Eat Drink Hong Kong

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3/F Stanley 11
11 Stanley Street
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2834 7223

W Place, 52 Wyndham Street
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 6768 5252

43-45 Wyndham Street
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2537 8010

8/F 11 Stanley Street
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 3622 1817

2/F 11 Stanley Street
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2525 3030

65 Wyndham Street
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2537 5702

1/F 11 Stanley Street
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2868 3738

G/F California Tower
30-32 D’Aguilar Street
Lan Kwai Fong
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2521 1345

“Mmm, clammy,” said my companion. She was referring to the Clam Chowder ($98) so I assumed it was a good thing. She certainly seemed to be enjoying herself. My attention had been captured by the Roast Pumpkin with Feta Cheese ($118) which was quite delicious.

Union J is a Modern American restaurant located on the first floor of California Tower in Lan Kwai Fong. It has quite a large dining area with window seats overlooking the street itself.

There is a bar area at one end for those that just want to have drinks and perhaps a light snack. We had gone straight for a window table and ordered a bottle of South African Pinotage ($388) which we sipped as a group of tourists were marched up the ‘Fong’.

My friend happily mopped up the last of the clam chowder with some bread. I asked if it lived up to her expectations. “It did indeed,” she smiled.

For my main course I had ordered Black Cod with mushrooms ($188). This was every bit as enjoyable as the starter had been. The fish was firm and fresh and served on a bed of wild rice.

My friend, who had been slightly apologetic about ordering something as ordinary as roast chicken, was happy to report that there was nothing ordinary about this roast chicken, reporting the the chicken was delicious and very tender and that the potato was super creamy and buttery.

By the time she had finished (and I must admit I helped with the last piece of chicken) she wasn’t too sure if she had room for dessert. She did eventually allow herself to be talked into the Lime Sorbet with Banana which she was able to polish off without too much of a struggle. I took on the Apple Pie with Cinnamon Ice Cream.

Union J
1/F California Tower
Lan Kwai Fong

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

57 Wyndham Street
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2526 7993
Fax 2525 6733

2/F Grand Progress Building
15-16 Lan Kwai Fong
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2147 9000

4/F Ho Lee Commercial Building
38-44 D’Aguilar Street
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2104 7200

G/F 43-55 Wyndham Street
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2537 8010

3/F Century Square
1-13 D’Aguilar Street
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2537 9393

8/F California Tower
32 D’Aguilar Street
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2868 6062

2/F, 1 Lan Kwai Fong
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2890 6380

3-5/F The Plaza
21 D’Aguilar Street
Lan Kwai Fong
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2522 0044

6/F Wellington Place
2-8 Wellington Street
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2868 5657

2/F 28 Stanley Street
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 3175 2448

3/F Ho Lee Commercial Building
38-44 D’Aguilar Street
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2869 6006

4/F The Plaza
21 D’Aguilar Street
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 9222 5812

1/F California Tower
Lan Kwai Fong
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2537 2368

41 Wyndham Street
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2526 9961

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

Upper Basement, Harilela House
79 Wyndham Street
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2522 8118

G/F 35 D’Aguilar Street
Lan Kwai Fong
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2868 3448

1/F Grand Progress Building
15-16 Lan Kwai Fong
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2810 0528

B/F Yuen Yick Building
27-29 Wellington Street
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2523 6282

G/F 19 Hollywood Road
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 9123 6049

LG/F 41 Wyndham Street
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2810 0803

54 D’Aguilar Street
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2980 3638

Basement, California Tower
32 D’Aguilar Street
Lan Kwai Fong
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2868 6062

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

17-19 Lan Kwai Fong
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2523 5505

1/F California Tower
30-32 D’Aguilar Street
Lan Kwai Fong
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2526 3880

8/F LKF Tower
55 D’aguilar Street
Lan Kwai Fong
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2905 1168

1/F Cheung Fai Building
45-47 Cochrane Street
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2581 0321

4/F Ho Lee Commercial Building
38-44 D’Aguilar Street
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 3102 2255

G/F 16 Arbuthnot Road
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2868 0625

G & B/F 16 Arbuthnot Road
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2868 0626

5B, U G/F Cheung Fai Building
45-47 Cochrane Street
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2581 2128

G/F 6 Lan Kwai Fong
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2536 9623

7/F LKF Tower
33 Wyndham Street
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2526 2366

1/F (café) & 6/F (wholesale)
California Entertainment Building
34-36 D’Aguilar Street
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 3167 7022

3/F On Hing Building
1-9 On Hing Terrace
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2973 0918

17-19 Lan Kwai Fong
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2523 6281

16 Arbuthnot Road
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2868 0625

57-59 Wyndham Street
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2868 0613

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

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

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

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

This is a well established restaurant. There are two branches. One is in Knutsford Terrace, Tsim Sha Tsui, but the one that we went to is in Century Square in D’Aguilar Street.

It’s a large restaurant that is very popular with both locals and expatriates. The decor is a mix of both traditional and modern. It’s not a intimate place it’s a place to go with a group of friends.

The staff are friendly, helpful and bilingual. So is the menu and although we did have native speakers in our group we had no problem ordering everything in English.

The menu is really quite varied offering dishes from Shanghai, Sichuan and Taiwan. Our first dish was poached tomato with pomelo and vegetarian sharks fin ($40). I think we were all intrigued by the vegetarian sharks fin but after we’d had it I we agreed that it was probably least interesting part of the meal.

Fridays were special days when I was a kid. We used to get off school fifteen minutes earlier so we’d go and play footy in the park for a while. There were no mobile phones back then, some of us didn’t even have land lines yet, but so long as we were home before dad, nobody minded.

On Fridays being home before dad was not a problem. On Fridays dad used to stop off at the chippy on the way home. I can never forget the blast of cold air accompanied by the warm smell of well wrapped fish and chips as he opened the front door. Mum already had the plates warming in the kitchen.

This was where the weekend began, dad was home, there was no school tomorrow and there was a plate of fish and chips warming my knees as we watched the telly. We were only allowed to have dinner in front of the telly on Fridays.

A few years later the chippy would be the last place I stopped at after a Friday night out. On a student budget a piece of cod was just a bit too expensive so I would often have a saveloy with chips.

I had my first saveloy in over twenty years the other evening. After college I moved to London. Saveloys were rare in London chippies so they slipped from my diet altogether.

This most recent saveloy I discovered, appropriately, in The Chippy. But whereas in England ‘the chippy’ is a generic term for a place that sells fish and chips, in Hong Kong it is at 51 Wellington Street. Though the entrance is around the corner on Pottinger behind all the fancy dress stalls.

It does a good job of looking like an authentic chippy. Plain white walls with just a touch of blue here and there. The menu is chalked up on a blackboard at one end and there are some tables squeezed into a narrow space between the counter and the outside wall.

I ordered the classic cod and chips ($95) to accompany my saveloy ($35 as a side order) and a bottle of Newcastle Brown Ale ($45). There are plenty of other things on the menu; pies, pasties, Cumberland sausage, battered sausage or chicken. They can all be served with either chips or mash and with a choice of mushy peas, beans or salad. The fish options include cod, haddock and sole.

My piece of fish was firm, flaky and fresh, and cooked in a light, crispy batter. The chips were hand cut and actually tasted of potatoes rather than the oil they were cooked in.

Apart from a few places that sold banana fritters I don’t recall much else in the line of dessert from the chippies of my youth. The Chippy have addressed this by offering the iconic Scottish delicacy, the deep fried Mars Bar ($45). Here it is served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

The Mars bar itself is sweet and gooey but you knew that anyway. The sweetness tends to overwhelm the taste of the batter. The batters main job, it seems, is merely to seal it in long enough to melt but not leak. Although mine was still a little firm in the middle.

The problem with Mars bars generally is that they are fine for the first few bites then I get bored with them. The same can be said for the deep fried variety, they need to be shared.

Wagyu is steak. It’s a particular kind of steak that is famous for it’s marbling which produces a high percentage of monounsaturated fats and, more importantly, greater flavour and tenderness. It would surprise no one then to find that a restaurant calling itself simply Wagyu specialises in this particular kind of steak.

Indeed they offer several cuts in 8, 10 and 12 ounce sizes, and a selection of other kinds of steak including Black Angus and Filet Mignon. They even offer a Wagyu burger.

I’d arranged to meet up with a dear friend for a pre-christmas dinner and I suggested going to this very new restaurant called Wagyu – I really was in the mood for a good steak.

We arrived quite early but we were still lucky to get a table as most of them had been reserved. It is a slick, modern and very trendy establishment. Although there a quite a few tables it doesn’t feel cramped and when you melt into your seat and are handed a menu you quite forget your surroundings.

And it was at this point that I forgot about the steak. Whilst the restaurant is Australian at heart the menu offers a mouth watering selection of dishes that draw inspiration from all over Asia.

I gave up the idea of the steak and decided instead to doff my cap to the wagyu by ordering an Outback Wagyu Mini Pie ($110) for starter. But it hadn’t been an easy decision, Wagyu sang Choi Bau and Rock Salt encrusted Wagyu Beef strips ran a very close second.

There were also salads from Thailand to Lebanon and the Mediterranean but after a brief struggle my friend opted for the Wild Mushroom Camembert ($110).

Both of these dishes were really quite special and, with a salad or soup and bread, could easily make a meal in their own right. The pie was a classic Aussie steak pie made with generous chunks of Wagyu beef. We wolfed it down and wanted more.

The camembert was oven warmed and served with wild mushrooms and crispy garlic toast. It was a generous serving but again, we made short work of it.

The starters had been a difficult choice and so too were the mains. Bundy Rum Glazed Rib Rack and Pork Belly Grill were both stating their case quite clearly. So too was the Campfire veal shank.

My friend, perhaps sensing that the portions were going to be generous, opted for Linguini Vongole ($120). Clams flash fried with chili and garlic. I ordered the North Queensland Barramundi ($160).

According to the menu the fish is flown in daily from Australia. It is cooked slowly with Chinese herbs and spices and served on a bed of pak choi. The fish was indeed very fresh and the flavours really leapt out and danced. I looked over to my friend and she signaled her approval of the pasta.

The dessert menu wasn’t quite as adventurous, most of the items familiar classics though we were quite sure by this time that whatever we ordered would be good. My friend admitted to being something of a chocoholic and while she put up a brave fight the temptation of the Death by Chocolate was just too much.

I knew, just by looking at it, that it would have beaten me but my friend made a very respectable dent indeed, and, I’m happy to say, lived to tell the tale. I plumped for a rather more conservative Apple Crumble with Vanilla Ice Cream.

We finished with coffees and exchanged the last of the gossip. As we got up to go I realised just how packed the restaurant was and there were still more people queuing outside. Reservations, it seems, are recommended.

I got into a bit of a mess. I like to think my chopstick technique is pretty good but peeling prawns just isn’t possible, so it was fingers to the fore.

These particular prawns were cooked in Hakka rice wine and served on a bed of steamed cucumber so they were particularly messy. But they were also really delicious and I wasn’t about to let decorum, or the threat of a stained shirt, put me off.

Hakka Ye Ye, as the name suggests, serves traditional Hakka cuisine but the restaurant itself is prim and modern. Only a few tastefully framed photographs on the wall hint of the past. It’s quite a small place and the lack of more elaborate decor allows it to seem more spacious.

The staff were friendly and efficient, tofu nibbles and tea were served the moment I sat down. They were also more than happy to explain the dishes. For a starter I’d had the the Ye Ye crispy pork nuggets ($42).

These were dumplings of minced pork mixed with dried squid and fried in a bean curd wrapper. Hakka Ye Ye does have a small wine list but the glass of Tsing Tao that I had was probably a much better accompaniment.

The main event were the prawns ($138) though drunken chicken had also been a contender. For vegetable I ordered stir fried mixed mushrooms with snow peas ($88) and white and red mixed rice.

All the dishes were generous servings, designed for sharing, so by the end of it I was really quite full. I had just enough room left for a bowl of pumpkin and sago.

It was a good meal. And considering it could have fed two of us excellent value as well.

This is a cosy little Indian restaurant on Wo On Lane. We’d been planning to head on up to Wyndham Street but the promise of fresh nan was too much to resist and the little restaurant was almost empty. “As long as you don’t order anything too spicy”, my companion said as we crossed the threshold.

There were only two other guests, and they were just finishing an early dinner so before long we had the place to ourselves. “Not too spicy, eh?” I confirmed, as the waiter poured the beers.

A chicken korma seemed the obvious choice but we would need more than that. I I figured the onion bhajis would go down well. I was right. Onion bhajis vary so much from restaurant to restaurant, I’ve often wondered if it is because of regional variations or if it’s simply the way the chef’s mum used to cook them. But I always forget to ask.

These were tightly packed nuggets of shredded onion a little crispy on the outside. An excellent accompaniment to the beer. I tried to go slow but it was useless.

By the time the mixed tandoori platter arrived we were ready for more beer. Fortunately the tandoori took our minds off the beer briefly. It consisted of chicken, fish and lamb. “I like the lamb”; said my companion, stabbing the last piece with his fork. I was impressed with the fish and duly smuggled the last morsel of that onto my plate.

The korma and an aloo gobi arrived. Both were good, the korma in particular. It was rich and creamy and clearly a hit with my companion.

Before long we had mopped all the dishes clean and were leaning back in our chairs. Dessert was not really an option, we were both too full. Even finishing our last beer was a challenge.

It was a very typical curry dinner and a very good one. And at around $300 each, including beer, it was good value for money too.

Gunga Din is probably one of the longest surviving restaurants along Wyndham Street. “Twenty years and counting” quipped Gunga, the original owner and manager, when my companion asked. My guest had been a regular at Gunga’s when he worked in the area some years ago. And Gunga still recognised him!

After all the “long time no see” greetings were out the way we ordered a couple of beers which arrived promptly along with fresh poppadoms. We settled down with the menu.

The restaurant had undergone a few changes since the last time either of us were there but I’m happy to report the food was as good as ever.

The Onion Pakora ($32) and Chicken Samosas ($35) that we ordered for starters went down well.

To follow we ordered Chicken Jalfrezi ($88). This is a dry spicy curry that is popular in both India and Pakistan and is made with green peppers and coarsely chopped onions.

We also ordered a Fish Tikka Masala ($115), which I hadn’t had before and was most impressed with. Large chunks of fish tikka in a rich masala sauce – for me this was the highlight of the meal.

For vegetables we ordered a classic Aloo Sag ($60), a potato and spinach curry which I frequently enjoyed for lunch many years ago. We mopped it all up with nan bread and washed it down with more beer before rounding off with the inevitable gulab jamun.

“Don’t leave it so long before you next visit”, said Gunga as we paid our bill and left. Somehow I don’t think we will.

If you’re Australian you might want to skip this paragraph, everyone else repeat after me “Woo-loo-moo-loo” … out loud please. There, now can you say it without smiling? Of course Australians don’t pronounce it like that, it’s more like Wullah-maloo which is still fun, but not as good as the former. For those that don’t already know, Wooloomooloo is a district in Sydney.

It is also an Australian themed restaurant an bar at the top of Lan Kwai Fong and I wandered along there the other evening to see what the menu had to offer.

The bar on the ground floor was very lively with music pumping out into the street. Upstairs, in the restaurant on the first floor, it was not so busy but it was still early. The music from the bar was still audible but not too loud. The dining area is quite spacious and modern with aboriginal art on the walls. One of the walls proudly displays three huge oilskin coats and leather hats. It’s an unusual decoration but it works well.

I settled down and studied the menu. At first I was a little disappointed that there were no ‘roo or crocodile steaks on the menu but my mood softened at the thought of Baby Barramundi in Saffron butter sauce ($220).

But first I needed a starter. The menu offers various options for oyster lovers starting at $138 per half dozen. There were also numerous salads and prawn dishes but I plumped for the Broiled Scallops wrapped in Bacon ($120). It was a good choice. They were deliciously fresh, plump and juicy, and served with a tangy mango salsa. To go with it I ordered a glass of Sauvignon blanc ($65).

Barramundi are one of those types of fish whose life cycle goes from salt water to freshwater. The eggs and larvae develop in the coastal areas of Northern Australia. They then swim up-river to mature before swimming back out to the estuary to spawn. They are also said to be quite difficult to catch.

Mine arrived sealed in a bubble of foil which the waiter opened, releasing a puff of steam and revealing the fish, studded with lemon. To go with it I had ordered spinach and mushrooms and kipfler potatoes with rosemary and sea salt ($45 each). The foil proved to be a little in the way but it was a small price to pay for what was a delicious meal. The barramundi has quite a delicate flavour and the saffron butter complemented it perfectly.

I resisted the obvious Australian dessert, instead I was torn between the apple crumble with ice cream and custard ($65) and the Wooloomooloo lemon lime pie ($60). The waitress suggested the lemon lime pie so I opted for that, and a coffee to finish.

The restaurant had filled up a bit more by now and the bar was still very inviting. I was very tempted to stop for a beer on the way out but alas I had work to finish.

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.

Baci is one of those restaurants that has been around for so long that it is almost embarrassing to admit that I’d never been there. I was forced to confront the situation a few days ago when a friend asked me if I’d been over to try out the new menu. After thinking for a few moments I had to confess that I hadn’t even tried the old menu.

So I set out the other evening to rectify the issue. I had hoped to talk my friend into coming with me but we couldn’t find a mutually agreeable date before she flew out. So undeterred I went alone.

I got there just after seven and the bar already had a considerable number of people who had stopped by a for an after work drink. I went straight through to the dining area. The restaurant is on the 2nd and 3rd floors (Baci Pizza is on the 1st). The decor is sleek and chic with gold and mirrored walls and simple but comfortable furniture.

I was shown to a table on the second floor. Neither of the floors are big, on my floor there were only seven tables offering seating for a maximum of 18 people. I settled into my chair and ordered a glass of fruity Vale Viognier ($78). The bread basket arrived and I delved into the menu.

Although a few favourites have been retained the majority of the items boast a ‘new’ symbol next to them. They all sounded good.

For starters I was tempted to order the Crab salad with carrots and mango ($108) but in the end I plumped for the Carpaccio Arcobaleno ($118). This is very thinly sliced pieces of smoked salmon, tuna and swordfish with extra virgin olive oil and arugula leaves. I was pleased. The fish was tasty and melted in the mouth. It didn’t last long and soon I was mopping up the olive oil with the remains of the bread basket.

For the main course I’d narrowed my choices down to home made ravioli stuffed with duck and goose liver ($198) and roasted lamb loin in porcini mushroom sauce ($228). I opted for the lamb.

The dish took rather longer to arrive than I would have expected. I put this down to the chefs pursuit of excellence, for when it did arrive it proved to be well worth waiting for. The lamb, rolled in rosemary and breadcrumbs, was both tender and succulent. Served with deliciously creamy creamed potatoes and, of course, the mushroom sauce. In light of this it seemed silly to worry about a few extra minutes wait.

For dessert I ordered baked custard tart with pine nuts and also asked for coffee to be served with the dessert. It was another long wait. This time, after the dish had arrived, I couldn’t help thinking that perhaps I should have opted for the home made ice cream. The tart was pleasant enough but had I known I was going to wait twenty minutes for it I might have thought again.

It was a shame the delays marred what would otherwise have been a very pleasant meal indeed. I prefer to think these are just minor issues that are associated with the kitchen staff getting used to preparing a whole new menu and before long everything will be running smoothly.

I drank my coffee slowly and began to mentally compose the report I would later e-mail to my friend.

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 marshall 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.

I haven’t heard of too many Scandinavian restaurants. Even on summer trips to Iceland some years ago I’d tended to live on service station hotdogs and whatever I could carry in my backpack. So until Finds opened at the top of Lan Kwai Fong a few weeks ago, all I knew of Scandinavian cuisine were pickled herrings, Danish bacon, hakarl and Brenniv’n.

Those last two are Icelandic specialities. Hakarl is shark meat that has been buried in the volcanic sand for several months and Brenniv’n is a kind of schnapps that is affectionately known as ‘black death’ to the Icelanders. Neither of them are on the menu though the manager did hint that they were looking into the possibility of importing Brenniv’n.

The restaurant takes its name from the initial letters of the five Scandinavian countries; Finland, Iceland, Norway, Denmark and Sweden. This is no doubt a more practical solution to finding a name that would be meaningful in all five very different languages, most of which have a generous helping of those unusual characters and squiggly bits from the dusty end of the font where most languages never go, and that are unpronounceable to people who weren’t born there. The menu, I was relieved to note, is in English.

It is not a huge menu but almost everything on it was tempting. Each dish is given a brief explanation. In the description for turnip soup with gingerbread ($65), for example, we are told how the Vikings used to make pork shaped gingerbread as a sacrifice to the gods and that turnips are one of the oldest farmed vegetables in Scandinavia.

For starter I ordered a dark cep broth with poached egg and crushed bacon ($85). The menu tells me that from late August the forests of Scandinavia are filled with wild mushrooms. The cep is a rich, fleshy mushroom which gives the dark brown broth a delicious flavour. It is served with a selection of bread and crispbread.

While the soup echoes traditional forest fare, the decor of the restaurant is sleek and modern. Predominantly white with a large curvaceous bar, and windows that open onto a balcony area overlooking Lan Kwai Fong. They seem to have done away with walls altogether and what supporting pillars there are have been textured to look like blocks of snow. The result is cool and sophisticated but never lets go of the Scandinavian love of simplicity and open space.

The main course was served on a large rectangular panoramic plate. Fillet of pikeperch sauteed with horseradish, lemon crushed potato and roasted cabbage sauce ($210). Since the region is blessed with a lot of rivers it only seems reasonable to expect freshwater fish to figure highly on the menu. A pikeperch is a species of perch that masquerades as a pike, presumably to avoid predation. The flesh is white, very light and succulent and quite delicious.

The cooler climate of Scandinavia isn’t suitable for larger fruits so berries are a key component of most of the desserts. One of the rarest is the Arctic cloudberry. The cloudberry is found only in the marshy areas of Lapland which covers the northernmost parts of Norway and Finland. It is represented here in the cloudberry baba with bourbon vanilla ice cream ($85). The berry itself has a similar shape to a raspberry but is pale orange or yellow in colour and has a wonderfully sharp and tangy flavour.

I rounded the meal off with a coffee and sat back to listen to the music which has been exceptional all evening ranging from the classic Getz/Gilberto to the Penguin Cafe Orchestra.

Finds is open Mondays to Saturdays from noon till late

LG/F LKF Tower
33 Wyndham Street
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2121 8969

Bulldogs Bar and Grill, Lan Kwai Fong’s newest watering hole bills itself a British/Autralian pub and is the only traditional style tavern in Lan Kwai Fong. On the menu is classic pub grub in the form of burgers and pastas, plus a range of finger foods that includes tortilla chips, chicken strips and potato skins. You can also order a ‘Dog Platter’ which is a selection of all the finger foods. We were there so soon after the doors opened that the full menu hadn’t been implemented yet so expect more to come in the very near future

The burgers, a huge beef patty with a choice of toppings, are served with salad and chips (though some people call them French fries). The pastas are similarly generous. I tested the portions out on my son, a growing lad with the kind of appetite that only teenagers are capable of. He wolfed more than his fair share of potato skins, a Bulldog Burger – topped with mushrooms and a slice of jack cheese – and chips before announcing he was full.

There are two bars. The main bar and dining area stretches right the way through the building from the entrance on Lan Kwai Fong. Beyond this is the Birdwatchers Bar, a balcony bar that overlooks D’Aguilar Street, named no doubt for the dedicated ornithologists who like to keep an eye on who is swanning up and down the road. There are several TV screens in the bar areas, so expect Saturday nights in the footy season to be boisterous affairs. The dining area is located between the Birdwatchers Bar and a big red telephone box, away from the TVs.

The range of draught beers includes their own signature beer, Bulldog Brew, plus Fosters, Newcastle Brown Ale, Beamish, Strongbow Cider and Boddingtons. Of the bottled variety there are ten to choose from, including San Miguel imported from the Philippines, Corona, Asahi and Molsen plus all the usual suspects.

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.

G/F Shop A, 77 Wyndham Street
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2526 5551
Fax 2526 5559

20/F Century Square
1-13 D’Aguilar Street
LanKwaiFong
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2810 8168

2121
UG/F 21 D’Aguilar Street,
Central,
Hong Kong
Tel: 2804 6669

G/F The Greenville
2 Glenealy
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2525 8805

G/F 14 Wo On Lane
Lan Kwai Fong
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2121 8703
Fax 2121 8704

G/F Shop F, 27-39 D’Aguilar Street
Lan Kwai Fong
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2521 8714
Fax 2537 8290

M/F, LKF Tower
33 Wyndham Street
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 3579 2929

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

Basement, Century Square
1-13 D’Aguilar Street
Lan Kwai Fong
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2537 8083
Fax 2537 8135

U G/F 9 Lan Kwai Fong
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2810 9333

Basement, 27-29 Wellington Street
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2869 9990
Fax 2869 9997

6/F Parekh House
63 Wyndham Street
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2973 0606
Fax 3475 0907

G/F On Hing Building
1 On Hing Terrace
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2286 0333
Fax 2286 0318

1/F 10 Wing Wah Lane
Lan Kwai Fong
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2526 2717

G/F Shop 3, The Centrium,
60 Wyndham Street,
Central, Hong Kong LKF
Tel 2525 8805 2525 8803

2/F Parekh House
63 Wyndham Street
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2537 7060
Fax 2537 7030

3/F On Hing Terrace
Central
Hong Kong

G/F & 1/F, 48 D’Aguilar Street
Lan Kwai Fong
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2845 5533
Fax 2525 3477

1/F 20-22 Lan Kwai Fong
Central
Hong Kong

G/F Lan Kwai Fong
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2501 4678

4/F Yip Fung Building
10 D’Aguilar Street
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2523 0648
Fax 2523 4126

1/F Jade Centre
98 Wellington Street
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2815 5926

8-13 Wo On Lane
Lan Kwai Fong
Central
Tel 2522 9911

1/F 16 Wing Wah Lane
Lan Kwai Fong
Hong Kong
Tel 2523 9543

UG/F The Centrium
60 Wyndham Street
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 3110 1222

1/F Yu Wing Building
64-66 Wellington Street
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2522 6098
Fax 2522 5607

G/F, 60 Wyndham St
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2810 8199

2/F LKF Tower
33 Wyndham Street
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2521 6600

3/F Cosmos Building
8-11 Lan Kwai Fong
Central
Hong Kong

14 Wo On Lane
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2810 7368

G/F 73 Wyndham Street
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2167 8883
Fax 2167 7333

1/F The Plaza
21 D’Aguilar Street
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2804 6883

Basement, 16 Lan Kwai Fong
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2525 1889

41 Wyndham Street
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2810 0323

17-22 Lan Kwai Fong
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2536 0968
Fax 2536 0131