[Review 2445] Mini meat mountain pile for lunch @ 民聲冰室

17/04/2013
民聲冰室
筲箕灣筲箕灣東大街135號地下
G/F, 135 Shau Kei Wan Main Street East, Shau Kei Wan
https://www.openrice.com/zh/hongkong/review/mini-meat-mountain-pile-for-lunch-e2293038

After trying the Tai Hang branch, I went to the Shau Kei Wan branch to see if there was any difference.

It was much bigger than Tai Hang and you can dine there more comfortably.
I did not try the famous meat patty before so tried it here.


★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Mini meat mountain patty with salted egg:


For lunch they serve a smaller version which was great because the full portion is too big.
The smaller version was much more manageable and there was more salted egg in ratio to the meat patty which was good.
The salted egg is basically cracked on top the patty and steamed, and the lovely egg white is all over the edges of the patty.
It tasted nice but I was not really wowed by it because I have tried better meat patties before. The egg white and the meat patty eaten together tasted the best and the salted egg yolk was nice and starchy.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Chicken in soya sauce:


The pot was huge making the portion look big.
I felt that the soy sauce was too sweet and salty.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★

[Review 2444] Mini Yorkshire puddings @ Yorkshire pudding

16/04/2013
Yorkshire Pudding
中環蘇豪士丹頓街6&8號地舖
G/F, 6&8 Staunton Street, SOHO, Central
https://www.openrice.com/zh/hongkong/review/mini-yorkshire-puddings-at-yorkshire-pudding-e2292847

Although this place is heavily decorated in a British theme serving my favourite Yorkshire puddings, it failed to make it on my priority list.
This restaurant reminded me of Limehouse in WanChai.
I only tried it because I was at a tasting nearby.
I ordered the mini Yorkshire puddings.

★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Mini Yorkshire puddings:
When it came I was surprised there were four of them.
They were very crispy and reminded me of BLT's popovers.
The taste was slightly disappointing because they did not taste as good as the Yorkshire puddings at Delaneys and the gravy did not taste meaty enough.
The yorkshire puddings were too eggy and not as yeasty and chewy as the ones at Delaneys.
There was not enough gravy to finish off the Yorkshire puddings.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Nice glass for the water


★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Menu

★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★

[Review 2443] OpenRice annual dinner 2013 @ 怡東軒 Yee Tung Heen

15/04/2013
怡東軒 Yee Tung Heen
銅鑼灣告士打道281號香港怡東酒店2樓
2/F, The Excelsior Hong Kong, 281 Gloucester Road, Causeway Bay
https://www.openrice.com/zh/hongkong/review/openrice-annual-dinner-2013-e2292646

Thanks to OpenRice for organizing this event held every year.
This was my second year attending.
Each course was paired with wines from Marks and Spencer's my favourite food store in Hong Kong.
Although I do not drink, I tasted them and appreciated the colours and smells of each wine.

★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Marks & Spencer Sparkling Burgundy:
Diced beancurd with spicy salt and marinated pork knuckle:
The diced beancurd were neatly stacked on the plate surrounded by pork knuckle slices.
It had a nice crisp coating with smooth and soft tofu in the middle seasoned by the spicy salt on the coating.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Marks & Spencer Crow's Fountain Chenin Blanc:
Sliced braised live abalone with oyster sauce and Japanese soya sauce:
When the oysters came, there was dry ice beneath so it was surrounded in lovely smoke.
I am not sure what flowers they used but the flowers looked like pansies.
I preferred the abalone cooked in oyster sauce because the soya sauce one was a bit sweet.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Double boiled soup with tea tree mushrooms, sea whelk and caterpillar fungas:
The soup was rich and served at the right temperature.
It was nice how the soup was presented in a tea pot and served like Chinese Tea.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Marks & Spencer Secano Estate Pinot Noir Rose:
Crab claw steamed with egg white and Chinese wine:

The crab was cooked just right with fragrant Chinese wine.
It would have been nicer if the wine was stronger.
The egg white at the bottom tasted the best because it had absorbed all the essence from the crab and wine.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Marks & Spencer Contino Rioja:
Sauteed King prawn in supreme soya sauce:
The King prawn was huge and meaty.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Marks & Spencer Crozes Hermitage:
Mini squash pot with Australian Wagyu beef and vegetables:

The presentation of this was really cute and the meat inside it was sweet with delicious pine nuts.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Sauteed kale with ginger:
This was a huge kale stalk carved like a flower.
The pairing of ginger and kale was nice.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Fried rice with assorted seafood:

The rice had lots of seafood in it but the taste of the seafood could have been stronger.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Marks & Spencer Malmsey Madeira:
Dessert platter:

There were three items on the dessert platter and this one was my favourite because it was light and dreamy.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★

See you all next year and the future gourmet pros and gourmet elites to be.

Thank you to all my fellow openricers for support, there are too many names to list here so I have not in case I miss any out.

[Review 2442] Coffee+lover = Lucky four leaf CLover @ 幸福小路 Clover Lane Cake Cafe

15/04/2013
幸福小路 Clover Lane Cake Cafe
北角和富道126號
126 Wharf Road, North Point
https://www.openrice.com/zh/hongkong/review/coffee-lover-lucky-four-leaf-clover-e2292645

This coffee house has been opened for a few years but since I am not a coffee drinker I never went in.


The earlier choice of cakes they had did not attract me until the recent reviews when I saw the Green tea latte which is said to taste better than the Green tea latte at Sinmei's.

I finally went there just to try the green tea latte and noticed this cake called the Haru so I tried that as well.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Haru:

This was green tea, earl grey and blackcurrant with a macaron on top.
The cake was very sweet so pairing it with green tea latte was not that good.
Next time I should order tea with it.
The green tea layer and earl grey tasted really nice because it was a nice combination of earl grey and green tea together.
The blackcurrant layer on top ruined it because it was too sweet and the taste was so strong that it demolished the green tea and earl grey taste.
I was surprised with the macaron because it was filled with jam.

★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Green tea latte:


I tried this before eating the cake and luckily I did because the cake was sweeter than the drink.
So after I ate the cake, the latte tasted milky and the taste was not as nice as before trying the cake.
Overall the green tea latte was quite nice but the temperature of the latte was not hot enough.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★

[Review 2441] I Wish their cakes would improve @ 太平洋咖啡 Pacific Coffee

15/04/2013
太平洋咖啡  Pacific Coffee
灣仔莊士敦道181號大有廣場1樓107號舖
Shop 107, 1/F, Tai Yau Plaza, 181 Johnston Road, Wan Chai
https://www.openrice.com/zh/hongkong/review/i-wish-their-cakes-would-improve-e2292644

Went in for their spinach and mushroom quiche and the lemon tart looked nice so I was deciding whether to get it or not because their cakes always taste awful.

★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Lemon tart:

Made the mistake of ordering this because visually it looked normal but the taste was foul.
The lemon taste was artificial and I could taste lemongrass in it as well.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Spinach and mushroom quiche:


As usual the spinach and mushroom quiche was delicious, there was a lot of spinach in it.
However this time it lacked egg and it was slightly salty.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★

[Review 2440] Retro Star Cafe glowing from the basement @ 星座冰室 Star Cafe

15/04/2013
星座冰室  Star Cafe
尖沙咀金巴利道16-20號香檳大廈地庫36號舖
Shop No. 36, Champagne Court, 16-20 Kimberley Road, Tsim Sha Tsui
https://www.openrice.com/zh/hongkong/review/retro-star-cafe-glowing-from-the-basement-e2292570

Star Cafe is a really famous retro cafe located in the basement of Champagne Court.
I could not find it before because I did not know there was another floor beneath it.
I used to think it was on the same floor as Sun Kee's.

Recently had a tasting nearby and decided to dine here beforehand, I was determined to find it.
Luckily one of the reviews showed pictures on how to get there and bingo I finally found it.
The scenery was interesting, it was similar to a Chinese version of Chung Kung Mansions.
Sat down and the menu is simple, they serve toasts and noodles.
Most people go there for noodles in tomato broth with mixed egg.
They serve soda in glass bottles, so they have a nice pile of bottle caps.

★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Tomato and egg macaroni:
I have always wondered why people come here to eat this because it looks like puke on top, but it was surprisingly delicious.
There was a choice of instant noodles, macaroni or pasta.
I did not want to choose the macaroni because they serve the ribbed ones which are really thick but the ones here were not that thick so I ordered it.
I liked the way the macaroni held the soup in the tube part.
The tomato soup broth was really nice, it looked thick but it was actually quite runny with rich tomato flavour that was natural.
The egg that was mixed in the tomato sauce balanced out the tangyness of the tomato.
For people who find tomato and egg a bit plain, they can order tomato with beef or luncheon meat which is also quite popular.
The size of the bowl was quite big but the tomato soup was really appetizing that I finished it all.
I have put a standard bowl next to it so you can see how big the bowl is.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Condensed milk with peanut butter toast:
I do not usually eat this because of the butter, but here it was delicious and there was no butter.
The toast was fresh and toasted lightly hence it was crispy and soft in the centre.
The peanut butter and condensed milk tasted nice together because the amount they used was just right.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Photos of the cafe:


★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★

[Review 2439] The Turkish Mediterranean warmth of Quarry bay @ TAVA Turkish & Mediterranean Cuisine

15/04/2013
TAVA Turkish & Mediterranean Cuisine
鰂魚涌海光街10號地下
G/F, 10 Hoi Kwong Street, Quarry Bay
https://www.openrice.com/zh/hongkong/review/the-turkish-mediterranean-warmth-of-quarry-bay-e2292563

This hip Turkish restaurant is located on the quiet end of Quarry bay near the Island East Markets.
After visiting the market, I decided to dine there but it was closed.

Came here another time.
The decor of this place was nice and modern with circle themes.
I was a bit annoyed because not all the items were available during lunch even though it was on the menu.

The eggplant special which was traditional palace style mashed and dressed eggplant topped with lamb or chicken or vegetable saute served with rice was not available for lunch.
 Anyway, as there was not much worth trying I ordered the beef roll and the noodle fusion.

★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Noodle fusion:

This tasted exactly like Vietnamese style Cambodian noodles in tomato sauce.
The chicken with chicken skin included tasted nice because it was roasted.
The only complaint was that it was too oily.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Beef roll:
The beef roll was just the usual Turkish fare.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Turkish Tea:

This was the usual Turkish tea served in a small Turkish glass and tastes like red tea.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Sauces:
There was garlic sauce, chili sauce and mayonnaise.


Crispy onions:


★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★