[Review 2834] Ice cubes made with pieces of fruit @ Green Lane

16/09/2013
Green Lane
西環卑路乍街111號
111 Belcher's Street, Western District
https://www.openrice.com/zh/hongkong/review/ice-cubes-made-with-pieces-of-fruit-e2320598


Please see above review because photos could not be uploaded on this review.
Sorry for the confusion caused, as the system would not let me upload.

[Review 2833] Curry for big groups! @ 深井咖喱寶 The Clay Oven

13/09/2013
深井咖喱寶 The Clay Oven
西環堅尼地城吉席街27-31號A錦興大廈地下
G/F, Kam Hing Building, 27-31 Catchick Street, Kennedy Town, Western District
https://www.openrice.com/zh/hongkong/review/curry-for-big-groups-e2320049

Conveniently located near the tram stop, you can't miss the bright yellow sign.
Great for groups of people because the portions here are really big!
Thanks to annie for inviting me to join her at this tasting.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Interesting dishes:
BBQ chicken spaghetti, Korma spaghetti and Kebabs which are probably good for light lunches or people who on their own.

★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Masala pappadom:

Lovely chopped fresh coriander, tomatoes, purple onions and lettuce which tasted great with the crispy pappadom.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Prawn masala:


Meaty prawns in thick masala sauce perfect for dipping the naan bread.
The spicyness of this was just right.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Aloo jeera:

This was my favourite because it was potatoes and cumin, garlic and green chili.
A delicious dish of potatoes with a lovely hint of cumin.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Garlic naan:

The naan was soft with crushed garlic on top.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Lamb Madras:

The lamb was really nice and soft but I found it quite spicy.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Pilau rice:
Delicious rice coloured with natrual tumeric and saffron.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Masala tea:
Nice tea with milk with a strong taste of cinammon and it is very similar to Hong Kong style milk tea so Hong Kongers would like it.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Mouth fresheners:

The milk and sugar candy was the best (white balls) and they also had anise seeds which look like cumin!
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★

[Review 2832] Psychedelic rainbow cake @ C'est la B

13/09/2013
C'est la B
尖沙咀廣東道3-27號海港城地下G111號舖
G111, G/F, Harbour City, 3-27 Canton Road, Tsim Sha Tsui

https://www.openrice.com/zh/hongkong/review/psychedelic-rainbow-cake-e2320045

On my last visit I didn't get the chance to try the lollipop cake because it was sold out, this time I reserved it before I came.
It was not busy and there was still half of that cake left.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Lollipop hKD88:

I wanted to try it because it is slightly similar to their other cake called the Rainbow Connection.
The rainbow patterns were like random swirls just like a psychedelic rainbow.
The popcorn was sweet and colourful, the cake was soft with crisp crushed biscuits in the middle and the cake base.
Comparing it to the sliced cake I had previously, the previous one tasted better but way under portion.
On this visit, the slice looked like a fair deal and consistent with the other reviews, so it could probably depend on who slices the cake.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
A really nice gigantic tea cup and saucer:

★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★

[Review 2831] The sparkles of sparks for great dining @ Spark Bar & Restaurant

13/09/2013
Spark Bar & Restaurant
旺角花園街2-16號好景商業中心3樓301號舖
Shop 301, 3/F, Ho King Commercial Centre, 2-16 Fa Yuen Street, Mong Kok
https://www.openrice.com/zh/hongkong/review/the-sparkles-of-sparks-for-great-dining-e2320044

To be honest I am reluctant to dine in Mong Kok because there are too many people and usually the food does not impress.
Again, I had doubts for this tasting but as I said I shouldn’t be biased.
The food was good and there were quite a few dishes I would come back for.

Spark’s is located on the third floor of Ho King Commercial Building where they used be famous for selling the pornographic and pirated copies of VCDs that have made the shopping centre famous.

Anyway, that is now history and they now sell computer and phone accessories!
Here was what we tried that night and you could tell some of the dishes were done by experienced people.

★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Juice with pineapple, orange and apricot:

Tasted nice and tropical with a peachy tone.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Mussels simmered in white wine cream sauce:

The mussels were really nice as the white wine sauce was really creamy.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Clams simmered in Hoegaarden beer:

I really liked these clams because clams are slightly softer than mussels and retains the sauce.
The hoegaarden beer has a really nice salty taste which tasted great with the clams.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Buffalo chicken wings:

Tried the buffalo wings piping hot and when they were cooled down, at different temperatures they tasted different.
I liked them hot because the taste was tangier and the cracked black pepper on top spiced it up.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Deep-fried Hokkaido scallop with eelmarinated sauce:

Basically if you like popcorn shrimp or southern fried chicken, then you will like this because the scallops were coated in that coating which has a slighty fiery taste.
The scallops tasted good without the sauce and the scallops were still tender inside.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Crispy roasted piglet leg:

The piglet leg was perfectly roasted, the skin was crisp and the pork was tender.
This dish was reassuring because it was cooked by someone who knows how long it should be in the oven for to get just the right effect.
A great dish for some meaty non fatty nibbles.
As I have not tried that cute roasted baby pig at Catalunya I can't compare, but this one tastes good, but for the one at Catalunya, you would expect it to taste good because of its price and reputation.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Grilled lamb chop in rosemary:

The lamb chop was tender and not that gamey with delicious rosemary crust on top just like baked breadcrumb coatings.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Grilled Spanish iberico in doubled pepper seasoning:

The pork was really nice, it was succulent and juicy with the grounded peppers which paired it perfectly.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Boston prawn with rice:

The lobster was convenient loosened from the shell which made it easy to eat and the rice was really nice because there were a mixture of fragrant spices.
The cheese on top of the lobster was properly cheesey because most restaurant use tasteless mozarella to make it look cheesy without that cheesy taste.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Fettuccine with cattle cheek braised in red wine sauce:

The beef was lovely and tender in rich red wine sauce, but the fettuccine was a bit too buttery for my preference.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Photo's of the restaurant:

★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★

[Review 2830] The devilish Stingray and evilicious chili sauce @ 燒皇燒烤專門店 Fire King BBQ and Spicy

13/09/2013
燒皇燒烤專門店 Fire King BBQ and Spicy
佐敦渡船角文匯街22-24號文華樓地下及1樓
G&1/F, Man Wah Building, 22-24 Man Wui Street, Jordan
https://www.openrice.com/zh/hongkong/review/the-devilish-stingray-and-evilicious-chili-sauce-e2320040

This place specializes in grilled meats, hotpots and spicy food.
The highlight for tasting was Iberian pork intestines~~~~
Pork intestines are not really my favourite because they are not usually cleaned properly but I did not refuse this tasting because I don't like to be biased without trying it first.

Fire King is located in Jordan near Austin Station conveniently near the subway exit if you know your way, alternatively you can take the MTR to Jordan which is only a few minutes walk.

Here was what we tried:

★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Stingray fishpot:

They use fresh Stingrays bought from the local market on a daily basis and ensure that they do not have an unpleasant ammonia taste that the stingrays natrually possess.
I love Stingray's and not many places I know in Hong Kong serve it, there could be others which I have not discovered yet, but this is the second time eating Stingray.
Stingray is similar to Skate but you only eat the wing section of Skate.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Iberian pig intestines pot:

This delicious pot was cooked with a strong concoction of celery, Chinese celery, leeks, basil, black pepper corns, ginger and other spices.
As the name says, the intestines are from Iberian pigs and the intestines are cleaned with special equipment from Germany hence it does not have that weird smell.
I only tried a little bit because it was quite spicy.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Deep fried iberian pig intestines stuffed with prawn patty:


Compared to the spicy pork intestines above, this dish was much nicer because it was deep fried and covered in batter.
Psychologically it tricks the brain in thinking it is something else.
Anyway, it was lovely and crispy and the prawn patty in the middle had a really strong taste.
It was really good that I went to this tasting, otherwise I would not have known that fried intestines could also taste good.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Grilled aubergines :

Fresh thick aubergines are used here and topped generously with chopped garlic.
I really liked its lovely mushy garlicky taste.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Beef ribs:

It was cool having the beef because it was different to the Western beef on bone.
Here the beef was neatly sliced and convenient to eat.
The beef had some chew to it and it was quite juicy complemented by the mustards.
I tried the first few pieces without the mustard for a beefy taste but after it got a bit heavy the mustard was a good balance to it.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Iberian pork belly:

The grilled pork belly was similar to pork toro, it was soft and part of it were quite fatty.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Pork bone:

The pork bones were tender and juicy and the sauce they used was sweet with crispy sesame seeds on top for an occasional crispy mouthfeel.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Grilled courgettes:

These were juicy courgettes complemented with my favourite cumin.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Grilled beans:

Simple delicious grilled beans with sesame and spices so it was slightly spicy.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Sauces:

There are 15 level of spicyness for their chilis, the plain chili oil is the top level.
I already had trouble with the spicyness of the 5th level, so the 15th is probably a killer!
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Photo of the restaurant:

★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★

[Review 2829] Fuss free comfort dining @ 宜家家居餐廳及咖啡室 IKEA Café

12/09/2013
宜家家居餐廳及咖啡室 IKEA Café
九龍灣宏照道38號Megabox 4樓
4/F, Megabox, 38 Wang Chiu Road, Kowloon Bay
https://www.openrice.com/zh/hongkong/review/fuss-free-comfort-dining-e2319831

I have always wanted to try this place but Megabox is inconveniently located.

Last time I attempted to try this place, there were quite a lot of people so I gave up.

This time I came during off-peak hours, so the queue was not that long!

Basically, you grab a trolley and push it along the counter and take/order the items that you want.


The ordering style is very common in other countries but I don't know why it takes a Swedish company to be the first in Hong Kong.

It is also mind baffling that other places have not copied this style because when something is successful and making money, there are always market followers.

Having the trolley made me feel at ease because I could get whatever I wanted and stacked it on the trolley without having to worry how I was going to bring it to the table.

There were quite a few items they did not have: salmon steak, Cheese and spinach pancakes, fish filet in breadcrumbs, spinach salmon pie and fried cheese.


My trolley of food!~

★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Vegetable medallions:

The vegetable medallions were nice, mixed with lots of brocoli and potatoes.
However they were soggy and heavy compared to TUCK SHOP who cooked it better.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Swedish meatballs with cream sauce:

The meatballs were nice and soft, complemented by the delicious gravy and sweet jam.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Golden chicken wings:

The chicken wings were not memorable because they were tasteless.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Swedish curry shrimp with pasta:

The pasta curry was surprisingly nice, it tasted like a light curry which is similar to Japanese curries with the odd pieces of potatoes, prawns here and there.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Prawns:

The prawns were meaty with lots of prawn roe beneath the shell. They were sweet and slightly salty due to the brine that it was in.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Salmon lasagne:

The salmon was a bit too fishy and the tomato sauce did not match the lasagne.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★

All those items above and it did not break the bank.
The price is similar to eating at Saizeyria.

[Review 2828] I am dirty, please take me home to be recycled @ 許留山 Hui Lau Shan

12/09/2013
許留山 Hui Lau Shan
灣仔軒尼詩道163號D舖
Shop D, 163 Hennessy Road, Wan Chai
https://www.openrice.com/zh/hongkong/review/i-am-dirty-please-take-me-home-to-be-recycled-e2319771


I was attracted to the new Durian dessert with Glutinous rice because of the Jar.
Previously tried it before because Mjqueen7e got me the Frozen one from some local supermarket.

According to their Facebook and product shots, the glutinous rice is on the bottom layer with fresh durian meat on top.

There is a label on the jar in Chinese saying " Please take me home to be reused"

The glutinous rice was in a plastic tub which was put inside the glass jar.

The fresh durian was placed on top of the glutinous rice and strangely garnished with parsley which was so funny in a dessert.

It seems that you can take the inner plastic tub out which contains the dessert, and the bottom half of the jar is clean.

As I was going to reuse it, I decided to wipe the jar with tissue in case there were traces of dessert on it and I was SHOCKED to see the TISSUE WAS BLACK!!
How can they put food in DIRTY containers.
Food grade containers are a standard and clean containers for food are a must!
Wouldn't this make an interesting article for Appledaily after having just reported Hoi Tin Tong's contaminated turtoise desserts.
It makes me wonder if people in Hong Kong know the definition of Food grade containers or even food hygiene.

I suppose I was also lucky because according to their Facebook, the glutinous rice and durian is actually in the jar and touching the insides of the jar directly.
The only fortunate thing was that the glutinous rice did not touch that black stuff.
Their recycling label should read:
I am dirty, please take me home to be recycled
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Durian and glutinous rice:
The durian was quite mushy and sweet and the glutinous rice was dehydrated and hard that I wonder how long it had been in the fridge.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★