All posts tagged: central

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 …

Lee Lo Mei: Creative Hong Kong Food with Quality Ingredients

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Learning that a plate of rice rolls (cheung fan/腸粉) at Lee Lo Mei would cost HK$138 initially made me roll my eyes at a potentially overpriced gimmicky spot. I was skeptical as to whether foie gras and truffle would actually be a meaningful upgrade to the traditional cheung fan, which is already delicious with simple char siu or minced beef. I mentioned these feelings while having brunch at Mamasita’s Cantina five floors up (same restaurant group) one day, and a friend insisted that the food was genuinely really good, while acknowledging the slightly high prices. So I finally checked it out for myself, and could not agree more with the summary that it’s pricey but it’s good. Charmingly Colourful Dai Pai Dong Decor Lee Lo Mei’s use of the Hong Kong dai pai dong theme is hipster-ish borderline cliche, though perfectly in line with their menu offering. They used better quality foldable tables and stools to recreate that local street vibe, but the consequence of uncomfortable seating is admittedly a questionable compromise for cute decor. That said, half of the tables had better chairs – …

5 Dishes You Have to Try at Taste of Hong Kong 2017

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Taste of Hong Kong is a food fair/festival where 16 restaurants will be gathering at Central Harbourfront for one weekend only from 16-19 March 2017. It’s a chance to sample some exclusive and some signature dishes from highly regarded restaurants around Hong Kong. Participating restaurants this year are: Amber, Arcane, Cafe Gray Deluxe*, CHINO*, Duddell’s, Kaum, Kei Restaurant, Mercato, Okra, Rhoda*, Serge et le Phoque, Tin Lung Heen, Tosca, Yardbird and Zuma. General admission into the fair will cost HK$138/HK$198 (weekday/weekend), and dishes will have to be purchased separately. I imagine the cost could add up… but they will also be hosting chef talks and cooking demonstrations, among other activities. Plus, restaurants will be serving up some exclusive items – which means you have never seen it on their menus before – so it seems like it could be a fun weekend activity. In the run up to the event, I got the chance to preview some of the items that will be showcased and these five are definitely unmissable. 1. Rhoda – Slow-cooked Lamb …

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 …

SPIGA: New Free Flow Champagne Italian Brunch

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‘Brunch‘ has two very different meanings. The first comes with wooden tables, latte art and eggs. The other comes with champagne and… an abundance of all things edible. Unsurprisingly, the second is the version of brunch this new Italian restaurant in Central – SPIGA – is going for. Weekend Brunch Deal at SPIGA – HK$388 per person Weekend brunch at SPIGA is reasonably priced at HK$388 per person, which includes their antipasti buffet, a choice of main course and dessert buffet. You can add on HK$260 for free-flow Veuve Clicquot champagne, mimosas, red/white wine, Peroni and Bloody Mary; or add on HK$140 for free-flow prosecco in place of the champagne. More importantly, I loved the ambience here. On a Sunday afternoon it was extremely lively, with some casual live music which wasn’t too loud either. They have large ceiling-to-floor windows which let in a comfortable amount of daylight, cultivating the perfect laid back brunch vibes. Antipasti Buffet The antipasti buffet counter was not huge, but most options on the table were very tempting, and turned out to be delicious too. Given that I obviously prefer quality …

Dragon Noodles Academy: Peking Duck, Lobster Noodles and More

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It’s always been a mission to find good quality Chinese food around Central which offers comfortable seating (to entertain visitors, for example), yet is not extortionately priced, excessively formal or terribly outdated. Dragon Noodles Academy seems to fulfil this particular demand quite perfectly. That said, I actually just came here on a random week night after the gym… so it can be pretty casual too. The Newest Hip Chinese place-to-be The decor of this place makes it a hip spot-to-be, yet the seating wasn’t claustrophobic like many hip restaurants are in Hong Kong these days. It has a good dose of excessive Chinese-y designs: think lion dance heads, wing chun props, golden dragons on the wall etc. At the same time, it still felt casual enough – the overly formal settings at some higher end Chinese restaurants tend to make me feel uncomfortable. They also have two semi-private large round tables, which can accommodate up to 12 people. These spots are perfect for slightly laid back work lunches or dinners. Lobster tail soup noodles (HK$149) They have a whole section of different …

Mamasita’s Cantina: Casual Fun Mexican Food

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I was both excited and nervous when I heard a new Mexican restaurant was coming to Central. Excited because apart from Calimex, Little Burro and Brickhouse, there haven’t been many Mexican spots opening up in the recent few years (have there..?). Nervous because I heard it was under the same group as My Tai Tai – which I honestly feel serves mediocre chain restaurant-like Thai food a few floors down. Ok, My Tai Tai is not that bad, but because we have Kowloon City and a whole lot of other new Thai restaurants flooding the city lately, My Tai Tai just doesn’t live up to Hong Kong Thai food standards. Mamasita’s Cantina is cute and very colourfully decorated – it’s home to the perfect ambience if you’re looking for casual good vibes with a group of friends. In fact, there were at least four big groups dining there when we went on a Thursday night. Guacamole Dip – HK$88 *must order* Starting with some guacamole and chips is an unspoken must if you’re having Mexican food, so I …