[Review 3405] CrappyExtremelyOverpriced Neway @ CEO Neway

31/05/2014
CEO Neway
灣仔軒尼詩道288號英皇集團中心3-4樓
3/F-4/F, Emperor Group Centre, 288 Hennessy Road, Wan Chai
https://www.openrice.com/zh/hongkong/review/crappyextremelyoverpriced-neway-e2366966

Saw an ad for this branch so decided to go there instead of CEO on Sugar Street.
It was really expensive for its location and the food was rubbish.
The food at the Sugar Street branch is much better because the food here was exactly what you get at the normal Neway branches in Kowloon.
You get compulsory prawn crackers and fruit.
They did have macarons at the buffet but they were a bit soft.
The only thing I liked were the icecream lollies because I have not tried them before.
The Dairy milk chocolate lolly was similar to UK's mini milk and it tasted surprisingly nice just like frozen chocolate.

As for the foot shaped lolly, it had a strong vanilla taste with chocolate icecream in the middle.
I was glad this was in the dessert section because I would not buy it if there were other ice lollies to choose from.
The chocolate and nut side was quite cute because it reminds you of flip flop soles.

The bill was about $3xx per person which was a bit pricey when the food was not as good at the Sugar branch.
The song selection could be better, but it could be issues with music companies or people don't listen to music these days.
Some songs which came out ages ago have just been added to their new karaoke song section!!

The rate of new songs released by singers are slow and singers holding concerts have become scarce that concerts are beginning to hold joint concerts with several singers so that people will go and see it.

WHAT IS HAPPENING TO HONG KONG'S CANTOPOP INDUSTRY!!!???!!

[Review 3404] Foie gras cooking lesson @ Oceanthree Development Limited

30/05/2014
Oceanthree Development Limited
鰂魚涌華蘭路20號華蘭中心9樓905室
Shop 905, 9/F., Westlands Centre, 20 Westlands Road, Quarry Bay
https://www.openrice.com/zh/hongkong/review/foie-gras-cooking-lesson-e2366903

Oceanthree Development Limited specializes in frozen luxuries such as Foie Gras, Crabs, Seafood and other gourmet foods.

They also sell a wide range of prized salts and other items.
Attended a cooking class by Cedric Touchard.
He demonstrated three different ways of serving foie gras.

1. Panfried foie gras with shiitake mushrooms and fresh spinach.
2. Pomelo salad with foie gras.
3. sliced foie gras, fried mango, lime, coconuts and piment d'espelette.
After watching the demonstration, I realilzed Foie gras was really simple to pan fry.
It tastes good on its own so if your lazy you can simply not bother with the recipe and have it with a dash of salt or a drizzle of balsamic vinegar.

Out of the three recipes, I liked recipe number 3 because it was refreshing served with balsamic vinegar or even jam.

Thanks to Oceanthree for the goodies especially my favourite Maldon salt which has an amazing pyramid structure.

[Review 3403] Cool down with pure pistachio gelato @ 2/3 Dolci

30/05/2014
2/3 Dolci
銅鑼灣恩平道28號利園二期1樓124號舖
Shop 124, 1/F, Lee Garden Two, 28 Yun Ping Road, Causeway Bay
https://www.openrice.com/zh/hongkong/review/cool-down-with-pure-pistachio-gelato-e2366822

On my last visit to Causeway Bay I was choosing between two places to have icecream and I made the wrong decision not to have Dolci because the other one was disappointing.
Anyway, came back on a scorching day for my favourite Pistachio gelato and got two delicious toppings with it.
I chose my favourite mini macarons again and cake bits.

The gelato itself is really nice and does not need these toppings but the mini macarons are just irresistible!!!!!
The gelato was smooth and thick with a gorgeous sticky texture to it just like Turkish icecream with no weird aftertaste.
The pistachio taste was natrual and the sweetness was just right.
I will be back for more gelato at the Central branch because there are 14 flavours there including the new pear flavour!!!
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Price: $4X
Service: OK
Yummy factor: great
Sweetness levels: just right
MSG levels: None
Napkins provided:

[Review 3402] Bright place for gatherings @ Cafe 8

30/05/2014
Cafe 8
中環8 號碼頭香港海事博物館天台觀景廳
Roof, Hong Kong Maritime Museum, Pier 8, Central
https://www.openrice.com/zh/hongkong/review/bright-place-for-gatherings-e2366791

After reading Ivy's review, decided to try this place but forgot about it, but then another foodie Mungkk reviewed this place so I went shortly after reading it.
Normally this place is quiet but the day I went they had a function there.
The decor was quite dreamy and relaxing.
A nice selection of lemon tarts, carrot cakes and quiches.

★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Vanilla cupcake:

Unfortunately, the cupcake was not as good as it looked but I appreciated the fact that I was given a fork to eat it.
The cake was too dense and sweet for my liking.
I wished I ordered the quiche instead.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★

[Review 3401] Simple snacks at Yautong @ 燕記小食

29/05/2014
燕記小食
油塘嘉榮街9-11號油塘中心
https://www.openrice.com/zh/hongkong/review/simple-snacks-at-yautong-e2366635

Stopped by for some quick snacks.
Most of the items were sold out so ended up getting fishballs and shaomai.

★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Fishballs:
I don't normally eat fishballs because they contain grounded bones, but these were quite nice and bone free.
They were tiny which is why you got 10 for $6.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
shaomai:
The fish shaomai were disappointing because they tasted too fishy and desperately needed chili oil to get rid of that unpleasant fishy taste.
They were the same ones that you can get from Circle K with the thick yellow wonton skin and floury filling.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
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Price: $12

[Review 3400] Ice Cream Gallery now back in the city @ 雪糕之森 Ice Cream Gallery

29/05/2014
雪糕之森 Ice Cream Gallery
銅鑼灣告士打道311號皇室堡G16舖
G16, Windsor House, 311 Gloucester Road, Causeway Bay
https://www.openrice.com/zh/hongkong/review/ice-cream-gallery-now-back-in-the-city-e2366631


Ice Cream Gallery has quite a long history in Hong Kong, they started off selling luxurious icecreams in Repulse Bay since 2009.
Back then, their savoury icecreams were not that successful because people were not brave to try new flavours and not willing to spend money on icecream.

I would have tried but Repulse bay was stretching it because it would have meant getting a minibus from CWB and knowing where to get off.

A few years ago, they closed the Repulse bay branch and opened a workshop in Kwun Tong's factory area.
I finally tried ICG with the company of some fellow foodies.
http://www.openrice.com/restaurant/commentdetail.htm?commentid=2315789&tc=sr2&con=rvw
The escargot was my favourite and the other savoury flavours were sweet which I did not like.

With the trend of luxury icecreams becoming popular, they now have a shop at Windsor house.
ICG is the Godfather of local icecreams because they have been running since 2009.

At Windsor house, they had Nitrogen icecream too with funky flavours.

I tried the milk tea egg tart which was a combination of the two things I hate the most in HK, local egg tarts and local milk tea.

★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Milk tea egg tart:

I was surprised that it was actually quite nice and it was amusing to watch them put half an egg tart into it.

The texture was quite good and not too icy yet silky. There was quite a lot of egg tart in it which balanced the taste of local milk tea which I do not like, whilst the bitterness of the tea balanced the horrible buttery taste of the egg tart base.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
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Price: $45