Schiller's Liquor Bar

> Location : 131 Rivington St., New York, N.Y. 10002, U.S.A.
> Cuisine : American
> Tel. # : (1) (212) 260-4555
> Website : http://www.schillersny.com/
> Price Range: $$

We went on a Sunday afternoon for brunch. We arrived at 1-ish and the wait was 45 minutes. We ended up waiting for about 30. The decor was really fun, full of odds and ends. The staff's t-shirts had the NY state choking hazard posters on the back - hilarious.

I had a Blood Orange Mimosa, which was excellent, while my friend had a Chocolate Egg Cream (NY thing, with club soda, milk, and chocolate). They also served water in a little flask. We ordered a myriad of items, which included an order of the Sour Cream and Hazelnut Waffles with mixed berries and bourbon maple syrup, Eggs Hussard, which were poached with ham, tomatoes, mushrooms, Borderlaise, and Hollandaise sauce, classic Steak & Eggs (over medium), with breakfast potatoes, and a Seared Tuna Salad.

The Sour Cream and Hazelnut Waffles were pretty good, but not anything overwhelming. The maple syrup's bourbon was very strong and played well with the mixed berries. The waffle itself was pretty moist due to the sour cream; however, I did not really taste or smell the hazelnut.

Kathleen's Eggs Hussard was excellent. The Borderlaise sauce was nutty and flavorful. Her poached eggs were also perfectly perched on top of her fried toast. The presentation was also beautiful. Not much to say except that it was really good.

The steak and eggs were just okay. My eggs did not come over medium. One was easy and the other was medium. Oh well, can't win them all. I understand that usually steak and eggs comes with either a flank steak or a new york strip. Well, I'm not sure what kind of cut it was, but whatever it was, it was very chewy. The potatoes were really good. They had plenty of sauteed onions over them with great seasoning.

I did not taste the tuna salad, unfortunately, but the vegetables seemed fresh and colorful. I'm not sure if it was ahi tuna or what, but the color of the tuna (inside) was not very red.

Overall, I would say stick to the breakfast foods and you'll be fine. I noticed a few table got their pastry basket which looked very appetizing, especially the fresh sticky bun. By looking around, it seemed that the poached eggs were the best bet at Schiller's. Either the Hussard or the classic Benedict would do you right. A funny thing about the restaurant is the bathroom; it was a little confusing as when you entered, you ended up in a small lounge area with the washing basin that led further to two separate doors. Just be clear on which door you're entering!

< 3 out of 5 >

(but if you get strictly breakfast, probably a 4!)

Eatery

> Location : 798 Ninth Ave (at 53rd St), New York, N.Y., U.S.A.
> Cuisine : American
> Tel. # : (1) (212) 765-7080
> Website : http://www.eaterynyc.com/
> Price Range: $

We decided to try out Eatery's brunch. Though it was sprinkling outside, we decided to brave the cold and rain in lieu of waiting for an hour for a table inside. Once seated, we were served some sort of coffee cake that was delicious. The best way I could describe it is as some sort of spice cake. Whatever it was, it was yummy.

I opted for a Roast Chicken Soup, with Sweet Corn Dumplings. The broth was clear and sweet. The ingredients tasted very fresh and there was plenty of chicken. The soup was a tiny bit bland, but it was okay.

After the soup, I had a special salad of the day, which was a Chopped Chicken Salad with fresh beets, broccoli, cheese, lettuce, and a vinaigrette. There was plenty of chicken and the vegetables were perfectly crisp and fresh. The dressing was also perfect.

My friend Myra had the Sante Fe Sweet Potato Pancake, with scrambled egg whites and mango guacamole. I was assured the guac was good, but I didn't try since I am allergic. However, I did taste the rest of it and it was excellent. It's difficult to mess up eggs though.

From what I can tell, most of the food at this place is excellent. For the amount and price, it was a pretty good deal. Also, the decor was really cute and the wait staff was pretty good. If I weren't in the mood for veggies, the Pulled Pork Tostada with Fried Eggs, Monterey Jack and Poblano Relish was really calling my name.

< 4 out of 5 >

Bar Americain

> Location : 152 W. 52nd Street, New York, N.Y. 10019, U.S.A.
> Cuisine : American
> Tel. # : (1) (212) 265-9700
> Website : http://www.baramericain.com
> Price Range : $$$$

Being in New York, I thought I'd try to go to a real life Iron-Chef-owned restaurant. From his TV shows, I thought I'd like Bobby Flay's restaurants. My friend had already been to Mesa Grill and said she didn't really like it, so Bar Americain it was. It's unfortunate that it was too dark to take any good photos of the food.

The decor of the place was very New York, and classic. The restaurant was quite large, quiet, and had a lofty area. Our table was upstairs on the loft, which we enjoyed because it gave us the opportunity to stay away from the noise and observe the action below. While we waited for our table, we grabbed some drinks at the bar. Well, not really drinks, but two club sodas and an iced tea. To my surprise, we were CHARGED for the club sodas! Hah! That was a minus. But anyway ...

Bobby Flay is known for his creative uses of spice rubs and sauces, so keeping that in mind we perused the menu(warning: it's a pdf). The bread basket that arrived contained some mini baguettes, dinner rolls, and these really yummy fried cornbread things. We didn't know what they were, but they were delicious!

To start off, I had the Gold Corn Johnny Cake, Barbecued Duck, with Cranberry Butter. The duck was very flavorful. The cranberry butter tasted almost like a classic duck sauce (hoisin sauce) but not quite. The johnny cake also provided a lovely sweet balance to the duck's bold taste.

For our entree, Kathleen and I decided to share the Spice-Rubbed Rib-Eye steak. The meat was broiled perfectly (medium); however, we thought the steak would be more "spice-rubbed." That doesn't mean it wasn't good of course. As side dishes, we got Fries Americain with a Smoked Red Pepper Mayonnaise and the Cauliflower and Goat Cheese Gratin. Both were excellent - the fries were perfectly seasoned and went well with the special mayo; the cauliflower dish was perfectly baked with a very mild goat cheese.

Myra got the Wild Salmon with Pinot Noir, Cracked Wheat, Hazelnuts. The cracked wheat "rice-ish" mixture that came with the Salmon was really citrusy and fragrant. Alone, it tasted strange, but with the salmon, it was okay. I was not really a fan of the mixture.

Her companion had the Lamb Porterhouse Chops with the Cranberry-Cabernet Sauce, and Sweet Potato Gratin. I did not taste this, but he ate it all up, so I have the impression that it was excellent.

For dessert, we order two items: a Sticky Toffee Pudding Sundae and a Strawberry Creme Brulee. Being a fan of sticky toffee pudding (Gallagher's at NYNY Hotel and Casino makes a delicious one), I was excited to taste it. I was let down a bit. The pudding was not sticky at all. It was in fact, quite dry. Bleh. The creme brulee was standard. There was indeed a strawberry flavor, but it was overpowered by an orange tinge. I was not impressed by the desserts. However, the cappucino that I ordered was excellent. It's unfortunate that the service staff forgot to bring a coffee that we ordered.

The food was good, but not consistently good. I would rate it 4 stars, but the service really upset me. First we were forgotten about. Then, they did the waiter switch-a-roo on us and that was not cool. Lastly, they forgot one of our coffees and how can you really enjoy dessert without coffee? Perhaps they will get better as they are still pretty new and haven't gotten their act together yet.

< 3.5 out of 5 >

SanQiaoyiyi

> Location : Shops A & B, G/F, Ivy on Belcher's 26 Belcher's street,
Kennedy Town, Hong Kong
> Cuisine : Japanese
> Tel. # : (852) 2816-7722
> Website : N/A

SanQiaoyiyi is a well rounded Japanese restaurant serving various items in its respective cuisine. From noodles to rice to fried/grilled dishes to sushi/sashimi and various other things. SanQiaoyiyi has three other locations besides the Hong Kong island one. There's one in Yuen Long, N.T., and two in Kowloon (Sham Shui Po and Tai Po). The Hong Kong location, the one I'm reviewing is in Kennedy Town. The restaurant is split into two shops. There's a residential/business building right in between. For one shop, it's designed for rotary sushi style and for the other, it's for tables and traditional sushi bar.

I had the chance to seat on the table side for my review. The environment was bright with lots of lighting. There are quite a number of seats for both shops. Since SanQiaoyiyi has been recently opened here in Kennedy Town, there have been a lot of customers lining up to try the new place. Make sure you go early if you want to try! Not only because the place is new so people are flocking to go, the prices is noticeably below average so it's bang for the buck! But is it still of good quality?

There are two menus I was provided with. One was the table paper menu which shows most of the cooked items. The other was a pictured menu leaflet that has the following sections: salad, warship sushi, snack, sushi, sashimi, grilled sushi, cocktail sushi, roll, ice cream, drinks and liquor.

I got the chance to try a little of everything from SanQiaoyiyi. Their tempura was nice and crispy. Something that is tough to cooked improperly. Their puffer fish smoked skin was chewy, pleasant with a strong BBQ flavor to it. It's similar to the flavoring from Aji Ichiban's dried fish snacks. I also tried their soft shell crab hand roll and found it great until I tasted some mayo in it. To me, I just don't think a soft shell crab hand roll really matches up with mayo in my opinion. To me, the best hand roll for mayo would be scallop. Next, I tried the smoked/grilled salmon head. It was alright and nothing to be crazy over. If you're into grilled fish Japanese style, I always recommend yellow tail collar! I also heard the udon soup was good. Lastly, I had their daily special which was tamago (egg) filled with cheese. As expected, it was that sweet tamago sushi taste with cheese melted within. Interesting indeed. On the side, their presentation of their dishes are nice which makes your experience more special.

So how was the raw stuff? It's actually quite cheap I must say. That's one large reason why there's so many people lining up. The combination sushi plates give quite a lot for a small price. I tried this $150 HKD so combination plate that had about 25-30 pieces of sushi/rolls. It's actually quite a deal. How was the freshness? Well, to see if there's a difference between the fish served in a combination plate compared to individually ordered, I ordered some yellow tail and tasted the quality. It melted in my mouth somewhat but still preserved a bit of the chewiness. Comparing that to the salmons, white fish and other items on the combination plate, there wasn't much of a difference. Which for me concludes the freshness was adequate but not great. However, we must remember the price they give you justifies the quality! So it's not so bad overall.

How about the service? The service was average. Considering the place is brand new, it seems like some of the waiters and waitress' don't know if certain isn't even served. I ordered a certain item and the lady said "okay" but when I noticed it never came, I asked another waiter and he says they don't serve that item. Considering the situation, it was half excusable to me. Most of the waiter's attitude were fine (except for one) and the manager there was friendly. Overall, it's a pass.

For the price you are asked to pay and what's served to you, SanQiaoyiyi does exactly what it's suppose to do. It would be great if the quality, especially the raw stuff, were a bit more fresh. However, please don't look away because if you're just a casual eater, this is definitely a go. Unless you're looking for some better/top notch quality sushi/sashimi, then a close place would be Oonami (also in Kennedy Town), which I did a short review recently for. Also, if you're looking for cooked items only, I don't see much of an issue not going. Just go early because there's quite a line!

< 3.5 out of 5 >

Divine

> Location : Chungking Mansions, 4/F, Block E, 36-44 Nathan Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong
> Cuisine : West African / Nigerian
> Tel. # : N/A
> Website : N/A

I'm excited! This is my first time trying any type of African cuisine. However, before I start, I would like to say that Divine is more of a secretive restaurant. There are no advertisements for it of any sort just like another African cuisine restaurant in Chungking Mansions. Anybody is welcome but it's always best if someone take you for your first time =D From what I heard, prices can vary daily.

First of all, Chungking Mansions is a very interesting place (where Divine is located). As elected in the May 7, 2007 issue of Time Magazine (yearly feature: Best of Asia), Chungking Mansions is the best example of "Globalization in Action." Every year, there are at least 120 different nationalities that have passed through this building. It is very culturally diverse in a building that has been around for about 40 years.

Before you attempt to go, if you don't get use to being around a culturally diverse, very old building and physically unattractive environment especially when you go up to any of the floors in any of the blocks, I don't recommend you going. But if you're a open minded person like me, please give it a shot!

Now onto the restaurant facts! First of all, please be patient with me because I've tried my best to ask the chef and do some research on what he served me. First of all, Divine has no menu and the place is very small. It seats about 15 people max, a television for viewing and kind of a dim/old atmosphere. Divine is like a family diner if you want to put it that way. Strictly for the food and not the environment =D

What's served and available each day all depends on the chef so it has come to a point that this "restaurant" review will more be educational than a possible experience for you if you're not one of those desperate, open minded person. So the chef had three notable things I would like to share with you...

The first item is what's considered "rice" to an African person. Especially when it comes to Western and Central Africa. "Semo," or more popularly categorized as "fufu," is a big dome/ball-like starch heavy (carbohydrate) soup/sauce compliment. In Western Africa, semo or fufu is generally made out of a mixture of plantain, yam, potato or even maize. The combination varies depending on what's available for the chef to use. In central Africa, cassava is even used (the root portion is used). The type of semo I had felt almost like mash potatoes but more firm and not easily broken when you hold it in your hands. It doesn't have much taste to it but just very starchy in flavor. Don't worry, it's not not like eating a hand full of wheat flour =D

So what do I get to eat the semo with? The first dish he served was the "egusi soup." This is a native dish to Nigeria. Egusi soup is largely made out of grounded shelled seeds (pumpkin, gourd, melon, squash all could be used depending on which the chef desires) with a mixture of other ingredients such as bitter leaf (or spinach), peanut oil, tomato paste, onions, peppers, and stewed meat (for my case, it was fried fish). I've done a lot of research on egusi soup and most of them used pumpkin seeds over the other types. The finished product is this thick, orange looking dish that is perfect for your semo!

Do you eat with your hands? Yes, it is African culture (at this for our case right now) to eat with your hands. There is a specific method of grabbing your semo. You grab about a handful of semo and shape it into a ball. Afterwards, use your thumb to make an indentation into the middle so your sauce or soup can flow into it. Dip it into the sauce or soup, pick it up, the liquid gets trapped and you place the delicacy into your mouth! There's always a bowl of water for each individual to wash their hands whenever they want with some soup and paper towel.

So how does it taste? Egusi has a semi-salty taste to it a little bit of sweet sensation. It is spicy but not so much you have to be drinking water every 10 seconds =D It is notorious to Western African cuisine to serve some spicy dishes. My egusi was also mixed with some "bitter leaf soup" (which I will discuss next) on the side with a piece of fried fish. The fish was flavorful and most likely have some simple seasoning on it. Tender for the most part. Very interesting indeed.

The next dish is bitter leaf soup. The chef told me it's "Betleev Soup" but as much as I researched the internet, I had no luck finding the same name. The closest from what I could find is "bitter leaf soup" or another dish is called "palaver sauce." From what I can tell, they should all be the same thing. So what is it? It's a dark brownish sauce that's largely made out of "bitter leaf" or a substitute for it would be spinach. Bitter leaf is a scrub or small tree that is used throughout Africa. It can treat and prevent various health issues. As the name tells you, the leaf is bitter. But most of the time, the chef soaks it in water for a few hours to wash away most of the bitterness. The other ingredients to this dish, traditionally speaking (because I'm not sure what I ate is exactly like it), are dried/salted chopped fish in tiny pieces (definitely it was in mine), onions, tomato, pepper, chili and okra (sadly, he didn't have any okra prepared yet that day). The taste was very distinct most likely coming from the bitter leaf. It's saltiness was stronger than the egusi soup but just by a little bit. It was spicy too like the previous. The bitter leaf sauce was served with a huge piece of chicken which was fried and very tender. After eating it for awhile, the bitterness tends to be more obvious to your tongue than initially tasting it. Yet, the unique taste that comes from the bitter leaf is what makes this dish so special.

One little information before I continue is, fish and chicken always tend to be fried and beef and pork are usually stewed when cooked. I'm not very sure of the reason but this is something I was shared with.

Did I get to try anything else? The chef actually gave me a piece of Ox stomach and a piece of beef to try. The ox stomach was actually very good with the bitter leaf sauce and the beef was very stiff. I asked my friend who took me there if it's suppose to be that stiff and she said that every time she tried it, it's stiff. So just something to share.

In the end, I had a great experience with Divine since this is my first time eating any sort of African cuisine. It was definitely interesting and delicious on a different level. Throughout my research before I typed this, I found out there are more famous Western African dishes that are worth trying. Perhaps next time I go there, I can ask if they have it so I can report back here! I had a fun time definitely and was introduced some totally unique cuisine to my life! Pictures from top to bottom: bitter leaf soup with beef, semo/fufu, egusi soup with a little bitter leaf soup on top of fish, and bitter leaf soup with chicken.

< 4 out of 5 >

Ivan The Kozak

> Location : LG/F 46-48 Cochrane Street, Central, Hong Kong
> Cuisine : Old Eastern European (Ukrainian, Russian)
> Tel. # : (852) 2851-1193
> Website : www.ivanthekozak.com

Labeled as the "one and only authentic Russian and Ukrainian food in Hong Kong," Ivan the Kozak is a lovely restaurant just slightly hidden to the inner left of Cochrane Street in between two restaurants/bar. Once inside, the environment is cozy like a cottage style home. There are a lot of cultural decorations and lighting all around the restaurant. The overall lighting is a little bit dim but if you want a brighter seating location, there are a few tables right next to the window (for daytime using daylight). There's a bar and from my best judgment, the restaurant can hold about 40-50 so people. There's even the infamous "vodka ice room" where the temperature is negative 15 degrees Celsius (clothing provided to keep you warm) for you to drink up to the various types of vodka in traditional Russian style! For further information about this unique activity, check out their website.

Ivan the Kozak provides a regular menu (in its native language/Chinese) that consist of caviar, soup, salad, hot/cold appetizer, main course, and desserts. For pricing ranges from $20 HKD so for soups, $50-60 HKD so for salads and appetizers, $40 HKD so for desserts and $100 HKD plus for main courses. There's also various types of drinks available such as beer (various types of European beers), wine, hard liquor, and other types of cold/hot drinks. Besides all this, they also have a lunch special that consist of two parts: You can get the all you can eat buffet bar with coffee or tea for $59 HKD. The buffet bar consist mostly of various types of themed salads such as mix vegetable, turnips, mushrooms, eggs, cole slaw, red cabbage, pancake strips and other various types of salads. There's also different types of soups such as fish, vegetable, cabbage and Ukrainian bortch. Some fruits are even provided, bread and other minor items. Overall, a good amount of selections. Just for $20 HKD more, you receive the main course which you get to choose from. Every week, there's a new list of main courses that alternates.

For my experience, I got to try the Ox Tongue stew and the Baked Duck Chest for the main course. For the ox tongue stew, the meat was soft and melts in your mouth almost literally. The sauce is semi-thick with mushrooms inside and the taste is mildly salty and just right. Broccoli and your choice of spaghetti or rice is included. The rice is ordinary just like most places but the spaghetti included was spiced in this semi-curry powder like flavor. It was rather unique and I would definitely try it out if I were you rather than rice! The Baked Duck Chest is tender with every piece and this thick white mushroom /eggplant gravy like sauce is poured on top! The sauce has a little sweet taste to it and well balanced with its saltiness. This also came with broccoli and your choice of rice or spaghetti.

I had a very good time with these set lunch main course and the salad/soup/dessert buffet. I would imagine that the items from the regular menu would be EVEN better! Please check the website for the web's version of the menu. There will definitely be another visit from me soon and an update on it! For now, my verdict is...

< 4 out of 5 >

Food Blog It # 3

Howdy everyone! Hope everyone is doing well and keeping their stomaches happy with good food! Between work and keeping this food reviewing passion alive is tough and I apologize for not updating for so long! But I promise, more is to come!

I've been to a few places lately unprepared to review but I would like to give you guys some short reactions just in case it's a place you thought of going to! I will add onto this list as I have more time!


(1) Oonami (Japanese & Oyster Restaurant)

Location : No. 39, Cadogan Street, Kennedy Town, Hong Kong
Cuisine : Japanese / Oyster
Tel. # : (852) 2817-6626
Website : www.oonamihk.com

Short reaction : Located in Kennedy Town, very close to Sai Wan district, Oonami is a Japanese restaurant located in the most unexpected area. When you step inside, the place feels very welcoming. There's a full sushi bar, decent amount of seating (it's not very big). The place is heard of to be always packed so book for your seatings! The food both raw and cooked are all above average. I've tasted some roasted dishes, fried, sushi, dessert, tampura and so on and I can assure, they were all acceptable! Nothing on the short end.


(2) T.G.I. Friday's

Location : 26 Nathan Road, 4/F & 5/F, Tsim Sha Shui, Hong Kong
Cuisine : American
Tel. # : (852) 2368-2800
Website : http://www.tgifridays.com

Short reaction : T.G.I. Friday's is a trademark not even in America and in some local supermarkets, but it's located internationally everywhere! In Hong Kong, there's one location in the heart of Tsim Sha Shui. When I stepped inside, the place was huge like the ones in America. Bars with TVs and others TVs located throughout the restaurant. The theme, setup, decoration is pretty much similar like you never left America. Yet, food wise, it's not exactly the same as my last few experience in a TGIF's in America. I say about 50% of the dishes on the table were not comparable quality. Perhaps it was just a bad day for the chef. On the brighter side of things, the other 50% were good and I had no complaints! Overall, I would definitely give it another try!

(3) Frontier

Location : 1/F Cheung's Building, 1-3 Wing Lok Street,
Sheung Wan, Hong Kong
Cuisine : Indian and other influences
Tel. # : (852) 2850-5075
Website : N/A

Short reaction : Frontier is right next to Pasha Kebabs. It's somewhat hidden but plenty of signs to lead you into some wonderful curry aroma! Frontier provides seat in lunch specials ranging from $39 HKD to about $60 HKD. The lunch special comes with rice, naan, small side of salad, appetizer (somosa), soup of the day and your choice of curry (price ranges). Drink price (lemon ice tea and soda) is reduced when you order the set lunch special. There's also a takeout special that's $25 HKD with rice, your choice of chicken or lamb curry and $2 HKD more for additional naan. I've personally tried the seat in and takeout specials and the curry were all good! You can definitely sense the spices and the aroma that comes from the curry. I've also ordered curry independently (lamb, chicken, fish) and I personally enjoyed it. Independent ordering is a bit pricey but it's justify through its good quality. Malaysian and Thai curry can be found at Frontier but I would stick with Indian because that's the highlight!

Tora Fugu

> Location : Kanda, Tokyo, Japan
> Cuisine : Fugu (Puffer Fish)
> Tel. # : N/A
> Website : http://www.torafugu.co.jp/

Ever got a chance to watch the American favorite Simpson's cartoon episode where Homer ate the poisonous puffer fish sushi? We all learn from such cartoons or from minor knowledge elsewhere, without proper expertise of the chef, the consumer of the sushi won't have a very pleasant after effect, haha. But what I've learned from my visit to Japan is that puffer fish is not only made into an item you can choose from in sushi restaurants but into a cuisine entirely!

So, it's poisonous, that's a lot of risk for the business wouldn't it be? Well, this is not true entirely. Some puffer spices are NOT poisonous (e.g. Takifugu oblongus) and the ones who are, if they were raised in captivity and without proper contact of a certain type of bacteria through food, their "tetrodotoxin," which is the name of their toxin, can not be created.

My puffer fish experience (or as the Japanese call it, "Fugu") was split into a few sections. Actually, before we start, Tora Fugu, the restaurant that hosted my experience translates into "Tiger Puffer Fish." So, okay! What is for dinner?

First up, we have an appetizer served in a little bowl with fugu skin mixed with chopped up green onions and marinated radish. This is served more as a salad dish to start the meal off! Fugu skin has a chewy texture to it. The salad is served in this sourish sauce. A very common salad dressing used in Japan.

Second up, we have fugu sashimi. Mashed radish, some fugu skin in the middle, lime and other compliments are served with the dish. Fugu is usually sliced very thin when served since it's so expensive. The texture of the sashimi is flexible kind of similar to that chewy sensation from the fugu skin but not as "rubbery." The taste has this light fishy flavor kinda of like "white fish." Nothing unique like yellow tail or salmon.

Third up, fugu shabu shabu served with tofu and other vegetables. This is as you would expect, fugu boiled in water served with sauce. The container is made out of bamboo sticks with a waxed textured paper so water can be poured in. Inside is a slice of seaweed which is a classic way of boiling the 'soup base.' This gives a hint of sweet seaweed sensation to it. Fugu shabu shabu with some ponzu (lime flavor sauce) was a nice experience. The meat was tender and it goes nice with the ponzu's lime flavoring.

Fourth up, deep fried fugu with okra and lime. This is as you would expect again, basically fugu deep fried, with that crispy texture and a hint of lime as flavoring along with the saltiness from the fried skin. The okra served as an after effect to decrease that fried, oily sensation out of your taste bud. Interesting indeed.

Last but not least, rice porridge made with the left over soup base from the fugu shabu shabu. Green onions and blended uncooked eggs were boiled along with rice. The rice porridge is served with some marinated pickles and a piece of marinated plum. A few pieces of dried seaweed tops it off. This dish is something light to finish off your whole fugu experience. The remaining soup base serves as some of the flavoring from the rice porridge. In the end, this dish is very simple yet very good.

To cool things off and put a smile on your face, a scoop of plum flavored ice cream is served. Not much to explain here but its served in a little bowl and it tastes like your typical lightly plum flavored ice cream. A nice touch to end your fugu cuisine experience.

In conclusion, Tora Fugu is a place with a pleasant environment and provides great ways of serving fugu. Considering Tora Fugu is a chain with many locations all over Japan, the quality they provided should be consistent. I have never tried other places before so it is hard to give any definite score. Plus, this review just serves as a fun and educational pointer to the world of puffer fish cuisine! If I really had to give a score, I would give Tora Fugu...

< 4 out of 5 >

Lian

> Location : Shop 2004, Podium Level 2, International Finance
Centre Mall, Central, Hong Kong
> Cuisine : Viet/thai/Bar/Bistro
> Tel. # : (852) 2521-1117
> Website : N/A

Another creation from the M.A.X. Concept group (Maxim e.g. Rice Paper), Lian is a classy, business oriented Vietnamese/Thai restaurant located in podium level 2 of the I.F.C. mall. When you first step into Lian, you will spot an entertainment room to the right and the actual restaurant and bar to the left. The restaurant/Bar itself consists of about a 10 seating Bar, a very creative large square table with water decorations in the middle of it. The table itself definitely will be shared among the visitors very much like a bar table. The lighting is dim, there's a mirror up on the roof and on opposite sides of the restaurant to make the atmosphere feel bigger. There's a window looking out into Central with about seven booth style seating available by and away from the window. There is also a bar that serves especially juice and wine.

Lian's menu contains your usual appetizer section along with short orders, rice/noodles/bread, Lian's selections, and vegetables. There are symbols indicating which are Vietnamese or Thai dishes. There's also a separate menu for drinks and dessert.

So onto the food! In any Thai related restaurant, you're going to find "Stir fried morning glory with chili and preserved shrimp paste" in the menu ($58 HKD). At Lian, they keep the consistency alive with that salty, shrimpy flavor from the dish. Nothing extraordinary but done just right.

Next up is the "Green tea smoked duck, pineapple caramel chili lime salt" ($165 HKD). The lime salt is provided on the side to put on your duck. At first bite, I noticed the smoke flavor doesn't overwhelm the other qualities of the dish. It blends in well with the lime salt, the sweetest from the pineapple caramel and there's even a hint of spiciness. Most of the smoked flavor comes from the duck skin and in its entirety, the meat is very tender. It's basically a dish of many flavors yet done very well. It doesn't make you question why a certain sensation is added onto the dish. Some sourness, some saltiness, some sweetness and some spiciness. A good dish overall.

Lastly, is the most expensive dish in Lian's menu which is the "White Miso marinated Chilean sea bass wrapped in cucumber lime leaf and lemon grass flavor, purple pickle" ($ 175 HKD). When it comes to miso on fish, we think of the Japanese. If you ever had miso roasted fish in Japanese style, there's always a strong definite flavoring of miso on the fish but not enough to overwhelm the fish's meat flavor. Yes, this is a Vietnamese / Thai fusion restaurant so it's hard to follow this concept. However, from the first bite into this dish, I noticed the miso flavoring is barely there. You notice it's there but not enough to trigger any delightful sensation in your brain. At the very least, the sea bass is tender and fresh (you can tell if you don't taste that fermented flavor to it). the purple pickles was a nice compliment with the light-tasting sea bass. It was a bit sour, very much like those Japanese style pickles used for bentos or rice porridge. I actually asked one of the waitress about the extreme lack of miso flavoring and the wateriness of the dish. She actually had that same notion when she tried it herself and told the chef about it before. However, the chef thinks that's just how it should be made. So possibly, my experience wasn't an inconsistency, it was just meant to be. Yet, if we were to use the stereotypical standards of what people think is good or not, this dish will dissatisfy many. With the compliment from the purple pickles, I think the miso sauce doesn't need to be extremely obvious but stronger would be nice.

For dessert, I had the caramelized pineapple and fresh mango served with snow pine leaf ice cream. This dessert is a two-sided item and the pastry side goes very well with the ice cream side. A very simple dessert yet done very well! One of those dishes you just have to try to understand!

So it boils down to me shaking my head a little about the most expensive dish in the menu. I expected a lot more from a $175 HKD item. But hey, others might like it. My opinion? Not many though. Yet, I take nothing away from the dessert and the duck dish. They were done extremely well and I give them high marks! So my verdict for Lian is...

< 3 1/2 out of 5 >

Kau Kee Restaurant

> Location : G/F 21 Gough Street, Central, Hong Kong
> Cuisine : Beef brisket clear soup Noodle
> Tel. # : (852) 2815-0123
> Website : N/A

Just up Wing Kut Street to the stone steps, there lies a hidden treasure if you're a soup noodle fanatic. No, we're not even talking about Chung Kee which serves the best wonton soup noodle ever! Up the stone steps a bit and you take a right into Gough Street, lies a street with a lot of different restaurants (Thai, western, Indian, Chinese, etc) and a "dai pai dong."

Yet, one place in particular made a lot noise for their beef brisket clear soup noodle if not just within the Central / Sheung Wan area, but of the entire Hong Kong! Kau Kee opens Mondays to Saturdays from 12:30 PM to 4:30 PM. Especially on weekdays, even before 12:30, there's already a pretty LONG line waiting for it to open! So like everybody else, I waited like a kid going into a candy store...

The success to Kau Kee's beef brisket clear soup noodle is through its whole package. The Beef brisket is prepared daily to give it its soft, tender sensation. Not only does it melt in your mouth, they cook it in such a way you can still distinguish the beef taste from the marinara. A lot of the times in beef brisket dishes or any type of meat that relies on heavy or long marinating, the actual meat taste is lost through the process. However at Kau Kee, this is not the case. The second factor that makes a lot of critics love this place is the clear soup base. My very best guess for some of the ingredients are turnips and pig bones. The soup is pleasant scented and very sweet to the mouth. You simply have to try it to know how wonderful it is! Last but not least (to me comparable to the previous two factors), is the noodle. You can generally choose from rice noodle, hoi fun (flat noodle) or regular lai mien. For most customers favorite, lai mien is the best choice. Kau Kee's lai mien is very chewy but not to the extent like its rubbery. This makes your mouth do some work yet it's work that's very much worth it!

However, as I like to say often on this food blog, consistency is the key. The previous paragraphs and what I am about to type is a separate visit. So, I found myself craving some Kau Kee at around 3:30 PM. I brought a friend with me telling him how great the stuff was! When our bowls came and half way into my second experience, I found myself craving for water and that MSG/oily sensation in my throat. When I finished, I felt embarrassed as my friend didn't uphold my recommendation. Yes, he had the same sensation as me. So I asked a few people who had experience with Kau Kee about the problem and it seems like as the freshly made ingredients sits longer, the oil excretes from the beef into the clear soup. Well, that is one possibility. The other is the restaurant ran out of soup base and as a last minute attempt, made soup using MSG to get the similar flavoring as their freshly prepared soup.

Whatever the issue was, I was turned off by my second experience. Yet, my suggestion is, if you want the good stuff, GO EARLY! When it gets late, I don't recommend going. Perhaps, it was just one of those unlucky experiences but for me, I'm going with my own suggestion. In the end, I take nothing away from how Kau Kee got its reputation from. They certainly make some seriously good clear soup beef brisket noodle (on a good day). My verdict would have been higher, but with what happened in my second experience, I give Kau Kee...

< 4 out of 5 >