[Review 3047] Steamed buns bursting with filling! @ 新興食家 Sun Hing Restaurant

26/12/2013
新興食家 Sun Hing Restaurant
西環堅尼地城士美非路8號地下C號舖
Shop C, G/F, 8 Smithfield Road, Kennedy Town, Western District
https://www.openrice.com/zh/hongkong/review/steamed-buns-bursting-with-filling-e2337320

Steamed buns bursting with filling!
2013-12-26  3766 瀏覽
Only got the steamed buns because they were famous.

I have attempted to get them quite a few times before but they were sold out!
Anyway, I was lucky they were not sold out at 3:24 pm that day.
 0 讚好

I am not really a fan of local dim sums in Hong Kong because they don't taste as good as the ones in UK or you need to go to really pricey places for good quality dim sum.

There were lots of round tables were strangers share tables with each other.
 0 讚好

On the menu there were two interesting items:
This is not a spring roll and the deep fried crispy milk.
 0 讚好

I decided not to dine there because tea is compulsory and you get charged for that.
 0 讚好

When I opened the box, the steamed buns were a bit tacky, the buns were not pure white with yellow splodges on it and the piece of paper at the bottom looked like it was steamed in a dirty pan with a greasy surface.
 0 讚好


It was really difficult eating it because the filling just dripped everywhere.
 0 讚好

As for the taste I was not wowed by it however it was good that it was not too sweet.
The filling had pieces of salted hard yolk in it.
If you want to challenge yourself eating this bun without making a mess, this is definitely recommended!

[Review 3046] Lovely French food @ La Cantoche

26/12/2013
La Cantoche
上環華里5號地下/荷李活道227號
G/F, 5 Wa Lane/227 Hollywood Road, Sheung Wan
https://www.openrice.com/zh/hongkong/review/lovely-french-food-e2337309

Lovely French food
2013-12-26  5671 瀏覽
I dined here ages ago but since there were lots of tasting reviews earlier on this restaurant, I decided to write it up later.
+++++++++++++++
Before dining at this place, most of the French food I had in Hong Kong were from La Creperie and La Rotisserie.

After dining here, I was craving more for French food because at this restaurant they do lots of different dishes for lunch.
 0 讚好

For dinner, they have lots of other dishes with a Vietnamese twist to it.
 0 讚好

Inside the restaurant, it is fun and youthful with a white brick walls and colourful grafitti.
 0 讚好


Came here for lunch and dinner so some of the dishes are from lunch and some are a la carte dishes that I had in the evening.
The lunch deal is quite good and less than $100 for a two course.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Duck shepherds pie:

This was a hearty dish of duck confit with mashed velvety potatoes on top.

I really liked this dish because the duck was so much nicer than the usual minced beef.
I was surprised the French have shepherds pie as well but at this other French restaurant I dined at, they also had it too.
The duck was slightly too salty but otherwise the dish was amazing, piping hot Shepherds pie complemented with cooling mesclan leaves.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Pork chop with rice:

This dish was a little on the Asian side because of the rice but not bad and the pork was a little bit tough.
Again at this other French restaurant, they also served rice.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Lemon tart:

The lemon tart was amazing because the lemon curd was really refreshing.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Brandy bread pudding:

Again I was surprised with Bread pudding because it was quite British but the taste was slightly different from the usual bread puddings because it had dessicated coconut and almond on top with delicious pieces of young coconut in it too giving it a lovely chewy texture and a nutty taste contrasted by the Brandy.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Rice Krispies:

This was from the A la Carte menu and I ordered it because the Rice Krispies reminded me of the cereal and I was curious if they were the same.
It was grounded pork with coconut, crispy pieces but the rice krispy pieces were not as crispy as I hoped and there was too much lemongrass in it.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Nougat glace:

A colourful icecream mixed with grounded M&Ms which tasted a bit like frozen heavy whipped sweet cream with pieces of chocolate in it.
The plate was colourfully decorated with red and yellow syrup which matched their grafitti design.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Cordon blue with potato balls:

The cordon bleu was really crispy on the outside and the chicken was tender.
The star of the dish was actually the potato balls because they are fluffy inside with a delicious crispy potatoey crust.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★

[Review 3045] Tea time everyday @ Shortbread Teas

25/12/2013
Shortbread Teas
中環威靈頓街55號
55 Wellington Street, Central
https://www.openrice.com/zh/hongkong/review/tea-time-everyday-e2337299

Ever since my first visit, the cakes and teas are addictive that I need a weekly dose of it!~
Once I have satisfied my craving for the week, I end up craving for something else the next week.

There are so many different teas that are really nice.

My favourites are:
Breakfast tea
Duchess Grey
Christmas pudding
Highland toffee

The highland toffee has a lovely sweet smell. When milk and sugar are added, it is just like drinking silky toffee milk tea which goes well with almost anything.
Then there is the Christmas pudding tea which is also sweet with a lovely cherry scent that goes well with cakes.

★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Cherry and almond scone:

This was a weekend special so I had to have it, the scones were crumbly and delicious, perfect with cream and jam.
I loved the pieces of cherry and almond in it which made it extra special.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Apple and cinammon:


This was another weekend special which I could not miss, it was a delicious scone with moist pieces of apple in it with a light dusting of cinammon on top.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Bacon sarnie:


A simple but addictive sarnie made even more addictive with the HP sauce on the table.
I loved the smell and the saltiness of the bacon that was not too salty.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Mega ciabatta:


This ciabatta was divine! Probably a man's portion but as I have a appetite, it was just right for me. My breakfast favourites in a bun.
I loved the scrambled egg because a fried egg would be messy to eat and it was light and fluffy, probably the best scrambled egg I have had in my life.
The combination of the three just went perfectly well together because the bacon and black pudding contributed to the saltiness and the scrambled egg was just satisfying.
-
You can get other combinations such as double sausage, double bacon or whatever you fancy, but black pudding and scrambled egg are my favourite!
It costs around $80 with a pot of tea!
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Highland toffee tea:
 0 讚好

A lovely tea, but it's hard to say it is my favourite because at different times I crave for one of the particular teas above!
You can never get bored or run out of choices for tea or the cups because there are so many different cups as well as the colourful teapots.
This particular cup above is by Real old willow A8025.
 0 讚好

★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Marshmallows:
 0 讚好

These marshmallows are made by Shortbread Teas so they are really soft and meringue like.
It was fun putting them in hot chocolate because they literally dissolve dispersing into a foamy white cap.
They taste delicious on their own too.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Christmas bundt cake:

 0 讚好

This cake was addictive too because the chocolate taste was really strong with a slight coffee aftertaste and the icing and nuts on top were decorative and delicious especially the pistachio nuts and dried cranberry pieces.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
There is a membership scheme which is tempting for regulars like me because you get a all year round 10% discount card, a colourful tea pot of your choice, two tea samples and a sand timer.

The new menu is really good for menu dyslexics like me because it is clear and concise.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★

[Review 3044] Wonderful and luxurious vegetarian banquet @ 家全七福 Seventh Son Restaurant

24/12/2013
家全七福 Seventh Son Restaurant
灣仔杜老誌道6號群策大廈5-6樓
5-6/F., Kwan Chart Tower, 6 Tonnochy Road, Wan Chai
https://www.openrice.com/zh/hongkong/review/wonderful-and-luxurious-vegetarian-banquet-e2337234

Wonderful and luxurious vegetarian banquet
2013-12-24  242 瀏覽
Although I have lots of tastings, I do not have many vegetarian ones.
This is probably my forth and the best because it was filling, HEALTHY and natrual!
What I mean by natural is that it is vegetables in its natrual form, you can see what it is and they are digestable.

Some Chinese vegetarian ingredients are made with Konjac which is a bit like plastic/rubber and some of the Vegetarian ingredients I have had before come out the same way as I consumed it (ie not digested).
Then there are some dough items which have too much flavouring to give it some flavour.

The vegetarian dishes at Seven Son are made luxurious with the addition of Bird's nest.
Seventh Son Restaurant is not a vegetarian restaurant but it is really good that they can cater for vegetarians too.

All the dishes here were full of flavour and I did not need to use the dish of soy sauce on the table. The soy sauce seemed like a really good one because I could smell it when they poured it out.

Anyway, here was what I tried:
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Chilled cucumbers with garlic
 0 讚好

A simple delicious appetizer with nutritious peanuts which you would get in normal meals so this dish is going to be liked by everyone.
I loved the crisp juicy cucumbers in the garlicky sauce.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Black fungas in vinegar
 0 讚好

Nice springy black fungas in vinegar, but I would have preferred a more acidic vinegar because the vinegar was a bit sweet just like balsalmic vinegar.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Fried tofu with salt and pepper
 0 讚好

Lovely silky piping hot tofu in light crisp coating.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Panfried egg white and bird’s nest patty
 0 讚好

I loved this patty, it was made with egg white with lots of bird's nest intertwined in it.
The texture was soft and supple complemented nicely with the light gravy.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Pumpkin soup with bird’s nest
 0 讚好

A protein rich soup because the pumpkin soup was loaded with birds nest.
The soup tasted natrual and light.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Scrambled milk with pine nuts and crispy vermicelli
 0 讚好

The texture of this was lovely, it was just like scrambled meringue with crispy bits of fried vermicelli.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Tofu parcels filled with diced wild mushrooms
 0 讚好

The parcels were neatly wrapped in beancurd skin and contained lots of diced mushrooms.
The clear gravy that it was in tasted just like chicken gravy because they used some meaty mushrooms to bring out that taste.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Bamboo pith stuffed with bird’s nest paired with pigeon egg and broccoli
 0 讚好

It was surprising to see a pigeon's egg because not many places serve them.
The last time I had a pigeon's egg was at this dumpling place at Homantin.
The pigeon's egg is jelly like and the bamboo pith was crisp and viscous stuffed with so much bird's nest to make you guilty!
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Japanese tofu with bamboo shoots and pea sprouts
 0 讚好

The Japanese tofu had a strong soy bean taste paired with the tender sweet crunchy pea sprouts.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Stir fried glutinous rice
 0 讚好

The stir fried glutinous rice was surprisingly light and filling.
Every grain of glutinous rice was distinct and tasty.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Dessert: Birds nest with almond milk or coconut milk
 0 讚好

I loved the way the almond milk and coconut milk was served on the side so you could put the amount that you like or have it on its own.
For me I chose to have it on its own because it was slightly sweetened and the dessert was so satisfying.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Walnut sachimas
The sachimas were crispy and chewy topped with walnuts on top.
It was good that the sweetness was just right.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Cordeceps tea:
 0 讚好

These cordeceps were hand picked from Bhutan.
They had a lovely meaty taste with a slight bitterness which I shall remember because this is how they are meant to taste.
Thanks to the cordeceps ambassador for bringing it along for us to try.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★

[Review 3043] Sea urchin mania @ 鮨穴 Zushi ANA

24/12/2013
鮨穴  Zushi ANA
銅鑼灣勿地臣街1號時代廣場12樓1202號舖
Shop 1202, 12/F, Times Square, 1 Matheson Street, Causeway Bay
https://www.openrice.com/zh/hongkong/review/sea-urchin-mania-e2337199

Thanks to Isaac for inviting me to this tasting!
Never in my life have I had so much sea urchin in one meal.

First started off with sea urchin maki, the sea urchin was flavourful and just like runny egg yolk which did not need any soy sauce.
Then I had fresh sea urchin so I was able to taste how sweet it was.
The abalone was quite nice as well.
Next the fried urchin wrapped in seaweed coated with tempura batter was divine and bursting with hot liquid urchin inside.
Then there was fresh tempura crab with sea urchin on top!
It was amazing that so many items could be paired with sea urchin.
Last but not least there was deep fried tempura scallop, perilla leaves and urchin.
Surprisingly you could taste the perilla leaves as well.

Then there was seafood and tofu pot which had a sweet tasting broth crammed with lots of tofu and seafood.

The rice in green tea broth was interesting and different to the ones I have had before.
I could really taste the green tea here.
As for the grilled ox tongues, the cubes were big and meaty.
For dessert, we had pan fried Japanese mochi topped with peanut butter sauce and sugar.
I have not tried this before so the texture was quite sticky and chewy.