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Reviews M-R M | N | O | P | Q | R Main St. Deli I was strolling along the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront the other evening. It was a pleasant evening, still early. Even after having lived here for many years I'm still impressed by the view of the Island from here. Of course, Hong Kong being the rapidly evolving place that it is, there is usually something new in the skyline that I haven't seen before. I never discovered what it was this time. Somewhere deep in my subconscious another visual connection had already been made. I didn't cotton on to it immediately, all I knew was that I was getting hungry. What's more I rather fancied a burger, a big juicy one, medium to well done with fresh salad and pickles. Star Ferry would have to wait a while, I reset my coordinates and plotted a course to the Langham Hotel and Main St. Deli. This claims to be Hong Kong's first and only genuine New York Deli. It certainly looks authentic, art deco fixtures and fittings and old black and white photographs dominated by four chandeliers. I was given a warm, friendly welcome and quickly shown to a table in the corner from where I has a great view of the main part of the restaurant. Indeed I couldn't help but wonder how many Delis there are in New York that look this good. The menu appeared along with two large bowls of pickles and yet another charming smile. I ordered a Brooklyn Beer and studied the menu whilst nibbling on dill and green tomato pickles. Although I'd gone with the specific intent of satisfying a burger craving the Reuben sandwich - which is corned beef, pastrami, turkey, sauerkraut and melted swiss cheese on grilled rye bread - was also tempting. Here they also offer a Naked Reuben which appears to be the same but without the bread. There is also a range of pizzas and pastas but I decided to hold firm to the plan of having a burger. "Would you like to try our new lobster burger?" Enquired the waitress who had materialised at my table. I was indeed very tempted but sadly $388 was more than my budget would allow. Instead I ordered the Crispy Jumbo Crab Cake ($85) for starters. When dining in American style restaurants one needs to treat words like 'jumbo' with respect. As a rule of thumb it is safe to assume that all portions of everything will be larger than you expect the addition of such words just means it will be even bigger! Sure enough the crab cake was huge, a triangle about 4 inches along each side and three quarters of an inch thick served with pickles, salsa, salad and mayonnaise. It was delicious. I told myself to only eat half or I'd have no space left for the burger. I failed and wolfed the lot, except the mayonnaise, but that is not the mayo's fault, I just don't care for it much. The burgers come in two sizes, regular (8 oz. @ $128) and silly (12 oz. @ $168). I'd ordered a sensible 8oz., flame grilled, Barbecue Bacon Burger. It arrived on it's bun with sauteed mushrooms melted swiss cheese, lettuce tomato and bacon. This was what I'd come for and it didn't disappoint. It was however, simply too big to put the lid on and to pick up and eat so I attacked with the knife and fork. Although I was already pretty full I take my responsibilities seriously and to leave without having had dessert, I always feel, is a dereliction of duty. "Is the lemon meringue pie good" I asked the waitress. "It's very good" she replied and skipped off to fetch me some. When she returned my jaw dropped. "We serve New York sized portions" she beamed. Indeed I thought, this was obviously based on 175 Fifth Avenue, the Flatiron Building. Though you never get that many eggs into the Flatiron Building. This was quite simply the most enormous wedge of lemon meringue pie I've ever seen and jolly nice it was too. I managed to eat around two thirds before surrendering. I had a leisurely coffee before waddling out into the night and towards the ferry. April 2005 Malouf's Arabesque Cuisine The great thing about new malls is that there is always a brief window of time before the public at large cottons on. I guessed that Elements, being stuck out in a part of Kowloon that nobody goes to anyway, may take a little bit longer. So the other evening I hopped aboard the Tung Chung line in search of second helpings. I was right. I was able to glide up the escalator and through the maze of shops without bumping into anyone or even having to take evasive action. This time I had a pretty good idea of where I wanted to go to but it still took me a while to find it. Malouf's Arabesque Cuisine makes Australian chef Greg Malouf's presence in Hong Kong a little more visible though he has been consulting for Olive in Soho for a few years. I've enjoyed my visits to Olive so I was keen to try this one out. It's a long narrow restaurant, more spacious than Olive. The decor is modern. A long sofa runs along one side and windows on the other. There was some inoffensive but otherwise rather bland wallpaper music playing softly but this was occasionally punctuated by some rather more traditional sounds that I would like to have heard more of. Unfortunately none of the staff knew what it was called. I ordered a Turkish beer called Efes which was delivered along with bread and olives. I buried my nose in the menu. It all looked pretty good and I could have happily sat back and let someone else order, safe in the knowledge that whatever they ordered would be interesting and pleasing. But I had to make the decision and after much thought opted to start with the Crispy Poached Duck with Moroccan Carrot salad ($98). It was a good choice. The meat was tender and delicious, rich bit not gamey. It slipped from the bone with very little effort. Main course was Black Bream and Tiger Prawns in green Chermoula ($228). Black bream live in the seas to the south of Australia but the chermoula is a north African marinade made with herbs, oil, lemon juice, garlic, cumin, and salt but they seemed made for each other. The fish was delicate and tasty but it is bony. Don't let the bones put you off though, some fish are just like that and this dish is well worth the extra effort. I know a lot of people skip dessert but to me it is an important part of the meal and I applaud restaurants that make the effort to come up with something a bit special. For the Blood Orange Mahallabia ($78) Malouf's deserves a standing ovation. It's not a complicated dish, milk custard and blood orange jelly topped with Iranian candy floss. But it is something I have never had before and it is something I know I will want again ... soon. Malouf's Arabesque Cuisine 3/F Elements 1 Austin Road West Kowloon Tel. 2810 8585 Marlin Perched at the very top of Lan Kwai Fong opposte Va Bene, and bathed in blue and pink light, is a little corner of South Beach, Miami. An art deco-fied Chinese shophouse. Marlin opened for business mid-February. It's a small bar but both sides are open, so on busy evenings the clientele will be able to spill out onto the street. Potted palms make a brave attemt to disguise the ugly road sign which is a minor blemish on an otherwise impressive exterior. Indeed I could be just as happy standing outside as sitting inside. As well as all the usual beers and spirits (they are Rum specialists!), Marlin offers a drink they call a daiqui'tini which, without getting into detailed recipes, can be either tropical fruits blended with rum or berries with vodka. They also serve a range of snacks, tortilla chips seeming to be the most popular. Happy hour runs from 5-8pm. 4 March 2004 Marouche 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 Cossack and the general bustle of people going up and down the steps. It all combines to give a totally unplanned, but rather pleasing 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 hankereing after a lamb shawarma ($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 shawarma. The shawarma 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. Marouche G/F 48 Cochrane Street Tel 2541 8282 Masala This is one of a number of restaurants that has sprung up in Sheung Wan in recent months. "Don't Worry. eat curry", the menu exhorts "A Taste of Modern Indian Cuisine". It sounded good to me so I went in and took a seat. It's a small restaurant but bright and cheerful with orange being the dominant colour. The staff are friendly and helpful and produced poppadoms within moments of my sitting down. I ordered a bottle of Kingfisher beer ($30) to go with it and turned to the menu Of course all our old favourites are there, korma, Madras and vindaloo. Tikkas in both fish and chicken and, what looked to me to be great value at $158, a tandoori mixed grill. This included both the tikkas, seekh kebab and lamb. But in places like this I always like to look for the things that are a little unusual. One of the first things that caught my eye was the inclusion of a number of salads. Tandoori chicken tossed with cucumber and tomatoes ($45) sounded good as did the herb crusted fillet of sole with green salad ($58). Though the latter didn't sound very Indian. Elsewhere on the menu the Lamb Shank Masala ($135) sounded very good. A baby lamb leg cooked in a crunchy masala sauce. I was very tempted but I had a suspicion that it might be a fairly large dish. Not that such considerations have ever stopped me before but I was intrigued by the Fish Head Curry ($88). This is made with a fresh salmon head. I've had fish head curries before but I couldn't recall ever having one made with salmon and I was keen to find out how a flavour as distinctive as salmon would work in a curry. According to the menu it is a secret recipe that includes mustard seeds, eggplant and poached in a "special condiments" curry. The curry itself was slightly dry in flavour and a little tangy and fish head was indeed very fresh. It was quite a surprise to find the salmon flavour in there at the start but after a few mouthfuls my palette warmed to the task and by the time I'd finished that, and the Palak Paneer ($48) that I'd ordered to accompany it, I was rummaging around in the debris to make sure I hadn't missed any tasty morsels. I'd ordered the curry medium spicy but it seemed a little hotter than I would expect and garnished with dried chillies. This doesn't bother me at all but for people who don't like curries at the very spicy end it is probably worth making sure the waiter understands or ask for very mild. I mopped up with the remains of a nan and I had to admit that I was feeling quite full. There are no desserts listed on the menu but the waitress did confess to having Gulab Jamun and I felt it was my solemn duty to indulge. It was actually very good gulab jamun and I was glad that I did. Masala 10 Mercer Street Sheung Wan Tel 2581 9777 Mozart Stub'n This restaurant is tucked away at the top of Glenealy. It's a bit of a climb if you are walking but just keep thinking of that nice cold beer when you get there. I ordered a bottle of Gosser Austrian Beer. The restaurant is in two sections with the bar at the front and the small dining area towards the back, though there are tables in the bar area for those that prefer. Old style wood panelling covers the walls in the rear and upon these are hung numerous black and white photographs. I didn't look at the pictures in detail but I gathered copies of them could be ordered. In case you wondering a Stub'n is a small restaurant or dining room. This small dining room may be named after the great Austrian composer but his music sadly was not in evidence. Instead a modern jazzy flavoured background music was playing but it wasn't loud and it was fairly easy to ignore. I supped my beer and busied myself with the menu. The appetizers were all tempting, not least a platter of assorted cold cuts ($165) but this was designed for two people. I narrowed my choices down to; fresh wild mushrooms with butter mashed potatoes ($95) or deep fried Camembert with cranberry sauce ($88). I thought I'd decided on the wild mushrooms but then as the waiter stood, pencil and pad in hand, a fit of indecision overtook me and I ordered the cheese instead. I'm sure the mushrooms would have been excellent but the Camembert didn't disappoint either. Three pieces the size of golf balls encased in a layer of crisp bread crumbs surrounded by a swirl of deliciously tart cranberry sauce. After finishing the Camembert I mopped up the sauce with bread. The main course had been an easy choice. Not that there weren't plenty of tempting options; traditional Austrian boiled beef ($160) and veal medallions in wild mushroom sauce ($185). The of course there was the classic Wiener schnitzel and cheese fondue. But from the moment I first saw it I knew I was going to have the "winter special" venison with red cabbage and potato dumplings ($205). The meat was wonderful. Cooked to perfection, tender and tasty and decorated with a sprig of rosemary. The potato dumplings were about 3 inches long, fat in the middle and tapered at each end. They were good but very dense and filling. I wanted to take it slowly and savour every mouthful but it seemed like I wolfed it down in no time. Dessert was a generous helping of home made Viennese apple strudel with vanilla sauce. I wasn't at all sure I was going to be able eat it all but then, it always amazes me how one can marshal ones resources in moments of crisis. The pastry was light and the filling rich and sweet. I ordered coffee and basked in the glow of well-fed contentment. February 2005 Nzingha Lounge As Soho spreads further and further, Peel street is coming along quite nicely. Apart from a few older Chinese establishments, there is trendy Joyce is Not Here, comfortable Caravan Serai, and down a few steps from the street is a cool dark cavern with African tribal art and flags adorning every bit of wall space, alongside some more modern paintings which I get the impression are for sale (I may be wrong). This is Nzingha Lounge. I'd wanted to try their African food for a while - when they first opened it was advance order only, and this being Hong Kong, who takes time to think about eating till its actually time to eat? They must have caved in to demand, and now there is a small menu that I persuaded a couple of friends to try. At 6.30 on a Thursday, we were the only customers, and actually the staff, though very welcoming, seemed a little surprised to see us. Nobody else turned up before we left at almost 8pm. The low-key African music was relaxing and before long we were settled in and ready to try from the selection of beers, which includes Nzingha from Cameroon at $45 or $35 in happy hour. Of course we had to try it. There are a few cocktails on the drinks menu too, so I ordered Ti punch (house special - $60 or $40 HH), which turned out to be a lot of white rum with a little lime - very nice, but if I gurgled down more than one I may have started wobbling. None of us were particularly hungry, but we wanted to try a variety, so first off we ordered the Gnamagnama Platter to share. This consists of Acras - spicy shrimp dough, Aloco - fried plantain dipped in chili (who could resist fried sweet bananas!?), and African rolls - basically very good pork spring rolls. The chili dipping sauce was so incredibly spicy, that none of us dared to take a second dip! Luckily the Ti Punch came in handy to numb our tongues and throats. For small eaters, this platter may well be enough to satisfy two people at $120. We only ordered the one main course to share. This was the weekly special, Meguep Geo, which is chunks of fried chicken in wild pepper. It arrived on a large platter with fragrant rice, stewed kidney beans and green vegetables, oh, and some more of those yummy fried plantains. Overall the meal was very pleasant, though as I left, I felt just slightly disappointed because I'd been expecting something more exotic-tasting. Perhaps the current troubles with finding an experienced African chef had something to do with it? As I was sitting in the place opposite on Friday night (after 10.30), there seemed to be so many people at Nzingha that they were spilling out onto the street - all dressed up too. It seems this must be a good place to party. May 2006 Nutmeg Grill This is a funky little restaurant just opened in Elgin Street. I spotted it as I wandered past the other evening and couldn't resist going in to give it a try. The entrance to the restaurant proper has been set back from the street a little allowing for a few al fresco tables. I'd just walked up from Central so I took advantage of the air conditioning. Inside the decor was simple but pleasant. Gentle wavy lines hinting of seventies retro that was amply confirmed by the presence of a large butterfly, made out of lights, on the back wall. Bread was delivered with pate and pickles. I thought the pate was a nice touch, to go with it I ordered a glass of Chilean Sauvignon Blanc ($65). Nutmeg doesn't boast a large menu but everything on it was appealing. I ordered Sauteed softshell crabs with sweet onion jam and a white wine butter sauce ($88) for starter. I've always been partial to softshell crab and these were very pleasing indeed. There onions sere sweet but also a ltlle tangy and provided an interesting contrast to the subtle flavour of the crab. This was followed by by pan seared duck breast in port wine with black pepper and forest berry sauce ($168). Again the dish was most enjoyable, the duck was very lean and with a rich tangy sauce. The desert was an off menu item. Cheescake made from a five hundred year old Sicillian recipe. The Chef did tell me the name but I didn't write it down. Probably an old Italian word but it sounded a bit like 'pastitsio'. It really was delicious the cheescake was surprisingly light and wrapped in a soft pastry. I finnished off with a coffee. Nutmeg Grill 37 Elgin Street Central Hong Kong Tel: 25223850. April 2006 Oceanna I didn't ask but I suspect the large wall mounted TV attracts sports fans at the weekend or perhaps karaoke fans. There was some mountain biking on when I was there but this was about seven o'clock on a Wednesday. The cuisine is Italian but it's not what I would call a romantic hole in the wall where you go for a candle lit dinner with someone special. This is a restaurant for evening out with a group of good friends. The food is good and reasonably priced so I had few complaints. Unfortunately the first one was the bread basket. Low on variety and kept warm just a little too long it just seemed a little half hearted. Still, with the help of a liberal amount of olive oil and a glass of Pinot Grigiot, I made the best of it. From there on things got better. For starter I had opted for the Portobello mushroom with mixed vegetable ($70). The vegetables included red peppers and zucchini. The mushroom was plump and firm with a pleasant flavour. It was a simple but pleasing dish. It left me eagerly anticipating the main course. Unfortunately this was a little slow out of the blocks. Not really slow enough to make a fuss about but I was well into my second glass of Pinot Grigiot by the time it arrived. I'd been waiting for the baked crab on codfish ($168) and when it arrived it redeemed itself by being quite delicious. The crab-meat was tasty and the cod tender and succulent. Served with spinach in a cream sauce. By now the restaurant was filling up. Even on a Wednesday it is evidently popular. I scanned the menu for dessert. The waitress told me that the Hot souffle with vanilla sauce ($60) was good but it would take 15-20 minutes to prepare. I'd been expecting that and ordered it anyway. She was right, it was good. I finished off with a coffee. I was a good meal, not spectacular but definitely one to remember after a grueling afternoon shopping. March 2006 Olala This is a small restaurant just off Star Street at the Admiralty end of Wanchai that specialises in French/European styles. It is a very simple unpretentious place with just a few tables. It is spacious, clean and friendly. There is a set menu for $195 which includes starter, main course and dessert, but it still offers a reasonable selection of dishes to choose from. But for a restaurant of this size I was rather surprised at the number of wines that it has to offer. I'm no wine expert but it did seem that some of the other guests were there for the wine rather than the food. I ordered a glass of house red. The waitress did show me the bottle but I was so absorbed in the menu that, I confess, I wasn't paying attention. It was a pleasant fruity wine and I was quite happy with it. For starters I ordered smoked Herring with boiled potato. It was a decent piece of herring thought the potato could perhaps have done with another minute or two cooking. It didn't stop me eating it though. For main course I ordered the lamb stew in white wine sauce. This was served simply with plain boiled rice. It was pleasant enough but apart from some carrot in the stew Itself there were no vegetables. It needed some. Dessert was chocolate mousse washed down with a good hot coffee. Olala is a no-frills restaurant, the food was perfectly edible and at the price point there really isn't much to complain about. But I do feel that a a little more attention to detail would turn a decent little eatery into a little gem. That said if you are looking for a quick, no-fuss, hot dinner that is not burger related than Olala is just the ticket G/F 1 Electric Street Wanchai Tel. 2866 3381. Olive 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 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 at 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). I 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. January 2005 One Fifth Grill Star street and the area nearby, Sun and Moon streets and St. Francis Yard, hold a great deal of potential as an up and coming dining hub. Narrow lanes with no traffic hint of the possibility of al fresco dining. Already there are a few interesting eateries and every time I go back to the area it seems there is a new one. Leading the charge, of course, has been the super trendy 1/5 night club. The restaurant beneath the club has recently evolved from what used to be a Japanese restaurant called Kokage into the sleek and sophisticated European style One Fifth Grill. I took myself along the other evening to give it a try. I nearly missed it, the entrance is right next to 1/5 and I walked by thinking that it was the entrance to the club. I soon realised my mistake and backtracked. I was lead into the restaurant past an interesting aperitif bar and the wine cellar. It was still early but even so reservations are recommended and most tables were already booked. I was lucky a table was available towards the back. The manager apologised for it not being the very best table in the house but, since it was right next to the open kitchen, I did have a grandstand view of the chef going about his culinary art. I couldn't have been happier, indeed it was hard to resist the urge to get up and go have a closer look, or point and say "I want one of those". Fortunately the menu and some delicious, freshly baked baguettes preserved decorum while I wrestled with one of my favourite problems. The tomato gin soup ($78) and grilled asparagus with Portobello mushrooms ($78) were both very appealing but in the end the crab cake crowned with avocado and cod fish fritters deservedly won the day ($138). To go with it I ordered a glass of crisp Craggy Range Sauvignon ($80). Being a grill the menu naturally boasts a wide range of steaks and seafood but if you can't decide there is always the One Fifth Mixed Grill ($338) which consists of oyster beef medallion, Boston lobster, and seared goose liver. It was very tempting but I'd had my heart set on the baked duckling pie with roasted duck breast in truffle sauce ($248). I was not disappointed. The breast was lean and tender while the pie was rich and tasty. Apple lasagne completed a truly wonderful dish. The pie had been quite filling so I decided a respectable pause was required before dessert. I was quite impressed with the choice of music. A female voice singing in either Spanish or Portuguese backed by a jazzy acoustic guitar. At first I fancied that it might be Baddi Assad but I quickly discounted this and asked the waiter. He went off to find out but I must have written the name down incorrectly because I couldn't find any reference on the internet. Whatever it was, it was excellent for digestion and before long I was perusing the menu for dessert. I went for the passion fruit charlotte with roasted pineapple and lime sherbet ($88). This also came with slices of mango and kiwi fruit and was a delightful medley of flavours from the sweet to the sharp end of the of the flavour spectrum. I finished my coffee while listening to the music and watching the chef prepare Boston lobster. Afterwards I walked along the little lanes down a flight of steps and onto Queens Road to find a taxi. One of the awkward things about Lan Kwai Fong and Soho areas is the constant stream of traffic passing through. That wouldn't happen here. November 2005 The Orange Tree If you keep going up the escalator beyond Caine Road there are a few more small restaurants just below Mosque Junction. One of these is The Orange Tree, a small Dutch restaurant that I'd heard good things about. It is, as far as I know, the only Dutch restaurant in Hong Kong so when an old friend of mine arrived in town I decided it was time to give it a try It's a small restaurant the opens on to the pathway by the escalator. If you sit by the entrance you would probably be able to watch heads drifting diagonally by as they make their way home. It was a fairly humid evening so we decided to make full use of the air-con inside. Polished floorboards and wood paneling create a relaxing atmosphere. Dutch themed posters decorate the walls whilst nice comfy chairs encourage you to take your time. The waitresses were friendly and produced the menu and wine list with a cheerful smile. We'd already done some catching up in the Globe on Hollywood Road so I decided to pass on the wine and just had water, my friend couldn't resist the temptation of a bottle of Grolsch beer. These were delivered along with some bread and we turned our attention to the menu. There was a good range of appetizers. My friend ordered the Jamon Crudo ($88), ham with white asparagus while I plumped for the Bitter Ballan ($74). These are deep fried veal dumplings served with dijon mustard. I'd never had these before. The dumplings have a light crispy outside with an almost pureed inside. I'm fussy about mustard, usually preferring a stronger English style but this time the dijon was spot on. I was impressed. The Jamon Crudo was also living up to expectation. I had arrived with an olive and pepper salsa and a dash of salad. The ham, I was informed, was excellent. For the main event we both went for lamb dishes. I had plumped for Oven Roasted Lamb Shanks served with 'Hutspot' which is carrot, potato and onion mash ($168). The lamb itself was wonderfully tender and quite delicious. It fell away from the bone with almost no effort at all. On the other side of the table quite concentration had descended. This was a good sign I decided as it meant that the Lamb Fillets and Eggplant baked in Puff Pastry ($188) were being appreciated as much as the shanks had been. It certainly looked good, I'd almost demanded a swap when they arrived but good manners and decency prevailed. We both agreed the lamb dishes were very good. There were other things on the menu and all of them looked pretty good but I have to admit it was not a large menu. If this restaurant has a weakness it is that the menu is too reliant on the grill. I'm sure the quality would be just as high as the lamb dishes were, but I would like to have seen a little more variety. For dessert I had the Poffertjes which are miniature pancakes served with Vanilla Ice cream (HK$62) and rounded off with a coffee. My friend decided to pass on dessert and and ordered an Irish coffee instead. "I've not had an Irish coffee for ages", he said. "Not a good one, anyway." The he settled back in his chair and enjoyed a very good Irish coffee. Pak Loh Chiu Chow Restaurant Chiu Chow cuisine comes from a small coastal area in the easternmost corner of Guangdong province. Because of its proximity to Hong Kong the styles have overlapped somewhat but there are still enough dishes that are uniquely Chiu Chow to support a whole range of eateries from small corner shops to elegant restaurants. In order to sample a few of these dishes I enlisted the help of renowned artist and jolly good friend Liliane Tsui. Liliane's family came from the Chiu Chow region so it seemed a fair guess that she would know best what to order. She suggested we go to the Pak Loh Chiu Chow Restaurant at the Lee Theatre Plaza in Causeway Bay. The restaurant has traditional-style decor and a pleasant airy feel We were shown to our table and promptly served with tiny cups of Iron Buddha oolong tea and a dish of preserved vegetables. The tea is bitter and strong and is believed to aid digestion. The first item we ordered was sliced soya goose ($70). This is perhaps the best known of all Chiu Chow dishes. The whole goose is first braised in soy, star anise and other spices before being sliced and served with tofu. The meat was succulent and tender with the star anise imparting a mild liquorice flavour. Liliane pointed out that soy intestines and webs (feet) were also available at $60. The next dish to arrive was fried kidney beans with minced pork and preserved olives ($60). Unlike Cantonese cuisine, where the flavours tend to be rather subtle, Chiu Chow flavours are a lot more distinct. In this dish the olives were the dominant force. To accompany it we had ordered rice. This is not the familiar steamed rice, instead the rice is cooked ahead of time, kept overnight and is re-boiled just before serving so the rice is very wet, almost porridge like. Because Chiu Chow is a coastal area seafood is plentiful, with prawns and crab both playing a significant role. One of the best known seafood dishes is oyster omelette. We had already ordered fried pomfret in soy ($80) and so reluctantly decided to save the omelette for another visit. I was able to manage a small bowl of green bean with gingko in sweet soup ($20). Gingko are small white nuts which Liliane assured me are good for my memory. The restaurant does have a menu in English and the staff were attentive and helpful. Reservations for lunch are recommended. 26 July 2004 Pang's Kitchen Pang's Kitchen is tucked down behind Happy Valley Racecourse, on Yik Yam street. We had heard it was run by an ex hotel chef and has been hugely successful in the 2 years since opening. We had booked a table for three at 7pm and were called right on time to let us know that the previous diners were still there and would it be OK to wait. We were appreciative of the service. When we arrived, a table had still not been freed up, so we peeked a look at one of the menus outside, available for takeaway service (the queue did not disappear the whole time we were there) Inside, the restaurant is small - maybe 35 diners at the most, with white walls and dark wood. The staff are congenial and efficient.. The menu seemed mainly standard Cantonese fare, including braised goose feet in oyster sauce, snake soup, deep-fried bean curd or squid. Though we were intrigued by the fish in hotpot with secret sauce, the sweet and sour pork with strawberry and scrambled milk with mixed vegetables, in the end we decided to stick to the tried-and-tested crispy chicken with garlic, oysters with port wine sauce and steamed crab with sticky rice. The dishes arrived quickly. The oysters came first in a steaming clay bowl, fried, with lots of onions. The strong taste of the wine blended well with the onion, to make a delicious sauce for the chewy oysters. If you order it though, you are advised to eat quickly as the congealing cold oysters looked most unappetizing! The crab appeared, in a dim-sum basket, on a bed of sticky rice. The meat was very soft and a lot of the flavour had seeped into the rice. We'd have preferred less taste in the rice and more in the crab. The chicken with garlic, however, was just as it should be - crispy on the outside, tender on the inside. It's obvious this place has made its name by doing the staples very well, and next time we're in Happy Valley it will definitely be on the list of restaurants we will choose from. December 2004 Paul's Kitchen The little NoHo area along Gough Street continues to evolve and it is always interesting to take a walk down there to see what has changed. There is always something different whether it is something closed or something new. This time I was pleased to find something new. Paul's Kitchen has only been open a few weeks and executive chef Paul was there himself to greet me as I pushed open the door. The decor is plain white, no pictures on the walls or any other kind of decoration. But the tables are crisp and elegantly laid out and the lack of ornamentation around the room highlights this. It's a small restaurant and even though it was still early many of the tables were already occupied. And although there were staff available Paul himself came over to explain the menu to me. The format is that of the set dinner, three courses all for HK$250. There is a choice of three starters, three mains and three desserts. Though these do change every week. This week the options for starter were a pumpkin soup, mango and salsa salad, and peach with Mozzarella and prosciutto salad. I plumped for the latter which came with fresh crisp lettuce and aragula leaves. For the main course I'd already vetoed the steak. That left a choice between pan fried sea-bass, "a little crispy on the outside, tender and succulent inside" said Paul. "Yes, I'll have that please", I said. "Or whole roasted spring chicken with roast potatoes and carrots, a very popular dish indeed", continued Paul. "I'll have that too", I said. Usually I would have gone for the fish. Not because I dislike chicken in any way, I'm just a bit lazy when it comes to picking the bones. But this time I let myself be persuaded and went for the chicken. I wasn't disappointed, in fact I became so engrossed in scavenging for last morsels of chicken that I let the potatoes go cold. But they were still good, even cold. Dessert was bread and butter pudding. Mum used to make this when we were kids so for me there really wasn't any other choice. These are baked in individual dishes rather than a huge pot like the one mum used to use so the bread is cut in to rather more elegant triangles. It tasted pretty good though. The only thing lacking, in my opinion, was a spot of custard. By now the restaurant was full and all the staff were very busy. I ordered a coffee and then called for the bill. Despite being obviously busy Paul still found time to come out, thank me for coming and hope he'd see me again soon. I assured him he would. I still had some unfinished business with a sea-bass. Paul's Kitchen 24 Gough Street Central Tel 2815 8003 Pawn There is a group of four delightful old shophouses on Johnston Road just opposite the Southorn Playground. I must admit I thought there were due to meet the wreckers ball along with Wedding Card Street so I was pleasantly surprised, when I passed by a couple of months ago, to see that they were being renovated. I didn't give them much more thought until I passed by again the other evening. Renovations were obviously complete and there were lights and people moving about on the first floor. I had no idea what was there. I knew what I thought should be in a building like that and something in the way those people were moving made me think of waiters. The ground floor shops were still vacant and there was nothing outside to give the game away so I located the narrow staircase and up I went. To my left at the top was an old fusball table and beyond that was an impressively stocked bar. The floor is divided into sections and joined by arches. Modern light fittings are augmented by solo bulbs dangling from wires. Furnishing is simple but pleasing and there is a balcony that overlooks Johnston Road. It is a very pleasing atmosphere. The building itself dates back to 1888 and was formerly occupied by the Woo Cheong Pawn Shop. The staff made me feel very welcome and found me a table on the balcony. They are not fully operative yet. So far only the bar on the first floor is functional. By mid-April a restaurant occupying the second floor and the rooftop will be open. But the bar menu does include a selection of pub grub items and an good range of beers. On draught there is Spitfire and Master Brew from England's Shepherd Neame Brewery, Marsden's Pedigree and Budejovicky Budvar from the Czech Republic as well as some more familiar names. There are also bottled beers from UK, US, Australia and Belgium. I ordered myself a pint of Marsden's ($60) and a plate of sausage and mash with peas and onion gravy ($88). The sausages were thick and tasty with herbs, the potato was smooth and creamy. I wolfed it all down in no time and then leaned back in my chair to enjoy the beer. The new occupants have done a good job. They have preserved the buildings dignity whilst putting it to a new use. There are old-style pubs all over Asia most of them are very nice indeed. But no matter how talented an interior designer is, they can never create the the atmosphere of building that really is old. Watch this space, I shall be back when the restaurant opens. The Pawn 62 Johnston Road Wanchai Tel. 2866 3444 Petit Pomerol I love it when I find restaurants in unexpected places, especially when they are good ones. I'd been poking my nose around the computer mall in Windsor House and, having failed to find what I wanted, deemed it necessary to go to Wanchai. The tram was the obvious mode of transport but rather than elbow through the throng of early evening shoppers I decided to head out the other side and pick up the tram opposite Victoria Park. A little footbridge crosses Tung Lo Wan Road and leads onto Shelter Street which runs down the side of the Rosedale on the Park Hotel. Tucked away down this tiny road, opposite the hotel, I found Petit Pomerol. I suddenly came over all hungry and the menu looked promising. I decided the computer mall could wait and ducked inside. The waiter informed me that they were fully booked but there was a small table in the middle if I didn't mind. I didn't, besides few of the other guests had arrived by that time. Pomerol is one of the smaller appellations of the Bordeaux wine growing region in south west France. The restaurants wine list celebrates the region admirably and goes on to celebrate every other region in France and just about any other wine producing region in the world. For a comparatively small restaurant it is a truly impressive wine list. I was alone and keen to stay sober so I had to limit myself to a glass of Sancerre Guy Saget Sauvignon ($65). Almost everything on the menu looked tempting and, as usual, it took me a long time to make my mind up. I finally decided on the Beef Carpaccio with White Truffle Oil ($95) for starters and Coq au vin ($188) to follow. While the waiter went off to deliver my order I took in my surroundings. It has a reasonable floor space but there are probably no more than a dozen or so tables with big, comfortable chairs. A private room called The Chefs Table seats up to 12. The decor is simple but elegant suggesting a late fifties or early sixties feel and the music, French singers from a similar period, added to the atmosphere. The beef carpaccio arrived. Paper thin slices of beef that, almost melt in the mouth, delicately arranged around a small forest of springy arugula leaves and topped with shavings of parmesan cheese. It was really quite delicious. Coq au Vin is a time honoured classic. A simple dish which has been enjoyed by millions of people over the years but is all too rare on menus these days. It is essentially a large, meaty chicken stewed in a fruity red wine with garlic, mushrooms and chunks of smoked bacon. This one remained faithful to the classic recipe and didn't disappoint. For dessert I went for the Dark Chocolate tart and bombinette with Belgian chocolate chip ice cream ($75). I'd also rather fancied the cheese platter ($98) but I had a suspicion it was going to be more than I could eat so I decided to save it for next time. I finished off with a coffee. I still hadn't got what I wanted from the computer shop but it no longer seemed to matter. Not today any way. January 2006 Pho 26 Vietnamese noodle shops are hugely popular at the moment – it seems there is a new one popping up every other day. I'm not sure how new Pho 26 actually is, it's not a area I frequent too often, but it is extremely popular. I first noticed it a few weeks ago but that time there was a queue already out of the door. The same thing happened on my second attempt a week later so by that time I was really curious. That part of Queens Road isn't exactly the life and soul of party-land so there had to be something that was drawing the crowds. So next time I got there around 6.30pm. There were already plenty of customers but tables were still available. I found one towards the back. The decor is purely functional as one would expect though the green that is beloved of Vietnamese restaurants is in evidence. The menu too is simple and functional consisting mainly of a variety of noodle dishes and a range of smaller side orders. Top of the range of noodle dishes is the Top Choice Kobe beef Pho. It was an intriguing option and I'm sure it would have been delicious but at $138 I felt was perhaps a bit too luxurious. Each to their own of course, but for me a bowl of noodles shouldn't require such deep pockets. And indeed nothing else on the menu does. The next most expensive option regular Kobe Beef Pho ($49) so I decided to give that one a try. To go with it I ordered a side of pork and lemongrass paper rolls ($38). These are the popular Vietnamese style cold spring rolls. There were some other items on the menu I would have liked to try, such as the black pepper steak cubes ($50) but I could already see the size of the noodles servings and knew it would be overdoing things. The two dishes both arrived with impressive speed and as I had already expected the noodles were a huge serving with a generous amount of beef that was gradually cooking in the piping hot soup base. What I hadn't been expecting were the two large slices of turnip that accompanied what was otherwise classic bowl of beef pho. But it was an inspired addition and I enjoyed the combination very much. The menu also includes a variety of breakfast sets for around $25 and snacks that include everything from chicken wings to peanut butter and condensed milk on toast. There are no desserts on the menu but the drinks can double as a sweet course. I had and iced ocean coconut milk ($17). I'm not sure where the ocean part comes into it but it was thick and sweet and laced with chunks of nata de coco. The straw it came with was very wide and cannon like. Presumably to allow solid matter to be drawn in but if you've never used one before you need to approach it with caution or will end up with coconut milk down your front. I speak from experience. Pho 26 Queens Road Sheung Wan Phoenix I was sitting at a large wooden table. The rain had stopped now and I was starting to feel better. Half an hour previously I'd been beating a path through a thicket of people and umbrellas in Tsim Sha Tsui, wet, miserable and above all, hungry.. Phoenix, half way up the mid-levels escalator seemed like another world, an oasis of calm. The wine was chilled and so was the music. Something by Harold Budd and or Brian Eno I suspect but I couldn't be sure. Outside heads, sometimes with shoulders sometimes without, slid quietly past leading hidden bodies up the escalator. Inside a couple chatted quietly, around the corner from me and out of sight. I turned my attention to the Veal Terrine with Quince Chutney and Toast ($55) that had just been delivered. Quince are apple shaped fruit said to be the golden apples of Virgil in Greek mythology. They are not very common but they do seem to make excellent chutney. Not too sweet, they combined well with the terrine and the pickles that were served with it. Needless to say I made short work of it. It had been a difficult choice, the menu at Phoenix is not large but each and every dish is tempting. The cuisine is essentially British but draws unashamedly on both European and Asian styles. It's a small intimate restaurant. The decor is simple but tasteful. Wood is very much in evidence. The top of the bar is made from a huge log, there are polished boards on the floor and pastel green painted panelling around the lower half of the walls. There was also a faint smell of rattan on the air. Altogether it reminded me of another time and place and while I still can't put my finger on what time and place (I suspect it is a clever combination of times and places) it is very pleasing indeed. The main course was a huge piece of Char Grilled Salmon served in lemon butter sauce with thyme roast potatoes ($160). It was deliciously fresh. Done well, the char grilling seals the fish and keeps all the moisture and flavour inside. This was done perfectly. It was served with a selection of fresh garden vegetables; broccoli, carrots and peas. After a respectable pause, and another glass of wine, I finally made my mind up about dessert. It had been a three way contest. The also rans were Lemon tart with hazelnut Ice cream and Rhubarb Crumble and Custard. I eventually chose was date pudding with butterscotch sauce ($55). The sponge was light and fluffy the sauce rich and sweet, I wanted seconds. I didn't have seconds though. In the final analysis I didn't know where I would have put it, instead I took my time over coffee. Pho Saigon I'd stopped here for a bowl of noodles a few times and I'd been impressed with how good they were. But I don't like to eat big lunches, a bowl of Beef Pho ($34) is plenty, so I wandered back in the evening time to try a few of the other things on the menu. It's quite a new restaurant but already it does well for itself during the lunch time rush. In the evenings it closes at eight 'clock but does have plans to stay open later in the near future. I went along about seven and had the the place almost to myself. I was told that the reason the noodles are so good is because the soup is made the old fashioned way, by boiling the bones for 24 hours, rather than from prepared stock as is more common. Another excellent noodle dish I'd tried was the prawn and crab roe with a tomato based soup ($34) but this time I wanted to try a few of the other things. Many of them were already familiar some other a littler more intriguing. The sweet potato and chicken curry ($38), which can be served with either rice or baguette, was very tempting indeed. But another dish had caught my eye and I was keen to try them. These, according to the menu, were boneless chicken wings ($35). Since a chicken wing is mostly bone anyway I simply had to find out. They were a delightful surprise. They don't look much like wings, they are considerably bigger, much bigger than I was expecting. This is because they have been stuffed with lemon leaves minced vegetables and vermicelli. I was offered two dipping sauces, one popular in the North of Vietnam, the other popular in the south. They were both good but I think if I could only choose one I would plump for the one from the north. To accompany the wings I had some spring rolls, both the fried and the 'summer' style cold spring rolls which were stuffed with tiger prawn. Another familiar item was sugar can prawn sticks ($40) and rounding things off I had some thin slices of barbecue pork cheek. By the time I'd wolfed all that down I was too full for dessert but there is a wide range of coconut milk based drinks. I'd ordered one with jackfruit so I finished off with that. Pho Saigon is a little noodle shop with a big heart, the food is good and it is great value for money. Who can ask for more? Pho Saigon G/F 27 Hoi Wan Street, Quarry bay Tel. 2833 6362 The Pickled Pelican I'm not sure if there are any pelicans in England, if there are there can't be many. Nevertheless, the Pickled Pelican is an English style pub. Two of them in fact. The one we went to was on Wyndham Street. It does a fairly decent job of looking English, the bar area is certainly inviting and appears to be quite popular despite being very new. The only thing lacking is a yard of ale glass hanging invitingly from the ceiling above the bar. The dining area, with it's comfy, leather upholstered, chairs and sofas struck me as being a little more club like. Maybe not the best for eating at but great for lolling back on, watching the sport on TV and enjoying a fine English ale. And the Pickled Pelican does indeed have some fine English ales. Some of the country's most popular traditional brews are represented; Amongst others there are Abbot's Green King from Suffolk, Ruddles County from Rutland and Old Speckled hen from Oxfordshire. Cider is represented by Henry Weston's Vintage Reserve from Hereford and there are Tetley's, Guinness and Strongbow Cider on draught. In addition to the beers there is also an impressive range of malt whiskies. Thirty-three in all - detailed on their own special menu to suit all palates and pockets. I ordered an Abbot's, my companion - in this case my 19-year old son - a pint of Strongbow cider and we turned our attention to the menu. The food is typical pub fare, bangers and mash with onion sauce, fish and chips and shepherds pie are all there. And there is also an all day breakfast. My son wasn't interested in a starter but discovered that he liked my paprika dusted whitebait ($68) so much that he ate almost half of it. Luckily it was a fairly generous serving so I didn't mind though I nearly used it as an excuse to order some deep fried camembert ($68). For main course my son ordered smoked salmon on Welsh rarebit ($142). "Do you know what Welsh Rarebit is?" I asked. It certainly looked a nice piece of salmon but try as I might I couldn't see the Welsh rarebit. "It's cheese mashed potato", I was informed. "Is it good?" I asked. I received a hearty nod of approval so I decided that was the most important thing. I ordered the fish and chips with tartar sauce ($105) and was delighted to find that a little cruet of vinegar was provided without me having to ask. There are only two desserts on the menu Lemon Meringue Pie and Rhubarb Crumble (both $55). I had the rhubarb. It's one of those dishes that will always be measured against how mum used to make it. And, of course, it will never be as good as that. But it was still very good. Served with with vanilla sauce and garnished with a strawberry. My son despatched the Lemon meringue pie with the same enthusiasm with which he polished off his main course so I concluded all was well. The are two branches of Pickled Pelican Pickled Pelican Central 43 Wyndham Street Central Tel: 2868 6026 Pickled Pelican Stanley 90 Stanley Main Street, Stanley Tel: 2813 4313 Pizza Milano The locals will tell you that Pizza Milano, tucked round the back of Yung Shue Wan Main Street sells the best pizza in Hong Kong. It's a relaxed, open-fronted place with only about six tables from which to watch the world pass on its way to the beach. The owner learned his trade in Italy and Canada, so the 12 choices of pizza are authentically thin-based, with all the usual toppings including real mozzarella with Italian sausage, anchovies, olives, artichokes and smoked salmon. Also on the menu are lasagna, salads and calzone (if that's new to you, imagine a pizza base rolled up around the ingredients!), and if you're still hungry, perhaps a tiramisu for dessert. Prices are reasonable (from $50 for a small, four-slice pizza, to $140 for the huge ones), and with beer on draught or Italian bottled beer and wine, it's a great place to while away a Sunday afternoon. But the best-kept secret about this place is that you don't even have to go to Lamma to try it, as they have a large branch in Central, above the Dublin Jack (9/F 37 Cochrane Street - entrance round the corner), with a roof terrace. 10 March 2004 Poppy's Restaurant and Wine Bar Recreating an Edwardian conservatory in Tin Hau was always going to be a bit tricky but I must admit the interior designers of Poppy have done a reasonable job. When you step inside there is a welcome sense of peace, the traffic rattling along Electric Road recedes into the distance and one can almost hear birds chirping. Almost. What one actually does hear is the distant warble of boy bands, the only blot on an otherwise pleasing ambience. Though I have a sneaking suspicion I was the only one who cared. Glancing around I couldn't help thinking of the book "The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady" and it wasn't lost on me that all of the other customers were indeed ladies. The ochre and cream striped walls behind wooden topped tables, lace curtains, mirrors, ceramic picture frames and abundance of plants do lend the place a very feminine touch. There is an a la carte menu but they also offer half a dozen set dinner options which include the soup of the day, a main and a dessert. The soup of the day was seafood. I had to think about this for a while because I had set my heart on the pan-fried talbot with wasabi sauce ($148) and wasn't sure if I wanted two seafood dishes. In the end I decided to go for it but I would punctuate them with a portion of baked potato skins ($39). The soup was predictable but pleasant. It had a generous amount of seafood swimming about in it, which I approve of. The potato skins were served simply, which I also approve of. All too often potato skins get over dressed but these just had melted cheddar cheese and a sprinkle of bacon bits. The talbot was served on a bed of creamed potato with asparagus tips. I was just a tad disappointed with the wasabi sauce, to me it seemed a little too mayonnaisey. Wasabi has a very distinctive flavour and whilst obviously I wouldn't have wanted it sushi-style I would have liked it to have a little more bite. Dessert was pancake with ice cream and I believe the correct adjective is wicked. The pancake was wrapped around a deceptively large scoop of ice cream with a dollop of whipped cream at either end. Four slices of banana add shape to the corners and the whole thing is drizzled with chocolate sauce. Mmmmm - wicked indeed. Poppy's Restaurant and Wine Bar G/F 1A Tsing Fung Street Hong Kong Tel 2887 2826 Qing I never really do much at lunch times, largely because I never have the time to sit back and enjoy it. I treated myself to a lazy day the other day so when an old friend suggested lunch I jumped at the opportunity. Qing is a fairly new restaurant on Mee Lun Street, thats the flight of steps that goes down from Hollywood Road, just to the west of Aberdeen Street, to Gough Street. It was a pleasant, balmy afternoon so we sat outside and all was surprisingly tranquil. They was a set lunch menu that offers a number of interesting choices for $78 but the range of Asian tapas on the a la carte menu looked so good we opted for four of those and a couple of glasses of a crisp house white. Three of the tapas dishes arrived at the same time. Bo La Lot ($63) were half a dozen grilled beef rolls wrapped in a la-lot leaf. La-lot is a pepper leaf that is often used as a meat wrapper in Vietnamese cuisine. Scallop and prawn with lime wonton ($75) came with a delicious mango salsa and Salmon with kimchi cream cheese blinis ($58). The salmon was very nice but not nearly as spicy as we were expecting. Arriving a few minutes later were the roast duck and spring onion rolls ($58). These were the Vietnamese style cold spring rolls and were generously stuffed with roast duck and crisp fresh veggies and were served with a lemon hoisin dip. All of the tapas were nice but we both felt the beef was rather special. The salmon was not short of flavour, and was indeed very enjoyable, but it didn't have the distinctive kimchi kick we were expecting. For main course my friend ordered the Potato crusted sole in a ginger and butter sauce ($120) whilst I had Orange spiced lamb shank with spring onion mashed potato ($145). Both were were served with mixed vegetables. Silence descended while we focused our attention. The lamb was delicious and tender with just a hint of sweetness. It fell away from the bone with almost no effort. Murmurs of contentment from the other side of the table, told me that all was well with the sole. It had certainly looked good. Indeed all the dishes had been presented well. My friend was too full to consider dessert but I lingered over a green tea and lime creme brulee ($35). Qing also have branches in Ho Chi Minh and Hua Hin and the chefs rotate between the three. The Hong Kong branch is still quite new and the manager tells us they are still refining the menu. So far we think they are doing a very good job. The Quarterdeck Club A word of advice for anyone planning to go to the Quarterdeck Club ... If you're not driving, take a taxi. It is possible to navigate your way in on foot but it helps if you are familiar with the footbridges in the vicinity. I wasn't and as a result ended up in quite the wrong place. Finally I had to risk life and limb in a mad dash across Fenwick Pier Street during the early evening rush hour. But what is so special that one would want to go to all that effort to get there? Well, believe it or not, it is the only place on the island where you can dine, al fresco, next to Hong Kong's spectacular harbour. Unfortunately, when I got there the best tables were already occupied but I have to admit I was secretly pleased. After my adventures with the footbridges and the lunge across the road I was more than happy with a spot of air conditioning and a cold beer. As you might expect The Quarterdeck has a maritime feel to it, lots of polished wood, blue and white linen and a long and inviting bar at the back. The staff were friendly and efficient. My waitress informed that the Fruit de Mer Platter, a selection of seasonally fresh seafood, was really for two people and I would never be able to eat one all to myself. I thought about ordering one anyway but in the end I wimped out and decided to save it for another time. Instead I sent the waitress off for a starter of calamari and continued studying the menu. Not surprisingly there is a lot of seafood on the menu but it was also very varied. Steaks, pasta, pizza and burgers were all in evidence. I had been tempted by both the lobster and the tiger prawns but in the end I just couldn't resist good old fish and chips. In this case the fish was several generous pieces of sole deep fried in a light batter, it was succulent and tasty. The chips were chunky and they tasted of potatoes, which is rare in this day and age. Simple but very satisfying. here is a Chocolate Platter on the menu but I just new that my waitress would say it was too much for one person. And she would have been right. Instead I went for the Mars Bar Cheesecake, a caramel flavoured cheesecake with a rich chocolate sauce on top. Yummy but only for those with a very sweet tooth. April 2005 Ramas Green That little area around The Sanlitun on Harbour Road seems to be in a constant state of change. There are a few restaurants there that have kept abreast of the changes but there are always new ones to check out. Ramas Greens isn't exactly a new restaurant but It has recently moved there from its former home in Times Square. It's on the corner overlooking Gloucester Road with the neon of the road on one side, and a large video monitor presenting a svelte blue-eyed blonde surrounded by a troupe of he-men performing a vigorous dance routine on the other. I was feeling all young and funky so I shimmied in and took a seat. It wasn't busy. This is the kind of restaurant that probably does its best business quite late I presume. Never-the-less the staff were prompt and friendly. Most of the tables are al fresco. I asked the waitress if she was looking forward to typhoon season. She wrinkled her nose and thought about it momentarily. Then she told me that tonight was nice because there was a breeze but yesterday it was so hot and humid and no breeze. It seemed she would rather not think about typhoon season. I sent her off for a glass Chardonnay and looked at the list of starters. The restaurant targets a younger clientele and this is reflected in the menu which comprises mainly of seafood, steaks and pasta. The starters were all quite familiar dishes. The list was augmented with a range of sushi and sashimi options. I'd already had sashimi at lunch so I gave that a miss and opted for the French onion soup ($58). To follow I ordered pan-grilled Scottish Salmon ($148). There was however, something missing. I looked over at the waitress beseechingly. Obviously my talk of typhoons had momentarily clouded her thoughts but then the penny dropped and she scurried off to fetch the bread. The soup was piping hot and a little sweeter than I was expecting though not unpleasantly so. A large cheese crouton made rather more filling than I had anticipated but all in all it was very enjoyable. By the time I had finished the soup the blue-eyed blond on the TV had been replaced by someone with, presumably, brown eyes and an altogether duskier complexion but the music and the dancing was pretty much the same. I decided it didn't matter all that much as I could see my salmon making it's way over to me. A generous portion it was too. Simply prepared and presented on a bed of creamed potato with cherry tomatoes and a little lettuce. A second glass of Chardonay also arrived, I hadn't realised that there was a happy hour and this included two drinks for the price of one. I was about to order another one anyway so that was a peasant little surprise which somehow made the salmon taste even better. The dessert menu contained all the usual suspects, cheese cake, fruit platters, tiramisu. The waitress was keen to recommend the chocolate pudding. "It's with ice cream and strawberries" she said, conspiratorially. I pointed out that it would take twenty minutes to prepare. "Fifteen", she bargained. I was sold. I finished off with a coffee and made my way down the taxi stand at the Sun Hung Kai Centre. It was then that I discovered that the Typhoon Signal 1 had been hoisted. The Red Pepper Restaurant A big green and red neon sign outside directs you to the Red Pepper, a traditional Sichuan restaurant, and an old-fashioned intricate red & gold dragon design on the ceiling was the main feature inside. It was full on a Wednesday night, but the service was still attentive without being intrusive, and helpful. The house white wine is a Baron Rothschild Sauvignon Blanc, and as there were ten people at our table, a considerable amount of Tsingtao made its way to us as well. After realising we were being charged for the nibbles that were placed on the table, we got stuck into the menu. The spicy sizzling prawns ($220) were recommended as an essential - and they were very spicy and very good, and accompanied by Sichuan-style eggplant. We took a break from Sichuan food after the prawns, with a whole roasted Peking duck ($450), which was used both for the usual pancakes, and fried with cashew nuts. Then back into spicy territory with a large garoupa cooked in a creamy-textured chilli sauce, and dry-fried beans with minced pork. Accompaniments were onion cakes, fried brocolli and crispy rice. For what amounted to a banquet for 10 people the bill came to $3480, though we were surprised to note that $152 of that was for the pots of tea which had come throughout the meal. Reservations are recommended (Tel 2577 3811). 15 April 2004 Refectory If English isn't your native language you may well be thinking, "well that's an odd name for a restaurant." But really a refectory is just a room where communal meals are taken. It comes from the Latin "reficere", to refresh or make new. You'll often find refectories on college campuses all over Britain, there was one at mine. It was staffed by a sweet little old lady who would sometimes, when the manager wasn't looking, sneak an extra sausage underneath a mountain of beans and chips because she thought I needed "feeding-up a bit". "Make sure you eat it all up" she'd say "and for afters I've got some rhubarb crumble and custard." Hong Kong's own refectory is on Graham Street and is not at all like that. Indeed it is a very nice restaurant and is dedicated to celebrating the very best in British cuisine. And before you start snickering, Britain does have some very fine cuisine it is just that the best of it is produced up and down the country every Sunday in the kitchens of the nations mums. The other evening three of us trundled along to Graham Street in search of a taste of that far off exotic land that we call home. We got there a little after seven, still quite early so it wasn't too busy. It's a cosy little restaurant and we felt at home immediately. So much so that my two companions decided to have a little discussion about whether the air-con was too hot or too cold but they soon forgot about it when the menus were produced. There were, after all, more important things to discuss. An agreement on the wine was reached very quickly. We opted for a bottle of Pinot Noir from the Sherwood Estate in New Zealand. I'd already decided what I wanted for starter. It usually takes me longer than everyone else to make such difficult decisions but Spicy Smoked Haddock in Saffron Soup ($80) sounded just too good to miss. It was too. I'd wolfed it down long before my companions had finished their starters and was seriously considering seconds. My friends had ordered Mussels in white wine sauce ($80) and Scallops with beans and radish ($80) and there were nods of approval from both quarters. For the main course one of my friends opted for the fish and chips ($190). I was apprehensive but I'm a snob about fish and chips, particularly the chips. I will, of course, agree that it is possible to make good fish and chips without all the specialised cooking equipment that traditional fish and chip shops in Britain have. But all too often it's the chips that suffer. For me a good chip is crisp on the outside and should have potato on the inside. It should be served piping hot with a sprinkle of salt and vinegar to taste. Although the fish was well received, I could see that the chips didn't meet my stringent standards. They were, however, the only weak point in an otherwise excellent meal. The other companion had the Seared Cured Salmon served with bacon and leek mashed potato ($190). This too was well received. I was allowed a small taste of the salmon but I was warned that any attempt to snare a morsel of bacon and leek or mashed potato would earn me a fork in the back of the hand. For myself I ordered the 'Rack on Black'. Roast rack of lamb stuffed with that most northern of delicacies, black pudding. The lamb was tender and tasty, the black pudding, home made, was just delicious. Served with roast potatoes, spinach leaves and a dollop of mint sauce. This for me was Sunday lunch on a Tuesday evening. For desserts we ordered sticky toffee pudding ($65), Bread and Butter Pudding ($60), an apple and rhubarb crumble and for good measure a classic Bakewell tart. They were no complaints. For those that love trivia the Bakewell tart was born out of a misunderstanding between the mistress of the White Horse Pub, in the town of Bakewell, Derbyshire, and her cook. A hundred and fifty years on it is still one of Britain's best loved desserts. We rounded the meal off with coffee and fond memories. Rico's Spanish Restaurant and Bar The main entrance to Rico's is on Elgin Street where a lift will take you up to the 1st floor but if you come bounding down the steps underneath the escalator, as I did, a huge yellow sign illuminates a small alley where there is a back entrance that brings you in by the kitchen, already at dining room level. But how you get in is not really important one inside the atmosphere is friendly and cosy though I must admit it took a few moments for me to realize that the brown patches on the wall and ceiling were meant to represent the hide of a cow. It was still early on a midweek evening and already the restaurant was quite full. Always a good sign. I'd already decided that I wanted paella before I even saw the menu, one was just being delivered to a table as I arrived and I'd made up my mind on the spot. There is however a choice of 40 or so tapas and I decided I'd try a couple for starters. Grilled sardines ($48) sounded tempting as did the fresh tuna grilled on a skewer ($68). In the end I settled on croqueta de chorizo ($58), tasty chorizo croquettes with soft cheese and bechamel, followed by calamari a la gallega ($55). Squid deep fried seasoned with salt and black pepper. And to accompany them I ordered a glass of house white. Both portions were very generous. The squid, which was firm but not tough, was fried in a light crispy batter while the croquettes were rich and creamy. Paella is traditionally a dish from Valencia that became popular all over Spain with each region adding to it their own variations. In the coastal areas it is made with seafood and it is these variations that are perhaps the most popular. The original Valencian paellas, however, was made with rabbit. They were also cooked outdoors over a wood fire. Obviously it is not possible to build a wood fire in a small alley off Caine Road but it is a detail that is easy to forgive. The menu offers several options, amongst them Rico's Paella is made with chicken, chorizo and seafood and Paella a la Cazadora, with chicken, ham and chorizo. I plumped for a Paella a la Marinera ($220) which, as the name suggests, is a seafood variation. In included Prawn, mussels, crab, fish and squid along with red and green peppers and peas. Traditionally paellas were designed for sharing and this one was no exception. It was huge. Easily enough for two people but with the tapas included I'd probably ordered enough food to feed three hungry people. I gave it my best shot but I was determined to save room for desert. Two items on the desert menu caught my eye, pears roasted with ginger and caramel sauce ($50) and baked orange caramel custard with Grand Marnier ($45). I chose the latter and ordered a coffee at the same time. February 2005 Robatayaki Robatayaki is Japanese style barbecue. The guests sit in a semi-circle or kind of horseshoe shape around the chef who cooks everything over charcoal while you watch. The waiters main job is to collect your orders and deliver drinks, sushi and sashimi. We ordered a Sapporo beer each while we considered the menu. There is a good range of options. Plenty of seafood as you might imagine plus chicken and kobe beef and plenty of crisp fresh vegetables. At $900 we decided to pass up the Kobe beef. It did look good but we wanted to try a few things without busting the budget. The first thing we ordered was the okra ($55). I've never really understood why okra got the nickname 'ladies fingers', it doesn't look a bit like any-ones fingers. But whatever you call it this is by far the best way to serve it as it keeps in check the vegetables natural tendency to turn gooey. By this time we had finished the beer and I had spotted some 'super dry' saki in the menu. Unfortunately I didn't catch the name for it in English but I'm a sucker for a dry chilled saki. My companion warmed to my enthusiasm and ordered a big bottle ($349). By this time the black mushrooms ($60) gad been delivered. The chef actually sits some distance away on the other side of the charcoal. The food is delivered by way of a large paddle, rather like a rowing boat oar. The chef was getting into the swing of it by now and we had hardly stopped singing the praises of the mackerel ($95) when the Alaskan crab legs ($280) were delivered. The mackerel was the only dish to have a light soy sauce to accompany it. For all the others the only condiment was a squeeze of lemon. This was perfectly adequate as it allows the natural flavours of the food to come through unhindered. Next up came the spicy fish roe ($90), and garlic ($45) and lastly grilled onigiri (rice balls). Robatayaki is simplicity itself and is a joy to eat. For dessert my companion had a coconut ice cream and I a tangerine sorbet ($60 each). We both felt they rounded off the meal perfectly. The ice cream was served in a half coconut shell and the sorbet was served in a hollowed out tangerine skin and served on a bed of crushed ice. The bill at the end came to a little over $1,300 which we decided was quite reasonable. Of course if you fancy the live lobster or the Kobe beef you'll need to budget for considerably more than that. Harbour Plaza Hong Kong Hotel 20 Tak Fung Street Whampoa Garden Kowloon Rosa Spanish Restaurant and Bar By Ken Barrett Knutsford Terrace is packing them in at the Nathan Road end, but if you walk past these restaurants, enticing though they appear and persuasive though the greeters are for you to go inside, you will reach the end of the terrace that is still partially under development. Although there are a number of outlets nudging up against the Observatory Road wall, it's a lot quieter here. There is one narrow building that does a Ginza, in that it stacks a number of small restaurants one on top of the other and you read the signboard to see what style you fancy. Then you hop into the tiny glass-sided lift and go up to your required floor, where the lift doors open on the other side and you pop out directly into your restaurant. The décor of Rosa Spanish Restaurant and Bar is warm, with red-and-white check tablecloths (yes! – but it works), stained glass panels, a bar, and even a tiny floor area for what must be very intimate dancing. The open windows give you a nice view into the street. The place, which is owned by multi-outlet MHI, originally opened a few months back as an American diner but it quickly shifted gear, changed its name and now serves Spanish cuisine. Tapas, of course, open the menu. You could probably dine very comfortably off the tapas selection. There are about 20 on offer, and the portions are handsome. We went for the sardines ($32), hot, fresh, boneless, and dusted with paprika, and they went perfectly with the bottles of Sol we had chosen. As did the other two tapas dishes, a stew of sirloin cubes and green tomatoes ($38), and some nicely textured sea snails poached in wine with onion and tomatoes ($36). We also liked the look of the tomato bread listing, in which country-style bread has been rubbed with tomato and then toasted and had a few drops of cold-pressed olive oil scattered over it. There are a number of toppings, such as sardine, jamon serrano, and blood sausage, ranging from $26 to $42. We opted for fresh anchovies with pimento ($26), and crunched our way happily through an explosion of flavours. There are a number of paellas available. Now, we know this is a dish with a great tradition behind it, Spanish national dish, every mother and every chef has their own recipe and so on, but for some reason and without wishing to appear ungracious we get bored witless at the very idea of a paella. Admittedly, there were a couple that really caught the eye: chicken and rabbit paella (regular $168, large $298), and seafood paella with king prawns, sea snails and squid ink ($198, $308), but not enough for us to order one. We also passed on the fajita listing, each of the choices being priced at $138, although we were very tempted by the ox tongue. Instead, we went to the main courses, which are designed for sharing. We ordered a dish of oxtail ($118, $188), cooked in red wine with carrots, leek and whole garlic, and found the rich, meaty cuts to be very satisfying indeed. So much so that by the time the second main course arrived, again as a shared dish, we had almost eaten ourselves to a standstill. This was roasted suckling pig ($138) marinated in honey and red wine vinegar, and the standard serving was so large it almost overflowed the plate. Rosa has a small number of Spanish wines available, red and white, all reasonably priced, but we stayed with the Sol beer: it actually matched everything very well. Service was young and enthusiastic. Very enthusiastic. But our server had an attentive audience, and his advice over the dishes was appreciated. This is a friendly place 3/F No 8 Observatory Court Tsim Sha Tsui Kowloon Reservations 2316 2818 Ruth's Chris Steak House Yes, it is a curious name and I couldn't help but ask how the restaurant came by it. The staff were more than happy to explain. The entrepreneurial spirit of Ruth Fertel was looking for a new challenge. She found it in Chris Steak House which had been advertised for sale in a local newspaper. One of the conditions of the sale was that it had to retain the name Chris Steak House. Obviously the clause didn't say she couldn't add her own name to the front. Today there are Ruth's Chris Steak Houses all over the US plus two in Hong Kong and three more in Taiwan. We were at the Lippo Centre branch in Admiralty. It is an elegant restaurant with much wood panelling that whispers of business deals that have been negotiated or celebrated. Not what I would call a romantic restaurant, though that's just a personal view. There was at least one cosy little candle lit alcove. There were also private rooms for groups of about 12, a main dining area with tables of various sizes and the area where we were where the tables were all for two or four people. My guest agreed, this would be the perfect spot for sealing the deal. "I know what I want already" said my guest. I'd been too busy talking and hadn't even looked at the menu. She'd plumped for the Filet ($390), I can't get through a menu that fast. I have to read the whole thing from cover to cover before I can even begin the decision making process. Needless to say by the time I'd read through it my guest had discovered something else and was torn between the two. The something else she had discovered was, in fact, the Ahi Tuna Steak ($280). Seared rare tuna topped with a dollop of crab meat and red pepper. I did think, momentarily, about suggesting that we share the enormous Porterhouse ($1050) but then I thought again about that tuna. I love tuna and, I have to confess, sometimes it is a struggle to avoid the tuna dishes on a menu and try other things. This time I failed. "How about you have the steak, I'll order the tuna and then we can share" I suggested. Another deal was done and for good measure we also ordered a shrimp cocktail ($110) to share. The shrimps were firm, fresh and tasty and came with a spicy tomato based sauce. The sauce was OK and worked well with just a dab on the shrimps but it rather overwhelmed the rest of the salad. It was however, a small point in what otherwise turned out to be an excellent meal. Before the long the steak was delivered. The waiter had told us how the meat is first broiled at 1800 degrees fahrenheit, to seal in all the flavour, before being transferred to the hot plate and finally garnished with butter and parsley. It was spectacular. It as also huge, we'd ordered the full 12 oz although the restaurant does offer an 8 oz option. And it was delicious, a perfect medium rare, a little crispy on the outside but it almost melted in the mouth. The Tuna held it's own very well, fresh and tender and with a very generous helping of crab meat on top. Everything on the menu is a la carte, you order vegetables and potatoes according to how much you think you want to eat. My guest declined veggies because she knew it was going to be a big steak, I declined veggies because I know I wanted dessert. Dessert was a truly difficult choice. When a dessert is called Chocolate Sin ($60) it is almost impossible not to order it. But we also wanted the Banana Cream Pie ($70). It was way more than we could possibly eat but what the hell, we'd taken indulgence this far it would be a shame not to finish the job properly. We ordered both. The chocolate sin was a wedge of almost solid chocolate whilst the banana cream was topped with slices of caramelised banana and was only slightly less sinful that the chocolate. We finished of with coffee and I thought to myself that Chris must be very pleased with what Ruth did to the steak house. September 2005

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