Eat Drink Hong Kong

I’d been meaning to go along to Habibi for quite some time so when a good friend of mine returned from a holiday in Egypt it provided just the memory jolt I needed.

We arrived at seven-thirty. There were a few other diners but it was not too crowded at that time. The decor caught our attention immediately. Tall arches, a large bevelled mirror along one wall and ceiling fans and light fittings shipped in from Egypt combine to create a feeling of 1930s Cairo. But it is very tasteful and not at all overstated.

The menu does offer set dinner options but we decided on a la carte for maximum flexibility. It all looked delicious and we would have been happy to try any of it. In the end we decided to start with one cold mezze, Babaganough which is roasted eggplant with tahina and lemon juice ($50) and two hot mezze; Halloumi, which is goat cheese lightly fried in olive oil and served on a bed of fresh greens ($65) and Dawud Basha, Egyptian style meatballs a in dill flavored tomato sauce ($55).

For drinks my guest ordered a refreshing lemonade with rose-water ($30) and I had a Sakara Egyptian beer ($48).

Babaganough is a time honoured classic dip, ours was wonderfully fresh and slightly smoky. The halloumi was also very tasty, I enjoyed the slightly chewy, almost squeaky, texture but my friend was less enthusiastic. She did agree though, that it tasted good. The secret of the dawud basha is in the aromatic sauce where the tomato and the dill were perfectly balanced, “… even better than the ones we had in Egypt”, enthused my friend.

For main course we selected the Mashwiaat ($200) which is an Egyptian style mixed grill. It consists of chicken, marinated lamb chop, beef kebab, lamb kofta served on skewers with rice kaalta. For vegetables we went with Kidar Bel Firik ($120), grilled vegetables served on a bed of seasoned wheat berry pilaf. Both lived up to expectation, the meats were succulent and tender, the vegetables fresh and crisp.

Middle eastern desserts are notoriously sweet and whilst they are very nice, I usually can’t eat too much. I suggested that we should share the Hellue Al Sham ($45), an assorted plate of mixed Egyptian homemade sweets. My friend insisted that, while she was willing to play a supporting role, I was going to eat most of it.

In the end I think I did rather well getting through more than my fair share of a plate that included both Balawa Bil Ishta (filo with fresh cream and mixed nuts) and the ever popular baklava.

My friend finished with fresh mint tea and I a hot and strong Egyptian coffee.

Habibi also has a special room called the cabin where guests can smoke traditional shisha pipes. The tobacco is mixed with apple to give a unique fruity flavour but since neither of us smoke we missed out on that.

On Saturdays they hold belly dance performances at 8.30 and 9.30. Reservations are strongly recommended.