I rarely go clubbing -- aside from the fact that I'm too old for that, I'm also not too keen on eating out after I'm drunk. It often leads to Tsui Wah, or worse, fast food hamburgers. Not that there's anything wrong with it, it's just not me especially when I have been drinking. The only thing that calls for late night without drinking is when I work late. Wing Wah, in Wan Chai can be counted on when it comes to late dinner/midnight snack. They open until 4am!

When I go there I usually only have the wonton noodles. Their noodles are thin strings of egg noodles, with a flavorful broth made with dried shrimp roe -- aromatic and often steaming hot that brings me a jolt back from sleepy evenings. The wontons are of good standard- small filling with a goldfish tail. The taste of it isn't though, it tasted somewhat "MSG-laden"...but this can be helped and lightened with the addition of those pickled radish cubes from the glass jar. They're vinegary tart and frankly, better than having red vinegar poured into the noodles too.

Beef Brisket Noodles are also very good here, especially those braised tendons -- so gooey and soft!!

• How much did you spend?
  $40
• Overall Rating
  Good

While cows have "four stomachs", we have two. One for the normal stuff and the other for desserts and sweets alone. That's how important sweets are to us. No matter how full a meal we have, our appetite always opens up again for sweets. I think it's our brain's way to justify the desire to make ourselves feel good. But anyways, the time has come when I stepped into Fook Yuen in North Point. The shop front has always looked rather dingy, but it's not something that'd stop me from going in and trying their food, especially when my other food friends have been raving about two of their signatures.

The sesame-filled dumplings are plump and slightly translucent. Made with glutinous rice flour dough, the sesame filling is made with dark sesame and lard -- when it's trapped inside the dumpling while being cooked, the sesame filling melts into molten form, and explodes into sweet juices when we bite into the dumpling (Caution: Hot filling inside) The broth is slightly flavored with ginger and sugar.

The Sweet Walnut Soup is basically a sweet puree of walnuts flavoured with black dates. It has a strong date-fruitiness and the walnuts' nuttiness all mixed into one. It tastes almost like a sweet nutty porridge flavoured with dates. It's indeed very smooth and sweet (not gritty at all). I imagine I'd be stopping by more, especially to warm up during winter nights too!

• How much did you spend?
  $40
• Overall Rating
  Good

The restaurant should change their name to "Good Hainanese Chicken". So many people come across town to have their Hainanese Chicken, in fact it's the it thing to order when it comes to Good Satay. I have eaten half of the things on this menu -- Bak Kut Teh (pork bone with Chinese herbs soup), Laksa, the satay skewers, as well as many more savory and sweet dishes. but Hainanese chicken always wins my heart. The chicken skin is of good texture, the meat is tender and flavorful. The chicken soup is a side-kick that's light but full on chicken flavour is what you look for.

The star is the rice though, with a strong aroma of pandan leaf and lemongrass mixed with chicken fat before it's being cooked. The rice granules are all soft but not mushy, and flavorful throughout. And for less than $50 for the entire chicken set (with rice and soup). It's definitely a steal, not just in this neighborhood, but on this part of town too.

• How much did you spend?
  $80
• Overall Rating
  Good

I admit I have a soft spot for cafes, small ones, non-chain ones. But then there are exceptions. If the space is good, quiet, not too many traffic (cars) but ironically, with enough traffic (people), then it's a good place to be at. Sit there sipping coffee, listening to some music reading a magazine of some sort. Such is the kind of escape I wanted, and sometimes I find it, and it's getting harder in Causeway Bay. Luckily enough, Kenon is a good place to be, particularly this location.

I ordered the usual cake with coffee option. The cake-of-the-day is Amaretto Cheesecake, and for an extra cost I opted for a hot Mocha for a dose of sweetness for a rainy afternoon. The amaretto cheesecake did not leave the fridge for long. It remained quite firm with the almond flavour mainly from the addition of amaretto (almond liqueur) and almond essence (strong aftertaste). Good thing the cake filling itself isn't very sweet.

The hot mocha has cream in it. It's smooth and going down easy, with just warm enough temperature of the steamed milk. I do like how the chocolate is not dominating all the beverage's flavour, leaving room for coffee to shine. it's a good space here, and while watching people with shopping bags in hand brushing through the rainy traffic, I couldn't imagine myself being the shopping-spree type, much as they would wonder why someone would rather idle through Saturday afternoon rather than spending it in the mall...

• How much did you spend?
  $70
• Overall Rating
  Good

When it comes to buffets, there are all you can eat ones, and then there are the ones where you parade with your plate like a crusader -- conquering every counter or station with endless piercing of the fork, chopsticks, or worse, hands...There are some drawbacks with buffets that required lining up and hand-picking food from the communal trays, literally. Sometimes it's better when you don't see the dirty part, at least you can assume it's clean, right?

All-you-can-eat hotpots are all the rage here, and Tack Hsin is one of the bigger chain of restaurants that serve them. So one day after a movie, a few of us went there and had dinner.
First we ordered a soup base, we specifically ordered one with two flavours -- clear soup and one Sichuan chili ones. Then we started ticking boxes on the selection list of ingredients we would like. The "Meatballs, 4 kinds" all came in small portions -- two pcs each. It's truly strange why they couldn't order up one pc. per person. Anyways, the beef meatballs are better than the fish and cuttlefish ones though.

Vegs are often overlooked at hotpots when we dine out, this day we ordered a whole bunch of them after the onslaught of meats. We particularly liked spinach with ours, and we also ordered some deep fried tofu and deep-fried gluten that could soak up all the flavorful soup before consumption...Wonderful time and dining option when we have a whole bunch of friends together!!

• How much did you spend?
  $150
• Overall Rating
  Good

Restaurant with a view can be a drag, especially when the restaurants are promoting its view right from the top, sometimes at a higher priority then its cuisine...It can be a drag I know, but sometimes when the view really does matter, I'd go with it still, after all it's a place I haven't been. Operated by the same group which opened Wu Kong Shanghainese Restaurants in CWB and TST (across the street). I'd say it couldn't be very bad. It wasn't, but it's also not outstandingly good.

The two of us ordered the stir-noodles made with fermented bean paste, glutinous rice stuffed duck, as well as a wine-marinated pig's feet. The glutinous rice stuffed duck is not a simple dish. The duck is deboned with glutinous rice stuffed on one side and deep fried until crispy and golden brown. The duck is moist and tender, while its oil and juices soak up the glutinous rice, which is soft and chewy too. The pig's feet has a crunchy skin, and the wine flavour has completely penetrated the skin and meat inside. The stir-noodles with fermented bean paste is just so-so, basically the noodles are stuck together and just lukewarm. The sauce though was wonderful, especially served with pink radish and some raw spring onions. It offers a delightful crunch to it. The view is truly nice from here, and the food is quite ok too.

• How much did you spend?
  $200
• Overall Rating
  OK

Again it's lunch time in Central. This time we feel like having some Vietnamese. Good thing we were on Stanley street already. It's a shame the Vietnamese places around our neighborhood are either already packed or just very bad...Nha Trang, for instance, is almost always packed. So this day we came to La'taste, hoping to get a taste of Vietnamese joint nearby our office.

The two of us shared between Rice with Lemongrass pork chop, the garlic butter wings, as well as soft-shell crab rice paper rolls. The Rice with lemongrass pork chop is just the same as the one from the set lunch. The Rice is steamed and a little bit too firm. The lemongrass pork chop is very tender, and I particularly liked the strong aroma of lemongrass as well as the scallion oil with deep fried shallots that dressed the rice. The Garlic butter wings are crispy and golden brown. It's one of the very good ones I've had (The other one was at Fragrant River in Causeway Bay). The Soft-shell crab rice paper rolls are quite substantial in servings. The rice paper are rehydrated to wrap lettuce leaves, rice vermicelli as well as deep fried soft shell crabs. It's a combination of chewy (wrapper), crispy (lettuce) and crunchy (soft shell crab). The combination is great indeed, especially dipped in the signature Vietnamese dipping sauce -- tangy and sweet and pungently savoury with the fish sauce!

• How much did you spend?
  $100
• Overall Rating
  Good

There is nothing wrong with vegetarianism, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to have a little more veggies in your diet, particularly when there is a desire to have more varieties in some good vegetarian dishes. That's how we found out about Chi Lin Vegetarian. Yes it's inside the Nan Lian Garden, and it closes quite early in the evening. That's why one weekend we decided to come for lunch, and we booked the table in advance. Thank god we did that, apparently weekends are fully packed here.

We ordered a few of the signatures to begin with. The "Vegetarian Platter" comes with 5 varieties of vegetarian appetizers. The centre one is beetroot salad, surrounded by mung bean sheets with ponzu sauce; simmered soy bean sheet rolls; Mushrooms simmered in soy sauce, and greens in sesame oil. I particularly liked the beetroot salad in the middle. The colour is a glorious puce, in the deepest of red and lightly tossed with a salad dressing made from vegetarian mayonnaise (no egg). The bean sheet rolls are also very good -- tightly wrapped and sweet and savoury to taste.

The "ginger vinegar" is the traditional Chinese dish. Instead of pork hocks and ginger, this one is replaced with peanuts and sweet potatoes with chunks of ginger. The vinegar is sweeter but the ginger gives out plenty of flavour from the root vegetable. It's a spicier version as well, and even replaced with sweet potatoes and peanuts the dish is still very substantial. I probably will come back again, but will gather a crowd of friends to try out more dishes.

• How much did you spend?
  $120
• Overall Rating
  Good

What's up with Central and All-you-can-eat shops? There are like at least 5 different ones, three of them are on the same street (Wellington Street). What's up with that? I mean, you can only have so many competitors on the same strip, and the worst thing about it is that they all serve the same amount of items, and not just one more than the others, they also serve the same varieties. If one place gets it wrong, they all get it wrong.

I'm generally not a fan, in a way that I don't like my meals (especially dinner) to be timed by the restaurant, it's like binge-eating in the shortest time possible. Not only will you forget what you ate, you're also less likely to enjoy every morsel of food intake. So I was surprised to get into Daikiya at a friend's gathering. They managed to get a table on Friday night, which apparently is a busy time.

The mixed Sashimi platter wasn't half bad. it has everything and sat on ice. The only thing I had were the sweet egg omelet. The omelet was bland and loose enough to become shreds when carefully picked up with chopsticks. The assorted tempura was actually quite good. The batter was thin and the coating was crispy without it being too thick and in clumps. The mushrooms I liked in particular, not only because of the batter, but also because of the fact that the mushroom itself is quite thick physically, makes a very meaty treat.

• How much did you spend?
  $200
• Overall Rating
  OK

Before the flower-shaped Le Creuset dishes and pots took over Hong Kong by storm, it was Yu-E that started the trend, I could proudly say. It's not just about the flower shaped cakes, but it was also about the chef (and co-owner)'s artistic ability to draw twig-filled peach blossoms as garnish on a perfectly nice mousse cake, also made inside the kitchen of Yu-E Cake Shop.

So first it was the big cakes, then came the smaller ones. One day heading back to the office I stopped by Yu-E and saw these wonderful miniature cakes, all tiny spring blooms, like budding flowers early on in the season. The owner called them tasting portions of the big cakes, and it's smart to produce smaller versions of the birthday cakes just so customers can try out the flavours and textures before buying the big ones. Especially not everyone likes the New York cheesecakes' firmness or the fluffy texture of the mango mousse, or fruity tartness of passion fruit cheese mousse too. It can be an acquired taste.

The Blueberry cheesecake was firm but sweet with berry flavour (not gritty). Particularly LOVED the passion fruit cheese mousse (round one, I believe). It's tangy and creamy at the same time. The Chocolate one is nice too, although when it comes to cheese mousses I seldom go for the chocolate ones.

I also like the pistachio mousse cake they have, sadly they don't make them miniature sizes...

• How much did you spend?
  $150
• Overall Rating
  Good

In a multi-course dinner at Nadaman....how's it possible I only remember one dish? Ah...I was drinking sake, that's why.

It was a celebratory meal. There were dainty appetizers all presented nicely and in one bite or two. I remembered herring roe with seaweed, velvety steamed custard and among others, this gorgeous dumpling (pictured here). This dumpling is about the size of a tennis ball. Yes, it's large. It's also made primarily with a yam (taro/mountain yam). It's slightly grey in colour, but when you poke at it with your chopsticks it's slightly chewy and gelatinous. It's steamed inside the bowl it's served in, and glazed with the sauce made with chicken soup.

Inside the slightly chewy dumpling exterior is a fantastic filling made with stewed beef. The texture resembled of pulled pork, but only with beef and filled with a sweet-soy-sauce aroma, so fragrant and tasty at the same time. I particularly liked the dumpling's wrapper, slightly chewy and gooey to texture. At the same time it's best to consume the wrapper with the filling and mopped up some glaze as well. It's a combination of flavour that's particularly pleasant.

The dessert was also great. It's just a simple kanten dessert made with orange juice and served inside hollowed out orange halves. It's refreshing after a long filling meal.

• How much did you spend?
  $500
• Overall Rating
  Good

I've heard great things about Liberty Exchange, but then I have heard a lot more bad things about Liberty Exchange. How do I decide when a friend is meeting me for HH (Happy Hour) when he decided that he wanted to go to this restaurant? My approach -- ditch what everyone said and also trying not to mention it to anyone, because I know as soon as I post it up someone will say something about it and that'd cloud my judgment.

So we ordered nothing major. In fact we were so caught up with talking that we forgot about our food. The only thing we ordered was the Foie Gras Poutine. Served in a bowl, golden brown shoestring fries are topped with cheese sauce, a little bit of gravy and chopped bits of foie gras. I admitted I had no intention to eat something this heavy before dinner, but what can I say, I'm a fan of poutine but good poutine, like good pizza, is hard to find especially in this city. The fries here are fried crispy and not too oily too. The gravy was slightly too runny but the cheese bit helped out. The foie gras was, icing on the cake. It's crunchy on the outside and slightly gooey inside. That's what we expected of foie gras most of the time no? The poutine is certainly a good one, not great like the ones I had when I was in Canada, but at least, it's better than a lot of poutines regarded as "great poutines" here in HK.

• How much did you spend?
  $100
• Overall Rating
  Good

It's post-opening of Trusty Gourmet. I have learned that if I wanted pig's offal or something a little bit more elaborate and gimmicky I'd go to Trusty Gourmet, which is like, 3 blocks away. But this one afternoon I felt that I wanted congee, and it's not just a neighborhood congee place with steamed rice noodle rolls. I wanted to go to Wan Chai, and Congee King was what I had in mind.

I ordered two items -- their "Boat Congee" (Ting Zai Zhou) and their boiled fish skins. The boat congee, unlike those sold in many places, featured many ingredients including thin slices of fish, pork crackling, and the most special of all, thin juliennes of roast goose. Don't ask me why the roast goose is there, when I asked why it's there, the answer I got was, "Because it is"...The congee was quite smooth and there were no hidden bones inside the sliced fish. The fish skin was pretty much the same as the one I had at Ho Hung Kee in Causeway Bay, except that this one is thicker and crunchier. I preferred it with lots of ginger strips but fewer scallion curls, as the latter dominated the delicate taste of the fish skin itself. (so does the soy sauce)

• How much did you spend?
  $60
• Overall Rating
  Good

I don't go to upstairs cafes all that often. There's this unfamiliar territory that makes me feel that I'm intruding someone's space. Sometimes I just need to escape from the people and cars and all that. I also don't regard Fleur de Sel as an upstairs cafe, nor has the shop define itself to be. It's just "a creperie that's upstairs". Yet I can't say the quality is "above it all " though...

I ordered one of the caramel crepes with bananas and caramel ice cream. It's assuring enough they use Movenpick ice cream, same as La Creperie in Wan Chai, and the fact that the shop makes its own caramel. That's reassuring right? Yes, and no. We know that the ice cream will be good, but the caramel is a tricky item. It can always be too thin as a sauce. I didn't have that problem at La Creperie but very much so at Kramp House, also in Wan Chai.

Here, the caramel was something else. It has that slight bitterness to it which signifies good caramel, but at the same time it is quite thin. The banana strips that were cooked in it were too tart (unripened) But the crepe itself I can't complain -- it's wheat crepe, slightly sweet with butter too! Consumed altogether it's quite good, but stripping down one element by one element I can't agree it lived up to the expectation and anticipation of "another great creperie".

• How much did you spend?
  $50
• Overall Rating
  OK

Ootoya in TST is inside a hotel. You'd be surprised by that fact, but with a separate entrance you can hardly tell. But it is part of the hotel the restaurant resides in. So expect bigger price tag and a different menu. I had no intention to try the new stuff, sometimes it's the signature that makes the brand proud are the same signatures that should live and survive over time, no matter how much things have changed out there.

So I ordered the same Pork Cutlet, only with the dark miso sauce on the top. I ordered this set knowing that it's something that I know I'd like. Plus, I have already tried what's different and new at the TST Ootoya anyway. This time around I'm here with a friend and for a friend.

The pork cutlet looked picture perfect. Everything was in order, except that the pork cutlet that's supposed to be tender and juicy wasn't. It was stringy. Juiciness intact, I couldn't stop but wonder how they managed to overcook the meat without draining the juices. I swallowed my own questions and proceeded with the miso part, which was flavorful and great with steamed rice, as well as the salad beneath the pork, which couldn't be helped no matter how flavorful the dressing/sauce is.

If it wasn't for a friend I probably wouldn't come to THIS Ootoya, even run by the same company I'd prefer the one closer on the other side of town. There I can always count on the cutlets (chicken or pork) being perfectly crispy and juicy, even this very same cutlet set.

• How much did you spend?
  $90
• Overall Rating
  Bad

I recalled loving Revolving Belt Sushi, to a point that I found having the variety of choices in front of me was equally daunting, overwhelming, and pleasantly joyful. Yet, as I grew having so many mediocre sushi at different joints, I sort of skipped sushi altogether for some time, just to avoid disappointment. Sen-Ryo is not without its flaws...the inconsistency of the quality of the fish. I know what people will say. Revolving belt sushi is like the bottom of the food chain right? It doesn't have to be that way and certainly not with that mentality if you intend to eat, or cook at home. One's rarely going to acquire top-notch produce/products unless you have connections, or you're the one who allocate them at the market/stores.

Sen Ryo in CWB is slightly more hectic than the one in Tai Koo, but that's understable, I mean, it is Causeway Bay after all. We only had a small meal here. The Grilled eel was made to order. We were slightly disappointed with the fact the the eel looked large of a piece but in fact it's just as thin as printing paper. The consolation would be its toasty edges. That, we gotta give them points for trying.

My friend's Uni (sea urchin) is creamy but not to be compared with the top crop too. The salmon roe is something I usually order, and it's usually ok too.

• How much did you spend?
  $100
• Overall Rating
  OK

I cannot pretend I know a whole lot about sushi -- I'm one who grew up eating those on the revolving belt and even now, once in a while I succumb to the chain stores of revolving belt sushi, for a taste of nostalgia you can call it. I wouldn't start with whether the quality is better at this branch and not that one, but Sen Ryo reassures me in a way that the seats are wider apart and they're less likely to rush you through your meal, however long it takes. That, is something on the side that wins me over to other similar restaurants.

Fish I may not know all that much, but there are three things I'd always get here. The Salmon Roe ones are relatively good, as I always order them for the crispier nori seaweed around the side. I just love popping the fish eggs in my mouth, releasing the flavorful juices. The Shiso-Plum cucumber rolls -- one of those smaller rolls I ate growing up but not nearly as good as this one -- is made with the lightness of cucumber combined with the pickled ume paste flavored with shiso leaves.The fresh crunchy cucumber is further complemented by the herbal tartness of the shiso and plum paste. I honestly think it's a good start of a meal eating them.

The sweet-egg is also good, but varies across different branches. I like them particularly because they're slightly on the sweet side and also without losing the gooeyness of the omelet. I'd prefer having a little bit of rice to go with it, it's also more filling for me with rice.

• How much did you spend?
  $100
• Overall Rating
  Good

I can't write a story on Tsim Chai Kee. What I usually do at lunch by myself is to grab a magazine and read while I eat. It isn't a good habit, but seriously, if there is one time of the day I can relax and read whatever I like to read -- words, not pictures, then lunch is the time for me to read. Tsim Chai Kee is not a place for read, unless you go to one other branch where you go to the freezing basement and squeeze into a booth. No such luck in this one though. It's usually packed with people.

I'm also against wontons that are size of a baby's head. This one, laden with shrimps and just a tiny bit of pork, is no traditional wonton standard. The dace fishballs are grey and bigger than the wontons. It's quite big of solid fishball (fluffy though). The soup base is still one of the better ones out there, but make sure you have the egg noodles and not the rice noodles, which are consistently too soft, too chopped up, and well, not too good. Oh, and you can always get the vegetables, especially in the summer they source some relatively good "Tung Choi" (hollow-vegetable), served with a dollop of preserved tofu sauce. Quite nice for that one.

• How much did you spend?
  $25
• Overall Rating
  OK

I came here mostly for lunch with a friend. When it first opened it used to be quiet and nice and all that, but then, somehow the team of barista changed, and then the chefs came and went...until one day I entered the restaurant to realize that I recognized nobody in the team, and even with the menu being essentially the same, the execution of some dishes were no longer the same. Take the pizza here for instance, what used to be crispy and thin crust lasted for about 2 weeks. This is the amended version, it no longer crispy and thin, but more like crispy like crackers. There's a difference, and you can call me a snob for wanting it to be perfect. (It's hard to get the good pizza here in HK)

Carbonara is the same, I once told my friends @Rex's Carbonara is the best in town, but now it's just another carbonara. The eggs are no longer golden and they seemed to have added cream into the mix. It's now very Alfredo and not so much "golden and sauce-coating spaghetti" (not soupy though). I wonder what it'd take for this place to restore its former glory...I just may go back again, their coffees are still good, that I can rely on.

• How much did you spend?
  $110
• Overall Rating
  OK

Let's just admit we locals love lines, and in the case of restaurants -- reservations. What used to be a hassle of making advanced reservations have become a habit, a positive and benefiting one for those who actually show up to their reservations, at least until the onslaught of restaurants which say no on any reservations...doesn't matter you're the boss of the household or boss of a company. No reservation means no...Dead Simple. Sadly Assaggio wasn't the case, in fact, it's the former. Ever since it opened the Italian restaurant has been packed with people who have read somewhere in the press/online that says something along the lines of "Good Cheap Italian Eats" (or any combination of words above).

So on a Saturday afternoon past lunch hour and in between art exhibitions, I came here just to grab a piece of pizza. Manning the pizza kitchen is RAI, a chef who used to run a pizzeria in Wan Chai. He recommended the square pizza for quick bite. The square pizza I picked was the Pomodori (cherry tomatoes). All you need to know is to pick your desired variety and how big a piece you'll want, and they weigh it out for you by 100g. The crust is decidedly thicker and more snap-snap crusty than paper-thin crusty, a little bit doughy compared to the thinner variety pizza they serve here.

The cherry tomatoes, decoratively spread across the top of the pizza, like gorgeous rubies polished with an extra drizzle of olive oil and sprinkle of sea salt. It was a simple snack bite for me, and just enough to lure me back into making a reservation ... for a lunch two weeks later, and I heard reservations are filling up the space fast too.

• How much did you spend?
  $45
• Overall Rating
  OK

Tai Hang is a magical place, at least now it is. What used to be a mysterious district with lots of garages and auto-repair shops is now filled with restaurants that constantly give out surprises every now and then. And then there are classics -- places that have existed long enough to make every newspaper and magazine the local dining scene can hold. Man Sing Cafe is such a place, and for nothing more than one dish -- the Steamed minced pork with salted egg yolk.

Crowded in the evening with crowds that don't mind sitting al fresco in the summer, the Steamed minced pork with salted egg yolk is quite a sight on its own. The minced pork, marinated earlier, is piled into a tower topped with the crown jewel of a salted egg yolk. The flavour (and oil) from the egg yolk melts down the tower and goes into the minced pork, which tastes soft and flavorful when cooked. The texture feels more like a gigantic Italian meatball, steamed with essence of the egg yolk dribbled down along each bite of pork.

It's a dish that has captured attention and applause from many who have visited this place, and up till today I haven't seen a lot of restaurant imitating the presentation (and construction) of this dish yet. Now how is it for improving on a classic dish?

• How much did you spend?
  $60
• Overall Rating
  Good

Continuing a foodie journey in Wan Chai, passing by Capital Cafe's scrambled eggs is "Big Wife". The name in Chinese recommends a signature -- the Taiwanese beef noodles. There are of course a lot of variations in Taiwan itself, but in Hong Kong locals tend to love only the one with beef and a more flavorful spice-filled version. I ordered one (large) -- and a truly large bowl arrived. It's a large vessel wide around the lip. Inside the bowl is a brown broth with very potent spice aroma, particularly on cassia bark and star anise.

The broth is flavorful, but it tastes as it they have added a little bit of "flavour enhancers" to it. The noodles were slightly chewy, but it's acceptable soo. I'd rather have them "chewy" than mushy, unless we're having the other Taiwanese treat -- where noodles are cooked to mush with the broth. This is not the case, and I'm glad it isn't.

The beef chunks in this noodles are tendons and beef shanks (boneless) that have been stewed in the broth for a prolonged period of time. The shanks are particularly gooey and soft. The serving of the noodle is quite large even for someone with a big appetite. For smaller appetites one can always order a smaller-sized one.

• How much did you spend?
  $50
• Overall Rating
  OK

My office used to be in Wan Chai, and work easily made me miss dinner. In the deepest chill of winter I used to go home right after work and often ended up going to bed hungry. That's before I found out there are places who would open until midnight. Never been much of a night owl, and knowing how bad it is to have midnight snack...but sometimes, when dinner didn't go down (or haven't gone down yet)...a snack is something as rewarding as a "Good Job" to oneself.

There are signatures at Keung Kee -- and don't estimate this small joints. There are quite a lot on offer. The Mixed-Bean Dessert is one of many sweet soups that is a must-have. Aside from it being populated with mixed pulses, the sweet soup also has flakes of desiccated coconut mixed in, together with evaporated milk. It makes a sweet but very filling dessert after a light meal.

Those who haven't had dinner can have the pan-fried rice noodle rolls (Cheung Fun). I always ask to have them fried "extra toasty" so that the sauces added will not drown them soggy. Sweet Hoi Sin Sauce and nutty sesame sauces are default addition unless notified when order.

The must-have, especially as a main dish for winter is the glutinous rice with mixed preserved meats. Chockful of dried mushrooms, Chinese sausages and dried shrimps filled the gooey glutinous rice flavored with dark soy sauce-- brings sweetness and savory flavours together. It's a filling treat that can sure warm me up!!

• How much did you spend?
  $50
• Overall Rating
  Good

It's always about Din Tai Fung.

After this meal, I can confirm, it's still always going to be about Din Tai Fung until the next one comes along.

Kings' Dumpling opened in TST and in CWB, in short intervals. The menu looked exactly like what Din Tai Fung had -- glossy pictures, with xiaolongbao as signatures...even the styles and signatures looked exactly the same. We ordered one of its signature xiaolongbao, together with two other dishes -- dandan noodles and Stir-fried Eels with Chives.

The xiaolongbao arrived steamy and hot, but immediately we spotted a problem -- it's very white, not in an extremely bad way, specifically it doesn't look very cooked. The dough, wrapped and gathered at the top, looked undercooked. It was, slightly powdery to taste. The soup within was light and it's satifyingly good, filling wise.

The dandan noodles were cooked right, with a nutty broth that's thick and flavorful throughout. Particularly loved the noodles, they snipped the noodles with a pair of scissors so the strands were loose and easily shared.

The Eels with Chives were disappointing, in a way of course we did not expect it to be outstanding but the eels went mushy, the chives were ok, but the sauce was just one big pile of goo that sticks everything together. Not exactly the perfect description of it but we couldn't bring ourselves to finish it.

Overall we wouldn't think the xiaolongbao was up to the merit it claims to be, but for the noodles I may come back -- the servings are bigger than Din Tai Fung, and it's the noodles we'll stick to from now on.

• How much did you spend?
  $120
• Overall Rating
  OK

Summer in Hong Kong truly is hot, in a "steamer" sort of way (humid heat, unlike a dry heat like the oven...) It's inconvenient to walk outside without getting sweaty and hot, that's why portable cool-aids are so great. By that I mean things we can cool off while we walk around, none is more efficient than froyo these days. You truly can get "The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly" when it comes to froyo. Luckily enough, Yo Mama is most of the time, the good ones. I don't like the way they weigh everything (as opposed to knowing how much a LARGE is. This whole thing screams QC to me but it also screams petty, as I've seen staff chucking perfectly good froyo because they "over serve")

Other than that, if I'm in Wan Chai I probably will order up a large one with an extra topping (1 free, one extra) should I feel I want more fruit. The Original froyo is tangy and cold but never icy. Likes it particularly with crunchy blueberries and sweet mango chunks. I normally would pick the mochi as well, but as a favorite ingredient here at Yo Mama, sometimes it requires refilling and they usually run out of it (at this shop) between 3 to 5 pm in the afternoon (after the lunch crowd but before the "after school" crowd comes).

It sure can cool me down alright, and it tastes good too. (there's fruit, I tell myself, for an excuse from a frozen treat!)

• How much did you spend?
  $40
• Overall Rating
  Good

We celebrated a friend's birthday at Hang Zhou restaurant in Wan Chai. Aside from Tien Heung Lau I don't think there are many good Hang Zhou cuisine places in HK. Hang Zhou Restaurant is surely one of the more affordable alternative. There are quite a number of dishes we wanted to try -- not the stinky tofu though. It's an acquired taste and it certainly didn't acquire mine.

We ordered Tea-smoked Duck, Dong-Po pork and the signature fishballs. The Tea-smoked duck is richly flavoured with tea, with a nutty smoky taste benefited from the smoking process. The meat, however, is not as tender as we had it before (in Hang Zhou, yes...) The Dong Po Pork was served in small bowls, by individual servings. I particularly loved the individual portions -- those who love can have the entire thing and those who don't like can just pass on them. The sauce is thick and dark but sweet to the taste. The pork -- with alternating layers of fat and meat, is not greasy at all, with soft gelatinous texture to it.

The signature fishballs are soft, unlike the fishball noodle type. I don't think "tofu" is a close resemblance...more like, a very fresh burrata or a very softly poached egg. The wobbly fishball tastes lightly of fish and it is indeed very soft. We all love it very much.

• How much did you spend?
  $130
• Overall Rating
  Good

There's a good set lunch (I know, again) for Hana Sakazuki in Causeway Bay. I've had dinner here before, it's very expensive, almost extravagant. But for entry-point foodie like myself I'd try the lunch first, particularly because you can get a glimpse of good teppanyaki from the lunch here as well.

The set has the usuals --salad, pickles, miso soup, desserts and so forth. For mains the one set lunch I got has a slice of foie gras, beef as well as black cod and fried rice. The foie gras is seared on the hot flatiron until both sides are browned with a brittle crust, trapping all the greasy goodies within the crust. It's served on top of a piece of bread with a burnt mark of the company's name on it. The bread absorbs some of the grease from the liver, which is buttery soft and tender with an explosion of flavour.

The beef is seared quickly on both sides, then with a few swift motions cut into thick cubes and further cooked all sides without letting the inside cooked through. The steak cubes were served with golden frizzled garlic slices. Personally I think the garlic slices are a little dominating in flavour, but the beef is had good marbling, and flavours are pronounced.

Black cod is ok, but not outstanding. If anything I would've preferred them with black miso instead. (like they prepared it at Nobu) The fried rice is done well -- rice granules separate (not in clumps) while the flavours fuse together to form one good fried rice.

• How much did you spend?
  $260
• Overall Rating
  Good

I just want to say there are more to Spring Deer than Peking Duck, because so many friends want to go to Spring Deer just for the duck. Yes, they are done quite well. But there are more to the restaurant than just one dish. Their pork knuckle is also very good. This day we tried their scallion pancakes -- they were done just as good as the Peking Garden in Central. The flaky pastry is thin and packed with chopped scallions and oil. The round pastry, cut into quarters, are just enough of portioning for four. It's very delicious indeeed.

Those who fancy vegetables can try the Chive Buns as well -- The steamed buns are fluffy, and the filling is packed with chives. That maybe an acquired taste but the chives are tender (not tough) and certainly taste better (and garlicky) as the ones simmered with pig's blood. (not that it's not good). The buns are quite big, as they can be quite filling as well.

• How much did you spend?
  $200
• Overall Rating
  Good

Yunyan Sichuan Restaurant is one of those places that we frequent. When we go for Sichuan there are usually places on the island, like San Xi Lou in the midlevels and Yu Chuan in Wan Chai, but then there are a few dishes that we love particularly at Yunyan that tide us back every now and then.

The mouth-watering chicken is common in many Sichuan restaurants, but not the same as Yunyan. For starters the restaurant use the black chicken instead of the ordinary ones. The black chicken is rather lean but packed with flavour. The spicy sauce is also chunky with good depth of flavour from the spices, peanuts, and fresh chilies.

The "Light Shade" beef -- name suggesting that the beef are sliced so thin it's slightly translucent after deep frying and dipped in a caramel. It's like a savoury and sweet beef jerky, with an extra sprinkling of ground Sichuan Peppercorn, offering extra "numbness" to the taste.

The "Green chili noodles" (requires reservation) is a specially made noodles made from scratch with green chili juice blended into the dough and made into noodles that look bright green. The noodles are fiery hot, with a little bit of tartness within, although sometimes the quality vary. Those who like a challlenge of hot food may try, but beware, it is hotter than hot sauce made from Habanero chilies.

• How much did you spend?
  $200
• Overall Rating
  Good

This night we came to dinner at Tsui Hang Village with one thing in mind -- the "Pun Choi" (in a big pot). Yet when a friend decided that just the Pun Choi can be boring, he added a surprise with Prawn Toast. I have always loved prawn toast, but sadly many sold elsewhere are either not fried enough or too toasty. The balance is hard to stay on, but Tsui Hang Village, I have come to understand, know how to do it.

The bread at the base is thin , while the smashed prawn mixture is seasoned and spread across the bread before being fried crispy and golden. It sounds absolutely simple but the truth is, if the oil is too hot / not hot enough the toast's colour will be too dark/light...And the bread is going to absorb a lot of oil. Not a good thing.

The "Pun Choi" is a stunner. Arriving in a decorative clay pot simmering on a stove, the abalones at the top are tender, while radishes at the base remain sweet with flavours contributed from all the ingredients at the top. The mushrooms are truly amazing, retaining texture while packed with flavours.

• How much did you spend?
  $200
• Overall Rating
  Good

A little French place is tucked inside Wan Chai, on one of the lesser known buildings, the name, La Maison. It's been there for a little while now, and so far I have heard many good things about the restaurant. At night it's a traditional French restaurant, but by day, it serves a good quality set lunch, and that's where I spent one afternoon with my colleagues. The set lunch offers different dishes, including at least 5 different types -- meats or not. First up there is salad or soup. I chose the Garden Pea Soup. For mains I selected the Seafood Florentine with mashed potatoes, and we ordered a dessert from the a la carte menu -- the cherry clafoutis for all of us to share.

The garden pea soup was of a grassy green color, getting past the starchy texture is the sweetness from the peas. The soup itself is quite creamy, but no complaints on it being slightly gritty though. The Seafood Florentine arrived as described, on a bed of mashed potatoes with a welcoming whiff of buttery aroma. The seafood includes prawns, clams, mussels and pieces of fish, all tangled inside a creamy bechamel sauce with a little bit of cheese mixed in. Serving portions are quite big indeed.

Cherry clafoutis traditionally uses whole cherries (not pitted) put inside a tin with pancake batter poured in and bake until the batter sets, sort of like in between custard and pudding. The cherries here are as tradition calls, unpitted. The batter is fluffier than I used to have them, but it's good there is whipped cream on the side though. The cherries are sweet and all combining the custardy pudding. It's a good dessert and La Maison has done it well.

• How much did you spend?
  $120
• Overall Rating
  Good

Barolo has changed hands since it first opened. I couldn't tell if I went once in a while. But there's a time when I went all the time...like at least once a week. Not only is it conveniently located near the office, but also because of the fact that I don't have to order a mains, and just enjoy the variety of antipasti they have to offer at the bar and I can just fill myself up for lunch. I don't need to eat much, so that's enough for me, until they switched hands and they skimmed off on the antipasti.

So this is the time when I realized things have become different. Instead of selection of breads, they have opted for just one, and it's not particularly good. The roasted beef, pictured here, looked perfectly fine but looks were just about the only thing good about them. It lacked flavour, and not by means of seasoning, but flavour from the meat itself.

The Insalata di Caprese has rounds of mozzarella and tomatoes in it. Being a cheese fan, I wouldn't normally say the cheese isn't good. But such is the case here. The cheese wasn't very good, at least compared side by side with fresh tomato rounds, I'd rather go with the vegetables instead.

The good thing, however is the variety of vegetable antipasti kept here. The roasted beets and peppers are simple but still good. The peppers, in particular, are sweet and needed little seasoning. The Grilled radicchio and eggplants wilted nicely and give a sweet caramelized flavour.

There is a pasta/meat option to the set lunch, but if they are willing to keep the antipasti selection up like before, it's easy to just take the antipasti option and be done with lunch.

• How much did you spend?
  $100
• Overall Rating
  OK

"Have you heard? The quality has gone down!"

That's the one-liner advice/warning from some of my friends when I decided to go to Hainan Shaoye. It sounds wrong, but can you blame them? Having visited 3 times in 6 months, I have once again set myself up for disappointment. Is it that bad? It isn't. But the first impression was too good compared to latter experiences. So no, it's not the end of the Hainanese Chicken nightmare, but it sure isn't paradise that I can guarantee you.

The Hainanese Chicken Rice Set arrives in a tray. They have taken the concept of holding chicken soup in the teapot away. It was such a great idea -- gimmicky but at least the soup can be kept warm until needed. The chicken, for the amount of money they charge, is truly too little for consumption. The breast meat is tough and bland. The other pieces are somehow missing in the skin (what happened to it?) Part of the charm of the Hainanese chicken is its skin being "crisp" and translucent. Both cannot be judged because the skin is missing in action. The chicken tasted fine, but I wouldn't count on the consistency here. My friend ordered the exact same thing and his chicken was tougher than mine, more like, cardboard shreds.

The satay skewers looked ok, but the peanut sauce was so sweet we could feel caster sugar brushing against our tongues. The meat were skewered right, but not cooked till doneness, but more like "overly done". It was tough and the meat just wouldn't give it to a human's bite and wouldn't leave the skewer either. It's truly horrendous of an experience, despite being seated by the window overlooking the perfect harbour. Somehow we wished we could've had something else, just about anything else instead.

• How much did you spend?
  $120
• Overall Rating
  Bad

Set Lunch at Iroha is a steal, almost our entire office knows that, but we hardly ever go there during the week. There's a reason for that.

The set lunches at Iroha offers almost the same number of choices one can get ordering a la carte, only with the fact that the meals come in sets, and portion size a little bit smaller, only matters if you have a big appetite. But for a fraction of the price I have always enjoyed eating here in the afternoon.

One of the most popular sets include a choice of two /three meats -- usually pork/beef/ox tongue. Now this is the time when you get the most advantage out of this deal. In the fine print it says you can pay an extra fee to size-up the meat. Do that, you get a few extra slices but it's of the same quality of the meat you order. Iroha has been famous for its ox tongue -- cut thick slices of thin, both have its own level of greatness. I prefer them chunky and big, but for lunch sets you'll get the thin ones, just as good.

So the usual choice would be either ox tongue alone or beef and ox tongue. The pork can be quite good too, and this is what I had today. Grilling meat is quite an interactive thing to do, and it's great to be with company where everyone talks, and grill their own meats until the desired doneness is reached. The set comes with steamed rice and a dessert (usually ice cream)

The downside of not going to Iroha during the week? Like hotpot, grilling meat can stink up the work clothes, and for some colleagues who dress particularly nicely for work, it's probably best left for the weekends...

• How much did you spend?
  $110
• Overall Rating
  Good

I love coffee, but don't necessary need to depend on it to make me stay awake during the day or in the middle of the night. I do love fancy coffees, not in a Kopi Luwak sort of way, but good coffees made by people who love coffee as well. Knowing that, for every other time that I want something that reminds me of a cafe but not for its coffee, I'd go to Caffe Habitu. It sounds ironic, but I almost don't have coffee when I"m at Habitu. It is, however, a good place to sit and chat with a friend -- gossip, catchup and so forth.

Rose Latte (hot) -- is an obscure concoction on my first spotting. Espresso with steamed milk and MONIN Rose syrup. It certainly has that rosy flavour but thankfully not as pungent as rosewater for perfume/cosmetics. I particularly enjoyed it without additional sugar since the syrup itself is already sweet enough.

The Earl Grey Latte is something a little bit posh (and pretentious) when I wanted a milk tea and conversation go on the same sentence...It's quite potent, and strong on the essence of Bergamot from the beverage itself. I'd pick a shortbread cookie to go with the beverage, yet all Habitu has are these biscotti that have gone past its prime -- tough but neither crunchy nor soft. It's a good place, more casual for a conversation, and most of the time, people read, work, or play with their electronic devices while others have a decent conversation outside of the office. It's a relaxing escape indeed.

• How much did you spend?
  $40
• Overall Rating
  Good

I grew up going to "Yum Cha" with my dad. What used to be "dimsum sampling" has now become quite a routine. Yet with planned activities I don't get to go all that much anymore. But once in a while I still would like to take my friends back to the past where I spend every Sunday morning. The newer Lin Heung Kui is quite a place -- It's not the same as the old one, but it's good enough, I'd say, at least it's more of a local place rather than a place filled with tourists like the Lin Heung Teahouse on Wellington Street.

Some of the better dimsums we've had here at Lin Heung Kui include Quail Egg Shaomai. We used to pop the tiny egg in our mouths. Back then we also didn't know anything about cholesterol :) But now every now and then I'd still take the yolk. The Chinese Steamed Yeasted Cake -- also known to most as "ma lai cake" is fluffy and sweet, with a brown sugar taste that's so pleasant that I could eat the whole thiing on one go.

But what gets me the most is the Glutinous Rice Dumplings -- glutinous rice wrapped inside a Shaomai wrapper, steamed until perfection. These golden globes -- fragile wrapper and flavorful glutinous rice inside, is just about the most perfect dumpling. I particularly like it with a little bit of hot chili sauce too. There are numerous classics at this restaurant -- one of the better ones and consistent of quality is the Lotus Seed Bun -- although you do need to take the initiative to check out every dimsum trolley and maybe, occasionally, fight with the next table for one

• How much did you spend?
  $100
• Overall Rating
  Good

I love offals. I always tell others not only is it good for you (of course in moderation), it is also a way to not waste so much. I love pate, pig's mixed-offal congee, and I love having liver and onions topping my bruschetta just the same way as having tomatoes with basil...

When I finally visited Trusty Gourmet in Wanchai, I was mesmerized by the attention the media has given to the shop. I spotted a Pig's Lung Soup with Almond -- isn't it a signature at Luk Yu Tea House? Here there is an individual serving. Of course I ordered one. There's also a Boiled Pig's Liver. I ordered one as well.

The Pig's Lung Soup here is much about the lung as it is about the almond milk added in. The soup is of a sand colour as opposed to a pure dairy white. The pig's lunch is cleaned thoroughly, with a good spongy texture that absorbed the taste of the broth as well as the almond milk. The soup itself has a wonderful (but not overly pungent) aroma of almond. The soup itself is smooth without a gritty texture as well.

The Pig Livers are boiled and served plain. Soy sauce as dipping sauce is all the dish needs. The pig's liver slices are thick and cooked just enough to have it not go tough. The inside is creamy and flavorful. It's one of the best pig's livers I've had in many restaurant visits.

There are other offers on menu that I want to try, including the scallop wontons and a pig's brisket too.

• How much did you spend?
  $80
• Overall Rating
  Good

There is much to eat in Tin Hau. It's a statement, and a very true one. One must add that there are a lot of good reputable ones and a lot of hidden gems and places that have yet to be discovered, all residing in Tin Hau and Tai Hang. Sister Wah belongs to the former...the reputable restaurants. The short version of the story we heard is that "Sister Wah" (the person used to work in the brisket joint next door and eventually she decided to open her own...right next door. Imagine it affecting next door's business, as Sister Wah (the shop) is not flooded with people, and a lot of times, a line outside as well.

Late one night I got to try Sister Wah's Brisket with noodles. I specifically asked for "爽腩", which is a cut with chewy membranes that can be quite an acquired taste given if you don't stew it enough it's going to be a whole bunch tough membranes with meat clinging on it. MIne tasted great. The soup base is full of flavours from beef bones, while the brisket meat pieces are tender even at the tough membranes parts -- very good. The rice noodle are flat but have a good rice flavour (good sourcing). It'd benefit, for my taste, an extra sprinkling of scallions too.

Next time I come I'll order their stewed daikon radish too. It's supposed to be very good too...

• How much did you spend?
  $35
• Overall Rating
  Good

Going to the other side of a harbour for dinner (non subway line) used to be a drag, and rather unimaginable for the purpose of desserts. Then I discovered Kowloon City a few years ago and that cured the entire issue. I no longer needed to give myself an excuse to shop for Thai ingredients (good fresh ones), Thai food, Chiuchow fare, and now, desserts too.

Pastry chef Tony Wong opened his shop here quite a while ago, and making headlines with good looks and useful recipes in his cookbooks. Very soon dessert lovers flock to Kowloon City trying to have a piece of him (and his cakes) So this one day we sampled a few of his desserts...

Mixed Berry mille-feuille -- It has buttery layers of flaky pastry, and the custard cream sandwiched in between is sweet and richly flavoured with vanilla. I particularly loved the egginess of it. Loved the juicy berries but if I were to be picky I'd go with just ONE berry...maybe the raspberry or strawberries.

Green Tea Opera -- a take on the traditional opera cake but definitely more Asian twist is added to it. There's a mixture of cruinch, sponge cake, chocolate and mousse sandwiching in between the layers. It's quite heavy on the green tea, and I like it even more with the combination of textures.

• How much did you spend?
  $80
• Overall Rating
  Good

Sometimes it's hard to overlook the fact that Classified does more than cheeses, despite that it's what makes it famous for anyway. There's always a good selection of cheese at the shop, and the staff is relatively well-trained (at least they can tell between the difference between a soft cheese and a hard cheese) This day I decided to skip lunch (or more like, have desserts for lunch). While not very healthy and in the middle of Wan Chai, I walked past Yo Mama and ended up in Classified Wan Chai. I had my eyes on its Panna Cotta

Served flat on a plate with strawberry coulis and strawberry bits around, the panna cotta was jiggly but smooth...and very creamy. The flavour of vanilla is pronounced as tiny black dots of seeds suspend inside the wobbly dessert. The strawberry bit though, is a little too much for my taste. I'd rather have macerated strawberries (maybe with julienned basil leaves, or nothing?!) on the side. It's not of a great portion but I understand that it's better to have something good in a healthy dose (small amount) rather than having something in large quantities but of mediocre quality...This panna cotta, is on the small amount's side.

• How much did you spend?
  $50
• Overall Rating
  Good

It's a shame when we come to think that standards are getting less respect than the old days -- What used to be "rules" are now just flexible "suggestions" to many. For instance a typical Stir-fried Rice noodles with beef should have enough oil but not too oily, yet most of those you get anywhere is the oily kind, with such residue grease clinging onto the plate upon consumption, as if the oil is there to remind us we're actively trying to clog our own arteries.

Doesn't happen at Ho Hung Kee all that often. Sometimes when I need to get a fix for the Stir-fried Rice noodles with beef, Ho Hung Kee is the place I go, in a sense that I know, throughout the years and up until now, the restaurant still remains a high standard on this dish at the very least, and even on a bad night the quality still tops other reputable joints.

Arriving steaming hot and gleaming with dark soy sauce and oil, a whiff of slightly nutty aroma (from the oil) followed by the smell of freshly stir-fried dishes from the wok. The rice noodles are separated into thick strands, while the beef, slightly "too marinated" were more tender than nature intended to be. But the combination of beef and noodles are quite of good harmony and frankly speaking, this is easily one of the best of this dish I've had...and the quality remains daytime or night.

• How much did you spend?
  $50
• Overall Rating
  Good

I have mixed feelings about JAR. I like the restaurant and I like what they serve at dinner, but sometimes, the lunches can be so disappointing...Well, disappointing is a strong word, but I'd like to say that I anticipated the mac-n-cheese here, only to find out that it was well, "disappointing"...

The breads are wonderful, all tucked inside the bag lined with warmed pebbles at the bottom. The breads are colorful and made with different flavours, I particularly enjoyed that one with herbs in it. It'd go well with both olive oil and butter, which melts on contact with the hot bread surface. The Mac-n-cheese was supposedly four-cheese macaroni. It looked very baked in the oven -- slightly too dry at the surface. If the surface was topped with breadcrumbs and cheese then it'd be wonderful, but this one wasn't. It looked dry and forking through it confirmed it -- it's dry through and through, although it's not as dry as a raclette...

Desserts, however, are wonderful as usual. The single scoop of salted-caramel ice cream is amazing! The salt brings out the deep caramel flavour, while the ice cream is no icy matter -- creamy and not extra sweet throughout. Bravo to desserts. I hope they can improve on the mac-n-cheese because I really will come back for other dishes as well!

• How much did you spend?
  $120
• Overall Rating
  OK

If there is one talented chef there is to talk about, It's Chef Leung Fai Hung. He's been quite popular in the press lately and for no reason other than garnering some worldly restaurant ratings. But Chef Leung has been known for its respect to Cantonese traditions with a wonderful twist on the presentation and ingredients used. Notable dishes at Hoi King Heen includes some of the favorites -- like that soup that looks like haggis but made with pig stomach with barley and lotus seeds and other pulses as fillings. The soup was so pure in flavour.

Two other dishes I particularly loved are the rose-smoked scallops, pictured below, as well as the Pan-fried Glutinous rice dumplings. The scallops, all large morsels, are smoked and give out the strongest yet not overpowering aroma of roses. The smoky taste of tea lingers at the surface of the scallops, which are moist and cooked just right. The Pan-fried glutinous rice dumplings are Chef Leung's signature. Each tie with a chive and pan fried until crispy on the outside, chewy and soft on the top, and the filling -- with combination in textures! I usually order less in the main dishes so that we can each have two at the end of the meal here! Wonderful indeed!!

• How much did you spend?
  $260 (dinner)
• Overall Rating
  Good

Most locals know Hung Fok Hotpot because of a scene shot from the movie series "Infernal Affairs", but way before that Hung Fok has established a good reputation for its charcoal grill and charcoal stove hotpot. It's one of a kind, and even its environment is the same -- one must pass through the dark wet ditches which are off limits for anyone wearing long pants and heels. But that shouldn't stop us from having good food here.

The smell of charcoal burning is oddly exhilarating. We ordered both the hot pot and the charcoal grill, where we put seafood on open fire while they sizzle away and cook. Many ingredients later, we decided the best ones are ox tongue slices and pork belly -- both of them praised for their versatility because both of them can be quickly boiled in the hot broth and at the same time, flash-grilled on the charcoal grill.

Highlight of the evening is when the staff bring us each one fresh abalone to be put on the grill. We see it bubbled away (Yes, I know it's too graphic for some) but tasting the tender grilled abalone melt in the mouth is just one of many great things about simplicity in cooking seafood. All you need is a grill, best to be a charcoal one, at Hung Fok (and with a whole bunch of friends...that's even better)

Note: Try not to wear wool sweaters in the winter, they do absorb the smell from burning charcoal...It requires a few rinses to rid of that smell.

• How much did you spend?
  $250
• Overall Rating
  Good

We were here to celebrate a friend's birthday. And since she's usually taking home-office, we hardly get to see her. When she's finally coming into our neighborhood...we decided to treat her for her birthday as well, at one of her favorite places -- Nan Tei on Staunton Street. This place has been around for longer than a lot of Soho restaurants, and it's nice to see that people appreciate their yakitori as well.

Having lunch sets we ordered a few to share, skewers are made to order here at Nan Tei, so it's going to take a little bit of time. Also, when they serve the skewers they serve you one by one, instead of having everything ready at the same time so you eat one and let everything else gets cold.

The signature chicken wings, pictured here, are really the best thing here. The flap of chicken skin is meltingly tender but forms a wonderful crust on the outside. The wings are slightly seasoned with flakes of salt and even with just minimal seasoning it's still very good! The grilled Japanese green peppers are slightly grassy to taste when raw, but when cooked on an open fire the sweetness of the pepper is brought out through caramelizing. Especially loving the slightly charred surface.

• How much did you spend?
  $110
• Overall Rating
  Good

BLT burger, unlike BLT itself, has a high turnover rate, and it's more casual restaurant too. I may not know every cut of beef served at BLT, but burger is something that requires just the same amount of knowledge to make a good burger. I tried the Blue Cheese Burger called "Roaring Forties Blue" and Thick cut fries. I have never quite been a fan of blue cheese, but I still ordered this blue cheese burger. I was tempted to order a milkshake, but looking to the table next to me, the burger serving seems to be really big! (I was beginning to regret ordering fries...)

Other than the fact that it has blue cheese in it. The 6 oz grilled beef patty is crusty on the outside and moist (a little rare, which is juicy and Yummy!) inside. The blue cheese brings out the flavour while caramelized onions tones it down a little. The blue cheese is nothing too strong, and even people who don't usually like blue cheese can give it a try.

Thick cut fries are crispy and the inside of the fries are very hot! It's made to order, plus the waiting time isn't all that long because of the high turnover rate. I am, however, dying to try the spiked milkshake the next time I come though.

• How much did you spend?
  $130
• Overall Rating
  Good

The great thing about Dai Pai Dong is the local streetside dining experience. It's perfect in the winter, and well, when the summer weather is not so scorching hot like now. Hon Fat Noodle, located among the cluster of Dai pai Dongs in Sham Shui Po, is famous for more than its noodles. Their local-French Toast is also one of a kind.

First you take white sandwich bread and set aside. the egg yolk and white is separated. While the egg yolk is quickly whisked with a fork, it's the whites that are whisked into submission into frothy standing peaks before folding into the yolks to make an eggy dip for the bread, which is then fried on a shallow hot pan. The resulting French toast is souffled and fluffy within. It's best served with a slice of butter that melts right away and plenty of table golden syrup.

Drinks are not coming with the French Toast, but lemon tea has good flavour here, with depth of flavour within the tea and it's not overly sweet.

• How much did you spend?
  $25
• Overall Rating
  Good

The location of Tak Lung is quite unique. I call it "in the middle of nowhere" just because I didn't know how to get there without having to walk for 30 minutes. But then I discovered we could go by bus and walk for less than 5 minutes to reach the "inside" of San Po Kong. That's a relief, because every now and then I will have that gold-coin-chicken craving, and Tak Lung is the perfect place to relief that craving.

The gold coin chicken requires one day advanced reservation. it's comprising of BBQ pork, chicken livers and most importantly pig's back fat marinated in rose wine and sugar yielding a wonderful moist texture bearing sweet taste. The three combined together on a metal skewer and roasted until perfection, dripping with fat. The textures are also very interesting. it's a treat like no other indeed!

The Sweet and sour pork, despite sounding ordinary, is quite a treat. It's made with Hawthorne berries instead of the conventional tomatoes, hence yielding extra tartness and an extra fruity flavour to it. The pork bits are of bite-sized and the crust is nice and thin while the content within is fatty enough.

• How much did you spend?
  $150
• Overall Rating
  Good

Tonbe is so accessible. It\'s in the middle of Wan Chai. The cutlets are good, and we\'re talking about comparing to places like Ginza Bairin. (and Ootoya in Quarry Bay). The cutlets are crisp and fried to order. \r\nFor lunch I had the \"Pork Cutlet on rice with cold udon\". It\'s a set that\'s more than pork cutlet on rice. The menu left out the \"with egg\" part but the picture suggested so. The pork cutlet, even cooked briefly in runny egg mixture in a shallow pan, is crisp on the side that didn\'t touch the flavorful egg. The rice is steamy hot and just about perfect with the pork chop and egg combination. I find the rice serving a little bit too big though. \r\n\r\nThe egg is slightly runny which makes it perfect with steamed rice. The cold udon, served traditionally on a tray, is slightly chewy. It\'s best served cold like they do it here.

• How much did you spend?
  $75
• Overall Rating
  Good

Xi Yue, surprisingly didn't go along the same line of the "Jasmine" line of restaurants by Maxims group (because the Chinese name suggested so). It seems to aim for more upscale Western-influence Chinese dining. The super high ceiling, the napkins and table settings all exude essence of Western dining.

We ordered the roasted pig and the Bamboo pith roll for dinner. The roasted pig is crispy and just the right colour, although underneath the crispy skin there really is nothing left. It's indeed a very lean pig (judging from the rare bits of meat -- little fat). Playing on the Western influence the dish is served with a salad on the side. It's a refreshing concept indeed.

The "Bamboo Pith Rolls" is a lighter vegetable dish. Bamboo piths are filled with chopped mushrooms, wood-ears. The stuffed piths are steamed and dressed with a translucent glaze, with some Chinese wolfberries on the side. A delightful crunch on the bamboo pith followed by soft mushroom filling. Very satisfying indeed.

Service is attentive and friendly.

• How much did you spend?
  $150
• Overall Rating
  OK

Noren in Tsim Sha Tsui is stealing quite amount of attention in the TST neighborhood. About 80% of all produce arrives from Japan weekly (some, biweekly.) There are no posh menus, and the signatures are all on the wall. The "Rice with sliced pork" are pan-fried thin slices of pork with a sweet sauce that follows, topped with a Japanese green pepper.

The potato salad is basically smashed Japanese potatoes with Japanese mayonnaise. The potatoes are cooked tender and smashed into chunky mash, while the Japanese mayonnaise is creamier than the original ones.

• How much did you spend?
  $100
• Overall Rating
  Good

I love the CWB Ippei-An, basically because the booths are so comfortable to sit and spend time eating ramen. The Holiday Set lunch is also a steal. At $68, ($58 + $10) there is a bowl of normal serving of Kumamoto Ramen ($58) and additional $10 you get a small bowl of Stewed Pork Rice.

The Kumamoto Ramen has creamy soup base, with floating droplets of sesame oil on top. The noodles are slightly chewy. The barbecued pork is not bbq-ed at all, instead, it's stewed in a pork broth and tasted flavorful inside.
The stewed pork rice is traditional, served with pickles. The meltingly tender pork belly is so soft and yummy, and the molten egg yolk melts into the rice, providing extra sauce...Yummy!!

• How much did you spend?
  $75
• Overall Rating
  Good

Yes, we heard all about the croissants here. It's truly a fancy treat in town (and it's cheap!) While the plain/almond/chocolate croissants are famous here, they are almost always sold out at lunch hour. When that happens, and still I wanted something comforting, I go for the second thing on my favorites list. Well, it's a tie between the macarons and the Danishes.

The macarons, come in daintier portions compared to other patisseries/cake shops out here in HK, are of a better texture -- a light crispy exterior yet moist within, with the right almondy flavour within. Particularly enjoyed the lemon, the chestnut, and the raspberry flavour.

Of all the danishes I have come to like the pear danish the best. The grapefruit is often too tart while the pineapple was too moist inside (almost soggy), But the pear you can count on, aside from the pear being sweet and fanned out neatly...the pastry is crisp while the soft pear yields to the bite, with a reminder of vanilla that follows.

• How much did you spend?
  $45
• Overall Rating
  Good

Stepping into Sing Yin reminds me how much dining has changed over the years. Food quality used to be the only thing that matters but nowadays, decor matter too, at least when fine dining has become more and more popular. Also important is the novelty factor, not to say traditions are best left where they are, but sometimes, a twist from the past is deemed to make a certain restaurant and outstanding one aside from serving good food. The food business, afterall, is about word-of-mouth. People like, they talk about it, and that's how a reputation is made.

Sing Yin, located inside W Hotel, has everything gimmicky about it -- decor and ambiance very artistic with some reflection of the old Hong Kong. Menu signatures offer twists of old dishes as well. The "Steamed minced pork and crabmeat dumpling" is an improved xiaolongbao. Using wheat starch as main component of the wrapper, the slightly chewy dumpling is filled with crabmeat and pork. Juicy and seasoned, the filling also bears the aroma of ginger.

The "Steamed egg white parcels stuffed with diced scallops mushrooms and topped with salmon roe" is a work of art, using egg white crepes to wrap up a melange of ingredients including scallops and assorted mushrooms. It's a lighter alternative and borrowed from the Chiuchow classic.

• How much did you spend?
  $160
• Overall Rating
  Good

Loving Quarry Bay's Ootoya (as opposed to TST one). It's more family style and less formal than the one on Nathan Road, TST. It is, after all, inside a Japanese department store. I usually order the signature Chicken cutlet with rice, served with either cold soba or udon. I opt for the latter most of the time.

The chicken cutlet with rice, served with a handful of shredded cabbage, is the comforting item. The breading of the cutlet is thin but crispy, while the meat within is juicy enough even when it got to room temperature. The rice bowl is served with a dipping sauce -- tangy and sweet. Feel free to ask for more though.

The tuna with rice is second to favorite, although coming in smaller sizes. The tuna is slightly marinated with soy sauce but it doesn't taste very salty at all.

• How much did you spend?
  $75
• Overall Rating
  Good

Loving cutlets and everything crunchy. I'm so glad this Saboten (unlike the one at Airport) is closer to home. I particularly enjoyed the "pork roll" cutlet, featuring three different fillings -- cheese with bacon/ asparagus with bacon/ pickled plum with shiso.

The pickled-plum with shiso is my favorite, deep purple filling so tangy and sharp, wrapped inside a rolled up thin pork meat and deep fried until crunchy. While the pork is outstanding, it's the wheat rice that steals the show. It doesn't taste like oatmeal (thank god!) and it's moist with some chewy bits, and if I had a bigger appetite I probably would refill too.

• How much did you spend?
  $170
• Overall Rating
  Good

There's a line outside of Hung's Delicacies. Correction: There's ALWAYS a line outside. Who would've thought one day I'd be on that line, and for someone who dislike lining up in the middle of summery heat...I was craving for something Chiuchow and cooked in marinade, so here I was, in the midst of summer, lined up for Hung's Delicacies into the glimpse of the famed eatery with no reservation policy.

Finally squeezed into a small table I ordered two signatures...The chicken tendon with mustard was crunchy and slightly tangy from the mustard. The sharpness in the mustard is a wake-me-up. The chicken tendon, quite a tricky thing to eat and certainly a less-graphic alternative and entry-point for anyone who fears chicken-feet but want to know what it taste like. This is a converting item indeed.

The duck-tongue dish, arranged nicely on the plate, is so flavorful in Chiuchow spiced marinade. Each duck tongue has flavours penetrated inside, as the cartilage within and the layer of fat underneath the skin is sweet, salty, and tasty.

Too bad I didn't get to try the tofu cooked in marinade, I heard it was soft and velvety. Will line up again for the stir-noodles and maybe goose too, if I can get a crowd to come with.

• How much did you spend?
  $100
• Overall Rating
  Good

Hearing a new Cafe Locomotive has opened, I went straight to it, knowing how lazy I was to get to Tai Hang in the first place. This one, located in Wan Chai, is closer to office for a quick bite. I ordered the bowl of noodles with just about everything in it (name forgotten, but it's the one with raw and cooked beef, beef meatballs, tripe and tendon). The soup base was deep brown with good whiff of star anise and cassia bark, followed by strong aroma of beef bones.

The soup base is delicious, but the noodles inside aren't. The noodles were limp and clearly too mushy. The beef slices were ok, but the tripe is unusually tender, almost the same with the beef tendon. It's good to snip a few leaves of Thai Basil and a squirt of lime juice into the soup for better flavour.

Will come again for the pho soup, if that's possible.

• How much did you spend?
  $60
• Overall Rating
  OK

I'm always reluctant to go to Fook Lam Moon, there's something particularly intimidating about it, from the entrance to the service and everything. That's why, when I heard that the thousand layer cake, my childhood favorite is available at Lin Heung Teahouse, I skipped my exercise routine to get there.

Thousand-layered cake, is a 9-layered steamed cake with Chinese steamed-bun dough (5 layers) sandwiching 4 layers of Chinese custard filling, which is made with lots of salted egg yolks, custard powder, sugar, and lard. It's an unhealthy treat but once in a while, I reward myself with the thought of it, and now, finally in contact with the real thing.

The Steamed thousand layered cake at Lin Heung turned out, to be quite a flop, as suggested in the picture. The layers are separating, and the custard layers were too moist, almost mushy in texture. It's also lacking depth --you can hardly tell whether there is salted egg yolks in it, because all you can taste is custard powder and sugar.

Looks like my next destination to find my favorite sweet dimsum is indeed, Fook Lam Moon...

• How much did you spend?
  $15
• Overall Rating
  Bad

There is something ironic about Applegreen. On one hand it promotes healthy lifestyle...lots of salads and veggies; on the other, it's American serving size, which is second to calling it "for two" but in fact it's for one.

Not knowing this characteristics, for two we ordered "Mexican Beef Tostada", one "Carbonara" and "Fries"...The Mexican Beef Tostada has everything we believe Mexican food should have (but don't, at least not all)...the tortilla was slightly limp, beef was crumbly. Luckily enough the spices were right and the mixed greens were "mixed well" with vinaigrette.

Carbonara, famous at Applegreen, was nothing related to the original. It's more like eggy-alfredo here. The bacon was lightly toasted but at least it tasted fine and the serving, well, slightly too large even for two people who really like pasta.

Fries are always crispy and great at Applegreen, and served in a small tin is more than enough for two. Service is quite attentive but beware, Applegreen can get really noisy at night.

• How much did you spend?
  $200
• Overall Rating
  OK

I have come to like Yo Mama even more, even though they go out of mochi despite how fast and how much the staff are making them. The weighing of the yogurt also bothers me. (makes me think that the staff don't have enough training to know when is "enough" and "too much").

Anyways, the signature flavour changes every now and then. I especially loved the CARAMEL flavour, as indicated in the picture below. It has the brown colour much like toffee, and at the same time taste like caramel without that cloyingly sweet aftertaste like eating caramels will give you. The perfect topping, of course, is mochi. Its texture is just chewy enough.

I wonder which signature/ special flavour will come next?

• How much did you spend?
  $40
• Overall Rating
  Good

When I decided a meal at Island Tang I've heard friends' suggestions and warnings...almost equal in numbers. Like all restaurants, the smart thing to do is research. Knowing what the restaurant specializes in and order them instead of blindly point-and-order. Playing their strength will do you benefit.

This night's higlights are the Baked Crab meat in shell and Honey-glazed BBQ pork. The baked crab meat is plump and golden. Breaking the crusty exterior is a whiff of freshness, baked au gratin and certainly one of the best baked crab I've had in HK, with hearty bites of crabmeat in every bite.

The BBQ pork has a wonderful honey glaze and the crust is of a traditional deep red with just enough texture on the exterior. Would benefit with a little charred tips though.

Certainly will come back for these two. Service is good and attentive as well.

• How much did you spend?
  $200
• Overall Rating
  Good

If there is one thing about Din Tai Fung that I don't like: It's the waiting. For a restaurant that seats so many and so many turnovers per night...the waiting can take so long. Yet everytime I visited Din Tai Fung I'm happy to wait.

A table for two, I found, is easier than a table for more than 5. The two of us ordered jellied pork, bits of pork suspended within aspic. It tasted fine on its own, but a dip into the black vinegar further enhanced the taste of it. Xiaolongbao is also wonderful at Din Tai Fung, after all it is the signature item. The wrapper, gathered at the top with equal pleats around, is steamed with flavorful juices trapped within. The pork is well seasoned, and the wrapped is thin but not thin enough to break with the chopsticks poking at it.

There are a lot of other dishes we can have at Din Tai Fung, but for a light dinner, and not minding the wait, A few Xiaolongbao and a cold dish could do very well for two.

• How much did you spend?
  $100
• Overall Rating
  Good

It requires some skills to sit on a slope at Leaf Desserts. The tip is: Don't sit on the slope, instead, find tables on the two sides of the dai pai dong kitchen. The landing is actually flat and your food is less likely to slide across the tables.

Every time I visit Leaf Desserts I always go for the briskets, despite the popularity of the pork hocks. The brisket with e-fu noodles is of good quality, because the e-fu noodles absorb more flavorful broth than normal egg noodles, but unlike the rice noodles which get soggy by the time you start eating. With the brisket you also are likely to get some bits of meats and one piece of braised tendon, gooey and gelatinous stuff it is.

The mung bean soup with seaweed is good served ice-cold. The mung bean soup, with floating granules of barley and mung bean, quenches the summer thirst and it's meant to cool down your body as well.

Leaf Desserts sometimes close on Sundays, but during the week they open till late

• How much did you spend?
  $40
• Overall Rating
  Good

It doesn't take an expert to realize that there are a few different branches of this store. Not only is the quality of food different across the board, so are the prices. This one, located along the tram tracks, is the place I've grown up eating at, not to mention the years I spent during lunch times when I was working in Central. I revisited the place for its classics -- wonton noodles and deep fried dace balls.

Wonton noodles are exactly how they looked, wontons tucked at the base while thin egg noodles on top. The brown soup base, flavored strongly of dried fish, taste lighter than before, but the noodles are cooked with a crunchy texture. The wontons, with its traditional "goldfish" shaped -- tiny "head" of pork and shrimp filling and a flowing 'tail' of gathered excess wrapper make a wonderful wonton noodle soup.

Fried dace balls are golden brown and served with preserved clam sauce. Hot they were, the dace balls with a faint tangerine peel taste did not taste as rich now than before. It's also very fluffy (as opposed to a denser texture).

Despite quality has gone down, it's still better than a lot of places that serve the same type of food.

• How much did you spend?
  $40
• Overall Rating
  OK

I\'ve heard many saying that service at Kam Fung was particularly rude, even for a Cha Chaan Teng. The comments of rudeness and \"unprofessional\" service (CCT standards) rang in my ears every time I walked in, from breakfast to afternoon tea to a quick fix to calm my cravings. And yet, experiences after experiences turned out to be good. \r\n\r\nSpotting a seat in the midst of the lunching crowd, I sat down, quickly noticed what they had and ordered the meal set that serves ONE noodle (Satay Beef instant noodles), ONE bread item (additional $2 for pineapple bun), ONE egg item (ham omelette), and ONE beverage (milk tea) \r\n\r\nSqueezing into my seat against 6 others at a table that\'s too tight to hold 5 people, the noodles arrived quickly enough, followed by the omelette and then the bun and tea. Here\'s how one save room. Eat the omelette first, or put the omelette on top of the noodles (clear one plate). Put sugar in your milk tea and take the first sip (too full a cup will spill on you, be it your own cup or others\') Also, have the bread to go with you can. If you\'re lucky you may be able to get a hot one fresh out of the oven...There is NOTHING that beats a sweet crusty pineapple bun sandwiching a slice of cold butter.\r\n\r\nThe satay beef noodle is the sum of processed foods mixed into one. I grew up eating it, and it doesn\'t taste any different. The milk tea is smooth as ever, though I imagine sugar level is personal yet striking a balance is difficult, especially between the bitter depth of tea flavour and the smoothness of the milk added in. \r\n\r\nTourists with guidebooks in hand and neighborhood children and their parents come pouring in as the day goes, and they all seem to get the same treatment all the way through, as long as you know what you order and you respect the rules of \"fast food\" you\'d be fine. \r\n\r\nYou don\'t have to speak another language to get better service, because it doesn\'t matter when it comes to Kam Fung. The passport to better service is knowing what to order and fit into the assembly line of quick steps: sit down, order, eat, pay, leave...It\'s that simple, and it\'s the local definition of fast food indeed.

• How much did you spend?
  $32
• Overall Rating
  OK

Before desserteries invading the quiet streets of Tai Hang, places like Shun Hing has been here for long enough time. I have always considered Tin Hau's only Dai Pai Dong to be a pioneer of the dining scene in Tai Hang, a kind of predecessor that has succeeded and popularized local food and still keep its edge to survive until today.

Shun Hing is known for a few things -- its rice dishes are among them. Two of the favorites are listed here. The Rice with Charsiu (BBQ pork) and scrambled eggs is just about one of the best in town. Steamed rice piled up on a plate, topped (pretty much covering the entire surface) with a flat round of scrambled eggs, still runny in the centre with soft egg whites clinging onto the scramble. Bits of crusty charsiu in the mix of eggs. The rice, combined with the creamy, runny egg mixture, and further sweetened by the charsiu with its sweet sauce on the outside, is a perfect harmony on the "local rice in a dish".

The baked seafood rice is another great dish to order (I found out about it on the day where all scrambled egg rice were sold out). The baked rice dish, filled with seafood bits such as calamari rings, a few prawns, bits of fish fillets etc, is mixed with a white cream sauce and topped with cheese and baked until crusty and brown. The rice surprisingly, was pre-cooked with tomatoes to get a special tang that lightens the richness from the cream-sauced-seafood topping.

There's little complain at Shun Hing with its milk tea, a Dai Pai Dong must. The tea itself has great depth and do ask for reduced sweetness and less ice (if it's ok) for a more intense tea flavour. Shun Hing closes on Mondays.

• How much did you spend?
  $35
• Overall Rating
  Good

Yes, in life there should always be a plan B, but lunch plans are a little tricky. If the place you want is too crowded/ too far away/ closed down without noice then you don't just run into the closest restaurant and frown over the lost chance of not ever going to Plan A...Instead, embrance the Plan B, maybe it's a good restaurant with good food...maybe one day this place will be your Plan A?

Westwood Carvery is located in Wo On Lane, which we all know is where Butao Ramen is. Despite the lines, many lunch crowds actually get tired of waiting (or confronting the sight which reminds them as if they're never getting a bowl from there). The convenient location of Westwood offers more attention from diners. The prime-rib sandwich, aside from being substantial, is also very good.

Ordering one for lunch would be quite a treat. Starting with beef barley soup, which turns out dark brown with barley and dices of vegetables within. The beef stock base is flavorful without being over-seasoned.

The Prime Rib Sandwich arrives (additional charge for a different bread). It's a big sandwich, with a pile of nice shoestring fries. The two ramekins hold fresh horseradish and the other a beef jus, otherwise known as "a nice intense dose of beef in liquid form" The sandwich, crispy on the outside with just thin enough slices of beef from the prime rib, is juicy and flavorful throughout.

The horseradish is a great help expanding the beef's flavour with a little bit mustardy heat. Don't forget the fries though, I've always like the crunchiness of it and it goes surprisingly well with the beef jus as well.

The unique thing about Westwood Carvery is that they serve each sandwich with fruit. The fruit changes every now and then, and it's a nice healthy notion to eat more vegetables and fruits while enjoying the guilty pleasure of a slab of meat inside a toasty bun. Indulgence indeed, but once in a while, when I do feel I need something substantial to give me comfort, I revisit Westwood Carvery (reservation can definitely get you a table) for a solid meat-craving.

• How much did you spend?
  $100
• Overall Rating
  Good

HK is a place where its citizens love lines. We line up every day here and there. BUT, nothing beats the anticipation of being in line for a meal. Some people absolutely hate it, but for a lot of people, myself included, the assurance of getting to sit down is better than everything else, so a little respect to order is good discipline, I'd think.

Sing Heung Yuen is a place where lines always exist. On mornings and afternoons office-dwellers dig into communal tables to get their fix before work, In times between these peaks, people come here for a breath of fresh air from their work, and maybe a quick bite before they head back to work.

Famous for its tomato-based soup macaroni. I ordered one with beef slices. The macaroni is in soup, so please don't expect al dente. The soup base is more tart than sweet, more like soup than bisque. It's a warming treat especially in the winter time.

Another treat is the crispy bun with butter, lemon and honey. The bun is split in half, and each of the halves is stuffed inside the slot of a toasted and we wait. When the buns pop back out in its newly acquired brown crumb coat a quick smear of butter, lemon and honey...combining rich fat with the sweet-sour two way punch, especially with the stinging tartness from the lemon.
Note that if one orders anything with lemon in their beverage should expect the lemon slices already muddled, unless notified at the time of order. There's a sign inside Sing Heung Yuen that says that, in case you don't get to see it...

• How much did you spend?
  Less than $40
• Overall Rating
  OK