[Review 610] Chinese chili con carne @ 百樂餐廳 Pak Lok Restaurant

百樂餐廳 Pak Lok Restaurant
05/01/2010
灣仔謝斐道108-110號地下1號舖
https://www.openrice.com/zh/hongkong/review/chinese-chili-con-carne-e2054679

Luckily I didnt dine in, from the moment I was looking at their daily menu, the boystrous woman kept persuading me to sit inside, I said my friends were coming, and she kept saying it didnt matter, and that she could give carriage seat.

Anyway, my friends got here, so I ordered some lunches to takeout, Indonesian fried rice, and Mexican beef with fried egg.

The boystrous woman asked why I wouldn't dine it, I said it was a bit noisy, and it was already doing my head waiting for the lunches with her yelling at people to go in.
I reckon with good food, there is no need for people to promote outside.

It seems that the price advertised on the window was $30 for set lunches, but if you order take-out it is $24, no wonder she tried at all mights to get me in there!!!

Foodwise, basically its chili con carne in chinese form, the usual minced beef in tomato sauce with a few Kidney beans, hence mexican!!
As for the indonesian fried rice, it looked like curry fried rice, and a bit tasteless.
Also real indonesian fried rice is not meant to be curry flavoured.

For $24 I think take-out seems reasonable including a drink or soup, tried the chinese soup and russian soup, the russian soup was a bit too sour, and the chinese soup was slightly diluted.

[Review 609] Knife cut noodles @ 新味館拉麵

新味館拉麵 04/01/2010
將軍澳銀澳路1號新寶城商場地下G01-02號舖
Shop G01-02, G/F, La Cite Noble Commercial Complex, 1 Ngan O Road, Tseung Kwan O
https://www.openrice.com/zh/hongkong/review/noodles-cuts-by-knives-e2054273

Previously I had some really good chinese parpadelle noodles at north point, so when I saw the pictures by Babedolphin I decided to come.

With this one, there were no expectations, firstly located in suburbs, and the style has some China twist to it, previously there have been similar joints like this in Tsuen Wan that I wanted to try, but Tsuen Wan has more interesting things to try.

The dumplings served here were with fried egg were weird enough, so I tried the "hand noodles" and the "noodles cut by knives".
Both were made from rice flour rather than egg, and the noodles similar to the ones at north point were wider and thinner.

One of the dishes was quite good, the sauce was separate for you to mix yourself.
Taste and environment, I preferred the one at north point, because the one at north point had their own special made sauce.
Also the environment was a rough and packed with noisy locals.

[Review 608] Bread and Butter pudding @ 太平洋咖啡 Pacific Coffee Company

太平洋咖啡 Pacific Coffee Company
03/01/2010
灣仔駱克道41號東城大廈UG4-5號舖
UG 4-5, 41 Lockhard Road, Wan Chai
https://www.openrice.com/zh/hongkong/review/bread-n-butter-pudding-e2054077

Was rather happy to find bread and butter pudding at Pacific Coffee, it wasnt that popular in Hong Kong before, so I had to go to pubs for it, and the newly opened Sweetacy also serves it.

The one here is quite authentic as it contains raisins, it quite sweet and eggy too.

However, it is piping hot, so have to wait for it too cool down a bit before consuming.

[Review 607] The journey for Pandalus borealis @

宜家家居咖啡室 IKEA Café 03/01/2010
九龍灣偉業街33號德福廣場二期401,405,501號舖
Shop 401, 405, 501, Telford Plaza II, 33 Wai Yip Street, Kowloon Bay
https://www.openrice.com/zh/hongkong/review/the-journey-for-pandalus-borealis-e2054065

The shrimps served here are Pandalus borealis, cold water shrimps found in cold parts of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
They are prawns that start of as male and then transform into female.

It has intense flavour and the texture is nice and springy, with lots of roe beneath them.

As for the meatballs, they tasted as good as the one in causeway bay, but with the comfort of chairs to sit down and relax, the ones here are served with crisps, with dill sprinkled to them.

Maybe I will try the Shatin one for the grilled salmon and vegetable medallions, but it is rather remote and inconvenient to travel there.

[Review 606] The best dessert in Kowloon City @ 甜之迷 Sweetacy

甜之迷 Sweetacy 03/01/2010
九龍城賈炳達道128號九龍城廣場201-202號舖
Shop 201-202, 2/F, Kowloon City Plaza, 128 Capenter Road, Kowloon City
https://www.openrice.com/zh/hongkong/review/the-best-dessert-in-kowloon-city-e2054062

Before I actually came here, I expected a hip and chic place from the dessert pictures and logo, I got this impression from the desserts, you can just see effort has been made into making the desserts, even the logo looks good too.
Interestingly the logo design was outsourced to designers on the internet.

I really liked the interior, it was very classy, there are private rooms convenient for celebrities holding private gatherings away from the paparazzi.

I really liked the silver cups and plates too, the sugar holders, and the paper stars hung on the ceilings, some how I have seen them on sale in uk before.

The drinks menu was good too, they even had earl grey tea, but i didnt like the frothed milk which I thought was for coffee only.
Although it is a dessert place, I felt it was a good place for high tea rather than desserts, because I am not a fan of chinese desserts, so the western selection was perfect with a cuppa.

However the menu could have been better, one page was helpfully in English, however one of the critical pages didnt have English, especially the one with the Western dessert selection set, I had to guess what some of them were.

For the western selection, I chose carrot walnut cake, creme brulee and apple roll.
The carrot walnut cake was the best, firm, wholemeal cake base and butter cream.
The apple was a bit disappointing, however the apple bread pudding was the best, slightly modified from the original using apples instead of raisins.

The fruit shots were ordered for fun, I didnt expect myself to like them, I only liked the strawberry one, as this is closer to Western fruits. The rest was just the normal chinesey mango flavour and guava flavours.

The souffle was good, soft and light and not too sweet.

[Review 605] Cool concept @ ME.N.U

ME.N.U 03/1/2010
九龍灣牛頭角道77號淘大商場三期地下 G271號舖
https://www.openrice.com/zh/hongkong/review/cool-concept-e2054061

Was surprised to see ME.N.U replacing Stage Cafe, both rather modern and young, however I think this one may stay longer, their foods are cheaper and Taiwanese style is more acceptable to people living in that area.

The name and style is good, but doesnt quite match the foods served there, bakery or western stuff would make more sense.

Anyway, ordered cheese and mushroom toast, and fries with meat sauce and cheese.
In general cheese and mushroom toast should taste ok, but here it was a bit oriental for my liking, they used chinese mushrooms, also the chips looked different to their product shot, the chips and sauce and cheese was baked together rather than topped on top.

As for the drinks, it was Taiwanese taro tea with sugar jelly, it tasted ok, but the milk taste was just like powdered milk.

I got a takeaway menu, however it was rather homemade, printed by an inkjet and colour copied, but it interesting they had a little paragraph about their logo with double meaning as in food menu and " me" "n" "u"

Value wise, it was very cheap, ordered two sets, added extra for the drink, and there was a $9 discount for the cheaper of the two sets, one of the sets was $18, so it was half priced.

[Review 604] Nice place for noodles @ 麵創坊 Noodle Concepts

麵創坊 Noodle Concepts 03/01/2010
鰂魚涌基利路7號太吉樓地下2號舖
Shop 2, G/F, Tai Kut House, 7 Greig Road, Quarry Bay
https://www.openrice.com/zh/hongkong/review/nice-place-for-noodles-e2054059

Interestingly this neat little restaurant is dressed up like a European restaurant serving chinese noodles.
From colander light shades to wooden tables, chairs, and wooden frame windows, the whole setting is very similar to Toast box, especially the one at Tai Koo Shing.
Their noodles distinguish themselves from other chinese joints by being garnished with bitter lettuce leaves used in European salads.

Ordered thick and thin noodles with dried fish and dried shrimp roe, served with lamb and fishcake.

Both the noodles were rather small in portion, but the taste was ok. Forgot to order the spicy sauce as well, but was impressed with the range : Sambal, chili and some other one which I forgot.

Finally had the foie gras in chinese wine, it was well soaked with wine, served on a plate, not grilled.
The texture was like ice-cream, that melts in your mouth, and without the oilyness as it was not pan-fried.

Overall, this place is good, but depends what time you go, as it can get rather noisy and the staff can't hear what you want to order.
But then Hong Kong is limited in floor place, and owners are more concerned on closely packed tables rather than spacious relaxed dining.