Tag Archives: bread

Island East Markets

5 Oct

island east markets hong kong

If there’s one thing Hong Kong was lacking, it was a decent farmer’s market. Although people have tried – and I give them credit for trying – they were simply not up to the standard of the sort of farmer’s markets I knew and loved back in England.

Thankfully, well-known food blogger Janice Leung of blog E-ting the World and Vincent Poon, one of the duo behind HK’s first restaurant week, Springalicious, amongst other things, have come to the rescue, bringing us Island East Markets, a series of four gorgeous and exciting farmer’s markets on Tong Chong Street in Quarry Bay, lovingly sponsored by Swire Properties Island East.

island east markets hong kong

My love for markets is such that I had ‘Island East Markets’ written in my diary for Sunday 30th September and the next three consecutive Sundays from the first whisper I heard about it. So, last Sunday, despite having had far too little sleep (my own fault entirely; I got carried away thinking I was the DJ somewhere in LKF), I set my alarm bright and early to get first picks of the market’s delightful treats.

island east markets hong kong

island east markets hong kong

island east markets hong kong

With over 40 exciting stalls, ranging from colourful organic vegetables, to delicious homemade cakes and brownies, to locally produced honey, to scrumptious pies, to beautiful wines, to creative jewellery, to vintage clothing – you name it, there was literally something for everyone.

island east markets hong kong

Not only that, but there was also a Miele Entertainment Area with live music, face painting stands for the kids, and cooking demonstrations at the Miele Puresteam Bar.  In my opinion, the only thing that was missing was a stall selling fresh organic meat. Granted, there aren’t many local organic meat producers, but perhaps something along the lines of Pacific Gourmet wouldn’t have gone amiss.

island east markets hong kong

I was completely in my element as I tottered from stall to glorious stall, tasting every freebie I came across; I could have spent all day there. It was great to see Chevonne and the lovely girls from Grassroots Pantry, Leslie from Bon Vivant Organics, Homegrown Foods, Classified, Tai Tai Pie Pies and many, many more.

island east markets hong kong

Although I had pretty much had my share of breakfast and lunch just by accepting freebies, there was one stall selling snacks that I simply could not resist: Little Bao. Think of an oversized char siu bao bun, stuffed with amazing chunks of sautéed pork and spicy cabbage – seriously it was to die for and it totally hit the spot.

Now, I mentioned that Island East Markets is around for the next three consecutive Sundays. Word on the street is that if these four markets are successful, they may indeed become a permanent fixture. I neeeeed them to become a permanent fixture. So I ask you – no, in fact I beg you, I implore you – to go to Island East Markets this Sunday and help it to be the success that it has so much potential to be. After buying a Little Bao, a brownie from Classified, some locally made honey, a tin of foie gras (because…why not, right?) and a few bags full of gorgeous organic vegetables, I guarantee that you too will be a market fiend and will need Island East Markets in your life.

Island East Markets

Tong Chong Street
TaiKoo Place
Quarry Bay
Hong Kong

30th September
7th October
14th October
21st October
And hopefully more dates to come…!

http://hkmarkets.org/

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Watermark

20 Apr

I had a friend from home visiting for the Rugby 7s and on her last night, although we were both suffering from the excesses of the weekend, we wanted to go for a nice chilled out meal in a scenic location. She had been up to the Peak earlier in the day and we weren’t in the mood to trek all the way over to “the dark side” to dine somewhere with a view of Hong Kong’s spectacular skyline. The next best thing was to go somewhere with a view of the TST harbour. Watermark, just above the Star Ferry, offers an unobstructed view of the harbour with huge glass windows giving you the feeling that you’re almost sitting on the water. You know it’s going to be a special place from the moment you walk in, with its long entrance way leading you to a large open space with high ceilings and, of course, the harbour view. Lest we forget that en route you must walk past several windows where you can peer into the kitchen and observe all the scrumptious meals being prepared. What immediately caught my eye was some sort of chocolate dessert which I knew I had to find on the menu and HAD to order no matter how full I was at the end of my meal!

 As we decided on our resto venue very last minute, we obviously hadn’t booked a table, so although there were tables available, none were right next to the windows. We could still see the harbour but had a few big heads in our way obstructing the “unobstructed view” so I would definitely recommend booking a table and requesting one close to the windows, especially if, like me, you are trying to show off our beautiful city and try to convince your friends to move out here too!

 The waiters were all very attentive and immediately brought us some warm bread with a delicious dipping sauce. Although our taste buds were certain there were hints of garlic and lemon in this dip, we were advised that it was merely Greek yoghurt with a touch of salt and pepper, sprinkled with parmesan. Maybe the 7s confused our taste buds but regardless it was delicious and a nice touch to replace the average slab of butter most restaurants serve you.

 As we weren’t outrageously starving, we passed on the starters, although they did look tempting – particularly the Iberian ham with roasted capsicum, crispy eggplant and aged manchego – and went straight for the mains. My friend ordered the spaghetti with seared langoustines and tomato concasse and, after asking our very helpful waitress what the most delicious dishes on the menu were, I opted for the chef’s speciality of Brittany cod with salsify, wild mushrooms and watercress. Both dishes were divine; neither were unnecessarily big portions, both were beautifully presented and our plates may as well have been licked clean as there was not a trace of food left over. I have grown up with the saying “waste not want not” drilled into my little brain, but this time I did not need to be reminded as I had no intention of leaving any of my delicious cod behind. I used to never be a fan of the fungus but these days I rather enjoy my mushrooms, and must say that these ones were particularly special. After the cod, they may have been the star of the main course. I won’t say they were the star of the show, however, as that award definitely goes to the delicious dessert which I had saved a little corner of my stomach for – I always say that there’s a separate compartment for dessert.

 We were pretty full after having asked for a second round of bread and dipping sauce, but I located the scrummy looking dessert which I had previously glimpsed through the window into the kitchen: it was a melting middle chocolate pudding served with vanilla bean ice cream. The kind that you just softly touch with the tip of your fork and it oozes all over your plate. The kind that Marks & Spencer used to include in their amazing food-porn adverts. The kind that even though I was absolutely stuffed, I couldn’t bear to leave a crumb of. Each of the desserts on the menu had its own little tagline underneath. For example, apparently the pear tart is “to impress your date”, and the chocolate pudding is “to be eaten without showing your teeth!” The cheese served with figs and walnut bread seemed to be one of their specialities “as an excuse to stay for longer” but unfortunately I couldn’t find the cheese compartment in my stomach. I think the pudding stole it.

 A little bit pricier than the average place but not out of this world prices and definitely worth every penny (sorry, cent. I live in the dollar world now), especially taking into consideration that you’re most likely also paying for the view. Mains ranged from $160 to $400.They also have a great wine list. New Zealand Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc was the most expensive one on the list but I couldn’t turn down a glass and it was delicious. Our bill came to $611 after a kind discount for paying with an HSBC card. I can picture my father who worked for HSBC from the age of 18 jumping for joy at this!

 Watermark

Central Pier 7
Top Level
Star Ferry
Hong Kong

Tel: +852 2167 7251

Date visited: Tuesday 29th March 2011

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Veggie SF

20 Apr

What with it being the week leading up to the Rugby 7s which is always a ridiculous weekend where you simply cannot avoid drinking far too much and eating far too unhealthily, I had been trying my utmost to prepare for this by NOT drinking at all, and eating as healthily as I could without limiting myself to rabbit fodder… at least for a couple of days. So when planning a lunch date with a friend who is also of the same mind set, we had to take this into consideration. She suggested trying Veggie SF, which I admittedly had never heard of and therefore jumped at the idea so that I could kill two birds with one stone: my ever-present hunger and the need to try a new restaurant.

It’s located on Stanley Street in what I think is one of the most amazing buildings in HK. Not looks-wise. In fact I have no idea what it actually looks like from the outside as I’m always way too eager to get INside. But because of the fact that most of the building seems to be dedicated to just restaurants! A-MAZ-ING.

As soon as you step out of the lift on the 10th floor, you are immediately catapulted not only to an American diner, but also to the 1950s. I’ve never been to San Francisco, but that is the style it is going for, and according to people who have been there, it hits the nail bang on the head. Obviously I’ve never been to the 1950s either but… you know what I mean. There are car license plates, road signs, American flags and all sorts of retro bits and bobs on the walls. What I particularly liked was the mismatched chairs and stools which give it a really laid back feel and make you feel like you could actually be in someone’s home. It’s not too big either so has that kind of cosy feel to it.

I checked it out online first (obviously) and YES they do have a website! We’re starting strongly here, first two restos both have websites! The website actually shows pictures of some delicious looking meals (all vegetarian of course, but still yummy-looking) such as home-made veggie wanton with pumpkin sauce or a rather interestingly named rainbow bimbimbap (huh?!) but I’m not sure where they were on the menu. Definitely weren’t on the one we were offered, so I’m guessing either they didn’t like us or there’s a different evening menu. What we were offered was a double-sided menu with the set lunches on one side and the side dishes on the other. We wanted to have a soup each and a selection of side dishes to share, tapas style, but apparently this is not allowed. Sergeant waitress told us we had to have a minimum of one set lunch each (does anyone seriously order more than one?!) and then you’re allowed to order side dishes. I’ve lived here long enough to understand that this is not only this particular restaurant’s rules, but in fact, HK rules. If something isn’t on the menu it’s “No. Cannot. Sorry.” End of story. So we opted for the “Light Combo” kicking off with a broccoli soup which at first sight appeared somewhat watery and…green, but actually rather pleased my taste buds. We were then served some delicious warm seeded bread with pesto, which tasted scrumptiously home-made. I’m sure bread is usually served WITH soup, not after it, but the pesto was too good to complain. A little on the salty side but still wonderful. The star of the show was the garden salad featuring lettuce, raisins, cashew nuts, beetroot and cherry tomatoes in what they call a “mysterious dressing”. I assumed that given that title, it would be a secret recipe but was told straight out that it is a balsamic and honey dressing. I personally usually prefer my salads naked (actually, what am I saying? I rarely actually even opt for a salad) but rather enjoyed this mysterious-but-not-so-mysterious dressing. As we ordered the set lunch and we were then “allowed” a side dish, we chose the curry veggie balls. They lied to us on two accounts here though: 1. The waitress told us they were made of vegetables, which was not strictly true as it was some kind of tofu, and 2. the menu states eight pieces but we were only given six. This was more than enough though as, even though the curry sauce was delicious, the actual veggie ball when bitten into had the texture of a frankfurter which is possibly my least favourite type of sausage. I gave it a second and third chance but will definitely never give it a fourth.

Overall opinion on the food: it was fine but not wowee delish. I’d definitely go back though as I’m keen to try the yummy looking dishes which I never got the chance to order. At the very least I need to find out what a bimbimbap is! Maybe for dinner they aren’t so strict on the set menu – who knows. Total bill cost was $207. Bargain.

Great ambience and something a little different to your average vegetarian restaurant. One thing I must mention about this place is that along with herbal teas and other healthy fixes, they sell some really sweet vintage handbags and vintage jewellery. Wouldn’t necessarily wear much of the jewellery but it’s such a lovely idea and it reminded me of my favourite bar in Bath which sells all sorts of vintage knick-knacks. I miss you, Opium!

Veggie SF

10/F Stanley 11
11 Stanley Street
Central
Tel: +852 3902 3902     

Date visited: Tuesday 22nd March 2011

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The Press Room

20 Apr

I am somewhat embarrassed to admit that, having lived in Hong Kong a total of almost nine years, it is only on my most recent stint here that I ventured for the first time into Sheung Wan. I’m a bit lazy with new places so I usually like to stick to what I know. Back in September I walked past The Press Room which I thought looked right up my street, yet it has taken me this long to actually get myself down there. I went for brunch on a Saturday with a group of friends and am definitely glad that I did. From the moment you walk in, there’s a really great atmosphere. It used to be part of a newspaper printing building, so has high ceilings and a great use of space. It’s has a sort of French style New York feel to it with wood panelled walls mounted with paintings, tiled floors and obviously a huuuuge blackboard detailing the daily specials – a modern take on a French brasserie.

 First thing I did when I was notified of our brunch venue was obviously check out the menu. (I was very pleased to see that The Press Room does actually have it’s own website. Well done Press Room.) So I narrowed it down to steak sandwich, Eggs Benedict, Croque Madame or The Press Room Burger, depending how hungry I felt on the day. Come brunch-day, I had wisely not gone out the night before and managed to get up at 9.30 to walk up to The Peak. Every time I do this I ask myself why. It’s a ridiculously steep climb and I always wonder why I didn’t just get the peak tram up. Nevertheless, got to the top, very sweaty but felt great and instantly thought “yup, burger it is then.”

 Although I knew I was going for the burger, I obviously still looked at the menu and considered my options. Steak sandwich was still up there… But I followed my instincts and went for the burger (medium-rare) with bacon and cheese. The burger is actually not in the ‘brunch’ section of the menu which is what most of my fellow diners went for. Evidently the meals from outside the ‘brunch’ area of the menu are perhaps about twice the size! Corned beef hash = tiny and apparently not incredible. Smoked salmon bagel = self-explanatory but, again, small. Macaroni au gratin = delicious and cooked in an individual iron pot, but not quite what I’d call a hearty portion. The burger, however…well I couldn’t even get my teeth around it! I usually take the top part of the bread off anyway as too much bread disagrees with my stomach, but, unless I chose to take out my rolling-pin (which I obviously always carry in my handbag) and squish it down to bite-size, removing the top bread was absolutely necessary this time! Jolly good burger though: the meat was cooked to perfection and the chips were spectacular! Ask for the garlic mayo…deeeelish. It tastes like a real homemade Aioli. Be careful though as it’s rather pungent. The taste stayed with me for hours afterwards and even made me feel a little queasy. Hmm… maybe avoid the  garlic mayo if you’re on a hot date.

 Not much of an oyster person myself, but The Press Room prides itself on its oysters and crustaceans so I’m guessing they’re rather tasty if you’re that way inclined.

 Service was not five-star but we were tucked away right in the corner so can’t expect them to get round corners quite that fast.

 All in all a very pleasant experience, made the more so of course by wonderful company. I will add here, however, that although when it comes to bars and clubs, you can say that it’s the people that make it; this is absolutely not the case when it comes to restaurants. For me, it’s always the food.

The Press Room

G/F 108 Hollywood Road

Tel: +852 2525 3444

Date visited: Saturday 19th February 2011

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