[Review 6004] A softserve for lavender fans @ i CREMERiA

06/06/2017
i CREMERiA
銅鑼灣Fashion Walk記利佐治街11-19號1樓F-9號舖
Shop F-9, 1/F, 11-19 Great George Street, Fashion Walk, Causeway Bay
https://www.openrice.com/zh/hongkong/review/a-softserve-for-lavender-fans-e2800065

A softserve for lavender fans
2017-06-06  22 瀏覽
To be honest, you either love it or hate it.
It had a really strong smell of lavender and an intense lavender taste.
The colour is lilac garnished with a twig of lavender and it melts rather quickly so you have to eat it quickly before it melts.

[Review 6003] Be plain or vain! @ 蘇杭冰室

05/06/2017
蘇杭冰室 
上環蘇杭街3號地舖
G/F, 3 Jervois Street, Sheung Wan
https://www.openrice.com/zh/hongkong/review/be-plain-or-vain-e2799536

Tried this place because it was new and cute and I liked the bright blue appearance.
In terms of food, it is the usual stuff that you get in bingsutts ie scrambled eggs, instant noodles etc so not really my cup of tea.
As it was tea time, I chose crispy bun where you get to choose two fillings so I picked the corned beef and luncheon ham.
Both looked really similar but you can tell the difference because the beef has specks of beef in it.
The bun was a bit too stale as it was not airy and soft but quite hard and chewy after it was heated and it was too brown for my liking.
Although the fillings were a bit boring, I am glad they used butter and not margarine because it tasted good.

There is one particular table where the bench is facing an angled mirror and almost everyone in the restaurant can see you and you can see them I suppose.
So if you are vain, you could watch yourself eat!!!!
Not recommended for people with low esteem or people that hate to see themselves in the mirror!~

[Review 6002] New Sichuan fare to the scene @ 小川屋 Xiao Chuan House

04/06/2017
小川屋 Xiao Chuan House
大坑書館街23號地舖
G/F, 23 School Street, Tai Hang
https://www.openrice.com/zh/hongkong/review/new-sichuan-fare-to-the-scene-e2799247

New Sichuan fare to the scene
2017-06-04  292 瀏覽
Tried this new joint and I don't think it is fair to comment because the night I visited the main chef was sick so the chef who cooked that night was new or a replacement.
I couldn't quite hear what they said but anyway, I gathered someone wasn't there because they were sick.
The menu was good because there was English.
 0 讚好

Started with the iceplant salad which comes with sesame dressing but I didn't bother with the dressing because it tasted good on its own.
 0 讚好


The tofu was a bit too salty for my liking.


The noodles were great with a nice balanced seasoning.

The bandit chicken wings were ok but a bit salty.

My favourite was the cumin pork legs which came off the bone easily and it had a crispy coating as well.

Anyway, save room for dessert because I liked the clear jelly which is flavoured by the ginger syrup that is not too sweet, topped with raisins, wolfberries and hawthorn discs.
If you don't like ginger, then tough luck as the other dessert also has ginger.

[Review 6001] Generous portions @ Cafe Siam

04/06/2017
Cafe Siam
中環德己立街21號The Plaza 2-3樓
2-3/F, The Plaza , 21 D'Aguilar Street, Central
https://www.openrice.com/zh/hongkong/review/generous-portions-e2799208

It is good dining here because the staff are attentive, the portions are big and the dishes come quite fast.
Started with the pad thai which was stir fried nicely loaded with lots of seafood.
As a fish lover, the fish was great because it was steamed just right so the fish was tender and soft.


The tamarind ribs were like a Thai version of BBQ ribs so I found them quite enjoyable.
I was going to order a soup but the staff suggested this new tomyumgung soup with mussels and it was quite good because the mussels are fresh and the soup is refreshing.


The stuffed wings are good for sharing, again they were huge stuffed with black fungus and other goodies.


The catfish papaya salad was another great appetizer but I found the sauce quite acidic.

[Review 6000] Jiangnan delights @ 翡翠江南 Crystal Jade Jiang Nan

04/06/2017
翡翠江南 Crystal Jade Jiang Nan
灣仔莊士敦道181號大有廣場3樓310號舖
Shop 310, Tai Yau Plaza, 181 Johnston Road, Wan Chai
https://www.openrice.com/zh/hongkong/review/jiangnan-delights-e2799176

Jiangnan delights
2017-06-04  1711 瀏覽
The reason I have not had much Jiangnan food before is that there are not many Jiangnan restaurants in Hong Kong.
This is a good place to go as they serve some rustic Jiangnan dishes but some have to be pre ordered.

Started with the Homemade Wine Flavoured Egg which had a good balance, the wine was fragrant but not too strong.
 0 讚好

The Pickled Cucumber Rolls blow you away because the pickled ginger taste is more prominent.
 0 讚好

The Jelly Fish Bulb Tossed with Scallion Oil was flawless.
 0 讚好


Next was the piping hot Soup with Fresh & Salted Pork in “Shanghai” Style.
It had a fragrant pork flavour to it.
 0 讚好

They also have Deep-fried Shrimp Toast with Pigeon Egg which is a traditional dish that you have to order in advance.
I was quite surprised by the taste because they said there is a slice of fat in it but I couldn't taste it which was good.
Another classic dish was the Braised Pork Belly served with Lotus Buns, a soft fatty pork belly eaten with the cute buns.
The Smoked Pigeon with Rose and Tea Leaves was really impressive because they presented it beautifully like a mini chicken.
The best part was the breast meat because they have removed the bones so you are left with pure meat.
To me pigeons taste like a mini goose.

For carbs, there was Bamboo Charcoal Noodles in Double-boiled Chicken Soup.
I liked the way the soup was served separate so the noodles don't go too soft but the taste of chicken soup was umami to its max.

Last but not least was the Steamed  Xiao Long Bao stuffed with Kurobuta Pork and it was good there was no smelly pork aroma and the taste was pleasing.

Also had the Deep-fried Radish Pastry which was a beautifully shaped pastry filled with sweet radish in the middle.


For dessert finished with the handcrafted beers and the Hangzhou style millet cake was damn good because it was not too sweet.
 0 讚好


The Imperial pea pudding and Ejiao jelly had a very starchy texture.

[IMG:https%3A%2F%2Fstatic5.orstatic.com%2Fuserphoto%2Ftemp%2F1950883b-05be-486a-a371-b4548304ca83.jpg]

[Review 5999] Fancy ice buns from Marks and Sparks @ Marks & Spencer

04/06/2017
Marks & Spencer - 食品部  休息中
Marks & Spencer - Food Department
將軍澳坑口重華路8號東港城1樓199舖
Shop 199, 1/F, East Point City, 8 Chung Wa Road, Hang Hau, Tseung Kwan O
https://www.openrice.com/zh/hongkong/review/fancy-ice-buns-from-marks-and-sparks-e2799136

Fancy ice buns from Marks and Sparks
2017-06-04  561 瀏覽
I think this is the first time I have ever seen an iced bun sold in Hong Kong.
These are common treats in UK bakeries, they are basically plain buns topped with fondant icing.
The one I got from Marks and Sparks has been jazzed up because it had sultanas and other things in it.
I loved the sweetness and it reminded me of an iced hot cross bun because of the raisins and lemon peel.
They come in packs of one or two but sadly the wrapper sticks to the icing so when you take it out of the bag some of the icing gets stuck.

[Review 5998] Langham branch exclusive dishes @ 飲茶 Yum Cha

03/06/2017
飲茶  Yum Cha
旺角亞皆老街8號朗豪坊4樓7號舖
Shop 7, 4/F, Langham Place, 8 Argyle Street, Mong Kok
https://www.openrice.com/zh/hongkong/review/langham-branch-exclusive-dishes-e2798494

Langham branch exclusive dishes
2017-06-03  66 瀏覽
I rarely go to the Langham mall because it is just escalators and escalators.
Luckily, Yum Cha is on the fourth floor so there are only two escalators that you need to get if you are coming from Portland road. Otherwise it is about 6 escalators if you come from the Langham MTR exit.
Thankfully you don't have to take those doomed escalators but then again this is why I refuse to dine in commercial buildings because if there is a fire, you are dead and the staircases are probably clotted with stuff that you can't escape.

At this branch, there are four exclusive dishes!~
Spicy diced chicken in Sichuan style.
Spicy Sichuan minced pork buns
Spicy beef, noodles in spicy soup
Beggar's chicken
++++++
Spicy diced chicken in Sichuan style:


This was quite nice but a bit too salty.
++++++
Spicy Sichuan minced pork buns:


These cute pink buns are filled with delicious juicy spicy minced pork in the middle.
They definitely tasted good.
++++++
Spicy beef, noodles in spicy soup:


This was too spicy for me.
++++++
Beggar's chicken:


This is a modern version with truffle gravy and I love the way it is wrapped in lotus leaf keeping it moist while making it fragrant.
A brilliant Chinese style chicken if you are looking for a Western roast chicken comfort.
++++++