From where I am sitting it is a perfect summer's day...the sky is blue, the sun is shining, there is a gentle breeze, the soft sand stretches out before me to meet the waves breaking on the shore, while in the distance small islands dot the horizon.

You might think from that description that I am a world away from Hong Kong, and while it does feel like it, I am only an hour away from Hong Kong Island. I am on Lower Cheung Sha beach to review the three beachside restaurants, The Stoep, High Tide and NEWS Bistro. 

The Stoep

The Food 

The food is described as Mediterranean and South African; the menu is extensive and is broken down to the following categories: bread, sauce and dips, cheese, salad, potatoes, vegetables, rice, beach picks, fish and shellfish, meat and poultry, dessert, South African BBQ, includes Ostrich. 

On my first visit I had the Fish and Chips ($70), perfect beach food and something I had eaten here before. A large piece of frozen fish that on its own has a slightly muddy taste. The batter saves the dish as it is light and crispy and not too oily and its flavour makes up for the frozen element. It had been in the fryer a little too long as seen in the photo, but not on previous visits. The chips were perfect on all three visits - crispy outside and soft centre. 

My choice for my second visit for this review a Greek Salad ($58) and some of the famous homemade seed bread, and for main BBQ Chicken Breast with scallop potatoes (and salad; $95).

The Greek salad was vibrant and fresh consisting of two types of lettuce, tomato, red onion, cucumber, green pepper, olives and crumbled feta. I appreciated the freshness of the dish, however the ingredients were not top quality and therefore lacked the flavour it could, as did the cheese. If a friend had made me this salad I would have been happy but at the restaurant level it didn't quite cut it and it was only dressed with a smidgen of olive oil. The bread was good but would have been better if it had been served warm.

I was pleasantly surprised by the chicken, which although previously frozen, had been charred and seasoned with a tasty BBQ sauce that lent it an air of authenticity - it tasted barbecued. It was also moist. The spuds were thinly sliced, perfectly cooked and deliciously creamy and comforting, despite wanting to find fault with them I couldn't.

The Faults

With such an extensive menu it is obvious, even before I ate anything, that many of the ingredients were going to have been frozen. I am also guessing that many components of dishes are cooked in advance and frozen. In my opinion, not something that should happen in a restaurant. The speed at which the main arrived (the same time as my Greek salad) clearly said the chicken and the potato had been pre-cooked and reheated, most likely in a microwave.

While the above two comments are, in my view, faults, it is the Today's Specials board that is unforgivable and unprofessional and I would never order anything from it. The same specials appeared on the board for over two weeks, only being removed (I guess) when that dish had run out. It irritates and angers me on so many levels that I am left shaking my head and mostly lost for words. 

The Ambience

The largest of the three restaurants, it is also the most popular, especially on weekends, when a booking is highly recommended. On weekends tables are placed directly on the beach under the shade of some trees and is a picturesque spot to spend a few hours. It has the best outlook of all three.

High Tide

The Food

The restaurant serves Thai cuisine with a smallish menu that includes dishes served at most Thai restaurants.

Pad Thai (minus crab sticks - see faults; $75) and Beef Satay ($42 - four sticks) were my picks for my first review visit.

The colourful pad thai included red onion, fresh and dried prawns, a few pieces of squid, spring onion, egg and tofu, with fresh peanut on top. It was missing the addition of fresh lime and dried chilli, both of which I asked for as they are a key part of the dish. It certainly tasted better than the first time I tried the dish and while not the most authentic version the relaxing environment made me more forgiving, allowing me to enjoy it for what it was.

I thought that the satay was tasty, a little tough but nicely seasoned, although I think the chicken satay is better. The peanut sauce is notoriously oily, and while big on peanut flavour it needs adjusting with some chilli or fish sauce. Don't expect too much and you won't be disappointed.

Papaya Salad ($50) and Spicy and Sour Pork wrapped with Lettuce (laab; $58) were my choices on the second review visit.

I enjoyed the salad as it had a good balance of flavours and tasted fresh. Consisting of green papaya, green beans, tomato, peanuts, chilli, carrot and tiny dried shrimp. The spicy dressing with its hints of fish sauce and lime tying the ingredients together.

High Tide's version of laab included minced pork, red onion, spring onion, coriander and chilli, with a spicy dressing, served with Chinese lettuce leaves. A good beachside dish that could easily be a meal for one with a bowl of steamed rice.

The Faults

When you have eaten there a few times (as I had) and know a few of the village's residents (which I now do) the food magically improves in taste and the service is vastly different. Great if you a regular but if you are a day-tripper that one experience may leave you with a bad taste in your mouth both in terms of pricing and quality that you wouldn't return. I ate there before I had decided to write the review (and before I was a regular) and the pad thai was so ordinary, with the addition of fake crab, that it would have been enough to have put me off from ever coming again, especially at the price.

I believe that every diner deserves the same effort and attention to food quality, especially as it is the 'tourists' that are largely generating the restaurant's revenue.

The food lacks heart and authenticity.

The Ambience

My favourite place to sit is on the beach under the shade of an umbrella or tree, with my bare feet playing in the sand reminding me of being on a Thai beach. Like The Stoep the 'inside' tables closest to the beach have the best ambience with the restaurants open on all sides. At night small candles are lit on the beach tables which gives it a sense of romance. 

NEWS Bistro

The Food

The underdog of the three and the one that I wanted most to bring to reader's attention. It was a clear winner in terms of food until I became better known and better fed by the other restaurants. However it is still my favourite in terms of food consistency and heart. It is the smallest of the three and as the third restaurant along tends not to be as busy as the other two.

The restaurant serves an eclectic mix of western and Chinese dishes, including Dong Bei cuisine.

On visit one I selected the NEWS Fried Rice ($55), having enjoyed Kung Pao Chicken and Singapore Noodles on previous non-review visits. It is clear from the appearance through to the taste that the young Chinese chef has passion for his craft and his food. The 'wok hei' rice was delicious and included char siu, egg, red/yellow/green pepper for colour and slivers of red onion, which added a touch of sweetness to the dish. 

I am told that the restaurant grows some of its own organic veggies, which may account for the non-trad items found in the rice, or that may just be a result of the chef wanting to put his own stamp on the food.

On my second visit I ordered the Homemade Fish and Chips ($55). Although crumbed instead of battered, and thinner, the fish was superior in taste and texture when compared to The Stoep, and if it had been frozen it was not discernible. The fish itself had almost a sweet taste which balanced nicely against the crunchy, savoury coating. The variety in size of the chips a clear sign that they had been handmade and were fab in terms of texture and taste.

The Faults

Not a fault per se but a wish - use a beer batter instead of crumbs for the fish. The lightness of the batter (imparted from the bubbles in the beer) paired with the sweet fish would make the dish even better and would quickly become a best seller. Westerners love fish and chips when by the beach.

The website menu is incorrect.

The Ambience

I can't explain why but sitting at this restaurant gives me more a holiday feel than the other two despite not having on-the-beach seating or the best vista. The introductory paragraph was inspired by this restaurant.

Both The Stoep and High Tide do not charge 10 per cent service charge, NEWS does but it also charges less for food. The websites for all three restaurants have instructions on how to reach the beach by public transport or taxi.

Holiday Vibe

The holiday atmosphere allows the solo diner to feel as at home as those dining in larger groups or with a partner.

The service at all the restaurants can be erratic and often slow but it is easy to overlook this as the ambience at all three will soon slow you down too.

Days really do seem longer here so if you need a break but can't get away on holiday during the hot and sunny weather a day at Lower Cheung Sha Beach will leave you feeling relaxed.