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Societi

16 Apr


As you’ve just seen from my earlier post about Libertine, French bistros are popping up every five minutes in Hong Kong. The difference with brand new Societi in Sheung Wan is that it does not try to be a French bistro; it calls itself a ‘bistro’ but really it just serves all sorts of comfort food that Angela Leung, the brains behind this small restaurant, knows people want to eat.

The space is very small and intimate, seating a maximum of around 24 diners. The décor is minimalistic with hanging blackboards, a rustic mirror and a long leather bench. There is nothing unbearably stereotypical or fancy schmancy about this place; it’s just a casual, down to earth eatery in a very cool area of our beautiful island.

Societi charcuterie platter

Societi is still in the soft-opening phase, but we were invited in for a sneak peek to see what it’s all about. As I mentioned, the food is all of the comfort variety, so portions are hearty without being overly heavy…although add them all together and you will walk out a stone heavier than when you entered! Our feast started with the Societi charcuterie platter, which included delicious Parma ham and even more delicious fried chorizo. Accompanying this was a Spanish omelette – just the right level of gooeyness in the centre and bursting with juicy chunks of red pepper.

Grilled sardines

The gorgeous little grilled sardines that followed went down a treat all around the table, with some people even gobbling the head! The lightly seasoned fish was wonderfully flaky and meaty. Had I not known there were a million dishes still to come, I might have stolen a second little fish.

Sauteed prawns with garlic flakes

In any tapas restaurant, one thing I can never fail to order is gambas al ajillo. Societi is not a tapas restaurant, yet their version of sautéed prawns with garlic flakes is delicious. The prawns were perfectly fresh, without a hint of chewiness, topped with crunchy almonds to give it a little something extra.

Kurobuta pork belly Caesar salad

Societi’s take on a classic Caesar salad involves thin slices of kurobuta pork belly (a.k.a. fancy bacon). I’m not big on salads in general, but I did enjoy the welcome additions of the pork belly and the crispy bacon bits. The other salad, a spinach salad with Brie, was very fresh and light, though it was the cheese that really stuck out for me. I would gladly have done without the leaves and combined the bacon bits from the first salad with the Brie from the second. Seriously why am I not obese?!

Mussels in a light curry sauce

The mussels, I’m afraid to say, were a real let down. They looked beautiful and enormous, served in two ways: in a light curry sauce and in a herb and white wine sauce. However, perhaps it was because it was mid-week and the delivery had come in at the start of the week, but the mussels just did not taste fresh at all. The sauces were tasty enough (although a little heavy on the chicken stock?) and served as a yummy dip for the crispy French fries, but they still did not mask the unpleasant flavour of the mussels.

Grilled salmon

To follow came individual portions of Grilled salmon in Pommery mustard vinaigrette. Although there was nothing particularly special about the sauce, the salmon was perfectly cooked, topped with deliciously crispy skin that was universally considered the best part of the dish.

Societi roasted chicken

The Societi roasted chicken was tender and juicy, marinated in a very tasty yet simple sauce.

Linguini with braised beef cheek

Initially excited by the sound of Linguini with braised beef cheek, I actually found the beef seriously lacking in flavour. The texture was spot on, melting instantly in the mouth, but there was simply no flavour to it whatsoever. Thankfully I enjoyed the linguini, which was perfectly al dente and buttery.

Crepes Suzette

To finish after our absolute feast of a meal, we had Crêpes Suzette. Save for the fact that it wasn’t served flambé, this dish was just right – sweet with that sharp orange zing, the crêpe wonderfully thin and light; a tasty end to a somewhat mixed meal.

Societi has all the right ideas to be a real success, but still needs to work on a few things before it can achieve this. Having said this, we went on the second night of the soft opening so it would be a little unreasonable to expect it to be perfect from the off. I would recommend giving it a little teething time and then trying it as I’m sure in time it will be, if not perfect, then almost perfect.

Societi

G/F, 87-89 Jervois Street
Sheung Wan
Hong Kong

Tel: +852 2815 9000

Date visited: Wednesday 11th April 2012

Libertine

11 Apr

In Hong Kong, where apparently French people make up the largest proportion of the expat community, you are never too far from a French bistro. Often, however, more emphasis is put on trying to replicate the ambience of a typical French café by adding overly stereotypical décor, that the quality of food is substandard. When I heard about brand new French bistro Libertine opening on Aberdeen Street, I was eager to see how it fared.

Despite the uncomfortable uphill trek in heels (especially if you go the wrong way and start walking down from Hollywood Road only to discover that it is in fact up), Libertine has bagged the perfect spot. It’s far enough away from the hustle and bustle of Soho to be able to enjoy a leisurely meal without being tempted by the lure of nearby bars, but close enough for it not to be a hassle. The space is amazing: high ceilings dotted with old-school wooden fans, tiled flooring, a melange of wood and white bricks; exactly the classic, casual look typical of a Parisian French bistro. I walked in and immediately loved it.

In its short life, Libertine has not had the best start when it comes to food reviews, so naturally I was a little apprehensive. However, whether it is that previous critics have been overly harsh or that Libertine has now learned from its mistakes I am uncertain, but actually I thought the food was delicious.

Warm fig and goat's cheese salad

We started by sharing two starters, the first of which was a Warm fig and goat’s cheese salad. I love cheese… but I adore goat’s cheese, and this one was just perfect: warm, creamy and slightly gooey. Paired with sharp, juicy cherry tomatoes and delicious figs, sitting on a bed of lightly dressed leaves, this was my kind of salad.

Pate de campagne and Pork rillettes

The Pate de campagne and Pork rillettes may have been even better, the baked pate de campagne chunky, rustic and comforting, whilst the braised rillettes was deliciously smooth and dangerously moreish. A note on the starters is that they aren’t small…but when they’re this good, who cares?!

Moules Mariniere

Libertine prides itself on its moules; and quite rightly too for the Boston blue mussels are enormous and delicious, soaked in a fragrant white wine mariniere that doubles up as a tasty dip for the perfect frites.

Herb-crusted lamb cutlets

The Herb crusted lamb cutlets with rosemary and tomate farcies were ever so slightly over-cooked and didn’t have the pink centre I was hoping for, but they were still beautifully tender and the herb crust gave an added incredible flavour to the already delicious New Zealand lamb. The tomato stuffed with soft chunks of aubergine was just a bonus.

Chocolate fondant

Chocolate fondant is one of my favourite desserts. Put a gorgeous chocolate pudding oozing with molten chocolate in front of me and you’ve won my heart. On this occasion, however, I was a mere five days away from completing my no-chocolate Lent challenge, so I had to resist. Nevertheless, when it came down to the break-test when fork was inserted into pudding, there was nothing oozing out of this fondant, so I wasn’t too upset to be unable to eat it. Apparently despite the lack of ooze, it still had a delicious flavour…but a chocolate fondant is all about the ooze!

Cheesecake

The cheesecake, however, was wonderful, made the more so by a sweet, almondy base, giving it something a little different to the norm. My one suggestion is that it could have perhaps been a touch colder.

Libertine undoubtedly still has a couple of kinks to iron out, but I still think it’s a great spot, perfect for a leisurely meal whilst enjoying the chilled out music and some almost perfect food. It’s also got a pretty amazing happy hour from 5pm to 8pm every evening; take a seat in the relatively quiet alfresco seating area, order a carafe of wine and help yourself to a plate of complimentary charcuterie. Who doesn’t love free meat?! (Apart from strange vegetarians of course.)

Libertine

26 Aberdeen Street
Central
Hong Kong

Tel: +852 2858 2022

ABC Kitchen

19 Mar

ABC Kitchen

Hong Kong is without a doubt a very funny place. Everywhere you look you’ll find a complete mish mash of cultures attempting, and succeeding, to coexist in the same location. What you perhaps won’t expect to find, though, is a very good Italian restaurant in a cooked food market. The Queen Street Cooked Food Market in Sheung Wan, however, has shown us that this is possible, as ABC Kitchen resides amidst the usual throng of very local dai pai dongs common to all cooked food markets.

ABC Kitchen – the acronym for A Better Cooking Kitchen – is run by two former chefs from what used to be M at the Fringe. Sadly I never got to taste M, so can’t give you my first hand comparison between the two, but from what I understand, they have brought their most popular dishes to ABC, where they continue to be just as popular. ABC knows that it’s too good for a cooked food market, as it is the only ‘restaurant’ in there with tablecloths and proper crockery. I think the sheer location of it, however, is all part of its appeal and success.

Although on the front of the menu it claims they serve pizza and pasta, inside the menu neither were an option. Apparently these are served at lunchtime, whereas for dinner, finer choices such as the signature dish of suckling pig are offered.

Provencal fish stew

Judging by the size of the starters that drifted past our table, we decided to share three between the five of us. I shall start with my least favourite: the Provencal fish stew. I normally associate stew with a slightly thicker liquid, whereas this had more of a broth consistency. Nevertheless, said broth had a delicious fennel taste and ample amounts of squid, clams and mussels. Unfortunately, it was served tepid, which really let it down.

Pan-fried foie gras

The Pan-fried foie gras was faultlessly smooth and light, paired with a sweet fig jam and a lightly dressed salad. Unfortunately this too was not served hot.

Sea urchin risotto

The Sea Urchin risotto had a fabulous flavour, a perfectly al dente texture and a creamy consistency. It’s just a shame that it was also served cold…

Porcini souffle

After complaining about the temperature of the starters, the apologetic waiters made sure to bring the main courses piping hot. The Porcini soufflé was a beautiful sight: perfectly risen and wrapped in sheets of paper-thin filo pastry. Although it was served with a creamy mushroom sauce, the flavour of so many mushrooms was by no means overpowering.

Seared sea bass

The Seared sea bass, served in a lemon butter sauce, was wonderfully flaky with a light, delicate flavour. I’m not normally a fish-skin person, but here the skin was so crispy and delicious that it could actually be eaten on its own.

Pan-roasted pigeon

Having been assured that the bird came from France and not the streets of Hong Kong, my mother tried the Pan-roasted pigeon. This little bird had such a succulent and rich flavour that was enhanced by the delicious jus and huge, sweet grapes. There is no way to fault this dish.

Lamb shank

On to the Lamb shank…. when is a lamb shank cooked to perfection not absolutely divine? The meat slid off the bone and melted in the mouth. Infused with the essence of the Shiraz it was braised in, as well as fresh rosemary, this dish was utterly delicious.

Roasted suckling pig

How could we not order the signature dish? Although the menu changes seasonally (in fact, the spring menu which we tasted has only just started), the Roasted suckling pig will always remain on the menu. Thank heavens for that, as it is possibly one of the better suckling pigs I have ever tasted! Seated on a bed of baked cinnamon apples and kipfler potatoes, the meat was so tender and juicy, the skin so perfectly crackling, that this was certainly my favourite of the main courses.

Lemon meringue tart

For dessert, although almost bursting at the seams after such wonderfully rich savoury dishes, we shared three between us. The Lemon meringue tart, something I would not usually order, was delicious, although perhaps the lemon curd was a little on the runny side. The biscuitty base and the marshmallowy meringue were impeccable however.

Pavlova

The Pavlova on its own would have been far too sickly sweet for me, but once topped with fresh fruit, and in particular sour passion fruit, a balance was achieved.

Mille feuille with passion fruit custard

My favourite of the desserts was the Mille feuille with passion fruit custard. Layer upon layer of wafer-thin pastry were sandwiched together with creamy yet tart passion fruit custard and served with fresh passion fruit and kiwi – two of my all-time favourite fruits. Perfection to a tee.

The atmosphere at ABC is fantastic, and this all boils down to its location, as you just can’t replicate the energy and excitement you’ll find in a cooked food market. Go with a group, bring your own wine (at zero corkage charge!) and this is bound to be a fun night. The delicious food is just a bonus. Make sure you book in advance, as although they serve 70 covers on an average night, even on a weeknight it is always buzzing.

One thing to note about ABC Kitchen is that although it is situated amongst dai pai dongs, the prices are by no means dai pai dong prices. For three starters, five mains and three desserts, plus a bottle of wine (we didn’t plan ahead) we paid $300 a head. Not outrageous under normal circumstances, but just make sure you’re not expecting to pay local prices. However, for fare that is undeniably always going to win in any dai pai dong battle, ABC will have you rushing back regardless of the cost. Trust me.

ABC Kitchen

CF7, 1/F Queen Street Cooked Food Market
38 Des Voeux Road West
Sheung Wan
Hong Kong

Tel: +852 9278 8227

Pho Yummee

17 Jan

I have not been inside The Peak Galleria since at least nine years ago when we used to live up on The Peak. Back then there was hardly anything of note in there except Café Deco and perhaps a couple of other restaurants. I still would never use it as my go-to shopping mall but it has certainly gone up in the world since I was last there. A few months ago, Café Deco group added another restaurant to its collection, a casual contemporary Vietnamese restaurant that goes by the fitting name of Pho Yummee.

I adore Nha Trang and for me there are few Vietnamese street food restaurants in Hong Kong that compare, so I was interested to try Pho Yummee to see how it fared.

The décor is kept simple and bright, so eyes are drawn towards the open kitchen where the skilled chefs prepare the food. On a warm night (definitely not the night I went), seating is available on the balcony, perfect for people- or rather tourist-watching, or if you’re lucky enough to go on a clear night, to admire the view.

Soft shell crab summer rolls

Our feast (for I was dining with Café Deco’s lovely PR girl) started off with soft shell crab, mango, ginger and avocado summer rolls. These are a must-have for me at any Vietnamese eatery, and somehow Pho Yummee managed to make them even better than any I’ve ever tasted before. The contrast between the crunch of the crab and the soft buttery avocado, not to mention the sweetness of the mango was beautiful, particularly accompanied by the delicious homemade sauce.

Char-grilled pork belly skewers

Char-grilled pork belly skewers topped with crispy shallots came next. Although very tasty, these were rather a nightmare to remove from the skewer and then even more difficult to eat, to the extent that the friendly waiter decided to bring us cutlery – something no true Hong Konger ever wishes to happen to them!

Pomelo with roasted duck salad

The pomelo with roasted duck salad was delicious – again an exciting contrast between the juicy pomelo, crunchy peanut and crispy lettuce, and made even more exciting by the first-smoked-then-roast duck breast. Like nothing you’ve ever tasted before.

Cold rice vermicelli with turmeric catfish

The cold rice vermicelli with turmeric catfish, scallion and dill was light and refreshing, and I can imagine it being an absolute sell-out on a hot summer’s day. For me, though, perhaps a little heavy on the batter.

Bun Bo Hue

I was feeling the need for something warm, so saved space for the two (giant) bowls of soup noodles. First came the Bun Bo Hue (rice vermicelli with beef brisket and pork in a hot and spicy Hue-style soup). This was one of my favourite dishes - perfectly warming to the bone and the noodles just the right texture. I would have liked it a little spicier but our friendly waiter said he didn’t know if I could take the heat! Pah!

Pho Bo

The Pho Bo, usually one of my all-time favourite Vietnamese dishes, actually seriously let me down. Although this may sound ridiculous, it was overpoweringly beefy. The stock was too concentrated meaning there was no chance for any other flavour to stand out.

Vietnamese-style fried rice

The Vietnamese-style fried rice however, was incredible and definitely my favourite dish. The contrast of textures and flavours here became even greater as prawns, Vietnamese sausage, pork floss, dried black olives, strips of egg and sawtooth coriander all came into play. I’m a huge fan of the yeung chow chow fan, but the Vietnamese sure do a mean version too.

Vietnamese savoury crepe

Stomachs bursting, we were presented with a crêpe filled with shrimp, pork, Vietnamese sausage and bean sprouts. Not something I would usually go for, it was nevertheless another delightful dish.

It is scientifically proven (by the well-known scientist Dr. Wilkinson) that there is a separate compartment for dessert. However, somehow on this occasion it was a real struggle to fit half a scoop each of homemade strawberry-lemongrass and tangerine-rambutan sorbet in my compartment. The small amounts I could manage, however were light and fresh, accentuated by real pieces of fruit mixed in.

Pho Yummee is very reasonably priced and offers something a bit different to The Peak’s other restaurants. Unless you are forced to go on a weekend walk or forced to take your annoying relatives on a sightseeing tour, you are probably unlikely to find yourself standing in front of The Peak Galleria. If, however, you are reluctantly made to do one of the above, make it worth your while and try Pho Yummee.

Pho Yummee

Shop 19-21
Level 1, The Peak Galleria
118 Peak Road
The Peak
Hong Kong

Tel: +852 2849 2121

Yardbird

27 Sep

Since even before it opened, I had heard nothing but good publicity about Yardbird’s chicken yakitori. Knowing that the chef, Matt Abergel, had been poached from Zuma, I wasn’t at all surprised at what I was hearing and was eager to try it for myself.

A little past Oolaa on Bridges Street, you’ll find Yardbird, a modern, lively restaurant modelled on a Japanese izakaya – a down to earth neighbourhood restaurant, and that is exactly the vibe that Yardbird gives off.

The no-reservation policy may sound off-putting, particularly if it remains as popular as it is now, but after a few sips of one of their signature cocktails at the bar and you’ll be seated before you can say “edamame.” Try the Chu Hai, a refreshing blend of Shochu and citrus juice. It’s best to try not to spill it all over yourself, however, as it will only result in a wet dress and a table full of locals laughing at you.

Aside from their no-reservation policy, Yardbird imposes three rules. The first of these rules is “sharing is caring.” This happens to be one of my favourite phrases of all time, as the more you share food, the more variety you’ll get to eat and thus less chance that Food Envy will show his ugly face. At Yardbird, all dishes are designed for sharing, and as each yakitori dish only contains one skewer, you feel at liberty to order a range of items without the fear of being called a fatty.

The second rule is that everything is limited. There is no walk-in refrigerator, so everything is delivered every day and made to sell out, meaning that you are eating only the freshest ingredients.

Korean Fried Cauliflower

We started off with the KFC. Although this restaurant’s obsession is with chicken, this dish thankfully has absolutely nothing to do with the greasy fried chicken we know to associate with this acronym, but actually stands for Korean Fried Cauliflower. Cauliflower, as I must have mentioned before, to me is the most pointless vegetable in the world. A poor man’s broccoli would be a generous description. However, when encased in a light batter, sprinkled with sesame seeds and glazed in a delicious sweet and spicy sauce, I could eat cauliflower with every meal.

The fruit tomato salad with balsamic dressing was pleasant and light but I think next time I would rather save the space in my stomach for a couple more skewers instead.

Chef Abergel likes to use every part of the chicken, so on the menu you will find everything from chicken heart and chicken liver to chicken neck and chicken tail to more conventional options like chicken thigh and chicken wings.

Our very friendly Puerto Rican waitress recommended we share four skewers between the two of us, so we opted for the chicken meatball, chicken neck, chicken tail and chicken wings.

The chicken meatball (pictured above) was delicious – succulent and juicy, just a shame I had to share it. It is served alongside a raw egg yolk dip which complements it perfectly.

On to the chicken neck – I wouldn’t have thought there would be much meat on a chicken’s neck but was pleasantly surprised at how meaty it actually was. I think this might have been the best part of the chicken.

Spicy chicken wings

Although, having said this, chicken wings, when done well, are also a delectable part of the bird. Here, the little wings are dusted with a delicious shichimi spice, a packet of which you are each given when presented with the bill.

Although fatty, I was still very impressed with the chicken tail. My fellow diner, however, was not of the same opinion and complained that the chicken was too fat. I’m sure if his behind was carved up and put on a skewer it wouldn’t be much different.

Chicken and egg

One of Yardbird’s few non-chicken dishes is the short-rib - deliciously succulent pork meat that melts in the mouth. Chef Abergel does good chicken but he also does a mean rib.

The final dish our kind waitress suggested we must try was chicken and egg, which could perhaps be likened to a bibimbap – a deliciously sticky mix of rice, peas, deep fried chicken skin and raw egg served in a piping hot dish to continue cooking. Comfort food at its best.

The only option for dessert was peanut butter ice cream, which we could barely turn down. It tasted like the inside of a Snickers bar – amazing.

Service at Yardbird is amongst the best in Hong Kong, and refreshingly, there is no service charge – rule number three. When you aren’t forced to pay for it and yet the service is amazing, you’re much more inclined to want to tip, especially knowing it will go straight to the waiters.

Dinner for two will set you back over $500 each which, although pricey for what it is, isn’t absurdly expensive. Japanese restaurants abound in Hong Kong, but none quite like this one. You can tell there is a real passion in the air at Yardbird, not just from the chef, but from all the staff and I’m sure even the chickens are happy to be a part of it.

Yardbird

35 Bridges Street
Sheung Wan
Hong Kong

Tel: +852 2547 9273

Date visited: Wednesday 21st September 2011

The Grand Stage at Western Market

23 Aug

I am very aware that I call my blog The Dim Sum Diaries and yet there is not a single dim sum review on here. There isn’t really an excuse for it other than that I always go back to the same dim sum restaurants and it is generally against the ethos of my blog to write about an already visited restaurant. I have begun to rectify this by trying The Grand Stage at Western Market.

Western Market, completed in 1906, is the oldest surviving market building in Hong Kong. Obviously it has been renovated a couple of times, but it still maintains the beautiful Edwardian structure, with classical red brick and granite façades and a high ceiling.

The Grand Stage on the second floor is quite an amazing setting, looking out over the few market stalls still in existence. Apart from the all-important chandeliers, it is very different to any other dim sum restaurant in town. There is less hustle and bustle, no need to queue for a table (in fact we were given a table for seven without any delay), and the food is generally presented in a more fancy manner, though not at too much of a price difference.

I think we ordered enough food to serve an army, yet looking through the menu now, I notice things I wish we had ordered. This is always the case with dim sum as no matter how much you order, you never seem to even make a dent in the menu. I always prefer to go in a bigger group, however, as the waiters don’t give you as many dirty looks for ordering far too much food and not eating it (though more often than not, even in a small group, Gweilos will make a pretty good job of finishing it all!).

Highlights at The Grand Stage were poached pork and vegetable wontons in chilli oil, xiao long bao (always a winner), pan-fried turnip cake (essential choice), pan-fried pork buns in Japanese style and har cheong fun (in this case as individual portions with one whole prawn inside rather than pathetic little ones).

I wasn’t too impressed with their egg custard buns, even though they did attempt to make them fancy by adding a touch of grated coconut. The filling just didn’t ooze quite enough for my liking. I like a lot of ooze. The sautéed snap beans with minced pork weren’t wonderful either, as there was too much oil and not enough pork.

Just as in many HK dim sum eateries, the waiters don’t speak amazing English, although they do try their best, and service is passable. Including a tip, we paid $200 each. Obviously you can get dim sum for cheaper in other places, but the atmosphere at The Grand Stage is really worth it. I would recommend it to show off to visitors as an alternative to the fun and lively City Hall, another of my favourites.

Craving something sweet and unable to resist Honeymoon Desserts on the ground floor of Western Market, we popped in there for some mango pudding, mango dumplings and mango sago. So worth the extra calories. Although calories don’t count on a Sunday anyway.

The Grand Stage

2/F Western Market
323 Des Voeux Road
Central
Hong Kong

Tel: +853 2815 2311

Date visited: Sunday 21st August 2011

Magnolia

22 Aug

Since moving back to Hong Kong last year, I had heard a lot of hype about Lori Granito’s Magnolia, but had not had the chance to try it until this weekend for a very good friend’s birthday party. If you know how excited I get about food, you can only imagine the excitement that had been built up over the last year about trying Magnolia’s Creole cuisine.

I had been advised that a night at Magnolia involved a LOT of food, so purposefully chose to wear a very floaty dress, and I now understand that this was definitely a wise move. There is no point in going to Magnolia unless you are prepared to be very well fed. A good tip is to have a fairly light lunch and go for a run a couple of hours before dinner to make sure you are extra hungry and ready for a feast, as that is exactly what Magnolia is: a feast!

The idea is to arrive at 8pm sharp, where you are greeted by the Magnolia team with a welcome cocktail and some canapés. I unfortunately arrived at 8:25 so was not able to make the most of the reception, although I did head straight for the food table where the freshly baked bread with sundried tomato, cream cheese and pesto spread was calling out my name. I could have devoured the whole plate, but was quickly reminded that there was so much more to come.

We were led through the open kitchen, where the sights and aromas of southern American splendours made our mouths water, and upstairs into our private dining room.

The first dish to kick off the feast was a bowl of gumbo soup. With fresh prawns, crab claws, sausage, rice and a fair amount of chilli, this dish perfectly matched the standards I had been expecting for the night.

Fried green tomatoes with crayfish salad

Next we were each served a small plate of deep-fried green tomatoes with a crayfish salad. The little green tomatoes were incredible, coated in a Cajun batter, which was so good that I couldn’t care less how bad they were for me!

To follow these starters, an overwhelming variety of dishes were brought in and placed in the centre of the table to be shared, family style, including fried catfish strips, sweet potato mash, mustard greens with bacon, chicken etouffee with steamed rice, sausage jambalaya, Cajun BBQ ribs and cornbread muffins.

Cajun BBQ ribs

I particularly enjoyed the sausage jambalaya, always one of my favourite dishes, and the warm cornbread muffins were delicious. The dish that truly shone, however, was the BBQ ribs. The meat was so tender that it slid straight off the bone and melted in the mouth. Although I was almost reaching optimum fullness, I could not resist eating more of these ribs!

I had baked a carrot cake (for which the recipe may or may not appear on here soon by request), so after singing ‘Happy Birthday’, the cake was served alongside Magnolia’s famous pecan pie (pictured above). Obviously this was a little over-indulgent, but you can’t have a birthday without cake! If I may say so myself, my cake was pretty damn tasty, and several people mentioned that they actually preferred it to the pie. I do think that they were just being polite, however, as the pie was amazing! The glutton here polished off both desserts, meaning I was even more grateful to be wearing a floaty dress. Fortunately not everyone was as greedy as me, so a large doggy bag provided cake and pie for breakfast on Sunday.

Magnolia is completely BYOB, without corkage charge, and the attentive waiters are constantly on the lookout to top up empty wine and water glasses.

They request for the $450 per person (not bad at all for the amount of food on offer) to be paid prior to the meal, to avoid any cancellations, and as you do not part with any money on the actual night, it almost feels like you’re having a free meal!

Just in case you’re still hungry, as you leave, you are presented with a little gift box containing a yummy little cupcake from Lori’s cupcake company, Sprinkles. Even if the thought of ever eating again is unbearable, accept the cake, as you’ll be grateful the following day!

If you’re looking for a down to earth private kitchen that isn’t absurdly expensive yet serves deliciously wholesome food, then I would definitely recommend Magnolia. You may well roll out of there and it might not be the most conducive idea for a night out afterwards, but fight through it, and a couple of Jaeger bombs later, you’ll be right as rain!

Magnolia

Shop 5, G/F
17 Po Yan Street
Sheung Wan
Hong Kong

Tel: +852 2530 9880

Date visited: Saturday 20th August 2011

Davis

18 Aug

 

For dinner on Wednesday night, we wanted to explore an area we had not ventured to before, somewhere easy to get to, relaxed and very casual. Davis in Kennedy Town ticked all these boxes.

Run by a lovely couple called Vivien and David, Davis classes itself as a wine and tapas bar. I personally would not categorise the food as tapas at all, as a lot of it is not really designed for sharing, but they certainly do offer some truly delicious down to earth food.

The first thing I was told about Davis was that their homemade cheesecake of the day was a Mars Bar cheesecake. Conveniently I was just on my way to Fiji Fitness when I heard this, so even though I was already stiff from the day before, I knew I had to push myself that little bit harder to make extra cheesecake-space.

The décor is very rustic and cosy: bare-brick walls, stone floor, stone-topped high tables and high wooden stools under a fairly dim light. The blackboard menu in the doorway is enough to draw you in for a very laid back dose of the kind of food that my aching muscles were craving: comfort food.

Between four of us, we decided to share three starters: Deep fried shrimp balls stuffed with blue cheese, Fresh Boston mussels in white wine cream sauce and Baked Portobello mushroom topped with spicy sausages and blue cheese.

Deep fried shrimp balls stuffed with blue cheese

The shrimp balls were definitely not something I would have thought to pair with blue cheese, yet I was pleasantly surprised. Obviously the blue cheese made them fairly salty, but this was balanced by the sweet chilli sauce and fresh watercress, making this really quite an interesting dish and leaving us craving more than just the one ball each.

Boston mussels in white wine cream sauce

This craving soon passed and was replaced by the incredible mussels. They were so fresh and full of flavour, soaked in the delicious creamy white wine sauce, which was the perfect dip for the accompanying garlic bread. I had to resist scooping up the sauce and eating it like a soup.

Baked Portobello mushroom with blue cheese and spicy sausage

The stuffed mushroom was just as delicious, served alongside a goat’s cheese and cherry tomato salad. Again, salty blue cheese, but it was evened out by the sweetness of the salad. My one complaint was that the table was too small for all these dishes, meaning we had to eat the mussels a little too quickly to be able to fully enjoy them before the mushroom stole all the available table space.

For mains, choices ranged from fish and chips, to lamb meatballs to crab, chicken or beef burgers, to a broad selection of pasta and accompanying sauces. Two people chose the penne pasta with chicken and red curry sauce. An interesting combination as the obvious choice for curry is rice, not pasta, but nevertheless a successful pairing and the sauce had a comforting kick to it.

 

Homemade wild mushroom ravioli

The homemade wild mushroom ravioli in a Pernod cream sauce was very fresh and light although a tad too salty for my liking. Fortunately the extra salt was a blessing for my friend who was suffering from a slight cold so her taste buds weren’t as responsive!

Linguini with prawns in spicy tomato sauce

My choice was the Linguini sautéed with prawns in a spicy tomato sauce. If you like a lot of garlic then look no further than this dish as there were a lot of whole lumps of garlic, which I thoroughly enjoyed. It could have done with being a little spicier for my liking but certainly had a little kick. The prawns were fresh but still had their tails on which delayed the eating process ever so slightly.

Portion sizes are very generous at Davis so definitely don’t bother coming if you’re not particularly hungry. Unless of course you are just after the cheesecake, as I would most definitely go again just for the cheesecake!

There were in fact three cheesecake options: butterscotch, amaretto or Mars bar. We were going to have two between the four of us but then realised that it might be rude not to try the third one, so we asked for a small slice of each (they ignored the ‘small’ request and brought us three regular slices!). In increasing order from least favourite to most favourite: the first mouthful of the amaretto one was pleasing but soon became overwhelmingly rich; the butterscotch one was incredible; but the Best Cheesecake Award definitely goes to…. (drum roll please) the Mars Bar one. It had an amazing caramel surprise at the bottom, which oozed out at the touch of a fork. At times like these it’s best not to even consider the caloric intake and just close your eyes and enjoy it. Until tomorrow when I would definitely suggest some hardcore exercise!

The winner: Mars bar cheesecake

Service was exceptional. Vivien came and spoke to us directly several times as she remembered my sister from another restaurant that they used to own on Gough Street. The familiarity and the fact that she even remembered my sister’s name about three years after having last seen her added a personal touch to a delicious and very relaxed meal.

The bill (including no wine but two beers) came to $300 a head, which isn’t cheap as chips but, seriously, those cheesecakes make it 100% worthwhile.

Davis

Shop 7, G/F
Grand Fortune Mansion
1 Davis Street
Kennedy Town
Hong Kong

Tel: +852 281 2727

Date visited: Wednesday 17th August 2011

 

Yue Kee Roasted Goose Restaurant

12 Aug

In a land far, far away from the little bubble that is Hong Kong Island there is an age-old gem of a restaurant serving up the most delicious roast goose…

Scrap that, as in fact, by public transport, it can be reached in under 30 minutes and by taxi in even less than that, so this delicious roast goose is actually much more accessible than you’d think.

Yue Kee has been renowned for its amazing charcoal roast goose (reared in their very own goose farm in Guandong) since 1958 when it started as a teeny little shack in Sham Tseng. It is now quite an institution, although surprisingly I had never before been. Now that I have though, I’m already craving going back!

As you approach the restaurant, that incredible smell fills the air, beckoning you to enter, daring you to resist. As expected in any Chinese resto, the birds are displayed at the front, hanging from a rail for all to see, behind the proud, grinning chefs, some of whom look as if they’ve been there since the very beginning.

We were seven and were therefore advised that we would need one whole goose. Gary the goose (as I decided he was to be called) was enormous, served on two plates, suddenly making us feel a little greedy! Nevertheless, we managed pretty well and ate almost all of Gary who was perfectly succulent and very, very moreish. Served with steamed rice, I almost asked for soy sauce, before realising that pouring some of the goose juice (or fat, whatever you like to call it) over the rice was a perfect meal in itself!

Charcoal roast goose

Equally as delicious were the prawns with garlic. Or rather garlic with prawns. I LOVE garlic, and this dish was absolutely coated in it. What remained on the plate was quickly scooped up and mixed in with the remainder of my rice. Amazing.

Garlic prawns

Salt and pepper squid is one of my all time favourite dishes, and Yue Kee’s did not disappoint. I would have liked a few more crispy tentacles but I suppose we can’t always get what we want.

Sweet and sour pork would never be my chosen dish as the pork is always chewy and I’m never quite sure if the “pork” has ever in fact come into contact with a pig. At Yue Kee, however, rather than big cubes of pork, you are given thin slices that are far from chewy.

As we were at a goose restaurant, we of course had to try other parts of the goose, namely the kidneys and the intestines. I say I eat anything, but there are limits to this, and kidney and intestine are usually way past those limits. However, when in Rome… The kidney was awful and, to me, actually tasted like blood. The intestine on the other hand was disappointingly actually quite tasty as all I could taste was the delicious black bean sauce. I did not, however, go as far as to taste the goose brains, as a couple of my fellow diners did. That would be light years from the limit.

Goose kidney and intestine in black bean sauce

Prawn, squid and scallop with cashew nuts – bliss. Steamed Chinese vegetables sprinkled with bacon – divine and necessary to make us feel slightly less unhealthy! Finished off with a complimentary bowl of sago each to cleanse the palate.

One of my favourite things about this restaurant is the crockery. There is a little Gary on all the plates, bowls and even the little peanut bowls. Which of course I did not pinch. Who does that?!

Service at Yue Kee I would say is better than most Chinese restaurants in the same category – the waiters actually smile! Total bill for a tremendous amount of food was just under $200 a head.

A selection from Lucky Desserts

As if we hadn’t eaten enough, we trundled down the road (in the pouring rain) to Lucky Desserts. I seriously recommend saving space for this place. The desserts are incredible: from banana and chocolate pancake rolls, to durian (bleurgh) rolls, to shaved ice, to an endless list of sagos, to mango sticky rice rolls – all amazing and well worth the extra five million calories.

Yue Kee Roasted Goose Restaurant

9 Sham Hong Road
Sham Tseng
New Territories
Hong Kong

Tel: +852 2491 0105

Date visited: Wednesday 10th August 2011

Linguini Fini

25 Jul

Being a big fan of Todd Darling and Robert Spina’s Posto Pubblico and Cantopop, I had wanted to try Linguini Fini from the moment I heard it was due to open in L place. Unfortunately, the timing of their opening was not ideal and I missed it by one day when I flew back to England. Therefore, as soon as I was back, I had to make plans to check it out, hoping that had there initially been any kinks in service, they would, by this stage, have been successfully ironed out.

They do not take bookings at this casual and affordable New York style Italian diner, but as there were only two of us, we were offered two spots at the bar – perfectly placed to be able to watch the pasta being made. My friend, who would willingly survive on just pasta for the rest of her life, commented that she finds “pasta always so mesmerising” and there is certainly some truth in that; there was little I could do to refrain from staring and stop myself from drooling. Thus, ignoring any other options on the menu, I knew that I HAD to have pasta!

Perhaps as it was peak time and the tartan-clad waiters were clearly rushed off their feet, or perhaps as we had our backs to them, engrossed in the art of pasta-making, service was not exceptional. After waiting long enough, we in fact had to flag down a waitress and request some menus, but it wasn’t enough to detract from my excitement of the meal that was to follow, and the freshly cooked still-warm bread served in an old anchovy tin kind of made up for it.

The daily set lunch menu at $98 includes one of two salads, followed by either a sandwich or one of two pasta dishes and a tea or coffee. Not immensely attracted to any of today’s choices however, we stuck to the slightly pricier regular menu. We chose to share a homemade spicy pork sausage from the antipasti menu, which was delicious, served with roasted onions and peppers and a roasted garlic mustard – definitely worth ordering again.

Homemade spicy sausage

My friend chose the Spaghetti Carbonara, which at Linguini Fini is not just any carbonara. The spaghetti is infused with char siu, bringing a little bit of Hong Kong to this typical Italian dish, and successfully so, giving it a very interesting and certainly moreish flavour.

Spaghetti Carbonara

I selected the Tortelloni with eggplant and sundried tomatoes in a goat’s cheese fonduta sauce, which again, was divine, if a little rich. I just about managed with what was on my plate, but would certainly not have coped with any more. The man to my right on the bar mentioned that he was trying so hard to refrain from sticking his fork into one of the tortelloni and pinching it. Likewise were my thoughts about his GIANT spaghetti and meatball. Yes, singular meatball. I might have to try it next time. Or just hope for a very generous neighbour.

Tortelloni

 

One of the things I love about Posto Pubblico, Cantopop and now evidently Linguini Fini is that all the dishes are cooked using natural and fresh ingredients from local farms, sourced by Homegrown Foods. So you know that even though you are probably consuming far too many calories (a run is definitely on the cards this evening), they are at least good calories, if such a thing exists!

Absolutely bursting at the seams, dessert was not even considered, although as I write and reminisce about my Linguini Fini experience, I can’t stop thinking about their homemade gelato and sorbeti. Again, that’ll be something to save space for next time. Unless my neighbour is really, really generous…

Total bill came to $302, without service charge. I have expressed my feelings about HK and service charge before and I stand my ground that I feel a place should earn their service charge rather than demand it, as I always feel more inclined to tip if it’s not forced upon me. Maybe the Integrated Hospitality Management boys should teach other HK restos a lesson or two!

Linguini Fini

1/F The L Place
139 Queen’s Road Central
Central
Hong Kong

Tel: +852 2857 1333

Date visited: Monday 25th July 2011

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