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

Brunch spots in Hong Kong!

Hands up if you like lazy weekend brunches !

Sometimes getting up early on weekends isn’t that bad when you get treated to a nice cozy brunch.  Try out the below places for your next weekend brekkie fix!

1. Lily and Bloom

They call their weekend brunch ‘A Movable Feast’. Quite different from your usual brunch experience, buffet style dishes are brought to your table throughout the meal. Perfect for lazy people like us! They also have a separate Omelette Station where you get to choose your own toppings AND the TYPE OF EGG – be it Japanese eggs, Thai eggs, duck eggs, Free range eggs. Good value brunch!

Price : HK$295 + 10% , additional costs for free flow of Bellini

5/F LKF Tower, Wyndham Street, Central | www.lily-bloom.com

2. The Flying Pan

My to-go place for diner style breakfast. Opens 24/7. Generous portion and option for bottomless coffee. Personal Favourite: Eggs Guacamole – a Mexican twist of the eggs Benedict with salsa and avocado. Also love their fluffy buttermilk pancakes which satisfy my random cravings for IHOP. Go to the Wanchai branch with more seats and shorter queue.

Price: HK$100ish per head

3/F 81-85 Lockhart Road, Wanchai ; 9 Old Bailey Street, Central | www.the-flying-pan.com

3. Madame Sixty Ate

Located in the J Senses building, the elevator opens up to a space with massive sunlight.  There are a la carte options as well as a breakfast menu for 2.  The honeycomb and coffee cream pancakes are devilicious.

Price : around HK$200 per head

1st Floor, 60 Johnson Road, Wanchai | madamsixtyate.com.hk

4. Club Chow

Hidden in The Pemberton Club Chow is a cool chillax spot if you wish to stay away from the crowd.  For Saturday brunch they offer a self-service salad bar, with main course choices like crab cake benedict, seafood linguine, and for meat lovers, lamb chops or striploin.  Their desserts are great too – it was a hard time choosing between Panna Cotta and Creme Brulee!  Their setting can be easily adjusted to cater your group size and there is a private section which can accomodate around 20.

Price: HK$128 up (closed on sundays)

9/f The Pemberton, Bonham Strand, Sheung Wan | www.clubchow.com

5. St. Betty

Indulge in the view of Victoria Harbour while enjoying the delish dishes offered at St. Betty! Their menu ranges from Classic Eggs Benedict to Smoked Haddock Fishcakes and the yummy wagyu steak sandwich!  Also try their mocktails – Princess Tam Tam is a refreshing choice with carrot, orange, ginger and rosewater.

Price: around HK$250 per head.

Shop 2705, Podium Level 2, IFC Mall, Finance Street, Central | www.stbetty.com 

6. Boqueria

All you can eat TAPAS!! And I can’t get enought of the paella and suckling pig! Upgrade the drink package to get access to the DIY Sangria Station (how cool is that), free flow cava and bloody marys. Perfect for hangover cures.

Price: HK$238, add $128 for the drinks package

7/F LKF Tower, Wyndham Street, Central | www.boqueria.com.hk

7. LUPA by Mario Batali

Italian buffet of chef’s selections, a secondi of your choice be it pizza or pasta and a selection of desserts, accompanied by live jazz music. Book a table on the terrace if you prefer an Al Fresco experience.

Price: $388, add $200 for free flow beverages.  Sundays only.

 3/F LHT Tower, 31 Queen’s Road Central, Hong Kong | http://www.luparestaurant.com/hongkong/home.cfm

8. Duddell’s 

Not a fan for eggs benedict or pancakes? Head to Duddell’s for unlimited dim sum served to your table with free flow champagne and Pimm’s cocktail.

Price: HK$580+10%, Non-alcoholic option at $480.

Level 3, Shanghai Tang Mansion, 1 Duddell’s Street, Central | duddells.co

9. Toro Steakhouse and Gastro Bar

New addition to the Civic Square of Elements, Toro provides a unique Latin American brunch. Appetizer buffet includes signature dishes like ceviche and blue crab causa, with Mexican dishes for main course like heuvos rancheros.

Price: HK$218 , optional main course add HK$40-50.

Shop R008, Rooftop Garden, Civic Square, 3/F, Elements, 1 Austin Road West, Kowloon | http://www.diningconcepts.com/toro/index.php

10. Oolaa

Generous portions for all your breakfast favourites – Breakfast Burrito, French Toast, Bagel etc., all reasonably priced.  No doubt it will remain a popular spot for breakfast.  Head there early!

Price: around HK$150

G/F, Bridges Street, CentreStage, Soho, Mid-Levels, Hong Kong | http://www.casteloconcepts.com/our-venues/oolaa

11. Le Dome de Cristal

The dome-shaped space of the ex “club 9” has now been taken by a champagne-themed restaurant.  Their weekend brunch provides an appetizer buffet, a 6-piece oyster platter and main course of your choice.  Make your experience perfect by adding $280 for the free flow of Louis Roederer champagne.

Price: HK$580, additional $280 for free flow champagne

3/F The Galleria, 9 Queen’s Road Central, Central | www.cristal-hk.com 

12. The Verandah at The Repulse Bay

Want a more lavish brunch? Make the trip to The Repulse Bay and indulge in the colonial charm.  The sunday brunch includes a quality appetizer buffet with unlimited freshly shucked oysters, alaska crab legs, foie gras station, pasta station.  It comes with a main course of your choice and desserts in buffet style. A lovely 3.5 hours pass by quickly with the entertainment of a Jazz band. The brunch is a quite pricey provided that it does not come with wine/ champagne.  It is certainly not a weekly choice but do treat yourself to The Verandah for special occasions. It gets fully booked every week so make sure you make one month before and request for a table by the window side.

Price: HK$638+10% (Sundays only)

The Repulse Bay, 109 Repulse Bay Road | www.therepulsebay.com

 

 

Let me know your favourites too!