[Review 4449] Chinese and vegetarian delights @ 悠蔬食 Leisurely Veggie

09/07/2015
悠蔬食 Leisurely Veggie
銅鑼灣渣甸街50號渣甸中心25樓
25/F, Jardine Center, 50 Jardine's Bazaar, Causeway Bay
https://www.openrice.com/zh/hongkong/review/chinese-and-vegetarian-delights-e2467626

Went here for dinner and tried the dinner set which costs $218 per person.
There was a good choice of Western and Chinese dishes on the menu.
As there were three of us we ordered two sets of the one person dinner and some extra items.
The restaurant was doing a photoshoot so we got to try some of their latest drinks which included a refreshing mango and pineapple juice drink and a mint drink which had strong fresh mint taste.

We ordered two set dinners and here was what we had:
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆
Appetizers:
Bean curd with toona sinensis
 3 讚好

The tofu was soft and tasty.
++++++++++++++++++
Quinoa and luffa in sesame sauce
 2 讚好

The salad had a nice crunch with a sweet sesame sauce dressing.
++++++++++++++++++
cold burdock with mung bean sheet
 3 讚好

This was my favourite because the mung bean sheets were lightly infused with a sesame flavouring.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆
Hand rolls:
Asparagus and alfalfa sprouts
 3 讚好

The asparagus roll was really nice with nutty tasting alfalfa and Kewpie mayonnaise which makes everything delicious.
++++++++++++
Avocado and mango alfalfa sprouts
 3 讚好

For people who like sweeter things, this one is a good choice.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆
Soups:
Creamy truffle oil thick soup
 2 讚好

The soup was thick and creamy with a strong mushroom umami aftertaste.
++++++++++++++
Double boiled matsutake, lily and lotus seed soup
 3 讚好

I liked the Chinese soup more because it was light and nourishing.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆
Main course:
Stir fried truffle and egg with celtuce, served with pearl rice
 2 讚好

 2 讚好

The truffle flavour was a little overpowering and I think it would taste nice without the truffle and you can see the egg white is beautifully scrambled to the point that it looks like crabmeat.
++++++++++
Risotto with asparagus and sundried tomato
 3 讚好

The risotto was good but the sauce was a lttle sweet for my liking.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆
Dessert:
black sesame pudding
 2 讚好

Didn't try this because I am not keen on black sesame.
++++++++++++++++++
matcha cheese cake:
 2 讚好

The pairing of cheesecake and matcha was surprisingly good because the matcha flavouring made the cheesecake not so rich.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆
Other stuff we tried:
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆
Portobello mushroom stuffed with black truffle mashed potato:

This was a juicy portobello mushroom stuffed with mash but the mash was a bit too watery for my liking.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆
Matcha cantonese sponge with icecream:
 2 讚好

I was so glad I ordered this because the soft steamed buns were delicious with icecream.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆
The desserts here are really creative because they also have matcha waterchestnut pudding which I am going to try next time and the fried rice with pinenuts and seaweed.

[Review 4448] Jamie’s Italian in Kowloon @ Jamie's Italian

09/07/2015
Jamie's Italian
尖沙咀廣東道3-27號海港城海洋中心4樓412號舖
Shop 412, 4/F, Ocean Centre, Harbour City, 3-27 Canton Road, Tsim Sha Tsui
https://www.openrice.com/zh/hongkong/review/jamies-italian-in-kowloon-e2467582

Jamie’s Italian in Kowloon
2015-07-09  3819 瀏覽
After trying Jamies in Causeway Bay, we decided try the new TST branch, which is bigger with an open kitchen bar.
There is an alfresco area at the back.
Inside it has the same décor as CWB, which is painted by Jamie’s friend Barnaby Purdy, an urban artist.
 0 讚好

This time we tried other items and some items that were exclusive to the TST branch denoted by the *.
In the UK, Jamies Italian DOES NOT HAVE PIZZA on the menu.
Here was what we had:
+++++++
ITALIAN NACHOS $68
 0 讚好

Crispy fried ravioli stuffed with three cheeses, served with arrabbiata & Parmesan.
I am not a fan of nachos but I love ravioli, which was why I ordered this.
For some people it might be a bit dry but I liked the cheesy filling in the middle encased in the crispy ravioli.
+++++++
*GARLIC BREAD $45

With oozy garlic & herb butter
The texture of the bread was a bit like thick naan and it was slightly crispy.
+++++++
*PORTOBELLO MUSHROOM FRITTI $68

Crispy breadcrumbed portobello mushrooms & garlicky mayo.
This was everyones favourite because it was juicy chunky wedges coated in crispy breadcrumb coatnig.
+++++++
MUSSEL & SQUID SPAGHETTI NERO $108 / 188
 0 讚好

Squid-ink pasta, flash-fried squid & mussels with slow-cooked, tender octopus, capers, anchovies, tomatoes & white wine.
The squid pasta was delicious and this is how it should taste because the pasta had squid ink taste and the sauce had a rich seafood taste so the whole thing was delcious.
+++++++
SAUSAGE PAPPARDELLE $88 / 148


Braised fennel sausage ragù with incredible Chianti, Parmesan & crunchy, herby breadcrumbs
As well as the pasta above, I liked the parppadelle because the meat sauce was rich and the strands of pappardelle had frilly edges which hung more sauce to it.
+++++++
HONG KONG HOT $178

Pizza topped with tomato sauce, Cheddar cheese, fennel salami, spicy meatballs, jalapeño chillies & buffalo mozzarella.
The pizzas on the menu are only available in HK.
The Hong Kong hot is great for meatlovers and people who like salami.
+++++++
FUNGHI MISTI $168

With truffle cream, Cheddar cheese, wild & field mushrooms, Parmesan, smoked mozzarella & thyme.
I liked the mushroom pizza because it was light with a lovely truffle flavouring.
+++++++
TIRAMISÙ $65


Coffee-flavoured trifle with orange mascarpone & chocolate.
The orange mascarpone made a real difference because the citrus flavours and chocolate cake went really well together.
+++++++
SEASONAL ALMOND TART $68

Freshly baked frangipane tart served with icecream.
The almond tart was dense with a strong almond taste.
+++++++
Overall, I liked the pastas the most so I will be back for it.

When you pay the bill, you can tip accordingly which goes solely to the waiter/waitress that served you.

[Review 4447] Changed my mind @ 隨心 With Your Mind

09/07/2015
隨心  With Your Mind
鰂魚涌海光街12號地舖
G/F, 12 Hoi Kwong Street, Quarry Bay
https://www.openrice.com/zh/hongkong/review/changed-my-mind-e2467369

From the reviews, it appears that the style of food has changed from Chinese to Singaporean and Malaysian.
As expected, the queue is long at lunch because the ratio of restaurants to people is wrong at Quarry Bay and Tai Koo that ANY restaurant at ANY price range will have customers waiting outside to be seated.
With this situation, restaurants in the area can up their prices and quality does not have to be good and the average meal costs around $7X which is almost higher than the sub par food in Central/Sheung Wan.
Tried two noodles and a rice which comes with pear tea.
 0 讚好

★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆
Pear tea:
 1 讚好

The pear tea was sweet with a light pear taste.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆
Hainan Chicken:
 0 讚好

This was t he best because the chicken was actually tasty and the rice was flavoured without the need for any sauces.
 1 讚好

The chicken soup was interesting because it tasted creamy.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆
Laksa with squid ink squid balls:
The laksa broth was bit weak and the choices for Laksa were a bit basic such as fishballs, chicken etc


★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆
Malaysian chow kayteow:
 0 讚好

The noodles had a strong sweet soy sauce flavour and it was also spicy because of the sambal sauce
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆
◎ⓢⓤⓟⓔⓡⓢⓤⓟⓔⓡⓖⓘⓡⓛ◎
The bill: $2xx

[Review 4446] Nepalese style pigs trotter @

08/07/2015
Johnny Gurkha
半山蘇豪嘉咸街地下45號A舖
Shop 45A, G/F, Graham Street, Soho, Mid-Levels
https://www.openrice.com/zh/hongkong/review/nepalese-style-pigs-trotter-e2467335


Discovered this shop because it was newly listed and the name reminded me of Indian takeaways in the UK and Gurkha soldiers.
Johnny Gurkha serves Nepalese fare which is rare in Hong Kong, in Central there was only one called Anna Pura.
There are two Nepalese restaurants in Wan Chai, one called 2stars and the other called Himalayan Restaurant.

I went for something different because I normally have momos for Nepalese fare.

★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆
KHUTTA KO ACHAAR:
This was pigs trotter served in tomato gravy, dried chilis and ginger.
Basically it is similar to the Chinese style trotters where they are braised in red beancurd sauce but the sauce here was more spicy and flavourful with hints of chili and ginger that make it moreish with rice.
I would have liked it if they served Indian rice instead of Chinese rice but definitely worth trying because the trotters are extremely soft and gelatinous with a spicy kick.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆
Starters:

These were starters that were given.
Chopped tomato and onion salsa with poppadoms.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆
◎ⓢⓤⓟⓔⓡⓢⓤⓟⓔⓡⓖⓘⓡⓛ◎
The bill: $64

[Review 4445] The nice pasta is back @ 薩莉亞意式餐廳 Saizeriya Italian Restaurant

07/07/2015
薩莉亞意式餐廳 Saizeriya Italian Restaurant
將軍澳坑口培成路8號南豐廣場1樓R1B號舖
Shop R1B, 1/F, Nan Fung Plaza, 8 Pui Shing Road, Hang Hau, Tseung Kwan O
https://www.openrice.com/zh/hongkong/review/the-nice-pasta-is-back-e2467055

Haven't been to Saizeriya Italian Restaurant for a while so decided to give it a visit because they always have new items every now and then.
This time they had a new icecream.

The pasta is back to normal so I am going to order pasta from now on because the pasta that was served a while ago was chewy, weird and elastic like thick Yunnan rice noodles.
For dessert they had this Italian icecream which is like a ball.
The one I had was deformed but it tasted really nice except the artificial blueberry tasting jam in the middle.

[Review 4444] V pour Victor et Victory @ Big Fernand

07/07/2015
Big Fernand
中環港景街1號國際金融中心2樓2017號舖
Shop 2017, Podium 2, IFC, 1 Harbour View Street, Central
https://www.openrice.com/zh/hongkong/review/v-pour-victor-et-victory-e2467045

I am not keen on beef but I am hooked on their burgers because their beef patties taste divine.
Not only the beef, but they serve quality French cheese in the burgers.
My favourites are the tomme de savoie and Fourme de Ambert.

This time I had Le Victor which is a veal patty with Fourme de Ambert cheese.
As expected, I loved it because the veal patty and blue cheese were just amazing, the veal patty has a lighter beef taste compared to the beef patty but the strong tasting blue cheese makes up for it.

The fries were better time because they were not so crispy and I dipped then in Heinz real mayonnaise which is the best mayo to go with it.

For drinks I had the pomegranate which was sweet and fragrant.