All posts filed under: Fusion

Uma Nota: As Good As Brazilian-Japanese Sounds

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We were talking about how beautiful Brazilian-Japanese babies are, comparing it to how good this combination would be with food, as we stood around on Peel Street sipping on cocktails and waiting to be seated. Uma Nota opened only about two months ago and has already amassed a crowd waiting outside its doors. I’m definitely guilty of adding to their table wait time, as I was there for the second time in just three days. Apart from their good food, I was eager to come back despite the short time lapse from my first visit (48 hours), because the ambience felt pretty perfect for a small four-person gathering. Cocktails On my second visit, we waited about 30-40mins for our table. But the wait was pretty bearable as we stood around trying out their cocktails. I was initially drawn to their Caipirinhas (HK$90), since they had a dedicated section for it and it’s apparently the ‘official cocktail’ of Brazil. The A Fresca version, made with a fresh fruit of the day (passionfruit) was sweet, fruity and pleasant – albeit a tad …

TokyoLima: Hong Kong’s Answer to Peruvian Cuisine

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I have been on the prowl for Peruvian food in Hong Kong ever since I came back from my trip to London and discovered the Peruvian restaurant, Ceviche, where I had my favourite meal over my 9-day trip (see also: 8 of London’s Must-Visit Restaurants for First Timers). So as soon as I read news about TokyoLima – a Peruvian-Japanese or ‘Nikkei’ restaurant – opening up in Hong Kong, high hopes were cultivating. Restaurant Week was the perfect excuse. So I dragged my family along and we were all surprised with how good a deal we ended up with: HK$398 for 5 courses. Most importantly, most of the portions were very sizeable. (This means that the portions in these photos are probably not the same as the a la carte options) Good Vibes For a good dinner night out, good vibes are almost equally as important as good food and drinks. Impressively, Tokyolima delivers on all three fronts. The entrance to Tokyolima is a bit obscure – you have to climb half a flight of stairs next to a carpark entrance and …

Bib n Hops: Casual Korean with Subtly Unique Flavours

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There are definitely enough Korean ‘fusion’ restaurants in Hong Kong, including Moyo, Momojein and Kobab & Koshi, just to name a few that I did enjoy. But just when we thought the train of modern Korean restaurants had long set off, Chef Alvin Leung from One Michelin star Bo Innovation introduces yet another casual ‘urban’ take on Korean food. Casual, Semi Al Fresco Vibes Located in Wan Chai, Bib n Hops lives up to the standard of good vibes its neighbours (22 ships, Ham & Sherry) have brought to Ship Street, as they played epic hip hop throwbacks like No Diggity as we walked in. But unlike their neighbouring restaurants, the seating arrangement was very comfortable and pretty spacious too. They also take bookings. This makes the restaurant a good choice for medium-sized group gatherings and dates alike. They also have a nice spacious outdoor area for drinks. Kimchi Supreme Fries – HK$98 We had decided on a few items already and contemplated whether we were ordering too much. But who could say no to kimchi fries!? From the …

Table: Killer Lobster Bisque and Depurated Seafood

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Seafood restaurants have always been a thing in my family – almost all of us are in love with every single type of seafood. So we used to go regularly to Sing Kee in Sai Kung, our favourite restaurant for a lobster feast. But since its quality of service rapidly deteriorated, I have been itching to find another place for epic seafood meals. Table is not a new restaurant but because it’s tucked into the 8th floor of The Pemberton in Sheung Wan, it has definitely gone unnoticed for longer than it should’ve been. They specialise in depurated seafood. This means they take imported seafood and place them in clean water (in Hong Kong), to get rid of impurities. For the regular seafood-loving person, the magic of depuration is most evident in the oysters. But to say Table only focuses on depurated seafood would be selling it short, because the general execution of food also lives up to very high standards here. Oysters Having been spoilt by fresh-outta-the-farm oysters in Tasmania, I’m rarely impressed by the imported ones in Hong Kong. The depurated oysters …

Momojein: Creative Take on Korean Food (Lunch & Dinner)

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Korean fusion or ‘modern Korean’ is no new trend. It was super hit about 1.5 years ago – that’s when I first tried Italian-Korean restaurant, Moyo – but the hype around kimchi-everything has definitely tapered off. Fads come and go but Momojein’s creative take on traditional Korean flavours goes far beyond kimchi grilled cheeses, focuses on quality and is definitely here to stay. A Korean foodie friend has talked about Momojein since the day it opened last year. She’s eaten there about three times and kept urging me to try it. Finally I gathered some colleagues to go with me – in fact I ended up going twice in one week, for dinner then lunch. So let’s talk about both! New ‘Season 2’ Menu for Dinner I was a tad confused and disappointed when I arrived because the menu items didn’t match the recommendations my Korean friend had whatsapped me with. It turns out they had just launched their new menu which was almost completely revamped: their Season 2 menu. Unfortunately I can’t make comparisons to their original Season …

3 New Restaurants in Hong Kong You Need to Try

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Most new restaurants can’t claim the heart of the average demanding Hong Kong customer. We love new things, but it’s also gotta be a little unique, something we can’t get elsewhere and of course so deliciously interesting that it makes us go “wow” or “ooo” or “mmm mMM”. Nothing less is adequate. So I was pleasantly surprised to recently come across as many as three new restaurants – Belon, Okra and Vanimal – which I loved and can recommend to you all with conviction. They’re not exactly 10/10s but follow the must order dishes below, and you won’t go wrong. 1. Belon It’s no surprise that Black Sheep Restaurants is behind one of the hottest new restaurants to open up lately. They’ve done a number of successful ventures before that I personally love, with Le Garcon Saigon and Carbone being among my favourites. Belon is a nice little French bistro with a modern fused cuisine, but you’d need to take a closer look at the food on offer for a better idea of what I mean. The …

Wagyu Takumi: The Best Meal I’ve Had

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When a meal is outstandingly delicious but also extremely expensive, I’m often stuck on whether to recommend it or not. I mean given the extortionate price, how yummy could yummy be? But for once, I did not really find myself in this dilemma. Although my meal at Wagyu Takumi was likely the most expensive meal of my life, I’d definitely return for more. The whole package of service, quality, execution and all the finer details in between was an impressive and thoroughly enjoyable experience. I’d quite confidently say it’s worth the price tag, at least once, if not thrice in your life. 8 course Tasting Menu I was afraid I might be embarking on an endless food journey when I saw the 8 course tasting menu, so I was contemplating the 6 course option instead. The problem with fine dining tasting menus is that they often take four to five hours and leave you restless by the fourth course. I ended up with the 8 course menu anyway as I was advised that the Abalone and Shimanto Seaweed with Barley …