Taiwanese rustic dishes at Xiao Wang Beef Noodle

Time flies and there is now a fourth branch of Xiao Wang beef noodles conveniently located at the WTC.

Xiao Wang Beef Noodle is from Taiwan which has been established since 1973 by Mr. Wang Shih Chun, who is currently the Chairman of Cook’s Association of Kaohsiung City.
Xiao Wang Beef Noodle became a legend in the industry after clinching the dual championship in “Marketing Competition” and the“Most Popular Delicacy Award" in the 2008 Taipei International Beef Noodle Festival.





Exclusively at this branch, there are rustic Taiwanese dishes and not just beef and noodles so there is a wide choice of homely cooked dishes on the menu.

Here was what we tried:

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Four treasures soup:
herbal soup for all ages, wine added before i is served to give fragrance.

I found this light but delicious and nourishing. It gives you that feeling of drinking soup at home.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Three cup abalone:
Cooked with with soya sauce, sesame oil and shao xiang wine in casserole

The abalones were fragrant with an aromatic basil fragrance.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Loofah and clams in fish soup:

The loofah was lovely because it was flavoured by the fish soup and the clams were fresh and sweet.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Steamed fresh crab with glutinous rice:

The crab was fresh and springy with delicious hot sticky glutinous rice beneath it.
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spicy king prawns with green peppercorn and chili:

These king prawns were springy and had a delicious touch of fiery green peppercorns and chili.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
sesame oil chicken pot :

I didn't realize it was going to be soup but the chicken broth had a lovely gingery taste to it and the pieces of chicken were delicately infused with sesame oil.
This dish is meant to be good for woman who have just given birth.
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stir fried kai lan with pork scraps:

The vegetables were crisp and tender with a fragrant pork lard taste.
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fried bamboo shoot with sauteed sliced pork :

The pork was soft and gelatinous in delicious rich gravy with grassy peashoots beneath it.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Sitr fried hsin chu rice noodles Tainan style :

The noodles are similar to the rice vermicelli at Putien but these were al-dente with lots of julienne vegetables to give it an extra crunch.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Aiyu jelly with fruit and honey:

This was beautifully presented and you could smell the honey.
The aiyu jelly was sweet and cooling.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Mango snowflake ice:

The mango snowflake ice had a strong mango taste and it basically melts in your mouth.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Xiao Wang Beef Noodle
Shop P211B, 2/F, World Trade Center, 280 Gloucester Road, Causeway Bay

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!
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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.
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Bangers and mash:

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



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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:





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Cream salt cod spring rolls:

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

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

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

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

The asparagus was tender with a lovely crisp texture and garlicky taste.
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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.
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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!
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Solera Spanish Cuisine Concepts
Shop 101, 1/F, D’Deck, Discovery Bay

★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★