Archive | November, 2011

Mango Tree

25 Nov

 

Having been to Mango Tree in Bangkok and absolutely loved it, upon hearing that it was adding to its repertoire of cities including London and Dubai by opening another branch in Hong Kong, I was desperate to try it. For me, I’m not sure it completely lives up to the high standards that its Thai forefather has set, however.

Whereas the Bangkok restaurant exudes a warm, casual feel, set in a beautiful old Thai house and courtyard, adorned with lanterns hanging from the namesake mango tree, the Hong Kong counterpart speaks of contemporary elegance, decorated in teak wood, ceramics and glass, which I suppose is fitting, given it is housed in the modern Cubus building in Causeway Bay.

Don’t get me wrong, the set-up is beautiful; candles line the entrance as you step out of the lift, and elegant lights hang from the ceiling, but it was certainly not what I was expecting.

The food, however, was exactly as I was expecting it to be. For nearly 20 years, the Mango Tree brand has held an excellent reputation for serving authentic and delicious Thai food, and thankfully this reputation stands strong at its new Hong Kong venture.

Thai fish cakes

Our meal kicked off with some delicious Thai fish cakes served alongside an amazing sweet chilli, peanut and cucumber dipping sauce. I could have eaten a whole pot of this sauce.

Lamb shank massaman curry

To follow, a lamb shank massaman curry was served, beautifully presented and divinely fragrant. However, whilst the first bite was heavenly, full of incredible spices, it was just far too rich and too sweet and became almost impossible to eat. 

Chilli and basil rice noodles

The basil and chilli rice noodles with assorted seafood were almost perfect; deliciously fresh hot basil and a punchy chilli kick, however there were only three measly prawns.

Morning glory

A side dish of garlic and chilli morning glory, however, was utter perfection on a plate. This is one of my favourite vegetables and Mango Tree knows exactly how to execute it.

Mango cheesecake

Although nearly bursting at the seams, we shared a mango cheesecake served with incredibly mouth-watering fresh mango imported from Thailand. Whilst the cheesecake was lovely and light, the portion was enormous, particularly if anyone were to order it for themselves.

Service on the whole was far below average, meaning we often had to prompt the waiters and wait too long between courses. However, when they were tending to us, the waiters, who were are mostly all Thai, were exceptionally friendly and smiley, giving the place a much more authentic feel than many Thai restaurants in Hong Kong.

The price, to put it simply, outraged me. For one starter, two mains and one dessert, without even touching the wine list, we paid nearly $800! Mango Tree in Bangkok is a relatively inexpensive restaurant, but I had to keep reminding myself that the move to Hong Kong was always going to mean a move to Hong Kong prices. Would I go back? If I found myself in Causeway Bay, craving authentic Thai food, then yes; otherwise I would probably hold on to my cash and look no further than Koh Thai.

Mango Tree

5/F, Cubus
1 Hoi Ping Road
Causeway Bay
Hong Kong

Tel: +852 2577 0828

Date visited: Monday 21st November 2011

 

Tags: , , , , , ,

Secret Ingredient

18 Nov

Ever since I was little, I have always loved cooking. I used to make every effort I could to do a big supermarket shop and cook yummy meals most days, whether just for myself or for small dinner parties. Now, however, living in Hong Kong, I cook far less often. Whether this is because I can’t really find exactly what I’m looking for in the supermarkets (and when I can it’s outrageously expensive), or whether it’s because I have just become lazy and reliant on eating out or takeaways is beside the point. The point is that cooking in Hong Kong has, for me, as I’m sure for many others, become less of a pleasure and slightly more of a chore. In England I was used to large work surfaces where I could spread out my ingredients and dance around the kitchen if I liked (and did with frequency). Here I am confined to a tiny kitchen. I do count myself fairly lucky however, as our kitchen at least has an oven, which is a rarity here in HK.

Secret Ingredient has taken all of these issues on board – the inconvenience and cost of supermarkets, the lack of space, the lack of ovens and, one issue that affects us all in this fast-paced city, the lack of time – and has come up with an incredible plan to help Hongkongers make delicious meals without any hassle.

Their very easy to navigate website offers four delicious recipes which change every fortnight and always include one vegetarian option and one low-carb option. All you need to do is choose which recipe you would like to make and Secret Ingredient will deliver every single ingredient you will need (down to the last drop of olive oil and sprinkle of salt), washed, weighed, measured and chopped, along with step-by-step instructions of how to make it so that you can prepare your meal in less than 30 minutes. All the recipes are designed to be cooked on two hobs, so no oven is required. In fact, they make the instructions so simple, with every ingredient clearly labelled and a “cook by letters” system, that you don’t even need to know how to cook. This is fantastic if you ever want to hold an impressive dinner party but are usually a complete disaster in the kitchen!

Being the only people who offer this amazing service, they obviously want to do everything perfectly, including importing nothing but the best meat and seafood and locally sourcing fresh produce every day meaning that everything is prepared on the day you order it.

I tested out the service this week (I made the Coconut blue cod with sautéed vegetables and jasmine rice) and was amazed at how easy and quick it was to get such a delicious result. I even had time to enjoy a glass of wine whilst I cooked and may have also had a little sing and dance around the tiny kitchen.

Speaking of wine, each Secret Ingredient recipe is paired with a selected bottle of wine which cannot be bought in any other shop in Hong Kong. Their sommelier recommends a Malborough Pinot Gris to go with the cod which perfectly complements this very tasty and aromatic dish. They also offer interesting beers and refreshingly light sodas as an alternative to wine.

Once you have made your selection online, you can either give them a delivery address or opt to collect the ingredients yourself from the Secret Ingredient workshop in Sheung Wan with the choice of paying by cash or credit card, and then get cooking! It really is that simple. A meal for two starts from $200, which, considering how much it would cost to buy each ingredient from the supermarket (particularly good quality meat and seafood), then this really isn’t a bad price. If you’re cooking for more than two people, simply multiply your order, let them know on your booking form, and the boys will adjust the quantities where necessary.

The boys at Secret Ingredient have got a never-ending list of ideas up their sleeve which all sound incredibly exciting. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that they will one day start to include a sweet option on their menu too! Keep an eye on their website for what’s to come and you’ll soon realise that cooking in Hong Kong needn’t be as much of a hassle as it seems.

Tags: , , , ,

Robata Zawazawa (lunch)

17 Nov

Although we all love the lifestyle here in Hong Kong, it cannot be denied that sometimes, or perhaps more often than sometimes, life just shoots by far too fast and we find ourselves short of time to really take care of ourselves. This is particularly true when it comes to eating food that is actually doing our bodies good. When we’re short of time to have a decent lunch, we often opt for places that offer something quick and unhealthy, rather than taking the time to sit down and eat a meal that tastes good at the same time as filling us with goodness.

Robata Zawazawa, however, has come to the rescue as it has just started serving lunch. With set lunches starting at $160 you can get a whole feast full of goodness that leaves you feeling neither uncomfortably full nor shaking from MSG. Nothing is battered, nothing is fried – just delicious, feel-good, grilled food.

I am yet to have the pleasure of trying Robata Zawazawa for dinner, but I have heard nothing but positive feedback from everyone I know who has. Amongst the praise, I also quite often heard a few complaints that the restaurant did not serve lunch, but thankfully these complaints no longer have a leg to stand on.

 Robata Zawazawa, located down the steps opposite Solas on Wyndham Street, is Lang Kwai Fong’s only robatayaki bar. Although this means there is nowhere to compare it to, I can guarantee that this is one unique place, both in the yummy food that it serves and the beautiful design that it boasts. The restaurant seats only 18 people, most of whom will be seated around the open kitchen to watch their food being grilled, so make sure you ring in advance to reserve your front-row seat.

Appetizers

The set lunch begins with a tray of six appetisers. These vary from day to day depending on stock. Ours included shredded tofu, lotus roots (delicious), a slow-cooked egg, seaweed, aubergine and ox tongue (surprisingly moreish). There is just the right amount of each one to whet your appetite for the main course.

Main courses include Japanese pork belly, Choshu chicken, Unagi eel hot pot, Japanese Wagyu, Assorted vegetable skewers or the daily special. Feeling the need to kick-start the week with a healthy fix, I selected the vegetable skewers.

Assorted vegetable skewers

There is a common misconception that if you order a vegetarian meal, you will leave the restaurant feeling just as hungry as when you arrived. At Robata Zawazawa, this could not be further from the truth. Six sizeable skewers are presented before you alongside a plate of pickles, a big bowl of steamed rice, a cabbage and sesame salad and a bowl of miso soup. You will certainly not be hungry when you’re through with this feast. Highlights for me were the sweet potato and the aubergine, although I was not particularly taken by the jelly-like Japanese root vegetable.

Daily special - Grilled salmon

The special of the day was salmon, which looked incredibly tender and tasty, also served with the same accompaniments.

To finish off the meal, a bowl of scrumptious fresh tropical fruit, delicately dressed in a fruity syrup was served, although the dessert also changes on a daily basis.

As Robata Zawazawa is an intimate space, service perfectly reflects this and the waiters are on hand to make you feel looked after. So if you’re feeling like you need to treat yourself to an affordable yet delicious lunch that will leave you feeling like you’re actually looking after your body for a change, try the set lunch at Robata Zawazawa. You can always have some chocolate mid-afternoon if you feel like you’ve been too healthy, as I did of course!

Robata Zawazawa

LG/F, 41 Wyndham Street
Central
Hong Kong

Tel: +852 2536 9898

Date visited: Monday 14th November

 

 

Tags: , , , , , , ,

Le Souk

14 Nov

Another review for Timeout led me to Le Souk, a brand new Middle Eastern restaurant on Staunton Street. Le Souk stands in the place where Pacific Grill used to be and follows the speedy exit of Z Grill, a restaurant which appeared to last only five minutes. Let’s hope Le Souk doesn’t suffer the same fate.

It is, however, owned by Egyptian brothers Dody and Hero, also owners of the ever-popular Sahara and Antipasto (both on Elgin Street). Considering the brothers’ new venture was filled to the brim even on a Tuesday night, I’m sure Le Souk will have much better luck than its predecessors.

As you approach the restaurant, you hear Middle Eastern music singing down the street; you see the colourful walls and lanterns adorning every inch of the restaurant, and you begin to feel transported away from the monotony of Soho as we know it.

The name of the restaurant means ‘marketplace’ in Arabic. It is described in the menu as a melting pot of flavours where dishes and traditions from the Middle East, Morocco and Egypt blend together. I adore this type of cuisine so was instantly captivated by the aromas and sounds filling the space.

We began by sharing an Egyptian Mezze Platter: an exciting array of dips and nibbles served with warm pita bread (pictured above). Hummous is one of my favourite dips of all time, but sadly Le Souk’s version tasted a little bland. The babbaganoush and the zaaluk (a smoked eggplant and tomato dip) were delicious and made up for the lack of hummous; the falafel was amazing and not too greasy; the feta was beautifully soft and creamy; the kefta (little beef patties) were divine; I loved the Moroccan cigars (little feta and mint spring rolls), and I even ate the olives, which I normally don’t like. All of this was complemented perfectly by a plate of grilled halloumi cheese.

Cous cous a Le Souk

For mains, we chose to share a chicken tagine and a cous cous a Le Souk. Assuming the tagine would be the best thing on the table and always liking to leave the best for last, we started with the cous cous. This was a delicious dish consisting of a lamb shank, Merguez beef sausages, cous cous and a vegetable sauce. The lamb was so tender that it came straight off the bone and the sausages were full of flavour. My only complaint is that it was perhaps a little on the salty side.

Chicken tagine

The chicken tagine, on the other hand, lacked salt entirely and although not completely awful, just wasn’t nearly as good as we had expected it to be. The lemon confit, green olives and artichokes provided a rather bland flavour that left a lot to be desired. This was a shame, as normally I love tagines. Perhaps the salmon or lamb tagine, which are cooked in a different sauce, might fare better next time. Fortunately we had left a little bit of the lamb and cous cous just in case, so we were able to end our main dish with something delicious.

Baklava platter

Wanting to continue with the Middle Eastern theme and feeling that chocolate cake can be had anywhere, I decided we must finish with a platter of homemade Baklava. These were mostly delicious; rich, sweet (a little overly so perhaps) and nutty, though there wasn’t a great deal of variety.

Service was particularly good, made the more so by Dody’s happy presence (including the odd bit of singing and dancing mixed in). We were even offered a shot of some rather tasty Egyptian digestif, followed by a glass of sparkling wine, for no other reason than that we were “a funny couple.” Thanks, Dody, we’ll take that as a compliment!

Price-wise, I would say that for Middle Eastern food, Le Souk is a tiny bit on the steep side, as a meal for two, with only apple juice and a Moroccan mint tea to drink, came to just under $750, but I suppose you have to accept that you’re paying Soho prices, not Moroccan or Egyptian prices. I would definitely try Le Souk again; I think a trip with a large group of friends to add to the lively atmosphere whilst sipping on some cocktails and savouring some (mostly) yummy food would be a great way to spend an evening.

Le Souk

G/F, 4 Staunton Street,
Central
Hong Kong

Tel: +852 2522 2128

Date visited: Tuesday 8th November 2011

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Madam Sixty Ate

9 Nov

Madam Sixty Ate has received a lot of hype since its opening in the summer and I have been desperate to see what all the fuss is about. The answer is that it is a different species of restaurant to what we are used to seeing in Hong Kong, where the two Australian chefs, Chris Woodyard, formerly culinary director at W Hotel, and Andrew Braham, formerly Tom Aiken’s sous chef in London, carefully present European-inspired cuisine with that all important ‘twist’.

Knowing that everyone has been going crazy about this place, I expected it to be heaving and difficult to obtain a reservation, particularly given its ideal location in J Senses, just next to the Pawn; it was however not even a quarter full. Perhaps this is because it was a Monday night, or perhaps the buzz has died down and Hong Kongers have moved on to pastures new. I wouldn’t say this hugely affected our experience of the restaurant, as Madam Sixty Ate offers enough of its own quirky character to fill the space. For example, surreal paintings abound, offering images of things like a huge woolly pig or a lady holding what should be a bunch of flowers but happens to be a fish… Strange to say the least.

Being three indecisive food-lovers who were intrigued by almost every item on the menu, I would say it took us a good twenty minutes of reading and re-reading the menu before coming to a final decision. It isn’t a complicated menu per se (you can select a seven- or eight-course tasting menu or choose a la carte) but we had to pick carefully to make sure Food Envy didn’t turn up and ruin our meal.

'Paella for Pedro'

For starters, Madam’s ‘Paella for Pedro’ is an interesting take on the traditional Spanish paella, and in fact not a paella at all. A trail of puffed rice, popcorn, cubes of chorizo, squid, rabbit and scampi was beautifully presented across the plate, adorned with edible flowers and squid ink wafers, offering an incredible explosion of different textures all at once.

'Joseph the Duck'

‘Joseph the duck’, which consists of cured duck ham similar to Parma ham, thin slices of juicy melon and quail’s eggs, at first sight seemed the least exciting dish on the table, but at first bite proved otherwise.

Scallop Bourguignon

The Scallop Bourguignon, delicious seared scallops with mushrooms and a bone marrow dumpling, was also a highlight, although a little heavy on the seasoning.

'For Stanley'

Moving on to the mains, surprisingly each of them arrived verging on cold, which for a near-empty restaurant was just a little disenchanting. Thankfully, for the most part, the taste made up for this. My ‘For Stanley’, which was poached halibut on a bed of cauliflower, smoked bacon and squid ink was both delicious and aesthetically pleasing given the beautiful contrast between the whiter-than-white fish and the black squid ink.

Twice cooked lamb loin

The twice-cooked lamb loin was succulent and tasty, although it would definitely have benefitted from being a touch warmer.

Wagyu short rib steak

The first of the disappointing dishes was the Wagyu short rib steak with spinach and horseradish foam. Visually it was perfect: amazing colour contrasts between the pink meat and the rich green spinach puree. However, the steak was chewy and there just wasn’t nearly enough flavour. After adding some seasoning and a scoop of truffle from the yummy Kipfler potatoes with melted parmesan and truffle oil it was better, but this shouldn’t have been necessary.

The second disappointment was the second side dish: young carrots, sauternes vinaigrette and sorrel leaves, which was more of a far-too-overly-dressed carrot salad and completely not what we were expecting.

Gingerbread and apples

The desserts were most certainly the stars of the show. We ordered two to share between us, one Gingerbread and apples and one Honey parfait. The gingerbread and apples consisted of a comforting cinnamon parfait, made the more exciting by a sharp green apple sorbet which I could have happily eaten a whole tub of. The honey parfait was served with salted caramel honeycomb, a creamy chocolate mousse and, rather strangely, popcorn. The combination of textures was once again amazing.

Honey parfait

The service was notable; the waiters at Madam Sixty Ate actually know what they are talking about and aren’t afraid to offer advice, which is quite often a rarity in Hong Kong.

Apart from a few hiccups, it was a very enjoyable meal, paired with beautiful wine – although this certainly does not come cheap. In fact not a lot does come cheap at Madam Sixty Ate. It is, however, a unique experience and one I would most likely consider trying again, as I’d quite like to try some of Joseph, Stanley and Pedro’s friends. Hopefully by the next time, the hiccups will have gone.

Madam Sixty Ate

Shop 8, 1/F The Podium, J Senses
60 Johnston Road
Wan Chai
Hong Kong

Tel: +852 2527 2558

Date visited: Monday 7th November 2011

dim sum bar

2 Nov

Over the past few months, Café Deco Group has been busy increasing its repertoire of yummy restaurants and I had the pleasure of visiting one of them on Monday night. dim sum bar, over on what we have established is actually not-such-a-dark side, opened its doors in Harbour City at the end of August, serving its namesake both in the form of old trusty classics and interesting modern treats. Behold my second dim sum review on The Dim Sum Diaries…

dim sum bar is by no means your average dim sum restaurant. With its modern interior and no trace of the oh so classy chandeliers we know to associate with dim sum restaurants, dim sum bar gives off more of a clean, organised feel, whilst still maintaining the casual, down to earth café vibe. Dishes are presented in an elegant manner, with some even served in tiny individual bamboo steamers.

Steamed Siu Mai with Truffle

Whilst old favourites such as char siu bao, char siu cheong fun and pork and shrimp siu mai can be found on the menu, it’s worth branching out and trying dim sum bar’s signature dishes which you certainly won’t find on any other dim sum menu.

Steamed Cheong Fun rolled with Crispy Rice Nest and Seafood

The cheong fun with crispy rice nest and seafood is delicious; an unusual yet perfect contrast between the soft doughy rice noodle and the crispy rice nest. Even more delicious in my opinion, however, is the steamed cheong fun with fresh scallops; perfectly cooked scallops and chunks of choi sum that simply melt in the mouth.

dim sum bar’s version of a turnip cake comes as a deliciously gooey turnip base topped with a crispy shrimp paste. Admittedly this didn’t look incredibly appealing but tasted divine. Siu mai is also prepared with an interesting twist: beautifully presented as pictured above, dim sum bar’s siu mai is topped with finely chopped and very delicately flavoured truffle in place of the standard roe.

King's Dumplings in Lobster Bisque

The King’s dumplings in lobster bisque are a real treat: luxury har gao filled with prawns and incredibly tender lobster submerged in a wonderfully smooth and creamy soup.

Even the fried rice comes with a twist; traditional Cantonese fried rice with shrimps, wrapped in a fresh lotus leaf. Although it was just a little on the dry side, I can never get enough chow fan.

Baked Chocolate Cream Bun

Save space for dim sum bar’s signature cream buns (and signature baked char siu buns which are as delicious as expected) as these are out of this world. I have always thought that dim sum should also come in sweet form and even considered opening a dim sum desserts restaurant! dim sum bar offers a couple of options that would fit right in to my dream restaurant: baked almond cream buns and baked chocolate cream buns. I tried the almond one first; the sweet, warm almond cream immediately delighted my taste buds. It was, however, after a few mouthfuls just a tad too sweet for my liking so I could only manage half. The chocolate bun was amazing; not too sweet, not too sickly, just warm, comforting, delicious chocolate which oozed out of the fluffy, crumbly bun. Why don’t all dim sum restaurants serve these?

Other desserts include all-time favourite mango pudding, black sesame soup and papaya and almond pudding amongst others.

The service at dim sum bar is very good and the waiters are all very friendly, differing from a lot of Hong Kong’s dim sum joints. Prices range from $15 to $85 per dish so are very affordable for upmarket dim sum.

If you love dim sum but get a little bored (if that’s even possible) of the bog standard dishes and fancy something to get your taste buds tingling that little bit more, then make the “trek” to TST and try dim sum bar, even if it’s just to satisfy your chocolate cravings and taste the baked chocolate cream bun!

dim sum bar

Shop G103, G/F Gateway Arcade
Harbour City
Tsim Sha Tsui
Hong Kong

Tel: +852 2175 3100

Date visited: Monday 31st October 2011

Tags: , , , , , , ,

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 2,798 other followers