[Review 3036] Singapore's Cedele now in Hong Kong @ Cedele

22/12/2013
Cedele
上環德輔道中199號無限極廣場地下G08號舖
Shop G08, Infinitus Plaza, 199 Des Voeux Rd, Sheung Wan

https://www.openrice.com/zh/hongkong/review/singapores-cedele-now-in-hong-kong-e2336982

I discovered this by chance because I was early in the area for a tasting.
At first it looked like a modern cafe with salads and sandwiches at the entrance, and cakes on the other side of the cabinet.

As I had a tasting, I decided to go for something light so tried the cakes.

I was delighted to see lots of pandan flavoured cakes, which made me realize it was Singaporean.
A nice addition to the market because Toast box and BreadTalk are getting boring.

The dining area was quite nice.

The staff there were really nice and spoke American English and you would expect a truly Singaporean brand to speak fluent English or at least Singlish because this is their native language.
It surprises me that Singapore has better English speakers and Western brands than Hong Kong because Hong Kong is more internationally well known but lacks good fluent English speakers.
The GDP of Singapore is overtaking Hong Kong over these few years.

Back to the delicious cakes!!

I ordered the Pandan cake and the Pistachio and chocolate cake.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Pandan cake $40/slice:

Description from the label:
natural pandan sponge cake sandwiched between own made egg custard, pandan frosting finished with fragrant coconut shreds. Unrefined sugar and grapeseed oil used.

This was the first pandan cake I have tried, the ones I have tried before were the chiffon ones which were not as fancy as this.
The cake had a lovely strong taste and smell of pandan.
In the middle the kaya paste and the coconut shreds topping on top made it more coconutty.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Chocolate pistachio cake:

Description from the label:
Chocolate truffle layered with soft pandan cake, topped with pistachios.

This cake was too heavy for my liking because the chocolate truffle layers were strong and dense so it felt like eating a bar of dark chocolate.
Although it was too strong, it was nice that it was not too sweet.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
After trying the cakes, I went back for the Christmas Pandan logcake and the cheese scallion scone to take away.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Christmas Pandan logcake:

Description from the label:
Soft and moist pandan logcake.

The box for the cake was really nice and sturdy.

Compared to the Pandan cake above, there was more proportion of pandan buttercream in the middle and less of the cake.
Overall, I felt that the pandan cake tasted better because it was more satisfying.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Cheese scallion scone:

Description from the label:
Savory scone filled with spring onions and cheddar cheese, recommended with soup.

Although I did not have it reheated, it tasted amazing.
It would have been divine if it had been warm because the abundance of spring onions in it made it moist and flavoursome and the cheddar cheese was lovely and cheesy.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★

[Review 3035] Well hidden cake shop @ 凱施餅店 Hoixe Cake Shop

22/12/2013
凱施餅店 Hoixe Cake Shop
將軍澳坑口培成路8號南豐廣場平台一樓B1舖
Shop B1, 1/F, Nan Fung Plaza, 8 Pui Shing Road, Hang Hau, Tseung Kwan O
https://www.openrice.com/zh/hongkong/review/well-hidden-cake-shop-e2336979

This cake shop is the smallest branch of Hoixe I have ever seen.
It is hidden on the corner near Saizeriya.
Anyway, it is brightly lit and new compared to the other branches.
The chocolate roll looked attractive so bought that for $9.5.
The taste of the chocolate roll was quite nice and not too sweet but the chocolate cream and jelly in the middle was a bit heavy and artificial.

Overall the staff at this branch was helpful and friendly.

[Review 3034] A different flame is burning @ Flame

22/12/2013
Flame
灣仔盧押道18號海德中心地下B號舖
Shop B, G/F, One Capital Place, 18 Luard Road, Wan Chai
https://www.openrice.com/zh/hongkong/review/a-different-flame-is-burning-e2336829

Previously this restaurant used to do roast chicken but then they closed for a while and now they serve pies instead of roast chicken.
The restaurant has now been converted into a small pub.
Here is the new menu and it's nice to see that they still have piri piri chicken burger on the menu.

I ordered two pies which were not available so I had to choose from the list she showed me, so in the end I had chicken and mushroom and the beef curry pie.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Chicken and mushroom:
Evidently this pie was made in Hong Kong because it had the Asian shitaake mushroom.
The taste was ok but nothing spectacular because it was piping hot outside and slightly cold in the middle.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Beef curry pie:
It was crammed with lots of minced beef but again it was cold in the middle despite the hot steam coming off it.
The beef was a bit too gamey for my liking.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★

[Review 3033] Affordable localized pastries and cakes @ M18

22/12/2013
M18 
樂富聯合道198號樂富廣場地下L103-104號舖
Shop L103-L104, G/F, Lok Fu Plaza, 198 Junction Road, Lok Fu
https://www.openrice.com/zh/hongkong/review/affordable-localized-pastries-and-cakes-e2336828

I happened to be in the area so went for a walk when I saw this bright illuminated bell so stopped by to have a look.
It appeared to be a bakery with a dine in section.

On the right of the entrance, there was a window where people can see the pastry chef decorating the pastries.

Inside, there were lots of pastries, some were in cabinets and some were exposed.

The cookies which cost $5 looked really nice and there were four flavours: tomato, ginger, caramel walnut, chocolate.
Each were topped with respective toppings, the caramel walnut one looked the best!

After asking the staff, found out that they are a branch of Maxims, hence the M in the name M18.
The 18 is probably a Chinese thing so that they get lucky.

In my opinion, the decor, range and prices were going to win people because it differentiates them from their usual boring Maxim's style and incorporates more European and Japanese influences in it.
It is a crossover between Maxim's & you cafe selling Arome bakery room style cakes and patisseries. 

As well as that, the dine in selection looks good and cheap too.

The all day breakfast was the best deal for $36 which I saw people have and it looked decent with proper mushrooms and sausages as opposed to frankfurters and canned mushroom.

As I was full I could only try the cakes, and they both cost me $32.5 which is even cheaper than arome bakery room!
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Cinnamon apple danish $8.5:

In the middle of the apple danish, there was custard.

I found the danish pastry too thick and tough, the apple filling was too sweet and the cinammon was not strong enough.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Raspberry mille feuille $24:

There was also pineapple and strawberry mille feuille but I chose raspberry because you don't often see raspberry.
The layers of pastry were quite hard and flakey but it tasted ok and the custard filling was not too sweet with a reasonable vanilla taste in it.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★

[Review 3032] Strange SingMalay food @ Noodle LAH!

21/12/2013
Noodle LAH!
金鐘夏慤道16號遠東金融中心閣樓A6-2舖
Shop A6-2, UG/F, Far East Finance Centre, 16 Harcourt Road, Admiralty
https://www.openrice.com/zh/hongkong/review/strange-singmalay-food-e2336659

I only like this place because of the decor but the food was awful and I don't know why I bothered trying so many dishes.
The big mistake was not choosing the noodles cooked in their signature chili sauce but I tried some of that signature chili sauce from the jar and it was not nice.

Heres what I tried:
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Three sours:
Tried this twice which was preserved plum, lemon juice and lime!
On the second time it is ACIDIC and not drinkable!
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Noodles and clams in tomato sauce:

The tomato broth was fake and sweet.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Satay:

The chicken had a horrible charred taste.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
The bill:

On one visit, they said that if you order starters and mains, the drink is free, but they total the bill including that free drink with 10% on top and then they minus the drink, so you're actually paying a few dollars for the drink which is not free.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Stir fried rice rolls:

This was for afternoon tea and one of the better tasting items, but it was too oily and MEGA salty.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★

[Review 3031] C-amera I-n A-ction in the K-itchen @ CIAK - In The Kitchen

21/12/2013
CIAK - In The Kitchen
中環皇后大道中15號置地廣場中庭3樓327-333號舖
Shop 327-333, 3/F., The Landmark, 15 Queen's Road, Central
https://www.openrice.com/zh/hongkong/review/c-amera-i-n-a-ction-in-the-k-itchen-e2336658

Aftering dining at Urban bakery works, dined here as well.
This place is called CIAK (in Italy CIAK is a popular Italian film magazine).
Hence the design incorporates the roll film and the use of the clapper board.


Coincidentally that day, they were filming an interview on CIAK and the chefs!

It was confusing when I ordered because there is only one counter where you order and pay for the bakery items.
When I ordered the guy did not quite know what I wanted (hopefully the people are more trained now).
After I paid, I took the receipt to the counter and the girl did not know what I ordered even though it was printed on the receipt.
If that had been a greedy bugger, that person would have probably asked for a more expensive item.
Anyway I told her what I ordered.

★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
pesca all'alchermes:

Basically it was a Tuscan brioche infused with alchermes liquer for $25.
Visually it looked like two donuts sandwiched together with cream in the middle.
The brioche was nice and soft but the liquer taste was not that strong and seemed to have stained the brioche red on the sides, but the vanilla cream was nice and you could see vanilla seeds in it.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★