[Review 1905] Its a price guessing game with rude people @ 真美味

22/10/2012
真美味
旺角奶路臣街5–6號舖
Shop 5-6, Nelson Road, Mong Kok
https://www.openrice.com/zh/hongkong/review/its-a-price-guessing-game-with-rude-people-e2265181

Decided to try a skewer of octopus as I have never tried the snacks in MK before because I always get food poisoning.
Before I ordered I looked around to see how much it would cost but there was no pricing.
Anyway I ordered a skewer thinking it would not cost more than $10 but I was wrong!
I gave a $20 note and only got $8 change!
What’s worse was their attitude, it was like take it or leave it!
As for the octopus it was reheated in boiling hot water so it was extremely chewy and tasted bland.

[Review 1904] Literally ketchup plonked on pasta! @ 華樂冰室

22/10/2012
華樂冰室
上環東街18號
18 East Street, Sheung Wan
https://www.openrice.com/zh/hongkong/review/literally-ketchup-plonked-on-pasta-e2265153

Came here because I saw photos of tomato ketchup on pasta!
Usually Chinese cafes will make their own tomato sauce but I was intrigued by this one as they literally put tomato ketchup on pasta.
It was quite interesting because this cafe was quite old and inside the restaurant there were quite a few interesting items such as the shed.

After it was opened, I realised they stored ice in there.
The tilings on the wall take you back in time.

Anyway I came here especially for the spaghetti which was part of the lunch sets.
The lunch sets basically all had spaghetti with fried egg and bread/toast with a drink.
For the spaghetti there was a choice of tomato sauce or pepper sauce.
Then for the set you get to choose ham, chicken wings or pork chop.

Anyway ordered two spaghetti sets with tomato sauce and pepper sauce and the chickens wings and pork chop.

★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Bread with fried egg:

An old plate from the 197Xs.
The egg was lovely and delicately fried, there were some slight crispy bits which were nice and the yolk was runny.
The egg was impressive because there was no oil taste on the egg white, hence I ate the egg white leaving the delicious yolk on the bread.

★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
spaghetti with tomato sauce:

Although the spaghetti had a really dark colour there was no taste to it so it really relied on the sauce.
The tomato sauce was basically tomato ketchup and the brand they used was Del Monte.
I prefer Heinz ketchup because it is slightly sour and Del Monte's is basically sweet.
Anyway the spaghetti and tomato sauce were quite nice as a combination, however Heinz already have a canned version of spaghetti in tomato sauce and the canned version is softer and more sour.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
spaghetti with pepper sauce:

The pepper sauce they serve here was quite good, it was not too peppery and complimented the pasta quite well.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
chickens wings:

Another old plate from the 197Xs.
I was surprised the chicken wings were quite nice, there was no oil taste and the chickens tasted fresh, even the chicken meat was soft and supple.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
pork chop:

Slightly too greasy
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★

[Review 1903] The Genie and the amazing technicolor dream drinks @ The Genie Concept

22/10/2012
The Genie Concept (已結業)
上環新街5-13號環球大廈地下B號舖
Shop B, G/F, Universal Building, 5-13 New Street, Sheung Wan
https://www.openrice.com/zh/hongkong/review/the-genie-and-the-amazing-technicolor-dream-drinks-e2265151

Found out about this place because of Spicygal's review.
I am not a health freak but i like different drinks, the particular one she had was really interesting because it had Kale.
After browsing the website there were four drinks I was interested in:

Pink panther: water, himalayan salt, lemon, lime, raw agave, acai.
Sweet dreams: water, raw cashew, raw cacao, raw agave, cinnamon, coconut flower sugar and pink himalayan salt.
Four Leaf clover: spinach, apple, parsley, himalayan salt.
Hulk: cucumber, celery, parsley, and cayenne.

Each drink has its own groovy name.

You can buy them in packs of six bottles for $600 which is for the day, and you replace having meals with these drinks.

When I got there, there was a lorry inf ront of the shop, so I could not take pictures of the shop front.
When I left it was still there!

You will have to see the shop front yourself or in Spicygal's review.

The juice of the day was the Palm tree or the Garden gnome which was already ready made in the fridge and in plastic cups.
The Garden gnome was just apple, pineapple, ginger, pear and spirulina.

★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Palm Tree HKD45:
The palm tree was kale and pineapple.
When it was in the fridge, the kale had settled to the bottom so you could see there was about 10% Kale and 90% Pineapple.
But anyway before they give it to you, they will mix it together.
When I tried it, the pineapple taste was really prominent and not so much of Kale.
I was hoping for more kale in the drink even if it meant the taste would not be that nice and more vegetable and fruit solids in the drink because the purpose of these drinks are for detox and health, not for the taste.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★

[Review 1902] Delicious large matcha sponge cake @ 超羣麵包西餅 Maria's Bakery

超羣麵包西餅 Maria's Bakery
太古康山道1-2號康怡廣場南座AEON超級巿場地下009號
Shop 009, G/F, AEON, Kornhill Plaza South, 1-2 Kornhill Road, Tai Koo
https://www.openrice.com/zh/hongkong/review/delicious-large-matcha-sponge-cake-marias-e2265120

Originally came here to get their eggettes because I read somewhere that they had taro flavour but when I got there it was peanut.
Browsed around for other items and saw these big cakes and they looked delicious.
They were really soft and had three flavours: Original, green tea and chocolate.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Matcha sponge cake:

As always the bakery here never fails and I regret not getting the chocolate one as well.
When I started eating it, I felt that it should have been called a chiffon cake because it was incredibly soft, almost like cotton.
I did not expect cream in it but the cream made the cake even more delicious because it balanced out the sweetness of the matcha.
The only problem is that the cake it too soft so you have to be careful of falling pieces of cake.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★

[Review 1901] Floral tea pudding from East island markets @ 南小館 Plus The Dining Room Plus

南小館Plus The Dining Room Plus
銅鑼灣軒尼詩道500號希慎廣場12樓1201號舖
Shop 1201, 12/F, Hysan Place, 500 Hennessy Road, Causeway Bay
https://www.openrice.com/zh/hongkong/review/floral-tea-pudding-from-%E5%8D%97%E5%B0%8F%E9%A4%A8-east-island-markets-e2265113

When I saw the pictures of the desserts at THE DINING ROOM I have always wanted to try them and the decor seems really nice and modern which looked more Western than Asian.

Anyway went to the Island East Markets at Quarry Bay and The Dining Room had a stall there with the dessert I wanted to try so I got it.

Usually I do not like floral items such as rose, lavender or osthmanthus but Jasmine is nice.

★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Floral tea pudding HKD25:

On top of the pudding there were quite a few fresh jasmine buds on it.
I wasn't sure whether to eat them or not so I just tried the pudding.
The texture of the pudding was like thin custard and the taste was really nice and not too sweet.
There were tones of Jasmine yet the pudding was extremely creamy.
In the end I tried the Jasmine buds and they were quite bitter.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★

[Review 1900] My 1900th review on a big bowl feast of Poon Choi @ 萬里緣盆菜專門店 Man Lee Yuen Poon Choi

22/10/2012
萬里緣盆菜專門店 Man Lee Yuen Poon Choi
元朗安寧路11號地下
G/F, 11 On Ning Road, Yuen Long
https://www.openrice.com/zh/hongkong/review/my-1900th-review-on-a-big-bowl-feast-of-poon-choi-e2265060

Traditional Village Poon Choi is served in large metal bowls with a perforated metal plate at the bottom to keep food from burning, as it is kept warm on a portable stove as it is being served.
Poon Choi or Big Bowl Feast, is a traditional type of dish originating from Hong Kong village Hakka cuisine.
Usually the residents of this village will produce their own Poon Choi's and Hakka style dishes but this year they decided to order it from Man Lee Yuen Poon Choi.

Frankly the village made Poon Choi's and Hakka style dishes tastes better and they are cooked with the village style ingredients.

But anyway, it was quite good that this company provides the bowls, chopsticks and even wet tissues and they have staff that will help set up the tables and stuff.

Basically each of these big bowls cost $920 each and they contain abalone, prawns, chicken, duck, pork, squid, taro, chinese mushrooms, fishballs, beancurd skin, pork skin and chinese radish.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Abalone:
The abalone was really soft it tasted like fat.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Prawns:
The prawns were quite big and the prawn heads tasted really sweet.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Soy marinated chicken:
I picked the drumstick part so it was delicious.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Roast duck:
The duck was cut in big pieces.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Braised pork:
The braised pork tasted really nice especially the meat off the bone.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Taro:
The taro was cut into huge pieces, they were about 7cm x 7 cm block with 2cm thickness.
They were quite hard so the other pieces should be eaten later when it gets soft but it depends if they are still there and not taken by others!
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Squid:
The body of the squid was quite nice, but the tentacles were chewy and hard.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Chinese mushrooms:
not soft enough
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Fishballs:
The fishballs were quite nice and springy and there were no grounded bones in it.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Beancurd skin:
Very chewy
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
pork skin:
did not try
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Chinese radish:
The radishes tasted quite nice towards the end when it became softer and absorbed the sauces, however the radish was quite old so it was quite woody.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Overall the food was quite good but there was too much MSG and salt that I had to keep drinking lots of water.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
A PHOTO OF REAL HAKKA STYLE DISHES FROM SOME VILLAGE
Dishes may vary with other Hakka villages.
-Chinese radish cooked with fish belly and fish roes
-Braised pork belly with salted pickled vegetables and black fungas
-Pig's skin with red dates and dried prawns
 0 讚好

★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★

[Review 1899] Lumpy Lumpy grounded pistachio dessert @ 海記合桃坊甜品 Hoi Kee Walnut Place

21/10/2012
海記合桃坊甜品  Hoi Kee Walnut Place
太子西洋菜南街232號
G/F, 232 Sai Yeung Choi Street South, Prince Edward
https://www.openrice.com/zh/hongkong/review/lumpy-lumpy-grounded-pistachio-dessert-hoi-kee-e2264947

★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
grounded pistachio dessert $24:
Last time I had delicious desserts at the To Kwa Wan branch so I decided to get the pistachio dessert again at the Mong Kok branch, however the dessert here was lumpy and it was too sweet and lacked that delicious pistachio taste that it did in the To Kwa Wan.

As for the presentation it looked nothing as good as the TKW branch and there was dessert overflowing on the side of the bowl.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
The dessert at the Mong Kok branch did not fare as good as the To Kwa Wan branch.
The interior was not as good as the To Kwa Wan branch, although the lights were the same.
The menu was also not as extensive as the TKW branch too.