Cantopop 港土茶記 (Hong Kong)

 

Cantopop has been opened for quite some time and it got quite some attention in the media at the beginning thanks to its sustainable dining concept carried throughout its chain of restaurants such as Linguini Fini and Posto Pubblico. It is not until recently that I finally got a chance to visit Cantopop. It was by invitation (which nowadays seems to be a very popular thing amongst restaurants but I do have something to express on this point on a later post, so stay tuned) but my experience at Cantopop was a pleasant one with a few misses of course. I will explain why a bit later but one thing I have to say is that I admire and support their sustainable dining concept by sourcing locally and minimize food wastage by using all animal parts if possible, but the question is where to draw the line at times. I am spending quite some time to writeup this post because I think there is a need to, a need to express my opinion in all perspectives which may or may not be different from the general public or even fellow foodies.

Si Sun Fast Food 時新快餐店

When it comes to Hong Kong style burger, most people would point you to Si Sun Fast Food for its bargain hearty burger with homemade sauce and meat patty. For around HKD16 you get yourself a double cheese burger with fried egg! Do expect long queues and cramped seating arrangement on a first come first served basis. You can bring you own stool and sit outside if you like, no one is going to stop you.

Cafe Match Box 喜喜冰室

Cafe Match Box has been the new kid on the block for a while offering so-called traditional Hong Kong style cuisine with a bit of a fusion twist and I finally got the chance to give it a try. The retro decor was interesting and great for pictures.

Sun Kee 新記餐廳

It was a Cheesy day, a Cheesy Friday to be exact, a yummy one as well! Thanks to Mochachocolata Rita, I was lucky enough to be invited to this Cheesy night event! How cheesy? This resto hiding inside an old building in TST is known for its cheese instant noodles. A neighborhood kind of a joint with tables tightly packed together; expect to share a table with strangers or perhaps pretty girls and handsome guys if you are luck. There are several variations and being the hungry me, I ordered the one with almost everything! Deep fried pork chops, chicken wings and fried eggs!

Wah Heung Yuen 華香園 / Tak Fat Beef Ball 德發牛肉丸

I was bored on a Sunday afternoon and took my camera for a little adventure.Not really an adventure per se but wandered around the TST area in search of meaningful moments to capture. In order to proceed, I needed energy hence food! I pass by the Hai Phong Road quite often but I never knew that there is an Dai Pai Dong 大牌檔 / cooked food stall within this semi-abandoned wet market. Call me ignorant if you may but I just didn't know it existed. As you approach the end of the wet market area, the surrounding starts to get noisy and you start smelling the aroma of deep fried items. At the end of the pathway, the staff of various food stalls would (over)-welcome you, inviting you to their outlets.

Kwan Kee 坤記腸粉

I just wanted something simple, something hearty and something I can just enjoyed and depart with a smile. It does not have to be a fancy dish that gives me such pleasure, street food, soul food or even fatty food would do just fine. Sometimes the perfect meal is just a simple meal which cheers me up the most. A recent article in The New York Times, titled First Camera, Then Fork talks about the trend of people taking food pictures and how this "hobby" of photographing food can be a more accurate way to document life according to an avid food photographer and foodies. Others such as Tucker Shaw, the food critic for The Denver Post, even go as far as saying that photo blogging everything he eats "are incredibly personal" and one can deduce the type of person that he is. So what does it make me or what type of person am I? I am not even sure myself ... a person who loves to share perhaps? :)

Today I like to share with you my street food experience at Kwan Kee. Nothing fancy, nothing expensive, definitely not very comfortable in terms of seating arrangement but it was exactly what made me depart with a smile. My friend and I ordered a huge bowl of steamed Rice Noodle Roll 腸粉 with plenty of sesame sauce and sweet "Hoisin sauce." Oh yes it was hearty, it was yummy and it was satisfying! The sauce can be thicker but we were a happy dude!

Next we both ordered the "fake shark fins soup" 碗仔翅. It was too watery and lacked the amount of glass noodles but again it was satisfying for my craving. With a few drops of red vinegar, it was .... yum!

We were there for a mere 5 mins and there was a constant line up! Averaging HKD20 per person and a constant inflow of customers (+ cash), not bad for business at all! Did I mention it was a on a Friday afternoon, public holiday as well.



Likes:

• Plain Rice Noodle Rice, not too thick and freshly steamed
• Wide selection of other items such as dumplings and even congee

Dislikes:

• Seating arrangement (then who is complaining ... at least it has a roof)

Avg Spending: Below HKD 50 per person


Kwan Kee 坤記腸粉
Chik Fu Street, Tai Wai, NT



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Hearty Breakfast under HKD40 around Central?

6am, clear blue sky,

A cool 20 something degrees,

A pretty news anchor with an attractive voice was on TV,

A very sleepy Jason, sitting against the headboard of the bed, staring at the TV

With his half opened eyes, awaiting to wake up from his dream ...

(Ywan!!!) So cold! Why do I have to get out of bed at this hour! Why do I have to be hungry at this hour for the past WEEK!!! (well most days of past week) I blame the weather, the evil cold spell! I have no heater at home so it was always a struggle to get dressed on a cold morning with non-wooden flooring at home! There were 2 options, (1) I either RAN to the bathroom or (2) I had to tiptoe! (perhaps a pair Ugg boots for HOME USE only?)

The longer I stay home, the more I want to jump back into bed! Best solution was to get out the door and enjoy a relax and hearty breakfast! I did mention the morning hunger lasted the whole week right? Sigh! Tuesday - Friday!!!!

Tuesday

I did not have anything on Monday for breakfast, just a cup of coffee but I did get up early. I felt so guilty for not using the early morning for more food the day before so I rewarded myself something hearty warm! Instant Noodles with Sunny-side-up fried egg and sausages!



Likes:

• unpretentious crowds, friendly staff, free refills of coffee

Dislikes:

• MSG! Food Coma at 10am!

Avg Spending: Below HKD 100 per person

Cafe De Savoy
B/F, Dah Sing Life Bldg, 99-105
Des Voeux Road, Central
Tel: +852 2117 1111

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Wednesday

My breakfast yesterday filled my stomach til well over 2pm so I went for something lighter and healthier. Oatmeal and Egg Sandwich at the Swiss Cafe. Oatmeal was bland and require adding of sugar yourself. A healthy dish indeed but with 3 spoonful of sugar I added ... sigh ... I am a very sweet person! *blink blink* The eggs were good, thick and slightly creamy. Not much butter flavor so I assume it was cream or milk they added perhaps to get that texture??



Likes:

• very thick and creamy layers of eggs
• full cream / whole milk in bottles!

Dislikes:

• oatmeal was bland by default, have to add sugar yourself. Healthy indeed!

Avg Spending: Below HKD 100 per person

Swiss Cafe
No.12-16 Li Yuen Street West, Central
Tel: 2111 0841

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Thursday

After Wednesday slightly more healthy breakfast, it was time to go back to a more hearty breakfast to warm my body up! Satay Beef instant noodles with scramble eggs and bun at Tsui Wah. The eggs were a bit watery but with strong flavors. The satay beef was good, tender as a result of baking soda as always! Definitely a bit heavy for the morning but it made my body all warmed up! The size of the breakfast was rather huge for me that could not finish the bun.



Likes:

• satay beef, rich flavors and very tender
  
• sweet bun I like

Dislikes:

• scrambled eggs were too watery

Avg Spending: Below HKD 100 per person

Tsui Wah Resturant
G/F, 84-86 Des Voeux Road Central
Tel: +852 2542 2288

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Friday

TGIF! Still a very cold morning! Since I had a rather heavy breakfast yesterday morning, I opted for something lighter, relatively lighter of course. Minced Beef Food Rice Roll (免治牛肉腸粉). Not the best I have tried, the rice roll layer was rather thick but it was hearty enough for me on this morning. While it was hearty, it wasn't enough in terms of quantity!



So my friend (whom I forced him to join) and I ordered another Corned Beef and Egg Sandwich. I love corned beef as much as I love my spam! (well ... it was still lighter than instant noodles right? I believe it was and I will continue to believe so!) It was a very satisfied Friday morning!!!!



Likes:

• Corned Beef and Egg sandwich
• Plenty of minced beef in the rice roll with sweet soy sauce (MSG anyone??)

Dislikes:

• The sandwich bread a bit too dried

Avg Spending: Below HKD 100 per person
Five Dragons 五龍粥麵茶餐廳
17-19 Jubilee Street, Central
Tel: +852 2851 8861

Tai Hing New Century 太興新世代

I really need to control my sudden cravings for certain food. It is not an easy thing to do but I need to try harder! However, my craving for roasted pork had won the battle for the night, hence my visit to Tai Hing New Century (太興新世代).

I always wondered about the meaning of "New Century" at this Chinese BBQ Meat joint, my first take on its meaning would be its selection of fusion dishes such a baked wasabi roasted pork with rice. When we talk about the origin of fusion cuisine, we often reference it to the rise of nouvelle cuisine in France in the 1970s whereby elements of French and Japanese cooking were combined. However, my foodie friend Babedolphin enlightened me one day by pointing me to look around more closely and one shall find that Hong Kong is perhaps the grandfather of all fusion cuisines! Highly possible indeed! Helloooo ... Baked pork chop with fried rice? Ham and egg macaroni in soup? Super tender steak drowned in baking soda? One of the best examples is famous Tai Ping Koon which was established in 1860 (or Qing Dynasty-10th year of Xianfeng if that makes a difference).

(1) Soy Chicken and Roast Pork with Rice

The rice was ridiculous hard, dry and overly crisp! It was perfect for fried rice but not as white rice!!! What else? The roast pork was hard, dry and overly TOUGH! Not that I count every time, I usually chew my food for about 20 - 25 times (for better digestion, perhaps 30 would be ideal) but for this tough piece of roasted pork, 35 chews would get you nowhere, 40 times would be more like it. I literally got tired of chewing after 3 pieces and let them as they were. The chicken was fair I guess, I had no more energy to chew through the chicken, the rice and the vegetables! Is that the meaning of New Century? Is that how the rice and pork should be??

Likes:

• afraid none so far, perhaps bright setting?? o well ...

Dislikes:

• Rice = hard, dry and crisp, perfect for fried rice but not white rice!
• Roasted pork = hard, dry and overly tough!

Avg Spending: Below HKD 100 per person

Tai Hing New Century
Shop 108-109, 1/F, Site 8, Whampoa Garden, Wonderful Worlds of Whampoa,
7 Tak On Street, Hung Hom
Tel: 2330 6502


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Swiss Cafe - 瑞士咖啡室

I wanted something quick,

I wanted something filling,

I wanted something Hongkie and

I just wanted something comforting ....

It was my third time here and I keep coming back every now and then because of the above reasons. Not the most healthy choice but it get the job done sometimes with a little touch uniqueness. I am picky with my food and if I keep coming back, there has to be for a reason. What reason is that? When you step inside this local Hong Kong styled restaurant you would find it to be fairly ... CLEAN!!! Yes, CLEAN!!



Another plus was that there were mostly movable tables of which you can actually see the floor around it instead of the shadowed leg area in other similar establishments which you don't even know what you are stepping onto when sitting down. Also, the seating arrangement was quite spacious as well.



(1) Minced Beef in Tomato Sauce with Rice + Fried Egg
There were 6 choices for the set lunches and I picked the first one mainly because of the "fried egg." Oh look at the Sunny Side Up Fried Egg, don't you just want to give it a BIG KISS right away!? I was taught not to play with my food but when facing this dish, I just have to shove my spoon a few times right into the yolk and mix it with the meat sauce & rice. It was FUN but most importantly, it enhanced the flavors and texture of the whole dish in my opinion. The sauce (after mixing with the egg yolk) was fair in terms of flavors, not too rich but it was rather thick. Plenty of meat was given and perhaps it was part of the reasons for the thickness of the sauce.



(2) Hong Kong Style Coffee
Surprisingly strong! It was creamy even when specially requested less cream. Oh well, I doubt it was the right place or time (peak hours) to ask for a replacement right?

Alright it was comforting indeed but FOOD COMA attack soon after! zzzzzzz ....

Likes:

• Very clean environment compared with similar establishments
• Very filling (if that's what you are looking for, this is the perfect dish for you)
• Fairly strong coffee (Hongkie style of course)

Dislikes:

• Sauce was a bit too thick
• Expect to share tables with strangers during peak hours

Avg Spending: Below HKD 100 per person

Swiss Cafe
No.12-16 Li Yuen Street West, Central


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Wah Lam Noodle Restaurant 華南粉麵茶餐廳

Wan Chai to me is like the Kowloon City of the Hong Kong Island, full of various cuisines and local food establishments. There are many hidden gems in this neighborhood and all you have to do is to explore in the name of good food! Wah Lam Noodle Restaurant 華南粉麵茶餐廳 has been in the neighborhood for while and it is well known for this Fish Balls, Beef Brisket & Beef Entails. Don't expect comfortable seats or great decor because you will find none of the above. What you will find is a homely and down-to-earth environment with a neighborhood joint atmosphere that can be as comforting as an upscale establishment depending on the occasion and your mood at the time. If you are lucky enough you may find one of two diners with one of their legs up on the stool!



I was here on a weeknight, late weeknight to be more exact. After a few drinks over happy hour, all I wanted was something quick and comforting. A warm bowl of noodles would be nice! Not in the mood to think, I pointed to an item with the word Beef Brisket in it. Apparently I ordered flat rice noodle with Beef Brisket, Fish Balls and Beef Balls plus a dish of lettuce and a bottle of coke.



It was as comforting as I expected with a rich and intense soup base. The rice noodle was smooth and slightly chewy as well. Alright, plenty of MSG but a regular dose of MSG would not be that harmful right? The Beef Brisket was very tender and the flavor was as tense and rich as the soup. Thumbs up! The Beef Balls on the other hand was rather ordinary, chewy but no surprises. As for Fish Balls, well not exactly ball because the shape was irregular and more like square I guess, was soft and bouncy. It is rather hard to describe the texture because in Chinese I would use the adjective 爽 but the direct translation to English is "refreshing" which cannot accurately capture the essence of the texture. O yes, and the portion was rather generous as well!



One thing I like to mention is their service. You might not expect much service from such local establishment but there are exceptions. (perhaps I was lucky?) One of the staff politely warned me about how I placed my camera on top of an open stool and suggested me to move it somewhere safer. Thank you indeed!

Likes:

• Soup Base - rich and intense, very comforting
• Beef Brisket - tender and beefy with intense flavors like the soup base
• Fish Balls - soft and "bouncy" (aka 爽 in Chinese)

Dislikes:

• Quite heavy on MSG.... MSG makes me sleepyyyyyy
  
• Quite noisy

Avg Spending: Below HKD 100 per person

Wah Lam Noodle Restaurant 華南粉麵茶餐廳
G/F & 1/F, 5-11 Thomson Rd, Wan Chai
Tel: 852 2527 2478


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新九記粥麵 (Xin Jiu Ji)

A simple quick meal can sometimes be equally satisfying as a 3 courses meal at a Michelin 2-star restaurant. One of such options which I love is to have good congee and wanton at a local, homely and down-to-earth establishment. After a short chat with a friend in the Wan Chai area, we were both very hungry but wanted to try something fast but yummy of course! I am not so familiar with this area so my friend led the way. My friend visited this place once before and enjoyed the congee very much. I would not comment much about the decor, comfortableness or even atmosphere of this place because there wasn't much. It was fairly clean and that was all I cared at that moment.

The very first thing I noticed was the many POTs of congee on top of electric stoves on many tables, together with some raw ingredients on the side. Apparently this place is famous for its Congee Hot Pot / Fondue! Too bad we were in a hurry, otherwise I would insist on trying for sure!

(1) Pork Liver + Beef Congee
The pork liver was wonderful! Firm but slightly "crisp" / bouncy against the teeth. Rich in flavor as well. The sliced beef was alright, not surprises compared with the wonderful pork liver. Congee wise, it was not as creamy or as thick as I expected (and of which I love!) but it was definitely good above average!

(2) Wanton
I was still very hungry after the congee so I ordered a bowl of wanton! (and so did my friend) It was wonderful! It was not the BIG and STUFFED type, it was the typical size one with chopped shrimps and pork mixtures (plus traces of shrimp roe?). The dough layer / skin was very thin and the wrapping skills resulted with a little "tail" sticking to the wanton. (I think a typical or traditional Wanton have a certain guideline as to the proportion of the dough / skin and it should have a fairly long "tail" to it)

Likes:

• Pork Liver - Fresh good quality pork liver!
• Wanton - nicely prepared / wrapped
  

Dislikes:

• Really packed ! I had to sit with both legs squeeze tightly together!
• Congee not as creamy and thick to my liking.
• MSGGGGGGG ...
  

Avg Spending: Around HKD 100 per person

新九記粥麵 (Xin Jiu Ji)
G/F, No. 9 Tai Wang Tung Street, Wan Chai
Tel: 2865 2827


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Beef Entrails (牛雜) @ 利強記北角雞蛋仔

After the rapid de-hydration from the overly salty rice noodle from AY-TU Flour Rice Noodle 阿土麵線, I rushed to the nearest 7-11 for an immediate re-hydration! As soon as I was partly re-hydrated, I saw huge line up at the stalk next to AY-TU. Based on the name of the food stalk, it is the branch of the famous eggette (雞蛋仔 - "gai daan jai") outlet from North Point. (yes, there is actually an English word for 雞蛋仔 and has a wiki entry too!) While it is quite normal to have a long queue for the eggette, what captured my undivided attention was the SECOND queue directly next to it. Apparently, the tiny shop/stalk has been divided into two parts, one selling eggette and the other half selling "beef entrails" (牛雜). "Beef entrails" is another new word to me, never knew it is used to describe this traditional Hong Kong / Cantonese delicacies.



My friend said this particular "beef entrails" (牛雜) stalk is pretty famous as well so why wait? I had my re-hydration drinks with me just in case anyhow. The staff carefully pick various parts of the beef entrails from the pot of dark brownish soup with his worn out tongs. I had no idea which piece was which because I was more focused on the scissor the staff was using to cut the big pieces into smaller bite size pieces. Well, sometimes there are things better unknown, ie: the age of that scissor and what else it is used for. Among the many items in such "beef entrails" serving , the most sought after is the pancreas (牛膀) and there were plenty in this bowl. In terms of taste, all items were under-flavored. Texture wise all items were slightly too firm. These two characteristics, under-flavoring and firmness, were likely due to the shortened braising time.



It has been a long while since I last had street food in Hong Kong and on this day, I had just a bit too much. After my sodium overdose, I had my calorie overdose! But then again, I think we can spoil ourselves once in a while with sodium, calories or even MSG overdose because it is part of the duties of a food lover to explore different food and cuisines. (Note: regular detox sessions may apply !!)

Likes:

• Pancreas (牛膀)

Dislikes:

• Calories overdose
• Under-flavored and a bit too firm

Avg Spending: Below HKD 100 per person

利強記北角雞蛋仔 [Beef Entrails (牛雜) Stalk]
G/F, Southom Center
3 O'Brien Road, Wan Chai


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Ay-Tu Flour Rice Noodle 阿土麵線

It was my very first time to try Flour Rice Noodle (麵線), one of the many street food found in Hong Kong. Apparently it was a typical Taiwanese street food similar to Hong Kong's "fake sharp fin soup by the bowl" (碗仔翅). Basically it was a bowl of rice noodles in overly thick and salty soup mixed with various kinds of spices and sliced pink intestine (豬腸), a Chinese delicacies. I added a few extra items such as squid mouth pieces and mini oysters because they looked delicious behind the counter. However, the soup was so salty that I had to rush to the closest 7-11 for immediate re-hydration!



I guess I kind of expected street food to be overly salty but what I did not expect was the addition of garlic, I mean literally spoonful of minced raw garlic paste! It gave the whole dish a very delightful flavors but I guarantee you that you will depart with mouthful of garlic aftertaste which would last all day and night! Definitely not the most delicious street food I ever tried (I prefer the fake shark fin soup 碗仔翅) but it was something new to me and I enjoyed the whole experience, including eating it while standing on the sidewalk under extreme heat and surrounded by clouds of visible smog generated by buses nearby. It was part of the experience !

Sometimes I wonder why street food is so popular in Hong Kong, Taiwan and other Asian cities. Is it due to the price? the food quality? the wide selection? the amount of sodium or MSG? I have no idea, maybe it is the whole experience which made the world of differences in this case.

Likes:

• Wide selection of extra items

Dislikes

• Raw Garlic paste overdose (I can kill vampires with my breath!)
• Sodium overdose

Avg Spending: Below HKD 100 per person

AY-TU Flour Rice Noodle 阿土麵線
G/F, Southom Center
3 O'Brien Road, Wan Chai


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Louis' Steak House

Louis' Steak House is one the the few remaining traditional Hong Kong styled, upscale steak houses you can find. Due to its uniqueness, it is in my opinion that it cannot be compared with western steak house such as Ruth Chris or Morton's directly nor can it be compared with the so-called local Hong Kong steak houses like Garden Restaurant (花園餐廳) because many of such restaurants use baking soda as part of the process but definitely not here at Louis' Steak House. It deserves a category of its own with the closest match I can think of being Jimmy's Kitchen. Once I step inside the dining area, the feeling I got was a resemblance of Amigo with all the wooden furnishing and dim environment; but not as extravagant or sumptuous of course. Just the look of the chair is vastly different. I bet the environment and decor remained mostly unchanged for the past 30 years. The wait staff was very welcoming and let me took a few pictures before heading to our table.



Before I go for the food review, I wanted to mention a few things about its services. Its services were great; all waiters were efficient, very attentive to details and very responsive as well. However, in my opinion, they were overly efficient, overly attentive and overly responsive! They gave us a feeling that we were being rushed to order, to eat and to finish. When we were only 3 mins or so into the menu, one of the captain came over all set to take our orders. Even after I told him we needed a few more minutes with the menu, he just stood there and kept on suggesting different items to us. That was great but I wanted to at least read through the menu first, I AM ON PAGE 2 of 8 of the menu my friend !!! At the end of ordering, he asked us, "you two are not in a rush right?" ... I wanted to tell him that "no we are not, but it seems that you are !!!" It was not like the place was full house but they acted like it was busy lunch hour. Even during the meal, dishes were cleaned up as soon as I placed my fork and knife on the plate. Very responsive indeed! One more thing, I do hope they can change or add more variety of music to their list background musics because it was Kenny G all night long, over and over again! (and repeating tracks too, which means from the same CD!)



A basket of bread was served before the first time were served. It consisted of two types, a regular sliced French bread and thin toast. They were warm with very crisp crust, not bad! Plus the bread will come in handy later in the meal.



(1) OX Tail Soup
The soup was thick and rich in flavors, especially beef flavor which I loved. Very good but no surprises. Bigger chunk of beef would be nice too.



(2) Caesar Salad
The Caesar salad was served by spinning it at the table-side. We got to pick out own ingredients form the tray. It was tasty but the romaine was not as crisp as we expected.



(3) Rib Eye (Medium Rare)
Very well prepared! It was medium rare as we ordered! It was very tender and beef-y, not too much fat was attached and no extra seasoning was needed, it was great the way it was. I one I noticed was that the texture of the steak was slightly softer than other rib eye I tried before and the only reasoning I can come up with was the thickness of the steak being served: the cute was thinner and wider than the usual (at least based on my personal experiences). Anyhow, we enjoyed it, the quality of the steak was better than I expected.



(4) Fish Maw (aka fish's gas bladder) [花膠]
One of its famous dish. When ordering, the waiter (who repeatedly suggested this item) said that the Fish Maw is one of their top-sellers and it is a fusion dish. Fusion? humm ... I think it was more a Chinese dish served in a Western restaurant. Fusion is more like combining different cooking styles like Japanese and French together, not when you are serving an individual sweet and sour pork dish in a French restaurant. Putting aside this point, the fish maw was GREAT, thick, chewy and sticky (gluten-y?). The sauce was rich and deep; and we did not waste any of it; we ordered an extra basket of bread to soak up all the sauce! One of the waiters suggested that instead of using the French bread, try the small toast to soak the sauce. It was a great suggestion / recommendation, better than using the French bread. Make sure you place the toast in the sauce for a while before eating it to ensure enough sauce have been absorbed. The dish was very clean afterward! The 30 or chickens (as informed by one of the waiters) that contributed to the making of the sauce was not wasted at all! However, there was a disappointment with this dish, it was the little mushroom. It was canned! It tasted canned, texture wise it was canned and yes it was canned mushroom!



(5) Baked Alaska
It was nice to watch our dessert to go into flames and that was the only interesting part I guess. The egg white was overly sweet with more than enough sugar added. My daily intake of sugar just skyrocketed and I better cut down sugar intake for the next two or three days! Also, the flame did not last long enough on the surface, the result was heavy whiskey residue which in general is not a bad thing but you must get a very strong whiskey-flavored piece (with the alcohol content still there!)



(6) Irish Coffee
It was strong! Not the coffee but the Irish whiskey! Ever for me who loves whiskey considered it very strong but I almost wanted to order another one because I enjoyed very much! It certainly warmed up my whole body, a perfect drink for winter!

By the time we finished our meal, it was around 9:20pm (we arrived around 7:30pm). Pretty quick right? Considering the quick and overly efficient working pace of the waiters, we were surprised we lasted this long! (If I recall correctly, we were the second last table to leave on this Saturday evening at 9:30pm.)

Likes:

• Irish Coffee, strong but well made!
• Rib Eye - very well prepared, softer in texture than other rib eye i tried before (but I personally prefer the slight chewy and firmer rib eye)
• Fish Maw - very sticky and thick, nicely done. The flavors were rich and deep.

Dislikes:

• Overly efficient and overly attentive services, made us feel being rush!
• Canned Mushroom in the Fish Maw dish !?
• Baked Alaska - too sweet and not flamed long enough.

Avg Spending: Above HKD 500 per person

Louis' Steak House
1/F, Malaysia Bldg.,
50 Gloucester Rd.,Wan Chai
Tel: 852 2529 8933


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Cheung Wing Restaurant

Many friends asked me recently what I would eat or where I would go for dinner when dining by myself. I am actually quite spontaneous (while being picky still) when I dine alone. I would go to noodle places, fast food chains, Burger King, buy take outs or even Hong Kong style restaurants. The decision is mainly mood driven. And my mood for this evening consisted of excitement and anticipation because I got myself Dan Brown's new book, The Lost Symbol! I wonder if I will get much sleep tonight ... humm? I do have a few review backlogs to post but this particular entry gained priority over others not necessarily due to its food quality but for the interesting dining experience.

I picked this place because my previous visit to this restaurant was almost a year ago (or maybe more) and I wanted something quick so I can head back home and start reading. (of course I ended up typing this entry instead due to the interesting experience below) Apparently the interior of the restaurant got a face lift and it looked slightly more modern. This neighborhood joint is very popular among students living in the university residence nearby and often you see groups of students as well as family dining here.



Before I go into the main item I ordered, please take a look at the picture above! I took it right after the basket of bun and soup were served. YES, the basket of bread was placed right on the edge of the table and my soup was well OVER 50 cm away from me at the very very very edge / corner of the table. All items in the picture were placed as shown in the picture! I had to stretch my arm all the way across the table to get the soup! ... sigh ... I do understand that service is not a top priority at this place and I was not expecting much honestly, but ... what I really want to find out what was going on in the waiter's mind at that particular moment when he served the soup. Hellooooo .... I am right over HERE !!! (btw, I changed the soup to daily Chinese soup which was "Winter Melon" soup)

(1) Sizzling Hot Plate Grill Items
I ordered the "select your own items" Sizzling Hot Plate Set which consisted of steak (with onion sauce), fish fillet and spaghetti. First of all, it was not sizzling hot, it sizzled for a few seconds only! The fish fillet was of frozen fish as expected. The steak was of typical Hong Kong style which was very tender and soft, likely a result of the use of baking soda. The lightly garlic flavored spaghetti was actually rather cold so I guess enough said on that. It would be extremely unfair to compare the so-called steak here with Ruth Chris, BLT or even Morton's because one has to consider different factors such as location, price, atmosphere and service into consideration. Also, the so-called steak being served here was of unique Hong Kong style, the closest match for comparison I can think of is Garden Restaurant (花園餐廳). This type of steak should have its own unique category in my opinion. Anyhow, all I can say was that I was able to finish the "steak" and the fillet but not the spaghetti.

Likes:

• Quick? (in terms of serving time)

Dislike:

• Basic serving skills requires much improvement even for such local neighborhood joint.
• relatively cool spaghetti
• Fries were all soaked with the onion sauce. (again, that's the typical HK style sizzling hot plate set)
  

Avg Spending: Below HKD 100 per person

Cheung Wing Restaurant (祥榮餐廳)
Shop 7A-B,D, G/F, Site 1, Whampoa Garden,
Wonderful Worlds of Whampoa, 121 Baker Street, Hung Hom
Tel: 2362 2675