[Bistroholic] Italian food with a modern twist

Found out about this place through a friend, the name Bistroholic sounded really familiar. It turns out that it is run under the Coffeeholic group in Sheung Wan, hence the name. When you get there, you are greeted with this modern bar table by the window with flamingoes and a mini leaning tower of Pisa at the other end of the room.

The menu was really good with a wide variety.

Here was what we had:
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Sweet corn soup bisque with salted caramel popcorn: I loved the way, the soup was sweetcorn all the way through with sweet corn soup bisque paired with popcorn which is also made of popcorn. It had a lovely sweet touch from the caramel on the popcorn, so sweet or savoury popcorn would both work and it just makes the soup a fun part of dinner.

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Next were the Chicken wings stuffed with Taiwanese sausage and prawn. Interesting combination! The chicken skin was so crispy that they cracked when you put your fork in them which was brilliant as there isn't much fat underneath the skin.

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The Matsusaka pork confit with smoked romaine salad was another surprise.

I am not a fan of pork, but the pork here is thinly sliced, tender and silky seasoned well by the truffle and has an aromatic smoky flavour to it complimented by the air dried apples.

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For pasta we had the Spaghetti marinara with Argentina red prawn with mussels and Taiwanese peeled jalapeno.

The pasta was al dente and the Taiwanese peeled Jalapenos gave a lovely tangy punch with a spicy kick to it.
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We also had the Pan seared Hokkaido scallops risotto with sea urchin prawn jus.
This was seriously rich with uni and prawn jus but I liked it.

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Slow Cooked Iberico Pork with Anchovy Tomato Jus:
The Iberico pork was lovely and juicy as it was slow cooked and it went really well with the tasty Anchovy tomato sauce. I liked the mash and grilled vegetables that came with it because it makes it complete.

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Finished with Tiramisu which is light and moreish as it is soft and creamy just how it should be with an alcoholic soaked sponge in the middle.

f you book through FB, you get truffle seasoning, truffle pate and a cash coupon when you dine there. (whilst stocks last).

[Bistroholic]
21/F Circle Tower, 28 Tang Lung Street, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong
Tel 3500 2273
IG/FB: @bistroholic.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

[Greyhound] Great modern Thai fare at Whampoa

It's been a while since I last dined at Greyhound so I have forgotten how good their Thai dishes are.
As it was my friends birthday we went here as she wanted the coconut crepe cake.
The menu has changed quite a bit since my last visit in 2012 and they now have more pasta dishes and Western dishes to cater for a bigger audience.
While the menu has expanded, the dessert menu is still fab with a great variety of desserts which make it hard to decide what to end the meal with.
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Started dinner with this evilicious Cherry soda, I chose it because you rarely see it on menus in HK.
It turned out better than I expected because some cherry flavours can taste artificial but this one was sweet and moreish.

It comes with a side of coke which you pour in, therefore giving you a cherry cola flavoured drink.
After a while when the icecream has melted you get a delicious cherry soda float.
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The other drink we had was the Pick you up which was a healthy concoction of juices:

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Started with the Waterfall Grilled Lamb which is Sirloin of lamb served on skewers with Thai north eastern style spices with chopped shallots, spring onion, dry chilies and lime juice.

This was my favourite because their sauce was really similar to the sauce at [Chili club, Wanchai] for the thinly sliced grilled beef filet. Surprising the lamb and the sauce were a great match and lamb meat has never been so appetizing and moreish. I will definitely order this on my next visit which means I have to come back to this branch as they only serve it here. They also offer this at their Beijing branch because the people up North like lamb. It had no gaminess at all and tasted like tender beef slices.
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Greyhound's famous chicken wings are indeed delish as they are so convenient to eat because of the single bone element. They were crispy with a delicious salty fish saltiness.

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For noodles, had the Beef balls and stewed beef noodles which came in a rich beef broth.

I loved the thin rice vermicelli which soaks the broth and you also get condiments with it so you can add accordingly.
Yellow chili sauce was my favourite and really brings the flavour to the next level.
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Spaghetti with Thai Anchovy:

This item is another must order item because the taste is very strong, from salty anchovies to strong basil leaves.
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Larb Salmon E-Sarn Style:

This was similar to the waterfall lamb, but the dressing at the bottom was tangy and fiery.
The salmon tastes really good when you mix it all together.
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Coconut sherbet:

Usually sherbets have a tart taste but this one was not. The taste was sweet and soothing like coconut melting in your mouth. It is made of young coconut and the coconut water inside which tastes so much better than coconut milk. The icy frozen coconut sorbet melting sensation was so refreshing especially when it was made from coconut water.
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Coconut crepe:

The crepe was covered in cream which was lovely and light and it was slightly sweetened but not too sweet. In between the crepe layers there was delicious pieces of young coconut. It reminds me of the buko pie but this one is nicer because it is not so sweet. On top of the crepe, there was a piece of water chestnut which is the one served in the Tub Tim Krob dessert. Overall the cake was delicious, however the coconut meat in the middle was a little hard comparing it to the one I tried a while ago.
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[Greyhound Branches]

Greyhound Cafè - ifc
Shop 1082, Podium Level 1, ifc mall, Central
Tel: +852 2383 1133

Greyhound Cafè - OT
Shop OT G01, G/F, Ocean Terminal, Harbour City, TST
Tel: +852 2383 6600

Greyhound Cafè - FW
Shop L2-42, 2/F, Festival Walk, 80 Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon Tong
Tel: +852 2383 4838

Greyhound Cafè - GCP
Shop 301-302, 3/F., Moko Place, 193 Prince Edward West, Mong Kok
Tel: +852 2394 6000

Greyhound Cafè - TKS
Shop 007, G/F, Cityplaza Phase 2, Taikoo Shing, Tai Koo
Tel: +852 2560 9668

Greyhound Cafè - NTP
Shop 103A, 1/F, New Town Plaza Phase 1, Sha Tin
Tel: +852 2699 3939

Greyhound Cafè - MT
1/F, Midtown, 1 Tang Lung Street, Causeway Bay
Tel: +852 2383 4038

Greyhound Cafè - Thai-pas Bar
1/F, Midtown, 1 Tang Lung Street, Causeway Bay

[Wang Jia Sha 王家沙花樣年華] Shanghai food with great decor

I love this branch of Wang Jia Sha because the decor has a touch of vintage Chinese romanticism from the past.Went there for lunch so had the noodles.

I had the Sichuan dan dan noodles which came in a lovely strong broth, the spiciness was just right for me and the minced meat and pickles gave the noodles more flavour.

The beef noodles were lighter compared to the Sichuan dan dan noodles but the beef was lovely and soft.

The Shanghai dumplings are a must order, each one was bursting with rich meat juice.

For sweet treats, had the custard buns and souffle red bean balls. The custard buns were and piping hot, inside it was filled with runny custard.

The souffle balls were light and soft filled with red bean paste. It was good that it was on a bed of icing powder, so you can dip it according to your sweetness levels.

[Wang Jia Sha 王家沙花樣年華]:
Shop G16 , G/F, Site 4, Whampoa Garden,
Wonderful Worlds Of Whampoa,
7 Shung King Street, Hung Hom
Tel: 23650669

[Charbonnel et Walker] Chocolates with a touch of Royalty

Founded in 1875, Charbonnel et Walker is one of Britain's earliest chocolatiers. Encouraged by Edward VII, (then the Prince of Wales), the company first formed as a partnership between Mrs Walker and Madame. Charbonnel hence the name Charbonnel et Walker.
They are endorsed by the Royal Warrant as one of the few chocolatiers to Her Majesty The Queen where iconic customers have included Princess Diana and Princess Margaret.
The chocolates are hand-made to the traditional recipes of Madame Charbonnel.  Their renowned dark chocolate is made from the finest dark couverture which results in a decadently rich taste.

As well as the packaging, the shape of the chocolates are captivating which make them great gifts. There is also a special offer at the moment where you can get the cake by Jeffrey Koo.
{see FB for further details}

Handbags & shoes:

Other chocolates in the range are really tempting.

www.charbonnel.co.uk

[New openings] bakehouse in Wanchai

A new bakery spotted in Wanchai!
Fresh croissants.

bakehouse:
14 Tai Wong St. East, Wanchai
Hong Kong

[My cup of tea] Hong Kong style tea

Tea shops are trending at the moment and Hong Kong style milk tea is served here.

The owner seems quite proud of his tea as he claims it is award winning tea.

To be honest, Hong Kong style milk tea is not my cup of tea but I had to give it a try because he said it was an award winning tea.
It was served pretty fast after I paid.

The guy at the front poured milk etc into the tea.

The taste was very strong with a good bitterness to it yet you could taste the balanced milk flavour.
While I was there, most of the Hongkongers said it was really good but as I am English I don't know how a good HK milk tea should taste.
I wonder if the prices will increase after the soft opening.

#wanchai

[My cup of tea 我杯茶 - 港式奶茶鴛鴦專門店]
G/F, Wing Hing Building, 6 Spring Garden Lane, Wan Chai
灣仔春園街6號永興樓地下