[Review 2198] Exclusive dishes at Kowloon Tong's Greyhound @ Greyhound Café

11/01/2013
Greyhound Café
九龍塘達之路80號又一城2樓L2-42號舖
Shop L2-42, 2/F, Festival Walk, 80 Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon Tong
https://www.openrice.com/zh/hongkong/review/exclusive-dishes-at-kowloon-tongs-greyhound-e2278679

I was really chuffed to be invited to try the exclusive new dishes at Kowloon Tong's new Greyhound Thanks to the Marketing group.
I have been to Greyhound before twice which were paid visits just to try their famous Lemon Tea and desserts.

On this visit I got to try their new dishes which is also offered in their Beijing Branch of Greyhound.

This restaurant is located on the second floor next to Pizza Express.
This branch features a convertible private room when required especially when they have celebrities.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Waterfall Grilled Lamb:
Sirlion of lamb served on skewers with Thai north eastern style spices with chopped shallots, spring onion, dry chilies and lime juice.
This was my favourite because their sauce was really similar to the sauce at chili club for the thinly sliced grilled beef filet.
Surprising the lamb and the sauce were a great match and lamb meat has never been so appetizing and moreish.
I will definitely order this on my next visit which means I have to come back to this branch as they only serve it here.
They also offer this at their Beijing branch because the people up North like lamb.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Buffalo Burger:

Burger with minced beef, fresh buffalo mozzarella, tomato and sweet basil.
When it came, I was already delighted because the burger bun was no ordinary bun but a black one.
Initially I thought it was charcoal but it turned out to be squid ink which was even better because not
The burger patty was good because it was lean minced beef and it also had my favourite buffalo mozzarella cheese.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
NEW: Roast Beef Panini:

With grilled vegetables and spicy pesto.
On the photo you can see there was so much pesto infused with other herbs and spices.
The beef and aubergines had a nice charred taste.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Fusilli Phad Thai:

Italian short and chewy pasta stir-fried in Phad Thai sauce, topped with fresh beansprouts, crushed peanuts, dried shrimps and chili powder.
It was a nice change from Cambodian noodles with fusilli which was nice and colourful too.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Noodle with Thai Duck Stew

Rice noodle in tender duck stew soup. Flavoured with chili sauce and fish sauce.
The sauces came in a separate dish which was good and these are the best rice noodles I have had because they are thinner than the usual Cambodian noodles.
However the noodles get soft quickly so eat it as soon as you can.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Minced Chicken with Sweet Basil and Hot Chilies
Usually this dish is minced beef, but here they offer chicken which tastes even better because chicken is tender and leaner than pork.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Spaghetti with Thai Anchovy
This item is another must order item because the taste is very strong, from salty anchovies to strong basil leaves.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★

[Review 2197] A surprising buffet selection @ 逸亭餐廳 The Gazebo Restaurant

10/01/2013
逸亭餐廳  The Gazebo Restaurant
灣仔灣仔道209-219號銅鑼灣利景酒店1樓
1/F, The Charterhouse Causeway Bay, 209-219 Wanchai Road Hong Kong, Wan Chai

https://www.openrice.com/zh/hongkong/review/a-surprising-buffet-selection-the-gazebo-e2278486

I would just like to Thank the communications team at Charterhouse for inviting me to try their buffet at The Gazebo.

I tried the buffet the very day they invited me, even their restaurant team did not know of the tasting so what I ate was truly good not because they made it good for the tasting.
Before I went I did not read the reviews because I did not want to be biased or have any expectations.

While I was there, the customers also said the food was good, and customers liked what I liked.

The current promotion is the Winter buffet which is $298 per person from Mondays to Thursdays.
During Fridays and the weekend it is $318 per person.
There is a 20% discount for HSBC/Hang Seng/Buffet Club card holders and on Mondays there a whopping 30% discount.

Although I do not drink alcohol, they had a free bottle of beer per person.
The hygiene was good especially for the fruits which were covered and less likely to attract flies.
The soba noodles were well chilled and for the soup noodles they even had Laksa and Hainan style chicken with rice.
The selection of noodles there were amazing: squid ink pasta, silver pin noodle, jade noodles and orange noodles and the usual types.

For flower lovers, they had Lavender cake and Roselle tea jelly!
In the desserts section, they had a glass cabinet of cute mini egg tarts, portugese tarts and bread and butter pudding as well as banana cake. They even had the Thai Cendol dessert.

For the cooked selection, they had baked oysters, lasagne, and many more.
Ultimately there were quite a few must eat and addictive items which I could hear others mention too, and after checking the reviews on Openrice after dining there everyone seems to like the porks trotters in sweet vinegar.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Pork trotters in vinegar:

When I saw it, it was pork trotters in thick black sauce, the trotters were hairless so I picked a piece.
After trying it, I was addicted, the texture of the trotter was not too soft, and the vinegar was not too sweet or sour with a gingery taste.
It was so good that I drank some of the vinegar too.
If the ginger was not that tough I would have eaten it too.
I heard the others ask the staff for more refills with extra eggs!
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Sweet prawns:
Recently I had a craving for the prawns at IKEA because they had prawn roe too but I had my craving satisfied here because these sweet prawns from the Sushi bar have them too.
The colour of the prawn roe was interesting and they are turquoise.
Not only did I like them, the rest of the people in the restaurant liked it too, the advantage of overhearing what was good because the group of people were talking loudly .
The sweet prawns here were not peeled which kept the full flavour of the prawns locked in and the prawn roe too.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Grilled Okra:
I was surprised they had okra because this is also one of my favourite vegetables.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
One of the rounds I took:
On this round I picked various cheeses, lasagne, porks trotters, crab claws, baked oyster, chicken.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Overall the buffet was good because they had scissors to aid the removal of the shell from the crab, and the drinks were self service and bottomless at the drinks bar and for icecreams they had Dreyers with quite a few flavours with mint and chocolate being my favourite.
There was also a pancake maker too.

[Review 2196] 饗 = Enjoy and Eat @ 饗kyo日本料理 Kyo Japanese Restaurant

10/01/2013
饗kyo日本料理 Kyo Japanese Restaurant
銅鑼灣登龍街28號永光中心11樓
11/F, Circle Tower, 28 Tang Lung Street, Causeway Bay
https://www.openrice.com/zh/hongkong/review/%E9%A5%97-enjoy-and-eat-e2278484

Thanks to Gary and the team for the wonderful Japanese meal.

Kyo is an upstairs restaurant located near Butao and their chef has been awarded numerous awards.
The decor is relaxing and they even have a private dining area too for guests who want privacy but booking in advance is advised.

Without further ado, here is what I tried.
PLEASE NOTE: Some portions are half portions.

★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Crispy cod crackers:

When this arrived they looked similar to the dried fish snacks, however when I took a bite, I was really surprised how crispy they were with a delicate fish taste.
There was Japanese mayonnaise to go with it which enhanced the flavour further more.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Grilled scallops wrapped in bacon:

The scallops were still tender after they were grilled and the smokey bacon that was wrapped around it gave it a lovely smoky taste.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Crab roe salad:

The salad was really nice and refreshing.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Assorted sashimi (HALF PORTION):
The sashimi was really fresh and it was served on a bed of crushed ice.
As well as the sashimi, they had seaweed/kelp as garnishing which I found delicious as well.
The sashimi in the basket was the best because it had grated ginger puree.

The prawn was sweet and it came with the attached head which was also delicous.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Assorted sushi:

In general the sushi was good and there was more proportion of the sushi to the rice beneath it which did not make it feel too heavy and the rice held together.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Crab tempura roll:

The rolls were surprising too because the crab tempura was still crispy and it was also spicy balanced by the soothing avocado.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Grilled silver cod:

I loved the fish because it was natural and the sauce was just right and did not over power the fish.
As well as the fish, I ate the pink thing which I initially thought was spring onion but it was ginger!
It was pickled by the restaurant.
As well as the ginger I also tried the pickled radish and cucumbers pickled by them and that was nice too.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Clams in sake:

I liked this dish however the sake flavour could have been stronger because the overall taste was too light.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Grilled beef with spring onions:

As a non beef lover, I loved this, and the spring onions and herbs inside were still fresh and aromatic.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Tempura:

The prawn in the tempura was nice and fresh, however the tempura batter was slightly too thick.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Sukiyaki kobe beef stew - Half Portion:

Sukiyaki is a Japanese dish consists of high quality meat (usually thinly sliced beef) which is slowly cooked or simmered at the table, alongside vegetables and other ingredients, in a shallow iron pot in a mixture of soy sauce, sugar, and mirin.
Generally sukiyaki is a winter dish and it is commonly found at bōnenkai, Japanese year-end parties.
The Sukiyaki was cooked at our table and the beef they used was Kobe beef.
I thought it was perfect end to the meal because the broth base was really nice.
It was slightly sweet which brought out the flavours in the beef and vegetables.
The thinly sliced beef was tender and sweet, and the rest of the vegetables absorbed the broth so were quite tasty.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★

[Review 2195] Marmite loaded Dynamite pizza @ Oolaa

07/01/213
Oolaa
上環必列者士街1號地舖
G/F, 1 Bridges Street, Sheung Wan
https://www.openrice.com/zh/hongkong/review/marmite-loaded-dynamite-pizza-oolaa-e2278018

I went to Oolaa because it was one of the restaurants that offered Vegemite on the menu.
As well as Oolaa, Wagyu in Lan Kwai Fong also offers it.

Not many places in Hong Kong offer Vegemite and in some countries it is banned and I would love to know why!

Anyway, both Oolaa and Wagyu serve cheese and vegemite spread pizza.

It was a case of Wagyu's Dinki Di’s Aussie Vegemite with volcano bubbly grilled Cheddar cheese on a crispy pizza base for $95 versus Oolaa's Dynamite Pizza with molten Cheddar cheese & Vegemite for $100.

In the end I chose Oolaa because I prefer molten Cheddar cheese and not bubbly grilled cheddar cheese.
Oolaa is located on Bridges street with a nice bar.

★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Dynamite Pizza with molten Cheddar cheese & Vegemite:
I was slightly disappointed when the pizza arrived, the cheese was not molten, it was baked for too long that it was hard.

Although the cheese was over cooked and disappointing it tasted quite nice.
The Vegemite was really salty but that was expected.
The pizza here was what I would have expected if I dined at Wagyu because the cheese here turned out to be bubbly grilled cheddar cheese.
The pizza base and the grilled cheese was very chewy that it gave you tired jaws.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★

[Review 2194] Big sago pearls in Mathy's Taro and sago dessert @ 麥菲茶餐廳 Mathy Cafe

07/01/2013
麥菲茶餐廳 Mathy Cafe
將軍澳毓雅里7號富麗花園地下3號舖
Shop 3, G/F, Finery Park, 7 Yuk Nga Lane, Tseung Kwan O
https://www.openrice.com/zh/hongkong/review/big-sago-pearls-in-mathys-taro-and-sago-dessert-e2278017

Usually I will frown when Chinese restaurants serve me sweet soup because I find it disgusting and too sweet.

However, this restaurant has never served sweet soup before or any other desserts, but due to the competition around they have started to offer sweet soup.
When they asked me if I wanted any, I initially said No, but then I then I changed my mind because the food here is good in general and they have never served desserts before so I might as well try it.

★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Taro and sago sweet soup:
When it came, it looked like a bowl of greyish milk, and I poked my spoon in it unwillingly.
To my delight I saw these massive sago pearls which were visually pleasing.

Usually, the sago pearls in these sweet soups are tiny, but these ones are about 5mm in diameter.
The taste of the taro and sago sweet soup was ok so I had a half a bowl which is a record for me.
I usually taste a drop of the sweet soup and leave it because it is too sweet and because I just do not like Hong Kong style sweet soups because I do not like red beans or sweet potatoes.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★

[Review 2193] Toast with honey and whipped cream @ Hero Sandwich

07/01/2013
Hero Sandwich (已結業)

After my first visit to the Sheung Wan branch of Hero I have been craving for another visit.
I have been to Central about four times attempting to dine here but I could not find it because it is actually located on Wellington street and not Lyndhurst terrace.


I liked this branch because it had a fun and hip atmosphere compared to the Shenug Wan Branch, the SW branch has a more serious atmosphere for entrepreneurs and people wearing suits, whereas this branch is run by ABCs and caucasians.

I ordered the toast with whipped cream and honey with an iced coffee.

★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Toast with honey and whipped cream:
They served the honey separate because I requested it separate so that I could control the sweetness myself.
The toast was thicker than I imagined and it was cut into four pretty square cubes each with cream on top.
It looked slightly different to the product shot which was not cut into four pieces but the way they served it looked nice.
I did not use the honey because the cream was sweet and the crispy toast tasted really nice with the airy light whipped cream.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Iced coffee:


The coffee tasted nice but it was too milky for my liking.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★