[Review 3194] Back for more vegetarian dishes @ 素食主意 Sooo Vegi

01/03/2014
素食主意  Sooo Vegi
北角電氣道254-280號華凱大廈A座6號舖
Shop A6, Wah Hoi Mansion, 254-280 Electric Road, North Point
https://www.openrice.com/zh/hongkong/review/back-for-more-vegetarian-dishes-e2349169

The vegetarian dishes here are filling and affordable which is why I came back for more.

Here was what I had:

★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Stir fried vegetables and rice:

I don't really like these diced vegetables consisting of carrots, peas and sweetcorn but surprisingly it was delicious because the sauce was sweet and went well with the rice as it made the rice moist and easy to eat.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
American wrap:

On my previous visit, tried their other wraps which were divine, this was the only one I have not tried so came back for it.
It had a vegetarian frank which tasted like the normal ones and there was coleslaw in it which is my favourite.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
tofu in spicy sauce with rice:

Basically I have always loved the meat version but restaurants never use fresh meat so it stinks.
The vegetarian version is much lighter and they have Sichuan peppercorns in their sauce which has this numbing effect and no spiciness.
I would have liked the sauce to be thicker.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
stir fried purple cabbage with beef:

Another sweet tasting dish because of the purple cabbage but it was not cloyingly sweet, the vegetarian beef slices were great because they don't have those annoying tendons that you can chew.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Stir fried spicy Chinese celery and meat with rice:

This dish was good but it lacked something because there was too much Chinese celery in it.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★

I really like this place a lot but I hate those smokers smoking outside because their second hand smoke is mega annoying!
Anyway hope to dine here more often before the annoying summer comes!

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[Review 3193] Traditional desserts don't work for me @ 滿記甜品 Honeymoon Dessert

01/03/2014
滿記甜品 Honeymoon Dessert
灣仔軒尼詩道219號地下
G/F, 219 Hennessey Road, Wan Chai
https://www.openrice.com/zh/hongkong/review/traditional-desserts-dont-work-for-me-e2349159

After trying the strawberry series, came back to try the Durian pancake and this other grass jelly dessert with durian in vanilla sauce.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Durian pancake:
There was a pile of these in the fridge which must mean they were made a while ago.
The cream tasted artificial and the durian meat was not that fresh.
I prefer the pancakes at Chung's because the pancakes here are thick and not so soft.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
grass jelly dessert with durian in vanilla sauce:
The grass jelly dessert fared better because I loved the vanilla sauce with ice crystals that cool you down.
The durian meat was quite heavy but it was the most expensive element in this dessert.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
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[Review 3192] Back for some new sweet treats @ 茶。家 Teakha

01/03/2014
茶。家  Teakha
上環太平山街18B號地舖
G/F, 18B Tai Ping Shan Road, Sheung Wan
https://www.openrice.com/zh/hongkong/review/back-for-some-new-sweet-treats-e2349158

I don't really dine here because there is a regular tea house that I go to.

I have not had much luck with this place because I missed their Victoria sandwich when they opened and they were always closed or busy when I came.

Found out about the Strawberry and basil scone so went there for it because I missed it last year.
Before I came, I phoned to reserve one and their phone went dead after I spoke to them but luckily they still had a few left.

When I got there, the queue was flowing outside the door.

People can now sit on the tables outside or at the bar table in front of the counter.
There used to be a table on the left but it is not there anymore.

Apart from the scone they had this new Thai sausage and kimchi quiche which was quite creative.

They had this new sweet potato muffin so I got it as well.

★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Strawberry Basil Scone:

It looked like an American biscuit.

On a closer look, you can see pieces of strawberries and green basil leaves.
The pairing of strawberry and basil was interesting which was why I tried it.
I loved the fruity taste of the strawberries but the basil was not strong enough to taste it.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Daigaku Imo (Honey Glazed Sweet Potato) & Cream Cheese savoury Muffin:

The savoury muffin did not taste that savoury and it was really dense and hard perfect for eating with a fork.
It did not fall apart like your usual muffin.
There was lots of texture from the black sesame seeds and sweet potato however the sweet potatoes were not soft enough and I could not taste the clumps of cream cheese in the muffin.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
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[Review 3191] Sweet Crispy Lemon chicken @ 肯德基家鄉雞 (KFC) Kentucky Fried Chicken

28/02/2014
肯德基家鄉雞 (KFC)  Kentucky Fried Chicken
灣仔莊士敦道112號雙喜樓地下4&5舖及1樓A&B舖
Shops 4 & 5 on G/F and Shops A & B on 1/F, Sheung Hei House, 112 Johnston Road, Wan Chai
https://www.openrice.com/zh/hongkong/review/sweet-crispy-lemon-chicken-e2349089

Although I love fried chicken, the quality of KFC in Hong Kong is not consistent.
The quality of fried chicken can be good or bad.
I risked it this time because of this new Lemon Chicken flavour.
The design of the box was quite nice.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Fried chicken:
Just judging the fried chicken, the quality was quite good this time because the coating was golden and the skin was firmly attached and not shrivelled up.
It was lovely, soft and juicy this time..

The chicken comes with a side of lemon sauce.

The lemon sauce was gooey and not two sweet with a slight bitterness and mild lemon taste.

Dipping the chicken in this sauce was perfect resulting in a sweet tangy tone.
I definitely want this again but I hope the chicken will be fried as good as this.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
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Price: $29

[Review 3190] Glad I dined here @ 丹桂軒 Laurel

28/02/2014
丹桂軒 Laurel
路氹城「澳門銀河™」地下G127號舖
Shop G127, G/F, Galaxy Macau™, Coloane-Taipa
https://www.openrice.com/zh/macau/review/glad-i-dined-here-e2349007

It was the last day in Macau and I had a budget of MOP$8XX left.
Originally planned to dine at Gusto but it would mean I would still have quite a lot of cash left because the portions there are rather big.
Stumbled upon Laurel which is near the entrance of the Galaxy hotel.

Browsed the menu and the items looked luxurious so decided to dine there.
They were expensive you could only order a few dishes.

The decor and ambiance was grand just like a palace.
I loved the chandeliers and twinkling lights on the blue ceiling.
There is a nice little bridge to the other side of the restaurant too.
Before you order, there are a few compulsory charges:
-tea
-snacks
-chili sauce
All these charges are clearly stated on the ordering form.
I wanted to order the silkie chicken soup but it was sold out so ordered this other soup.
One of the soups cost $420 per person!!
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Prawn dumplings:
The prawn dumplings were a little disappointing because there was nothing amazing about them.
They tasted like the average prawn dumpling in Hong Kong.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Double boiled chicken with American ginseng and Chinese herbs:
The soup was amazing, it was strongly flavoured with chicken and really sweet that you could not taste the bitterness of the American ginseng. There was so much dried scallops in it as well and the taste of the soup had a concentrated taste which made is rich.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Braised crab with garlic and vermicelli in a pot:
This is a must eat item because there was so much garlic and spring onions in every strand of vermicelli which gave it a refreshing crunch and flavouring.
Each noodle was nicely tossed and it was glistening with a lovely golden colour yet it was not oily.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Braised sea cucumber and ducks feet:
This dish tasted how it should but it did not give me any surprises.
It should have been served earlier or later when there were no other dishes because by the time I got to this dish it was just warm and did not taste as good as it should when it was hot.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
If I had read the reviews, I would have ordered the pork trotters pot instead of the prawn dumplings and sea cucumber.
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Price: $MOP8XX

[Review 3189] Surprised by the quality @ Mr. Chef Cafe

28/02/2014
Mr. Chef Cafe
尖沙咀厚福街9號豪華閣地下C 舖
Shop C, G/F., Luxury Court, 9 Hau Fook Street, Tsim Sha Tsui
https://www.openrice.com/zh/hongkong/review/surprised-by-the-quality-e2349006

Discovered this little joint serving Western style breakfasts when I was at a tasting recently.
I was tempted to try it before but it was packed, there are 4 seats, 2-3 that you could possibly sit on if people don't put there bags on them.
Anyway, I was in the area again so dined there.

TST is not a place I usually go, but unluckily this place I wanted to try was closed, so luckily I remembered this place.

I was skeptical at first because it was Chinese style Western breakfast so I tried the omelette. There was also eggs Benedict which I wanted to try but sitting uncomfortably on a narrow bench table put me off ordering it.

The all day breakfasts cost around $34-$38.
I ordered the omelette because it looked easy to eat without much effort.

Unfortunately the drinks that come with it were Hong Kong milk tea or Coffee.
I ended up choosing the coffee because I don't drink Hong Kong milk tea.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Fresh grounded coffee:
I don't drink coffee but I drank half a cup because it was quite nice and not too milky with no sour aftertaste.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
green pepper and ham omelette:
When I saw it on the menu, the pairing of green pepper and egg was rather odd because green pepper has this distinct taste.
Anyway, when it arrived, I could smell freshly cracked black pepper that was sprinkled on.

The black pepper and green pepper went surprisingly well with the omelette and the texture of the omelette was soft and fluffy with a slightly runny centre.

It was just nice having the omelette with the toast and the side of salad was ok because it was dressed in sweet balsamic vinegar.
The baked beans were cold so I asked them and they said they were served cold.
I normally have my beans cold anyway because it tastes better.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★

[Review 3188] Queen of canned herbal jelly @ 天后甜品 Tin Hau Dessert

28/02/2014
天后甜品  Tin Hau Dessert
天后電氣道91號地下
G/F, 91 Electric Road, Tin Hau
https://www.openrice.com/zh/hongkong/review/queen-of-canned-herbal-jelly-e2349005

There are so many dessert places in tin hau, but only came here because the traffic lights turn green so I could cross the road.
It was also empty which was another factor I tried it.
Basically, there was a menu with pictures and another black and white one which has the prices.
I picked the tofu princess which had tofu and banana according to the picture.
Ordered the dessert and the cocky snappy waitress asked for the money right away.

I wonder if this attitude is related to some robbery case last year which involved one of their staff taking the cash and doing a runner!
So they ensure their revenue by taking payment asap and locking it up tightly.

★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Tofu princess $40:
Evidently canned grass jelly because they were unevenly cut and the coconut milk was too sweet.
The only fresh ingredient were the banana slices.
Definitely not worth $40, at other desserteries you can get much better desserts for $40.
The tofu was disappointing, it was just sweet tofu pudding!
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
While I was there, one of the customers were choking and asked for tissue and the staff pretended not to hear the pleas, so the customers left angrily after eating.

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