Thursday, August 28, 2014

Hearty dinners @ Passion by Gerard Dubois on Mody

Before Passion by Gerard Dubois opened their first branch in Wan Chai, they were selling delicious sandwiches and patisseries in the name of Noire Bakery.
Now, there is a second branch of Passion by Gerard Dubois on Mody Road.

Most people go there for cakes and patisseries.



I have been tempted by their salads in Wan Chai, but ended up getting roast chicken and soup round the corner.

At the TST branch, the quality of salad looks better and not as oily as the salads in the Wan Chai branch.

There is a good selection of sandwiches and wraps.

In the evenings, they serve stews as well.


Finally got the salad and tried slow cooked beef.
The salad I chose was wholesome, there was beetroot and sweet mandarin segments, my favourite couscous and tomatoes in a refreshing herb sauce.





Then we had the slow cooked beef which stole the show.
The beef was soft and tender in rich gravy with delicious carrots and peas.

The bread was crusty and soft, perfect with that delicious gravy, but two pieces were not enough.

For desserts, tried the new White chocolate with calamansi and yuzi cake and the Mon Cheri.






The white chocolate was surprisingly good because the white chocolate was not overly creamy or sweet with refreshing citrus flavours bursting from the inside.

The Mon Cheri was sweeter with fragrant notes of raspberry encased in a big macaron.

Passion by Gerard Dubois on Mody Road (Tsim Sha Tsui)




Overall, I loved the stew and hope to try the other ones.

Salty pies and sausages at The Queen Victoria

The Queen Victoria (Wan Chai)

Unfortunately another disappointment with the bangers and mash!
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Steak pie:

The steak pie was the only item that tasted good but it was a bit too salty.



The chips as you can see are burnt and the frying oil was old.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Bangers and mash:

The sausages were too salty and had too much offal and chewy bits in it.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Tea:



★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
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Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Spanish feast at Discovery bay

Had a feast at Solera and the food was great, some dishes were better than Ole Spanish in Central.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Photos of the restaurant:





★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Cream salt cod spring rolls:

These spring rolls were dreamy, never would you have guessed there was silky mashed cod in the middle.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Sauteed mixed mushrooms with sherry:

Mushrooms cannot fail and these were earthy with a delicious hint of sherry.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Cold cuts:

I am not keen on cold cuts but the others finished it quickly.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Tomato bread:

I loved the thick tomato paste that was on top of the bread because it made the bread really appetizing.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Asparagus grilled with garlic and lemon:

The asparagus was tender with a lovely crisp texture and garlicky taste.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Deep fried squid andalucian style with smoked paprika alioli:

The squid was a litle chewy but nice with the garlic dip.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Seafood paella:

The seafood paella would have been amazing but the Squid ink paella stole the show.
It was good enough already because each grain of rice was so tasty.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Roasted suckling pig:

The suckling pig was tender with crispy skin and the cooked apples complemented it perfectly because pork and apples always go together.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
black ink paella with seafood:

The black ink paella was divine, the squid ink taste was so moreish and every grain of rice was so tasty.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Churros with violet icecream:

I was too full to try this.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Catalan cream:

This is the best Catalan cream I have had because it was silky and light compared to the one I had at Ole which had a weird lemongrass taste.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★

I am a carbs person so I am going to be back for the squid ink paella, spring rolls, mushrooms and Catalan cream!
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Solera Spanish Cuisine Concepts
Shop 101, 1/F, D’Deck, Discovery Bay
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★

When lemon meets Indian food

Jashan is conveniently located on Hollywood Road by the escalators.


There are lots of British expats dining there so the food must be good.
Indian food takes an acquired taste because some of the spices can be strong and different, but there is nothing like a good curry in the UK.

At the moment there is a special menu featuring dishes cooked with lemon so tried some of them.

★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Aloo Tikki Chana Chaat 印式薯餅伴雞豆 HK$58:
Pan fried potatoes with seasoned chickpeas

The potatoes were interesting because they were like crisps drenched in this tangy spicy sauce.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Pickle Machhli 香檸泡菜燒鯖魚 HK$138:
Mackerel fish marinated with lemon, pickles and Punjabi spices

I couldn't quite taste the lemon and it was a bit like ordinary fried fish.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Lime and Coconut Chicken Kebab 青檸椰子烤雞 HK$128:
Chicken carefully marinated for twelve hours and infused with the essence of lemon leaf and grated lemon zest, then topped with coconut powder for a unique, South Indian twist.

The chicken kebab was great because it was thickly coated in coconut which gave it an exotic taste with a hint of lemon and the chicken was tender.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Butter Smoked Chicken 牛油咖喱烤雞HK$128:
Boneless tandoori chicken cooked in tomato gravy finished with lemon and ginger powder

This was everyones favourite and the sauce was great with the naan.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Spinach with Cottage Cheese 菠菜燴芝士 HK$88:
Punjabi preparation of cottage cheese and spinach puree flavored with white cumin and brown garlic

This was comforting because I always order this in London with rice.
The spinach was pureed nicely with chunky pieces of cottage cheese.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Lemon Rice 印式檸檬炒飯 HK$118:
Rice cooked with lemon juice and curry leafs

The rice was amazing because each grain of rice was distinct and long flavoured with lemon and spices.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Prawn with Cinnamon and Garlic 肉桂蒜蓉燴蝦球 HK$158:
Fresh prawns tossed with garlic and tomato chili sauce

The prawns were springy and appetizing smothered in tangy tomato and fiery chili sauce.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Fried Okra with Onions 洋蒽炒秋葵 HK$88:
North Indian Summer Special, tender okra tossed with onions

This is another one of my favourites because okra has a lovely viscous texture with a light taste, great with rice.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Jashana Dal 香檸燴黑扁豆 HK$85:
Black lentils slow-cooked over a fire for 12 hours in a fragrant, herbaceous mixture of lemon zest, spices and fenugreek leaves

The lentils were tasty and creamy, great with the naan bread.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Bread Basket 印式雜錦烤餅 (原味烤餅, 芝士烤餅, 蒜蓉烤餅) HK$88:
Combination of refined flour and whole wheat bread, Roti Laccha Paratha, Garlic naan and Naan

The combination basket is great for people who want to try the different naans.
My favourite was the cheese naan.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
After this visit, I am definitely going to force myself to get up and have brunch on Sunday which is from 12-2pm because the previous reviews on brunch look great.

Jashan
1/F, Amber Lodge, 23 Hollywood Road, SOHO, Central

Enter the Gastrobox

GASTROBOX (Tsim Sha Tsui)

Went to Gastrobox because it offers a classy place for dining.



The decor was just splendid.

Foodwise, there is dinner for two, or you can choose from the set menu.
To change to other choices on the menu, they are very flexible with a little surcharge.


Here was what I had.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Bread:

Started off with bread which was soft and warm.
It would be great if there was olive oil and balsamic vinegar as well.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Smoked salmon Caesar salad:

I loved the salad, the portion was big and the salmon was generous.
The salad was evenly tossed and the lettuce was crisp.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Lobster bisque soup:

The soup was a bit salty
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Oxtail onion soup:

This was not part of the set, so you have to upgrade the original soup.
It was rich with lots of onions in it.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Grilled rack of lamb provenvale:

The rosemary gravy was delicious which paired nicely with the lamb.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Roast spring chicken:

The honey gravy was a bit too sweet but the rosemary gravy would have went well with the chicken.
It would be great if the texture of the chicken could be springier.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
For drinks, there is the standard Tea or Coffee but as a British themed gastropub it would be great if Breakfast tea/Earl Grey tea was not charged extra.
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