All posts tagged: food

Fine Dining Redefined in Hong Kong

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When L’Estrange London first approached me for my recommendations on fine dining restaurants in Hong Kong, I blanked. Amber? Caprice? What other fine dining restaurants do I know? I couldn’t possibly bring myself to recommend places I didn’t even personally love, but I honestly have barely visited “fine dining” restaurants in the past 2-3 years. Thankfully, the important detail emerged as they were looking for excellent quality restaurants I feel comfortable in. Shifting dining trends in Hong Kong These thoughts of mine are anecdotal of the major shift in dining trends in Hong Kong, and around the world, towards more laid back spots which are still able to deliver top quality food. This was also exactly why I loved Tapisco so much, during my recent visit to Lisbon. The thing is, I used to fantasise about being taken to Michelin-starred fine dining restaurants at hotels for my birthday. But to suggest this today would have even my closest friends cringe at the thought of having to act so uncomfortably formal. Check out the full article …

Cafe at Hyatt Regency: A Seafood Lover’s Buffet

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Dinner buffets are sometimes shunned for their subpar quality of food. But growing up with younger siblings, it was almost a ritual for any of our family celebrations. So no matter how un-classy loving buffets may seem, they do secretly have a place in my heart. They tend to be an especially apt choice when there are kids in your group, but the selection at Cafe 咖啡廳 of Hyatt Regency (K11, Tsim Sha Tsui) will impress adults equally as much, if not even more. They have the most extensive variety of choices I’ve seen in Hong Kong, and more importantly, the quality of their food was impressive. Poached Lobster *must order* With so much on offer at this buffet, it’s impossible to get through even just their seafood offerings. They served chilled crab legs, prawns, crabs and mussels; they also had grilled scallops, oysters and tandoori tiger prawns. But the one thing you can’t miss is their poached lobster. Not only was it fresh and prepared-to-order, it was also cooked perfectly. The texture was crisp …

Scarlett: Gerard Poulard’s Unmissable Cheese Collection (until 31 May 2017)

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I was charmed by Scarlett’s inviting vibes on my first visit (for lunch) – it’s one of the rare places in Tsim Sha Tsui which isn’t overly fancy or un-ambiently casual. Their wines by the glass are about HK$60-70 which is decent value considering the quality, and if you’re early enough, they have a buy-one-get-one-free deal from 3-7pm. So it’s also pretty ideal for pre-dinner drinks. 2017 Collection of Fromages de France This time I also made it a mission to visit Scarlett because they were housing 30 varieties of France’s official Cheese Ambassador Gerard Poulard’s 2017 Collection of Fromages de France. I do love a platter of cheese to go with my red wine, so it seemed like the perfect weekday indulgence and experience for me. Gerard Poulard is purportedly a renowned fine cheese expert. Each year, he selects a variety of cow’s and goat’s cheeses from boutique farms in France. He then travels around the world to present this collection at different fine dining restaurants. Selection of 9 Cheeses – HK$385 Honestly, we could not comprehend a single name …

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 – …

Little Creatures: Spacious Hideaway for Craft Beers in Kennedy Town 

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In Hong Kong, we’re blessed with a lot of things: crazy skyscrapers, beautiful natural landscape, diversity of cuisines and abundance of activities. But I think we could all easily agree on one thing we lack: space. So while there’s no shortage of cute bars for craft beer, Little Creatures really stood out for its large comfortable space. They had high ceilings and plushy sofa seats – for once, two people wouldn’t be told off for wanting to occupy a 4-6 person table. But I was also surprised to learn the lengthy history behind Little Creatures. They’ve been in the craft beer market for many years, originating from Australia, and only recently introduced their passion to Kennedy Town. Some of their signature beers are brewed in-house, while some are imported. Beer Tasting Paddle: 6 x 100ml *must order* As soon as the waiter mentioned a “beer paddle” with six types of beers to try, I wasn’t even interested in seeing the menu anymore. You start with a light one and progress rightwards through the paddle. I genuinely enjoyed all six of the …

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 …