Apple fritters at Dumpling Pro

Dumpling Pro (Wan Chai)

While I was making my way to a tasting, I stumbled upon this restaurant.

I was surprised they had apple fritters so I went in imediately to try them because I had an hour to kill before the tasting.

I have always wanted to try this famous eatery for dumplings but this place is in the middle of nowhere and the logo of this shop put me off!

It was too stylish for traditional Beijing food, but inside it was normal.

Sat down, and the waitress was surprisingly nice and asked if I wanted to sit at another table because the air conditioning was cold at that table.

So I changed tables and ordered the apple fritters.

After ordering, she gave orders to the other staff to buy red apples because they do not stock the fruit.

Before she left, I had it changed to green apples because I prefer sour apples.
If you prefer sweet apples, go for the red.

They also do banana fritters as well as sweet potato fritters.

There were mainly two groups of people dining there: Westerners and Mainlainders with a heavy Northern accent.

★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Green Apple fritters:

I was so glad I finally found a place that does apple fritters.
There is another place in Causeway bay, but they probably expect you to have dinner or order other items as well.

The apple fritters were gorgeous, they taste the same as the ones in the UK.
Crispy candied coating with piping hot apple inside.
I loved the perfect balance of the hot mushy tart apple against the sweet crisp coating.
If there was cream or ice-cream, that would be heaven!!

I will definitely come back for the apple fritters and try their other dishes too!

★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★

Bao fight coming soon

I only eat Chinese steamed buns if the quality is good but the ones you get in dim sum places are filled with fatty meat or fillings that are too sweet.

Now there is Little Bao which turns the boring steamed buns into burgers.

When I first saw the logo, it reminded me of the Jolibee logo and Chipmunks merged into one.

The menu is simple, some dishes for sharing, baos and dessert.

I was there for the Bao only so I tried the chicken one.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Chicken Bao:

Chicken, black vinegar glaze, szechuan mayo, napa cabbage, coleslaw.

It was definitely dinky and lives up to its name Little Bao.

I loved the texture of the steamed but, it was soft but not too soft that it held together well as a burger bun and the filling in the middle was amazing.
The crispy chicken was delicious with the tart medley of julienne cabbage and coleslaw with a gorgeous creamy taste that got jazzed up with szechuan mayo.
The szechuan mayo did not have a fiery tone but had a slow tingling sensation that accumulated when you finished the bun and there was a fragrant taste of szechuan peppercorn.
The only flaw was that it was not hot enough and to me it felt like an appetizer.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Anyway, there will be a similar Steamed bun shop coming up soon in Wan Chai, called Bao Wao.
https://www.facebook.com/BaoWowHK

They will make their 1st public appearance at PEZ HKC from 1830pm - 2030pm on the 15th November (one night only, $38 per bao).

During the opening period in Wan Chai, it will be HK$58 for 2 Baos.

As well as that I will be looking forward to their Asian poutine which will be taro fries topped with cheese and Korean style beef!

★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★

Restaurant: Little bao

https://www.facebook.com/littlebaohk?fref=ts

Quinary's magical journey of five senses

As you know I do not drink so what captivated me here?

Well it all started when I saw the latest review featuring three bottles filled with thick white liquid called the Marshmallow Duo.

Then I checked their website and found out they also had a non alcoholic mocktail that I could try too called the JAX SUMMER LOVE made with Jax's coconut water, pandan syrup and dessicated coconut.

On my first attempted visit, I went with a friend that drinks but when we got there it was fully booked.

A few days later I was in Central again, so decided to try the non alchoholic drink only.

This time it was fully booked again apart from the bar table.

I don't usually like sitting at the bar table because it feels a bit weird but surprisingly it was entertaining and fun at the Quinary.

★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
JAX SUMMER LOVE:

Mocktail: coco jelly/ pandan syrup/Jax Coco water/coconut flakes



I knew I was going to like it because the drink was coconut water based.
It was a refreshing sweet drink with a hint of coconut but the pandan flavouring was too light, but too much of it would have been too sweet because it was pandan syrup.
The coconut flakes just acted like some pretty snowflakes floating on top.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
MARSHMALLOW DUO:
Absolut Vanilla/ marshmallow milkshake/cream/ egg white/ grilled marshmallow/ aged Manhattan/

It was so nice of the guy to let me try some because I really wanted to try it.
When it came, I realised why it was called a Shot because of the size.
The bottle was about 4 inches tall and really cute like a mini glass cola bottle which I would'nt mind having!
The taste of this was dreamy, it was light foam milkshake with fine bubbles.
It had a gorgeous vanilla taste but as a non drinker, I would prefer less vodka because I found it too strong.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Wasabi redistilled Absolut Vodka:

The guy also gave me this to try and it reminded me of the Horse's head at The Blue Butcher which was a fun cocktail of gin infused with horseradish giving a moreish savoury taste with a mustard kick and egg white foam cap on top sprinkled with green tea powder.
When I tried the wasabi vodka, it was fierce~ because my lips were scorching.
Initally I thought it was the vodka, but then I realised it was the wasabi stinging on my lips!
Horse’s Head:
http://www.openrice.com/restaurant/commentdetail.htm?commentid=2315137&tc=sr2&con=rvw
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
QUINARY BLOODY MARY:
Wasabi redistilled Absolut Vodka/homemade bloody mary mix/ lemon & tomato juice/ up

The bloody mary was basically the wasabi vodka with tomato and lemon juice added to it.
The taste was much nicer with a sharp wasabi kick instead of the tabasco chili kick.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
EARL GREY CAVIAR
For fun tried some earl grey caviar that he had made for the Earl Grey Caviar martini.
It was earl grey liquid injected into a caviar mold.

After the droplets were immersed in calcified liquid, a membrane forms and turns into earl grey caviar.



I love the caviar and it had intense earl grey taste.

The earl grey caviar is made for the Earl Grey Caviar martini which is a concoction of:
Absolut Vodka/ elderflower syrup/apple juice/ Cointreau/lemon & lime/earl grey caviar & air/ up.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★

Anyway, I'll be back because they do snacks as well and the Mac and Cheese spoons sound interesting whatever that is.

The Quinary has certainly proved to be exciting for the five senses because they look, smell, taste, feel and sound good from start to finish!

If the owner had not appeared, I would not have known that Quinarystands for five and their meaning behind it.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Bar: Quinary
Address: 56-58 Hollywood Road

★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★

Macallan 12 Years Whisky ice-cream at Urban Bakery Works

Urban Bakery Works (Central)

**This is not a tasting***

Heard that they had Macallan 12 Years Whisky ice-cream so I went there especially for it.

There was another icecream flavour but I couldn't hear what the heck it was and there was no menu because it was new.

Nice decor:


Nice spoon which is actually plastic and not metal!


Same for the knives and forks:

Sitting area:


Other bits and bobs:



A napkin similar to Beautifood's sassy napkin that says "Call me" with a pink lipstick mark!

★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Macallan 12 Years Whisky ice-cream:

Smooth with a pleasant whisky taste, but the whisky was not strong and representative enough because it was a bit like Baileys flavoured icecream.
Quite pricey for $50 but my scoop looks bigger than the one in HKE's review.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★

Head to 85 South!!

After having some crappy chicken nearby decided to check this place out.

I was so annoyed I didn't remember this place earlier because I could have tried the pulled sandwich instead of having crappy chicken.

85 South is an American diner offering Carolina barbeque fare of pulled pork and ribs.

Although I was full, I tried the slaw for $50 which is a sidedish.

On the table they have three types of sauces representing the South, East and West of Carolina:

‘South Sauce’ - honey mustard barbecue flavour
‘West Sauce’ - tomato and barbecue flavour
‘East Sauce’ - vinegar and peppery flavour

The restaurant is nicely decorated with lots of rustic wood and benches.



★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Slaw:

The slaw was presented in four cute scoops.

It was finely chopped cabbages in sweet vinegar sauce American style with a gorgeous crunch.
There was also a hint of peppery kick and bits of cracked black pepper and red chili which you can visually see.
Ideally for complementing pull pork and ribs but since I was full I had on its own which got a bit sweet.
This sidedish is probably suitable for four people to share.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Lastly you can leave your mark that you've been there.

Anyway, I'll be back for the smokin ribs and pulled pork!
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Restaurant: 85 South
Address: 6-10 Kau U Fong, Central
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★

Grilled skewers with prized Takesumi Bamboo Salt

ABURI (Wan Chai)

I don't often eat Japanese grilled items because the first thing that springs to mind is skewers of meat covered in thick sticky sweet sauce.

Following a tasting at Charcoal Grill SHO-EN a few days agos, I was also invited to a tasting here which specializes in skewers too.
The difference here is that they put Takesumi Bamboo Salt on the skewers which are then grilled on super hot electric grills resulting in skewers with a really crispy texture.

"Takesumi Bamboo Salt is a carbonated salt topping made by packing the Japanese deep sea salt into the hollow shaft of bamboo and incinerating the stalks under 1000 to 1500 degrees centigrade for three whole days in a charcoal kiln.
Then the stalks are split and the carbon-infused salt is scraped out.
Takesumi Bamboo Salt is rich in mineral and has antioxidant and detoxifying properties.
The Japanese believes that Takesumi Bamboo Salt helps to infuse positive energy and boosts the immune system." quoted from the menu.

Here is what we tried:
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Beetroot & Radish Salad $62:

The beetroot, perilla leaves and radish are painstakingly hand sliced into thin slices before slicing it into julienne salad.
This helps to retain its juices and vitamins.
When you eat them, you can just feel their natrual juices oozing out as you chew them.
I loved this refreshing salad because the taste was natrual and did not need any other sauces.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Tatami (baby sardine crackers) $48:
This was amazing, it was millions of baby sardines netted together in a crispy cracker.
The crackers were light and had a delicious roasted fishy taste.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Edamame $38:
The edamame beans were lightly salted but full of flavour.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Minced chicken stick with perilla $68:
It was minced chicken on a stick served with a vibrant orange egg yolk from Japan.
The minced chicken had ultra fine perilla shreds in it giving it a nice grassy touch and dipping it in the egg yolk was lovely.
The egg yolk was full of flavour and just right for dipping the minced chicken.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Asparagus wrapped with Pork $32:

The pork that was wrapped onto the asparagus was nano thin that you can barely see it but the pork gives it a slight savory taste keeping the asparagus moist when it is grilled.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Grilled rice balls $32:

As well as the Takesumi Inaniwa Udon you can also order this to share if your still feeling hungry.
The other foodies thought it was a bit plain but I loved it because I love plain rice, breads and potatoes.
It had a lovely crispy rice crust just like the burnt ones you find in ricepots, but this tastes better because it is fragrant and not bitter.
In the middle, there was lovely soft rice which tasted delicious with the Takesumi bamboo salt.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Grilled Tofu $20:

After taking photos and passing it round the tofu was still hot.
When I put my fork in it, there was steam coming out.
The tofu inside was lovely and soft whilst the outside was extremely crispy.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Grilled Fresh Eel $45:

I don't normally like eel, but the eel skin and coating was extremely light and crispy just like fried fish skin.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Grilled Chicken soft bone Cartilage $22:

The soft bone had a nice crunch with bits of chicken meat and chicken skin attached which was grilled to perfection giving a lovely chicken flavour with a perfect balance of chicken, skin and soft bones.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Grilled chicken livers $38:

These were chicken livers from the Chōshū Domain, they had a slightly starchy texture with a hint of bitterness.
They also had this other interesting grilled item which was chicken heart veins.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Grilled chicken soft breast bone cartilage:

Basically this was the chicken breast part near the bottom where it tends to be the most tender, however it was a bit too dry for my liking.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Soft-boiled Quail Eggs $28:

It was amazing how these quail eggs were skewered because each quail egg had a runny yolk.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Takesumi Inaniwa Udon $68

Soothing and cooling udon imported from Japan, these chilled charcoal noodles were perfect for cooling your mouth after eating some piping hot skewers.
On the right, there was a dipping broth made with atlantic mackerel and bonito flakes giving it full flare and there was ginger puree too to add some kick in it too.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Grilled chicken wings stuffed with whole scallops:

Usually grilled chicken wings are stuffed with dumpling meat or mentaiko, but these were stuffed with a huge scallop inside.
It was a nice contrast of juicy sweet scallop and salty crispy chicken skin on the outside.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Home-made ginger icecream and black sesame icecream $32:
Both the icecreams were nice but the ginger was my favourite because it had bits of ginger in it, however the texture was a little icy.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Overall, I was really impressed by their skewers and the price was shockingly affordable because the quality and taste was well above average.