New gathering place at the Townhouse

Fans of Glasshouse are going to love this place because it is part of the Gaia group so they serve some dishes from Glasshouse as well as some new dishes.

It is located on one of the top floors of the California building with great views of Central.





At the entrance there is a lively cocktail bar.

The environment was relaxed so I took my time ordering and ordered more after the small bites were enjoyed.

Here was what I had:
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herbs garden:


After mixing the tea, it turned into a pretty purple drink.
It was a refreshing mix of lime juice, basil leaves and blue butterfly tea which turns purple.
The drink was really refreshing and acidic.
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Hibiscus dance:


This was a mix of hibiscus, sisou leaves and peach and the combination of the ingredients tasted like ribena and roselle tea.
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Salted quail, deep fried:


Started off with the fried quail which really started my appetite going.
Each piece of coated quail was so scrumptious with tender quail meat and a delicious salty coating that it didn't need the extra salt that was given.
I could have done with more of this!!
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cheese rice rolls, bacon and 62 deg C egg:




I was really glad the waitor recommended this because I just assumed they were noodles in a cheese sauce (according to the wording on the menu) but the waitor said they were rice rolls which made them even more interesting.
The rice rolls were panfried with soy sauce and topped with cheese and onsen egg which tasted surprisingly nice.
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My Pad Thai:


Normally for pad thai noodles, it is Cambodian noodles but here they have been replaced with squid ink noodles which were al dente and tastier.
After the egg was added, the noodles were much silkier.
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Duck soup noodles:



This was probably the best duck noodles I have had if they can keep the standards because the duck was fresh and the broth had a fragrant aniseed flavoring with a clear and non oily strong duck broth.
[yat lok is also famous for duck noodles but I haven't tried so I can't compare].
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Fresh shaved coconut:

To be honest, it did not taste as good as the one at Glasshouse because the malibu couldn’t be tasted and the texture was like a sorbet and not shaved slushy ice served at the Glasshouse.
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Fondue set:

This was fun to eat, dipping bits and pieces in the bubbling custard sauce that was not too sweet.
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TOWNHOUSE:
23/F., California Tower, 30-36 D'Aguilar Street, Lan Kwai Fong,Central
中環蘭桂坊德己立街30-36號新加州大厦23樓
2344 2366

Yum 茶-Yum 勝 at Tycoon Tann

Saw this place being done up a few weeks ago but didn't know what it was until they opened.

It brings Chinese dim sum and Chinese tea to a new dimension because on the ground floor it is a bar that serves hip cocktails in traditional Chinese tea cups!



On the first floor, it is a restaurant.

The tables resemble the Chinese chess that locals play and the traditional tea cup is used for serving the cocktails.


It is creative how they labelled happy hour as YUM CHA.

Anyway, as I just had lunch I ordered the dessert.

It was pricier than I expected but not many places serve peach gum.

★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆
Royal peach gum tossed with red bean yoghurt:





I was quite impressed the dessert was served on dry ice, after it dissipated you could see the golden peach gum beneath it.
Peach gum is basically a resin that oozes from a peach tree and I suppose it is weird eating resin because I normally use it for gel nails!
Anyway, the edible form is totally different because it is similar to tasteless agar jelly which is why it is mixed in yoghurt and red beans for flavour.

I don't like red beans but these sweetened red beans helped to balance the tartness of the natrual yoghurt.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆
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The bill: $1xx

Tycoon Tann

74 Wellington Street

Fancy Ferrero icecream tub from Lab Made

Finished the first tub of homie so I got another one at CWB.

They now have muffins with a molten centre which I will try next time!


I got the Fancy Ferrero and they will write your name on the tub if it takes your fancy.






It tasted just like an icecream version of Ferrero rocher with a chocolate icecream base topped with chocolate sauce and hazelnuts.
Absolutely yummy!

New menu at Enmaru Izakaya

Since my last visit, there are some new items on the menu.

The Kirin Frozen beer is looking colouring with cucumber, yuzu and other flavours!!

Here was what we had:
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Yellow back seabream:

The grilled seabream has a firm texture and it is big which is great for sharing.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Iwate Nanbudori Chicken Thigh Genshiyaki:

I don't normally eat the skin but the skin is crispy and tasty and the chicken was springy and tender!!
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Kumamoto Rindo Pork with Saikyo Miso Sauce:

The pork was really juicy and tender flavoured by the smoky miso sauce.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Japanese whole Onion:

It was a pleasure eating this because the onion was just crisp and sweet without a sting and it didn't really need the salt on the side.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Thick Cut Beef Tongue grilled on Rock Salt:


The ox tongue is grilled on a salt block which gives it flavour while it is sizzling on the salt block.
It tastes nice when you grill it to the point the surface is slightly crispy with a salty surface.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Salad with snow crab:

This was a refreshing salad with crab paired with fragrant truffle oil.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Kagoshima Wagyu Tataki with Truffle Ponzu:

More scrumptious slices of wagyu with fragrant truffle that melts in your mouth.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Wagyu Devil Roll:

I loved the rolls because the rice was flavoured and in the middle the greens gave a nice balance to the fatty beef.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Flambe’ Marinated Tuna and Avocado with Wasabi Sauce:

This was nicely seared tuna with a pink centre paired with creamy avocado and wasabi sauce.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆
Deep-fried Oyster with Grated Radish:

These oysters were coated with a crispy light batter surrounded in white radish paste which tasted really nice.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Deep-fried Snow Crab and Cheese:

It was a nice pairing of cheese and crab encased in a lovely crisp tempura batter.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Kagoshima Wagyu Shabu Udon:

More Wagyu and udon which tasted nice in the sweet tasting broth.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
King Crab and Seafood Hot:

The seafood pot was delicate and sweet with the vegetables giving it a lovely flavour.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★

Interesting decor at the Castello 4 restaurant

To be honest I was captivated by the decor which reminded me of the TV series calle Babylon 5.

Anyway, the food was ok and a great place for gatherings.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆
Nicoise salad:

The salad dressing was a bit sharp but the egg was a bit Chinesesy because it was an omelette sliced into julienne shreds.
Other than that, it tastes ok.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆
Portobello stuffed with creamed spinach:

I found the creamed spinach too milky for my liking.
It would have probably tasted better if it was just spinach on its own.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆
Braised short rib:



The meat was soft enough but the sauce was not strong enough and the mash was also Chinese style because it tasted really sweet and had a weird viscous texture.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆
Mac N Cheese:


The crisp cheddar cheese on top was quite nice but the pasta sauce was a bit too oily, garlicky and sweet.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆
Creme brulee:

It tasted ok but again, it had the same milk taste as the creamed spinach.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆

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