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.

 

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 

 

NOM – (Really) Not Only Meatballs

There are so many new restaurants opening in Hong Kong this summer and it really takes time to catch up with the pace.  That said, NOM has always been on my to-go list, mostly because of the cute and catchy name. While we tend  to refer nom nom nom as yummy food, here it also refers to “not only meatballs”.  To live up with that name, NOM has an extensive list of meatball options, and of course they offer more than only meatballs.

NOM has a causal yet chic interior.  There are sofa booths for small groups and they can adjust the settings to fit big groups in long tables. There is also a separate bar area.

  

 

We started with the Beef Tartare ($158). The NOM version was served with piccalilli and chips.

Instead of the traditional beef meatballs, we went for the Seafood | Clams | Mussels | Crustacean broth version ($118).

NOM meatballs all came in set of three. These seafood meatballs are surprisingly good!  Thinking that they would only serve beef meatballs with seafood mix, the meatballs themselves were made of fish and shrimp.  They were juicy and fresh, definitely not as greasy as traditional beef meatballs.

Slight complaint on the menu was that they didn’t offer much veggie.  So we ordered the Baby Spinach with Roasted Pear and Blue Cheese ($78) for side dish which was the only option.

Apart from meatballs, NOM is also proud of their pizzas. Their pizza doughs are all homemade with their carefully selected flour from Italy.

People always say a Margherita pizza would best demonstrate the quality of pizza at a restaurant.  It’s basic and simple yet you must have a winning tomato sauce.  NOM’s Margherita DOP ($128) was great. The mix of tomato sauce with buffalo mozzarella and basil made the pizza irresistible! We also loved the chewy and crunchy crust.

Too bad we only got to try limited dishes among the two of us.  NOM is a great place for group dinners – casual atmosphere with menu options which are good for sharing.  Looking forward to coming back with more friends so we can try all the meatballs! Nom nom nom.

Nom – Not Only Meatballs, 1-5 Elgin Street, Central, HONG KONG, 2540 7988, www.nom.com.hk

 

 

THE DINER : Your hangover cure

You may have already read about my earlier post Brunch Spots in Hong Kong (click here), but I’ve got a new place to add to the list –THE DINER.  Newly opened on Arbuthnot Road, I love the place the moment I stepped into it – typical American diner setting – the red sofas, vintage jukebox, car plates, black and white floor tiles. Lovely.

The Diner serves breakfasts daily starting 8am and brunch on weekends from 8am to 2pm.  The menu offers all the comfort food you need to cure your hangover – blueberries buttermilk pancakes, eggs benedict, breakfast burrito, sundae, milkshakes, waffles, (they have something called FAT ELVIS WAFFLES topped with banana, bacon, maple syrup and peanut butter butter (!!) ).

They have kiddo milkshakes – the Malteaser one looked absolutely attractive! and they also have “hardshakes” if u need more alcohol, obviously.  For absolute cure they also have “Morning After Smoothie” which contains coconut water to help you restore your energy. If these do not interest you, filter coffee is bottomless.

We ordered the Eggs Florentine and the All-American:-

 

Very typical dishes but they are of good quality.  We actually thought they did the eggs better than The Flying Pan.

 

We just couldn’t resist the pancakes so we ordered the Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes.

 

Three fluffy pancakes with LOADS of fresh blueberries.  Generous portion.  That being said, the pancakes at The Flying Pan are slightly better- maybe they have a better batter recipe. These are still good, just lacking a bit of the buttermilk flavour.  But overall we LOVE The Diner, it’s a great place to start a happy day and I left the place feeling satisfied and recharged.  Sometimes we just need some comfort food.

 

Apart from breakfast and brunch The Diner serves a la carte food until 11pm -their burgers look great!

P.S.  Diner style- they do not take reservations.

The Diner, G/F 4-8 Arbuthnot Road, Central, http://www.thediner.com.hk

VASCO FINE DINING – Spanish indulgence

So we’ve been to the Central Night Market, checked out the cute little shops at PMQ and here comes the latest addition to the blooming restaurant scene – VASCO FINE DINING. We all heard about the hype of this new project of Chef Paolo Casagrande and Tony Cheng of Drawing Room since earlier of the year and it’s finally opened on 29th July. The restaurant is still in its soft-opening stage and limited seats are offered each night.

Many thanks to VASCO for the invitation. They promised a romantic date night and lived up to it.

The lift opens up to a nicely decorated reception area on the 6th Floor.  This is also the floor where its sister- restaurant, ISONO EATERY AND BAR, is located.  ISONO is a more casual and relaxed dining space offering Mediterranean dishes while VASCO, a few steps up on the 7th Floor, is the fine dining area.

Contrast to the loft-style interior of ISONO, VASCO’s decor is chic and classy. It is an intimate dining space which sits around 50.  They also have a cool private room suspended between the two floors for a round table of 8 people, and another private room with a long dining table for a larger group of 12.

  

For dinner, they offer two tasting menus – Chef Tasting Menu and a Seasonal Tasting Menu, which offer different combinations of their signature dishes.  A la carte options are also available and offer dishes not available on the tasting menu.

We opted for the Chef Tasting Menu with Classic Wine Pairing (6 glasses).  For wine lovers,  there is also a Premium Wine Pairing option with 12 glasses!

We were first greeted with pre-dinner snacks, then THREE types of carefully selected Olive Oil and FIVE types of butter to go with the bread.

   

We LOVE the cute sticks of butter – flavours from left to right : Original, Mushroom, Tomato, Spinach and Beetroot.

 

  

Two dishes were offered for Amuse Bouche – Gazpacho and a piece of cod throat in cream sauce, paired with a glass of Cava. Trust me, they tasted better than they look!

 

Our first dish, Trout tartare with Orange, curd cucumber and trout caviar was such a delightful dish with the freshness of the trout. Perfectly paired with a glass of champagne.

 

Then it was Roasted Foie-gras, nori and duck consomé infused with citronella, horseradish and hazelnut salt. Instead of a sauce which is usually presented with foie gras, they poured duck consomé over the roasted foie-gras when the dish was served.  The combination was surprisingly good.  The dish was also served with a glass of Gewürztraminer – I was rather surprised they have it on the wine pairing list, I always love the unique lychee and floral note of the wine.

 

Followed by the signature dish, Red Palamos prawns and sea urchins on a seabed with crustacean mayonnaise, and this immediately became one of the favourite dishes of the year! The presentation of the dish was beautiful. The red shrimp was cooked to perfection- still half transparent.  The dots of orange sauce were the essence from the shrimp head, which highlighted the taste of the shrimp.  Sea urchin was fresh and matched with the palate.  Impeccable dish of freshness.

 

 

Farmhouse egg yolk with potato & mozzarella foam, cured Iberian pork jowl, basil and pimento d’Espelette  is another signature dish.  Creative combination, but wasn’t as impressive as the last dish.

 

 

 

Both Low-temparature cooked turbot settled on onion & Paprika marmalade, with braised endives, claims and octopus and Roast French pigeon, pork and dry tomato stewed, apple cream and liver toast were nicely cooked.  You would appreciate the chef’s techniques in handling these dishes.  Honestly I never really liked pigeon but this may be one of the best.  The fish was served with a glass of Chablis and then the pigeon with a glass of Rioja. The Rioja nicely enhanced the taste of the pigeon as well.

 

Finally…dessert time!

  

On the left it’s an olive oil sponge cake and frozen ice cream, with rice and cardamom essence soup poured over it.  It helped clear the palate before the final dessert – chocolate leaf with apricot jelly and frozen coffee.

  

The petite fours were placed in this interesting glass jar – with madeleines, macarons and raspberry jelly, as well as hazelnut truffles in a separate container.  By this time we were enjoying the Muscat which ended our meal on a high note.

We were very impressed with the overall quality of food and service at VASCO.  The unexpected and interesting flavours brought by the food and the paired wine continued to amaze me throughout the dinner.  You would see that the chefs have given a lot of thought behind every single dish.

The Chef Tasting Menu (8 courses) priced at $1180 is worth every single penny.  The Seasonal Tasting Menu (5 courses) costs $880.  A la carte main courses range from $300-600.  With the exceptional quality of the meal and the ambience they offer, VASCO could definitely be your next to-go place for special occasions.

We definitely see ourselves going back again sometime soon.  We also look forward to try their 3-course lunch menu which also features some of their signature dishes.

Treat yourself to a Spanish indulgence sometime!

Vasco Fine Dining, 7/F Block B, PMQ, 35 Aberdeen Street, Central, Hong Kong, http://www.isono-vasco.com.hk

 

 

STACK – Pancakes redefined.

A cool and hip restaurant with eye-catching red neon lights has recently landed on Third Street in Sai Ying Pun.

    

With the initial thought that STACK would be an ordinary pancake house, the menu proved me wrong.  I was told that that there are a selection of savoury pancakes with beef, pork and seafood, and was even more surprised that these pancakes can be paired with their house-mixed cocktails!

Their cocktails are pre-mixed and chilled in their cool looking numbered bottles to ensure that the taste will not be diluted.  Alcoholic’s Breakfast (no.1) is a delicious mix of Vanilla Vodka, Maple Syrup and Coffee; Queen B (no.8) is a refreshing option with orange and lime juice with sake; The Constant Black Face (no.7)  has an interesting combination with “Ng Ka Pei” – a Chinese wine with strong tastes of herbs.  Not a fan of cocktails? STACK’s drinks menu also offer an extensive range of craft beer and wine handpicked from around the world.

 

Here come the savoury pancakes stacked in different ways:-

     

12H78C  – bbq pork ribs cooked in 78 degrees for 12 hours with coffee infused butter, beautifully presented on mini pancakes.

Mexican Sunshine – what a smart mix of SoCal favourites ! – pancakes and GUACAMOLE (with a Yuzu twist)!

Red Koddo – a nicely pan fried cod with harissa miso sitting on a stack of signature pancakes.

We were told that STACK uses buckwheat soba pancakes for their savoury dishes, so they would go perfectly with their different toppings.  Props go to the Twins Kitchen for coming up with the creative dishes which totally redefined what pancakes should be like.

Apart from pancakes they also offer a range of exciting sides.   We LOVE their HASH – with duck meat bits and sour cream with the stack of potatoes.  The TOM YUM WINGS  are also a dish great to go with the drinks.  They also serve green salad and a lamb chop dish.

    

 

Finally we were only left with room for ONE dessert.  Here goes the Running Honey –

Back to the basics. Looking old school but DELISH ! Honey butter with honeycomb and mascarpone – what a evil combination!

STACK does not take reservations so be there early especially on weekends, though you can always sip on their bottled cocktails and enjoy their music at their bar table while you wait to be seated.

With the oh-so-cool interior and the fun atmosphere, creative dishes and unique cocktails, STACK will definitely be a great hang out spot.

Stack, G/F, 1 Third Street, Sai Ying Pun, Hong Kong, +852 2549 9787, www.stackconcepts.com   (Closed on Mondays)