All posts tagged: steak

Uma Nota: As Good As Brazilian-Japanese Sounds

Published by

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 …

Little Creatures: Spacious Hideaway for Craft Beers in Kennedy Town 

Published by

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 …

TokyoLima: Hong Kong’s Answer to Peruvian Cuisine

Published by

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 …

3 Simple Wine Pairing Ideas for Weeknights at Home

Published by

I usually don’t make New Years resolutions but for 2017, I decided to make it a mission to cook more. One Sunday I spent the entire day studying Serious Eats and making this slow cooked ragu sauce which took 5-6 hours. But on weeknights, quick, easy and satisfying options are necessary. So one Monday, I decided to make myself this epic, while simple, three-course wine pairing dinner at home. Blowfish Wines & Giveaway (ends 11 Feb 2017) People always say, Thursdays are the new Fridays. People also celebrate Hump Day Wednesdays. Then there’s Mondays. In short, there’s always an excuse to open a bottle of wine. Blowfish wines are good options for non-wine-experts; they’re inexpensive (averaging HK$100 per bottle), pair easily with food and simply crowd pleasers. Now to celebrate the end of the elongated holiday season and welcome a lot of weeknights to come before another holiday, Blowfish are giving out a full case (12 bottles) of wines, which include: Chardonnay (x4), Shiraz (x4) and Cabernet Merlot (x4). Head over to my Instagram page for more details (now!) – it ends …

8 New Restaurants for Weekday Lunch Dates

Published by

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 …

Guide to Perfecting Your First Homemade Steak

Published by

Steak has to be the most satisfying dish to make at home. It can probably be made in under 15 minutes and as long as you have a decent quality piece of steak, it’ll probably be delicious. I love steak. But if I’m paying HK$1500 to have one at my favourite Grand Hyatt Steakhouse or still quite a lot at any of these Top Classic Steakhouses in Hong Kong, I would save myself from bankruptcy to make this at home more often. Of course there are more affordable options like Le Relais de l’Entrecote or La Vache, but you get the point. Yesterday someone who hadn’t ever made steak before asked me how to cook it and also how to buy a good piece of steak. So I thought I’d write out this simple guide to help you make your first slab of steak.     The easiest way to cook your steak is to sear it Let the steak rest to room temperature before cooking Lightly season with salt and pepper – the salt helps …

Aberdeen Street Social: A Simple Satisfying Set Menu (8-31 Aug 2016)

Published by

I’ve heard many good things about Aberdeen Street Social. I knew it was a perfect spot for after work cocktails, especially given its casual relaxing vibes within PMQ, which kind of takes you away from office-building-vibes. But since “casual British dining” is rarely my craving, I had only managed to visit for drinks until recently.   Feedme Guru’s Exclusive 6-Course Menu for HK$450 When Feedme Guru started promoting their exclusive menu here, it almost looked like a set menu tailored for me! The items and ingredients seemed straight forward, yet are the types of food you actually want to eat: scallops, steak and chocolate-intense dessert, to name some of the components. It was a casual meal, and although comprised of ‘6-courses’, it wasn’t at all intimidatingly long. In fact, the first and last course are nibbles and petits fours, so it’s more of a 4-course meal. They’re only serving this menu til 31 August 2016 – so see the full details here and book now! English Heirloom Tomato Salad It might be the weather or stress, but I’ve been …