Autumn is here~ Not only is the weather changing noticeably for the cooler, but you can now find a new range of chestnut cakes Maxim's is promoting to herald the season. I am normally not one to buy cakes from Maxim's since the flavours are too light and they always use too much cream, but recently passing by the displays a certain cake caught my eye. All covered in piped rosettes of chestnut cream and sweet potato cream it was the striking purple colour of the sweet potato that made it so alluring for me.So on the way home today, I could not resist and bought one to share with my dad.

Removing the cake from the box, I could catch a scent of the cream which although had hints of chestnut, smelt a little too sweet.Slicing into the cake, I could feel the resistance from the layers of sponge cake attesting to its springiness. A three layered cake, filled with golden sweet potato, purple sweet potato and diced chestnut pieces. Although the cream smelled sweet the overall cake as expected was not very sweet, in fact I could barely detect any sweetness in the potato fillings. The sponge cake was nice though, not just a puff of air, but actually with some texture.At least I have finally satisfied my curiosity, no more passing by and wondering what that pretty cake tastes like

Beijing style roasted duck is now available at T'ang Court~ Having especially recruited six top chefs from 1949 in Beijing which are renowned for roasted duck, T'ang Court are now replicating this dish using a special breed of white ducks which are then carefully grilled over aged jujube wood to enhance the flavour. Just hearing this description was tempting enough to ensure we paid them a visit to try their specialty during our stay at The Langham this time.

Prior to our duck arriving, condiments and julienned vegetables were served first. Rather than just serving plain hoisin sauce like most establishments, our server drizzled an 'X' with sesame sauce and delicately swirled the sauce around until a hypnotic swirl pattern formed on the hoisin sauce. Quite impressive~The vegetables consisted of the normal cucumber and shallots with the addition of fuschia pink carrot sticks. Like the sauce all of these ingredients were specially flown in from Beijing which served to further authenticate the whole experience.The duck was then pushed in on a little cart and served gueridon style by one of the chefs. Watching him carve up our duck, all plump and golden, the noise the knife made while slicing through the skin left us in no doubt how crispy it was going to be~And yes, it was. Biting into my first piece sans pancake, a wonderful crackle could be heard releasing the rich oils captured inside... paired with the slightly nutty sweet hoisin sauce it made for a decadent mouthful~ Accompanied by both flour pancakes and pastry shells with toasted sesame seeds, the pancakes were thin with a slight chewy texture while the pastry shells although not flaky made for a more substantial mouthful especially when sandwiched with the duck meat as advised to.Really really good~ This was certainly one of the better roast ducks I have had and I would highly recommend visiting T'ang Court for this!

Originally planning to have a relatively healthy night of salad at The Lobby ended up as a night of cheese overload upstairs at Chesa~

Stepping inside Chesa is as if you are transported straight into a cabin in Switzerland. With candles lighting every table, it really portrayed a quaint and cosy ambiance that is unbelievably romantic. According to our server, they always have numerous guests that come to celebrate anniversaries and supposedly many wedding proposals have been witnessed here, so gentlemen hint hint ;)

Our main purpose for dining at Chesa was of course for cheese~ but first things first, the bread basket~ Consisting of pretzel-like bread baked in roll form, slices of sourdough and crusty rolls with pumpkin seeds, a very simple selection, but of decent quality. We started with their crab pancake which was a signature item of the restaurant. A single bundle of fresh crab meat coddled in a slightly chewy pancake, it was bathed in a sauce that was very similar to lobster bisque. This was really good, the crab was soft and you could taste melted cheese in the filling which added a hint of richness to the dish. Very comforting~Next a plate of slightly torched raclette in all its gooey and melted glory. This was amazing! Layered on the plate quite thickly, it had a wonderful texture, a little bouncy, a little chewy. This was my first time eating Raclette and wow I have been missing out! To prevent the dish from being too one dimensional, tiny boiled potatoes that melted in the mouth and an assortment of sour/salty vegetables played accompaniment in helping relieve the palate from the heaviness of the cheese. My anticipated fondue soon arrived~ Chesa only has two types available and we chose the Fondue Montagnarde, a combination of Emmental, Appenzella and Gruyere cheese, mixed with pieces of smoked bacon.Arriving with sides of pasta, boiled potatoes and crusty bread, what else do you need for dipping in cheese? The tubes of pasta still retained an al dente texture and together with the cheese made it seem like I was eating mac and cheese, but of course a more luxurious version. Bread cubes were the most standard pairing for the cheese and it was best to leave the bread inside the fondue for a while so it soaked up all the cheesy goodness making for a most indulgent mouthful~ We did find the fondue a little too strong in flavour from the alcohol, but nevertheless we still indulged ourselves silly.Our main dish of the evening was veal. Another of their signature dishes. Slices of tender veal cooked in a creamy mushroom sauce with strips of pan-fried onion. Paired with a sizeable potato rosti, this was such a hearty dish~ Even after eating so much carbohydrates from the fondue, we still managed to fit in most of it.We were completely sated after the meal, ingesting so much cheese was bound to do that. Unfortunately no desserts for us, but the slice of chewy gingerbread with hints of citrus made for a delightful ending.

I had a really hard time trying to find Brickhouse. Literally wandering around the corner with google map opened knowing I was in the right area, but just not seeing it was hugely frustrating. Until I looked up some other reviews did I realise it was hidden inside an alley obscured by a man selling bags on the wall...The restaurant is really dark, rough and unpolished, but the vibe is quite funky which I suppose is quite suitable for Mexican food.

The watermelon salad was something I really wanted to try and judging by the many plates prepared in front of me it was something that was quite popular. I also wanted to try their tacos which is written on the wall, they have a platter of all the flavours, but you can also order them separately. Asking for recommendations on which one to have, the server suggested the rib-eye and pulled pork.

The salad arrived first, 16 cubes of juicy watermelon scattered with feta cheese, candid pepitas and drizzled with chili syrup. The sweetness of the watermelon coupled with the tart feta was a little strange at first, but the flavours really grew on me and the pepitas were addictive with a lovely roasted flavour.The corn tortillas for the tacos are freshly griddled so you do need to be patient for your tacos. The rib-eye was tender with a layer of cheese on top, so it was sort of like a philly cheesesteak, but Mexican style. The amount of pulled pork on my other taco was generous, laid on a bed of corn salsa and topped with a single slice of avocado, it was filling, but I could not really taste any strong flavours from it.Service was prompt and surprisingly attentive. The whole experience was quite interesting, but need to come back for other dishes. 

Going to Lobster Bar and Grill at Island Shangri-La for an evening of... no lobster~ Although this sea creature is in the restaurants namesake and thus undoubtedly may be something signature, but for someone who is not especially partial to lobster aka me, there were still other choices that were more than pleasing.The interior is elegant, shades of blue paired with dark brown tones in the furniture it gave a subtle sense of dining inside a ship Captain's cabin, but just much more luxurious. I especially liked the submarine window-like aquariums housed inside the wall finding it added a cute touch to the restaurant.

The bread basket looked quite appetising especially those flaky truffle scrolls and thin toasts with melted cheese... but sadly I was on a bread ban that evening so I was unable to try...Spying our favourite type of oysters on the specials menu, of course we ordered those. Half a dozen of Gillardeau and Fin de Claire. So briny and fresh~Mussels are now in season too, and a steaming pot of these soon arrived on our table. The blue variety all the way from New Zealand, they were tiny, but very soft and tender.The king prawn and avocado salad was impressive in portion size. Five big prawns each paired with their own slice of avocado hid among mixed greens and herbs with bits of pomelo and thousand island dressing. The prawns were firm and crunchy, but the avocado was unfortunately only half ripe which was a little disappointing for hotel standards. A very filling appetiser.We shared a bowl of bouillabaise which they thoughtfully separated into two portions prior to serving. The combination of fish and potato boiled to a mush resulted in a lumpy stew with numerous little bones inside. The texture was not entirely pleasant and the bones made for awkward eating, but the flavour was still decent.Double cut lamb chops was our main dish where we could choose three sides as well as an accompanying sauce. The lamb was faultless, tender and blushing pink, a pleasure to eat. For sides we chose sauteed spinach, thick-cut french fries and baked potato. I have not had a baked potato in so long and this one really hit the spot. Dolloped with sour cream and shallots, the potato just melted in the mouth. So good~No desserts, but there is always petit four~

My first mooncake of the year, none other than the famous custard mooncake from Spring Moon~ even though the price of this hotly coveted item made the headlines earlier this year at $485, I was still lucky enough to receive a box of these as a gift.

At such a huge increase in price I was expecting something a little different, something more special, but it wasn't to be. Opening the box revealed the same golden yellow rounds with the signature dragon stamped on top wafting its enticing buttery flavour.The best way to enjoy these is to heat them slightly in the oven so that the custard and butter pastry are toasty warm. Unfortunately I was in a rush this time and had to make do with one straight from the fridge. Cutting into it the pastry was firm and crumbly, but looking at the filling it was holey in places and the custard was disappointingly dry.Biting into it the flavours were all there, but the texture was not as nice as before... I did not realise that a significant increase in price meant a decrease in quality. What has happened to you Spring Moon?

No reservations allowed at this hot robatayaki eatery, but rocking up at 9.15pm on a Thursday evening we were hoping there would not be a wait. Peering through the entrance we could see the restaurant was packed, but upon asking for a table for two we were immediately directed to a table downstairs. No wait~!

Yardbird specialises in chicken robatayaki where a large part of the chicken is dissected and grilled for customer's enjoyment. Besides from skewered chicken, they also offer a variety of appetisers and salads, larger plates for sharing are also available and don't forget to look at the board for specials of the night.

To start we ordered sea salt sprinkled edamame and their recommended corn tempura which they kindly served as a half portion of two pieces. The edamame was nicely boiled where it was not too mushy, but the corn was definitely a standout! Arriving as two pom pom balls the outside was lightly battered and biting into it revealed an abundance of loose corn kernels. So good~For robatayaki we only ordered a few to share since we had some larger dishes coming. The chicken breast was surprisingly succulent, the liver nicely juicy, while the hearts were typically bouncy in texture. I had also wanted to order the chicken oysters ( two circles of dark meat at the back), but unfortunately being so late in the evening they had sold out Spying mussels on the menu piqued our interest and asking the server for more details we were informed they were blue mussels from Canada. Served in a piping hot iron bowl there were lovely and tender bathing in the most aromatic tart sake soup. So delicious we could barely keep from spooning the hot soup into our mouths~ Highly recommended!Wanting something more meaty other than poultry, we settled for ox tongue. A mountain of mixed greens arranged on top of grilled ox tongue slices. The ox tongue although flavourful was more chewy than I expected, but it was still decent.To finish up we ended with the mixed mushroom risotto. This was amazing~ Again served in an iron pot, it was a small mountain of slightly cheesy rice infused with the most mouthwatering aroma of earthy mushrooms. If only this was served earlier, I would have eaten more than my share Yum Yum Yum~ Yardbird is definitely worth trying!

Finally I got to try this~! Finding myself in Causeway bay one late Sunday afternoon, I decided to test my luck and see if I could get a table at Coffee Alley without an exaggerated wait time. Peering up the stairs from the entrance, there did not seem to be that many people, but it was only after I was heading towards the door of Coffee Alley that I noticed the crowd waiting upstairs. Needing to take a ticket, I was informed that there were still 20 tables ahead of me and when asked for an approximate waiting time the host was unable to give me an answer. He did say though, if at the time my number was called and I was not present, I would have to take a new ticket and wait again.

After exactly 60 minutes of waiting, my number was called~ Walking into the cafe, you are greeted with friendly welcomes from the Taiwanese staff. The space is actually not too small, but a large corner of it is taken up by the open kitchen hence minimising the area left for seating which is arranged in an L shape. Casual yet comfortable surroundings make for an ideal place for friends to catch up or even curious single diners who just wanted to see what the fuss is all about

To start I ordered the club sandwich which was a large enough for two people to share. A triple decker with a combination of fresh lettuce, cucumber, tomato, ham, egg and teriyaki chicken. It may sound like a lot, but the whole of the sandwich was mainly bulked up by the vegetables, with only a small slice of chicken in each portion. Quite decent, with the taste being very typical of an Asian style club sandwich.Despite barely finishing the sandwich, the waffle with strawberries was a definite must order for me. After seeing so many rave reviews about it, I really wanted to see what was so special about it. The presentation was definitely enticing. Four big quarters of waffle baked to a crispy brown crust accompanied by two scoops of strawberry ice-cream and custard, scattered with halved strawberries and drizzled with strawberry sauce. The waffle itself is not your typical crispy, light as a feather version. Rather it is quite hefty, with pillowy insides where a slightly sweet vanilla aroma lingers in the aftertaste. I really enjoyed the waffle on its own, but pairing it with the slightly tart strawberries and strawberry ice-cream made it that much more indulgent~ The custard was pushed to one side as I was not particularly keen on its too thick and lumpy texture.Their famous fruit tea completed my meal. A blend of citrus fruits and lipton tea with pieces of fruit bobbing inside the teapot. I ordered it hot and the fragrance of citrus was lovely, so soothing on the throat. This would be perfect as a winter-warmer.I can really see why people are so willing to line up for Coffee Alley as their waffles are really good~ Cannot wait to try their other versions!

I can't believe nearly another year has passed (birthday clock-wise), another year older, another year wiser(?) or so the saying goes haha...

As is our tradition now since completing our course three years ago, a group of us always come together to gather once a month to celebrate each other's birthdays and September happens to my birthday month~

This year, wanting something simple, yet casual with a lot of choices and not wanting to go down the buffet route, I decided Cafe Causette was the ideal location.

Connected with the Mandarin Cake shop, be entranced by the artistic displays of chocolate sculptures which change on a regular basis and enticed by their sweet delights of cake, chocolates or bakery selection, before going to the hostess desk and asking for a table.

Lighting is quite dim making for more of an intimate setting, but not to worry as it is still suitable for groups larger than two. I was the first to arrive, but happily kept myself entertained with their warm crusty roll, smearing aromatic tomato paste and cream cheese all over it When everyone finally arrived, then came the daunting task of choosing what to order. As I mentioned before their menu contains a large variety of choices making everyone encounter a moment of indecisiveness, but luckily that soon passed.

A couple of light appetisers to share, traditional Caesar and Caprese salad. The Caesar salad is always a crowd pleaser, pre-tossed so that the crisp lettuce leaves are lightly covered with dressing accompanied by two rounds of bacon fried to a crisp and a hard-boiled egg where the yolks are still slightly runny. The Caprese salad arrives as two balls of tomatoes balanced by a snowy white sphere of Mozzarella cheese. Such a refreshing starter, bites of juicy tomato paired with a creamy yet slightly grainy cheese and of course it is necessary to drizzle the sweetly tart balsamico vinegar all over it~ To share with Miss K, we ordered a serving of lobster bisque which was stomach-warming and creamy with diced pieces of lobster adding some texture to the soup.For mains the Hainanese chicken rice was quite popular with three of us ordering it. Having had it before, it is a more than generous serving of chicken where you can choose to have breast or thigh fillet, served to you deboned over a bed of bak choy vegetables. Of course, Hainanese chicken would not be complete without an accompanying bowl of fragrant rice and the one served here has all the flavours of chicken stock and warming notes of ginger in every bite.

Mr. K and Miss I decided to have steak. I did not ask which cut they chose, but it looked tender enough and cooked to a lovely medium rare.

I wanted lamb that evening and Miss. K chose to have the same. Three cutlets of Australian lamb seared to the recommended medium state. I found the lamb to be a little fatty in places, but it was still enjoyable, especially with generous smears of mint jelly~Like with most Western places, Cafe Causette tries to serve the whole table at the same time. This of course, is an agreeable action, but only if the kitchen staff can manage it well and keep everything warm until it is served. Maybe they were a little understaffed that evening or their timing was off, but the cabonara ordered by T and Miss R came out cold. Even when they requested them to re-heat it, the pasta still came back barely lukewarm. Disappointing as the spaghetti strands were al dente and the cream sauce quite well prepared.

No desserts (but if you do happen to stop by for dessert I highly recommend their bread and butter pudding with vanilla ice-cream) because there was cake~ Opera cake~! Delicate layers of alternating coffee and alcohol soaked sponge cake spread with cream, finished with a glossy chocolate glaze. Just one bite fills the palate with a lovely coffee aroma, perfect for coffee lovers.I will always have a soft spot for Cafe Causette, especially knowing that if at any time I am unsure of what I want to eat, they will have something that I like. A lovely birthday dinner and even better company. Thank you~

Hearing that the old Ruth's Chris had undergone a renovation in East TST, Mr. C and I decided to pay them a visit for steak night~

Located on the first floor in the TST Centre, Ruth's Chris occupies quite a large space. The front area showcases their display of wine and off to the side they have a bar for those wanting pre-dinner drinks. The main dining room is to the back of the restaurant and while it is mainly outfitted in wood the bareness in decor expresses a no-fuss, no nonsense sort of atmosphere.

The menu is not huge in selection, but that did not really matter since we were mainly interested in satisfying ourselves with a hearty cut of protein although that did not mean we neglected our appetisers and sides

While waiting for our appetisers, we were served bread and whipped butter. Bland white loaf, although flavourless was at least warm and toasty and the airiness of the whipped butter would be better off for spreading on pancakes. I would give this a pass unless you were supremely hungry or just love bread. (I am the latter unfortunately)Our appetisers soon arrived~ Jumbo shrimp cocktail, crab cakes and seared jumbo scallops.

The shrimp cocktail was nicely chilled, large in size where each bite was pleasantly meaty. The cocktail sauce had a slight kick from the addition of horseradish which made the taste more interesting.Crab cakes arrived as two sizable portions, sizzling on an immensely hot plate. Not one of your typical black hot plates, this one is innocently white so please remember not to grab it, even though I am sure your server will remind you several times. Chunky pieces of white crab meat, delicately seasoned with a light shower of black pepper and of course the hot plate kept it at marvelous temperature.The scallops came as a portion of three pieces and while not really that 'jumbo' in size, there were cooked perfectly to a tender velvety texture which melted easily on the tongue. I did find they lacked a little seasoning on their own, but eaten together with the bits of capsicum in the butter sauce improved the flavour.It was not long till the star of the evening arrived. A huge cut of Australian Wagyu Porterhouse for two (actually could have easily fed 3-4 people) sizzling in all its buttery glory. They had pre-cut it for us to make it more manageable and like a T-bone, one side was filet while the other was sirloin. Mr. C had asked for it to be seared to a medium rare since he knew the plate was going to be immensely hot so it would not end up being too tough. We were served the filet first and it was amazingly good! Slightly more marbled, the aroma of melting fats filled our senses with each buttery mouthful. The sirloin was admittedly more tough in nature, but there was a much stronger beefy flavour which is ideal for those that like more gaminess in their meat.For such a meaty main of course vegetables as side dishes were a necessity. Sauteed spinach won over our usual order of creamed spinach, its garlicky flavour giving us some respite from the heaviness of the beef. Mr. C and I both love Lyonnaise potatoes and seeing this on the menu meant it was a must order. Pan-fried potatoes with softly caramlised onions. The ones that are still crunchy are always the best~ Definitely ended up in a beef coma, but it was so worth it~