Eat Drink Hong Kong

G/F 97 Wellington Street
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2736 6041

G/F, 96 Kimberley Road
Tsimshatsui
Kowloon
Tel 6333 7911

The poet John William Burgon once described Petra, with its rock-cut architecture, as “a rose-red city half as old as time.” But the world heritage site in southern Jordan wasn’t known to the west until 1812, when it was discovered by Swiss explorer Johann Ludwig Burckhardt.

I discovered Al Petra Restaurant on Wellington Street just before Christmas. That visit had been with a dear friend and was purely for fun but I was impressed enough to want to go back and have another look.

It’s a narrow doorway on the right just past the escalator as you make your way down the hill towards Sheung Wan. Quite easy to miss. There is a small bar area on the ground floor but the restaurant proper is in the basement.

The walls are painted in dusty yellows and ochre to evoke the sandstone walls of its historical namesake. These are decorated with an assortment of shields, swords and other items. The ceiling is hung with a sumptuous looking red cloth and dotted with lamps. It all helps to make what would be a comparatively large dining area feel rather cosy.

The menu is quite big and covers most of the table. Being alone this time I didn’t have to worry about knocking the candle into my companions lap so I spread it out and had a good read.

There is a wide selection of mezz, both hot and cold. Familiar dishes such as hummus and babaganouj are all in attendance. I’d enjoyed some of these on my first visit. This time I decided to start with Warak Enab ($75). These are little parcels of lightly spiced rice wrapped in vine leaves and marinated in olive oil with tomato, mint and other herbs.

They were very good, and I idled over them while reading the brochures from the Jordanian tourist office that had been placed on a small table a short reach from where I was sitting. Consequently the main course, when it arrived, caught me by surprise.

This, the menu assured me, was a traditional Bedouin dish and the national dish of Jordan. It’s called Mensaf ($250). It’s usually served on special occasions and shared between family or friends.

It consists of lamb braised in jameed. Jameed is a salted goats milk yoghurt and it made the lamb very tender indeed. it is served with fragrant Arabic spiced rice on pitta bread and garnished with pine nuts and almond. It comes with a tangy sauce which is poured all over.

Traditionally, it would be eaten with the right hand instead of utensils. I did think about this for a few moments but decided the probability of rice and jameed falling down my sleeve was very high and I should, perhaps, hone my skills in private before trying it in a public place.

Baclava was the only desert option. I wasn’t really in the mood for that so I decided to finish with an Arabic coffee. This is a very strong coffee indeed - if you’re planning an early night you might want to give it a miss. I found myself Googling tourist information on Jordan well into the small hours.

G/F Lyndhurst Building
37B Lyndhurst Terrace
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2851 6550
Fax 2851 6590

Shop 19, Mui Wo Centre
Mui Wo
Lantau
New Territories
Tel 2984 0222
Fax 2984 0221

G/F King Ho Building
41-49 Aberdeen Street
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2517 8484
Fax 2517 8585

G/F King Ho Building
41-49 Aberdeen Street
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2517 8484
Fax 2517 8585

Shop A, Winner Building
27-39 D’Aguilar Street
Lan Kwai Fong
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2804 6611
Fax 2801 4010

Back Street
Lamma Island
New Territories

G/F Lyndhurst Building
37A Lyndhurst Terrace
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2854 1872
Fax 2854 1882

3-5 Old Bailey Street
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2526 6099
Fax 2869 6821

G01C, Astoria Building
24 Ashley Road
Tsimshatsui
Kowloon
Tel 2114 0999
Fax 2114 0994

G06 DB Plaza
Discovery Bay
Lantau
New Territories
Tel 2987 0036
Fax 2987 2856

G04 Wanchai Central Building
89 Lockhart road
Wanchai
Hong Kong
Tel 2529 3738
Fax 2529 3708

G/F 25 D’Aguilar Street
Lan Kwai Fong
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2114 0555
Fax 2114 0566

Shop G2-5, Multifield Plaza
5-7a Prat Avenue
Tsimshatsui
Kowloon
Tel 3622 3622

1/F Grand Progress Building
60-62 D’Aguilar Street
15-16 Lan Kwai Fong
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2544 6198

G/F A 112-114 Wellington Street
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2544 3886
Fax 2544 3883

G/F 144-149 Gloucester Road
Wanchai
Hong Kong
Tel 2155 5554

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.

Shop F1, G/F Rose Mansion
1 Hart Avenue
Tsimshatsui
Kowloon
Tel 2369 6234
Fax 3421 0058

G/F 66 Lockhart Road
Wanchai
Hong Kong
Tel 2520 0400 or 2865 0066
Fax 2865 0022

I stopped in for a quick bite at the Istanbul Express the other evening. At first it looks like just a hole in the wall kebab counter but it opens out at the back, where there are a number of tables.

These are decorated with cheery blue and white tablecloths. The walls are trimmed and trimmed with coloured tiles. It’s simple but very pleasing none the less, you almost feel that this could be any street corner cafe in Istanbul.

The food? Well kebabs are sold on street corners all over the world.

This branch of Istanbul Express is on Lockhart Road and, given that kebabs are an excellent late night snack when you’ve been out for a beer or three, I would say it is a great location.

We were there quite early but already the restaurant was bustling. We got a table on the back wall and read the menu. Or tried to. It is a very lively menu with pictures of most things and lots of small type in a script font. It looks very attractive but it is a pain to read.

I suspect most people just point at the picture of the dish they want to order but for menu junkies like me, who have to read every last word before coming to a decision, it slows things down a little. It would probably be an even greater handicap later in the evening.

But we got there in the end. We ordered a plate of falafel ($40) to share for starter. My friend ordered lamb steak and chips ($60), I went for the Iskender kebab ($75). Iskender, by the way, was what the Persians used to call Alexander the Great. Apparently this was his favourite food.

Mine was made with beef and lamb with a delicious tomato sauce and Greek yoghurt topping on a bed of pitta.

It would be hard to say that these are better than anywhere else but they are certainly just as good as any you could find elsewhere. You can make or break a kebab by the amount of dressing you put on it and that is entirely in your own hands.

I had added a small amount of mint dressing on the falafel, the Iskender didn’t need any further dressing. My friend slathered his chips with just about everything he could find and wolfed them down. At the end we both agreed that it had “hit the spot” and that it was “just what we needed”.

A look of contentment spread across his face as I made my way through a Sultea ($30), a traditional Turkish rice pudding.

“D’you fancy a beer or two before you head off?” he enquired.

“Or three?” I grinned

G/F, 4-8 Arbuthnot Road
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2525 9493

It’s been a while since I was last at the Kasbah. It was late on a Friday evening with a few good friends, whirling dervishes might have been involved. Certainly a lot of beer was.

They’ve moved premises since then. Nine months ago, the waitress informed me. Had it really been that long? The new place is a lot more spacious. The restaurant and bar have been combined into one with the bar area to the right as you go in.

The entrance is a big heavy arched wooden door which really does give you the feel of entering another time and place as you pass through. The lighting is moody and provided by lovely Moroccan lamps shades which adorn the walls and hang from the ceiling.

Giant vases break up the floor space, decorative proverbs and motifs break up the walls while ornamental screens protect guests from the glare of Arbuthnot Road on the other side of the window.

40 Hennessy Road
Wanchai
Hong Kong
Tel 3421 0886
Fax 3421 0330

Manouche is a Lebanese restaurant that has been resident at 31 Elgin street for about a month. It’s a pleasant place, long and narrow with wood panelling along one side with a painting on the other.

The menu is fairly straight forward with no surprises but what they do, they do very well.

The Hommos Beiruty ($85) which we ordered as a starter was indeed excellent. This is a slightly spicy version of the famous chick pea dip. It was firm and flavoursome with a nice lemony tang.

From the hot mezze we had chosen Kibbeh Shamieh ($85) which is four balls of deep-fried minced lamb mixed with pine nuts.

For main courses we went for the manouche mixed grill ($185). Tender chunks of beef, chicken and lamb cooked on skewers and served with crisp vegetables.

Sayadieh ($190), our other dish, I had always though was a fish and rice stew. In this case, according to the menu, was grilled sea bass. It was very simply presented but it tasted wonderful. It was served with the same vegetable combination as the mixed grill.

We chickened out of dessert. Middle eastern cuisine is not noted for it’s wide range of desserts, Manouche only had baclava and though I do enjoy it with a coffee we both decided it was a bit too much after such a large meal.

G/F 48 Cochrane Street
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2541 8282

31 Elgin Street
Soho
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2524 4123/2523 3776

Mint tea is so refreshing. As it happened I was just thinking about a nice cuppa when I spotted Marouche on Cochrane Street. Marouche is a new Lebanese restaurant and wine bar that opened about a month ago, and, since it was about seven o’clock anyway I decided it was time for dinner.

There are a couple of tables right by the door but since I’d been walking I rather fancied a spot of air con.

The whole restaurant is open fronted which gives it a relaxed feel. The pump of Lebanese pop music works well with the accordian player outside Ivan the Kozak and the general bustle of people going up and down the steps. It all combines to give a totally unplanned, but rather charming souk-like atmosphere.

The mint tea ($35) was produced and I turned my attention to the menu.

There is, of course a full range of dips including hummus and babaganough, salads with goats cheese and an interesting range of mezze. It would be be quite possible to just order a selection of dips and mezze and not bother with a main course at all. I was already hankering after a lamb shwarma ($150) so choosing the starter was no easy matter.

In the end I settled on the home made Soujok ($75). These are small sausages made with minced beef and served with tomatoes in an olive oil based sauce. And they are delicious. I ordered extra pitta bread to mop up the oil.

The waitress went off to put some fresh boiling water on the tea and returned with both tea and shwarma. The shwarma consisted of a generous serving of sliced lamb with a fresh green salad. It was good, the lamb was lean and tasty, but the soujok was always going to be a hard act to follow.

Baklava is the only dessert available but a serving does include four different types, walnut, pistachio, almond and cashew.

G/F Yui Pont House
12 Knutsford Terrace
Tsim Sha Tsui
Kowloon
Tel 2376 2263
Tel 2312 1972

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

34 Staunton Street
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2525 5786
Fax 2526 3786

G/F 3 Lan Kwai Fong
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2523 4041

G/F B6 88 Lockhart Road
Wanchai
Hong Kong
Tel 2520 6117

Kehilat Zion/ Hechal Ezra
1/F, Unit 102, 62 Mody Rd
Wing On Plaza
Tsim Sha Tsui East
Kowloon
Tel 2366 6364 or 2368-0061

Shop R008 3/F Elements Mall
1 Austin Road West
Kowloon
Tel 2810 8585

If you sit looking outwards, your view of Elgin Street is obscured by a cluster of bronze Moroccan lanterns hanging in the window. To compliment them ceramic jars and vases decorate the wall, and the floor is covered with an impressive mosaic. A cool, laid back jazz fused with middle eastern melodies fills the air.

It all added up to a very pleasant atmosphere indeed and had me daydreaming of ancient Mesopotamia. Mesopotamia means the land between two rivers and represents an area sometimes called “the fertile crescent”, a rich food growing area in a region that was otherwise too dry for farming.

I ordered a glass of Chilean merlot and turned my attention to the menu. Olive is one of the more recent restaurants to open its doors in Soho. It specialises in Greek and middle eastern cuisine and offers dishes from the fertile crescent as well as North Africa.

Starters were proving to be a particularly tricky choice, there were numerous dishes I fancied. The ful madamas which is a broad bean salad with sauteed prawns and Bulgarian feta ($102) was most tempting but in the end I settled on the roasted mushroom salad ($88). It was a good choice. A small mountain of plump marinated mushrooms decorated with wonderfully tangy sun-dried tomatoes, sour cream and basil.

To follow I’d ordered the bistayeea Moroccan pigeon pie ($168) but while I was waiting, another diner was served with what I suspected was the grilled wild baramundi with caramelised onion rice ($195) and I promptly felt jealous. My enquiries proved me correct but my jealousy was short lived as the pigeon pie arrived shortly after. The meat was very soft and tender and flavoured with sweet spices and almonds. The light flaky top is dusted with icing sugar.

Not surprisingly the pie was quite rich and a little sweet. It is also rather filling - you may want to consider sharing. Indeed I’d considered pairing it the chermoula roasted king prawns with avocado ($198) but I knew I’d never be able to finish it all. As it was I had to leave a little of the pie in order to save room for dessert.

The dessert section menu is every bit as intriguing as the other sections and once again I was spoiled for choice. The olive oil chocolate mousse and the watermelon and rosewater sorbet (both ($68) were strong contenders but the warm ginger cake with toffeed mangoes, orange blossom caramel and a scoop of cinnamon ice cream sounded just to luxurious to deny. A strong Arabian coffee rounded off the meal.

For a midweek evening the restaurant was busy but not full, but if you are considering going on a weekend I would recommend booking.

Shop 9, G/F Witty Commercial Building
1 Tung Choi Street
Mongkok
Kowloon
Tel 2781 0583

Shop 1C, G/F Cheung’s Building
1-3 Wing Lok Street
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2851 0861

G/F 11 Elgin street
Soho
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2291 6060
Fax 2291 0008

2/F Fortune House
61 Connaught Road
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2851 6300

6/F Harilela Mansion
81 Nathan Road
Tsimshatsui
Kowloon
Tel 2312 1015