Coffee Academics, Repulse Bay, HK

I've often enjoyed talking the signature breakfast of Coffee Academics and this time I found this meal more enjoyable with a warm sea breeze coming in from the sea.  

 

Fresh cut of roast turkey

My family member received a roast turkey by Cafe Landmark for Christmas season.  Over the past many years, the turkey was cut and sliced when we picked it up.  It wasn't too impressive to me as it's too dried out and not aromatic.  I found it sliced too thin.  On the last Christmas (3 weeks ago) I asked for a whole turkey and I cut and sliced it on my own.  I sliced it in half inch thick to keep the moist.  It was way too different.  If I had a big oven, next time I'd make it with my preferred stuffing that I used to make it - celery, chestnut, raisin, parsley and bread crumb.

 

Lawry's The Prime Rib, Central, HK

After it moved to this place on 9 Queen's Rd Central from Hutchison House, I hadn't visited it for years.  The renovation looks quite grand as compared to the old one.  However, the service wasn't the same.  I was wondering if Maxim's hired their fast food chain staff for this one.  On the weekend, it served semi-buffet with salad and dessert on the buffet bar and one main to choose from the list.  Their prime rib was about HK$490 and the other dishes was about HK$390 to 450.  I tried their pan fried garoupa.  It further told that it's a maxim's fast food grade dish but in a nice presentation.  The salad bar wasn't that tempting either.  The croissant and the mini cakes were a bit better and nice coffee too.  So it made up a bit.

 

Chill Cafe, Kowloon Bay, HK

Chose this place for lunch because it's not crowded.  Got a lunch set with a salad and main.  The salad was a bit not fresh.  I took a slow cook chicken breast.  I personally didn't like the way using a slow cook heater to cook food as it's not hygiene enough and wouldn't kill some bacteria thouroughly.  Ended up I got a tummy sick from this meal.

 

Mansons Lot, Wanchai, HK

There have been quite a lot of different cuisine restaurants in Wanchai west.  Tried this one in Shan Tou Street for a sandwich with salad lunch.  It's quite nice in the summer time for a meal like this.

 

Catch, Quarry Bay, HK

Run by an Lebanese Australian staying in HK with its first shop in Western district, Catch has expanded another branch in the east - Quarry Bay.  The shop offered a buy-1-get-1-free deal for rib eye steak on Tuesday  I took the offer and also tried their Haloumi & quinoa salad on hummus.  I couldn't eat hummus much but this one made me keep on taking it, especially when you eat the hummus with the crunchy quinoa, chopped mint, pomegranates  and roasted haloumi.  The steak was of selected quality, though it was a bit too fat to me.

 

Bake House, Wanchai, HK

This shop has been the talk of town with long queue for its croissant.  Waited for half an hour for a dine-in, and ordered their signature breakfast.  In general, all were very nice except the sourdough bread that it lacked some chewy tangy texture.  I didn't take it all though I like bread much because quite some heavy olive oil was put on it.  Noticed they served house-made lemonade.  A bit disappointed that it was served in a  small glass with lots of iced cubes and yet it was just 2/3rd full.  I guess that was about 100ml lemonade on ice.  Their signature croissant was much disappointing as I found the butter not evenly spread inside.  They made it in such a rush to cater for the queue.  Perhaps this is another example of the crowd killing the shop.  After all, I wouldn't go back as we had to share the table and yet the table setting was too packed.

 

Pampas Argentinian Steak House, Central, HK

The deco. of this place reminded me those restaurants in Cannes.  We took a lunch set with unlimited refill of green salad.  Chose a grilled chicken as main.  The salad was frenhly made.  It's chill, crisp and fresh.  Very nice to go with the warm bread.  The chicken breast was grilled on charcoal fire.  Didn't take the dessert as I took one more salad.

 

Afternoon Tea by Tea Room, K11 Musea, TST, HK

Came here months ago and realised I hadn't posted about this restaurant until this mall has been the talk of town these few days.  Back then, the mall wasn't crowded and that's always the reason I chose the restaurant for less people.  It served a dinner set at around HK$180 with a salad, main and a coffee/tea with an extra of HK$28 for a dessert.  The whole meal set was quite pleasant that I chose a braised beef for the main.  It reminded me a bit of the Hungarian meal I tried in Budapest, esp. the pickled veggie.  The dessert was somewhat disappointing that it was a half cut of a cake.

 

咖啡學研, The Coffee Academics, Wanchai Rd., HK

Because of this branch, I have tried quite many branches but I still prefer to come back to this one.  I'd like the ambience, decoration and the food and coffee are even better.  Highly recommend their mocha or dirty mocha.  This time I found they have Orange Juice by Alain Milliat.  Had to get some French reminiscence for a moment.

 

&BTR restaurant, Tai Koo Shing

There have been quite many restaurants taking this location next to Ice Palace of Tai Koo Shing.  Quite nice to feel some chilling icy air streaming through and watching people skating.  I stopped visiting when it was Deli and Wine (a MX deli) and School Food. 

When I checked the menu, I recalled EXP that I used to visit 9-10 years ago.  The prices are the same and even lower.  The burger is just at HK$35, and the pasta about HK$55.  You can get a salad at an extra of $10 and a drink at $9.  So the burger set meal with salad and drink is just 54.  At first I thought the burger might be quite small if that's $35, but it wasn't.  So I ordered an appetizer platter (chicken wings, tortilla with yoghurt and salsa filling.  The platter at HK$75 seemed to be a bit high as compared to other items, but it's much worth it.  It's very ironic that the fries from this place is much cheaper but incomparably more delicious than the other meal we had at Dan Ryan's.  At least I could taste real fresh potato and the dried fries without much grease.  The tortilla was unexpectedly aromatic with fresh raw yoghurt (sugarless).  The pasta was cooked with pork/beef sausage - juicy and blended with meat flavour.  Not heavily seasoned either.  If the ingredients were fresh enough, no need to have too much seasoning.  

 

 

A two-thumbs up roast chicken, by Alfafa restaurant, North Point, HK

When I told my sister about the roast chicken of this place, she told me that's the best chicken ever she has tried.  What a coincidence and perhaps that's our common feeling about cooking.  The waiter reminded that it took 30 minutes.  I can say it's much worth it even it takes an hour.  That's how good about cooking fresh to the order.  What's more, I'd like they put generous veggies to absorb the chicken aroma with a fresh rosemary on top.  When you cut it, the hot aroma and juicy texture of the chicken meat is still in my mind.

A 4 course set dinner, at Waterfront Bar and restaurant, Harbour Grand Kowloon, HK

On the 2nd night, brought friends to this place for the staycation offer.  This time it was a 4 course set meal, with a caesar salad, lobster bisque, a choice of pork chop with prawn or sirloin with crag leg, a mango pastry and a coffee or tea.  The person who designed the meals seems not to be quite discerning. The last meal lacked vegetable and this one lacked carbohydrates.  After all, all the dishes were very nice, except the lobster bisque.  It wasn't aromatic and yet some corn starch was used for thickening.