Fish and Meat in a land of plenty

Came here previously to the opening party and already felt like a goddess because everyone was given flower headbands!

The interior of Fish and Meat reminded me of the Blue Butcher and it turns out they are managed by the same group.

Most of the decor and fixtures are homemade and rustic.

★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Farm house jam

Ice fox vodka, homemsde blueberry thyme jam, prosecco.
Although I do not drink alchohol, the Farm house jam was really nice and they also do a non alcoholic version too which I shall order next time.
The mixture of blueberry and thyme resulted in a lovely fruity flavour.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Crispy whitebait, charred lemon, aioli

The whitebait was crispy and light, a fun way of starting your appetite by munching these fried fishes in light flour coating.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Sea urchin bruschetta, lardo di colonnata, rosemary

The sea urchin was silky and smooth, and the lardo di colonnata was nano thin that it was almost transparent on top of the urchin.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Fresh Tagliatelle, chicken and truffle emulsion, crispy skin (freshly made)

I liked the fried chicken skin on top because it was delicious!
The tagliatelle beneath was rich and creamy with a strong truffle taste.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Hand ground dutch veal and pork meatballs, Fontina, pepperoni sauce

The dutch veal meatballs were really soft and sticky complemented by the rich pepperoni sauce.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Roasted bone marrow crostini, lemon zest, garlic, parsley

The bone marrow was easy to eat because it has been taken out of the bone and cut into slices and put on the crostini.
At first they look like scallops!
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Panfried baby Spanish octopus, white bean puree, garlic, parsley, chili, Sicilian lemon

Previously tried this at the party so I was glad to see it again because it had hints of lemon with a spicy kick.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Roasted french turbot, carrot puree, brown shrimp, smoked prawn butter

The fish was interesting because it had a super light crispy coating but the fish was tender and succulent.
It was surrounded by cute little shrimps.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★r
Daviola style French free range yellow chicken, caramelized onion, jus

Tender chicken paired with sweet caramelized onions and stuffing.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Australian kobe 32oz prime beef rib, bearnaise, salsa verde

The beef was juicy and meaty.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Sweetcorn polenta

The sweetcorn polenta was really creamy with lots of sweetcorn pieces in it.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Roasted Tuscan potatoes, garlic, rosemary, seasalt

I love potatoes so I just adored these cute tiny potatoes with deliciously crisp skin on the outside and soft inside seasoned with seasalt and rosemary.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Dark chocolate fondant / salted caramel / homemade Tahitian vanilla ice cream

The Fish and Meat chocolate fondant is a memorable one.
It had salted caramel which made it unique and enhanced the taste!
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Whipped mascarpone “cheesecake” / raspberry / shortbread crumble

I loved the cheesecake because it was deconstructed, it was foamy and light which is the opposite of a heavy cheesecake complemented by the delicious tart berry sorbet.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Sicilian lemon tart / country clotted cream

This tart was nice and refreshing paired by delicious clotted jam.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★

Back for more British goodies at Vanilla

Vanilla (Mid-Levels)

The black forest cake I had last time was amazing so went back for more.
This time I had a savoury tart too and I still have to come back for pies and quiches.


★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Black forest cake:

On my last review, I forgot to show how many whole cherries it had in the middle, so this visit, I have taken the top part of the cake off.
As you can see, there are nine plump cherries in the middle and one on the top, so thats 10.


In between the cherries, there was gorgeous whipped cream.
As well as that the chocolate shavings on top were amazing because they were NANO thin and melts in your mouth. They were as soft as snowflakes.
The cake as a whole was delicious, the chocolate sponge was light and the cream was deliciously fresh whipped cream guaranteed with a juicy cherry in each bite because there were so many cherries in this cake!
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Feta and tomato tart:

I was hoping the tart to taste like a quiche but it did not.

Anyway, it was a thin tart base filled with peas, feta and tomato.
The tomato and feta paired nicely and I wish there was more Feta because it tasted lovely.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★

Not a Beary Christmas :(

Pacific Coffee Company (Wan Chai)

Saw the new poster for the new Beary Christmas drinks.
The Crema scura black forest mocha was really cute because the poster showed a cute latte art animal of a polar bear.

Honestly it's too good to be true that PC could do latte art.
It's just the same if McDonald's had a poster serving Wagyu or Foie Gras burgers!
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Crema scura black forest mocha:

I know photos are only there for illustration purposes but I was just expecting a poor attempt at the polar bar but not NONE!!!

They should learn how to do animal latte art from Allegretto in TST or don't bother putting up a poster like that if they can't do it.

I specifically dined there so that the mocha would be in a ceramic cup and not a paper cup because the lid would just demolish the polar bear.

When it came, there was no bear at all which was disappointing.
I asked why it was in a paper cup and he just said that the polar bear is for illustration purposes and they do not do them .
The taste was just mocha with blackcurrant syrup!
Thanks for the lovely shxt start to Christmas!
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★

My first Chicken hot pot

Supreme Restaurants (Mong Kok)

There has a been a recent craze for spicy Chicken hot pots but it sounds really spicy which is why I have not tried it yet.

Thanks to Martin and Supreme hotpots for inviting me to this tasting or I would not have experienced how delicious a Chicken hotpots is.

It is located in Mong Kok, a place that I rarely dine because there are always long queues however at this restaurant they have a nice spacious waiting lounge with sofa seats.


The restaurant was big, with lots of long tables in the middle suitable for large groups which is a must in the MK area.


There is a wide drinks selection including beer, Chinese herbal drinks but it would be great if there was hot and cold water too.


They have freshly made dumplings which were delicious.


We had the deluxe chicken pot, which had seafood in it.


For people who have not tried chicken pot before they have clear instructions on how to eat it.
Basically you eat the chicken from the pot, then when it is nearly empty, you add items such as cows stomach, fish maw and squid in the pot.
After that you add broth and start eating it like a normal hot pot.

I was hooked immediately when I started the chicken, it was so tasty with lots of spices and sichuan peppercorn.
As well as the chicken, their freshly made dumplings were divine especially the watercress because there was lots of crunchy watercress stalks in it.


They have Korean instant noodles for the hotpot which is better than the usual ones because they do not clump together and the texture is nice and springy.


We also tried the chicken in wine which contained four different Chinese wines.
I tried the broth as well and it was strong and fragrant.


Supplementary Information:After this tasting, I went as a paid anonymous customer to another branch of Supreme restaurant and that branch had a bigger cooked food selection to eat but the customer service when I rang to book was a bit snappy that I contemplated whether to dine at that branch or book through the director at the MK branch.
Anyway I decided to dine there and the manager at that branch was really nice and helpful even though he did not know who I was but I wish some of the other staff were as patient as him.

Maxim's Cacao Barry cake

Maxim's Cake Shop (Chai Wan)


Thanks to Maxim's PR agency for this cake.


The cake is called Cacao Barry which is made with Cacao Barry chocolate.


Cacao Barry is a brand of chocolate founded by Charles Barry in France in 1842.

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Cacao Barry:


It was a Bailey's chocolate mousse cake.
Inside the cake there is a layer of Bailey's mousse, white chocolate mousse, dark chocolate cake, dark chocolate mousse and a crispy chocolate base.
The outside of the cake is covered in dark chocolate sauce.


Although the cake looks quite small, you could actually get 14 decent sized slices from it.


The taste of the chocolate was really strong but slightly too sweet, it tasted like coffee even though there was no coffee in it.
The cake stayed in shape when it was sliced unlike some other cakes that collapse when you slice them.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★

Fresh sashimi at Okinawa Dining BRIDGES

Okinawa Dining BRIDGES (Causeway Bay)

Thanks to D for inviting me to try this restaurant with two great people.

OKB is located at The Cubus with spacious tables and chairs suitable for families and gatherings.

There is a sushi bar where diners can see the sushi chefs prepare the food.


Here was what we had:
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Appetizers:

From left to right was cucumber with miso, stewed whelk and sweet potato puree with prawn on top.
The appetizers were light to start off with.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Sashimi platter:

Next we had a huge sashimi platter with fresh sashimi.
My favourites were the sweet botan shrimps, tuna and salmon.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Stewed belly:

A nice slice of pork belly that was stewed just right with a soft texture and an even distribution of fat.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Soup:


The soup was fruity because it had thin shreds of yuzu peel in it. A great soup to help digestion.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Wagyu beef:


The beef was set alight giving the beef an extra flare in taste.
It was really soft and tender with an even fat marbling complemented by the rich gravy.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Sushi:


The sushi was freshly prepared and tasted great with their freshly grated wasabi.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Udon:


A nice bowl of warming al-dente udon with delicious braised pork.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Deep fried prawn heads:


The prawn heads were delicious, they were lovely and crispy and the matter in the head was tasty.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Fruit sashimi:


This consisted of apples and pineapple on a bed of crushed ice.
The apples were crispy and sweet.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★

Rockin' views of Lion Rock and old kowloon

Lion Rock (Mong Kok)

I have previously been to La Scala which was years ago. Royal Plaza Hotel looks really different now.
Lion Rock is new and when I was invited, the name reminded me of Lion Rock Hill.
When I got there, I was greeted with a grand entrance with a beautiful view of the Lion Rock.

There are big glass panes with a clear view of Lion Rock and the surrounding areas such as Kowloon City, the tall building near Broadcast Drive.
I don't know why but when I sat there admiring the view, it made me think of old Kai Tak airport and Hong Kong in the 1960s shown on TV.

In the middle, it over looks a railway.
Perhaps my perception is weird, but I kept thinking that the tracks led to the past.
It seemed like a past life was connected to the Kowloon area or perhaps that weird "Below the Lion Rock" song has somehow brainwashed me to think that what I see in that area is old Hong Kong!!

Anyway, we tried two tea sets:
The Truffle high tea and the Christmas High tea.

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Christmas High Tea:

-Mini turkey and bacon burger
-Black truffle puff pastry chipolata sausage roll
-Twins ham rolls with cranberry sauce
-Snow crab legs with fennel salad cup
-Mini smoked salmon Wellington with caviar
-Scallop and tomato shooter with champagne jelly
-Christmas fruit cake
-Pecan pie
-Christmas cookies
-Apricot and chestnut log cake
-Lemon tart
-Strawberry panna cotta

There was a nice assortment of sweet Christmas bites, my favourite was the pecan pie and Christmas fruitcake.

The crab legs were nicely done and easy to eat without needing to remove the shell.
The burgers were nice and juicy and the salmon wellington tasted like a delicious salmon puff.

The Christmas log cake was really nice, it was light mousse with layers of apricot and chestnut mousse that was not too sweet.
For the savoury items, the sausage rolls with caviar were as nice as the sausage rolls in the UK and the scallop shooters were great because the tomato salsa beneath it was spicy and tangy.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Truffle afternoon:

-Black Truffle Chocolate Cake
-Black Truffle Crème Brulee
-Rainbow Cake
-Hazelnut Mille-Feuille
-Strawberry Tart
-White Chocolate
-Cheese Cake
-Coconut Mango Mousse Cake
-Blueberry Financiers
-Raisin Scone
-Smoked Salmon with Black Truffle and Sour Cream on Wheat Bread
-Egg Salad and Black Truffle on Toast
-Lobster and Mango with Black Truffle Sandwiches
-Mini Wagyu Beef Burger with Black Truffle
-Deep Fried Vegetables and Black Truffle Spring Roll Black
-Truffle Braised Escargot Tart


The black truffle chocolate cake was really interesting, strong dark chocolate mousse infused with black truffle and the blueberry financiers were amazing because there were so many blueberries in it.


I loved the creme brulee because it was silky and smooth, and there was my favourite clotted cream to go with the scones.


The savoury platter was great especially the salmon sandwich because it was salmon wrapped outside the bread and not presented like the usual sandwich.
The escargot tarts were good too.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★