All posts tagged: admiralty

Cafe Gray Deluxe: Best Afternoon Tea in Hong Kong

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Cafe Gray Deluxe’s afternoon tea set had already made an impression on me the first time I tried it back in April, for their Diane von Furstenberg collaboration. The unforgettable scone maintained its place in my heart over the months. Then, after my mother had a few disappointing experiences at different hotels, and started complaining that none of the afternoon tea sets in Hong Kong are good anymore, I knew exactly where to take her.   Beautiful sea view Perhaps I’m a bit obsessed with Cafe Gray Deluxe because I’ve actually also been here for dinner. But with a sea view like this, it’s hard not to come back when you feel like treating yourself. Admittedly, the view is probably a notch less spectacular than the 103rd floor of ICC (i.e. Ritz Carlton), but still, the environment was top-of-the-list enough. What probably makes the general dining experience here so enjoyable as well is the flawless service. Actually, it was my mom who brought it up and then we spent a good 20 minutes discussing how important service training …

8 New Restaurants for Weekday Lunch Dates

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It was January 2015 when I came up with a list of 10 restaurants in Central for lunch dates – you know, for when someone is counting on you to make a decision on where to go for that team lunch or catch up. But the Hong Kong dining scene evolves quickly (i.e. restaurants frequently close) and people get bored easily – so here are some of my latest suggestions. This time, the list goes beyond Central and to the wider CBD area of Hong Kong. Leave a comment below and share your favourite lunch spot! For locations, check out the map at the end of the post. 1. Mercato – Italian (Central) I first visited Mercato for dinner (see the full review here). I loved the food and vibes so much that I was eager to return for lunch, especially given the restaurant’s convenient location in California Tower. At HK$198 for two-courses, the set lunch didn’t seem like an amazing deal. But the portions were extremely generous, especially for the salmon tartare starter which I …

Giando: Authentic Italian with the Best Ingredients

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When an Italian chef is the sole owner of a restaurant, you know things can go really really right. To add to this wonderful microeconomic backdrop, Chef Gianni Caprioli makes it a personal mission to ensure only excellent quality ingredients are used. In fact, I was told 95% of their ingredients are imported directly from Italy – including their eggs. Chefs of top Italian restaurants have been spotted eating here a number of times. I first came here on a Saturday and returned the next Sunday again. With this in mind, it’s not a question of whether you should dine here, but a question of what to order when you come here. Had I come here earlier, it definitely would be among the 5 Italian Restaurants in Hong Kong that Do Stand Out, for being the most authentic and featuring the best quality ingredients. Weekend Brunch at HK$338 for 3-Courses I love my ‘epic brunches‘ and this place would definitely rank high if I ever came up with such a list. The 3-course set runs from 12-3pm …

DvF Afternoon Tea at Cafe Gray Deluxe: A Collaboration Not to Be Missed

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Cafe Gray Deluxe has always been high on my list of favourite restaurants. The food is as delicious as its view over Hong Kong harbour is beautiful – and that combination is rare. Heading into the restaurant with high expectations, their latest Diane von Furstenberg (DvF) “Fortuna” Afternoon Tea set still managed to impress me all over again. Cafe Gray often does collaboration with the most famous luxury brands – they did it with Elie Saab and Diptyque last year. Now I’m feeling extremely gutted for not trying it back then. The latest tea set collaboration is designed in line with DvF’s spring collection and the colours are so inviting and cheerful. It’s an afternoon tea that will promise perfect ambience and all things aesthetic. But more importantly, the set features a good variety of sweets and savouries. The food is among my favourite of tea sets I’ve tried in Hong Kong! Perfect scones and clotted cream Scones and clotted cream are the top most important components of any afternoon tea set (to me) and the …

Plat du Jour, Pacific Place: Casual French Bistro and Afternoon Teas

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Swire has opened a second Plat du Jour in Pacific Place (replacing the Spanish restaurant Zelos) and this casual French bistro is exactly what this upscale mall is missing: simple and affordable food made with good quality ingredients. It’s no wonder it’s already quickly become popular – I tried making a booking twice but they were full! To be fair, I attempted the reservation on the same day. I enjoyed their first branch in Quarry Bay very much, but the new one is much more location-friendly. Maybe that, along with the fact that they serve Afternoon Tea here, are the reasons I enjoyed it even more this time. Lunch/Dinner They offer the same lunch and dinner set menu for only HK$235/275 for two/three courses. It’s a price that’s hard to beat especially if you’re here for dinner. For starters, the lobster bisque is the biggest must; it’s one of their signatures that has been unforgettable since I tried it at their first Quarry Bay branch close to a year ago. Their house tea-smoked salmon is …

Le Garcon Saigon: New Southern Vietnamese

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From talking Bep/Nha Trang to Viet Kitchen, to my latest favourite beef pho spot, Bun Cha, it’s clear that I love my Vietnamese food. While my Vietnamese ventures almost always consist of ordering beef pho, Le Garcon Saigon focuses on Southern cuisine, where beef pho is apparently not as big a thing – well basically they don’t serve pho at all. Located near Pacific Place 3/Star Street in Wan Chai/Admiralty, this place is buzzing like no other in the area. I’ll be honest to say that I found it just a bit too noisy though. The prices are admittedly quite a bit higher than your usual casual Viet affair, but I loved all the dishes and service was more than excellent, hence I’d still recommend going for it. Wagyu beef tartare – HK$158 Looking back, the wagyu steak tartare (one of our starters) turned out to be the most expensive dish we ordered. Well that’s not too bad a news since the absolute price is not too high and these are typically not cheap elsewhere …

Top Classic Steakhouses in Hong Kong

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[Update] Make way for Grand Hyatt Steakhouse: The Ultimate Steak Experience, which is probably my number one now. And see other steak-related posts here. USDA Rib Eye/Medium Rare is my standard response to the waiter at any steakhouse. Steaks with excellent quality meat which is beefily flavourful and executed well will have be pounding down close to a pound of steak in one sitting. Less-cooked/rarer meat often lacks beef flavours and can sometimes be chewy, but the good places somehow manage to negate these negative qualities and serve a perfectly medium rare meat that’s strong in flavour and extremely tender too – and that’s the only kind of steakhouse I’d recommend! So here’s my list of the best classic steakhouses in Hong Kong. Morton’s Steakhouse (Sheraton Hotel) 16oz USDA Center-Cut Prime Rib Eye: HK$658 It’s definitely a tough choice between first and second. I struggled between Morton’s and The Intercontinental (placed second) for a very long time. Ultimately, the execution is just a teeny bit superior at Morton’s. The 16oz USDA rib eye was full of flavour, had an excellent …