[Review 2647] Take A Break with a waffle @ 居廬 Cafe Enjoy Life

12/07/2013
居廬 Cafe  Enjoy Life
太子界限街12A號地下
G/F, 12A Boundary Street, Prince Edward
https://www.openrice.com/zh/hongkong/review/take-a-break-with-a-waffle-e2307578

Came here because it looked striking in the kowloon area.

You normally see these type of buildings in urban areas like Yuen Long and Sai Kung.
Anyway they basically serve waffles like the ones at Coffee Alley.

Thanks to Connie and Dull for arranging this trip or I would have been to lazy to go because it is located in the middle of no where.

Inside the cafe, it was actually quite small and cramped, the decor was interesting with huge chandeliers and paintings.

There is only one staff at this place so all the taking orders, cooking and drinks are done by him so you have to wait quite a bit.


★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Coffee:

I do not drink coffee but this was someone else's coffee.
The drink selection was a bit disappointing because the choice was limited and did not have fruit juice tea like Coffee Alley.
It was a choice of coffee, tea, milkshakes or lemon tea.
On leaving I discovered there was apple soda on the board outside which was too late.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
All day breakfast:

The breakfast was ok but a bit overpriced for $98 and the sausage was basically one whole sausage sliced in half.
Interestingly the bacon which I do not normally like was good because it was lean.
The breakfast costs $98 and includes a coffee, so if your coming for the pretty latte art then it pays off.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Waffles with strawberries:

The waffle was crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.
For the icecream I would prefer vanilla instead of strawberry because it tasted a bit artificial.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★

[Review 2646] Sing Kee sings victory from the rest @ 勝記海鮮酒家 Sing Kee Seafood Restaurant

12/07/2013
勝記海鮮酒家 Sing Kee Seafood Restaurant
西貢西貢大街33-39號地舖
G/F, 33-39 Sai Kung Tai Street, Sai Kung
https://www.openrice.com/zh/hongkong/review/sing-kee-sings-victory-from-the-rest-e2307546

To be honest I never eat seafood in Sai Kung because I don't know how to look for good ones.

Sing Kee is located near Lakeside gardens so if you get off at Lakeside Garden bus stop, it is only a few footsteps away or you can walk along the seafront from the minibus terminal.

The restaurant stands out from the rest and it is a separate building itself.

There was so much seafood that night and heres what we triied.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Preserved ginger, preserved egg and handmade squid patties:
I was surprised they had these as starters but I liked the squid patties because it was crispy on the outside and soft and springy on the inside.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Sashimi platter:
This was a really nice treat, I loved the delicate pieces of translucent lobster, but it was slightly disguised in the bed of ice below.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Steamed scallop with wine:

This was my favourite, I loved the burgandy colour of the glass noodles.
The scallops soaked up the rich flavour of the chinese wine and the glass noodles were deliciously flavoured by the dried prawn roe.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Stir fried razor clams with Thai basil:


The clams were fresh and springy with a delicious hint of basil.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Abalone delights:

I have not been to Loaf On, but the fellow foodies said it tasted the same.
The braised abalone was sweet and delicate and the gravy was rich which goes deliciously with rice.
The salt and pepper one was interesting because the crispy coating on the outside was delicious.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Fish with sweet corn sauce:

The fish was really nice that it tasted nice with or without the sweetcorn sauce.
I liked the way it was served separate so you can try the fish without sauce and the fish remains crispy.
The breadcrumb coating reminded me of Western fish filets in crispy coating.
I wouldnt mind having a plate of chips on the side 
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Crab:

The crab was delicious especially the crab roe which was a thick orangy yellow mass.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Spareribs in honey and hawthorn sauce:
The spareribs were sweet and fruity.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Crispy chicken:
The chicken was tender with crispy chicken skin attached.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Premium fried rice:
The rice was nice and not too greasy loaded with lots of goodies.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Congee with lobster head:
This was a luxury as it was made with lobster head.
It was light and sweet.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Yakult pudding:

I really liked this pudding because it was creative!! No other place in Hong Kong serves it so far.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
The average spending per person is about $700 but if you have a budget you can discuss the items you would like or specify your budget so they can arrange accordingly.

[Review 2645] Taking chances @ 沙嗲城 Satay City

12/07/2013
沙嗲城 Satay City
灣仔謝斐道142號地下
https://www.openrice.com/zh/hongkong/review/taking-chances-e2307536

The food at this place can be fifty/fifty!
Sometimes it is good, sometimes it can be bad.
On this visit it was bad!
There was only one improvement, the sauces did not spill out from the containers this time!
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Fried Vietnamese sausage with white curry sauce:
The Vietnamese sausage looked more like a fish cake but the main problem was that the frying oil was rancid and the taste of the sausage was disgusting!
The white curry sauce tasted ok, there was a strong grounded ginger taste in it, but it was made with quite a lot of lard, therefore quite fattening.

[Review 2644] Choconana cake Mcflurry 2013 @ 麥當勞 McDonald's

12/07/2013
麥當勞 McDonald's
北角英皇道460-470號樂嘉中心地下5A號舖及地庫
Shop 5A, G/F&B/F, Roca Centre, 460-470 King's Road, North Point
https://www.openrice.com/zh/hongkong/review/choconana-cake-mcflurry-2013-e2307509
I do not really like banana but I just felt like trying the new McFlurry for the sake of it.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Choconana cake Mcflurry HKD12.9:
Luckily it was not too sweet but I wonder if it will taste the same on my next visit.
On my last visit I had the black and white icecream but when I had it again it was too sweet.
Anyway, the banana taste was subtle and not too artificial, the soft cake pieces were delicious with the ice-cream.

★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★

[Review 2643] Roast chicken now at Sai Ying Pun @ La Rotisserie

12/07/2013
La Rotisserie 
西環西營盤第三街71號地舖
G/F, 71 Third Street, Sai Ying Pun, Western District
https://www.openrice.com/zh/hongkong/review/roast-chicken-now-at-sai-ying-pun-e2307493

Thanks to La Rotisserie for inviting me to try their new shop in Sai Ying Pun.

I have always been a fan of their roast chicken and roast potatoes, and now their quiches as well tongue

The new joint is located on the Third Street in Sai Ying Pun with dizzying views of the Hong Kong sea and buildings beneath it.
It is conveniently located next to the new escalators where you can see the sea on the way up and strange old buildings too!!

The Sai Ying Pun area is interesting and somewhat surreal!!! I wonder where the new Chippy is located???

What makes La Rotisserie so special is that the chickens are roasted on a rotisseries which perfectly roasts the chicken as it is rotating and the chicken essense is collected on the tray below onto the potatoes giving deliciously crisp chicken flavoured roasted potatoes.

The chicken they source are corn fed, free range chickens.

Apart from Roast chicken they also sell some irresistable French mustards and candies from La Madeleine de Proust.

The pates were tempting because they were only $38 per jar but as I had somewhere to go afterwards I did'nt buy them otherwise I would have bought the chicken and mushroom and the deer pate.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Roast chicken:

The roast chicken was succulent, juicy and tender flavoured by their delicious herbs.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Mustard chicken (flavour of the month):
The new flavour was chicken covered in mustard.
I would have loved more mustard because I could'nt quite taste it.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Quiche:

There were three quiches and the tomato and cheese was simple and my favourite.
One of the best quiches in Hong Kong because it is authentic.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Carrot and cumin soup:

I love anything with cumin so the carrot and cumin soup was delicious, and their soups are vegetarian which is good because for Vegetarians they can just get a quiche and soup to complete their meal.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Croque monsieur:

This is also my favourite which I did not try at the Sheung Wan branch!
Again another authentic one that does not taste sweet like the local ones.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Apple almond:

I was really lucky to try this as well because it was really delicious.
It was not too sweet and the filling was a bit like custard with pieces of apple in it.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
It was really fascinating watching people from all walks of life there.
There were quite a lot of elderly people living in that area and I was so surprised to see a frail old man buy half a chicken from La Rotisserie because the locals I have met are not really adventurous with new foods and for a frail old man to fork out $100!!!!!

On leaving, it was so nice of them to give us a goodie bag filled with goodies:
There was a jar of mustard and candies from La Madeleine de Proust

La Madeleine de Proust candies:
PATIENCE sweet round biscuits:rose and peach.
CROQ’AMOURS bite-size crunchy clouds of meringue: raspberry and coffee.
DÉLICE À LA ROSE: heart-shaped biscuits: rose and almond
ÉTOILE À LA CANNELLE: spicy cinnamon, sweet almonds and Alsatian spices, these star-shaped biscuits come from Strasbourg’s famous Christmas market.

[Review 2642] ☆★Curry Sing★☆ @ 咖喱星 Curry Sing

11/07/2013
咖喱星 Curry Sing
上環皇后大道中378號G22舖
Shop G22, 378 Queen's Road Central, Sheung Wan
https://www.openrice.com/zh/hongkong/review/curry-sing-e2307352

When I read Ivy’s first review for Curry Sing I was attracted by the vibrant yellow coloured Tumeric rice.
I had the impression it was an Indian joint but after reading the latest reviews I found out that was Hong Kong style curry which explains why there are no sag aloos or Tikkas on the menu.
They serve curry fishballs and beefballs, which is interesting.

The menu is simple, it is either beef, chicken, fish, PORK or vegetable!

I emphasized the pork because HK’ers love pork as well as beef.

For snacks they have skewers and the one I most wanted to try was the deep fried chicken skin which was another bizarre item on the menu for a curry place.
But since Hong Kong people are really health conscious, this is now temporarily unavailable.

Their curries are made with 38 spices which are displayed behind the counter.

They used to have restaurants in Tsuen Wan.

The concept of Curry Sing is an affordable Hong Kong style curry.

When my order was ready, I was expecting the "usual" white plastic bags but it was a well designed sturdy glossy paper bag.

The tubs they used were also nice sturdy plastic tubs which do not give out a CFC chemical smell that CFC ones do.

The food was nicely labelled with stickers denoting which meats they were.

Before the food was packed and cooked they let me take photos of the curry without the sauce so that I could see the chicken, beef, potatoes.

There are five levels of spicyness for the curries, and for beginners I would recommend the cadet one, I also tried the ordinary man.

As for the portion size, it was huge for $38, especially the rice~!!
It is definately good for two to share and drinks are an extra $4.

★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Chicken thigh tumeric rice box:

★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Beef tumeric rice box:

★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Assorted skewers:
Beef, Lamb, Chicken, Pork.

All the skewers were strongly marinated but my favourite was the chicken and beef.
I could not quite taste the lamb and it did not have any gamey taste to it either.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★

As a summary, the taste of curry started off sweet, then the spicyness accumulated and got a bit too spicy.
I liked the pieces of cucumber in the curry because they were quite soothing.
For the choice of meats, there is not much difference in taste because they cook it with the same curry base, so it depends on your preference.

I definitely recommend ordering the cadet level for beginners!!

There are also some off menu items such as curry crab, abalone and prawns which can be ordered in advance.

[Review 2641] Chocolate Journey Through Hong Kong @ Chocoyou

10/07/2013
Chocoyou (非門市)online retail
https://www.openrice.com/zh/hongkong/review/chocolate-journey-through-hong-kong-e2307279

I missed the chocolate trail at Harbour City but Thanks to Chocoyou, I did the chocolate journey of Hong Kong.
Although I am not keen on Chinese food, some were quite nice.
“Chocolate Journey Through Hong Kong” is a brand new chocolate series inspired by the foods of Hong Kong.
The founder and Master Chocolatier Alexis Kwong Alvarez created an assortment of colourful chocolates with delicate flavours and ingredients from his hometown Hong Kong.
There are nine flavours and the coloured squares of chocolate looked really cute in the box.
At the back of the box, the flavours are listed and denoted by the colour on the chocolates.
The knife I used was crap because it was a plastic disposable knife which did not give a clean cut and some crumbled.
(ooops)
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Blue: Hong Kong Milk Tea with Dark Chocolate

The milk tea taste could have been stronger because the dark chocolate taste was quite strong.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Clouds: Earl Grey Tea with Milk Chocolate

The earl grey was delicious and pretty, I liked the baby blue and white clouds on it.
The taste of earl grey was strong.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Silver: Black Sesame with Dark Chocolate

Visually this was my favourite because silver is my favourite colour.
The filling was interesting because it was filled with sesame paste and not whole black sesame seeds.
I do not normally like black sesame but it tasted nice with the dark chocolate.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
White: Red Bean Ice with White Chocolate

I am not keen on white chocolate nor red beans but it tasted ok.
My friend ( a local from Hong Kong) tried it and loved it.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Orange: Hong Kong Peanut Waffle with Milk Chocolate

I do not really like peanut butter but this was the best because the peanut butter really smooth and velvety, and it was not too sweet.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Red: Szechuan Pepper Dark Chocolate

The spicyness of this was quite strong but if you can eat chili then this is the one for you.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Yellow: Curry Coconut Dark Chocolate

The taste of curry could have been spicier and stronger but it was light, the coconut taste was actually quite strong and it was a bit like satay sauce mixed with chocolate.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Green: Wasabi Dark Chocolate

The wasabi was quite nice because it was quite savoury without the sting of wasabi followed by the sweetness of the chocolate.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Mondrian: V.S.O.P Cognac Dark Chocolate

This was really nice because it has the fragrant flavour of cognac that is not too strong which is perfect for people who do not drink alchohol.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★