[Review] Flat Iron

Flat Iron is a popular affordable steak house which opened on Beak Street in London since 2012.
Since then, it has become a success and there are now nine branches.

I began dining there a few years ago.
Beak Street was the first place I tried it and I was hooked.
Flat Iron is definitely the place to go hence I always recommend people there.

Recently went to the Tooley Street branch and the quality had gone down a little bit.

The steak I had was full of membrane but they happily changed it for me so the replaced steak was all good.

 After replacement:

The only complaint would be the serving boards they used because there was some off putting smell on them.

The metal cups and plates had paint coming off it which meant rust was in contact with food.

Apart from that I will go back but to a different branch next time.


Youtube:

Foodwise Wine pairing @ La Mer Restaurant & Lounge

As a FoodWise member, there are lots of events like wine pairing etc.
It was my first time joining the wine pairing event by FoodWise. I attended the event because I have always wanted to try the food at La Mer Restaurant & Lounge which is founded by celebrity Stefan Wong.

As well pairing it with fine wines from Bodegas Corral, the signature dishes from La Mer were also on the menu.Started with the beef tartare paired with Don Jacobo Crianza 2014.
By far this was my favourite beef tartare because it was made with tenderloin so the beef is lean and flavourful.
It contains capers and gherkins which make the tartare moreish.

Next was the French Onion soup, again flawless as it was loaded with onions which were soft and sweet, topped with a lovely piece of baguette with melted gruyere cheese.
The pairing of Don Jacobo Reserva complimented it nicely.

The main course was Wet aged US Prime hanger steak served medium rare to go nicely with the red wine.

The wine pairing was good because Carlos Rubio, CEO & Winemaker of Don Jacobo led us through the wines so for wine rookies like me, I ended up understanding more of the wine pairing journey and how different characteristics of the wine come by. The last act was my favourite!

Cheese.........

On the platter was smoked cheddar, goats cheese, Stilton and Parmesan.

Goats cheese and Smoked Cheddar were my favourites and went well with the wine.

Overall, it was a great event so I will look out for other events organized by Foodwise in future. All the wines we tried that night can be bought at FOODWISE.

 

La Mer Restaurant & Lounge:

https://www.facebook.com/Lamerrestauranthk/

FoodWise:

https://foodwise.hk

[Prohibition] A great place for steak and drinks

I never would have guessed Prohibition was a great place for steaks and drinks.
It is located in the new hotel next to Ocean Park which is right outside the MTR station.
There is a lovely pool beside it.

You are greeted by a bar where you can have drinks before or after dinner or even with your meal.

The drinks are instaworthy and there are more on the menu to be discovered.

As well as steak, there are lots of fab food so it is best to go in big groups and they have long tables to accommodate.

Started with the Scallop Ceviche which was on a bed of refreshing mango lime sauce.

Next was the Lump Crab Cake with (yuzu and cod roe tartar sauce). A must when having steak, there was so much chunks of crab in it.

The Beer battered prawns with Lime chili sauce were really comforting because of the batter and the fact they look like the sweet and sour prawns you get in English style Chinese takeaways and Chinatown!

I absolutely love pastrami so the Pastrami meat platter was a real treat with pickled pearl onions and refreshing gherkins.

For soup, there was Seafood chowder which was loaded with seafood with  a strong lobster bisque taste.

The moment we were all waiting for had arrived!!!  STEAKS!! We had the USDA Prime bone-in Ribeye, one was rubbed with 28 days bourbon & oolong tea dry aged, while the other one wasn't. USDA Prime bone-in Ribeye  There was 28 days bourbon & oolong tea dry aged The aged version was more intense in flavor yet it was juicy and tender.

The Canadian certified angus beef Porterhouse was my personal favourite because you get the tenderloin and strip either side of the bone. The tenderloin is my favourite part.

The sides we had were mac and cheese, creamy spinach and loaded mashed potatoes which really completes that steakhouse experience.

To finish, we had the Flamed Alaska. By far this is the best Flamed Alaska because the icecream inside was good especially the pistachio icecream and the meringue on the outside was like thick marshmallow goo.

Will definitely be back for drinks and more beef!!

[Prohibition]
G/F (Portion C) at Club Wing,
Hong Kong Ocean Park Marriott Hotel,
180 Wong Chuk Hang Road, Wong Chuk Hang

Loyal to Vegans as well at [Loyal Dining]

Since my last visit to Loyal Dining, they have launched a Green Menu (Vegetarian) that serves Beyond Meat Burgers.

There is also a Half Priced Steak Night deal where guests can enjoy half priced steak for every second order of the Chef Recommended Classic Steak Set (original price starting HKD188up) available from Monday to Thursday.
The promotion has been extended until the end of June as it has proved to be very popular as almost every table was having steak that night!!!

I am a fan of Beyond Meat burgers and currently on a quest to try all these different places that serve it and see which place makes it taste the best!
As we were a large group, we had both meat and vegetarian dishes.

Started with the Signature Loyal Chicken Wings simmered in their home made sweet soy sauce. Each wing was tasty and soft fully infused with the sweet soy sauce.

Now to the new VEGAN stars of Loyal Dining, the Beyond Meat burger!!!
There are three burgers to choose from: Original, Sichuan or Scallion Oil. It was really difficult to pick a favourite as both were so good but different.
The Sichuan one had the Sichuan flare to it but it was a bit too salty.

I would probably say the Scallion Oil was better because the combination was interesting and strangely went really well as scallion oil is normally paired with chicken.

Look at all that yummy Scallion Oil!

I was really impressed they even had Sorrowful Rice in Vegetarian form. The vegan char siu had that freshly roasted char siu taste and aroma as it was slightly crispy on the edges.

Beef Wellington 66 is the signature dish here and one of my classic faves because it is British!
They use quality beef and the puff pastry is good.
Beef Wellington 66 signifies Loyal Dining's old address at 66 Wellington Street before they moved!
I miss that location as I used to go there for dimsum and went there with friends from UK.

Next we had the vegetable curry souffle which was interesting. Basically vegetable curry topped with souffle!

Now for the real dessert, it was Ovaltine Souffle which was fluffy and sweet infused with Ovaltine!

I really like the new menu and hope it stays forever so that Vegans can dine here as well!
I'll be back!

[Loyal Dining]:
1/F, 5 Tonnochy Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong
https://www.loyaldining.com.hk/

[The Sky Bar] Quality Steaks

Fans of Mr Steak can come here because The Sky Bar is also part of Mr Steak, hence the beef is guaranteed to be good.

The set dinner includes a semi buffet soup, salad and dessert bar.

The sets are priced according to the main course that you choose.

For starters, chose the Brown crab and American Pearl Oysters.
The oysters were fresh as expected and all it needed was a squeeze of lemon.
Although there is some strange tomato sauce in the middle which is a Hong Kong thing.

The Brown crab was the star of the show because there was so much roe and Tomalley that it was best eaten with bread.

The pea soup from the soup bar was warm and comforting with lots of peas in it.

For mains, the pineapple and short ribs were tangy and tender.
I had the surf and turf because the beef was as good as expected.
It was a nice chunk of tenderloin that was juicy and full of beef flavour.

Finished with the desserts which left me feeling satisfied.


[The Sky Bar]
8/F., Lee Theatre Plaza, 99 Percival Street, Causeway Bay
銅鑼灣波斯富街99號利舞臺廣場8樓8A舖
Tel: 24099866

[Louis' Steak House] Last dinner at this steak house

Louis' Steak House is a legend in Wan Chai which has been here for decades.

I tried them before because of the fish maw and I am here again because they will be moving.
It is located in the Malaysia building which is evidently old because there is an unpleasant smell at the lobby area that was there on the first visit and still there now.
This restaurant is rather interesting because the Chinese run it and they serve proper western dishes apart from the Fish Maw.
The restaurant ambiance takes you back in time and the decor reminds of this steak house called Beefeater in the UK.
The staff looked like they’ve work there all their life and most of them are senior citizens.
I was very impressed by their diverse menu that ranges from Asparagus with hollandaise sauce to Crepes Suzette.
The table was laid with red and white chequered tablecloth, formal cutlery, flowers and a small candlelight.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆
Caesar salad:

The salad was not that crisp but I liked the dressing because there was some mustard in it.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆
French oysters 1865:

★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆
Fish maw steak:

After reading Jason’s review, I used the bread on the sticky fish maw sauce, and it was wonderful.
The fish maw itself was quite thick and gelatinous flavoured by the rich gravy.
Comparing it to my review, the fish maw was bigger this time and the sizes that people get are quite random.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆
Fresh crabmeat mushroom soup au Gratin:

This was baked, so it was very hot with melted cheese on top.
The crabmeat was nice and fresh, but the soup was quite milky.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆
For steaks, we had the mini tomahawk which is slightly smaller than the usual tomahawk, it came with creamy potatoes and salad.

After adding salt, it made the beef much nicer.

★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆
Apple pie:

It looked like an ordinary apple pie, but the pastry was so light, buttery and crumbly.
I think it’s the best pie pastry I have had in Hong Kong so far.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆
Pancakes with liquor:

A slightly soggy pancake drenched in strong liquor and orange juice.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆

I look forward to their new restaurant because the style is going to be different and not as nostalgic as this.