Portuguese food and wine pairing at [Mike’s Chicken Comida de Portugal Restaurant]

Recently went to a Portuguese food and wine pairing event at Mike's Chicken Comida de Portugal where they have this exclusive Lagrima White Port which is fragrant and sweet with a gorgeous caramel colour.

Lagrima White Port HK$580.00/Bottle or HK$65.00/Glass

Started off with this MC Dream cocktail (HK$280.00/Jar  HK$68.00/Glass) which was light and sweet.

It was a great drink to start with, fun and not too strong with the starters.

Bolinhos de Bacalhau:

Baby Sardines:

The Traditional Portuguese Grilled Chorizo (HK$180.00/Whole  HK$90.00/ Half) were really strong and smokey so when the Lagrima White Port was cooked with the Choriza the sweet and woody flavours went well with the saltiness of the Chorizo.

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Next was the Sea Bass San Antonio which was silky and flakey.

It paired nicely with Quinta do Carmo 2014 White Wine because of the natural acidity that gives it a unique freshness.

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The next course was Mozambique Prawns with Garlic Bread paired with Baco Harvest Rose Vinho.
The rose gold colour of the wine and golden prawn were colourfully matched.

 With Baco Harvest Rose Vinho HK$380/Bottle  HK$85.00/Glass

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The last course was Portuguese Striploin with Herb Butter Sauce HK$325.00 which always calls for red wine with red meat hence the pairing With LBV Vintage Port 2010.

With LBV Vintage Port 2010 HK$580/Bottle   HK$125/Glass

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As well as fine food paired with wine, the MC Summer Tea Set with Coffee or Tea at $198.00 is a good way to sample their Bacalhaus and prawn with chocolate sauce in the afternoon.

On the bottom plate, we have the sweet treats.

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I liked the Macanese Pork Chop Bun which is a classic, especially the crisp bun with a soft and chewy centre

The new Apple / Pear Salad Roll is great for summer and vegetarians with salad leaves and sweet pear slices in a wrap.

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Dessert was a delight especially the White Port Ice Cream infused with fragrant White Port.
The ingredients are simply condensed milk, cream and White Port so I am going to try making this at home one day!

White Port Ice Cream  HK$68.00

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The White Wine Poached Pear in Chocolate Sauce was another wine inspired dessert but personally I liked the ice cream because of the creaminess.

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Mike’s Chicken Comida de Portugal Restaurant 葡匯咪走雞葡國餐廳
Shop 167 , L1 Mira Place Two, 118-130 Nathan Rd, Tsim Sha Tsui,
地址: 九龍尖沙咀彌敦道118-130號美麗華廣場二期1樓167號舖
Tel: (852) 2392 3328
Opening Hours: 12:00 – 23:00

[HEXA] The new talk of town

Located at Tsim Sha Tsui with a 270-degree harbor view on a clear day, HEXA offers diners Cantonese cuisine with a contemporary twist in a stylish environment.

I finally tried it one evening and we got a table by the window as we were early.

For the mains, we had the Fried Noodles with dried Mantis Shrimp in supreme soy sauce and the Braised pearl rice with matsutake mushrooms, morels and sea urchin.
The [Fried Noodles with dried Mantis Shrimp in supreme soy sauce] was a little different to what I had in mind as I was expecting bigger dried shrimps but they just looked like ordinary dried shrimps and not dried Mantis Shrimps 攋尿蝦.
As for the taste, you could taste the soy sauce and the usual charred wok aroma but the dried prawns didn't add any flavour to it.

The [Braised pearl rice with matsutake mushrooms, morels and sea urchin] fared better as it was strong and rich in flavours.

The desserts on the other hand were amazing and much more photogenic.
The [Yuba Mousse with Raspberry Jelly] was shimmering and the mousse had a strong beancurd taste while it was not too sweet complimented by the raspberry jelly.

The [Ice Cream with egg custard cream dumplings] was chic and black which really matched the contemporary environment.

To be honest, the desserts were more impressive than the mains, however I have not tried their dimsums so I can't comment.

[HEXA]
101 Canton Rd, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong

Korean style Moule Frites at [The Joomak]

Moules-frites is a popular main dish of mussels and fries from Belgium which is also a favourite in France.
As a fan of this dish, I decided to try the Korean version at The Joomak which is served with fries or Sweet potato fries.
The mussels are either cooked in kimchi tomato or Makgeolli butter sauce.

I chose the Makgeolli butter sauce because I liked the idea how they used rice wine to replace white wine.

The mussels were huge and meaty whilst having an impressive springy texture and the sauce was fragrant and light.
On Mondays and Tuesdays, you can get free refills but you have to reserve that in advance so that they have sufficient supply of mussels and fries to serve.
I also had my favourite Kale Pancake which you can only get at Joomak and added extra bacon for +$8 to give it that slight saltiness and smokey flavour which worked really well.

Finished with the Turmeric latte which was a bit like Masala Chai but better because I love Turmeric.

Will come back again with my vegan friends for the vegan menu.

[The Joomak]
Shop 34, LCX, 3/F, Ocean Terminal,
Harbour City,
3-27 Canton Road, Tsim Sha Tsui

Cinco de Mayo 2018 at [Coyote Bar & Grill]

Coyote Bar & Grill is one of my hangouts for Mexican Food, I always go there for lunch with colleagues.
At night, it is a totally different scene where the place comes alive.
For Cinco de Mayo, they are serving a new Surf and Turf menu available throughout the month of May.
There are two surf options and two turf options or you can Surf and Turf for $398.

Tried the two Surf and Turf Combos.  The lobster and hanger steak were the best especially the juicy hanger steak which was marinated in Achiote and cajun while the lobster tails were dressed in zesty lime butter.

On the lighter side, there was barramundi and Parmesan and Pistachio crusted lamb. The fish went well with Pineapple Ancho Chile salsa and the lamb was paired with my favourite parsnip puree and cumin roasted fennel

On Saturday 5th May, the day of Cinco de Mayo, there will be a party at Coyote!!!
The party will begin at 8pm with free entry, a free Tequila Patròn shot upon arrival, free delectable canapés, as well as games and prizes.  The night will also get heated with an exciting flaming Jäger-bomb show, a limbo contest, as well as piñata smashing for a chance to win a wide selection of dining vouchers for guests to use upon their next visit.

[Coyote Bar & Grill]
114 Lockhart Road, Wan Chai

Passionately MSG Free at [Hans 漢斯]

Ever since I started blogging, my motto on my profile has always been [★☆Eating good food is partly luck, @ da right place, @ da right time and moment the food is served. Food should be eaten at appropriate temperatures too, as they taste different at different temperatures, especially when it is hot, you can't really taste the real taste.]

I feel that HK in particular, it is very hard for food to taste good the second time round hence I rarely go back to the same restaurant twice and most meats aren't fresh.

It seems that HK has too many options as well but in the UK, you would probably return to that joint once a fortnight due to choice if you live in a small town and the fact they can keep the food consistent.
Belgos/Nandos are very good examples, I used to go often and then I went back a few years later and everything still tasted the same.

Anyway, back to the food at Hans.
I noticed this joint because of their food bags which were brown and sturdy unlike the typical white ones with a nice logo so I decided to check it out for lunch. When I got there, the decor was modern and simplistic.

The lunch menu and pricing was reasonable for QB as all the restaurants in that area cost around $60-$70.

I liked their healthy concept as no MSG or colouring is used. All their ingredients are prepared for each session and if any ingredients remain, it will not be used for the next session so they can maintain quality and freshness. Tried the curry and BBQ pork with tofu.

The curry was really fragrant with a strong coconut taste while the sauce was rich and thick in consistency which went well with the rice.

My roast pork was fantastic, even though I came a bit late, the roast pork was soft and lean.
The colour was brown as they did not use any red colourings.
If you have seen people roasting char siu, quite a lot of colouring is used!!! I also chose this because the dish had soft and silky tofu which is delicious with rice. The soy sauce was not too sweet so everything was in harmony.

I can't wait to come back to try the dinner as it is quieter and portions are bigger while the menu is slightly different.

[Hans 漢斯]
G/F, 939 King's Road, Quarry Bay
Tel: 25600023

Shake Shack is finally in Hong Kong

Just 10 days ago, the atrium of IFC was transformed into Madison Square Park, NYC for a pop up event.
Now Shake Shack is here to stay and serve burgers from the 1st of May on the 4th floor of the IFC.

The menu was really exciting because they have Frozen Custard (which is nothing like English custard.)
The custard is similar to ice-cream but with eggs added with a denser consistency.
As well as Frozen Custard, they are famous for Shakes and Burgers.

I tried Shack burger which has lettuce, tomato, 100% all-natural Angus beef patty and Shack sauce.
The green leaf lettuce they use is frilly and decorative which makes it instaworthy.

On my first bite, I appreciated the salt because it brought out the beef so well and the tomatoes and lettuce all blended in.

The secret also lies in the burger bun they use. The burgers are served on a non-GMO Martin’s Potato Roll which absorbs more sauce than wheat starch buns while it doesn't get soggy.

The crinkle cut fries were optional but the cheese sauce is a must because it is a blend of cheddar and American cheese sauce.

To finish, I had the milkshake which was so damn good because it was not cloyingly sweet.

Before leaving, the hand washing machine is the best thing and possibly the first burger joint place in Hong Kong to have it.

It really cleans the oil off and dispenses cleanser first, then water to rinse and finally a paper towel will pop out for you to wipe your hands dry.

I don't know if they have this on the HK menu, but they have ShackBurger® dog biscuits in the US!

To round it off, I am definitely coming again because HKD50 for a burger is quite reasonable and the size isn't too big to put you off it and at the end I know I can leave with clean grease free hands is fantastic.

[Shake Shack]
Shop 4018, 4/F, IFC,
1 Harbour View Street, Central

A stylish way to spend Happy Hour

After trying the Singmalay Tea treats, I almost missed a stylish Happy Hour if I didn't see this glam poster on the way out.

I have to admit, I was lured back by the digital promotion near the concierge.
At the Lobby Bar Counter, there were these beautiful ceramic Qipao figurine jars.

There are four signature cocktails to wow you!!

I tried the Beer Milkshake while my friend had the China Lady:
The Beer Milkshake was a fun concoction of Chocolate Ice Cream, Porter, Milk, cream, chocolate sauce and topped with an Oreo.

The China lady was very feminine and Oriental with Chinese liquers like Shochu, Plum Wine, Lemon Juice, Maple syrup, Pasteurized Egg White and and Cucumber.

I definitely enjoyed my girly time here and can't wait to come back to try the Pina-Kale Ada and Singapore Sling!!

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[Lobby Bar and Lounge]
Lobby Level, Hotel Jen Hong Kong,
508 Queen's Road West, Hong Kong
https://www.hoteljen.com/hongkong/westerndistrict/taste/bars/signaturecocktail/

[Cafe Malacca] Singmalay Tea Treats

[Cafe Malacca] located at Hotel Jen is a popular place for Singaporeans and Malaysians to hang out because you get the real deal there.
They are now serving Singapore and Malaysian Treats during Tea Time so it was a good opportunity for me to try all these treats which I have not tried before, these treats are also on the A la Carte menu so next time I know what to order.

Starting with the Savouries, there is Pie Tee, Chwee Kueh, Murtakbak and Curry Puff, moving on to the sweets, there are Kuih Dadar, Kaya Toast and Durian Pudding which comes with Kopi-O or Teh Tarik for $288 with an extra 10% service charge.

All the savouries were equally as good but my favourite had to be the Chwee Kueh which is like savoury rice pudding topped with preserved radish and sambal sauce.

It was my first time trying the Murtakbak and it tasted like a stuffed square puff pastry balanced by the pickles on top.

Moving on to the sweets, the creamy durian pudding was amazing and the kaya toasts are always my favourite because I love pandan, just like the Kuih Dadar pandan crepe rolls filled with coconut.

To finish off, the Kopi-O and Teh Tarik were a perfect ending.

I am so glad I tried this and the Tea Set is great way of sampling these Singmalay delights if you are new to it!

[Cafe Malacca]
2/F Hotel Jen,
508 Queens's Road West, Shek Tong Tsui, Hong Kong