Eat Drink Hong Kong

There are a few of these dual cuisine type restaurants around. This one mixes middle eastern with an Argentinean grill. It’s not such a stretch as it might sound as barbecued meat is used in middle eastern cuisine anyway.

The steaks are served simply with salad and fries. I’m sure the fries could be swapped for pitta bread if you preferred. Along side the steaks are options for lamb, chicken or fish.

But the main part of the menu is dedicated to middle eastern cuisine so that is where I decided to focus.

There are the familiar kebabs but there are also a range of middle eastern curry dishes available. I was intrigues by the Iraqi Lamb Quzi which, if you order in advance, can be made using a whole leg of lamb ($599). Though it is also available as a smaller serving.

I decided to start with The Grand Dip ($48) this is actually a combination platter featuring Hummus, Babaganoush and Couscous and is served with pitta bread. To go with it I ordered a fresh lime soda ($25).

I also ordered an Argentinean chorizo ($48) which, as I suspected, went perfectly with the dips.

After much consideration I finally opted for the Lamb Ribs Targine ($88). This is, I believe, a Moroccan style curry made with dried apricots. The ribs are all chopped up so all the little cubes of meat also contain a section of rib. This helps to bring out the flavour of the meat. It is served with saffron rice and a small salad.

For dessert I opted for the creme brulee over the chocolate mousse. These were the only two available. I must admit I was a little surprised that there were no middle eastern options.

G/F 37 Catchick Street
Kennedy Town
Hong Kong
Tel. 2986 5455

This is a lively Turkish restaurant towards the Observatory court end of Knutsford Terrace. It’s been there for some time and my last trip to the terrace a few weeks ago reminded me that I still hadn’t been here. I decided to rectify the issue.

I arrive quite early but here were quite a few people there already. They can still find me a table with ease. After eight o’clock it would not have been so easy. The decor is pretty well what you would expect for a middle-eastern restaurant. Red ochre coloured walls and plenty of souk lamps scattered around.

There is a small al fresco area but it didn’t really look inviting so I opted to sit inside. Along the bar the dining area is quite narrow but it opens out at the back and is quite spacious.

The boasts a fairly wide selection of mezz or small dishes which can be served as starters or just snacks with beer. I decided to order two and see how it went.

The first up was deep fried lamb ribs ($70). These were seasoned with salt and paprika and very tender indeed. They went rather well with the Efes Turkish beer ($35) and I soon found myself ordering another bottle. Efes is made with rice which gives it a very clean dry flavour that goes down well even without the lamb.

Hot on it’s heels were sardines on barbecued on swords ($40). They weren’t very big swords of course and the waiter did remove them. I presume the point is that the heat conducts along the length of the metal cooking from the inside as well as out. They were very moist and tasty and erm.. a rather good accompaniment for Turkish beer.

I ordered another bottle and also put in an order for their ‘Hot Pan’ speciality Circassian Chicken ($145).

This would take a while to prepare but that was fine with me. While I waited the lights dimmed and the music grew louder. A lissom young thing in flowing pink silk and golden bangles floated in and performed an approximation of a belly dance. She was way too slight to carry it off effectively but it didn’t seem to matter. She was pretty and graceful and she earned herself a round of applause before floating out again.

As if on cue my chicken arrived just as the lights went up again. This is a dish that comes from the European corner of Turkey in the north-west. The chicken id seasoned with walnut and paprika and in this case was serves with fresh vegetables.

Although I was fairly full I still felt I had enough strength left to push a slice of date tart with walnut ice cream ($55) around the plate. I finished off with a regular coffee and, since it was a pleasant evening, took myself for a stroll along the harbour front.

G/F, Yiu Pont House
12 Knutsford Terrace
Tsim Sha Tsui

Al Pasha is on level 4 of ‘Gourmet Tower’ in the new K11 mall in Tsim Sha Tsui. When you stepping out of the lift you find yourself in a dimly lit lobby looking at two huge red clay urns. It’s dimly lit and there is a hint of frankincense. A smartly dressed young man steps forward and ask me if I have a reservation. I tell him I don’t and ask if it matters. “Just for one only?” He enquires “I’m sure we can find you a table.” He leads me off through the restaurant.

It’s a large place but it’s already quite crowded. I’m led to an outside area which is lit almost entirely those charming Turkish lanterns. He ushers me to a table, presents me with a menu and leaves me to read up on what, exactly, “Silk Road Cuisine” is.

It’s a large menu which, as one might expect, covers dishes from both the middle east and central China. From barbecued meats and tandoori to stir fried dishes. If you are a large enough group you can order a whole lamb for $1,380 but you do need to order a day in advance.

I couldn’t have the whole lamb but quick fried camel saddle with white asparagus ($85) I could and since I’d never tried camel before I decided I must. But I wanted something for starter. Chicken cigar rolled in filo pastry with mint was a strong contender but in the end I plumped for the cold shredded chicken salad with pear and bell pepper in chilli oil ($78).

An excellent choice it was too. Fresh and fruity and a generous serving to boot. I would question the chilli oil though. This didn’t set the roof of my mouth on fire the way I would normally expect chilli to. Instead it made my tongue and lips tingle in the way that the fagara pepper does in those wonderful Sichuan dishes.

The camel itself wasn’t all that spectacular, though I think that is the camels fault rather than the chef’s. The meat was a little on the chewy side for my tastes. Still. I had no problem with eating it and the rest if the stir fry dish was just fine.

To go with it I had ordered braised wild mushrooms with bean-curd, chilli and garlic ($78) and a nan for mopping up. There appeared to be at least three types of mushroom in a hot pot kind of dish. Both this and the camel were spicy dishes but there are plenty of non-spicy dishes to choose from. There are also plenty of vegetarian choices.

While I was waiting for dessert the back ground music, which had been vaguely middle eastern pop with a disco beat, stopped and was replaced by loud drumming. Inside there was a belly dancer and another girl with a tray of candles balanced on her head.

It was good fun, everyone was up taking photos and having a good time but I was happy to get back to the final instalment of my dinner which was to be almond and chestnut puree pancake ($55). The puree was piping hot and I had to let it cool for a few moments but it was otherwise a pleasing end to a very satisfying and entertaining meal.

Shop 401, Level 4, K11
18 Hanoi Road
Tsim Sha Tsui
Tel 3122 4444