Weekend In Review: Great Company and Great Eats!

What a glorious weekend in Hong Kong!  The weather was unseasonably warm and the food and company were extra spectactular.  Even with all the fun activities planned, I managed to squeeze in two body combat sessions (I'm pretty obsessed with this as some you know...) which will hopefully mitigate some of the ridiculous calorie consumption since Friday.  Below is a little recap of all the fun I had this past weekend:

Friday Date Night - Chili Club 88 Lockhart Road, Wan Chai

Having worked overnight on Thursday on probably the largest deal of my life time, I finally went home at 1 p.m. on Friday to get some rest.  I woke up after a 4 hour nap feeling somewhat less zombie-like and absolutely famished.  Jay and I decided to jump on a mini bus to Wan Chai to scope out our dining options.  Although we originally thought we wanted unhealthy Tex Mex at Agave, we decided on Chili Club instead. 

 

Most of you have probably walked by this place a million times and thought it was just run-of-the mill Wan Chai Thai food joint.  Surprisingly, when we walked in (at the senior citizen hour of 6:30 pm!) the restaurant was already 1/3 full and the patrons were primarily local Chinese. I found this encouraging as this generally means that the restaurant will be value for money. 

Needless to say, we weren't disappointed!  The portions were generous, the prices reasonable, and most important of all, the food was delicious!

Between Jay and I, we shared a large Tom Yum Soup (HKD$88), a spicy sirloin beef salad appetizer ($65), a steamed fish with chili/lime/garlic sauce (more like a broth poured on top which seeped into the fish as it cooked at the table) ($160) and a beef and basil fried rice ($70; pictured above). All the dishes sampled were well seasoned and fresh. 

I was particularly impressed by the large de-veined prawns in the Tom Yum soup which was prepared in a  clear soup style, rather than the cloudier version (which I hate because then you're picking out all the lemongrass and herbs rather than sipping your soup freely).  I was also extremely impressed by the fish.  As it cooked at the table, the fish became more and more flavorful.  The waiter even volunteered to debone our fish which I thought was a nice touch.

With a couple of drinks, the total damage was only $487 which I think is quite reasonable for a delicious Thai dinner set in a clean and upscale environment.    I will definitely go back to try more of their dishes.

Sweet Lodge  117 Thomson Street, Wan Chai

***DISCLAIMER: this is a Cantonese HK style dessert place so if you don't like creamy desserts, mango, or the Canto-take on chocolate fondant, don't bother coming*** 

For those of you who do love HK's approach to western desserts, I highly recommend visiting Sweet Lodge, especially if you're in the area after dinner.  Their chocolate fudge cake was light yet super chocolatey and I literally could eat the white chocolate panna cotta topped with mango every day (pictured below).  They have several types of panna cottas but as a warning, they lack gelatin and taste more like a semi freddo or a mousse.  Other notable items include their flambé bananas with pancakes and the creme brulée.  Most desserts range from $25-30. 

Yay for cheap eats!

Saturday Highlights - Go Grandriders!

Having had a reasonably good experience at 208 for dinner and their weekly lunch set, I decided to go again with my friends for brunch.  Talk about a let down! The portion was incredibly small and the service was spotty at best.  I like the decor and ambience at 208 but I left feeling unsatisfied.  I know I could've ordered another dish but I felt on pricipal I shouldn't have to spend so much $$$ on child size portions.  Even my non-American friends agreed that the platings could have been more generous (i.e., it's not just me being a piggie) .

Food aside, I saw a fantastic movie with Jay and May called Go Grandriders 不老騎士(http://asiasociety.org/hong-kong/events/go-grandriders).  This is a heart touching film that documents the "Grandriders" trip around the entire island of Taiwan on motorcyle.  Among these 17 “Grandriders,” two have battled cancer, four need hearing aids, five suffer from high blood pressure, eight have coronary diseases, and every one of them has symptoms of joint degeneration. Nonetheless, they courageously embark on a 13-day, 1178 km motorcycle ride to reminisce, and rekindle the love with the land they have lived on their entire life.

Go Grandriders is not only a documentary about the grand riders overcoming old age, it is a compelling collective human story that looks back at the generation’s past. The film also had moments of pure comedic genius filled with Grandpa antics and humorous story telling.  If you haven't seen it yet, I highly recommend it and remember to bring tissues!

Sunday Roast at the Conrad Hotel - Carvery Buffet, Lobby Lounge

I am no stranger to the Conrad buffets and am often lured there at least once or twice a year.  This year, having had my fair shares of buffets over the holidays I shyed away from massive buffet spread at the Conrad until Sunday.  I saw a promotional ad for their Carvery Buffet served at the Lobby Lounge and whilst it was advertised as a "Sunday Roast" this meal went far beyond the normal Sunday Roast offerings. 

I am already a huge fan of Harrington's more traditional Sunday roast but the Conrad version may have just edged past them.  Not only were there seven types of meat carvery available + fish (Wagyu prime rib, veal roast, rack of lamb, twice cooked suckling pig, kurobata pork, halibut, roast pigeon and roast chicken) there was also an extensive hot foods and salad bar, a fresh oyster shucking station, shrimp cocktail and crayfish towers, and a well stocked dessert table. 

All of this plus a coffee/ice tea was only $380 per head.  If you have a Platinum Amex/HSBC/Hang Seng card, you are entitled to another 15% discount. 

For this price, I thought the buffet was great.  The Wagyu prime rib and the lamb chops were superb and who doesn't love to stuff their face full of freshly chucked oysters and prawns?  If you're looking for a refined Sunday Roast, head to the Conrad on Saturdays or Sundays when they have their carvery buffet from 12:30 - 2:30 p.m. 

Apart from all this great dining out, Jay and I were also able to taste some of our neighbour's spaghetti bolognese cook-off creations and were spoiled even further by having a helping of their mango cheesecake from the Hong Kong Club.  The weekend was rounded out with some fabulous year end sales shopping with Michael and evening drinks with our Italian friends Christina and Ruggero at La Piola.  All of the above plus three loads of laundry done  = a great weekend!  Now back to work! =/

Peruvian Delights in Central

Reivew of CHICHA– 26 Peel Street, Central, Hong Kong

When I first saw the palm trees going up on Peel St, my heart skipped a beat hoping that Latin fare would be replacing the old Chez Patrick space. Thankfully, I wasn’t too far off the mark and Chicha presented itself with commendable Peruvian flare.

There are a number of things that I like about Chicha from the decor to the open kitchen but what I enjoyed most was the warm environment and sincere representation of Peruvian classics. I can’t say every dish sampled was outstanding but most were solid. Moreover, the portions here were properly made for sharing and I left feeling satisfied and not entirely gorged financially (which is how I normally feel when I eat to fullness).

I went to Chicha with my food partners in crime, Jay and Diane, on a Saturday evening and the service was impeccable. We had a dedicated waiter all evening who was helpful and seemed genuinely happy, an uncommon find in HK which is generally sodden with dour servers. We started with the sea bass ceviche which was good but not great. It had the appropriate ingredients like the giant corn and leche de tigre but was lackluster flavor-wise. The calamari was one of my favorite starters which was battered lightly, seasoned well and tender. Chicha also serves their calmari/squid in tentacle form rather than the standard o-shaped rings.


Some other notable dishes include: pan con chicarron, which is like a mini burger with fried pork, fish or chicken filling and from their main dishes; the lomo saltado, a tenderloin stir fry served with a massive fried rice ball encased in potato which is broken ceremoniously table-side; and the cannot-miss fried sweet potato donuts. These were absolutely amazing. I would come here just for these damn donuts alone.

Unfortunately, their tacos, which we thought were going to be good as they were flying out of the kitchen, were a huge disappointment. The fillings were flavorless and for me personally, I’m not a fan of semi-stale hard taco shells.
Their drinks were also not impressive either. This was a bit of a concern considering that they have a sister bar, The Roger Room, just across the street. We noticed that some of those seated at the high tables in the window of The Roger Room were able to order food from Chicha so next time it’s full, maybe ask to be seated there instead.



The $$$ Damage: with all the food mentioned above, an order of corn (nothing special to report on the corn), and five cocktails, the grand total was $560 per person. Not terrible for the location and definitely good considering you had to practically roll me out of the restaurant because I was that full!

Eating Healthy in Central!

If you work in Hong Kong in its busy financial district, it’s not uncommon to feel limited by your lunch options. Certainly there are a number of executive lunch spots sprinkled between Jardine House and Lan Kwai Fong but most people don’t have 1.5 + hours a day to take a proper lunch break, nor do they want to spend over $100HKD per head. To combat these time and calorie constraints, I’ve listed out some of my favourite ‘healthy’ spots in the Central/Admiralty area (please note that these are primarily Western restaurants as I usually blow my daily caloric intake on rice dishes when I dine in Chinese eateries hehe):

PUMPERNICKLE, Hutchison House, Admiralty

This is my favorite all-around healthy lunch place. They bake their own artisanal bread and have an impressive variety of choices from sun dried tomato panini bread to yogurt cheese brioche. All their food is made fresh to order and their portions are generally quite generous if you dine in.

What I like best about Pumpernickle are their daily specials such as sesame vegetarian chicken over red rice with a choice of side salad or soup (such as pumpkin or split pea with bacon) and bread for only HK$60.

In addition to their specials, I'm also a HUGE fan of their chicken caesar and avocado salad. The portion is massive so I always feel full after a delicious and nutritious salad and soup. In lieu of soup, you can order coffee or tea as part of set combo. Their coffee is equally good, made fresh on their espresso machine.

Some other highlights include their pan fried cod sandwich and tuna and egg mayo on bread of your choice (pictured above). Even with so many choices to choose from, Pumpernickle never disappoints. Takeaway or dine in option available at approximately $50-65 per head.

LA BAGUETTE, Lan Kwai Fong

Similar to Pumpernickle and Velo, La Baguette makes their own bread and man oh man is it good! I'm a sucker for their wheat baguette which is perfectly crispy on the outside and soft and chewy in the middle. Although slightly less healthy than Pumpernickle as they do not have any salad options, their sandwiches are truly delicious and are usually big enough to be shared with a colleague. I highly recommend the salmon and avocado (pictured on the right) or the duck confit with brie. Other notables include their pumpkin soup and made to order pastas. Most sandwiches will set you back $60-70HKD.

LIFE CAFE, Shelley Street, Soho (right along the escalator)

I probably eat or takeaway from Life Cafe at least once a week. They offer 5-6 selections at the salad bar each day and you mix and match up to five choices for a large salad at $75 or choose three choices for $50. Some of my favorite salad choices include the quinoa salad, fried tofu and the broccoli and feta. NB: The large salad is definitely big enough for two!

Life Cafe also offers healthy and nutritious filo pastries filled with spinach and feta and has an impressive selection of vegan desserts. This is probably the best place in Central for Vegans.

In addition to their takeaway, Life Cafe has a charming upstairs for sit down diners. They offer a large selection of organic vegetarian offerings for dinner. Their weekend brunch is also very good for the vegetarians. I particularly like their avocado and seitan club sandwich served with sweet potato fries(see photo above), tofu skewers with cashew sauce, and their omelettes.

NB: Life Cafe is also great for gluten free folks!

LA CAUSETTE (Take out bar at The Mandarin Hotel)

I really am not a fan of the 360 cafeteria and I only recently found out about the surprisingly affordable take out counter at La Causette. They offer a 3-4 salad options and a small salad of your choice costs only HKD$50. You can mix and match or stick with one salad choice. My personal favorite is the beet root, shortly followed by the Vietnamese beef salad.

EAT RIGHT, Staunton Street, Soho

I must admit that Eat Right is a better healthy dinner option as it's a more formal sit-down place. However, they do offer a healthy 3 course set lunch for approximately $100.

Eat Right uses healthy ingredients and is mindful of oil and seasoning. Their menu is quite large so there is usually something for everyone. Some highlights include the fajitas which were flavorful and filling and the pan seared salmon entree. Their selection of fresh juices and smoothies also makes this a great healthy choice restaurant for a quick pit stop after the gym. Pictured to the right is the chickpea burger available for lunch or dinner.

SIMPLY LIFE, IFC and ICBC/Citibank Tower

Thank god for Simply Life's ample salad selection and daily varieties of soup. It's hard to stay on track though when confronted by all the lovely pastries and Chinese food options. Again, you can pick a small or large salad and there is usually at least 3 soup options.

If you can resist the fries (which appear to be baked not fried though) there are also chicken burgers (see photo on left) and other slightly healthier lunch options such as all day breakfast, which sadly requires resisting the bacon.

The food at Simply Life is always consistent and made fresh so even though a typical lunch here will set you back $80 (including a drink), it's definitely somewhere to keep on your rotation when working in Central.

Roasted mushrooms, quinoa and brown rice salad, with broccoli

Pizza Pizza Pizza! New Italian Restaurants in Central

Due to my hectic schedule as of late, I haven't had much of an opportunity to dine out far from home. I was feeling hopeful about the latest Italian inspired venues that have cropped out up in the area so I thought I'd give them my own test run.

PIZZERIA JACOMAX, Shop C, 88 Comericial Building, 38-42 Wing lok Street, Sheung Wan

Out of the four recent venues sampled, one of the best by far was Pizzeria Jacomax. Not only was the pizza authentic, it was served in my favorite thin-crust style, with flavorful but not over bearing tomato sauce. The Italian mom and son duo manning the restaurant gave it extra charm and I would readily return for more "cheap and cheerful" fare.

If you like heavily laden pizzas that eat like meals, then I would not suggest Jacomax. If the pizzas don't fill you up enough, they do have some pasta options (the pasta is homemade). I sampled the amatraciana spaghetti and it was done well but I wasn't particularly impressed when comparing it to the pizza. The menu is, generally speaking, limited and the space is decidedly take-out/fast food style. I wouldn't recommend the salads as their freshness and quality of ingredients is akin to the 711 takeaway options in the open refrigerators. Although the restaurant is tiny, and only seats 14, you can still call ahead and make a reservation.

PEPPERONI'S, Wyndham Street, Central

The next new pizza joint on the block is Pepperoni's. Having heard positive reviews (come on, 96 smiley faces on Openrice.com!), I was eager to try it out as soon as renovations in the old Vivo space completed on Wyndham Street. Sadly, my excitement at the prospects of a gourmet pizza place literally around the corner from my flat was quickly met with disappointment when our food arrived. We ordered a mixed green salad with avocado and prawn salad as a starter, a parma ham and rockette pizza (medium size, adequate for 2), and their ultimate burger.

I have so many complaints, I don't know where to begin. The salad was OK but again, lackluster and flavorless. Their namesake pizza was a poor show with its undercooked dough, straight out of a can tomato sauce and quite possibly the saddest looking rockette ever paired with overly salted prosciutto. And the burger? It looks pretty damn good doesn't it. Sadly, nothing about the burger was 'ultimate'--- the patty tasted of meat tenderizer and reminded me of the Chinese beef balls you get at dimsum. The buns were soaked by the beef jus before we even took a bite. And to add insult to injury, the fries served with the burger were cajun potato wedges, straight out of a bag in the freezer aisle.

Parma, rockette and parmesan pizza. Looks decent but I

would've honestly rather have spent my $$ on Pizza Hut.

All in all, I give it two thumbs down. I know they just opened about a week ago but I question whether or not the food is fundamentally too flawed for improvement. Maybe I'm too demanding but I probably will never return unless quality ingredients and proper cooking techniques are employed.

I'm not giving you the full address because it ain't worth going to!

LINGUINI FINI, the L Building, Queens Road Central, Central

Another disappointment is the latest rustic chic venue in the L Building, Linguini Fini. Again, I liked it's concept with fresh pasta making in one corner, it's hip decor, and fresh faced staff. Here, the pasta did taste fresh but again, I was not particularly impressed by any of the dishes and I can't get over how small the portions were.

The pastas were creative and inventive in description but the execution fell flat.

Sometimes zany and out of the box does not = tasty.

The cod on toast with tomato salsa and pesto was the best dish but that's sad considering that this it's supposed to be a full serviced Italian resto with loads of options. I don't think you should ever leave a restaurant thinking that the highlight of the meal was the bread!

Squid ink linguini with cod roe and parmesan

PIZZA MILANO, 34-73 Cochrane Street, Central

Although Pizza Milano is not a new restaurant in Central, I finally made it there after living in Hong Kong for 2+ years. I still can't believe it took me so long to try their pizza because had I known it was so good, I would've made it there much sooner!

The pizza crust/dough was the perfect balance of crispness and breadiness. They had the perfect air bubbles and the crust stayed intact through out the meal.

It never got soggy which I thought was quite the feat considering Hong Kong's humidity. It's rare to eat such an authentic Italian style pizza in Asia and I definitely treated myself by wolfing down four slices! I have yet to try their pastas and other side dishes but I reckon the pizza is the real highlight here.

The decor looks like a classic pizza parlour albeit a bit run down. The upstairs roof terrace is a nice change of scenery and although also a bit decrepit looking in some spots, it was still a comfortable venue for a lovely pizza night.

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After that last round of Italian outings, notwithstanding the pizza, I wholeheartedly believe that the best pasta is the pasta served at home --- made with quality ingredients and attention to flavor. Not to mention, pasta dinner at home almost always guarantees a full belly bear =)

Gustatory travels outside of Central...yes!

This is my officially my third year living, working, and studying in the Central area. As a result, I've become rather bored of the same dining options. New outlets crop up every few months but more often than not, they miss the mark in terms of quality and price.

When I can, I try to get out of the half mile radius I call home and try to eat in a different part of Hong Kong. I must admit, I have a hard time making it to the New Territories but thankfully, there are loads of good food options, much closer to home:

FUSION GOURMET at the Pemberton, Bonham Strand, Sheung Wan

Rarely seen in HK, Fushion Gourmet manages to do the farm to table concept well. One caveat, the farm is in Australia and two, the clientelle is primarly Chinese. As a result, the dishes do tend to be be on the lighter side, focusing primarily on the fresh ingredients and to me, seems to appeal to the Canto-style palate for healthier foods (think Pumpernickle).

Many of the ingredients used in the dishes are also conveniently available in their market area so if you dine here, you get 30% off your purchase (20% off wine). Tomberrys (super tiny and super sweet tomatoes) were probably the most unique item available for sale in addition to my favorite Italian butter made from buffalo milk.

The bread is freshly baked and delicious and all dishes sampled from the fresh and flakey seared snapper served over mixed mushroom risotto (pictured on the left) to the cauliflower soup were done well. The main ingredients were never compromised and I left feeling healthy (albeit a tad hungry still). Sadly, freshness doesn't come cheap though. Lunch for two was $337 (2 lunch sets, juice and bread basket).

Perfectly roasted chicken bursting with flavors,

accompanied by pureed cauliflower soup and prosciutto side salad

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FANDANGO, 100 Canton Road, 9/f Toy house, TST

Finally a traditional tapas place in Hong Kong! I loved the kitschy Spanish villa style decor, the massive menu, and the acoustic guitarist playing Spanish ballads. All that was missing was a flamenco dancer! I would highly recommend this restaurant for a date or even a group as the dishes come in a variety of sizes.

The tapas and entrees were all well seasoned and hearty. I left thoroughly satisfied and was just so damn thrilled to finally eat a decent seafood paella. The stuff they usually serve in Hong Kong is more akin to a fried rice than a proper paella. The prawns were MASSIVE and the other seafood were equally fresh and lush in size and texture.

Some other highlights included the suckling pig and the patatas fandango are a must! The crunch of the potatoes paired with the viscous gooey goodness of the egg yolks are a perfect match.

The sangria was also good although there was nothing particularly outstanding about it. The desserts however, were a real nightmare. The choices were limited and the one we sampled, catalan cream with strawberries tasted more foamy dish soap than foamy cream. I would save dessert for another venue.

Crispy suckling pig over potato salad

Price per head, approximately 500-600 including drinks.

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THE MON, 4/F, The Goldmark, 502 Hennessy Road, Causeway Bay

Although I've wanted to dine here for a while now, the Mon's inflexible system of reservation has made it nearly impossible. You can only dine here if you have a reservation, they take no walk-ins.

Fortunately, on a whim, my boyfriend, cousin and I decided to try going there at almost prime time on a Friday evening. To our extreme surprise, there was an opening at 9:30 p.m. Although dinner took place a bit later than I would have liked, it was well worth it! For once, the reviews were right: The Mon serves great Japanese food at great prices.

We sampled a variety of small plates, raw and cooked, their sushi, noodle and rice dishes, and of course, their famous omelette with radish! I have zero complaints other than that they had completely run out of clams and I had to jealously watch the table next to ours devour their sake clams cooked in stone bowl -.-

If you can be bothered, try to make a reservation here for a solid Japanese meal in Causeway Bay. I've included some of the highlights from the evening below:

Sushi Platter: good variety and well priced at HK$240

Tuna tartare over sweet potato: I enjoyed the complex yet delicate flavors; the only caveat: it not a sharing dish!

Grilled Cheese Mochi wrapped in seaweed: this was my first taste of cheese mochi! They're tasty but one too many of these bad boys could leave you with a bit of indigestion as the mochi are quite dense.

I will be adding the Mon to my roster of Japanese restaurants. It's too bad it's so tough to get a reservation but the food and service are well worth the wait!

Price per head approximately HK$250.