[Prohibition] A great place for steak and drinks

I never would have guessed Prohibition was a great place for steaks and drinks.
It is located in the new hotel next to Ocean Park which is right outside the MTR station.
There is a lovely pool beside it.

You are greeted by a bar where you can have drinks before or after dinner or even with your meal.

The drinks are instaworthy and there are more on the menu to be discovered.

As well as steak, there are lots of fab food so it is best to go in big groups and they have long tables to accommodate.

Started with the Scallop Ceviche which was on a bed of refreshing mango lime sauce.

Next was the Lump Crab Cake with (yuzu and cod roe tartar sauce). A must when having steak, there was so much chunks of crab in it.

The Beer battered prawns with Lime chili sauce were really comforting because of the batter and the fact they look like the sweet and sour prawns you get in English style Chinese takeaways and Chinatown!

I absolutely love pastrami so the Pastrami meat platter was a real treat with pickled pearl onions and refreshing gherkins.

For soup, there was Seafood chowder which was loaded with seafood with  a strong lobster bisque taste.

The moment we were all waiting for had arrived!!!  STEAKS!! We had the USDA Prime bone-in Ribeye, one was rubbed with 28 days bourbon & oolong tea dry aged, while the other one wasn't. USDA Prime bone-in Ribeye  There was 28 days bourbon & oolong tea dry aged The aged version was more intense in flavor yet it was juicy and tender.

The Canadian certified angus beef Porterhouse was my personal favourite because you get the tenderloin and strip either side of the bone. The tenderloin is my favourite part.

The sides we had were mac and cheese, creamy spinach and loaded mashed potatoes which really completes that steakhouse experience.

To finish, we had the Flamed Alaska. By far this is the best Flamed Alaska because the icecream inside was good especially the pistachio icecream and the meringue on the outside was like thick marshmallow goo.

Will definitely be back for drinks and more beef!!

[Prohibition]
G/F (Portion C) at Club Wing,
Hong Kong Ocean Park Marriott Hotel,
180 Wong Chuk Hang Road, Wong Chuk Hang

Mäckish sandwiches at Rye House

Went to the Nordic Innovation House opening a few days ago.After the opening, there was food served on the top floor by the Mäckish girls Olga and Kegen. I was gutted I didn't try the moose Mäckish but then I discovered they were doing a two day pop up at Rye House so I decided to go as I haven't been to Rye House either.

Rye House serves Nordic food but I only tried the sandwiches that day as it was only a two day event.
I will come back for the egg pie and other Nordic goodies.

They had drinks and sauces imported from Finland and Sweden.

Sauces:

Here were the open faced sandwiches that I had where I ate like there was no tomorrow as this was my first and last time trying it. 

==========

- Skagen Mäckish (Left)-

Skagen is a Swedish treasure, a cream based on mayo and shrimps.  Freshened up with horseradish, dill & lemon zest.  Served on rye bread with salad topped with roe, red onion and lemon.

This was sensational as it was just like eating prawn and mayonnaise taken to the next level with red onions and dill.

The lemon gives it a refreshing balance so that the mayonnaise doesn't get too heavy.

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- Renskavs Mäckish (right) -

“Renskav” is a classic Swedish beloved dish but this time with a twist.  The creamy reindeer meat is combined with sour lingonberries, parsley and pickled chanterelles.

It was definitely a festive Mäckish with red lingonberries, parsleys and pickled saukeraut to compliment the creamy reindeer meat!!!

It tasted like lean ostrich meat and there is no gaminess.

Sorry Santa, I ate your reindeers.

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- Vegan Super Beautiful -

A colourful and sweet hummus combined with steamed mini asparagus and beetroot sprouts.  Topped with black and white sesame seeds.

Hummus never fails because I love cumin and pureed textures.

==========

Can't wait to come back and try the stews and everything else.

Last but not least were the drinking straws!!

These are the stalks of Rye Grass that are natrual and hollow which allows you to sip your drinks.

It makes perfect sense to use these as horses are fed hay and straw!

[Rye House]

Shop G10, G/F, Bank Of America Tower, 12 Harcourt Road, Admiralty

Tel: 39968950

Mon - Fri: 07:30 - 18:30

Sat: 09:00 - 14:00

Sun: Closed

Fooklore to be the new folklore of Wanchai

Wanchai is my love and roots where my journey for food in Hong Kong began.
I have had countless meals in this area but lacked Chinese restaurants I could recommend.

Fooklore is definitely recommendable, this is the place to take tourists or clients because of the reliable service and quality of the food. (at the time of this meal).
The restaurant is located at Empire Hotel on the corner of Lockhart Road so it is near Admiralty as well.

Judging by the menu, it was the usual suspects like dimsum but when the food arrives you get a surprise by the presentation and taste.

This is what we had [Steamed black truffle and wild fungus dumplings], [steamed minced beef balls], [Steamed rice-roll with minced beef], [Pan-fried diced chicken buns in Teriyaki sauce], [Pan-fried pork dumplings with rice paper net], [Pan-fried pancakes with dried scallop and dried shrimps], [Poached chicken with oil in peanut sauce], [Fried rice vermicelli with crab meat and dried shrimps], [Longevity buns with lotus paste and salty egg yolk].
(Quoted from the English Menu)
++++
[Steamed black truffle and wild fungus dumplings]:
The steamed dumplings were flawless and crystal clear, they were loaded with diced wild mushrooms infused with a black truffle taste.

++++
[steamed minced beef balls]:
Basically beef shaomai and I liked the way they were garnished with a slice of okra which makes it look healthy and appetizing.
The beef had a nice flavour with a soft but firm texture.

++++
[Steamed rice-roll with minced beef]:
These are rice rolls that are served everywhere but considerably different as there was delicious aged peel in it and the soy sauce they used excelled it to a different level as it was good quality soy sauce with a lovely sweetness.
The riceroll wrap was silky and smooth yet held together without breaking.

++++
[Pan-fried diced chicken buns in Teriyaki sauce]:

When the lid was taken off, there was a fragrant smell of wine, each bun was uniformly panfried.

It was filled with delicious pieces of chicken in light Teriyaki sauce so you could still taste the buns and chicken.
++++
[Pan-fried pork dumplings with rice paper net]:
The rice paper net showed how incredible their skills were.
You can see the way they drizzled the liquid rice mixture in a spirograph pattern quick enough before it got crispy.

As well as the appearance, the dumplings were tasty with juicy pork filling.
++++
[Pan-fried pancakes with dried scallop and dried shrimps]:
This was another one of my favourites because the pancake was thin and crispy yet there wasn't a drop of oil lingering on the plate or any excess oil on the pancake.
It was crispy with a lovely scallion aroma.

++++
[Poached chicken with chili oil and peanut sauce]
The poached chicken was lean and tender with a good amount of spiciness.
Despite the spiciness, you could still taste the freshness of the chicken which was really appreciated. Fooklore uses the finest ingredients for all dishes including fresh chicken for this dish.

++++
[Fried rice vermicelli with crab meat and dried shrimps]:
Another dish that must be ordered because it was wonderful.

Again, the dish is more stunning when it is served because you will find an abundance of shrimp roe in it and the vermicelli they have used is almost like silk.

There were bits of crab and fragrant egg in it that it reminded of 鳳凰炒長遠 which I do not know the English dish name but glass vermicelli is used instead.
++++
Finished with the [Longevity buns with lotus paste and salty egg yolk] as it was someones birthday.
They were super cute and size matters as less is more as it looks more appetizing!

++++
Overall, I was more and than impressed with the freshness of the ingredients and the taste of the food so I will definitely be coming back.

Fooklore 享福
LG2, Empire Hotel, 33 Hennessy Road, Wanchai, Hong Kong
Tel / Fax : 2861-2060 / 2861-2226
http://fooklammoon-grp.com/en#restaurants/fooklore

Opening Hours:
Lunch 11:30-15:00 (Last Order 14:30)
Dinner 18:00-23:00 (Last Order 22:30)

Christmas Menu at A.O.C Eat & Drink

A.O.C Eat & Drink is a cosy French bistro in Wanchai close to the MTR!!!

I have always wanted to try this place as it is well known in the French community and headed by Chef Stéphane from Brittany where he serves down to earth French food with a modern twist.

For Christmas, he has designed a Christmas dinner menu available from ​Thursday 20 to Sunday 23 December during dinner.
As with the regular menu, there is a wine sommelier to suggest some good wine pairings.
Here is the menu and for the price and portion I found it more than satisfactory.

Here are the actual dishes

Appetizer:
3 Oysters with yuzu granita
The oysters served on ice were refreshing and the yuzu granita had a nice citrus tartness which made these oysters extremely moreish.
They were paired with a sharp wine which was definitely a good pairing to begin as it makes you ready for the next courses.

***
Starter
Crab Ravioli, mushroom, herring roe, scampi sauce.
I love ravioli and they are more tasty than they look visually and from the description.
The scampi sauce had a little bit of heat in it and the raviolis were loaded with crabmeat and other goodies because you can taste something citrusy going on as well as some herbs.
The herring roe made it look glamorous while giving a hint of saltiness.

***
Main
Chicken Breast with foie gras, rice topped with Comté cheese and truffle sauce.
The main course was quite heavy but I loved the way you are served chicken in two ways, the bigger piece is white meat and the thing that looks like a big Brussel Sprout is actually diced chicken with some black pepper wrapped in cabbage leaf!
The rice beneath it was topped with evilicious melted Comté cheese and a rich creamy piece of foie gras.
I found it really comforting because it tasted like something I had when I was a kid served at my friends house.
To be honest, I was rather full after this but as a cheese lover I had to try the next cheese course.

***
Cheese
Brillat-Savarin cheese with truffle (+$80)
The portion of cheese was very satisfying but unfortunately I couldn't finish it all.
It tasted thick and creamy infused with truffle.
A must try as it is made with triple cream.
I really regretted not asking if I could take the rest home as I just couldn't finish it.

***
Dessert
Mandarin Tart, chestnut, meringue
Although I was full, I had to finish the dessert.
It was juicy mandarin slices topped with smooth and velvety chestnut puree complimented by the meringue pieces on the side.
The whole thing was just wonderful as everything was in harmony and the meringue pieces were crisp with a slight soft chew in the middle.

***
Price per person: HK$468
Available from ​Thursday 20 to Sunday 23 December for dinner

Definitely recommended for Christmas!

A.O.C Eat & Drink

15 McGregor Street, Wanchai

+852 2479 6833

Tues - Sun: 12noon - 2.30pm & 6pm - 11pm

Closed on Mondays

https://www.aoceatndrink.com/

Second Shake Shack opens at Pacific Place!!

The game is on with Shake Shack and Five guys opening a few days after each other.

This is the second branch of Shake Shack in Hong Kong with its first in Central.

I was pleased with my first experience in Central so I didn't mind coming again to Admiralty as it is more accessible being close to the MTR exit.

The festive milkshakes weren't ready yet but I definitely have to come back for it.

On this visit, had the ShackBurger, SmokeShack and Shroom Burger.

The SmokeShack HKD66 really hit the spot as the bacon was crispy and the chopped cherry pepper was punchy and tangy which complimented the beef.

The ShackBurger is more basic but you get to appreciate the beef more.

The Shroom Burger is a another experience because you get a crispy mushroom oozing with decent cheese in the middle.

Will definitely be back for the Holiday Shakes as I love hazelnut and Chocolate peppermint.

SHAKE SHACK Admiralty:

Shop 105A, 1/F Pacific Place

Admiralty

金鐘金鐘道88號太古廣場一期1樓105A號舖

Nostalgic Paradise dishes at Paradise Classic

Paradise Dynasty is a successful restaurant chain from Singapore serving the finest of northern and southern China cuisine and now they have a new restaurant under their wing called Paradise Classic which serves nostalgic dishes.
At Carnavon Plaza, they are right next to each other!!

I was more than excited to try because of the nostalgic dishes that are slowly fashioned out in the modern era.

Started with the floral elderflower and melon tea which was sweet and refreshing.

The first nostalgic dish was the crouching tiger available in a spicy and non spicy version.
You get to savour the sweetness of seafood in this inimitable pot of crabs, prawns, clams, squid and fish.
The seafood broths brings out the taste of freshest seafood while the thick vermicelli soaks up the flavours of the broth.

Next was the stewed silver pin noodles which came in a huge pot in thick delicious soup that is mixed with egg.

It was hearty and filling, great for the coming winter.
For light bites, had the mashed tofu with seafood which is a must try as they make the tofu in house.

Finished with my favourite spinach cooked with salted egg and preserved egg for a balanced meal with vegetables.

Paradise Classic 樂天經典:2/F, Carnarvon Plaza, 20 Carnarvon Road
Tsim Sha Tsui

Paradise Classic 樂天經典:
Shop UG09, UG/F,
Olympian City 2,
18 Hoi Ting Road
Tai Kok Tsui