[Review 2889] SF bowl mission failed @ Little Burro

15/10/2013
Little Burro
銅鑼灣禮頓道125號地下
G/F., 125 Leighton Rd, Causeway Bay
https://www.openrice.com/zh/hongkong/review/sf-bowl-mission-failed-e2325833

Ever since I found out about this new place, I have been itching to go.
On the first two attempts it was closed.

Since I read their latest update that day saying "they've got all the ingredients to roll through the week" I decided to give it a visit. The last item I was expecting them to run out was the sour cream.
I decided to get the bowl and for the fillings I was deciding whether I should get the Barbacoa beef or the vegetarian black beans with guacamole, but in the end I chose the beef because for the choice of beans you can only choose black beans or borracho beans with bacon.
If I was on a strict vegetarian diet then it would be a double dose of black beans which would be a very boring choice.

After paying for the order, the bowl was being made with cilantro rice being put on the bottom, then romaine lettuce, then the vegetables and then the beef and cheese.
She then passed it over to me, so I pointed to the sour cream because there is supposed to be sour cream but she did not put any. She told me it was all finished which really annoyed me.

Frankly, it's a bit dry without sour cream and incomplete.

I was really annoyed because if I knew before paying, I would have happily come back another day and this would have been a positive review.

After some complaining, I was grateful she forced the remaining sour cream out of the bottle.

It would have been totally crap if there was no sour cream, its like having beef with gravy without the gravy.

The sour cream was not really sufficient but the sour cream on the previous review was stingy too.
I requested for a bit of guacamole because the rice was a bit dry and she said she could not give me that because it's expensive.
In that case, if they don't have sour cream, maybe they should reduce the bill!!?

★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
The bowl:
The taste was similar to the Taco rice at Wired Cafe, but Wired Cafe fared slightly better because it had generous cheese and sour cream on top.The bowl was not bad, but it would have tasted better with more sour cream and the beef was quite dry and tough.
The rice beneath it was soft and fluffy just like Indian long grain rice with lots of cilantro in it.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Cilantro rice:

The bowl was not that filling so I ordered extra rice and had it with the siraicha sauces on the table.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★

[Review 2888] Veggie Burger @ Triple O's by White Spot

13/10/2013
Triple O's by White Spot
金鐘金鐘道88號太古廣場二座LG1地庫009號舖
Unit 009, LG1, Basement, Phase 2, Pacific Place, 88 Queensway, Admiralty
https://www.openrice.com/zh/hongkong/review/veggie-burger-e2325443

Havent tried the Veggie burger at Triple O's, so decided to try it.

In terms of price, it was very expensive and so are a lot of other places that sell the veggie burger.

★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Veggie burger:

It was wrapped just the same as other burgers at Triple O's with a slice of guerkin on top.

The patty was made of rice and vegetables.

The veggie patty was extremely disappointing because the rice in the patty was hard and it was similar to a rice burger.
The taste was bland and tasteless.

★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Poutine:

There could have been more gravy but the gravy was quite salty and the cheese was tasteless mozzarella and not cheese curds.

★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Breakfast tea:

Luckily there was nice tea to end it!
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★

[Review 2887] Pandora's box @ Le Salon Restaurant et Croissanterie

12/10/2013
Le Salon Restaurant et Croissanterie
銅鑼灣軒尼詩道500號希慎廣場13樓1302號舖
Shop 1302, 13/F, Hysan Place, 500 Hennessy Road, Causeway Bay
https://www.openrice.com/zh/hongkong/review/pandoras-box-e2325268

Been to Le Salon Croissanterie numerous times for their delicious croissants but I have never actually been to Le Salon Restaurant where they serve French food with some fusion.

Le Salon Restaurant serves French food while Le Salon Croissanterie specializes in French croissants.

Le Salon Restaurant is black and classy on the outside with a narrow entrance where the waitors greet you.
The walls of the entrance are black with white light bulbs shining through which reminds me of the cabaret.

At Le Salon Restaurant, the menu comprises of 2-course and 3-course lunch sets, afternoon tea sets, dinner sets and weekend brunches at reasonable prices.
As I have not dined at Le Salon Restaurant, I discovered that the dishes were more affordable than I thought because of the chic decor and entrance.

I tried some of the items on the new autumn culinary delights menu.

We sat in a plush private room which had a beautiful shadow of a chandelier which blended wonderfully with the wallpaper.

Here was what I tried:
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Amuse Bouche:

This was quail egg with crab salad.
A light amuse bouche to tease the palette.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Duo De Salmon:
Salmon Tartar with Lychee Jelly & Sugar Cured Salmon Flavoured with Pernod, Dill and Cucumber Jelly


The Duo De Salmon was one of the new autumn dishes which was presented on a plate with delicate pieces scattered just like the way leaves have fallen in the autumn.
I started off with the salmon tartar because it had a thin layer of appealing lychee jelly on top which gave a refreshing taste with the salmon tartar.
Next I tried the sugar cured salmon which had a nutty tone complemented by the cucumber jelly.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Marseille bouillabaisse:
Delicious fish soup with tiger prawns, mussels, fish, fillet, saice rouille and crispy baguette.

The soup is served separately so that it remains hot and the baguette is still crispy.


The fish soup was lovely and strong complemented by prawn, squid and mussel.
It had a strong unami taste and the baguette was delicious when it soaked the soup.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Turbot fish:
Pan fried fish fillet with burn butter sauce and sauteed spring vegetables

It was nice the turbot was just simply pan fried, the fish skin was crispy while the fish was delicate and flakey paired with the crunchy lotus root slices.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Wagyu beef Bourguignon:
Slow cooked Wagyu Beef cheeks with red wine and beef stock


The beef was soft and gelatinous which went perfectly with the silky mash beneath it and the gravy was nice and rich.
There were chunks of delicious carrot and mushroom making it hearty.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Suckling Pig in Two Ways:
Crispy Pig & Glazed Pancetta, Served on Sweet Potato Puree and Pommery Sauce

The crispy pig was delicate with a crisp skin, while the pork beneath it was so soft that it melts in your mouth.
The other piece was more substantial with a stronger and meatier mouthfeel.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Dessert:
Chocolate Glazed Caramel Banana Tart Amaretto Crumble Vanilla Ice Cream

The caramel banana tart was divine, with fresh pieces of banana slices beneath the gorgeous caramel on top which was not too sweet.
The icecream was coated with delicious amaretto crumble giving it a nice buttery nutty tone.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Brulee Waffle:

I was surprised by the brulee waffle because brulee tasted just like custard on top of the which was not too sweet. The waffle texture was soft and airy.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Croissants:

Chestnut croissant:
As always, the chestnut croissant tastes good because the chestnut paste in the middle is silky smooth and not starchy.
White truffle croissant:
This was a savoury croissant with white ham and truffle.
The white truffle taste was intense brought out nicely by the creamy sauce inside.
Rum and raisin croissant:
I loved this croissant which reminded me of the rasberry yoghurt one they are currently serving now.
It was rum and raisin icecream inside the croissant an the rum taste was quite strong.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★

[Review 2886] Breakfasts and Afternoon teas @ Hero Sandwich

09/10/2013
Hero Sandwich
上環皇后大道中181號新紀元廣場101A號舖
Shop 101A, Grand Millennium Plaza, 181 Queens Road, Sheung Wan
https://www.openrice.com/zh/hongkong/review/breakfasts-and-afternoon-teas-hero-e2324838

Since my last visit I was surprised to see that they had a new breakfast/tea set menu.

All the items start from $30 with a drink which is quite a good deal.
The breakfast sets are great but basic.
They have fried eggs, baked beans, hash brown, toast as a standard and you can choose to have sausages, bacon or sausage patty to go with it.
Perfect for people who want a light breakfast without breaking the bank.

I was tempted to get the breakfast but I prefer the full breakfast with bacon and sausage together.

The decor was the same as before, but they had a digital menu on the wall.

★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Chicken wrap with honey mustard dressing:


I was hesitant to order this because I was worried the honey mustard dressing would be too sweet, but it turned out really nice because the sauce was very tangy and the pieces of chicken were springy pieces of chicken thigh meat which were juicy as well.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Tea:


I wish it was real tea like the ones they served before but it was disgusting 3 in 1 tea powder which already had sugar and milk powder in the mixture.
There was a fake essense taste/aroma in the tea as well.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★

[Review 2885] Japanese cheese cake mania @ 東海堂 Arome Bakery Room

09/10/2013
東海堂  Arome Bakery Room
金鐘金鐘道93號Lab Concept 金鐘廊F03號舖
Shop F03, LAB Concept, Queensway Plaza, 93 Queensway, Admiralty
https://www.openrice.com/zh/hongkong/review/japanese-cheese-cake-mania-e2324832

Arome bakery has launched a new cheesecake series made with cheese from Japan.
What makes the cheeses so special is that they come from Hanabatake Farm, and each of the cheeses are award winners from the 「ALL JAPAN Natural Cheese Contest」.

The two cheeses used in the cheesecakes are:
raclette cheese
- Awarded as the No 1 cheese in Japan in the 「ALL JAPAN Natural Cheese Contest」.
camembert cheese
- Awarded as the Premium cheese in Japan in the 「ALL JAPAN Natural Cheese Contest」.

There are three cheesecakes in the range:
raclette cheesecake, souffle cheesecake, and sponge cheesecake.
 0 讚好

There is bound to be a cheesecake for everyone because when the bloggers voted for their favourites, each cheesecake had a fair distribution of people who liked it.
My favourite would be the Raclette cheesecake because it tastes like Western cheesecakes and the second favourite would be the sponge cheesecake which has a cakey texture.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Raclette cheesecake 濃烤芝士蛋糕:
(made with raclette cheese)


This was my favourite because it had a savoury layer of grilled raclette cheese on top and it was dense and mildly crumbly just how it should be.
There was a hint of lemon in it too which tasted like UK's Marks and Spencers lemon cheesecake.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Souffle cheesecake 日式梳乎厘芝士蛋糕:
(made with camembert cheese)



Hong Kongers are going to like this because in general they prefer Japanese food and the texture of this is light, soft and very crumbly because it did not hold together well.
It was my least favourite because the taste was rather buttery and I prefer a more hearty Western style cheesecake like the raclette cheesecake above.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Sponge cheesecake 海綿芝士蛋糕:
(made with camembert cheese)



For beginners to cheesecakes, they can try this because the taste of cheese is extremely light and the texture is just like a mildy dense moist cake.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
As well as the cheesecakes, there is also the hojicha caramel cheesecake 焙じ茶焦糖 which is going to be launched soon made with award winning Fresh caramel, awarded the Grand golden award by Monde Selection for three consecutive years since 2011.
Although I have not tried this yet, but I think it should taste nice because caramel can't go wrong.

[Review 2884] Last chance for Turkish tapas by Chef Haydar Inal @ Tapas Bar

09/10/2013
Tapas Bar
尖沙咀麼地道64號九龍香格里拉大酒店大堂
Lobby, Kowloon Shangri-La Hotel, 64 Mody Road, Tsim Sha Tsui
https://www.openrice.com/zh/hongkong/review/last-chance-for-turkish-tapas-by-chef-haydar-inal-e2324828

I was really lucky to get invited to try Turkish food by Chef Haydar Inal ,executive chef of the Ankara Palas State Guest House in Turkey because this promotion will end on the 12th of October.

Due to Turkey’s strategic position on the 30-kilometre Bosphorus strait separating Europe and Asia, established trade routes gave the Turks freedom to experiment with spices and textures in their food, which has influences from Central Asian, Middle Eastern and Balkan cuisines.

During the 12-day promotion, there is a range of traditional Turkish favourites. Popular böreks include Su Böreği (Traditional Turkish Cheese Pastry), Gül Böregi (Spinach Cheese Pastry), Fincan Böreği (Cheese Pie) and Puf Böreği (Cheese and Parsley Puff). Mezzes range from Cerkez Tavuğu (Circassian Chicken) to Saksuka (Dried Fried Aubergines in Tomato Garlic Sauce), Kisir (Bulgur Salad), Arnavut Cigeri (Spiced Mutton Liver) and Zeytinyağlı Yaprak Sarma (Vine Leaves with Rice and Mint Raisins Cinnamon).
Guests can also look forward to Tas Kebab (Lamb Stew with Vegetables), Coban Kavurma (Fried Beef with Vegetables), Kilic Balığı Sis (broiled Skewered Swordfish), Tavuk Beyti (Chicken Roll), Domatesli Karides (Tomato Shrimp Sacmpi) and Dalyan Kofte (Beef Meat Ball).

To end the perfect Turkish experience, there is a sweet note to the night with Revani (Semolina Cake Soaked in Light Syrup), Sütlac (Milk Pudding with Rice), Baklava (Layered Pastry with Pistachio) and many other Turkish desserts.
Lastly, you will be delighted with a complimentary box of Turkish Delight candy by checking in on FB and posting a photo of your favourite dish!

Overall, I really enjoyed the food there because I love strong spices and Middle Eastern dishes.

Here was what we tried:
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
1) Su boregi (Turkish cheese pastry)
This was a square block of dense pastry with a strong salty taste but without the pungent taste of cheese.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
2 gul boregi (spinach cheese pastry)

The pastry was light and flakey filled with spinach and cheese.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
3 puf boregi (Cheese and parsley pie)

Compared to the gul boregi above, the pastry was firmer with a cheesier and stronger filling.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Saksuka (deep fried aubergines in tomato garlic sauce)
A nice medley of aubergines, courgettes and potatoes in a tangy tomato garlic sauce.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
9 Arnavut cigeri (mutton liver)

Before I tried it, I was expecting it to be gamey but it was not.
It was really pleasant and tastes like the beef liver found in steak and kidney pie.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
zeytinyagli yaprak sarma
(Vine leaves with rice, mint, raisins and cinnamon)

It was my second time trying them and I liked the size of them because they were smaller.
It tasted so much better than the one I tried elsewhere because the rice was nice and savoury wrapped in delicious vine leaves.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
hummus

The hummus was my favourite because it was the strongest tasting  hummus I have tasted with strong cumin spices.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
13 tavuk lslim (Chicken wrapped in eggplant)
The appearance of this was interesting, it was a big ball of shredded chicken meat with eggplant on the outside.
The chicken was tender and tasted similar to roast chicken with moist mushy eggplant on the outside.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
14 coban kavurma (beef with vegetables)

The pieces of beef were really tender with a hint of spiciness from the sauce and the potatoes were gorgeous too.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
15Kilic Baligi sis (swordfish skewers)

The swordfish was chunky and tender.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
16Tavuk Beyti (chicken roll)

This was my favourite because it was a chicken version of beef kofte which has lots of herbs in it.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
18 Tas kebab (Lamb skewer)

The pieces of lamb were nice and juicy.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
19 domatesli karides (Tomato scampi)

Delicioius prawns in tangy tomato sauce accompanied by cute cherry tomatoes.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
20 bulgur pilavi (rice with lentils)

The rice was flavoursome with protein rich starchy lentils.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
For drinks there were two non-alchoholic mocktails:
Turkish Mint Delight (Apple Vinegar, Soda water, Mint)
-or-
Turkish Delight Fruit Cocktail (Pomegranate juice, Apple juice, Rose Water, Honey, Raspberries, strawberries).
I chose the Turkish delight fruit cocktail which was really nice and refreshing and it was blended extremely smooth.
I loved the tangy tones of the strawberries and apple.

★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Thanks to Shangri La and a fellow foodie for this invitation and the Turkish delights.