On Dining Kitchen and Lounge

A recent favorite lunch spot!

Philippe Orrico behind Upper Modern Bistro recently opened ON DINING KITCHEN AND LOUNGE in this new building on On Lan Street. The restaurant is located on the 28th and 29th floor , with a wonderful terrace, a bar area and dining room. The big windows bring in the sunlight and the place looks stylish and bright. 

The mushroom pancake surprised me with the generous serving of black truffle. The pancake was light and crisp with a creamy filling. Nom nom.

 

Poached egg, crab meat and Parma ham – this combination never fails.

The Atlantic meager with saffron risotto was a delight ! The tomato salsa and bread crumbs matched well with the palette. 

Definitely a great place to treat yourself a nice lunch before going back to work in the afternoon. 

And we were already planning our next visit!! 

Two courses lunch at HK$288, three courses at HK$328

On Dining Kitchen and Lounge – 29/f 18 On Lan Street, Central

Reservations can be easily made online on their website http://www.ontop.hk

Carbone Hong Kong – Your next favourite Italian-American restaurant

It was such a horrible experience the night we visited Carbone. Don’t get me wrong though – it has NOTHING to do with the restaurant. The elevators were out of service at LKF Tower for over AN HOUR and there were crazy queues in the lobby. We ended up WALKING all the way up to 9/F through a secret staircase after waiting for over 45 mins. But once we stepped into the restaurant, it was all worth it.

Carbone’s decor brought us back in the 1920s, with the plush leather chairs and chandeliers. Elegant and unpretentious. Came all the way from New York, the menu of Carbone offers some classic Italian-American dishes. Portions are generally good enough for sharing.  It just easily became our favourite Italian place in town.

OMG this Carpaccio Piemontese ($198) was the BEST beef carpaccio i’ve had in quite a while!!! *hands down* Imagine wagyu and black truffle melting in your mouth. period.

Then we shared a Ceasar alla ZZ ($188) and Fettucini con Fungi ($198).

Then there came our favourite dish of the night – SPICY RAGATONI VODKA ($198) !!! This is a MUST-eat dish

It was so creamy so rich so effing good.

Who can resist a cart full of CAKES?? We ended our meal happily with tiramisu and lemon cheese cake.  Love the crust of the lemon cheese cake!

The elevators were still not fixed by the time we finished our meal and we ended up taking cargo lift on our way out.  Despite the unpleasant experience and chaos at LKF tower we didn’t regret visiting Carbone!

Carbone – 9/f LKF Tower, Wyndham Street, Central. +852 2593 2593   http://www.carbone.com.hk

New Openings: GAUCHO and BREAD STREET KITCHEN & BAR

It’s been very difficult to catch up with all the new openings in Hong Kong for the past few months.  These two restaurants, both from London, have also been the talk of the town.  As they are both conveniently located in Central, I was determined to check them out during lunches.

GAUCHO

GAUCHO (what an interesting name.. in the Hong Kong context..) came all the way from London.  It is an award-wining Argentine steakhouse.  There are a number of Argentine steakhouses in Hong Kong, the other one I really like is Tango on Wyndham Street, in fact also from the same Dining Concepts group. So I was rather surprised that Dining Concepts opened yet another Argentine steakhouse as its own competitor.

There is something special about Argentine steaks – they are flame-grilled therefore locking all the juicy bits in the flavourful steak.  I guess that sets Argentine steakhouses apart from other numerous steakhouses in town.

Business Lunch at Gaucho is quite a good deal – starting from HK$230 for a two courses lunch.  You got to choose from a range of cold appetisers including the traditional ceviches and crab causitas and hot appetizers like empanadas.  For mains, you may choose between fillet or sirloin, or non-steak dishes such as burger or fish.

The cheese balls offered on arrival definitely worth a mention.  These warm and chewy balls are such great snacks to start your lunch with.

The Ecuadorian Ceviche was okay, but i would expect more from their signature dish. Maybe personally prefer ceviche with fish instead of shrimps.

For the steaks:

Peppered Medallion of Lomo – the fillet –  it came with rocket and parmesan salad and balsamic sauce.

Churrasco de Chorizo – the sirloin.  It was marinated and came with Tomato salad.

Both steaks were nicely flame-grilled.  Flavourful as with all Argentine steaks.  The fillet however was slightly salty.  I think I relatively liked the sirloin more – a very juicy yummy piece of steak.

Gaucho’s interior is absolutely stylish – featuring its signature cowhide walls and chandeliers.  Settings are great for business needs. With its rather reasonable deal for lunch and prime location in Central, I would definitely recommend Gaucho for business/ client lunches.  Service was slightly slow though especially if everyone at your table are ordering steaks for mains.

Gaucho Hong Kong – 5/F, LHT Tower, 31 Queen’s Road Central, Hong Kong, +852 2386 8090, www.gauchorestaurants.com.hk

BREAD STREET KITCHEN & BAR

It took us a month to squeeze in a spot for lunch.  It was almost impossible to get a spot for dinner.  Following Jamie’s Italian hype, this Gordon Ramsay restaurant continued with the big hit of celebrity chef restaurants in Hong Kong.

Bread Street Kitchen & Bar – also from London (and also under Dining Concepts) – has an interior which is almost identical to that of London.  I love the decors with bright yellow colour and checkered floor – a mix of vintage and modern style.

Lunch sets are not offered at Bread Street.  They serve the same a la carte menu all day long – featuring mostly English dishes with a Ramsay twist.

Seabass Carpaccio ($138) was great – generous portion which was good enough to share between two.  Mixed with a citrus dressing together with chunks of grapefruits and avocados.  A refreshing appetizer.

Steamed Snapper ($208) was a great signature dish with perfectly cooked fish (again generous portion) in a shellfish dressing which brings out the sweet and freshness.

The Bread Street Kitchen short rib burger ($168) was however not particularly impressive.  The look of the dish was entirely ordinary – just a plain burger with no sides on a white dish.  The patty was good but I guess there are many places which can offer burgers of similar/ better quality.

I have been hearing similar comments about this place – some dishes were good while some dishes were particularly bad/ not as good – which I found it quite true.

Lunch for two with two appetizers and two main courses with no drinks would easily cost around $700-800 – probably not a place that you would visit very often, but you may still love to come and experience the vibe of Bread Street at least once sometime.

Bread Street Kitchen and Bar – M/F, LKF Hotel, 33 Wyndham St, Central, 2230 1800; http://diningconcepts.com/breadstreetkitchenbar

Another pleasant surprise from Sai Ying Pun: Shop9 Restaurant & Lounge

A while ago I wrote about STACK which offers exceptional pancakes on Third Street, here you go another gem in the Sai Ying Pun already on the other end of Third Street – Shop9.  A cozy restaurant which only sits around 20, they also have a nice patio area for outdoor drinks. The brick walls and the hanging lightbulbs created a warm British style ambience.

This nicely decorated Salmon Tartare kicked start a happy meal.  Finely chopped salmon and avocado, with a splash of lime juice and wasabi mayo on the side.  A refreshing appetizer.

 

 

Then came a 7″ Peking Duck Pizza.  It reminded me of the Peking Duck pizza offered at CPK! This version was more like a Hong Kong style pizza but still a great snack.

 

 

Black Truffle Scallops Linguine – one of the signature dishes of Shop9.  It lived up to the standard of a signature dish, creamy and great taste of the truffle. Nicely pan fried scallops. Just wish the dish was bigger.

 

 

Another signature dish – Risotto with Deep fried Soft Shell Crab.  This one was my personal favourite.  Absolutely creative! There were also chunks of crab meat in the risotto rice. Deliiiicccious.

 

 

 

The Roasted Pork Knuckle was a nice surprise!  We thought we were too full to finish a pork knuckle but we finished the whole dish within 10 mins.  Different from pork knuckle dishes that you could get in German restaurants around Hong Kong, this one didn’t taste as greasy and the skin was super crispy.  It could really be one of the best in town.

 

 

Shop9 surprised us with their quality dishes! The staff was also very helpful and nice.  We are looking to go back sometime to try out their cocktails and also their afternoon tea sets!

Pricing: around $300 per head without drinks

Shop9 Restaurant & Lounge – Shop 9, 127B Third Street, Sai Ying Pun, 2828 8210

 

 

Private Kitchen Series – ZONE-D Ristorante

There is this unnoticed building at the corner of Wing Lok Street in Sheung Wan called Cheung’s Building which has turned into a house of private kitchens in recent years.  Zone-D Ristorante, which was originally in Causeway Bay, also moved into Cheung’s Building last year.

Zone-D sits 24 max, which is a good size for private parties. They offer a satisfying 5-course menu at the cost of merely $480 up (additional costs for certain signature dishes).

Pan-fried Crab Cakes with vodka mango sauce – very generous portion of crab meat with a crispy skin of bread crumbs.

This Lobster Salad (+$100) is a signature dish.  I didn’t get to try but comments were good – the salad was in sesame dressing and the lobster was fresh and juicy in perfect texture.

Mushroom Cappuccino – the spoonful of truffle sauce was a great companion!

An appetizer portion of Lobster Risotto was served before the main courses.  Rich lobster sauce with chewy chunks of lobster. Nice dish.

Pan-fried Seabass with Tomato Salsa and Grilled US Ribeye Steak with herbs potato (+$80) . Fish dish was nicely executed with the perfect crispy skin.  Ribeye was also up to standard.  However we were already too full by the time we finished the risotto and none of us could completely finish the main courses, which was rather a waste.

Dessert was creme brûlée but it was only so-so.

Meals at Zone-D are definitely value for money.  Although the dishes are not particularly exciting, everything was very well executed. So you get quality dishes at a very reasonable price.  I would expect Zone-D to remain a popular choice for private parties.

p.s. I heard that they also offer 3-course pasta set lunch at only $108!

ISONO EATERY & BAR – SHARING IS CARING & ENJOYING!

Following our superb experience at VASCO (see full review here), we decided to return and put ISONO to the test.  As previously mentioned, ISONO EATERY AND BAR is a more casual dining space with a relaxed atmosphere, and their menu is very much designed for sharing. For lunch, apart from a la carte options, they also provide a set lunch menu catered for groups.  Say for 4 people you can get a set lunch with 3 starters, 3 mains, 4 sides/ desserts and coffee or tea at a mere HKD 1040- definitely great deal.

It was such a pity that the famous pork shoulder was sold out by the time we were there.  However, we did sample a whole lot of different dishes and I would highlight some below:-

Fried Organic Egg with Iberico Chorizo & Spicy Tomato Sauce – you could imagine from the photos how delicious the dish was when the chorizos were soaked in the perfectly cooked egg!

 

Beef Tartare with Organic Egg and Truffle Mayonnaise – I bet many people would agree with me that Isono has one of the best beef tartare in town.  The beef was of perfect texture, and the truffle mayonnaise definitely added points to the dish.  I wouldn’t mind ordering a second one.

 

Spaghetti Carbonara with Guanciale –  Carbonara is such a simple and common dish, but ISONO’s version worths a special mention. Egg sauce was super good without being overly creamy.  They serve regular portion and also a larger portion for share! Perfect.

 

Classic Seafood Paella – on first bite we thought the rice was a bit too hard but we were told this was the traditional way of making paella.  Soon we were loving the chewy and flavourful rice of this classic dish.

 

 

We were spoilt which a range of desserts but this Apple Tart Tatin  was indeed eye catching.  Served with vanilla ice cream, it could definitely be a wonderful comfort dish.  You would also certainly love their Tiramisu and Creme Brûlée.

 

 

I would definitely recommend Isono for group hang-outs, especially for weekends.  With the high ceiling and natural light coming in, superb dishes to share and some bubbly prosecco, you would soon find yourself enjoying a oh-so-wonderful weekend afternoon at Isono.   We are already planning out next visit to make sure we try the pork shoulder!

Isono Eatery & Bar | 6/F, Block B, PMQ, 35 Aberdeen Street, Central, Hong Kong | 2156 0688  | http://www.isono.com.hk/

Ham & Sherry – Tapas Lovin’!

The team behind the amazing 22 Ships has brought to us earlier this year another tapas bar across the street – Ham & Sherry. It’s a more casual and spacious place comparing to 22 Ships and it is decorated with catchy blue and white tiles.  It can be a cocktail bar, and they also offer tapas which are good enough for a meal.

 

It’s rather rare in Hong Kong to have a restaurant which is focused on sherry.  I came across sherry back in the college days since we were offered sherry every week before high table dinners. Little did I know that there are in fact so many types of sherry and some can be priced at almost HKD 2000 per bottle. Apart from sherry, they also have an extended wine list and also a very cute cocktail menu with colourful drawings in a school exercise book.

 

We started off with a bottle of cava, which was very reasonably priced at $298, and since we couldn’t make a choice among the jamon they offer, we order the Ham & Sherry Charcuteria Board – which contained chef’s selection of jamon iberico, chorizo, pickles, toast with tomato salsa and manchego cheese! The cheese was so good that we had to get a separate order!

 

This beautiful dish of octopus is on the special menu on the blackboard.  Tasted as good as it looked.

 

The Crispy and Garlic prawns were so flavourful.  Would be great to pair with ice cold beer.

The portion of Paella was rather small, but good enough to share among 2 to 3 girls. It was interesting to give a twist to the traditional paella with the addition of this big piece of ‘chicken leg mushroom’.

The Fried Oysters came rather late but they worth the wait! Fresh and juicy, not oily.  Great dish.

To compensate for our wait we were given drinks on the house! (shhh) and just when I was planning to try our the sherry they brought us one to pair with our chocolate mousse dessert.  It was an interesting dessert with grilled carrots and sesame crumble – who would have thought to put carrot with chocolate? The sherry was okay but guess I am not a big fan for sweet wine.

Ham & Sherry is a great place for girl’s night out! (considering that tapas are generally not enough for a guy’s appetite. )  We enjoyed the drinks, the service and the tapas and three hours passed by quickly.  They do not take bookings, but this place is not as crowded as 22 ships – no need to queue, just come in earlier.

 

Ham & Sherry  | 1-7 Ship Street, Wanchai | 2555 0628

www.hamandsherry.hk

Jamie’s Italian – affordable celebrity chef’s dishes

Among all the hot new openings this summer, Jamie’s Italian in Causeway Bay created the biggest hype. The line has become increasingly long since its official opening in end of July, filled with people waiting to check out what the celebrity chef Jamie Oliver has to offer.

While we heard it is impossible to book a table until November, we tried our luck to walk-in at around 5:30pm.  We were told that the restaurant was already full (!), so we could only put down our name and go back 2 hours later. It wasn’t too bad at least we didn’t have to queue on the spot and we didn’t have to wait for calling of ticket number.

The restaurant atmosphere was fun and casual, with low lighting and a part of kitchen extended to the dining area.  We were seated at a long communal table – they left an empty seat in between parties so it didn’t feel too crowded.

 

 

The Bellini looked beautiful with peach puree at the bottom of the glass, surprisingly priced at only $45.  World’s Best Olives on Ice ($50) – – I can’t tell whether they were the best but they were quite good.  The black olives tapenade was even better!

 

Crab and Avocado Bruschetta ($70) – a bed of fresh crab meat mixed with slices of green apple, lemon and chilli, lying on a sourdough toast.  A refreshing dish to start the meal.

Spinach & Taleggio Croquettes ($70) – Simple yummy dish! The batter was light and crispy. The basil mayo also helped cut the richness of the creamy spinach potato filling.

 

It was a hard time choosing among the wide selection of main courses, but as pasta freaks we decided to go for the freshly made pastas! Everything looks good on the menu – thanks to the half portion option so we could try out more!

Vongole Tagliolini ($90/ $155) – the clams were so fresh! Tagliolini was cooked al dente.

 

Truffle Tagliatelle ($75/ $125)  was a personal favourite!  You get fresh truffle slices in a light cream sauce with a hint of nutmeg on al dente fresh tagliatelle.  What could go wrong?

Our Famous Prawn Linguine ($100/ $165) was however a disappointment.  The words “our famous” might have brought a higher expectation, but the dish, as you may see, was watery. The prawns were small and tasteless. The linguine was still good though.

 

We also ordered a side Rocket and Parmesan Salad ($40), their house aged balsamic was good and you could always get one home, among other merchandises, on your way out.

 

Now you would probably ask whether this place worths the two-hour wait.   I’ve heard mixed reviews regarding the restaurant since its opening. To be honest, if you are looking for authentic Italian dishes or Michelin-starred fancy dishes, this is definitely not the place that you are looking for.  The big name behind the restaurant is definitely setting the expectation way too high.  But to be fair, Jamie Oliver’s recipes are supposed to be something simple that you can also make at home, and the restaurant is also positioned as an affordable casual dining place, offering simple Italian dishes with a Jamie Oliver’s twist. With that in mind, I do think the restaurant delivers fairly well.  I certainly love the home-made pastas and they lived up to the reputation.  It offers an extension menu with dishes that most people would love, plus the prices are generally wallet-friendly.  All these add up to make it a great family restaurant/ group hangout spot!   I would certainly go back, just maybe when the waiting time is not as long.

 

Taboocha – your local kombucha here in HK

Everybody talks about healthy living – raw food, juice detox, organic food, cold pressed juice etc all become very popular items. Kombucha, as well, is a big hit in the US.   For those who haven’t heard of kombucha, to put it simple, it’s fermented tea.  It is produced by tea and sugar, being fermented by a SCOBY (Symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast).  This fermented tea contains probiotics that support the growth of healthy bacteria in your gut, which helps the digestive function of your body and boosts your immune system.  It became so popular that bottles of kombucha are taking up big shelf space in supermarkets in the US and people produce their own kombucha at home.

Hong Kong is lucky to have its own local kombucha – TABOOCHA. Brewed locally using organic tea leaves and cold pressed juices, founder Lisa aims to bring the healthy trend into Hong Kong with flavours that Hong Kong people will love. While kombucha is usually produced with black tea, TABOOCHA is produced with carefully selected organic Jasmine Tea or Kung Fu Tea – adding a Chinese twist to this special drink.  Instead of white sugar, Lisa also chose to use raw cane sugar. Further,  TABOOCHA ingredients are over 90% organic so you can be sure that you are getting the best. Four flavours are currently available – Lime Basil, Jasmine, Beetroot and Gogi Ginger.  Seasonal flavours are also available for limited time period.

 

Don’t you LOVE the logo of TABOOCHA? So local and so cute! The name TABOOCHA is inspired by Lisa’s rescued dog TABOO, hence the bone on the T and the tail on the O.  You can also see Taboo’s face in the red chop!

I personally love the Gogi Ginger one, with very strong ginger flavour and smell of Gogi, a very refreshing drink that would brighten up your day.  The tea is slightly frizzy as active fermentation is going on, and there is a light sour flavour which may become more intense in room temperate as the active bacteria and yeast would continue to ferment – better put it in the fridge to keep the original flavour! Kombucha contains around 0.5% naturally occurring alcohol and you know what, TABOOCHA are great mixer for cocktails!  Here we created a new cocktail with Gogi Ginger TABOOCHA on the spot!

Lisa also hopes to support other rescued dogs through the platform of Taboocha, so we can soon also support Taboocha for a good cause.

SO GET YOUR TABOOCHA TODAY!

TABOOCHA is available at Common Ground and Stack.  Orders can also be made directly to Lisa at lisa@taboocha.com. $48 per bottle.

http://www.facebook.com/taboocha

 

 

 

 

BlueDuck Workshop – A hidden gem in the heart of Central

It was a girls night out.  We need a cozy place where we can comfortably chit chat (and gossip) all night long with nice food and drinks.  My girls and I love trying out private kitchens, especially when we need to look for suitable venue for our next private party.

BlueDuck Workshop has been around the private kitchen scene for a while and they do have a solid base of supporters. Its location actually couldn’t be more convenient- it’s right in an old building behind the camera appliances shop on Stanley Street.

The place is cozy which sits around 20, their tables can be easily adjusted to fit different group size, they also have beaded curtains to separate tables for privacy – no wonder we saw two TVB artists the night we went!

They have around 4-5 choices for each of appetizer and main course, menu changes regularly.

We were first served with Goose Liver Pate and Meat Rillettes and their homemade Focaccia. We were already asking for re-fill of bread even before the first dish!

 

Then came their signature dish – Black Truffle Eggs! We LOVE LOVE LOVE this dish. It looked so simple but it was so good that we asked for more bread so that we could finish dipping the sauce.

I chose Crab Meat Pudding for appetizer.  Generous portion of crab meat on top of a layer of orzo. Baked with cheese on top.  Winning combination indeed. Soup of the today was Tomato Cream Soup.  Comfort food!

 

I had Market Fish of the Day (Snapper) for main.  Served with squid ink pasta in a light cream sauce. You would see from the picture that I actually couldn’t wait to dig in. For desserts we had the simple Chocolate Fondant with Vanilla Ice Cream.

 

The dishes may look nothing fancy, but BlueDuck Workshop definitely proved that simple dishes are the best dishes – we were extra amazed as there was only ONE chef doing all the dishes and everything tasted brilliant.

More importantly, this full-course dinner only costs $380 per head, which was crazily good value for money in the heart of Central.  They do have their stock of house wine at around $360 per bottle, or you may bring your own for the corkage of $100 every two bottles. Great deal for big groups.

We are definitely holding our next private party at BlueDuck, wanna join us?

 

BlueDuck Workshop – Chef’s Soul Cuisine – 4/f, 6 Stanley Street, Central | 3175 2448