Pizza Maru

Fun mix-up between Pizza Hut-ish fuel pizza that is a heart attack waiting to happen, and solid Korean Fried Chicken.

Fried Chicken was a mix of plain original and sweet and spicy sauce. We had a Pizza "Margherita", which came with pepperoni. A welcome addition. Though not as adventurous as other flavors like bulgogi beef amongst other East Asian "delights" (shrimp, pineapple etc). Final dish was dukbokki carbonara.

The pizza was delicious in the Pizza Hut with friends, no holds barred "I'm in a mall" fun way. Rather than having cheese stuffed into the very end of the crust a la Pizza Hut, cheese was stuffed in all the way with every bite and gooey. And there was plenty of it. Sauce was well proportioned.

Korean Fried Chicken was  crispy on the outside and tender and moist on the inside. Nothing eye-catching, but simple and well executed. Skip the dukbokki carbonara; it's not bad but nothing special, either.

Credit Cards Accepted

150-300 HKD/person

13/F Hysan Place
500 Hennessy Rd
Causeway Bay

銅鑼灣軒尼詩道500號希慎廣場13樓

2318 1012

Palace (四合院)

Authentic and wallet-friendly Northern Chinese and Sichuanese joint in the heart of Wanchai seemingly unnoticed by non-Chinese. Often a line out the door at dinner times. Cozy place that seats maybe 20-25. Claims to be Sichuanese but has the Chinese name for a courtyard house, found in old school Beijing neighborhoods called Hutongs. Serves Northern Chinee and Sichuanese fare and does well at both.

Shui Zhu Yu (pictured below), the fiery numbing traditional fish and noodles in a spicy broth was a strong effort but not on par with nearby Yuchuan Club, but did not leave anyone complaining...or hungry.  Di San Xian, a classic Northeastern dish consisting of stir fried eggplant, potato and peppers was cooked beautifully and would not feel out of place in any kitchen in Northeast China. Suan la tudou si, another northeastern Chinese dish of sour and spicy shredded potatoes was more on the sour side with a slight kick, as in most places; potatoes were slightly crisp and served slightly below room temperature. Lovely.

Cash Only

100-200 HKD/person;

G/F Hundred City Centre
7-17 Amoy Street
Wanchai

灣仔廈門街7-17號百旺都大廈地下A舖

3791 2206

Chez Moi

Previously well known restaurant when it was on Arbuthnot Road in Central, which is now hidden in the upper floors of Causeway Bay's Bartlock Centre (home to Si Jie and Japanese Whiskey Bar, b.a.r Executive Bar).

Appetizers sampled consisted of Foie Gras, Sauteed Chanterelles with Garlic and Tomato (pictured); both were delicious while the Tuna Nicoise was tasty but not outstanding. Specifically, the Chanterelles were beautifully cooked, and had a firm texture to the bite and was well complemented by a light, yet flavorful sauce. Following a palate cleansing fruit sorbet were the mains. Both steaks, which came with a red wine sauce, were ordered medium rare and perfectly cooked. However, the Australian "Wagyu M7" was more tender and offered far more flavor than the American Dry-Aged Sirloin Steak. The Lamb Rack, ordered medium rare, was more on the rare side, which was a disappointment, though the flavoring was there. Desserts, which consisted of a Bread Pudding with Ice Cream as well as a Baked Yogurt Cake were both delicious. The former had the moist texture one would expect from a well executed bread pudding but was not overly rich. Service was swift but friendly and never rushed.

Cash Only, Reservations Recommended; Free Corkage

500-800 HKD/person; No Service Charge included

21/F Bartlock Centre
3 Yiu Wah Street
Causeway Bay


銅鑼灣耀華街3號百樂中心21樓

2881 1929

Sabor

Dinner seemed to progressively get better as each course went on; a number of very well executed dishes with no real disappointments. Choice of two set menus with substitutions allowed for those with dietary restrictions.

Upon arrival, were served the classic Pan con Tomate. First course was Portabello Mushroom Benedict. Not sure how Spanish that is, but all components were well executed, the Egg perfectly cooked and the right amount of sauce and the Portabello soft but chewy in texture adding contrast. Standout dishes included the Crispy Suckling Pork, which was soft and tender on the inside with crispy skin on the outside and star dish of the night was the Squid stuffed with Rice and Pork covered in Squid Ink (pictured, apologies for the bad quality of photo). Seafood paella didn't stand out, though was finished quickly and with no complaints. Clams in Fish Sauce were fresh and the sauce delicately balanced. Grilled Cuttlefish with Green Alioli was nice given the freshness of the fish, though nothing particularly memorable. Garlic Shrimp and Chorizo in Apple Cider were tasty but nothing special. The Ham Croquette was perfectly crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Desserts were a Catalan Cream Pudding that was nearly fought over and a cup of Tiramisu served with mixed berry ice cream, which was more pedestrian. Overall a thoroughly enjoyable meal with friendly service, intimate setting and free corkage. 

Credit Cards Accepted and Reservations Required; Free Corkage

500-800 HKD/person

Room 601, 6/F Cheung's Building
1-3 Wing Lok Street
Sheung Wan

上環永樂街1-3號世瑛大廈6樓601室 

2481 8828

Chibee

Contender for the best Korean Fried Chicken that I've had in Hong Kong. The space has a cozy feeling, cheerful staff and an interesting menu.

Across two visits, tried Creamy Pesto Korean Fried Chicken, Onion Fried Chicken as well as the Sweet Spicy Korean Fried Chicken, Kimchi Cheese Fries and finished with the Carbonara Dukbokki. Both times, chicken pieces were boneless and perfectly fried. Crisp on the outside, juicy and tender on the inside and thickly coated enough so that drenching in the sauces did not make them soggy. Though it seemed odd (Korean and pesto?) the pesto cream worked. The sweet and spicy sauce is what one would expect at a quality Korean Fried Chicken place with a touch more tang to it. Onion Chicken was more plain, accompanied by raw onions slices and two sauces, a sweet and sour (think American Chinese) and a lemon sauce. Both did the trick but the clear winner was the Sweet Spicy Korean Fried Chicken.

Feeling adventurous, opted for the Carbonara Dukbokki and Kimchi Cheese Fries. Dukbokki was perfectly cooked, firm to the touch but chewy to the bite. The sauce, thicker than an authentic carbonara was well flavored with a bit more oomph and bacon flavor to stand up to the thick noodles. Fries were cooked perfectly but was nothing special.

For those at the end of (or in the middle of) a big night, Chibee is open until 2AM

Credit Cards Accepted. Reservations suggested at peak dinner hours.

HKD 200 - 400

7/F, Circle Plaza, 499 Hennessy Road, Causeway Bay
銅鑼灣軒尼詩道499號永光商業大廈7樓

2838 5777

Kozy Okonomi-yaki Teppan-yaki

A great and overlooked late-night hangout. Open until 4am, last order at 3:30am. Cozy atmosphere, has a large counter seating about 10 facing the teppan, or iron griddle, where the cooks make their magic. Menu somewhat limited and not particularly vegetarian friendly. Started out with cheese omelet, eggs cooked to perfect texture with cheese. Gooey and stretchy but not overly so. A nice but uninspiring starter. Main hits were the filet steak with fried garlic slices, which was cooked perfectly and served atop some toast. Hint: don't eat the toast with the steak. The waitstaff will take the toast away and then dress it with a variety of sauces, the remaining garlic, melted cheese and slice it up into pieces. A perfect post-steak snack. Main draw is the Okonomiyaki, a popular dish in Osaka that is essentially a pancake that sits on top of or among eggs, meat and cabbage. It can, but does not always contain cheese, green onions, fried noodles, bonito flakes or a host of other things. Okonomiyaki is a meal of its own or a great late night bite after a night out... To top it all off, beers are HKD 38 for draft, which is a bargain in this part of town and a great way to start (or end) the night.

Credit Cards accepted. Reservations suggested, though probably not needed.

HKD 250 - 500

9/F, Circle Plaza, 499 Hennessy Road, Causeway Bay
銅鑼灣軒尼詩道499號永光商業大廈9樓

2591 1281

Bella Vita

To date, best steak to be found in Causeway Bay (far better than Wooloomooloo Prime on Tang Lung Street and the consistently mediocre Manzo in Times Square). Seemingly hidden in plain view despite being situated in the Cubus. Starter was a primo, splitting a Papardelle Ragu. Perfectly cooked pasta and tender ragu. Main was a Fiorentina Porterhouse for two with sides of Asparagus and Roast Potatoes. Of the sides, the former was expertly cooked, with snap to the bite but not crunchy (ie. raw); the latter was, sadly, quite pedestrian. The steak itself was cooked a perfectly medium rare and flavorful. We were too full for dessert. Wine list well stocked and those by the glass, though very limited in number and expensive, are well chosen and tasty. Finally, good service, waitstaff attentive but not hovering. Currently, the place to go if one is in CWB and needs a steak fix.

Credit Cards accepted. Reservations suggested, though probably not needed

HKD 500 and up 

11/F Cubus, 1 Hoi Ping Road, Causeway Bay
銅鑼灣開平道1號Cubus11樓

2577 0699

Silver Room

Note – Have now eaten dinner here which is just as tasty but more expensive. Review based on a number of weekday lunches over past few weeks.

Legit contender for best pasta in HK. Décor somewhat industrial and minimalist in feel. Choices for lunch, are sets. 2 courses, starting with soup or salad and with a main of pasta or a type of protein. Salad is typically fresh mixed greens, cherry tomatoes and fresh mozzarella with a dash of olive oil. Soup changes by the day but has never been a disappointment. Both soup and salad served with a piece of bread. Pasta, often spaghetti, is cooked perfectly al-dente, every time. Sauces are authentic and homestyle Italian. Repeat hits have included Spaghetti Marinara, a simple yet very easy to screw up sauce which is balanced well and salted perfectly with a combination of salt and parmasean cheese. Spaghetti Amatriciana is beautifully balanced with proper use of guanciale (cured pork cheek), tomatoes, pecorino cheese and olive oil. Only tried dessert once, a berry crumble which was nice, but nothing to scream home about (add 20 HKD). Coffee or tea included in the lunch set.

Credit Cards accepted.

HKD 120 - 200 (lunch)
HKD 350 - 700 (dinner)

G/F, 16 Tsing Fung Street, Tin Hau
天后清風街16號地舖 

3995 8988

A La Maison or now "A LA Maison XXL Seafood and Grill"

Until last week a decent French-ish place in Tin Hau. Plush sofas, with red and black interior design. In a two day renovation, this place became a sort of continental-looking hip-ish joint. Lightly played music that would be home on a 1990s catwalk and a projected slogan on the wall stating "We serve quality with quantity" was no joke. Strong beer list and very un-French, but continental food. Emphasis on fresh meat and seafood in large quantity. Raw oysters were salty and fresh, origin unknown/unstated. The fish cakes took a page out of Macanese cuisine had a lovely filling but the outer shell could be a tad more crispy. Star of the night was lamb skewer (below). Fresh, juicy, perfectly cooked with a healthy side of fries, grilled pineapple and cherry tomatoes. Nearby seafood platters also looked fresh and portion sizes very generous. A place to go with a group of friends. Perfect for drinks and a nibble or a long lingering meal.

Credit Cards accepted.
HKD 250 - 500 per person

Shop F & G, 18 Jupiter Street, Tin Hau
天后木星街18號地下F-G舖
 2510 0123

Saravanaa Bhavan

Sadly beaten to the punch by HK Mag and the good folks at "fuck yeah noms" but have to review since South Indian food is generally under-covered and underrated in HK.

In short - we have a new winner. Best South Indian food in town.  Saravanaa Bhavan is a Chennai-based chain of quick service restaurants serving South Indian Vegetarian food throughout India and has a presence in a number of countries. Hong Kong is its newest outlet outside of India.

Did two trips to this place (within 2 days).

Day 1: Dinner: Started with Mango Lassi and Filter Coffee. Both high quality, authentic. Latter came with traditional South Indian style tea crockery. Plain Dosa and Tomato, Chili and Onion Uttapam, best I've had in HK and like being in South India. Dosa crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside with HK's best (and most authentic) sambar, also served with 3 chutneys (coconut, tomato and chili). Uttapam (see pic on earlier Woodlands review here) much heavier and served with same sambar and chutneys. Perfect to share.

Day 2: Lunch. Vegetable paratas served with "spiced potatoes" (hint its the "masala" that's served in a Masala Dosa) and a sort of vegetable curry. Parathas flexible, but strong enough to full grasp potatoes and not get too soggy when immersed in the curry. Highlight was "Special Meal" which came with a healthy serving of rice, 2 Puris a number of curries including sambar, rasam, a number of other vegetable curries, a few curds and a little Indian dessert. A lot of food and for 90 HKD. In India this is called a "Thali" or "Meal" and is typically eaten for lunch. Ended with Mango Lassi and Special Milk Tea. Lassi as good as Day 1, Tea was Indian style Chai but nothing special, stick with the Filter Coffee.

Credit cards accepted
HKD 75 -  HKD 150 per person

4/F.,Ashley Centre , 23-25 Ashley Road, Tsim Sha Tsui 
尖沙咀亞士厘道23-25號雅士利中心4樓

2736 1127

Muslim Meal

Figured that I was almost done with these. Apparently I have a few left (one more after this to come and that's it. I swear).

Cathay Pacific describes this meal as " Containing no pork and pig by-products, gelatine, non-white fish meat from species without scales or fins, alcohol and flavouring extracts with alcohol"

In other words, expect something South Asian, I did and was not too disappointed. Although I was seated in Business (hooray upgrade!), aside from the plating/cutlery, don't think main dish different than what would have been served in Economy. Chicken boneless, juicy, flavorful and a touch spicy. Rice typical, a tad dry and over-spiced, but ok when combined with chicken or okra. Okra a bit heavy/stodgy and heavily salted but edible. Fruit and dessert from Business Class provided and very nice (but we all knew they would be). Overall could do Muslim meal again.

Date of travel: 25 April 2015

Flight: CX 635 HKG (Hong Kong) - SIN (Singapore)

Daju Bhai

Friendly Nepalese owners and staff welcoming and there's always Indian tv playing in the background. This time it was the ongoing Cricket World Cup (India had beaten Pakistan handily). Menu is unsurprisingly a mix of Indian and Nepalese food.

Chicken momos were solid, nothing special. Garlic naan, ditto, likewise butter chicken (in other words, tasty). Avoid chicken tikka masala here. It's a different version and not up to scratch. Real reason for write-up is the chicken 65 here. Chicken 65 is a South Indian dish. Originally from Chennai, it's spicy usually boneless pieces of chicken deep fried. Usually an appetizer or a quick snack, it's timeless. Have yet to find it in HK, until I stumbled across Daju Bhai and it's why I go back. Chicken is slightly crispy on the outside, moist and juicy on the inside, and is spicy and full of flavor. Garnish of curry leaves only helps add to the flavor.  For those wanting to drink, there is a full bar, beers (including Nepalese) and seemingly a strong selection of pretty cheap Indian whisky (you've been warned)...

Credit cards accepted
HKD 100 - HKD 200 per person 

Flat E, G/F., Wing Lee Building, 32-40 Spring Garden Lane, Wanchai
灣仔春園街32-38號榮利樓地下E舖

2982 6177

Child Meal

Only requested this meal once, but CX applied it on both flights. Quick verdict - so much potential to be "good" but an ultimate disappointment. Use of fun colored plastic cutlery and swirly straw with attached fish kind of cute; niece ended up loving it as a present. Kids can be so easy to spoil.

Dinner 

Appetizer of macaroni and white sauce. Mistakenly thought it was cheese. Mac n' Cheese would have been incredible for flight kids food. Alas, white sauce appeared to be mayo based and pasta cold. Bland, tasteless dish. Sigh. Main a soft/soggy fish fillet on a bed of steamed corn/peas/carrots and standard dry flavorless mashed potatoes. A US-style chicken tender/finger would have been more appropriate. Dessert was a sweet and tasty mango mousse/pudding.

Breakfast

A sugar fest. What better way to have kids bouncing off the walls of a confined metal tube on a late night/early morning flight? Main of a thick french toast slice surrounded by pineapple papaya pieces. Use of real maple syrup would have made it a win. French toast and fruit were soaked in it... Fruit dish pieces of overripe/past it watermelon and some nice papaya. Standard Nestle strawberry yogurt (more sugar). Funny dessert/addition of some kind of "vegetarian" (read: no egg) marble cake. Was dense and not too tasty. Juice standard out of the carton stuff. More sugar.

 

Date of travel:  January 2015

Dinner Flight: CX 631 HKG (Hong Kong) - MAA (Chennai)

Breakfast Flight: CX 632 MAA (Chennai) - HKG (Hong Kong)

TaKorea

A new "KoMex" (Korean Mexican) kind of place. Nearly hidden basement joint near the intersection of Wellington St and Pottinger St. Seating limited to 25-30 people or so, and still ironing out wrinkles. Big lunch crowd and staff quick to say food might take some time (staff estimate of 25 - 30 minutes, food showed up in 15). 

Ordered beef tacos, chicken tacos and Kimchi fries with beef. Beef in tacos was well marinated and tender and was accompanied by ample sliced garlic and significant amounts of sliced spicy green chilies on a bed of mixed greens, all of which masked the beef or deadened the flavor. Need some kind of sauce to spruce it up, over reliance on green chilies for strong flavor. Chicken tacos better, consisted of small pieces of Korean Fried Chicken in a sauce, with sliced green chilies and mixed greens. Better, but more chicken would have been welcome for taste and texture. So why am I posting? Well, the Kimchi fries (pictured below) were incredible. Fries perfectly cooked, crisp, and topped with cheese, sour cream, sliced green chilies (notice a pattern?), Korean chili sauce (think bibimbap red sauce), kimchi and with marinated cubes of beef (same flavor as in the beef tacos). Best to see if you can order the fries without the beef or beef without the fries. Both tasty but don't mix well. Ate each separately (moving beef to the side) and was one happy camper.

Cash and Octopus accepted
HKD 100 - HKD 150 per person 
B/F, 55 Wellington Street, Central
中環威靈頓街55號地庫
2362 1999

Djiboutii

Name is not a typo. Newly opened and hidden down a tiny alley off of Landale Street in Wanchai. Intimate, cozy cocktail bar serving some interesting and tasty, interesting cocktails as well as some great food. Run by some amiable Italians. Food menu is small and Mediterranean influenced with some salads, kebab skewers, rotisserie chicken and sides such as grilled haloumi and dips such as hummus/baba ganoush with zaatar flatbread.

Grilled haloumi, "Djiboutii Naan" and mixed grill platter were sampled.  Haloumi grilled perfectly, soft but chewy in texture mixed beautifully with tomato jam and naan bread. Definitely wanted seconds. "Djiboutii Naan" (1st picture) was the same bread as served with the haloumi, but stuffed with a beautifully spiced onion and potato filling. Was finished in minutes. Skewers (second picture) sadly inconsistent (2/3 were good). Beef skewer was overcooked and dry buy fried fish cutlet was fried beautifully, crispy on outside, soft, moist and flavorful on the inside. Chicken, taken from rotisserie, was soft and juicy, with crispy skin. Accompanying salad was crisp with nice dressing. Accompanied by some dips including a sweet tomato sauce and a capsicum dip. Latter was impressive.

 

Cash, Credit Cards accepted (V/MC)
HKD 100 - HKD 200 per person 

G/F., 2A Landale Street, Wan Chai
灣仔蘭杜街2號地下A舖

9449 0777

http://www.djiboutii.squarespace.com/

Raw Vegetarian Meal

Dinner


No awards for guessing that it would be.. well...raw vegetables and fruit. Cucumbers in both the main and appetizer were crisp and fresh tasting. In the main, the bell peppers also held up to standard. Tomato slices slimy, flavorless and lacking anything redeemable. We still can't seem to get tomatoes right in America... Fruit platter of mixed quality. Grapes plump and ripe, but melon and canteloupe not ripe, cut way too early. Pineapple was ok.

 Breakfast 

Fruit plate same as dinner. Okra pieces sadly tasted of some sort of chemicals, (or is that how unflavored/unripe stuff tastes?). Celery was crispy and fresh other bed of veggies likewise. Although not ideal, a step up from dinner. Creme de la creme of the course was a dessert of applesauce. Glorious memories of being a grade school kid...

Date of travel:  December 2014

Flight: CX 899 EWR (Newark) - HKG (Hong Kong)

Vegetarian Vegan Meal

Lunch

Very solid. Baked beans tasty, almost like one would have at a hotel breakfast. Mixed well with mashed potatoes, which were decent. steamed carrots and zucchini still somewhat crisp. All pretty plain, as expected (no salt/pepper etc). No salt/pepper was provided. Cucumber and tomato salad was fresh, accented nicely with lemon wedge squeeze. Standard grain roll with imitation veggie spread/margarine. Dessert tofu (lower right side) standard packaged sweet stuff.

Dinner

A repeat of lunch's quality - very impressed. No idea why I was given OJ and AJ as beverages, never asked for them. Note the two green tags. One says Vegan, the other says Vegetarian Lacto-Ovo (includes dairy and eggs), so not complimentary... hmm. A word of caution for the strict Vegans, perhaps? Main also lacked salt/pepper or added flavors. Fritatta/quiche/ whatever nicely balanced with mushrooms and spinach. Good texture. Grilled squash and eggplant a nice compliment with porridge/cream of wheat and red pepper. Fruit salad fresh and crisp. Cantaloupe and water melon pieces better than melon pieces. Standard roll and imitation vegetable spread or margarine as in lunch, ditto sweet tofu. Didn't touch either.

Date of travel:  November 2014

Flight: CX 806 HKG (Hong Kong) - ORD (Chicago O'Hare)

Pausa

New take-out place with limited seating in Wanchai where BeautiFood used to be. Go for gelato (pictured below). Best I've had in Hong Kong, and soft serve. Co-founder Francesco gave me a small sample when I was trying pizza and got me hooked. Flavors change daily. At HKD 53 for a small cup (cone is HKD 40), not cheap, but worth it and time it takes to prepare. Gelato creamy, flavorful, not too heavy. Bottom of cup had some biscuit-like crumbles, with gelato layered on top, then a layer of honey/syrup and cornflakes, then another layer of gelato, topped with some mixed nuts (peanuts and pistachios?) and a chunk of strawberry. Epic stuff. Like OMG.

Otherwise, mainly does take out foods, Italian-style "pizza al taglio" (essentially by the slice), focaccia, pasta (made ready in 5 minutes). Pizza crust bread-y almost Sicilian in thickness, quality of the sauce and cheese good. Ok, and for a snack and friendly enough on the wallet. Have not had pasta or focaccia.  

Cash/Octopus, Credit Cards accepted (V/MC - I think) 
HKD 30 - HKD 100 per person 

G/F, J Senses 60 Johnston Road, Wanchai (Across from Ham & Sherry)
灣仔莊士敦道60號J Sense 地下3號舖(船街入口)
2523 4168

http://www.pausa.com

Vegetarian Oriental Meal

Dinner

What is Vegetarian Oriental? Well I figured it would be East Asian food but with no meat. Apparently Cathay takes a more strict definition: "Vegetarian food prepared in Chinese style, along with fruits and vegetables.  No meat, poultry, fish, seafood, eggs, dairy products, roots or bulbous vegetables including ginger, garlic, onion, spring onions, etc." - Seems more strict that the Jain Meal.

 

We have a winner for the 3rd best airline special meal (a tie with BA's Kosher Meal). Main of imitation Char Siu (HK-style Roast Pork) on top of fried bee hoon (rice vermicilli). Tofu Char Siu tasted nothing of pork, but not objectionable, bee hoon almost al dente and nice to the bite, Chinese veggie soaked in sauce nothing special. Thoroughly enjoyable bee hoon. Veggie salad of mushrooms and baby corn, latter being nice and crisp and seemed heavily flavored of ginger (despite restriction?). Mushrooms better than corn. Dessert was the treat. Sort of Pandan tapioca pudding with coconut cream on top. Awesome dessert all around.

 

 

 

 

 

Date of travel: 21 September 2014

Flight: CX 734 SIN (Singapore) - HKG (Hong Kong

Vegetarian Lacto Ovo Meal

Breakfast

What is Vegetarian Lacto Ovo? Cathay Pacific defines the meal as having:  food high in protein, iron and calcium, along with dairy products, eggs and vegetarian-type of cheese (without rennet).

 

Eggs clearly the powder-mix stuff meh. Steamed veggies on right side pretty nice some added salt did the. The potatoes on the left were soggy. Fruit up top was ripe and crisp. Nothing too special overall, but nothing to really complain about.

 

 

Date of travel: 17 September 2014

Flight: CX 691 HKG (Hong Kong) - SIN (Singapore)