Eat Drink Hong Kong

I was chastised the other day for not visiting Korean restaurants very often. I do like Korean food. I like it very much but to get the best out of a Korean restaurant you need to have a group of people. I put the matter to another friend and she said, “well we’ll go anyway and just pretend there are lots of us.”

Korea Garden has been at this address for a good many years. How many I couldn’t say but I’m pretty sure I first ate here around 20 years ago. The entrance is a single doorway and a flight of stairs to the restaurant which is on the 1st floor. If you go for lunch it is advisable to book or go early.

We got there at 12.30, any later it would have been full. I was eager for some classic Korean barbecue and went for spicy marinated pork ($100). This, of course, comes with its own range of kimchi and assorted vegetables.

My comapanion was keen to identify a stew that she had tried before and and had enjoyed very much. She knew it had included tofu but it had been part of a much larger meal before and now she couldn’t be certain what else had been in it. In the end she settled on Pollack stew with tofu and vegetables ($100).

To complement them we also ordered Kimchi fried rice in a stone pot ($100) and a spring onion pancake ($90).

As is often the case at luchtimes the dishes all arrived in quick succession. The barbecue was lit and the first pieces of pork were beginning to sizzle while the waiter was serving the kimchi fried rice. Both the rice and the pollack stew were huge and would probably have been enough for four people.

The rice was excellent and I mad short work of mine. My companion was less enthusiastic about the stew, it wasn’t right one after all. I thought it was quite pleasant. It also had mushrooms, prawns and mussells in it. I didn’t remember seeing prawns or mussells on the menu. This didn’t worry me unduly but I do know people who are allergic to shellfish and would probably like to know about such things in advance.

The spring onion pancake and the spicy pork both live up to expectations and we settled in for a long, leisurely lunch

Balancing convivial conversation with cooking and still managing to eat some of what is already there can be quite a challenge. Consequently some of the meat got a little burnt towards the end and we had to call for help to find the off switch.

1/F Blissful Building
247 Des Voeux Road
Sheung Wan
Tel 2542 2339

This is a funky little hideaway in Sheung Wan where the building gets so narrow you’d think that there couldn’t be room for anything in side. Luckily There is just enough room for a kitchen and a about four tables.

One side is little more than an alcove. One of the tables has been tailored into the curve of the wall. Above it there is a gallery of old black and white prints of film stars from the forties and fifties.

The menu reflects the flavours of the southern Italian countryside from Rome to Sicily. According to the menu the recipes have been passed down through the generations using the simplest of cooking methods. They use fresh Mediterranean ingredients with fewer dairy products.

I started with crisp and flavourful Insalata di Spinaci ($52). This, quite simply, is baby spinach with pine nuts, sun-dried tomatoes and parmesan cheese with a balsamic dressing.

I’d been slightly disappointed that bread needed to be ordered separately. But since quality Italian restaurants for the budget-conscious are something of a rarity anyway. So I decided to forgive them.

In the end I was glad not to have had bread because my second dish of the evening, Melanzane all Parmigiana ($48) was really quite filling. This consisted of layers of eggplant and mozzarella cheese baked in a rich tomato sauce.

The pasta I had ordered, Penne Ciociara ($80), is from the Lazio region just to the south of Rome. It’s a marvellously sharp and tangy dish mad with olives, capers, anchovies and pine nuts with just a few raisins as a counterpoint. I’m not sure if it is a dish that rarely appears on menus or if I’ve simply overlooked it in the past. But it is certainly one that I will be remembering in the future.

I finished off with a slice of cheesecake and a coffee.

Cafe Roma are happy to prepare food for take-away and also serve breakfast, afternoon tea and sandwiches.

G/F Jervois House
1 Jervois Street
Sheung Wan
Tel 2517 8484

U G/F Central Park Hotel
263 Hollywood Road
Sheung Wan
Hong Kong
Tel 2851 2820

G/F 21 Wing Wo Street
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2545 6100

2/F-3/F 40-50 Des Voeux Road West
Sheung Wan
Hong Kong
Tel 2156 9328

Shop 1, G/F Jervois House
1 Jervois Street
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2517 8484
Fax 2517 8585

G/F 202 Queens Road Central
Sheung Wan
Hong Kong
Tel 2545 1111
Fax 2545 1171

79 Bonham Strand
Sheung Wan
Hong Kong
Tel 2827 8277

Chinese menus can be a bit intimidating for the lone diner. Most dishes are designed for sharing and I inevitably end up with way too much food on the table. However, I was sauntering along Gough Street the other evening and a little place called Shanghai Lane caught my eye.

Big windows and white walls make it feel bright and airy. On one wall there is a large painting of The Bund as it looked in it’s former glory. Facing it are about 8 or ten old framed photographs. I assume these too were Shanghai but I didn’t get a close look as people were having dinner beneath them.

Not being an expert I don’t really know how many of the dishes on the menu were actually from Shanghai. But the descriptions were all written in English as well as Chinese and there was plenty there that looked interesting.

I got the ball rolling with with some pan-fried pork dumplings ($25) and a glass of fresh soy milk.

The dish that had caught my eye when I’d browsed the menu outside was Fish with wine lees ($88). Wine lees is the residual yeast left over after fermentation of the wine. The Fish was served on a bed of black fungus. It was rather plain to look at but it tasted delicious. The wine imparted a rich flavour to what were otherwise a fairly ordinary pieces of sole.

For the last dish I’d ordered rice cake with chicken, shrimp and ham ($68). This really is a dish for sharing. The rice cake is quite glutinous and heavy. It was a pleasant dish but I knew immediately that I wasn’t going to be able to eat it all. Instead of trying I concentrated on finding all the chicken, shrimp and ham pieces along with a generous scattering of crisp bamboo shoots and pak choy.

I finished off with longan and date in soup ($25).

There are also branches of Shanghai Lane in Happy Valley and Tin Hau

G/F 33 Jervois Street
Sheung Wan
Hong Kong
Tel 3583 1200

128 Connaught Road
Sheung Wan
Hong Kong
Tel 2851 1220

Shop 1, G/F Jervois House
Jervois Street
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2517 8484

G/F 25 Mercer Street
Sheung Wan
Hong Kong
Tel 3188 0676

G/F 145 Connaught Road
Sheung Wan
Hong Kong
Tel 3101 9786/3101 9719

G/F 29 Queen’s Road West
Sheung Wan
Hong Kong
Tel 2854 4557

255 Queen’s Road Central
Sheung Wan
Hong Kong
Tel 2815 1558

7/F The Pemberton
22-26 Bonham Strand
Sheung Wan
Hong Kong
Tel 2203 0400

12/F 279 Des Voeux Road
Sheung Wan
Hong Kong
Tel 2577 9789

118 Hollywood Road
Sheung Wan
Hong Kong
Tel 2547 0000

135 Des Voeux Road
Sheung Wan
Hong Kong
Tel 2544 7587

Flat 5B Kin Tye Lung Building
27-29 Bonham Strand West
Sheung Wan
Hong Kong
Tel 2805 1116

Patio 88 is a cosy little nook on Jervois Street in Sheung Wan. It’s a quiet and friendly place. Some old black and white framed photos and a handful of vintage record sleeves decorate the walls.

The menu is European and while there are plenty of a la carte options towards the back the set dinners also offered some interesting choices. And at $248 for four courses seemed like a bargain to me.

I started with the salmon salad. Two generous slices of salmon sashimi with garden cress a a dash of a mild mustardy sauce. It was a simple but agreeable dish and I made quite short work of it.

Hot on it’s heels was the soup of the day. A rich and creamy broccoli today. It could have done with being a bit warmer on delivery. I prefer to allow soup to cool to my palette rather than to have to hurry it down before it gets cold. Consequently I wolfed it in record time and had a bit of a wait for the main course.

It wasn’t too long a wait and presently the rack of lamb on creamed potato with asparagus tips was placed before me. It looked good. In fact it looked very much like the kind of thing my mum would put before after a long hard day at school.

Nobody can ever quite get the measure of mum’s cooking but this was certainly a creditable effort. Crusted with thyme the lamb which I’d ordered medium rare was perhaps a little closer to the rare than the medium but that didn’t worry me unduly. With a dollop of mint jelly and another of mustard I was a happy camper.

The finale was orange crepe gateau, a pleasant change from the cheesecake or fresh fruit that often adorns such menus. I rounded off with a coffee.

All in all it was a good meal at a good price. I’ve said it before and I’m sure I’ll say it again; The reason standard of restaurants in Kong Kong is so high is because those at the top are being chased every step of the way the quality of those below. Patio 88 may not be top tier but they do take just as much pride in what they do.

Shop 18 Gilman’s Bazaar
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2815 3985

1/F 68 Wing L, ok Street
Sheung Wan
Hong Kong
Tel 3528 7553

Adagio is a neat little cafe on Wing Lok Street offering western style food in simple but functional surroundings. It’s on the first floor above a flower shop, I got a table by the window where I was able to sit and look down at other people hurrying about.

I don’t know what it is, but there is something therapeutic about watching others hurry about while you are sitting waiting for a nice plate of food. I figured I’d better consult the menu and order something to wait for.

There is a set dinner menu offering four choices ranging in price from $158 to $198. But it was the smaller snack-sized dishes that caught my eye. I asked the waitress about how big these dishes were, she made a rectangular shape with her thumbs and index fingers. “Not too big then?” I asked. “Not too big.” She confirmed.

Thinking they would probably be about the size of an average tapas I ordered four. Mixed mushrooms with butter and cream ($26), baked broccoli with bacon and cheese ($26), Deep fried salmon nuggets ($32) and roast tiger prawn with beef tenderloin skewers ($42).

The mushrooms were the first to arrive and my eyes nearly popped out of my head. By adding a small serving of pasta there would have been enough for a hearty meal on it’s own. And it was very tasty indeed, with at least four types of mushroom.

Hot on it’s heels was the broccoli, again another generous serving. It began to dawn on me what a great place this would be to come for lunch with office mates. The food is simple but tasty and great value.

I hadn’t got far into the broccoli when the salmon nuggets turned up. Four golf ball-sized cakes of minced salmon deep-fried in bread crumbs and served with French fries. These were the crinkle cut variety and for once I didn’t mind. I had way more food than I could possibly eat so it was easy just to leave the fries.

The tiger prawns and beef were interspersed with peppers and tomatoes. This was the last dish to arrive and were my favourite of the lot and I managed to polish off both skewers. To the other dishes I made a commendable effort but I was determined to save just a little space for apple crumble with Ice cream ($30).

It was blisteringly hot when it came and I had to let it cool for a few moments. It will never replace mum’s apple crumble in my affections but it did round the evenings meal off adequately.

The food was good and excellent value, the staff were cheerful and attentive. What more could you ask for?

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 anticipated, 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 an 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.

This is a brand new cafe that has just opened at the western end of Bonham Strand. I used to live near here many years ago and would have been grateful for a place like this.

It follows a familiar format, they offer coffee, tea, smoothies or shakes. There is a range of sandwiches and other types of hot and cold snacks available. And there are, of course, cakes and pastries.

I hadn’t really been planning to go there but I was passing and there it was, so I decided to pop in and take a look. They’d only been open four days but they seemed to be well organised already. The staff were cheerful and friendly.

The decor is pleasant. Pastel green and comfortable seats make you feel relaxed but there isn’t a printed menu. I had to get up again and read the board by the door. I can understand the the sandwiches and pastries may well vary from day to day but a printed drinks list would have been helpful. I was hot and gasping.

I ordered a smoothie called a daydreamer, and I went for a large one ($32) since the large was only a couple of dollars more than the regular. The daydreamer is mostly berries, with raspberry and blueberry being dominant. It was deliciously sharp and tangy. I like that.

To eat, I ordered a slice of bacon, onion and tomato quiche ($25) and a peppered ham sandwich ($38). The quiche was a pleasant surprise. I’ve been to so many places where the quiche is dry and lifeless, but this was moist and tasty with a generous amount of cheese mixed in.

It’s difficult to hurt sandwiches but one surefire way of doing so is to slop massive amounts of ‘mayo’ onto them. I’m happy to report the good folks at Graze resisted the temptation. Although if you are partial to lots of mayo I’m sure they would oblige and slather some more on.

I’d cooled down a little now and moved towards the door to surf the internet on one of the two funky iMacs there. That meant the pastries were right behind me and despite being a little full already I could hear a slice of apple crumble singing to me ($25). I was also intrigued to find out what iced green tea with vanilla would be like.

Both were good. The crumble would have benefitted with the addition of some cream or custard. The tea did need to be sweetened and there is a choice of honey or syrup. The correct amount will vary from person to person. I think it may take me a bit of practice to get just right.

The waves were lapping the shore, birds were chirruping in the trees. My colleague and I made our way along a table of delicious yet healthy looking morsels choosing whatever took our fancy. Which in my case was a bit of pretty well everything.

It was hard to believe that we were really in a restaurant on small road at the back of Western Market.

I don’t know how long Harvester has been open, it is still quite new looking so I would guess its less than a year. Having said that, it is already very popular, we were there around 7pm and it was already quite busy. I’m told that it gets very busy at lunchtimes.

It is not difficult to understand why it is so popular, it combines two of my favourite elements. Good food and great value.

The system is simple. Once you have found a table you collect a plate and choose the items you want from the buffet. Once you have decided, the cashier weighs the food and charges accordingly, $12 per 100 grams of food. Mine came to $48. It’s a system the the owners believe encourages people to take only as much as they need.

The food was a blend of western and Chinese style vegetarian dishes. There were potatoes, tomatoes with mozzarella cheese, vegetable dumplings, fake prawns on tofu, mushroom and pumpkin dishes. All of which were very tasty indeed. I can’t really single one out above the others, nor can I think of one that I would rather not have had.

In addition there is congee, green bean soup and brown rice all included in the cost.

Harvester also stocks a wide range of other organic products such as wine and herbal teas. They can cater for private parties and corporate events and even offer a health consultation service.

This is a very pleasant restaurant in Sheung Wan. I’ve passed it several times at lunch times and it always seems to be doing good business. But since I can’t pass restaurants very often without eventually going in you could say its time had come.

The decor is unpretentious. Bright walls with just a little Thai ornamentation give it a spacious airy feel. Kenny G played in the background but not loud enough to put me off my dinner.

What makes this particular restaurant interesting is that its menu leans heavily on dishes and styles from southern Thailand and Malaysia. It even includes the Singaporean dish, Hainan chicken, and you can enjoy your curry with either rice or roti.

I’m a sucker for crispy fried soft shell crab ($55). There were plenty of other things to choose from though, all of them quite familiar, spring roll, fish cakes, chicken in pandanus leaves.

But the soft shell crab was a good call. Southern Thai cuisine is not as spicy and is sweeter than the more familiar Thai dishes and while the crab wouldn’t have been a very spicy dish anyway the southern sweetness was quite apparent..

It became even more obvious in the green papaya salad ($35). This was an interpretation of the famously spicy dish som tam. It was not even slightly spicy. The chillies were simply not there. Now I have to confess, I am a great lover of the real Mccoy, and without the chilli it took a few mouthfuls to get used to.

But it was still an interesting dish. It will never replace the spicy version in my affection but not everyone likes chilli and with those people in mind this is a perfectly acceptable adaptation.

The main course was chicken curry baked in pastry ($68). This was a delicious coconuty yellow curry served in a chicken shaped clay pot with a layer of filo pastry on top. I’d thought about ordering some roti but along with the chunks of chicken there were chunks of potato. Combined with the pastry itself, it was quite filling enough.

Dessert was the only disappointment. I’d ordered the baked apple roll with ice cream and pandanas sauce ($28) and while the ice cream and pandanus sauce were fine the apple roll itself was rather tired and uninspiring and completely lacking in flavour.

But even without the dessert this restaurant is good value for money and a great Thai option for those that don’t like it so hot.

This is one of a number of restaurants that have 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 naan 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.

I spotted Cafe Ola a few months ago, but as it’s hidden down a side lane in Central, promptly forgot about it until a friend suggested an early dinner after work. Wing Wo Street runs down the side of the Cosco buildings, between Queen’s Road and Des Voeux Road - Cafe Ola is near the Des Voeux end.

Inside, everything is very relaxed and homey - some of the owner’s old album covers line the walls, and we passed a couple of happy minutes trying to remember whether we’d owned the same ones. There was a small TV going in the corner, but no worries - the sound was switched off! I thought this looked a promising venue for watching football, but didn’t check out the cable situation.

There’s usually a couple of tables out in the lane (comfortingly clean), with businessmen having a couple of beers after work, and at these prices (all bottled lagers $20, Boddingtons $28), why not? House wine starts at $25 per glass for Agua Negra from Argentina, which of course I had to try - it was even drinkable. Bottles are available at prices up to $380 for top-of-the-range.

Every day they have a choice of 4 dishes with the set dinner menu at a bargain price. On the evening we went, the set included a starter of grilled duck breast with salad leaves, a soup (ours was pumpkin, a little thin, but obviously home-made and creamy), dessert, and coffee/tea.

I ordered the rack of lamb (medium rare) for my main ($118 for the set), which came with little roasted tomatoes, broccoli and potatoes. The meat itself was a little gristly, but it was cooked to perfection with ‘rosemary scent & demi-glace’ sauce. My friend had the chicken breast, which arrived with chestnut mash (yummy) and similar vegetables.

We decided to share desserts. Choices included chocolate mousse, but we selected tiramisu, and lime sorbet, as we were feeling a little full by this time. The sorbet came with a little stick of chocolate, and was inexplicably creamy - tasty though. The tiramisu, however, was disappointingly solid, and lacking in flavour.

Unfortunately, on the night we were there, the coffee machine was out of order, so we scuttled out after a relaxing hour. We had spent only $298 between two of us, and when the ever-cheery owner said come back soon, it actually sounded like he meant it!

This place produces very reasonable food at bargain prices, and I certainly intend to make myself a regular.

The new branch of Cafe O is at 285 Queens Road Central. That’s just at the bottom of Ladder Street so if you’ve had a gruelling afternoon shopping for antiques in Cat Street and environs it’s a perfect place to take the weight off your feet and enjoy a long cool smoothie.

I hadn’t been antique shopping, I was in that neck of the woods for other reasons but I decided to make a detour and have a late lunch.

Approaching from the Sheung Wan side it seems at first to be rather an unusual location but looking at it from the other side then it could be seen as leading the charge in Noho’s relentless expansion towards Sheung Wan.

The restaurant takes up the ground and first floor with simple but sleek decor There are numerous computer terminals and the premises are wi-fi enabled, so you need never be a moment away from your e-mail or your favourite websites. Upstairs there is a balcony where you can sit outside and overlook Queens Road.

Cafe O opens at seven in the morning but late risers will be pleased to note that breakfast is served all day. The idea of having breakfast for lunch did cross my mind. The Triple O, which includes three eggs, hash browns, mushrooms bacon and sausage for $78, and the Othello; Australian beef hamburger with crispy bacon and mozzarella on a home made bun for $98 were both tempting.

The breakfast menu also included pancakes and organic muesli. But I was there for a late lunch and the longer I remained undecided the later it was getting.

Looking at the items in the display counter I noticed something that, whilst it didn’t really look like a Cornish pasty, it certainly made me think of them. This was called a Calzone ($42), a pizza that has been folded so that the crust is on the outside and the topping has become a filling. I ordered one.

There was a vegetarian option but I went for the herbed chicken with vegetables. I also ordered some cheezy potatoes ($32), potato wedges with melted mozzarella and sprinkled with chilli and paprika. To wash it all down I ordered a Blue Energy. This is a blend of banana, orange and blueberry juice.

While I waited I looked at the other pizza options on the menu. Cafe O makes pizza by the metre. A full metre will cost $178, half metre cost $98 and are great for sharing but it is also possible to buy an individual portion for $42. The basic topping are all quite simple; home made pesto, tomato and basil and fresh mushroom are just a few. Onto these you can add as many or as few topping as you heart desires.

The calzone was quite tasty, it didn’t fill me up as much as a conventional pizza would, which was helpful because it turned out to be larger than it had appeared in the counter. The cheesy potatoes were a tad dry and might have benefitted from a little butter, though it’s a small complaint and one that I’m sure could have been easily addressed had I got up to ask.

The Blue Energy was delicious. Made entirely from fresh ingredients and nothing else. The banana blended wonderfully with the orange and blueberry to give a taste that was still tangy but neither too sharp nor too sweet.

So impressed was I with the juice I decided I couldn’t leave without trying a smoothie as well. I plumped for the Brain Wave. This is a combination of pineapple, kiwi, mint and ginger mixed with a pineapple sorbet and was every bit as good as the juice. The juices and smoothies come in two sizes $29 and $36.

There is also a range of teas, herbal teas and coffee available as well as a selection of wines and beers

It was a balmy evening. I couldn’t feel the breeze but there must have been one because the leaves on the tree above were moving. Behind me was the sound of a fountain splashing and from somewhere else a clock chimed seven. A waiter glided over with a bread basket and menu, another one lit the candle on my table.

I love the twilight, the light has finished but the dark has not yet begun. I was wallowing in the atmosphere. Another waiter approached carrying bottles. I was wallowing and not paying attention.

“I’ll have a look at the menu before I decide on wine’, I said. “No, no”, he replied, “would you like olive oil for the bread?” I sat up and looked at the bottles. They didn’t look anything like wine bottles really but, as I said, I wasn’t paying attention. “Oh, yes please,” I said, “and some balsamic vinegar”.

I dunked a large corner of focaccia bread into the oil and watched as a young couple stopped briefly on the steps for a little hug. Italy does that, it brings out the romantic in you, and whilst this certainly wasn’t Italy, it was about as close as you can get to it on the MTR.

I turned my attention to the menu. It was varied and interesting and, as usual in such circumstances, the temptation to over-order is great. Sea scallop stuffed ravioli ($188), and Sangiovese marinated rabbit stew with home-made pasta ($178) were both intriguing but I’d ruled out pasta. Folded pizza with melted soft crescenza cheese and parma ham ($148) also sounded intriguing but I’d ruled out pizza as well. Pasta and Pizza are best shared but, despite the romantic setting, there was only me.

I did fancy some parma ham though, so I ordered some with a basil leaf salad and buffalo mozzarella cheese ($138). As one waiter left with my order another one arrived carrying a small dish, “mushroom risotto” he explained as he put it down. It was about the size of a five dollar coin but it set off a little explosion of flavour that left me feeling very hungry indeed and thinking that perhaps I should have ordered a pizza after all.

I ordered a glass of glass of Pinot Grigio and dived back into the bread basket in search of something to mop up more olive oil. The starter I’d ordered was one of the simpler dishes on the menu, nevertheless it was very satisfying. I wolfed it down in no time and was very tempted to continue my assault on the bread basket, but I didn’t want to spoil my appetite before the main course arrived.

There was, of course, much to choose from on the menu. Pistachio crusted lamb chops with mint infused olive oil ($268) caught my eye as did the Australian black Angus beef with myrtle and raisin. But it was the seared tuna with black pepper on an eggplant puree topped with candied onions and citrus ($258) that won my heart. It was delicious, the tuna was very fresh and tender and the portion was generous.

I tried to take it slowly, to savour every mouthful but all too soon, it seemed, I was staring at an empty plate. Though I have to confess I was glad that I hadn’t ordered the pizza. The clock chimed eight, I decided to wait a few minutes before ordering dessert.

At this point the waiter produced another delightful surprise. Grapes that had been marinated in grappa for seven days, and served in a glass of grappa. It was a wonderful touch but I wanted to save them for last.

For dessert I ordered caramelized apple and puff pastry with honey grappa sauce and vanilla ice cream followed by coffee. The dessert was very nice but it was the grapes that took the curtain call.

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

G/F 33 Wing Wo Street
Sheung Wan
Hong Kong
Tel 2851 0012

Shop 1, 51-59 Bonham Strand
Sheung Wan
Hong Kong
Tel 2545 6663

G/F 11 Queen’s Road West
Sheung Wan
Hong Kong
Tel 2858 0033

G/F 10 Mercer Street
Sheung Wan
Hong Kong
Tel 2581 9777
Fax 2581 9776

G/F 148 Welington Street
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2851 5040

5/F The Pemberton
22-26 Bonham Strand
Sheung Wan
Hong Kong
Tel 2854 1801

G/F Chao’s Building
143-145 Bonham Strand
Sheung Wan
Hong Kong
Tel 2850 7766
Fax 2850 7997

G/F 108 Hollywood Road
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2525 3454
Fax 2525 3455

Shop 201, 2/F Grand Millenium Plaza
181 Queen’s Road
Sheung Wan
Hong Kong
Tel 3184 0505

Shop228-230 Shun Tak Center
200 Connaught Road
Sheung Wan
Hong Kong
Tel 2858 0788
Fax 2857 6211

Shop 294-295 2/F Shun Tak Centre
Connaught Road
Sheung Wan
Hong Kong
Tel 2540 8228

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

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

G/F 1, Rumsey Street
Sheung Wan
Hong Kong
Tel 2815 1713
Fax 2815 2713

G/F 17 Po Yan Street
Sheung Wan
Hong Kong
Tel 2530 3880

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

108 Hollywood Road
Sheung Wan
Hong Kong
Tel 2980 3535

G/F Ramada HongKong Hotel
304-314 Des Voeux Road West
Hong Kong
Tel 2857 6268
Fax 2857 6168

14 On Wo Lane
Sheung Wan
Hong Kong
Tel 2152 2121

G/F 79 Jervois Street
Sheung Wan
Hong Kong
Tel 2851 7737

G/F 105-107 Wing Lok Street
Sheung Wan
Hong Kong
Tel 9139 7762

1-3/F Mandarin Building
35 Bonham Strand
Sheung Wan
Hong Kong
Tel 2854 9388

16 Gilman’s Bazaar
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2850 8371

7 On Tai Street
Sheung Wan
Hong Kong
Tel 2805 2626
Fax 2805 1222

2/F Western Market
323 Des Voeux Road
Sheung Wan
Hong Kong
Tel 2815 2311

99 Wellington Street
Sheung Wan
Hong Kong
Tel 2545 0022
Fax 2545 0077

1-2/F Tung Ning Building
249-253 Des Voeux Road
Sheung Wan
Hong Kong
Tel 2739 2338

G/F 338 Queen’s Road Central
Sheung Wan
Hong Kong
Tel 2815 8448
Fax 2815 3340

287-291 Des Voeux Road Central
Sheung Wan
Hong Kong
Tel 2850 6722
Fax 2851 8657

38 Bonham Strand
Sheung Wan
Hong Kong
Tel 2850 6380

119-121 Connaught Road
Sheung Wan
Hong Kong
Tel 2544 0007

7 On Tai Street
Sheung Wan
Hong Kong
Tel 2815 8879
Fax 2815 8876

G/F 88 Jervois Street
Sheung Wan
Hong Kong
Tel 2541 9090
Fax 2541 9080

G/F Shop A-B Yardley Commercial Building
New Market Street
Sheung Wan
Hong Kong
Tel 2542 4788

1/F Blissful Building
247 Des Voeux Road
Sheung Wan
Hong Kong
Tel 2542 2339

6/F The Pemberton
Bonham Strand
Sheung Wan
Hong Kong
Tel 2544 6333

79 Bonham Strand East
Sheung Wan
Hong Kong
Tel 2815 4388
Fax 8207 1604

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

G & 1/F, 285 Queens Road Central
Sheung Wan
Hong Kong

Rm A&B, 1/F Finance Building
254 Des Voeux Road Central
Sheung Wan
Hong Kong
Tel 2851 2130
Fax 2851 2132

G/F 13 Gough Street
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2877 1772
Fax 2877 1803

G/F 108 Hollywood Road
Central
Hong Kong
Tel 2525 3444
Fax 2525 3445

1/F Cheung’s Building
1-3 Wing Lok Street
Sheung Wan
Hong Kong
Tel 2850 5075
Fax 2850 5844