & checking things out.the first impression of this spaceous & upbeat restaurant in the basement level of a local mall already drove away my prior stereotyping of a vegetarian eatery.the menu offers dim sum and a la carte dishes of many varieties. the names are similar to non-vegetarian restaurants, except of course no real meat is used.椰皇雙皮奶 steamed & curded coconut milk & soy milk (A) $23: served in a baby coconut shell, hard to find in any menu, this dessert was not too sweet, but with the full aroma of coconut. the tender coconut meat can be scraped off with a spoon & eaten with the curded milk.平炒素牛河 stir fried wide noodle with “beef” (A-): the wok flash aroma was overpowering when they brought out this dish. the “beef” slices looked & tasted like the real beef, perhaps more so. amazingly flavorful.千層芋絲餅 taro hash brown (A-) $15: this hash brown was perfectly fried on both sides, making it crunchy & tasty, another surprise to us.鮮腐鯪魚球 "dace fish" ball with dried bean (A-) $15: I could have been fooled even after eating it. the texture & taste of this vegetarian version is unbeatable, especially when blended with diced mushroom & dried tangerine peels. the only missing part is bone fragments from a real dace fish!蝦餃 steamed "shrimp" dumplings (B+): the inside was filled with water chestnut & some crunchy veggies that made the imitation very real in texture, flavor & feel in the mouth. the dumpling skin was possibly the same as used in a real shrimp dumpling.齋滷味 assorted dried bean delicacy (B+) $22: this traditional vegetarian rendition of BBQ pork, sausage, chicken kidney, curry this, sweet & sour that etc was moist & not soggy like other places. this item is not on the menu, one has to ask for it.蜜汁蒸叉燒包 steamed "BBQ pork" bun (B+) $15: generally good, except the filling was not enough to my liking. the imitation BBQ pork was quite “authentic” in flavors.紫菜糯米卷 sticky rice rolls with seaweed (B+) $15: quite refined with diced mushroom & some green ingredient mixed with the rice. a piece of seaweed was wrapped around the outside of the roll. seasoning was good, but the rice roll was not moist enough.芋絲炸春卷 deep fried spring rolls with taro (B) $15: it was definitely crispy & pleasing to the tongue. but again I would like to have more filling of taro etc inside.香菜蒸腸粉 steamed rice rolls with sweet pickle (B) $15: this was the weakest dish we ordered. the rice roll itself was soft, but it was rolled too tightly to give a tough feel in the mouth. it was also too bland in taste, since the soy sauce was served separately in a dish and not added to the rolls.the service was less than voluntary, but really this restaurant is unpretentious in ambience & makeup, more like a cafeteria than a gourmet restaurant. this is ok to me though, considering the good food at a reasonable price.…查看更多

my gourmet friend recommended us to go there for lunch to avoid the dinner crowds. she was absolutely correct. on this saturday noontime, we were the first party to sit down. the place is big & roomy, nicely decorated with silk road stuff. there are even outdoor patio seatings. when we finished, the place was less than half-filled. hint: taste the great food in lunch time, instead of fighting the crowd & noise in dinner time.the lunch set menu for 4 was hard to ignore, $328 @$82 per person. in retrospect, there was enough food for 5.the salad with smoked duck breast (rated A) was wonderfully fresh & bouncy. the dressing was mildly sweet & spicy, with unique tastes that would be hard to duplicate at home.the grilled horse sausage (B+) was not prominent in horse meat taste, possibly not having a big proportion in the blending.the mutton & chicken kebabs (A-) were most popular among our friends. both meats were tender & flavorful.the muslim curry lamb (A-) had plenty of meat & sauce, so much so that i was tempted to order some rice to soak up all the sauce. but on second thought, i was already more than half-full before 3 more dishes came out.the stir fried spring chicken with chili sauce and pomegranate was most interesting & tasty (A-). the latter two ingredients were like yin & yan, chili spicy vs fruity sweet. bravo!the stir fried vegetable dish (A-) combined several uncommon ingredients, of green beans, special mushroom, almond & garlic. the sauce was not heavy but sufficient to tie all the tastes together.the steamed vegetarian dumplings tasted ok (B+), far behind the likes of shanghai style dumplings. but then they only serve the purpose of stuff you up for the last time, if you are not already full!xinjiang cuisine can be quite different from cantonese or northern cuisines. al pasha really serves great introductory cooking from this region.service was excellent & attentive. it is hard to believe this restaurant can pack so much great food, great service & great ambience into such small price. make no mistake, i am not complaining at all!…查看更多

glad to see a new place for lunch besides cantonese dim-sum. we walked in around 11:30 am on a sunday & got the 2nd table in an almost empty room. but within half an hr the tables were filling up fast. tip: they take reservation for all time slots.this place is new of course, with decent spacing between tables & pleasant decor. now let's get to the food pronto!"A" rating for these items:蘿蔔絲酥餅 deep-fried shredded-turnip cake ($30/3), unusually moist filling inside, crispy outside - outstanding!韭菜花煎餅 deep-fried chive-flower pancake ($30/4), very crispy pancake, with aromatic & tasty chive flowers inside."A-" rating to:霸王小籠包 steamed pork dumpling ($32/4), thin skin, juicy meat inside, almost as good as my highest rating for din tai fung's on canton rd.千層葱油餅 green onion cake ($25/2), well executed dish all around. but i suspect there is a common wholesale supplier for this item, since it looks & tastes exactly the same from other high-rating northern chinese restaurants.鎮江肴肉 jellied pork slices ($68), lots of pork meat, not enough jelly surrounding the meat, but flavor & texture are excellent."B+" rating to:紅燒上海獅子頭湯麵(粗) soup noodles (thick) with minced pork balls (lion head) ($48), the pork ball is fantastic yummy & tender, but i cannot praise the noodle. although the 3 kinds of noodles here are advertised as signature items & made by special machinery, i did not find the thick noodle anything in particular. the soup base is light/clear style, with decent seasoning. however overall, this item is quite satisfactory to me. 香椰果仁煎芋餅 pan-fried taro cake with coconuts ($35), this dessert item is kind of like 豆沙鍋餅, except it is filled with taro paste & sprinkled on the outside with shredded coconuts. it is a bit more oily than i like.finally, "B" rating goes to:蟹粉生葱牛肉卷 green onion beef roll ($46), good tastes & balanced fillings, but the flour roll was not firmly wrapped around, hence fell apart when cut to provide several servings. it was cooled down when brought to the table.生煎鍋貼 pan-fried pork dumpling ($32/4), very generic in taste, the dumpling skin is too thick & stiff. can be ignored if you believe me!人參烏龍茶 ginseng oolong tea ($8/pp), good alternative if you are tired of the usual tea choices. but be forewarned that the ginseng taste is only mild. but the tea itself lasted several rebrewings without losing too much flavor.the staff is very courteous & efficient. i noticed also that the manager & wait staff coordinated among themselves to serve the customers.as you can see, king's lodge at this new location has lots of potentials & promises to be a popular lunch alternative in the olympian city neighborhood. …查看更多

i can tell this chef robuchon is a humble guy, just from the name "l'atelier (workshop or studio) of joel robuchon". it also explains why the same dish described by many of the reviewers here has some subtle variations on different dates of visit. i presume the chef on duty can cook with his/her own personal touch, even when using the same recipe. that must be the freedom spirit of a workshop, as compared to regular restaurant!i ordered the "menu decouverte" (discovery menu) $1850.1. amuse bouche (mouth pleaser) was pumpkin mousse - creamy & subtle flavors.2. caviar oscietre was very sumptuous with surprisingly unique complements of lobster jelly & crab meat. one spoonful has all three distinct yet different tastes -- amazing creation!3. foie gras was served with uncommon sauce. who would imagine a reduction french onion soup can be such a wonderful sauce to tame down the wild taste of goose liver? (just for fun, compare the food size with the fork!)4. japanese sea urchin eggs were prepared & presented in a way that make a sushi chef envious. the wasabi foamy emulsion looked like zen painting & tasted mildly spicy to match the delicate taste of sea urchin eggs. another awesome creation!5. maine lobster meat was matched with the lowly cauliflower to yield a splendid taste. very daring experiment that worked!6. sea scallops were paired with grapes & onions.7. japanese beef (Wagyū 和牛) was served simple. the meat was grilled medium & tasted tender & juicy. i did not pick the other choice for this course, which was sea bass.8. the green pearl dessert had a very thin sugar shell, and the inside was filled with bits of green apple & custard-like caramel cream. the barely sweet & fruity tastes were perfect to lead the tongue into the next dessert.9. chocolate mousse had dark and white chocolate layers. i think the presentation was humorous & teasing!the waiter suggested a white wine (Minervois 2006) from Hecht & Bannier for the whole dinner. it was a perfect match! apparently there was not a wine pairing menu for each of the courses. the same waiter was very courteous & patient in explaining each course to us.my valentine ordered the scampi raviolis with black truffle & foie gras sauce ($480), which were unconventional in that the scampi were not ground to a pulp! the texture & fresh taste of the prawn inside the ravioli wrapping were heavenly! she also had the free-range quail stuffed with foie gras, served with mashed potato ($400). the quail meat was well-cooked but tasted tender & juicy, while the foie gras was medium cooked & tasted creamy. both dishes were executed excellently.oh, beware of the regular tasting menu that costs $680. you can order that only in the bar area, not in the formal dining room. if you don't eat at the bar before 7 pm, be prepared to rub elbows with other customers on a busy night!…查看更多

the lobby of this restaurant is impressive to me, with a huge crystal chandelier & a 3-D, artsy glass wall that is one of a kind. the dining hall is secluded behind, providing privacy and atmosphere. the hall itself has western architectural designs that present elegance and convenience, such as wood paneling & circular walkway.if you missed the dimsum carts from the old days, you will see them here. each cart carries signs at the front to name the dimsum being served. you can also order at anytime using the paper forms on the table.叉燒包 BBQ pork bun, A: the bun itself is soft & tender, the BBQ pork is thinly sliced & mixed w/ tasty sauce. it is served hot from the steamer to the table. this is both traditional and refined dimsum. the best that i have tasted for a long while.煎虾米腸粉 pan-fried rice rolls w/ dried shrimps, A: this is hard to find nowadays in dimsum restaurants, since most people like those filled w/ fresh shrimp or pork inside. the rice roll is as good as i remember in the old days -- soft & melts in the mouth. instead of using XO sauce, it is pan-fried simple, to be eaten with dipping sauce (hoisin or mustard sauce). thank you for keeping the tradition!蒜汁魚雲 fish cheeks w/ garlic sauce, A+: i was surprised to see this dish, which is as nostalgic as the ferries that used to take vehicles across the harbor! there are at least 6 pieces of fish cheeks, neatly cut to expose the delicate soft cheek meat, eye ball & lips. don't say gross, because this is cantonese delicacy at its best! the garlic sauce is blended w/ a mild chili taste. not recommended for anyone who has not learned how to debone the meat using one's tongue alone!沙翁 deep-fried round "donut", A+: again this is nostalgic item that is well made. the outside is crispy like a regular donut, while the inside is warm tender "bread" texture. not oily at all.the other dimsum that we tasted are average and decent in flavors: 蝦餃 shrimp dumplings, 豉汁鳳爪 chicken feet w/ black bean sauce, 小蛋撻 mini-egg tarts.unfortunately we ordered the tea Tieguanyin 鐵觀音, which had a decent taste in the first few rounds, but went acidic afterwards.overall service is above average. we were there between 12:15 and 1 pm, when the staff was most busy. but with some hand-waving, putting the empty dishes aside, or placing the teapot lid ajar, the staff came quickly. the noise level is less than normal. seating is comfy, w/ enough space separating each table.…查看更多

this restaurant is located on the 3rd floor of a small office building. the interior space and ambience are quite nice, comparing to the usually congested & cramped nature of other small/medium size restaurants in wan chai.we went with a friend couple who are occasional customers here. they did the ordering according to their experience.清炒蝦仁 stir-fried river shrimps, A: fresh, crispy & tasty.生煎包 pan-fried dumpling, A: very crispy bottom, more juice inside than peers, but the meat could be more tender. better than most peers.蔥油大餅 scallion pancake, A: multiple crispy layers (not too oily), plenty of scallions, superb tastes. the best that i ever tasted anywhere.鎮江餚肉 gelatin ham, A: more ham pieces than gelatin, as good as that of din tai fung 鼎泰豐.小籠包 shanghai dumpling, B+: adequate juice inside, but the meat is packed too firm without tender feel in the mouth. the dumpling skin is thin but not soft enough. cannot beat those from 金滿庭 (modern china) or din tai fung 鼎泰豐.花雕醉雞 drunken chicken, B+: the chicken pieces are somewhat more bony than meaty. they are served on a plate and not soaking in the wine broth as in a pot. so the wine taste in the meat is marginal, although the meat is tender & smooth.四季豆 stir-fried flat beans, B+: tender beans with plenty of ground meat & relish for the sauce.高力豆沙 fried "donut" with red bean paste, B+: the donut could be more soft & fluffy. inclusion of small pieces of banana inside is quite creative, which enhances the overall flavor.the service was quite good, with the staff keeping at a distance. noise level is lower than typical wan chai eateries. the other customers appeared to be business or professional type. we may go back to try their dinner items.…查看更多