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Reviews of Hong Kong restaurants & bars
The Anti-Atkin’s
Hongkongers have a healthy relationship with carbs and sugar – don’t tell us to lay off the instant noodles or mango pudding. This wouldn’t be the dining destination it is without rice, pasta, noodles, and enough sweet stuff to make your dentist cry.
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Bacon and cheese scones at Bar of Soup
It’s a bit pricey for a bite or two of what is essentially flour and shortening ($20). But two bites are all you need, so filling, homely and rich are their bacon and cheese scones. 37 Staunton St, Soho, 2522 2595.
Crispy bun with honey, fresh lemon juice and butter at Shing Heung Yuen Café
This is toast with condensed milk reinvented, as fresh lemon juice and honey flavour a warm crispy bun. A simple dish, but one that will enliven your tea break ($8). 2 Mei Lun St, Central, 2544 8368.
Capricciosa pizza at Simpatico
The scent of fresh bread pumping out of Simpatico’s oven is enough to draw anyone with a passion for pizza into this eatery. But with a crust that is thin and crisp, and a base that is soft and chewy, this is one of the best pizzas we’ve tasted this side of New York. The sauce of fresh tomato is just enough to coat the dough and hold the toppings of this rustic Italian delight: generous helpings of sausage, artichoke, mushroom, and black olives. ($125.) 1/F, Peak Galleria, 118 Peak Rd, The Peak, 2849 0001.
Shoyu ramen at Yachiyo
The hearty bowls of Shoyu ramen ($55) at Yachiyo are pure nori yumminess. Thin slices of char-sui, bamboo shoots, seaweed and mache are laid carefully on top of a soy sauce pork-bone soup base. The noodles are so fresh they bounce back when you bite through them. The Chinese chef here spent time perfecting his craft in Japan – it shows. G/F, 8 On Wo Lane, Sheung Wan, 2815 5766.
Strozzapreti alla norcina con tartufo nero e prosciutto e fave at Isola
Some customers (us) come to Isola for this dish alone. This creamy creation is made with grated Norcia cheese and pasta water, which coat the hand-twisted, tubular pasta (strozzapreti translates as “priest choker” in Italian). The small strips of Parma ham give it the right amount of salt and meat, while the fava beans make sure you’re getting your greens. A generous shaving of black truffle tops off this taste sensation. ($178.) 3/F & 4/F, IFC Mall, 8 Finance St, Central, 2383 8765.
An assorted box of macaroons from Le Gouter Bernardaud
Not only do they look like a box of jewels, they taste like nuggets of luxury too. These one-bite wonders are made with the finest almond powder, egg whites, and two types of sugar. For us, it was all about the light cracking you get when you bite the exterior and the smooth filling in the middle. Choose between 12 flavours including caramel café, olive and earl grey. $110 for a box of eight. 2/F, IFC Mall, 8 Finance St, Central, 2295 3955.
Crunch cake at Sevva
Though we might have our doubts about some things at Sevva (see review, p22), we do l-o-v-e that Bonnie Gokson has resurrected the crunch cake from the old Joyce Café. The comeback cake is as delicious as ever: soft, spongy body, thin layer of sugar-frosting, and crunchy topping. Y-u-m. $350 for a small cake, $600 for a large cake. 25/F, Prince’s Bldg, Central, 2537 1388.
Dofu Fa at Ah Por Tofu Fa (aka Grandma’s Secret)This dessert shop has been in operation for close to 30 years now. Grandma’s Secret does great tofu and other soybean desserts, but ask for ginger-flavoured do fu fa (tofu custard) as it is said to refresh your palette as well as your spirit. Ok, maybe the latter is Lamma hippy folklore. The open-air café serves it every day until the pot runs out. 1 Tai Wan San Tsuen, (Take the path to Hung Shing Yeh Beach), Lamma Island, no phone.
Durian and Thai glutinous rice at Moon Kee (aka Honeymoon Dessert)
Diners have their mix-and-match choices of sweets at Honeymoon Desserts, but we’ve found durian and Thai glutinous rice to be the most delicious combination. It’s the soft and contrasting textures that make this match the perfect complement. ($36.) G/F, 10A-C Po Tung Rd, Sai Kung, 2792 4991.
Hot chocolate at Lobby @ The Peninsula
This rich cuppa is a meal in itself. The thick liquid tastes of real chocolate (not the powdery stuff you get elsewhere) and it is made from a cocoa powder blend that was picked by the executive chef of the Peninsula and other key staff in a blind tasting. Mix in a half pint of cream and you have the tastiest cup of hot chocolate in town. You can even buy a can of the cocoa mix to take home. ($80.) The Peninsula, 1 Salisbury Rd, Tsim Sha Tsui, 2315 3169.
Rose Jam on Warm Scones at Café Causette
Scones with rose jam found its following at the old Mandarin Oriental coffee shop, now reinvented as Café Causette. The chefs left the old favorites on the menu alone after threats by afternoon tea regulars. Each batch of scones comes out warm and ready for a smearing of jam and clotted cream. ($68.) 1/F, Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong, Central, 2825 4005.
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