Introducing the "Skunner" List

After my latest disappointing meal at Mesa 15, I was feeling positive that my subsequent dining experiences would only get better. My next attempt was met with the same fatal end: uninspired, overpriced, and definitely not as advertised.

This seems to be a trend as of late and I'm starting to worry about my own ability to discern a good restaurant from a bad one. Even though I usually read all the reviews and am confident that I've done my due diligence, the meals have been mediocre at best. Sadly, I no longer think I can rely on TimeOut, HK Magazine, nor OpenRice.com to give reliable advice. My "Skunner" list is getting longer by the minute and I can say emphatically that I will never dine again in Soho unless desperate (okay, I lie, I still like Posto Publicco but even that's been losing it's lustre ).

THE LATEST LOSERS:

LIMEHOUSE, Wan Chai

Everything from decor to food to service fell below the mark for this critically acclaimed restaurant by TimeOut. What happened to the quaint and cozey decor? I just felt like I was in a white washed room with a couple of wood tables. The small space boasted one waitress and a completely charmless maitre'd. Upon tasting the house wine, a 2009 cab sauv that tasted more vinegar than dark cherry as advertised, I asked the waitress if there was anything else by the glass. The Maitre'd rushed over and said that they had a Chilean wine but then almost immediately reneged his offer. All in all, very odd and slow service at Limehouse.

And the food? Completely forgettable. We tried the fish and chips and the foie and duck egg appetizers. Both were fine but the portions were incredibly small and the price point at $78 and $98 respectively, was not cheap.

The main entrees were slightly better. Out of the seared monkfish, steak diane, and shepard's pie, the pie was by far the best. It was hearty and delicious but again, there was nothing particularly remarkable about it to justify it's $138HKD price tag. It literally just came out as a pie in a casserole dish---they didn't even give me any peas on the side! TimeOut HK magazine, I'm sorely disappointed with your misrepresentation! I definitely would NOT come back here.

Egg was undercooked although the foie and duck liver components blended well with the brioche and yolk.
Steak Diane was well seasoned but again, nothing special.

The best part of the meal, my shepard's pie. Tastey but definitely not worthy making the trek back for.
This was advertised as a raspberry shortcake. It tasted more like a toasted blueberry muffin with a dollop of cream and a couple of berries on top. It was overly sweet and definitely not worth the $48HKD. I will personally toast you a muffin and call it shortcake for a quarter of the price!

YORKSHIRE PUDDING, Staunton St., Soho

I'm really sad to report that my favorite place for Sunday Roast is officially on the Skunner list. Feeling a bit under the weather, I tried their tomato and roasted red pepper soup. It tasted and looked like Worcestershire sauce---eww!!! After two sips, I asked to swap out for their other soup of the day which was a cream of fish. I kid you not, it tasted like cream of butterscotch with floating parcels of overcooked fish nubs. Jay's burger although glorious in its appearance, had the distinct taste of meat tenderiser. If you ever dine here, make sure to stick with what they're good at which is their roasted meats and yorkshire puddings.

My first ever butterscotch flavored soup masquerading as fish chowder

THE WINNERS:

I would like to point out that the restaurants below aren't even what I would call "winners" by a NY standard. They're winners by HK standard which brings me to a topic near and dear to my heart: why do HK eaters expect less and pay more? It's mind boggling to me that people accept the quality of food that they receive and are willing to pay over $300 a meal for something that I could make with a can of prego and borelli dried pasta out of a box. Is it the years away from home that have numbed people's palettes? Are the folks living in HK simply accustomed to an interior standard of food? Or am I just being over critical and unreasonable for applying what I would consider acceptable in Manhattan? Regardless, I'm losing my enamor for non Chinese food dining in HK and it breaks my heart because I love this city.

LIME, Shelley Street, Mid Levels (right off the escalator, above Prince's Terrace)

The decor and location is a bit strange for this brand new Thai bistro, nestled in the mid-levels. The old Lime in Kennedy Town shut down and it decided to reincarnate itself as a tacky green, disco lighted club in an otherwise residential area. Contrary to other reviews, I found their curry hot as hell! I'm not the best when it comes to heat but I'm not pansy either. I had the Tempo tissues out during my entire lunch and it was so refreshing to finally feel the sizzling tingle of a thai curry done right. In the 1.5 years I have lived in the Central area, I have not had a curry as complex in flavor and hot enough to warrant brow sweat. Thank you Lime, green fluorescent lights and all. Lunch sets start at $98 and dinner per head should cost approximately $200-300 per head depending if you drink or not.

Thom Yum Seafood Curry Lunch Set

THE BURGER ROOM, Causeway Bay

All I have to say is why has no one told me about this place yet?! Finding a good burger in HK is like trying to find non-commerical music in a LKF club. I want to personally thank Jay for taking me to Burger Room and for restoring my hope in the HK burger. I've recently crossed off red meat from my list so I ordered the chicken burger:

The chicken was well seasoned, the condiment just right and my potato wedges crunchy on the outside and creamy on the inside. This meal plus a drink was only $39HKD for the tea set. A great value considering it's the "mini-size" and I was still stuffed afterwards.

Now if you want to go full on cardiac arrest, try the portabella burger smothered in cheese. This thing is so big, you'll need to share it with a friend. In fact, all their regular size burgers are HUGE. And I lied again...I did try a bite (sorry mr. moo cow!)---I just couldn't resist! The patty stayed together as you bit it. The beef was well seasoned and incredibly juicy. All in all, a very good burger. Just be wary of the queues and long wait time for your meal.

THE CHINESE RESTAURANT AT THE GRAND HYATT

My second dining experience here was not as good as the first a few months ago but I did not leave disappointed. The service is still great and the food is still as refined as before. I never thought lotus roots stuffed with fish meat could be elevated to a 5-star quality dish (this is normally a dish my mom just makes at home). Although delicious, the price tag is staggering. A meal for three came to $1900 not including dessert. Considering the price and the views, I would still bring special guest or visitors here but I'm not sure if it deserved the dining award of the year by TimeOut HK for Chinese food.

When Szechuan means Canton: Jumbo prawns with crab meat and coral and chili peppers next to lotus roots and peppers stuffed with fish meat.

Lamb casserole with beancurd sheets and mushrooms. Perfectly cooked lamb and barely gamey, even by my standards.

So who's on your SKUNNER list? Tell me what restaurants you wouldn't ever go back to and why!

Review of MESA 15 on Wyndham Street, Central.

I'm going to be brutally honest here, while the food was all beautifully presented, the service impeccable, and the space modern and chic for HK, the food at Mesa 15 fell devastatingly short. Three "pica" plates of tapas in, I was starting to worry that no Michelin star worthy dishes would arrive. It appears that the award winning dishes have stayed in Spain. Looks like we poor Hong Konger's will just have to physically go to Spain if we're going to experience the type of meal that critically acclaimed chef Alejandro Sanchez is known for.

Sanchez's first foray out of Spain is lacking in basic flavor. I'm no trained chef but several dishes were begging for some simple salt and pepper or a squeeze of lemon. The dishes we tried are described below:

THE LOSERS

When I see the word gazpacho, I expect a refreshing blend of full flavors of tomato, vinegar and spice. Nothing about this soup was refreshing nor robust in taste. It was an odd blend of flavors and lacked any texture. I LOVE soup and I think this may have been the worst one I've ever had in Hong Kong. Talk about epic failure!


Sanchez's signature fish and chips dish was also a disappointment. Although the batter was light and the fish was of good quality, again there was very little flavor. The dipping mayo hadZERO taste. The chips were the best part of the dish, perfectly fried and flavorful as far as potatoes go. A signature dish though should not rely on the strength of the potatoes!

Razor clams are definitely some of the ugliest bi-valves out there but man, are they tasty when done right! As a Cantonese food lover at heart, I often order these with blackbean sauce. When I saw the pesto version on the Mesa 15 menu, I was eager to try them at $39 HKD a piece. They looked fresh and the green color was vibrant and although the pesto was reasonable in flavor, the clam itself tasted a bit fishey. This was mostly due to the fact that much of the stomach gunk was left inside the clam. I know some people actually like this bit but let me reassure you, in a razor clam where the sauce is light---it's hard to mask that funky odour and taste. Another failure for an otherwise promising dish.

The pulled pork burgers looked promising as they arrived. As I bit into them, I enjoyed the soft texture of the pork and the balance of radicchio ,dressing, and bun. Again the pulled pork was bland and in need of some serious spice. Pulled pork lovers in HK, I would avoid these!

THE WINNERS:

I can't even say that duck breast over braised vegetables was that great. Compared to the other dishes though, it was a solid portion of duck with an appropriate level of seasoning. My only complaint was the lack of crunch on the skin of the duck.


Well you can't really eff up iberian ham! The ham was excellent quality, better than the stuff I've tried at City Super. But at $150HKD per 40 grams, it's no bargain!

If you're looking for a trendy spot for drinks and maybe some quick nibbles then Mesa 15 would be more than adequate. If you're looking for a tapas meal that will blow your mind, I think you're better off saving your $$$ and waiting till your next trip to Spain or keeping to the more traditional tapas offerings in the area.

Price per head with dessert and one alcoholic beverage: approximately $450