joe722的個人專頁

Making the most of today’s exceptional weather, we planned a road trip this afternoon all the way from HK Island to Tai Mei Tuk (TMT) and Bride’s Pool. Our last visit there was probably two decades ago. The ride on Ting Kok Road was remarkably pleasant as, aside from the smooth traffic, the road was lined with lush trees and vibrant foliage. Having parked our car near TMT Village, we consulted Open Rice and learnt about this “hidden gem”, R&Y’s International Cuisine. It did take a while for us to “locate” the bistro, which, unlike other restaurants in the area, had no big pull-up banners showing their menus. At the front door, we were greeted by two nice ladies and later we found out they were mother and daughter. Seated, we were presented with two menus - one serving lighter dishes and the other a fuller meal. In the end we chose two sets - one with slow-roasted free range chicken and one with prawn spaghetti in creamy white wine sauce. The lunch set started with a well-seasoned salad serving a good variety of veggies, which was followed by toasted baguette and flavourful creamy soup. Seeing that we were enjoying the crispy buttered toasts so much, the young lady asked if we would like more, adding that customers could ask for as many as they wished. We thanked her and said we would like to save “space” for the main course. In a few minutes, the main dishes were served. The presentation of both was appealing. As we tucked in, we were amazed by the moist and juicy texture of the slow-roasted chicken and the creaminess and flavours of the spaghetti. Probably our contentment was so obvious that the older lady came and asked if it was our first visit to the restaurant and continued to offer a bit of its history, the essence of which was that the family had lived in France for twenty years and returned to start a bistro in TMT village where they could keep dogs and the dad could continue to do what he liked and excelled in. How amazing! When we left, the chef came out and thanked us for our coming. The two set meals which cost $320+ were exceptionally good value for money especially considering the quality, the serving, the service and the serene external environment. Frankly we did not expect western meals of such quality to be served at such reasonable prices in a bistro in a remote village in Hong Kong. We have just returned from trips to Osaka, Kyoto and Kobe. By today’s standard, R&Y’s International Cuisine is absolutely comparable to their counterparts in the said Japanese cities. …查看更多

Watched a video on “ricezi2” on YouTube where the hosts including a Chinese BBQ chef spoke highly of the roast goose of this restaurant run by an ex-chef of a Michelin star hotel. Thanks to their recommendation, we went there for lunch to try their signature dishes. Space and decor-wise, like most small restaurants in Hong Kong, it is unrealistic to have any expectations. The table the two of us were assigned to was supposed to serve four people. While we did feel grateful for that, we wondered how the table top could hold that many dishes and utensils if four customers were seated and each was to order a set meal like ours (see the pictures showing the set meals we ordered). Service-wise, there was barely adequate staff — there being only one tse-tse (female server) taking orders assisted by another bringing dishes to the table. No wonder the tse-tse sounded at times a bit mischievously grumpy when asked to take orders. We had two set meals, one with roast goose and one with roast suckling pig & char siu (Chinese BBQ pork), each coming with soup of the day, an appetiser (cucumber & wood fungus), rice, boiled choysum & milk tea (for an extra $5). The soup was served first and was a total failure. It was utterly bland and we stopped drinking it after a couple of sips. When the roast goose and suckling pig & char siu were served, we were first impressed by the amount of meat on the dish. Taste-wise, however, there was no surprise. The char siu, in particular, lacked the kind of flavour that should be found in honey-glazed roast meat, and because of it being overly lean, the aroma from BBQ meat with a reasonable amount of fat was lacking. What we found most satisfying were the texture of the goose meat, which was moist and tender, the crispy suckling pig skin, and the quality of the steamed rice. The milk tea was served last and, like the soup, it lacked flavour and it being served hot was the only plus. As to the side dishes, OK was probably the best description. Overall, while we were a bit let down by the dining experience there, it was better than that we had at Ding‘s Roasted Goose and Deluxe Soup Restaurant at The Peak and comparable to that at Kamcentre Roast Goose at Causeway Bay. As to whether we will visit again, well, we may when we are already in the area and have a sudden craving for traditional Chinese BBQ food. …查看更多

Yesterday as we were looking for a place for a late lunch, we were attracted by the pleasant interior of the bistro and the menu showing their afternoon tea set and lunch set near the reception. As we walked near the reception, we were greeted by a very pleasant lady who simply made us feel welcome. Then we were provided with a well illustrated menu from which we chose a lunch set — Peking duck bun with salad & fries, and an afternoon tea set — caramel single-bone chicken wings with fries, and we ordered the sets via the QR code provided. When the server came with the list of our orders, she nicely suggested we might wish to reconsider our choice of drinks, which on the list were two cups of espresso. Seeing our puzzled look, she was observant and asked if we might have made a wrong choice when using the QR code. We appreciated her suggestion and asked if we could change our order to a latte for the tea set and an Americano for the lunch set. The change in our order was nicely and promptly followed up. When the sets were served, the presentation was a plus and so were the fries, which were hot and crispy. As to the main dishes, the caramel chicken wings were truly an afternoon delight with its flavour and texture while the Peking duck buns were an interesting combination of slices of roast duck meat, red onion, hoisin sauce and Chinese buns. The overall quality of the latter was good and when the price was factored in, it was exceptionally good value for money. As to the drinks, that the Americano was served with hot frothed milk was a plus and the latte was smooth but a bit bland. These days rarely are we sincerely treated as valued guests even in Michelin star restaurants. This was our first visit to this bistro. Not only were we impressed by its inviting ambiance and pleasant decor that perfectly matches its theme, The Greenhouse. It raised our expectations of the service and food that restaurants in general should provide. If a chain restaurant like Beans can offer such exceptional service that makes their customers feel truly welcome and at the same time can serve food of good quality at a reasonable price, our question is why others can’t. …查看更多

My wife and I had a scrumptious meal at Tagline this afternoon. It was our first visit and we will definitely be back with family and friends to try and enjoy more dishes. We started with two popular Indian drinks - sweet lassi & masala tea, one cold and one hot. My wife enjoyed her lassi a lot while I would love my tea to be a bit stronger. The starter, samosa, was hot, a little spicy and flavourful. A great appetiser to start the meal with. The two main courses, Shish Touk (grilled chicken marinated with Arabic spices) & Butter Chicken served with plain naan, were both a very delightful surprise. While the presentation of the dish itself had raised our expectation, the actual quality, flavour and taste of Shish Touk lived up to what its look had promised. Grilled and skewered, the chicken was nicely seasoned with Arabic spices and perfectly cooked leaving the meat tender and flavourful. Together with the finely grilled bell pepper, every bite brought a wonderful mix of flavours. The naan went perfectly well with the succulent butter chicken, which came with a tasty creamy sauce. Seldom did we have a heavy meal recently. But for the finger-licking food served, we finished every dish, every bit, every bite. Last but not least, the servers were very pleasant and their service made the fantastic meal even more memorable. …查看更多

Our lunch at Yung’s Bistro today was one of the worst dining experiences this year. Of the dishes ordered, the most disappointing one was what the bistro is supposed to be famous for. The meat of the $480 half roast goose we ordered was dry, tough and chewy and the skin was far from crispy or carrying a delectable flavour. When we reflected this to a member of the bistro staff who was dressed like a manager, the reply we got was “Our roast goose is not famous for its crispy skin, like that sold in Sham Tseng, but juicy and flavourful meat and the signature sauce.” This sounds like an insult to any local diners who have an idea of what a quality roast goose should be like. Even worse was that he barely paid attention to what we said about the chewy meat. The other dishes ordered were all pricey dim sum. Given the price tag, the quality was just acceptable. As to the service, it varied from server to server. Those helping to serve tea attended to our needs with care and courtesy while the one dressed in a long-sleeved white shirt had his fingers touching the truffle dumplings when placing the bamboo basket on our table. As an upmarket dining place, the bistro failed poorly when the soy sauce for the shrimp rice rolls ordered was served only when asked, not once, but twice. …查看更多

Our first visit for lunch today has left us with a very good impression, thanks to the service, overall quality of food and ambiance. We booked via email last Friday night and got a confirmation shortly.When we arrived at noon today, we were nicely greeted at the reception by a lady captain in black, who then seated us at a table with nice tableware in a posh-looking dining area more like an upmarket pub than a dim sum restaurant. Given the array of dishes on the set lunch menu, we ordered a set lunch plus four other dishes from the a la carte menu. The set lunch was extremely good value for money. The appetiser, jellyfish with sesame seed oil, made a good starter for its texture and seasoning. Then came the steamed dim sum combo (shrimp dumpling, mixed vegetable dumpling, and pork and veggie bun), & the deep-fried dim sum combo (Peking duck spring roll & shrimp toast), all of which were served real hot, flavourful and of a good assortment. The soup & boiled lettuce helped make the meal more balanced. The biggest surprise of the day was the main course, viz truffle and shrimp fried rice, which was impressively scrumptious with wok hei while not oily. The dessert, mango pomelo sago, was a light one, and made a good complement to the entire lunch set. The dishes ordered from the a la carte menu were equally good. The bowl of braised beef noodles, which was served with chilli oil separately, had a light flavour. The beef was tender and savoury, and the noodles were of the right texture. The deep-fried shrimp and cuttlefish cakes and Angus beef puff were well above our expectation, making our lunch memorable, and so was the additional dessert, deep-fried Nutella glutinous rice balls. Apart from the quality & choice of food, it was the exceptional service that made the entire dining experience gratifying. In this connection, kudos to the captain and servers who attended to our needs with care. We could also “feel” their smile behind the mask.All the dishes mentioned above, together with specially ordered Chinese green tea, cost just slightly above $600. Definitely worth another visit! …查看更多

It’s our second visit this year. Our last, together with friends, was so gratifying & memorable that I wrote a pretty good review for the restaurant. Sadly what we experienced on Wednesday afternoon left an utter disappointment.The lunch set menu was much different from the one we had during our first visit made a month ago. The seared tuna salad with fresh crispy romaine was out, the popular lobster roll was not there, & neither was the well-seasoned roast spring chicken & penne with tomato sauce, nor the creamy flavourful spinach & seafood bisque. In their place, we had shrimp salad & deep-fried chicken with grilled green peppers as appetisers, something like mushroom soup (their daily soup which was not listed on the menu), sliced veal with mixed mushrooms & pan-fried halibut as the main course for our lunch set. Compared with the appetisers we had during our first visit, the two new choices were a disappointment. The shrimps were bland & the texture of the deep-fried chicken was a bit weird. The only surprise was the grilled green pepper, which had a crunchy texture & a nice after taste. According to one server, the daily soup should be mushroom soup. But what we actually had hardly tasted or looked like a nice bowl of creamy mushroom soup. Indeed there were some ingredients we couldn’t identify on the spot. As to the main course, the sliced veal was overcooked rendering it dry and it was hardly hot despite being served with a mushroom sauce while the pan-fried halibut tasted much better in terms of the flavour & quality of meat. One fond memory of our last visit was that of the service, especially that by the English speaking lady. This time there were hardly any smiles on the face of the three different servers that attended to our needs. When seated, the first reminder we were given was that we needed to return the table by 2:45 pm (though we were there at around 12:15). When asked what the daily soup was (there being an item under “Soup” masked by correction fluid), the server told us it was mushroom soup. As mentioned above, the exact ingredients of the soup we had were hard to define. Towards the end, we ordered coffee. After waiting for about 10 minutes, we requested help from another server and while our order came in a few minutes, the coffee served was bland & hardly hot. Despite our disappointment at the food & service, the restaurant does boast a picturesque environment especially on a sunny winter day, which we believe is the main reason why it can retain its popularity in the area. …查看更多

The decor and ambience made a great impression upon our arrival. The entire physical layout truly lives up to what its name suggests and it also offers a picturesque view of the external environment and pleasant natural light through the glass ceilings & walls. Apart from its uniquely pleasant environment, we were impressed with the service provided throughout our dining experience. The caring service was most evident when we were offered warm water soon after we were seated, our requests promptly entertained, & used plates and utensils swiftly replaced, as well as the courtesy with which the service was provided.Originally we were thinking of a light lunch. Yet the variety on the superbly illustrated menu changed our mind. In the end, we had two appetisers, a main dish & a dessert, as well as two drinks.As appetisers, the deep-fried veggie spring rolls and fried shrimp & corn cakes were a good match in terms of flavour & texture and the serving was just right for the two of us. The mildly spicy coconut curry chicken rice served well as a palate-teasing main course. While the chicken was slightly over-cooked, together with the flavourful sauce and well braised potatoes, the entire dish was finger-licking. The drinks, rosemary tonic coffee & ginger lemon tea, were refreshing and complemented the meal well. The pot and cup with which the tea was served deserves special mention. No meal is complete without a dessert. Ours, chocolate & strawberry toast, was one of the best we had had. The creamy chocolate ice cream with a thick layer of fresh cream & a piece of nicely toasted brioche, as well as Oreo & fresh strawberries, made a very satisfying dessert. People say one good indicator of whether a restaurant deserves another visit is the plates on the table are all cleaned. We are planning our next visit😊and this time we are thinking of having dinner near the restaurant bar which should offer a grand sunset view.…查看更多

The impression we had after our recent visit to this small, decent Japanese restaurant was that “simple is flavourful”.In terms of its decor & menu, it’s all about the kind of simplicity that can enhance one’s dining experience. Its minimalist interior design - wooden tables with no fancy decorations, & adequate space to make one feel one’s privacy is respected, makes it an inviting, comfortable place to dine and catch up with friends. With all main items set out on one single page, the lunch menu offers a good selection of shabu shabu sukiyaki lunch sets. When our order was served, we each had in front of us a wooden tray holding a hot pot on a burner, a bowl of rice, a raw Japanese egg on a small bowl, & a plate of three appetisers, all of which lay comfortably on the table with enough space for the plates of meat that came with the hot pot. Despite there being no additional sauces or seasonings, our pots provided a flavourful soup base for our choice of meat - Japanese A5 wagyu, Australian M9 wagyu and Hokkaido pork. Instead of fancy plating or seasoning, the freshness of the meat & veggies was the secret recipe the chef had for us. The caring service we had, especially when the gel fuel for our hot pot needed replacement, deserved special mention. Last but not least, the Haagen-Dazs ice cream as dessert was icing on the cake! All in all, simply because of the quality of the ingredients & the cosy environment, we had a scrumptious lunch which we enjoyed to our heart’s content. …查看更多

The meal we had during our trip to Stanley this afternoon was not only scrumptious, but also good value for money. It being a crisp sunny day, the four of us chose to take our seats on the terrace, which offered a fantastic sea view & a comforting cool breeze. The choices on the lunch set menu appealed to us and with ease we picked our favourites. For appetiser, three went for tuna salad, & one picked foie gras. For soup, we all chose spinach & seafood bisque. As to the main course, two picked roast French spring chicken & penne with tomato sauce, one chose lobster roll & one opted for ribeye. The pleasant service provided by the lady server taking our order in a way raised our expectations. Before long our appetisers were served, all to our satisfaction. The tuna was well seasoned & seared, & the romaine was crispy & fresh. The foie gras was rich in flavour. As to the soup that was served next, the creamy texture & strong seafood flavour were very pleasing to our tastebuds. The tomato toast that went with the soup was a good match. When our main course was served, we werea bit surprised at the portion, especially that of the penne & lobster roll. What deserved special mention included the juicy roast spring chicken, the penne with a nice texture & a light fresh tomato sauce, the well-seasoned lobster roll & steak. The meal concluded with a nice round of beverages of our choice - iced lemon tea, iced coffee & hot lemon tea. On average the meal costs $250 per person. Given the quality of the food, the portion, the service, the ambiance, the pleasant views & breeze, it was definitely good value for money & a good reason for our next visit, which would be taking place soon.…查看更多

Our last visit to this branch of Ruby Tuesday at K11 Atelier, Quarry Bay, proved to be another pleasant dining experience. It was for a late lunch on a fine Sunday afternoon. There were quite a number of families waiting to be seated though it was past 2:30 pm. The server at the reception counter was very efficient, patient, courteous & helpful. In minutes, we were told a table was being prepared for us. Seated at a spacious four-person table, the two of us were greeted by another cheerful server, who introduced us to a set of menus. Our attention was then caught by a new menu which showcased a special 18oz USDA ribeye steak combo at $498 & a half-pint of 1664 for an additional $20. While 1664 needs no introduction, the combo set we ordered was surprisingly good in terms of flavour, serving & value. The Caesar salad was a fine starter with crispy romaine lettuce with a light salad dressing, cheese & croutons. Our choice of pasta, ie pasta with portobello mushrooms in creamy pesto sauce, was overall satisfying in terms of flavour & portion. The texture of the spaghetti was on the soft side though. The delight of the day was the flavourful 18oz ribeye steak grilled to near perfection. The seasoning & the level of doneness were just right, the serving was good enough for two diners; the veggies on the side were fresh & well prepared to complement the meaty dish; and the mushroom sauce was rich, creamy & flavourful. No meals can be complete without a dessert. Though full, we indulged ourselves with a nice apple crumble topped with a scoop of rich vanilla ice cream. Clearing every plate on the table, we asked for our bill, paid & left with a smile for the extremely good value for money our late lunch had offered us. …查看更多

Enjoying a nice ride to The Quayside, we were expecting a fabulous lunch with a nice view of the seafront. However, on our arrival, we were disappointed to see the “exact” location and decor of the restaurant. True, seeing is believing. First it does NOT boast any fabulous sea view, nor do the decor & ambience suggest any fine dining elements. In fact it is small & while it is close to the podium of the building, you can barely enjoy any picturesque view unless you wish to explore the open area in the heat. Apart from the physical environment, what shaped our first impression was the decibel level there. Though it was roughly 60-70% full, the loud music played together with customers’ chats was generating quite some off-putting noise. As to our order, the drinks which came first, ie ginger ale & iced lemon tea, were average. The latter was on the bland side though. Our main course comprising crab meat linguine & surf & turf was a surprise mixed with disappointment. The linguine was of the right texture with a rich creamy & flavourful sauce & a generous serving of crab meat. Yet the surf & turf was definitely NOT good value for money. While nicely grilled, in terms of size, the two prawns served could hardly be considered “king prawns”. The ribeye was a huge disappointment as it tasted like some third-rate meat, which was dry, chewy n lacking in flavour expected of a nice grill. The fries served on the side were far from freshly fried or crispy. All in all a lunch of such quality that cost over $550 would be anything but satisfying. …查看更多

Had a pleasant late lunch this afternoon at this decent restaurant on High Street, which we will definitely visit again to try the other choices on their fabulous set lunch menu. We were lucky to find a metered parking space nearby and hence were early for our reservation. On arrival, we were greeted by a nice lady who seated & introduced us to the a la carte & set lunch menus. For the choices & combinations available, we had no difficulty choosing items on the set lunch menu. We had mushroom soup & tarts as the starter, grilled tenderloin & pan-seared sea bass as the main course, & lemon tea & a pint of Stella to go with the meal. We were impressed by both the presentation & taste of our starter and main course. Though not hot, the tarts were crispy on the outside & filled with mildly seasoned mushroom, & the soup was savoury & creamy. As to the meat, the tenderloin was truly tender & juicy & the black pepper sauce matched & added flavour to the meat. As to the other main course, the sea bass was well seared, rendering the skin crispy & the meat moist. The beef was served with crispy & well-seasoned fries, & the fish came with deep-fried sweet potato chips, which were a nice surprise. Our lunch concluded with apple crumble as dessert, whose presentation was more impressive than the portion. What deserved special mention were the polite manners of the servers, who made you feel genuinely welcomed, & the nice ambience in which you could relax & enjoy the meal to the fullest. …查看更多

Had a quick lunch after a disappointing visit to the so-called revitalised Central Market. We were early and found ourselves to be the only customers in this small plain restaurant. Just upon being seated, much to our displeasure we overheard some suggestive tete-a-tete between a server and a visitor. For that we didn’t have any high expectations and just wished to get some snacks as lunch. When our order was served, our impression changed as both the chicken lollipops & pizza with mozzarella cheese, cherry tomatoes & basil not only looked appetising, but were indeed scrumptious. The deep-fried chicken was crispy on the outside and moist on the inside and made good comfort food together with the flavourful sauce. The pizza was another nice surprise with its crispy crust and flavourful toppings, especially the cheese & basil. As to the drinks, we had Earl Grey tea & an espresso, both of which were a good match for the meal. While we were enjoying our pizza & fried chicken, a few customers came & the server this time did a good job especially at the table that seated a family of four. He even offered a free glass of juice to one of the kids, which was pretty nice of him. All in all, the food served was better than expected. As to the dining experience itself, however, it would not be remembered as a particularly pleasant one. …查看更多

Thanks to the decor & service, this posh-looking restaurant appears to be increasingly popular as reflected in the difficulty in making online reservations. However, our last visit was a disappointment. The ambience remained impressive and we were anticipating a pleasant dining experience with friends we took there. We were nicely greeted by the captain who introduced us to the lunch set & a la carte menus on the tablets he placed on our table. For the variety of choices available in the lunch set menu, we ordered two ribeye steaks, a dish of spaghetti with seared scallop & a dish of fried Chinese egg noodles with an assortment of vegetables. We were served first watercress soup and a refreshing salad with shrimps. Our disappointment started when the main course came. While my friends gave no comments on their steak & spaghetti, our steak was not only lacking in flavour, but completely well-done, rendering it dry, chewy & nearly tasteless, & the sauce for our crispy noodles was simply too sweet. The dessert was no better - a small piece of something like a black forest cake, dry & bland. Pity that a restaurant which for its nice decor & service has gained popularity may lose its appeal with the lack of attention to what matters most in a dining experience - food. …查看更多