A different flame is burning

Flame (Wan Chai)
Previously this restaurant used to do roast chicken but then they closed for a while and now they serve pies instead of roast chicken.

The restaurant has now been converted into a small pub.

Here is the new menu and it's nice to see that they still have piri piri chicken burger on the menu.

I ordered two pies which were not available so I had to choose from the list she showed me, so in the end I had chicken and mushroom and the beef curry pie.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Chicken and mushroom:


Evidently this pie was made in Hong Kong because it had the Asian shitaake mushroom.
The taste was ok but nothing spectacular because it was piping hot outside and slightly cold in the middle.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Beef curry pie:


It was crammed with lots of minced beef but again it was cold in the middle despite the hot steam coming off it.
The beef was a bit too gamey for my liking.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★

Affordable localized pastries and cakes

M18 (Lok Fu)

I happened to be in the area so went for a walk when I saw this bright illuminated bell so stopped by to have a look.

It appeared to be a bakery with a dine in section.

On the right of the entrance, there was a window where people can see the pastry chef decorating the pastries.

Inside, there were lots of pastries, some were in cabinets and some were exposed.

The cookies which cost $5 looked really nice and there were four flavours: tomato, ginger, caramel walnut, chocolate.
Each were topped with respective toppings, the caramel walnut one looked the best!



After asking the staff, found out that they are a branch of Maxims, hence the M in the name M18.
The 18 is probably a Chinese thing so that they get lucky.

In my opinion, the decor, range and prices were going to win people because it differentiates them from their usual boring Maxim's style and incorporates more European and Japanese influences in it.
It is a crossover between Maxim's & you cafe selling Arome bakery room style cakes and patisseries.

As well as that, the dine in selection looks good and cheap too.

The all day breakfast was the best deal for $36 which I saw people have and it looked decent with proper mushrooms and sausages as opposed to frankfurters and canned mushroom.

As I was full I could only try the cakes, and they both cost me $32.5 which is even cheaper than arome bakery room!
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Cinammon apple danish $8.5:

In the middle of the apple danish, there was custard.

I found the danish pastry too thick and tough, the apple filling was too sweet and the cinammon was not strong enough.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Raspberry mille feuille $24:

There was also pineapple and strawberry mille feuille but I chose raspberry because you don't often see raspberry.
The layers of pastry were quite hard and flakey but it tasted ok and the custard filling was not too sweet with a reasonable vanilla taste in it.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★

Strange SingMalay food

Noodle LAH! (Admiralty)

I only like this place because of the decor but the food was awful and I don't know why I bothered trying so many dishes.

The big mistake was not choosing the noodles cooked in their signature chili sauce but I tried some of that signature chili sauce from the jar and it was not nice.

Heres what I tried:
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Three sours:


Tried this twice which was preserved plum, lemon juice and lime!
On the second time it is ACIDIC and not drinkable!
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Noodles and clams in tomato sauce:

The tomato broth was fake and sweet.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Satay:

The chicken had a horrible charred taste.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
The bill:


On one visit, they said that if you order starters and mains, the drink is free, but they total the bill including that free drink with 10% on top and then they minus the drink, so you're actually paying a few dollars for the drink which is not free.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Stir fried rice rolls:


This was for afternoon tea and one of the better tasting items, but it was too oily and MEGA salty.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★

C-amera I-n A-ction in the K-itchen

CIAK In The Kitchen (Central)
Aftering dining at Urban bakery works, dined here as well.


This place is called CIAK (in Italy CIAK is a popular Italian film magazine).
Hence the design incorporates the roll film and the use of the clapper board.


Coincidentally that day, they were filming an interview on CIAK and the chefs!


It was confusing when I ordered because there is only one counter where you order and pay for the bakery items.
When I ordered the guy did not quite know what I wanted (hopefully the people are more trained now).
After I paid, I took the receipt to the counter and the girl did not know what I ordered even though it was printed on the receipt.
If that had been a greedy bugger, that person would have probably asked for a more expensive item.
Anyway I told her what I ordered.

★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
pesca all'alchermes:

Basically it was a Tuscan brioche infused with alchermes liquer for $25.
Visually it looked like two donuts sandwiched together with cream in the middle.


The brioche was nice and soft but the liquer taste was not that strong and seemed to have stained the brioche red on the sides, but the vanilla cream was nice and you could see vanilla seeds in it.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★

Christmas dinner at ToTT's

ToTT's and Roof Terrace (Causeway Bay)

Thanks to the PRs at Excelsior hotel for inviting me to this Christmas dinner at ToTT's and Roof Terrace.

It was such a lovely evening dining with a nice view of Hong Kong and meeting ET, Sammy Wu the Director of Food and Beverage.

Here was our menu for the night!


It was hard deciding on the mains because the beef one had beef cheeks and the fish one had gnocchi, so in the end I chose gnocchi.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Appetizers from the bar


Foie gras mousse with sourdough:
The mousse was silky with velvety foie gras and delicious wine jelly on top.

tomato panna cotta
The tomato panna cotta tasted better than I imagined because I expected creamy tomato but it was infact a refreshing tomato taste which was non creamy.

seafood terrine
I loved the terrine because of the jelly and the seafood looked nice.

★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Poached dover sole fillet with truffle gnocchi, artichokes, baby spinach, truffle emulsion

As expected the fish was succulent and soft in a buttery truffle sauce! I was delighted with the slices of truffle on top too.
The gnocchi was nice and mildly firm with some chew to it.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Desserts from the bar



Ultimately the logs were my favourite especially the white one which reminded me of a cake from UK's Marks and Spencers!


★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★

Buffet lunches at Joe Bananas

Joe Bananas (Wan Chai)

It was a friends birthday so they booked Joe Banana's AGAIN which included the buffet!!


The selection this time was matched to the budget.



I tried the fish which was ok, but slightly dry but what can you expect with a budget like that.


The pasta was a bit oily but edible, again you can't complain with that budget.


The seating was slightly uncomfortable because there were not many tables and most were high tables with stools.