Eat Drink Hong Kong

3/F 27-37 D’Aguilar Street
Lankwaifong
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2525 2577
Fax 2525 2925

Shop G23, Festival Walk
Kowloon Tong
Kowloon
Tel 3105 5055

Shop G23, Festival Walk
Kowloon Tong
Kowloon
Tel 3105 5055

C16 Millenium City 5 APM
418 Kwun Tong Road
Kowloon
Tel 3148 1181

G/F Bella House
102 Hing Fat Street
Tin Hau
Hong Kong
Tel 2887 2098
Fax 2887 6691

G/F Bella House
102 Hing Fat Street
Tin Hau
Hong Kong
Tel 2887 2098
Fax 2887 6691

Tripping out of Tin Hau station on the way to the lunar new year flower market, I suddenly noticed it was lunchtime. A quick turn left along Hing Fat Street and I nipped into Baba Laksa, which of course, I’d never seen before.

It would seem to be at a disadvantage along such a busy one-way, no-stopping road, but at 1.30pm, the place was almost full. A high ceiling, clean white walls and simple dark furniture set the tone. I managed to grab a table near the door just as the previous people were leaving.

The small menu features curry laksas, mees, some extra spicy ‘pepper mees’, Hainan chicken ($45), and a few snacks such as satay sticks ($22), or belacan chicken wings. The main dishes range from $35 to $55. At lunchtime this will include a drink with your order. There are some sets for $26 which were a mystery to me as that menu was in Chinese only. Oh, well..

I wouldn’t call myself a Laksa connoiseur, but it arrived looking perfect to me - thick soup with hints of chilli, creamy texture, stuffed full of noodles and goodies. I set to (though I was a bit dubious about the look of the large prawn - so dubious, in fact, that I left that aside).

The coconut curry soup was gently spicy, and I think purists would say not spicy enough. I appreciated it, however, as I’m not into getting my tongue burnt off. There were lots of bean sprouts, and real pork (hmm - is that authentic laksa? Not really, but who cares?).

The dish was a fairly big one - definitely enough to satifsy a hungry shopper. The peach tea was, as expected, yummy. Very sweet though - it gave me enough of a sugar rush to spend nearly 2 hours fighting the crowds and haggling in the market, before calling it a day.

If you find yourself in the Tin Hau area, I would recommend this place as a good fill-up joint. The prices are reasonable, the surroundings no-frills, but clean and spacious, and the food, though not authentic Malay or Singaporean laksa, is tasty. You can’t ask for much more than that.

Shop 3, G/F Cheong Yuen Appts
2-8 Tsat Tsz Mui Road
North Point
Hong Kong
Tel 2368 8706

Shop 1 G/F Wun Cha Tower
Wun Sha Street
Tai Hang
Hong Kong
Tel 2972 2266

It’s always nice to stumble upon somewhere new, especially when it is in a area that you thought you knew pretty well.

Bali house is a small Indonesian/Chinese place that I’m sure I must have walked past a hundred times and never noticed. Perhaps this is because, unlike most of the restaurants shoe-horned into this area, Bali House is aimed squarely at the local residents and has nothing much to catch the eye. It is also just across the road from Chez Patrick and I’m probably looking in the other direction when I pass.

But there are two gatekeepers stationed either side of the door. On the left a ginger and white cat, and on the right a bilingual mynah bird that greets patrons in both English and Cantonese. I said “good evening” as I walked in. It cocked it’s head to one side and looked at me in the way that birds do when they think you are talking rubbish.

The decor is basic but the welcome was warm enough. I was ushered to a table and a glass of weak tea was promptly produced. I took a moment or two to find a menu, during which time I cast an eye around the room. The staff seemed to know all the customers and some of those seemed to know each other as well.

A large pile of freshly loaded satay sticks stood on the table at the very back. The menu duly arrived. It was a rather confusing affair, several dishes seemed to be listed twice and nasi goreng was conspicuous by it’s absence. Or maybe I just didn’t notice it.

No matter - I had already decided on half a dozen chicken satay. Which were delivered piping hot and with a nice cold bottle of Tsing Tao. The peanut sauce wasn’t too spicy but there was some chilli in shrimp sauce on the table so I could mix to taste.

I also pointed out a dished called Ikan Assam Pedas - the picture looked good. Ikan is fish and there appeared to be chillies as well. The man shook his head and offered sambal ikan, so I thought, why not? Sambal is essentially a sauce, it consists of fresh chillies, shrimp paste, lime juice, sugar, and salt. That said, every Indonesian home cook has their own variation. This had pineapple in.

Normally I would draw the line at pineapple in a savoury dish but I didn’t mind this at all. There was something in the sauce that prevented it from becoming overwhelmingly sweet.

Dessert was the Thai classic, mango with black sticky rice and coconut cream. A generous serving it was too.

For the princely sum of $127 I decided it was good value indeed. You wouldn’t bring a first date here and it wouldn’t impress any clients either. But when you’re feeling a little peckish and you can’t make up your mind what you want, remember the little Indonesian place on Peel Street.

I whistled at the mynah on the way out and headed towards the Pickled Pelican for a beer.

4/F The Plaza
21 D’Aguilar Street
Lan Kwai Fong
Hong Kong
Tel 2804 6009

G/F 456-464 Prince Edward Road West
Kowloon City
Kowloon

I’m afraid Tsim Sha Tsui’s Avenue of Stars isn’t what I would have chosen for a promanade but, judging by the number of people out enjoying themselves, I’m rather a small minority.

Since it is facing Hong Kong’s impressive skyline I can forgive it once in a while and still enjoy a stroll, especially around twilight, that marvelous time between light and dark, on a balmy summer evening.

There were a lot of people out, though surprisingly few of them tourists. A couple of brave joggers were weaving their way between the children comparing their paw prints to those of Jackie Chan, and everyone else who seemed to be having their photograph taken against something or other.

For me the skyline, the lights and the boats chugging by were entertainment enough … well almost. Towards the end of the promenade, down by the New World Centre, I could see some tables. Suddenly I had a mission.

Perhaps a little bit too far round to be perfect but the al fresco tables do still afford quite spectacular views, especially if you sit looking back towards Wanchai. The bay that the restaurant names itself after is presumably Causway Bay which is just about opposite. And the blues, in fact jazz standards being sung by Rod Stewart which, in my opinion, have all been done better by other people. But I’d probably be in a minority on that as well.

The menu has quite a wide range of choices, though it does have a slight Thai bias - red curries and beef salads rub shoulders with items such as escargot and lobster thermidor. I ordered a Pomelo Seafood Salad ($88) and a glass of Chardonnay to get proceedings under way.

It was a generous serving of pomelo, in a spicy peanut dressing. It tasted good but there were only a few scallops and prawns representing the seafood, which was a little disappointing.

For the main course I ordered Pan-fried Cod with asparagas ($138). Although the cod was not as generous a portion as one could have hoped for, the Thai style sweet and spicy sauce that went over it certainly was - there was too much and it overwhelmed the delicate flavour of the fish which, once the sauce had been removed, was really quite nice. The asparagus was fresh and crisp.

For dessert I ordered Fried bananas with three scoops of Vanilla Ice Cream ($58) and rounded off with a coffee.

The dessert was good but I couldn’t help feeling a little disappointed with the rest of the meal. I sat for quite a while watching families walking by, watching customers come and go. It’s quite a popular restaurant and it’s a really nice location. I’ll certainly come again but next time maybe just for drinks.

4B Wing Wah Lane
Lan Kwai Fong
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2840 0639

2/F, 215 Porland Street
Mongkok
Kowloon
Tel 2191 4977
Fax 2191 4967

1/F Shiu King Court
4-8 Arbuthnot Road
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2537 6887

This is a funky, modern Thai restaurant on Arbuthnot street. It’s quite a hike if you’re coming up the hill from Central but well worth the effort.

Seating is canteen style on benches at large wooden tables but they are very spacious so there is no need to worry about bashing elbows with people sitting nearby. They are set with eight place mats but if you were planning an office night out they could probably fit as many as twelve quite comfortably.

I was on my own and had a whole table to myself but it was still early. Early is good at Box Thai. If you go before 7.00 pm they offer an early bird special where $88 will get you one main dish (not including the chef’s specials) and a choice of beer, house wine or soft drink.

The price is attractive and the portions are generous enough but I couldn’t imagine restricting myself to just one dish. The menu is also you place mat and if busy I’m sure you could just tick the boxes and hand it to the waitress. The place wasn’t busy at all and the waitress took the time to tick off some of her recommendations.

I passed by her suggestion of satay favouring instead the betel leaves with savoury pork ($45) but I did take up the suggestion of baramundi in yellow curry with mango and banana ($85). She also thought the grilled calamari and pomelo salad ($60) would go down well.

She was right. That was the first dish to arrive fresh and tangy. It was a little spicy but not too much. Indeed very few of the dishes on the menu are from the hotter end of Thai cuisine. I hastily put in an order for sticky rice which I had forgotten to do earlier.

The rice arrived along with tan elegant display of betel. An appropriate amount of pork was already placed on each leaf and all I had to do was fold it over an pop it into my mouth. The flavour was a little smoky and slightly dry. It was a pleasing contrast to the calamari and also to what I was expecting to be a fairly sweet curry.

Yellow curries are always at the sweeter end of the scale but this interpretation was particularly interesting. The sauce itself was not as sweet as others I’ve had. The sweetness comes in little explosions when the palette finds a piece of mango or banana. The chunks of baramundi were succulent and plentiful and cherry tomato halves added a little colour. I mopped up the remains of the sauce with the last of the sticky rice.

There were a few desserts on the menu, all familiar choices. I opted for banana fritter with vanilla ice cream ($40)

G/F 11 Wun Sha Street
Tai Hang
Hong Kong
Tel 2882 8227
Fax 2882 8260

According to the place mat the restaurant takes it’s name from a recipe for the famous Vietnamese beef noodle broth that was popular at a railway station hawker stand. The old hawker never gave up his secret recipe but cafe locomotive have created their very own.

It seems to be popular too. On my previous trips to this area the Cafe Locomotive has always been packed. This time I got there early.

The decor boasts a railway theme with luggage racks and station clocks showing the time in several cities around Asia. The staff are friendly and efficient. I ordered a coconut base with jelly bits and ice and perused the menu. Most people were having the noodles and they did look very good but I had decided I wanted to try something different.

I started with roasted French quail ($48) this is served simply on a banana leaf with a slice of lime and an orchid (which I didn’t eat). It can sometimes be a bit of a fight to get the meat from the bones of small birds. The use of fingers is essential. The restaurant does provide disposable plastic gloves but that is cheating in my view and besides it makes the whole process seem rather surgical.

It was a tasty bird and it wasn’t long before all I had left was a neat pile of bones. The waitress enquired as to whether everything was to my satisfaction. I assured it was and she whisked my plate away.

The waiter had warned me that the quail would take around fifteen minutes to prepare. This meant that my next dish, big head prawn ($118) arrived almost as soon as the last one had been cleared away.

The prawns were baked in a rich, buttery garlic sauce. This too was most agreeable. The only downside was that flesh of the prawn seemed rather less that the shell had promised. But I guess that is prawns for you. You never do get as much as you think you’re going to get.

For vegetable I’d ordered morning glory in broth ($42). It turned out to be a considerably larger bowl than I had anticipated. I couldn’t finish it all though I made a valiant effort soaking up the broth with garlic bread.

The lemon creme brulee with cinnamon sugar French toast and ginger ice-cream ($39) proved to be an excellent finale but then I’m a sucker for ginger ice cream.

Cafe Locomotive is quite a small but very popular restaurant. If you’re making a special trip it’s worth calling ahead to make a reservation.

Shop 127, New Town Plaza (Phase 1)
Shatin
New Territories
Tel 2605 3636

G/F 65, Wing Lok Street
Sheung Wan
Hong Kong
Tel 2545 2588
Fax 2545 2162

40-42 Lyndhurst Terrace
Central
Tel 2851 4803
Fax 2851 3545

I’ve known about Cafe Siam for years, I used to go past it at least once a day as I rode up the Central to mid-levels escalator. I have worked in three different offices that were all within a five minute walk of the restaurant. I even walked around for at least a week with a miniature take-away menu in my pocket. But it wasn’t until the other day that I finally got myself through the doors and up to a table.

Whenever I enter a Thai restaurant the cooking smells always trigger a Pavlovian instinct to order all my favourite Thai dishes and it takes a great force of will to look elsewhere on the menu. My favourite dishes, of course, are all classic dishes that can be found on all good Thai menus. That little pocket menu helped immensely, because it meant that even before I arrived at the restaurant I already had a shortlist of not so common dishes I wanted to try.

The starters I’d narrowed down to two; Koh Moo Yang, or char-grilled marinated pork served with a tamarind, toasted rice and shallot dip ($65) was very tempting but was pipped at the post by the Gai Manow, chicken and water chesnut roll ($68). These are cut into bite-sized pieces and served on a bed of crispy fried basil with a dab of mayonnaise and a sliver of lime.

One of the great things about Thai cuisine is that it happily borrows from its neighbours and the flavours will change according to which border you are near. The larbs and the ever popular green papaya salad, som-tam, originate in Laos, the mild yellow curries come from the south.

The next dish was Khao Soy ($65), a Burmese style chicken curry served with soft and crispy noodles. This was also a mild curry but not as sweet as the southern style curries. It is served with a hot and sour northern style chilli paste.

The main course was completed with Deep Fried Garoupa in a very spicy chilli sauce ($158).

The dessert menu is made up of tried and trusted favourites such as mango with sticky rice, banana fritters and fresh fruit. Cafe Siam make their own brand of herb tea and at $28 a pot is well worth a try. In fact it is so popular that they even sell it in packets to take home.

38 Elgin Street
Soho
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2868 4445

1/F 88 Lockhart Road
Wanchai
Hong Kong
Tel 2527 2872

G/F Miami mansion
13-15 Cleveland Street
Causeway Bay
Hong Kong
Tel 2504 3930
Fax 2511 0326

UG36 Festival Walk
80 Tat Chee Avenue
Kowloon Tong
Kowloon
Tel 2265 8188
Tel 2265 7336

1035-1038 Level 1, Metro City Phase II
Tseung Kwan O
New Territories
Tel 3194 3823
Fax 3194 3820

DD124 Lot 2289 Hung Shui Kui
Tuen Mun
New Territories
Tel 2473 0168
Fax 2473 0893

Shop 117, Podium Level 1
The Westwood
8 Belcher’s Street
Hong Kong
Tel 2542 7777
Fax 2542 7721

Gage Street
Sheung Wan
Hong Kong

939 King’s Road
Quarry Bay
Hong Kong
Tel 2561 5151

Chuk Yuen has been on Gage Street for ages but I’d never been in before. I’d always quietly hoped it was going to be one of those little, great-value-terrific-food, gems that one finds from time to time.

I went along the other evening with a heart full of hope but alas, it was not to be. It was not a bad restaurant by any means just rather ordinary and, at that price point, one really shouldn’t complain.

The decor is predominantly bamboo and rattan with green paint. The tables are a rather dark green and make the restaurant rather gloomy. At least when there are not too many diners to cheer things up.

There were other people there and they appeared to have ordered quite a lot of food so I was heartened. All the usual suspects were on the menu, spring rolls, prawns on sugarcane skewers, noodles. I ordered pork and shrimp rolls ($24).

These are the typically Vietnamese dry white noodle variety. They were quite big, being generously stuffed with prawn, pork, noodles and bean sprouts.

To go with them I ordered a beef curry in a clay pot with French bread ($60). This was piping hot when it arrived and I had to wait a few minutes for it to cool before I could eat it. The curry, like the rolls, was a really generous serving and the sauce was really quite tasty. The beef however, was rather more fatty than I like.

There are, of course, plenty of people who would say that this was a good thing and that the fat is what makes it taste so good. I wouldn’t argue with that but I would have liked to see a little more lean meat because what there was also tasted good.

For dessert I had red beans with coconut milk ($5).

It would be wrong to criticise a restaurant for being too low cost. It wasn’t quite what I was expecting, but the Chuk Yuen has been around for quite a few years. That must mean that enough people do appreciate its style, and as far as they are concerned, that is what counts.

G/F 69 Tai Mei Tuk Village
Ting Kok Road
Tai Po
New Territories
Tel 2664 5218

Shop 4, Malaysia Building
69 Jaffe Road
Wanchai
Hong Kong
Tel 2529 6622/2529 4183
Fax 2527 3200

G/F 8 Wing Wah Lane
Lan Kwai Fong
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2523 6911
Fax 2523 6911

West Block
Island Road
Deepwater Bay
Hong Kong
Tel 2812 1826

14-15 and 23-27 Nga Tsin Long Road
Kowloon City
Kowloon
Tel 2716 7318

39A Gough Street
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2581 3303

G/F 39 Electric Road
Tin Hau
Hong Kong
Tel 3579 2486

G/F Lakeside 1
Phase 2 Hong Kong Science Park
Shatin
New Territories
Tel 2210 7022

1/F 20-22 Tang Lung Street
Causeway Bay
Hong Kong
Tel 2575 7128 or 6010 8128

Level 7, Grand Century Place
Prince Edward Rd West
MongKok
Kowloon
Tel 2628 9288

11/F Food Forum
Times Square
Causeway Bay
Hong Kong
Tel 2506 1028

1/F Ocean Centre
Tsimshatsui
Kowloon
Tel 2730 4866

Food Forum, 11/F, Times Square
Matheson Street
Causeway Bay
Tel 2506 1333
Fax 2506 1271

Shop G110 Ocean Galleries
Harbour City
17 Canton Road
Tsimshatsui
Kowloon
Tel 2735 0733
Fax 2735 6767

B13 Citygate Outlets
Tung Chung
Lantau
New Territories
Tel 2109 4438

G/F 13 Wing Wah Lane
Lan Kwai Fong
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2877 2971
Fax 2511 1723

There are a number of restaurants around town that over the years have become so familiar that I tend to forget about them. Or at least forget to talk about them. Good Luck Thai is one in particular. I’ve lost count of the number of times I have eaten here, whether it be lunch or after an evening in the Fong, it’s a restaurant that rarely disappoints.

They must be doing something right or I wouldn’t keep going back, so I decided it is time to put something into words.

The restaurant is in Wing Wah Lane which, for those that are unfamiliar with the area, is a sort of appendix to Lan Kwai Fong. It’s a rowdy little alleyway, packed with interesting eateries. At the entrance to the lane jovial touts try to encourage you to dine at their place. Good Luck Thai is on the left just around the corner

Like the alleyway itself it is often rowdy, particularly at night time. I decided to go along early to beat the crowds but even at 6.30 there were a number of people already there. There is seating inside and out, I took a table just on the inside, ordered a beer and settled down.

The decor is basic and functional and a brief glance at the menu tells you that the emphasis here is on value for money. Yum Talay ($75) is one of the more expensive items on the menu. I decided it would make a nice starter.

Yum Talay is a spicy seafood salad dressed in fresh lime juice. The menu does offer other, more familiar, starters such as fish or prawn cakes and spring rolls and if you are in a group then a selection of these would be a good choice. The yum talay would be considered a main dish but one that I guessed, incorrectly, would be quite light.

The seafood consisted mostly of squid, prawns and mussels. It was a generous serving and came garnished with a full compliment of chilies. If you prefer a milder version be sure to let your waitress know when you order.

There is a Malaysian restaurant just across the alleyway that is owned by the same company and because of it’s proximity Good luck Thai is able to offer the option of Indian bread with your curry. Being a great lover of nan bread I ordered two ($20 each) to go with a green pork curry ($48).

I’ve had the green curries here before, they are particularly rich and creamy and come in portions that could easily be shared amongst a group of four. The pork was lean and tender and the nan and the curry sauce seemed almost as if they were made for each other.

During the course of the meal the evening staff started their shift but although the number of customers had grown it was still early and they filled in the time chattering and catching up on the days gossip. The waitress was still chattering away when she came to collect my plates and, forgetting to switch back to english, asked me in Thai if I enjoyed my meal. I replied in Thai (it is one of the few things I can say) which earned me a big smile.

I ordered Tak Goh ($20) for dessert. These are little cakes of sago and corn topped with a thick layer of coconut cream and wrapped in banana leaf trays.

As I left more and more people were flowing into the lane looking for good and inexpensive places to eat. It wouldn’t be long before Good Luck Thai and all the other restaurants would be doing brisk business. I wandered off into the Fong in search of another beer.

Shop 148, 1/F Houston Centre
63 Mody Road
Tsimshatsui
Kowloon
Tel 2739 9808

2/F Cigna Tower
482 Jaffe Road
Causeway Bay
Hong Kong
Tel 2832 2863/2832 9038

6P032, Level 6, Terminal 2 Sky Plaza
HK International Airport
Lantau
New Territories
Tel 3197 9440

Green is a funky little Thai restaurant in the Sanlitum Causeway Centre. That’s on the walkway opposite the Sun Hung Kai Centre in Wanchai. There is an abundance of foliage outside underlining the restaurants name, and if that doesn’t get the message across, the green neon glow radiating from the bar most certainly will.

The owners have managed to achieve quite a lot with the space available. A lounge area, basks in the green neon beside the bar and is separated from the main dining area by another two trees. The furnishings are simple but stylish. The overall effect is very modern but also very Asian.

There are no major surprises on the menu and all the classic Thai favourites are there - Tom Yam Gung, those delicious fish-cakes and the spicy sour salads - and they are done well. The menu also offers the infamous som tam (green papaya salad) but it’s only for those that like it hot.

They have an impressive range of set dinner options (and lunch for that matter) but in the end we decided to go a la carte. I never really think in terms of appetisers or main courses when eating Thai, usually I just order a range of dishes and see which comes first. But before we could do that we had to first make a short list and then whittle it down.

The frogs legs with lemon grass ($68) and the seafood pomelo salad ($85) were both very tempting but alas they had to be postponed for another time. What we couldn’t possibly go without though was the soft-shelled crab with chilli and basil ($88). To go with it we also ordered the Thai style charcoal grilled pork neck ($68) and a classic green chicken curry ($88).

The crab was the first to arrive. It has a delicate flavour and is best while it is still crisp and hot so we dug in with gusto. My guest thought it was just about the right level of spiciness but I added just a little extra chilli. We were soon distracted by the arrival of the pork.

The slices of pork come with their own, deliciously spicy, dipping sauce. The meat itself isn’t spicy, just dip as much or as little as you want.

Lastly came the green chicken curry. For me this is as quintessentially Thai as tom yam gung. Sometimes I think that all Thai children are taught to make this dish at school. I’ve eaten it so many times and in so many different circumstances from home cooking in rural Thailand to the swankiest restaurants but I’ve rarely had a bad one. This, I’m happy to say, conformed to the trend - lean tasty chicken, crisp eggplant and the almost intoxicating fragrance of hora pa, or Thai basil.

The restaurant was starting to fill up now, but we had just enough room to share a dessert. Mango sushi is a slightly different take with the mango and sticky rice combination. The black and the white sticky rice are rolled together with the black on the inside and then sliced sushi style the mango is then layered on top and coconut cream and a sprinkle of peanuts added. An elegant finish to a delicious meal.

Shop 1 Promenade level
Tower 1, China HK City
33 Canton Road
Tsim Sha Tsui
Kowloon
Tel 2735 8898
Fax 2736 9883

G/F Golden Mansion
83-85a Chatham Road
Tsimshatsui
Kowloon
Tel 2736 5918

2/F Elements Mall
Kowloon Station
1 Austin Road West
Kowloon
Tel 2196 8696

One of the great things about travelling around Southeast Asia is that you rarely go more than a few metres without finding something wonderful to eat. Often it is being cooked right there before your eyes, and costs very little to taste.

I must confess, very often when I’m down that way I don’t get to sit down for dinner in the evening because I have spent the whole day snacking.

There is, of course, no shortage of Southeast Asian restaurants around Hong Kong but Husk is the first one that I know that is dedicated to bringing together a wide variety of those tasty morsels from all around the region. And while Husk may be in a fancy shopping mall, with fancy overheads to contend with, the prices are still very reasonable.

It’s a fairly large restaurant with huge tables rather like a dining hall. It would be great for large gatherings but is still good if there is only the one of you.

There is a wide range of curry and rice dishes including fish head curry. I was tempted but I’d made up my mind I wanted to try some of the smaller dishes. First up was Gai Yang ($48), grilled marinated chicken with a dip called nam jim. The main ingredients in the nam jim are fish sauce, lime juice and palm sugar.

This was followed by marinated beef wrapped in betel leaf. The dish is called Bo La Lot ($38) and is served with the more familiar sweet chilli sauce.

Both dishes were really delicious and I was very tempted to order seconds. My third dish arrived in the nick of time. This was grilled Vietnamese eggplant ($38) slices and served with prawns and shallots.

The last dish I had ordered had been the Lime Cured Tuna with green mango, rose apple, mint and dried shrimp ($48). The problem with this was that the tuna was out of stock so the waiter offered to either have it prepared with crispy salmon, or change to the crispy salmon and cucumber salad.

I opted for the former. The salad itself is a Vietnamese variant of the famous Thai som tam though not usually as spicy. I guessed that the salmon would probably work just as well. I was right, the tanginess of the mango was a wonderful counterpoint to the salmon.

The eggplant had proved to be quite filling but I was just able to round off the proceedings with sago gula Melaka ($28). This is pearl sago with coconut milk and palm sugar.

With drinks added, the bill came to less than $300 and I ordered easily enough for two people. Good food, great value. What more could you ask for?

Shop A,C,D G/F Miami Mansion
13-15 Cleveland Street
Causeway Bay
Hong Kong
Tel 2504 3930

Shop 112-113 Level 1
New Town Plaza, Phase 1
Shatin
New Territories
Tel 2693 3128

2/F California Tower
30-32 D’Aguilar Street
Central
Tel 2869 7399

G/F, 28 Leighton Road
Causeway Bay
Hong Kong
Tel 2577 9981

2-4 Observatory Court
Tsimshatsui
Kowloon
Tel 2619 1926

96 Tung Lo Wan Road
Causeway Bay
Hong Kong
Tel 2578 5932

G/F 8 Mercer Street
Sheung Wan
Hong Kong
Tel 2543 4008

L4-1&2, Level 4 Millenium City 5
418 Kwun Tong Road
Kowloon
Tel 3580 1660

Shop 105b, Block A, Water Margin
Discovery Bay
Lantau
New Territories
Tel 2987 0767

Hong Kong Park
Cotton Tree Drive
Admiralty
Hong Kong
Tel 2522 6333

11/F Food Forum
Times Square
Causeway Bay
Hong Kong
Tel 2506 3303

L1-34 Festival Walk
Kowloon Tong
Kowloon
Tel 2265 7333

Regular readers will remember that myself and shopping malls don’t get on very well together so the prospect of a trip to Festival Walk filled me with gloom. Still, chin up I thought, there must be restaurants there as well. Indeed I was barely out of the MTR before I’d identified a place; Lanna Thai.

Geographically Lanna refers the Northern parts of Thailand and was, from the 13th to the 18th centuries, a kingdom in its own right. The restaurant is tucked away at he end of one of the arms of level one. It’s an attractive place, modern furniture. Gongs and vases provide just enough ornamentation to remind you that you’re in a Thai restaurant.

The menu does bear a few nods to northern Thai cuisine but, since this is a family restaurant, I wasn’t really surprised to see that there were considerably more dishes from the south where recipes tend to be less spicy. There were in fact choices from all over Southeast Asia.

There were plenty of a la carte options to choose from but it was the set menu that caught our eye. This offered a four course dinner for a very reasonable price.

For starters we both wanted the the shrimp cake but for the soup course my companion opted for the chicken tom yam while I went for the minced pork with tofu and seaweed. The pork was ok. I’ve often had this with noodles in though I don’t think they are obligatory. Its not meant to be a spicy but I did feel it could have done with a little more black pepper.

Tom yam is a spicy dish and my friend felt that hers was definitely lacking in chilli department. “It’s not bad” she protested, “It’s just not what I’d hope for in Tom yam.”

She was much more enthusiastic about the Green Curry ($108) she’d ordered for her main course. This came with a baguette Vietnamese style and she assured me it tasted like a green curry should. I’d ordered the sautéed prawns with chilli ($118).

Again this had less chilli than I might have expected but it was still a pleasant dish with red and yellow peppers and spring onions.

Dessert was a single piece of coconut and sago cake with sweet corn.

Overall it was pleasant meal. If you want authenticity give it a miss but after a harrowing trip to a shop it’s a good place to unwind. And, for the set meals at least, very good value for money.

Level 1, shop 34
Festival walk
Kowloon Tong
Tel 2265 7333

3/F The Royal Garden
69 Mody Road
Tsimshatsui
Kowloon
Tel 2733 2033

Back in the days when the old Kai Tak airport was operational that end of Kowloon City had been famous for a number of exceptionally good Thai restaurants. I got into the habit of always planning evening flights and then getting to the airport in plenty of time to have a good dinner before catching the plane. Since the airport moved I hadn’t been back there to what had become of the area so the other Saturday afternoon I set out to remedy the situation.

To my delight I discovered that, if anything, there are even more Thai restaurants in the area. Indeed there is a thriving Thai community. I also spotted kitchens specialising in Cambodian and Issan/Lao. I even a couple of Islamic restaurants which intrigued me a lot.

Bu I had come to reacquaint myself with the Thai food and so stopped into a place called Lemon Basil. It was still very early and there were only two other guests. The restaurant was simple but attractive. Orange and beige walls dotted with pictures of Thai kings old and new interspersed with small paintings of chillies and other familiar ingredients.

There is a menu which contains all the familiar items plus there is the paper place mat which add a range of snacks as well as drinks and desserts. I ordered myself a red chicken curry ($58) and some broccoli with mushrooms ($48). I was going to leave it at that but then I noticed chicken wings stuffed with shrimp meat ($60).

With that lot I decided rice wouldn’t be needed but I did order myself a mango slush ($30).

The curry was the first dish to show up. These curries are pretty much a standard item in all Thai restaurants. But both red and yellow curries carry the risk of becoming a little too sweet, a bit too coconutty. This one, I’m happy to say, got the balance between sweetness and spiciness just right. I relented an ordered some rice so I could mop up the last of the sauce.

The vegetables had arrived shortly after the curry. These were crisp and fresh but otherwise pretty straight forward.

The chicken was the last to arrive because it takes the longest to prepare. Funnily enough it would have made an excellent starter - and more sensibly for two people. The wings were deep fried in bread crumbs and served with the classic Thai sweet chilli dipping sauce.

I finished off with pandan flavoured layer dumplings ($28). Another dish that would more sensibly be shared between two people.

Kowloon City is well off the beaten track these days but if you are a fan of Thai cuisine it’s well worth the effort.

Lemon Basil
16 Nam Kok Road
Kowloon City

Shop 2004 Podium Level
IFC Mall
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2521 1117
Fax 2521 2050

G/F Shop E
Hau Wo Street
Kennedy Town
Hong Kong
Tel 2889 8849

Kennedy Town looks like a place worth keeping an eye on. Several new residential developments have been completed in recent years and with new MTR stations under construction at either end it would appear to be an up and coming area. Already there is a small row of bars and restaurants at the Harbour end of Davis Street. Just around the corner on Hau Wo Street there is a Japanese and two Thai restaurants. And just a little further away is an Indian Restaurant.

It was one of the Thai restaurants that caught my eye the other evening. It’s a low key informal place. Decor is greens and yellows, as befits it’s name, with pot plants hanging from the ceiling. It’s bright clean and friendly. The staff are friendly too, and keen to point out that since everything is cooked from scratch it may take a little time. I assured them that this wasn’t a problem and busied myself with the menu.

“Thai home cooking with a twist” boasted the place mats. I was intrigued. All the familiar dishes are there. I decided to get the ball rolling with some spring rolls ($25) and a lime soda ($20). The lime soda is simplicity itself. A bottle of soda water with lime squeezed into it. Sugar can be added on request but I liked it as it was. Sharp tangy and very refreshing.

The spring rolls arrived piping hot and, as promised, very fresh indeed. Laab is one of my favourite Thai dishes. Usually it is made from either minced chicken or pork. At Lime they also offer it with duck and “Laab Pla Thod” or fish ($45). I’ve never seen or heard of fish laab before so I had to give that a try.

I also had to try a variation of som tam. This is the infamous spicy green papaya salad. Here they offer a version made with green apple ($42). “It’s very spicy.” I was warned. Oh but I like it spicy, I said, give it your all.

The som tam arrived first and it was excellent. The apple brought a new flavour to the mix and added just a touch of sweetness. Otherwise it was classic som tam with no holds barred.

The laab is served with lettuce. Fish doesn’t mince the same way as meat and it loses a little in the texture. It does, however, stay where you put it and not fall into your lap when you try to fold the lettuce around it. Its a comparatively mild dish but there is a selection of chilli sauces on the table if you need to spice it up.

Another interesting item on the menu was tuna fish cakes. I wondered if these were based on the familiar tord mun pla. There is also a range of Thai beer battered dishes. Both these are going to have to wait for my next visit. I rounded this one off with banana spring roll served with ice cream and garnished with palm seeds ($25).

The restaurant only has seating for about a dozen people but take away orders are welcome.

G/F Shop E
14 Hau Wo Street
Kennedy Town

Shop F1, Telford Plaza
Kowloon Bay
Kowloon
Tel 2796 7818

Shop 533 Grand Century Place
Mongkok
Kowloon
Tel 2396 6569

37-43 Pottinger Street
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2543 6290
Fax 2541 2031

C-D Beverly House
93-107 Lockhart Road
Wanchai
Hong Kong
Tel 2866 0228
Fax 2865 5073

6 Knutsford Steps
2/F Miramar Shopping Centre
132 Nathan Road
Tsimshatsui
Kowloon
Tel 2730 1300

Knutsford Square Shop L-M, G/G Universal Mansion
52 Hillwood Road
Tsimshatsui
Kowloon
Tel 2369 4033

G/F Wah Lee Building
35 Peel Street
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2818 1236
Fax 2854 1532

138 Pak Sha Wan Centre
Hebe Haven
Sai Kung
New Territories
Tel 2719 9932

11A Mercer Street
Sheung Wan
Hong Kong
Tel 2542 4111
Fax 2542 4113

120 Jaffe Road
Wanchai
Hong Kong
Tel 2143 6877

Kimberley Plaza
Knutsford Terrace
Tsim Sha Tsui
Kowloon
Tel 2316 2288

56-58 Yee Wo Street
Causeway Bay
Hong Kong

49 Staunton Street
Soho
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2803 2253 or 3481 3280

G/F Comfort Centre
108 Old Main Street
Aberdeen
Hong Kong
Tel 2870 2080

Shop 1044-5 Elements Mall
Kowloon Station
1 Austin Road West
Kowloon
Tel 2810 7575

8 Pak Sha Road
Causeway Bay
Hong Kong
Tel 2890 4507

9 Keswick Street
Causeway Bay
Hong Kong
Tel 2808 4778

88-90 Wellington Street
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2581 9992

Wu Chung House
213 Queen’s Road East
Wanchai
Hong Kong
Tel 2891 1177

15 Old Bailey street
Soho
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 3622 3222

Shop 6A UG/F Olympian City 2
18 Hoi Ting Road
West Kowloon
Kowloon
Tel 2567 9969

2/F One Capital Place
18 Luard Road
Wanchai
Hong Kong
Tel 2126 7900
Fax 2126 7902

197 Johnson Road
Wanchai
Hong Kong
Tel 3168 2057
Fax 3168 2058

2/F Yu Wing Building
64-66 Wellington Street
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 3693 4448