Mrs Fields New Strawberry cheesecake cookie

Walked past and saw these newly launched strawberry cookies.


★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Strawberry cheesecake cookie:



It had the standard soft and chewy texture.
There were pieces of dried strawberries and white chocolate in it.
The taste was rather disappointing because there was no cheesecake taste and it was just sugary.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★

New pie shack on Queen's Road

I love pies from TTPP.

This joint is located on Queen's Road East.
Locals might find it a bit pricey, but expats are going to love this!
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Cheese and onion quiche:

Bland and tasteless.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Strawberry rhubarb orange blossom crumble:

Loved the rhubarb chunks because it was acidic complemented by the strawberries.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Spinach pignoli nut quiche:

This was also bland but I loved the spinach.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Sweet blueberry hill crumble bites:

Really cute bite sized crumbles filled with delicious blueberries.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Tai Tai Pie Pies:
Shop 1, G/F,
Shun Feng International Centre,
182 Queen’s Road East,
Wan Chai

Head to 85 South!!

After having some crappy chicken nearby decided to check this place out.

I was so annoyed I didn't remember this place earlier because I could have tried the pulled sandwich instead of having crappy chicken.

85 South is an American diner offering Carolina barbeque fare of pulled pork and ribs.

Although I was full, I tried the slaw for $50 which is a sidedish.

On the table they have three types of sauces representing the South, East and West of Carolina:

‘South Sauce’ - honey mustard barbecue flavour
‘West Sauce’ - tomato and barbecue flavour
‘East Sauce’ - vinegar and peppery flavour

The restaurant is nicely decorated with lots of rustic wood and benches.



★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Slaw:

The slaw was presented in four cute scoops.

It was finely chopped cabbages in sweet vinegar sauce American style with a gorgeous crunch.
There was also a hint of peppery kick and bits of cracked black pepper and red chili which you can visually see.
Ideally for complementing pull pork and ribs but since I was full I had on its own which got a bit sweet.
This sidedish is probably suitable for four people to share.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Lastly you can leave your mark that you've been there.

Anyway, I'll be back for the smokin ribs and pulled pork!
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Restaurant: 85 South
Address: 6-10 Kau U Fong, Central
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★

Pumpkin and Spice Pie from TTPP

Tai Tai Pie Pies (Admiralty)

Previously tried the Pumpkin and Spice Pie at Blue Smoke for Thanksgiving but unfortunately it has packed up.

Then I got to try it again because Secret Ingredients stocked it.

At GREAT food hall, there is now a TTPP stall where I can get all my favourite pies directly from them.

The Pumpkin and Spice Pie is just the thing for Thanksgiving or halloween.

The two that I got were obviously for halloween because one had a cute bat and the other had a witch on a broomstick.

There were other designs as well.

★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Pumpkin and Spice Pie:


The pie looked more like a tart because there was no pie top to cover it, and the filling was delicious and buttery with a strong taste of cinnamon.
The sweetness was just right and after reheating it, the pie was even more delicious because the pumpkin aroma came out more.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★

Creole food restored at Restoration

Restoration (Central)

I used to go to Blue Smoke for creole food but it has closed down.
Luckily I had their last Thanksgiving dinner because it was delicious.

Anyway, I heard about Restoration last year but every time I called no one picks up the phone and they are not open on Sundays.

When i got there, the food was strikingly similar to Blue Smoke, after asking the staff, they said the Chef was from Blue Smoke which was comforting.

★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Oyster po boy:

The oysters were coated in delicious cornmeal which was light and crispy.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Catfish po boy:

The catfish was also coated in the same delicious cornmeal, but the catfish was slightly saltier.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Cinammon roll:

Bit dry and hard
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
After the meal, there was an electronic questionnaire to leave comments.

CaliBurger comes to Hong Kong in Wan Chai!!

I can't wait for this burger place to open!!

Hope they offer the full menu in Hong Kong and don't localize it!

http://www.caliburgerintl.com/

Smokin' Hot Texas chicken

Texas Chicken & Ribs (Wan Chai)
I have attempted to dine here quite a few times but there is no air conditioningwhich makes it quite uncomfortable and sticky.

Went on a day that was less hot, but it was still quite hot once you started eating because the food itself was quite hot.



★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Grilled cajun style chicken breast with coleslaw in bun:


Initially I did not want to order it because it was chicken breast but after seeing the reviews, the chicken was quite juicy so I got it.
I definitely made the right choice ordering this because it was really good, the chicken meat was covered in thick tangy sauce, but there was not much cajun taste unfortunately.
It tasted more like Hickory sauce.
The coleslaw beneath it was deliciously appetizing.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Lemon and herbs Chicken (quarter):

As well as Lemon and herbs, there were other flavours such as BBQ, Hickory, Mango which were probably better options because they probably smother that sauce on top of the roasted chicken.
There was not much flavouring on this one except for the occasional hint of herbs and the lemon could not be tasted at all.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
I would'nt mind coming here again for the cajun chicken, but for the chicken I would only get it if it just came out from the oven because it gets dry fast.
I wanted to try the ribs too but they can be on the pricey side!
The place reminded me of FLAME but more American style!

Prepared to be butchered for fine food

Prepared to be butchered for fine food
Blue Butcher (Sheung Wan)

Thanks to LT and this restaurant for holding a tasting for us.

I have always wanted to dine at this place so it has been on my wishlist for quite a while.
The interior of this restaurant is just fantastic. It is huge and spacious with high ceilings.
It is basically an imitation of a US style meat house, at the entrance you are greeted with some heavy looking metal stairs, on the walls, there are butchers knives on the wall.

Every item in this restaurant is big and medieval looking.

These stairs are a rarity in Hong Kong because stairs are usually built outside the appartments, but for larger houses such as Victorian houses, the stairs are not outside.

When you reach the top of the stars, there is a hanging room with Himalayan salt blocks.
Himalayan salt is the purest form of salt known in the world and contains the highest concentrations of minerals and has medicinal as well as culinary uses.

One of the rooms was really special with cavities on the walls for candles.

The heavy wooden tables have lockable wheels, so If there is a big group, they can be rolled together to form one big long table.

★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
norwegian salmon tartar/avocado/burnt lemon vinaigrette/horseradish:

It was a really nice dish to start off with, salmon and creamy avocado dressed with delicious salad and burnt lemon vinaigrette which gave it more dimension with a charred taste.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
compressed organic tomato/burrata cheese/white balsamic/basil:

Burrata cheese never fails, creamy cheese oozing with a runny centre in the middle just like a poached egg, complemented by their delicious organic tomatoes drizzled in white balsamic vinegar.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Organic smoked beetroot/feta/cucumber/pistachio vinaigrette:

It was beautifully presented, beets on the bottom, cucumber slices on top with crumbled feta cheese and pistachio nuts on top drizzled with sauce.
The beets and cucumber tasted really nice with the vinaigrette.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
spanish ham & egg/asparagus/mushroom/thyme:

The spanish ham was soft and delicious, not overly salty paired with deliciously grilled asparagus, panfried mushrooms and a perfectly poached egg.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
bone marrow/toast/caper berries/parsley/salt flakes:

I love bone marrow so this was obviously my favourite.
It came served in the bone too with a cute little spoon.
The bone marrow was delicious and the texture is a bit like fatty jelly but with the salt flakes the bone marrow on taste was really appetizing, and to finish off, there were caper berries.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★rare
breed us kurobuta pig belly & cheek/lentils/granny smith apple slaw:


The pork belly was soft complemented with the deliciously tangy and crunchy apple slaw on the top.
The lentils beneath it were delicious.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
dutch veal cheek & sweetbreads/truffled orzo/herb salad
I love veal cheeks, they are always soft and supple.
As for the sweetbreads, they tasted different to the ones I tried another place.
The sweetbreads were really soft and slightly sticky, and had a slight resemblance to liver.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Australian O'Connor Farm 100% Natural Black Angus 14oz Rib Eye:

This was huge, but every bite of the beef was juicy and sweet.
The sea salt on the beef enhanced it and if that was'nt enough, there was mustards too.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Lemon Cappuccino /Lemon Crouton /Lemon Curd /Almond Crumble /Whipped Cream:

This dessert looked like a cappuccino, but just dig into it and the taste amazing and dreamy with a strong lemon taste balanced by the lovely whipped cream.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Lastly the drinks!
I don't drink alchohol but the drinks selection here is amazing, it would be a sin not to try them, there was horseradish flavours, bacon flavours, cream cheese flavours and the famous moonshine which is served in a glass with a paper bag on the outside because alchohol was banned in the 1920s which was how they disguised their drinks.
They are always inventing new cocktails so be sure to check their website for their latest cocktails.
During the tasting, they had pork chop and apple too on the cocktail menu which has bacon washed blended scotch in the mixture with apple sauce.

apple pie moonshine

From January 16th 1920, the united states began passing laws banning alcohol sales and
consumption, a nationwide prohibition went into effect, which triggered the greatest thing
the moonshiners could have asked for.
The taste of this was addictive, a really heavy and sweet taste of apple and cinammon just like an apple pie.

Horse’s Head

This is a fun cocktail of gin infused with horseradish giving a moreish savoury taste with a mustard kick. I loved the egg white foam cap on top sprinkled with green tea powder.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★

19/08/2013
Blue Butcher Bar & Restaurant Blue · Butcher & Meat Specialist
上環荷李活道108號地舖
G/F, 108 Hollywood Road, Sheung Wan
https://www.openrice.com/zh/hongkong/review/prepared-to-be-butchered-for-fine-food-e2315137

How long will New York Fries last in Hong Kong

New York Fries (Tseung Kwan O)

New York Fries used to be the talk of town with their first branch at Harbour City.

Then they opened another one at Langham place and more popped up.
Unfortunately, there are now two branches left in Hong Kong and I wonder how long they will stay before they pack up!
I used to get New York fries at least once a week but since they localized the fries I don't really like them.
For some reason Hong Kongers do not like fried foods.
Ireland's potato is a good example.
The fries here are meant to be soft but they have now localised them and made them crispier by frying them longer (in my point of view - burnt!!).
The colour of the fries are really dark.
The fries I get from Chinese shops are over done, but this is how the locals like them.
At NYF, they have the usual condiments for hotdogs, eg olives, sauces, onions etc.

My favourite is always the vinegars, and Cajun seasoning.

★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Poutine:

Compared to the fries I got when they opened a few years ago, these are much darker.

The cheese is not cheese curds, they are basically cubes of cheese.
The fries were ok, but not as delicious as they used to be because they were too crispy and overdone for my liking.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★

Main St. Deli for downtown food

Main St. Deli
Lower Lobby Level, The Langham Hong Kong, 8 Peking Road, Tsim Sha Tsui

I have always wanted to go here but I got this restaurant confused withDuke's Deli because both were American style and the decor was similar when I saw the reviews.



I found out about the grilled cheese night from OpenRice which is available on wednesday nights only.

Every week I would attempt to go but when I remembered it would be thursday so I would have to wait the next week and by the time I remembered it would be too late and the cycle goes on!

Anyway I finally remembered this time and checked their website to see if it was still on. According to their website the Grilled cheese night is available until 30th April so I phoned Main Street Deli to make a reservation but they said the Grilled cheese night had finished last month (March).
I was quite confused so I just assumed the website was not update but anyway I submitted an online enquiry to ask if the Grilled Cheese night was still on and I got confirmation through email that it was still on so I booked again.

I read the reviews again to see the best items to eat and found a similar issue that the staff thought the promotion has ended.

Quoted from previous review by 輕雲: 餐廳好像沒有很積極的推廣Grilled Cheese Night這個主題，因為店員沒有主動把有關的菜單給我，其他食客也似乎沒有意識到這個主題的存在，只點了平常菜單供應的食物。這麼棒的主題和食物，店員怎麼不積極地讓更多客人知道呢？

When I arrived, I was greeted by a lovely glass cabinet of cakes which were huge, the sofa chairs were like a classier version of the ones at Ed's Diner (a retro-American style diner).
Sat down and browsed the menu.
I was planning to order an item from the grilled cheese menu and a burger from the a la carte menu.
The grilled cheese night set comes with a soup, grilled cheese solders and a sandwich.
The choice for the grilled cheese sets was quite good but I would have preferred if the set contained sandwiches with all the different cheeses so you can sample them all or at least two different cheeses.

There were six choices:
Croque Monsier: ham, gruyere, wilted spinach and mornay sauce
Provolone, cured italian meats, olive, tomato and basil pesto in sourdough
Cheddar cheese, shredded BBQ pork and caramelised onions
Brie, smoked pork loin, rocket and jalapeno Mozzarella, ripe tomatoes, basil and balsalmic syrup in Italian sesame oil
Swiss cheese, avocado, sauteed mushrooms and roasted red peppers on multigrain
Canadian bacon, stilton, and swiss cheese on light rye all served with roasted tomato bisque with grilled cheese soldiers.



As I am not really a meat eater I was choosing between the croque monsieur and the Canadian bacon and in the end I chose the Canadian bacon.

For the burgers, it was hard choosing between the cod cake burger and the vegetarian burger coated with Matzoh,
in the end I chose the cod cake burger.

★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Cod cake burger:



I was expecting the burger to be huge but it was gigantic!
It was a cod cake between a crispy maize muffin.

I felt that there was no coating so the cod cake was nearly 100% cod with potatoes and herbs so when it was cooked, the surface of the cod cake was directly cooked giving it a delicious crispy tasty surface.

★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★



Canadian bacon, Stilton, and Swiss cheese on light rye:

The sandwich was just delicious and the rye bread was fantastic because it had caraway seeds in it which gave it a distinct fragrant flavour and balanced out the heavyness of the bacon and cheese.
The Stilton in the sandwich was nice because it made it cheesier.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Tomato soup:

The soup was very sour but I loved it because the tomato taste was natrual and there was real tomato puree in it.
The taste was similar to eating canned plum tomatoes.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Cheese soldiers:

These were two pieces of toast with delicious melted cheese in the middle.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★

It would be great if they could offer a cheese soldier platter each with a different cheese inside so you could sample all the different cheeses.