Hong Kong Restaurants Review

2003-09-21T13:42:00.000+08:00

小南國狀元樓 Xiaonanguo Imperial House (Tel: 2894-8899) is the branch of Central's famous Xiaonanguo Shanghai Restaurant. X- Imperial House is tucked away in Sugar Street in Causeway Bay, right behind Winsor House. The food is just as good and cheaper than its sister shop in Central.

2003-09-21T13:35:00.000+08:00

Seoul Deli (Tel:2659-9899) is a few steps away - towards Central - from the New York Theater on Lockhart Road, Causeway Bay. Genuinely good and cheap Korean food. The place is a bit small but clean.

2003-09-07T21:56:00.000+08:00

My brother and I Took my German friend Dirk and his son Richard to 麻辣小喇叭 La Ba Hot Pot in TST (Tel:2735-3800) for Sichuan hotpot. Dirk usually puts chilli sauce in his curry so I order the super hot soup base for him....he was rather "impressed"! The food here is very fresh and the service impeccable. With beer, the bill came to HK$1100 for 4 hungry men. Hong Kong is getting cheaper!

2003-09-07T21:46:00.000+08:00

菜拾伍功夫菜 Choy Sub Ng Fusion (Tel:2810-7229) is what we call a private dining club 私房菜. There are only 3 tables and the boss is always there. The menu is fusion Shanghainese. Very original! Customers are served 15 dishes. It came to HK$360 each for eight of us men and we left about 1/3 of the meal untouched! Maybe we were all trying to lose weight... Reservation is a must here.

2003-08-24T14:28:00.000+08:00

If you like American country style roast chicken, try "Kenny Rogers Roasters" (Tel: 2915-3183). Great chicken. Great potato salad. Good muffins!

2003-08-24T14:25:00.000+08:00

"Sun" (Tel: 2506-1838) in Times Square is operated by Suntory, the beer company. I think Suntory should stick to making beer! The place is not cheap, the portion is extremely small and the quality of food is average at best. Might as well go to 魚一丁 across the street!

2003-08-02T18:18:00.000+08:00

If you happen to be in Beijing and want to go to a nice place for a drink, try Code Red(Tel:86-10-6507-3407). It is owned by a Hong Kongese. Very nice decor and great music. Even serves Spam and egg instant noodle!

2003-07-27T10:54:00.000+08:00

For those people who are adventurous, go to my pending review list and explore the restaurants yourselves! The list is growing and I don't seem to have enough time to check out all of them. Send me your comments!

2003-07-27T10:51:00.000+08:00

白瀧居酒屋 (Tel:2838-2023) is hidden in the 2/F Radio City on Hennessy Road, Causeway Bay. It is what Japanese called a Izakaya - a place for drinking. The sushi is surprising good! Ask for Susanna, the manager. She should get the good service award for Hong Kong.

2003-07-05T17:13:00.000+08:00

麵醬: 把優質的黃豆蒸熟，加入麵粉撈勻，讓其發酵，十四日後，把它放入缸中，加鹽和水，放在太陽下曬，出了第一層汁後，取去做頭抽，而留下的鼓渣就打爛，加糖和其他調味料煮過，然後放在太陽下曬乾，這就是麵鼓醬了（又叫麵醬）。除了麵醬，還有另一種常見的調味料叫原曬鼓。它是黃豆發酵後不取頭油，一直曬至熟透，出來的麵醬是原粒金黃色的，有濃濃的豆香。

2003-06-29T15:27:00.000+08:00

巨龜莊 GO Gu Jang (Tel:2577-2021) has reopened and actually reduced its price!

2003-06-29T15:17:00.000+08:00

I think restaurants have a social responsibility to at least get the Chinese characters of the food right. 東湖金閣 (Tel:2576-2008) Golden East Lake Chinese Cuisine serves 蟹肉依麵! Sad! The food is pretty good but one of the captains said he didn't know what vegetables were on the menu that day and showed absolutely NO intention to find out. Wonder if he got so fat because he doesn't have to serve his customers!

2003-06-29T15:09:00.000+08:00

Want to have the biggest Alaskan King Crab Legs? Go to Shooters 52! These guys are HUGE! For those who are truly carnivorous, eat TWO prime ribs (16oz each) and all the french fries and you will get them for free. I couldn't even finish one.

2003-06-22T22:14:00.000+08:00

第一明園 (Tel: 2578-9673) is on North Point's 明園西街. It's a clean neighborhood restaurant. It's open from 11am to 2am. No "Tea & Mustard" charge. No 10% service charge. Need I say more? The menu is not very large but you have to try the BBQ Chicken! It's charbroiled in a clay (I think) urn like the way the Indians do it. Not oily and very yummy!

2003-06-22T14:23:00.000+08:00

大觀園 Tai Koon Yuen (Tel: 2890-1698) is a small Shanghainese restaurant on the 7/F of Island Beverley, right opposite to SOGO in Causeway Bay. The food was authentically Shanghainese. The 肴肉 (Shanghainese ham in aspic) was very cold - as it should be. The 烤夫 (no translation other than it's kind of a gluten) was served hot, which was rather unusual but nevertheless tasty! The 菜肉雲吞 (wanton) tasted exactly like the ones my old cooking maid used to make. The 生煎包 (sigh! how do you translate this? Anyway, it's a bun) was freshly 煎 so the bottom was nice and crispy. The 冷麵 was ok. It had just a touch too much sesame paste. Well, all that for $175. No complain la!

2003-06-22T11:43:00.000+08:00

竹八 Takehachi is on the 2/F of Henry House, 42 Yun Ping Rd, Causeway Bay (on top of the BMW showroom). Sorry! Forgot to get the telephone number this time. According to the chef, he used to work for Kenjo. Little wonder the quality of food - and price - are all up to Kenjo's standard. The sardine and baby tuna were the best I have eaten for a while! Also a must try is the special sake that has a sakura 櫻花 fragrance.

2003-06-18T10:37:00.000+08:00

Want to enyou a quiet lunch in Central? It's impossible, you may say! But my buddy Joe Lau's bought me lunch at such a place. It's a small Japanese restaurant called Bo at Bankers' Cafe (Tel:2850-8371). The restaurant only serves set lunches and dinners. I was told that it also sells Japanese lunch boxes. The food was good and the service was impeccable. All in all, it was a nice and quiet afternoon. Thanks Joe! Great recommendation!

2003-06-14T18:09:00.000+08:00

Petit Pomerol is small French restaurant hidden in Shelter Street of Causeway Bay (Tel:2915-7282). It was a Thursday night so the place was not crowded. I ordered escargot, a mushroom soup and a chicken. The escargot was soaked in herb butter. Yummy! The mushroom soup was fantastic (a pretty big bowl too!). Forgot to ask Lisa how were her vegetable soup and duck leg. Particularly worth mentioning is the rather extensive wine list. I am no wine connoisseur so I always ask for recommendation - this time the chef - and my humbleness was rewarded by a lovely red from Alsace (Chinon Reserve Privee, Marc Bedif 1997 from Loire Valley)! At the end, we both had souffle which was ok. If anyone wants to enjoy a slow and relaxing meal, try this place. It was double good for me because Lisa took the bill...thanks Lisa!

2003-06-07T23:35:00.000+08:00

Domon (Tel:2591-9100) in Causeway Bay looks like an authentic ramen place from the outside. Disappointingly, it has adjusted totally to the local taste. The ramen was quite bland.

2003-06-07T15:15:00.000+08:00

梁山泊 (Water Margin) in Times Square serves a Hunan/Sichuan fusion menu. Some of the food are extremely hot! The atmosphere is rather dark for a Chinese restaurant - not that it is not nice. Some of the more interesting food are: 夫妻肺片，蟹粥，京燒羊肉，黃瓜。 The place also serves 哈爾濱啤酒, a nice light beer from Harbin.

2003-06-04T15:41:00.000+08:00

I guess sometimes you do have to pay for quality. Had dim sum at the old 海都 (Victoria) in Sun Hung Kai Center. Although the meal was not cheap - two for $380- it was nice to be in a Chinese restaurant that is seriously about its food and service. I think there are more captains and managers than waiters. Just wondering how it can make money?

2003-06-01T22:03:00.000+08:00

國際咖哩館 on Wanchai's 大王東街 has one of the best curries in Hong Kong. The place is not exactly posh and the price is not exactly cheap. One curry, one dozen satay and a beef rib cost $240+. But man, this place can make curries! BTW, "medium hot" is quite hot here.

2003-05-31T15:29:00.000+08:00

Hong Kong has its own style of Western cooking. I think it was probably the Shanghainese who brought it to Hong Kong in the early 50's. I particulaly like 新寧餐廳 at the basement of Leighton Center in Causeway Bay 禮敦中心. The 金必多湯 brings back lots of fond childhood memories. The curries are great and for $140, the weekend special gives us a soup, a HUGE piece of prime rib plus coffee and tea. Meat lovers should try!

2003-05-28T21:36:00.000+08:00

If you have a chance to go to Shenzhen, try 豫園 (tel:3152 2128) inside 中信城市廣場. Great Shanghai food and beautiful decor! I highly recommend the 毛蟹炒年糕 and 元蹄.

2003-05-26T00:17:00.000+08:00

If you like Chinese style thin smoked chicken 燻雞, try 雲來居 on Tin Lok Lane, Causeway Bay (Tel:2572 0283). One chicken costs $80. Great for take-home. The noodles are quite good too!

2003-05-26T00:12:00.000+08:00

千登世, the Japanese restaurant inside the Lee Gardens, offers very reasonably priced - and tasty - lunches. At the end of the meal, we were invited to have coffee at the restaurant's coffee lounge. Very nice touch! BTW, coffee and tea are included in the lunch.

2003-05-21T00:12:00.000+08:00

If anyone wants to buy good Chinese tea, try 天茗茶庄 inside the Kimberley Hotel in TST. Very good "rose buds"

2003-05-21T00:07:00.000+08:00

Had lunch with a couple of friends from Beijing at 咖哩皇 on Cameron Road, TST. Apparently, curry in Hong Kong is much better than Beijing's. Those two polished off 3 plates of curry and 3 bowls of rice! The 不見天 was good too but the Rotti was way too oily!

2003-05-17T21:56:00.000+08:00

Had a long (almost 5 hours!) and really pleasant dinner at "Mr. Steak" in Wanchai North. The steak was great. The ambiance of the place was so relaxing I felt I was in California. Should do it more often folks!

2003-05-17T21:51:00.000+08:00

In my humble opinon, one of the best vegetarian restaurants in Hong Kong is 香齋廚 (Tel:2890-6660) in Causeway Bay's Food Street. Try it.

2003-05-12T08:53:00.000+08:00

For our mother's day dinner, we visited my friend Wilson Kwok's W's Entrecote in Times Square. The sauteed mushrooms and escargot were brilliant and the rib-eyes were cooked to the right spec - unusual for a Hong Kong restaurant. But I suppose you will have to like "softer" steaks. The black forest cake at the end was delightful even to a person like me who doesn't like sweet that much. Mom loved it! The total bill came to $900+ for 3, a fairly reasonable price considering Kenjo, a Japanese restaurant in TST, had just set my sis back $1900 the night before when she took mom out.

2003-05-10T15:04:00.000+08:00

Had lunch at the newly re-opened "Imperial Kitchen" 仿膳. It must be a combination of being a 新屎坑 and mothers' day, the place was packed. The food was execellent. Portion of the appetizers was however extremely extremely small. The person who created the menu had to be suffering from 精神分烈 ! For example, 蔥油海蜇 costs $20 but 脆瓜海蜇頭 costs $90!! 上海粗炒 costs $55 but 上海炒年糕 costs $75!! Very strange indeed! Better check the bill too. Prices may differ from those of the menu.

2003-05-08T13:57:00.000+08:00

Had a very reasonable and good lunch at a Japanese restaurant called 魚一丁 on the 2/F of the building right across from Times Square's UA Theater. Huge portion and clean! Two lunch set costs about HK$170+/-.

2003-05-07T11:37:00.000+08:00

Went to a Japanese restaurant called "Hoka Hoka". It's kind of hard to find. It is right opposite to AutoPlaza in TST East. Full of Japanese. Reasonable price and good food! Try the Shoju (Japanese rice wine) with cucumber.

2003-05-04T20:25:00.000+08:00

I think 新光 on Lockhart Road (opposite to the fire station) is one of the best Chiu Chow restaurants in Hong Kong. Service is a bit overbearing but the food is GOOD! It is only open at nite!

2003-05-01T16:53:00.000+08:00

Had a meal at the small "tea house" right next to the "Yuen Luk" Sushi Bar behind Times Square. Had a curry, a dish of veg and a cold lemon tea. Came to $41- Pretty tasty and clean!