[Review 3066] Finally a decent bakery in Mong Kok @ A la Folie Pâtisserie

02/01/2014
A la Folie Pâtisserie
旺角太子道西193號新世紀廣場2樓247號舖
Shop 247, 2/F., Moko, 193 Prince Edward Road West, Mong Kok
https://www.openrice.com/zh/hongkong/review/finally-a-decent-bakery-in-mong-kok-e2338600

I am so glad A la Folie Pâtisserie has opened in MK because I can never find a decent place for food.

Brightly lit and looking grand.
 0 讚好

Nicely displayed buns and danishes.


Nice ceiling decorated with rolling pins.

It was really nice to get an invitation to try their products, otherwise I would not have known about them!!

Here was what we tried:
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Milk bun:

Tried these milk buns freshly out of the oven and the smell is enough to make you hungry!
It was soft with a crunchy sweet topping and it is not as buttery as other bakeries.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Mango danish:

A plain simple danish topped with fresh mango on top with custard at the bottom.
It was flakey with lots of layers.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Bacon and avocado with wasabi sauce:

A filling bun filled with potatoes, avocado and crispy bacon.
The bacon was lovely and crispy without any fat balanced by the wasabi sauce.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Roasted eel with seaweed sauce:

A nice savoury bun with pieces of roasted eel on top drizzled with seaweed sauce on a soft bun.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Ham roll with sakura ebi:

THIS IS A MUST TRY!
Double taste sensation with crispy fragrant sakura ebi and ham, you can smell it when you pick them from the cabinet.
I loved the ham paired with the sakura ebi because it had a strong prawny taste enhanced by the saltiness of the ham and the mayonnaise dressing makes it not so dry.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
foie gras and apple danish:

THIS IS A MUST TRY!
1) so far the only bakery where you can get foie gras on a danish
2) the foie gras pate is velvety and divine
3) Very affordable!
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Tofu cheese shooter:
tofu, almond, raspberry

A fun a light dessert cup that tastes creamy with a hint of raspberry and tartness.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Reverie:
chestnut, hazelnut, chocolate, rum

I am not keen on chestnut but I like the way they put rum in it because it lightens the taste of chestnut.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★

[Review 3065] Sweet treats at A la Folie Pâtisserie @ A la Folie Pâtisserie

02/01/2014
A la Folie Pâtisserie
旺角太子道西193號新世紀廣場2樓247號舖
Shop 247, 2/F., Moko, 193 Prince Edward Road West, Mong Kok
https://www.openrice.com/zh/hongkong/review/sweet-treats-at-a-la-folie-patisserie-e2338599

Thanks for the invitation so I could try all these sweet treats.
It was really creative that every cake had a musical name.

Here was what I tried.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Berry Me:
blueberry, yoghurt, sponge cake, Kirsch
A nice alternative cake for people who do not like cheesecake because this was a yoghurt cake.
There are so many cakes at the cake counter that there is a cake for everyone.
I liked the blueberry mousse and the yoghurt mousse in the middle but I wish the yoghurt mousse had a stronger taste.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
La Sonata:
Mixed berries, strawberry, white chocolate, raspberry compote
This was everyones favourite, it was refreshing berry mousse with soft cake in the middle.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Lover's concerto:
Yellow peach, red peach, white peach, cream cheese
This was a creamy cake balanced by the fresh slices of peach on top.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Dome de Mangue:
Mango, blueberry, Kirsch, sour cream
 0 讚好

I am not keen on mangoes but it had a deeply strong mango mousse paired with blueberry mousse.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Blueberry lemon cheesecake:
blueberries, cream cheese, lemon, walnuts, strawberry
 0 讚好

The cheesecake tasted better than I expected because there were lots of walnuts in it which made it not so heavy and it was quite lemoney too!
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Rhapsody:
Orange, red currant, white chocolate, apricot
 0 讚好

I found this cake really refreshing because I love orange and apricot and it was nice and tangy.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Mousse chocolat-Banane:
Milk chocolate, banana caramel, hazelnut
 0 讚好

This was seriously good, the caramel coating looked heavy on the outside but it was just an illusion because it was like a gel coating and the taste of caramel was not sickly sweet but had a bitter touch and there was dreamy banana and hazelnut in the middle.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
A Cappella:
Chocolate, raspberry, Kirsch, Pistachio
 0 讚好

This was my favourite because I love chocolate rolls and it was paired with my favourite raspberry and pistachio which added more texture and depth to it.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Allegretto:
Hazelnut, chocolate, vanilla
 0 讚好

A cute and colourful cake with light cake inside it.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Eclair au chocolat:
caramel, banana, milk, crispy chocolate
 0 讚好

I am not a banana lover, but their banana cakes here are seriously gorgeous just like the Mousse chocolat-Banane above.
It was a light eclair filled with molten banana in the middle.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Le Matcha:
green tea, white chocolate, soy beans, cointreau
 0 讚好

This cake was nice and light with refreshing green tea that was not too grassy balanced by the white chocolate.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Prima Donna:
Dark chocolate, banana, vanilla, caramel
 0 讚好

A fast seller! By 2pm that day there was only one cake left!
It was a dreamy cake with banana and caramel with strong chocolate similar to the mousse-chocolate banane above but it had a stronger chocolate taste.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★

As a summary, I liked all the cakes with banana which is strange because I don't really eat banana. Then my next favourites would be the Rhapsody and Cheesecake.

[Review 3064] Chiffon cake series @ 美心西餅 Maxim's Cake Shop

31/12/2013
美心西餅  Maxim's Cake Shop
尖沙咀港鐵尖沙咀站TST 1號舖
Shop TST 1, Tsim Sha Tsiu MTR Station, Tsim Sha Tsui
https://www.openrice.com/zh/hongkong/review/chiffon-cake-series-e2338063


The association who usually buys cakes with a budget of $4 per head discovered that Maxim's were doing an offer for these delicious Chiffon cakes so got these instead.

It was really nice to get these even though they taste average, but better than the crap before.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Lemon chiffon cake:


The taste of this was ok and the lemon was not too artificial, but I found it a bit too sweet.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Egg white chiffon cake:

I loved this cake, it was soft and not too sweet.

The colour of the cake was really nice and white because it was made with egg white
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★

[Review 3063] A quick stop for some food @ Original Playground

31/12/2013
Original Playground
鰂魚涌海灣街A2號A03號舖
Shop A03, A2 Hoi Wan Street, Quarry Bay
https://www.openrice.com/zh/hongkong/review/a-quick-stop-for-some-food-e2338056

I was in the area and this was a joint that I have not tried so decided to try it.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Laksa tagliatelle:

Too spicy and the coconut was too strong.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Soup:

A light vegetable soup with lots of vegetables gently flavoured with herbs.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★

[Review 3062] Scrambled tofu @ 聯邦皇宮 Federal Restaurant

31/12/2013
聯邦皇宮 Federal Restaurant
鑽石山龍蟠街3號荷里活廣場353號舖
Shop 353, Plaza Hollywood, 3 Lung Poon Street, Diamond Hill
https://www.openrice.com/zh/hongkong/review/scrambled-tofu-e2338053

Chinese food again and the usual dishes.

Just found one dish interesting.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Tofu, egg and crabmeat:

The taste of this was quite interesting but the others did not like it because there was a strong spring onion flavour, the exact taste of the spring onion oil for the chicken.
I quite liked it because I love spring onion sauce.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★

[Review 3061] Sichuan food on cloud 9 @ 川熙樓 Chuan Xi Restaurant

29/12/2013
川熙樓 Chuan Xi Restaurant
尖沙咀亞士厘道17-19號2樓
2/F, 17-19 Ashley Road, Tsim Sha Tsui
https://www.openrice.com/zh/hongkong/review/sichuan-food-on-cloud-9-e2337962

Thanks to Chuan Xi Restaurant for inviting me to try their wonderful food.

Before I went, they gave me a really good impression because they sent me their menu and it had English as well.
When I got there, they had an electronic menu which was even better because if it were not for those pictures I would not have ordered those items.

The two dishes that I ordered because of the pictures were the mushrooms and the dessert, so a picture means a thousand words.

The restaurant was quite cosy and I liked the clouds on the ceiling.

I was quite surprised that they served fresh seafood because there were tanks at the corner with live seafood, so when you order them, they get it from there.

Here was what I tried:
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Chilled yam with blueberry:
A simple but delicious appetizer because they used fresh yam with blueberry jam.
The yam and the sweetness of the blueberry was cooling and soothing while the yam had a lovely crisp texture.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Marinated Numbing Mushroom:

I am so glad I saw the picture for this or I would have missed out on this great dish!
Thinly sliced mushrooms tossed in their secret numbing sauce with lots of finely chopped coriander stalks mixed into it.
A very innocent but flavourful dish.
[I would be very happy just eating this with plain rice if I was alone!]
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Beef tripe with sichuan pepper sauce:

Compared to the other two appetizers this was slightly stronger, drenched in fragrant sichuan pepper sauce.
The beef tripe was meaty but soft, a great appetizer to go with beer.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Spinach and cuttlefish soup:

The soup was an interesting combination of leafy spinach and cuttlefish, you could really taste the cuttlefish in this light clear soup.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Sauteed mutton and onion with cumin:

Thinly sliced tender mutton pieces cooked with lots of onion and cumin.
This was great with rice.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Le Shan Sweet Skin Duck:

The duck was a surprise, the skin was literally caramelized with syrup. The duck's skin surface just tasted like caramelized caramel with a hint of sichuan peppercorns.
A must try because I found it really unique.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Spicy Mantis Shrimp, Chengdu Style:

Lastly this dish is another must try! Huge mantis shrimps in a shallow pot with goodies such as sliced lotus roots, chili, leeks, Chinese celery and green peppercorns.
[The lotus roots taste good with rice]
I liked it the way it was cooked because the mantis shrimp was moist and extremely tender and springy.
The meat is protected by the shell so it won't be that spicy yet it still has flavour. For extra kick, dip the mantis meat in the sauce which gives it the spicy flavour in full force!
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Crystal jelly in Strawberry sauce:

On the menu, it was supposed to be yuzu sauce but they sold out of yuzu sauce and replaced it with strawberry which was even better because I love strawberry!!
It was nice and soothing after some spicy food.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★

If I wasn't full I would have tried the Stir fried flat noodles with beef and cumin!!
A jazzed up version of the normal stir fried beef with flat noodles.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
For vegetarians, you won't feel left out!!
You can order the items below with rice!
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Marinated auberjines
Spicy cucumber
Chilled yam with blueberry
Spicy Vegetarian Pot
Marinated Numbing Mushroom
Crystal jelly in Strawberry sauce
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Can't wait to dine here again!!
Mantis shrimps are a must!

[Review 3060] Piping hot food @ 自家點心 Homemade Dim-sum

29/12/2013
自家點心 Homemade Dim-sum
太子花園街224A地舖
Shop 224A, Fa Yuen Street, Prince Edward
https://www.openrice.com/zh/hongkong/review/piping-hot-food-e2337931

Luckily I did not dine here during the summer because their food and drinks are piping hot and does not really cool down.
I tried it on a nice cool day but the food remained so hot that I had to wait ages before they cooled down.
As for the tea, it was still amazingly hot at the end of the meal.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Fish air gas bladder and sweetcorn congee:

An average normal tasting congee with finely chopped pieces of fish air gas bladder.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Steamed Cow's stomach in black pepper:

Beneath it were lots of Chinese white cabbage!

The taste was so sweet, it was the typical Chinese dim sum because they like to make all savoury dishes tasting sweet.

If you have tried the dim sums in the UK, they taste normal because savoury dishes are savoury and sweet ones are sweet!
The sauce did not even taste of black pepper even though it was called black pepper cow's stomach.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Cow's stomach mixed in the congee:

After putting the cow's stomach in the congee, you can see how much orange colouring they put in the dish!
The congee was tastier and the cow's stomach was not so sweet after washing it in the congee, and the irritating chinese cabbage that was used to make it look like there was lots of cow's stomach in the dish made a nice crunch in the congee.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Drinking bleach:

When I took a sip of the tea in the black cup, I could taste bleach, so changed the cup and I could finally taste that it was pu erh tea!

It is reassuring their cups are well sterilized with bleach!!
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★