Showing posts with label Scottish. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Scottish. Show all posts

Saturday, August 03, 2013

Goodbye Chippy and welcome Shortbread Teas

When I saw this restaurant listed on Openrice, the name Shortbread sounded really familiar so I looked up Shortbread on Openrice and found this other restaurant in Tai Po called The Shortbread Company which I intended to go but it was closed down.

Anyway, found out that the owners of this place used to own that.
The owners Clive and Karin are really really nice!

Shortbread Teas is slightly different from The shortbread company because here they serve teas and cakes.
It is located in Central which is convienient for everyone!

Ironically the location is round the corner from where Chippy's used to be!!!!


Basically there are two entrances to Shortbread Teas, you can either go to the alleyway round the corner from where Chippy's used to be (by the stairs next to the fancy dress shop) or get there from Wellington Street and go down the lovely sky blue staircases which reminds me of Victorian houses with a banister.



If you do go by the stairs method, you would expect it to be like a basement down there but its not because your faced with glass doors at the back, a bit like a patio.
The decor in there is great, its just like home. Although Timeout describes it as "the bedroom of a present-day British teenager", I really liked the tartan curtains and flowery wallpapers.

There are colourful teapots and cute things hanging on the wall.



The teapots are fun because I got a different colour everytime, next time I hope to get the pale blue one, and when the teas come, there is a 3 minute hour glass (each hour glass has different coloured sands too) to indicate when the tea is ready to drink.



The choice of tea is amazing too, there are jars of teas near the teapot displays and there are samples of each tea which you can smell before ordering.



I have been here so many times now, on my first visit, I went mad and ate 2 cakes, 1 scone and a slice of quiche because there was finally some real British stuff and FRESHLY BAKED.
There are still more items to try and the different teas as well.

★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★:
Victorian Sponge:


I have been searching all over Hong Kong for this cake but couldnt find a place that had it.
They used to have them at Teakha but they've stopped doing them and they were sold out when I got there.
Anyway, I was so happy they had it here.
It normally has buttercream or cream in it but Hong Kong people are not keen on cream.
However you can ask for cream and I put lashings of gorgeous double whipped cream and the Victorian Sponge just tasted amazing because the soft cake, cream and jam was heaven.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Carrot cake:



The carrot cake was delicious because it had walnuts in it too, so it eased my craving for walnut cake as well.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Chocolate and beetroot cake:



This cake was moist, rich and extremely chocolately.
The secret of the texture is the beetroot because it makes it moist and gives it a rich colour without using artificial colourings.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Cream tea set:


Again, I requested EXTRA whipped cream because the scone was just perfect in everyway!
If you smell the scone, it has that fragrant baked scone smell too.
Basically the best scone in Hong Kong and it tastes better than the scone at Ali-Oli's Bakery Cafe.
I loved it the way the scone is sliced before it is brought to you so you don't end up making a mess when you attempt to slice it.
Everytime they open the oven door to check their baking cakes, there is a gorgeous smell which opens up my appetite again even though I am full.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Breakfast tea:



The breakfast tea was fragrant because I loved the leafy earthy tone.
Highland toffee tea is also really popular and it has a lovely sweet irresistable smelling scent!
I can't wait till Christmas because I tried their Christmas pudding tea which will be launched in Christmas and it was amazing!

★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Ginger cake slice:



I forgot to take a photo of the slice intact because I just couldnt wait to eat it, this turned out to be one of my favourites because the ginger was just right and not too intense yet you could actually see real pieces of ginger in it.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Apple pie:



This was made with granny smith apples, and tasted amazingly with cream.
The pastry was the best part too, it was just right and not too thick, the pastry smelt good and was dusted with delicious sugar on top.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Bakewell Tart:


I was hesitant about trying this because I never liked Mr Kipling's but after I tried it I had to eat another one!
The tart of soft and chewy with a heavenly almond scent, and there was a thin layer of jam at the bottom.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Haggis spaghetti @ The Canny Man

Had the haggis spaghetti lunch set which includes soup/salad, ice cream and drinks.

★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Pumpkin soup:
The soup was just the usual soup.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Haggis spaghetti:
Basically it was spaghetti sprinkled with Macsween's haggis.
It was really nice but at the bottom there was too much oil and the crushed garlic over powered the haggis.
It would have been great if there was more haggis.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Ice-cream:
This was vanilla icecream with chocolate syrup drizzled on top.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Tea:
Lovely hot tea served with milk.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★

Thursday, March 29, 2012

Haggis haggis and more haggis please @ The canny man

After a satisfying Christmas lunch last year, I came back for Haggis.

Haggis is a dish containing sheep's 'internal organs' (heart, liver and lungs), minced with onion, oatmeal, suet, spices, and salt, mixed with stock, and traditionally simmered in the animal's stomach.
Currently due to availability and convenience some are prepared in a casing rather than an actual stomach.

Haggis is a kind of sausage, or savoury pudding cooked in a casing of sheep's intestine, as many sausages are.

Most haggis are served with "neeps and tatties" (Scottish: swede, yellow turnip, boiled and mashed)

It was presented neatly, three scoops of swede, and a scoop of mashed potato in the centre with the Haggis sitting on top, and a side of rich gravy.

I was surprised how perfect it tasted, it did not have any off putting smell, and the Haggis was moist and the oats were soft, and the spices and everything all blended perfectly, the gravy enriched everything.
The swede tasted how it should, and everything complimented well together.

As for setting, it is truly an oasis in Wan Chai, a nice hidden spot, the carriage compartment seats are the best, it reminds me of the old trains at the Bluebell railway in Sussex.
The nice colour of red and matching tartan.

Sunday, March 25, 2012

Strawberry Cliff starring Eason and Haggis craving @ The Canny Man

Had another craving for Haggis so thought of The Canny Man.

The trailer for Strawberry cliff starring Eason reinforced it even more because The Canny Man was one of the filming locations.
The whole film is in English, so for expats and ABC/BBC/CBC's who like Eason, they will be able to understand it.

Anyway I ordered the Sample of Haggis and it was two scoops if swede and the haggis was served on a bed of mash.

It tasted as good as before, especially the gravy and swede, however the portion size has been reduced because on my previous visit there were three scoops of my favourite swede.

Saturday, March 24, 2012

Still my favourite place for chips and Scottish food

I love eating chips surrounded by glass jars of pickles and the British radio in the background.
Nothing like a perfect Sunday by the seaside.
Anyway, eating in Central will do fine for me.
On this visit I had most of the sides that I am usually too full to try.
Ordered picked egg, pickled onions, steak and kidney pie, gravy, Haggis, Black pudding, fishcakes, cheese and onion pie, sausage, egg and bacon butty, and deep fried mars bar.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Pickled egg
For $10 its about the same price as those runny eggs served in ramen joints, but this one is pickled.
I found it very appetising especially the egg white.

★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Deep fried bars mar:
It was different to how I thought it would be done, it was dipped into a dough batter and not the fish batter.
It tasted like a donut without sugar stuff with a melted mars bar inside.
The sweetness was just right as well because the mars bar inside gave the dough the sweetness.


★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Gravy
Good old bisto gravy.

★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Steak and kidney pie:
Made by the Chippy themselves after numerous trials from different kidneys and beef to get the best taste.
The pie has a cute cow on the top.

★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Pickled onions
This was really sour, but I really miss them from school and the familiar spots on the surface of the onion.


★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Butty
There are two versions, bread or bun, bread is more traditionally used in UK and chips and butter are usually sandwiched in between.
The version I had today was the bun type.

★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Cheese and onion pastry
As usual, it tastes brilliant, the cheese is not elastic or stringy.
The onions inside were finely chopped and molten mixed with the cheddar cheese.

★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Haggis
A Scottish favourite that I like which contains oats, sheeps organs and spices.

★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Black pudding
Also another Scottish favourite of my choice, pork blood, oats and spices.

★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Fish cakes:

I love this because it is really similar to the ones at school, light crispy coating with grounded fish and herbs inside.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
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Shop: Chippy
English menu: yes
Service: Good
Yummy factor: Always the best
Sweetness levels: Just right
Saltiness levels: Just right
Address: G/F, 51A Wellington Street
www.thechippy.com.hk/
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