Jam Bakery (北角)

I happened to chance upon this cafe on a sunny day, and wanting a drink, popped in.
I had the cake and drink set which is flexible meaning you can add on any cake and pay the difference. Great to see a flexible cafe!
I ordered the Baileys cheesecake and an iced lemon and lime tea. The girl behind the counter was very helpful and knew all the details of the cakes beyond their description, a refreshing thing to see in a city where too often, the description on the card is all you're going to get. I got the cake immediately served on a plate (although with the tinfoil still on the bottom?) and was promised that my drink arrive soon.
I sat on one of the bar stools which, although initially awkward, turned out to be very comfortable. If you don't like barstools then they have three tables, with seating for four at each. The decoration is really sweet and it fits in with the overall theme of the cafe. Hopefully they'll expand their area for more people. Their cake selection is surprisingly comprehensive, albeit dominated by cheesecakes.
The drink was delivered promptly, and with a smile. Great!The cheesecake was beautifully decorated and the layer on top was a good portion; not too thick, but not overwhelming either. The sponge inside (yes, beware that this isn't a true cheesecake but a hybrid!) was relatively moist. There was also a large quantity of walnuts at the bottom of the cake which I really didn't like, and wish that they would have informed me before I chose it.
The cake wasn't too sweet, and there was enough of it to fill me up without feeling bloated afterwards. Not a real cheesecake though.The tea had a good flavour. It wasn't as strong as I would have liked, and they leave the tea bags in the glass which I didn't appreciate, but it was a good portion. They didn't put too much ice in the glass, making the tea watery.
They offer bags of baked good such as cookies on shelves. Don't be afraid to go all the way into the cafe as they also have items on the counter for sale. They have a large selection of adorable cakes such as a green apple cheesecake shaped like an apple. This is a small cafe so I recommend coming here alone, or in a small group.
Overall, a nice cafe but I wouldn't go out of my way to return.

泰成菜館 (銅鑼灣)

We came here for dinner and we ordered to one of the back tables. This restaurant is very picky about their seating (smart, I guess, but not great service-wise) and will seat you at the table with the most suitable number of chairs. However, I noticed that a family of visiting Mainland Chinese were allowed to take over two tables meaning they had 8 seats for a family of four... I don't know what this means, but I would avoid this restaurant if you've just done some heavy shopping since there won't be space for your bags. Also, they don't refill your water unless you push them to?
The staff were nice enough, but there wasn't anything to set them apart from the crowd.

The walls were somewhat clean, but I couldn't help feeling that the lower wall where I sat was slightly sticky. Don't worry; I think it was only because we were sitting by the kitchen.
It's nice how there are photos of the dishes on the wall though and some 'traditional' Thai elements to the decoration. It helps bring everything together.
We ordered the som tam (my favorite Thai dish), Phad thai and curry calamari squid.
I found the som tam disappointing although it holds a strange place in my heart; on one hand it has an appropriate level of chili, but on the other hand it tasted very different- and was composed very differently- to my usual som tam.
The tomatoes weren't cherry tomatoes as they usually are, the peanuts weren't roasted and there were no little shrimp or any shrimp taste for that matter. I found the salad, while acceptable, too watery for my liking. Most likely because they used full-size tomatoes. I suppose others could like it, but for me I'll stick to my usual from Cafe Sian. The portion was alright for sharing although if you were having it for a main meal, it's about two bites too little (great if you want dessert?).The calamari curry came next. It was frighteningly oily and the coconut milk had curdled from poor cooking process. I have since searched up photos of the dish and can ascertain it looked nothing like it ought to. This is not to say that it always looks like that, but if it does then AVOID IT! The taste itself wasn't bad, but there was a lot of oil. The calamari was alright, and they included a good portion of vegetables with the curry.The Phad Thai was much better. While still a bit oily, and hinted of a suspicious sour taste even before the lime was squeezed, it tasted the most of what I would normally expect from these dishes. The egg was over-scrambled, there were only two prawns (although I'm not complaining as the prawns were decent). The noodles themselves weren't too bad either. However, the dish itself fell short... a bit. To be fair, it was the most edible dish that we ordered.Overall, I won't be coming here again. However, it's not the worst restaurant in Hong Kong and you could do a lot worse than come here. If you're in the area and fancy a quick fix then I'm sure that they may taste better, or if you try other dishes it could be better, but for me I found the experience mediocre and wished it could have been better. Well, I enjoyed watching their two cats pace the outer section. Adorable!

sift desserts (灣仔)

I've been avoiding this store ever since, three years ago, I saw a staff member reach into their trousers and scratch themselves then go back to business as if nothing had happened. I hadn’t seen that staff member in the window for a while so I decided to give Sift a try.
The frosting tasted very much like something I make at home, although they manage the flavour a lot better; you can taste the flavour without it being overpowering. It isn’t fluffy, but neither is it dense; the texture is perfect.
The cake was moist and well-flavoured, although from my experience this can vary flavour-to-flavour depending on ingredients.
Overall, the cupcakes are like what you could make at home if you were able to bake perfectly and get the flavour down-to-pat. Personally, I prefer to spend the $25 and just get it ready-made at Sift.
For a shop whose customers, I presume, are often English-speakers, I am confused as to why the service seems unable to sufficiently communicate in English? I am aware that Hong Kong is a changing city, but when there are only three flavours left in the store and only one of them is a double-barreled name, I shouldn’t have to point at it. I should also not have to repeat ‘no bag, thank you’ multiple times. She was perfectly polite and courteous, but if it weren’t for the food, I wouldn’t come back. Cupcakes shouldn’t be a hassle.

居食屋「和民」 (中環)

I didn't find the restaurant particularly special. It was alright, but pretty much average by Hong Kong standards.
We booked in advance, but there was a queue outside when we arrived so I suggest anyone looking to come here book in advance too.
We were escorted inside. The decoration was alright, nothing out of the ordinary, although they've positioned the seats so that everyone gets a bit of privacy, which is a nice touch. It can get a little noisy though, so don't come here expecting a quiet conversation. The lighting isn't great either so if you struggle to read in dim settings, I suggest you get your phone's 'flashlight' function ready!
The service isn’t bad, they walk past your table frequently so you don’t need to constantly attempt to flag somebody down. They also leave you jugs of hot tea which is a nice touch, especially for those who drink lots during a meal. For those who prefer traditional plum tea, they put in real plums and it looks to be about 750ml of liquid (if you count the ice). I didn’t order one, but the others enjoyed it.
We ordered a lot, as we were a party of six.
The sashimi platter was alright, and most of the fish (especially the scallops) tasted fresh. The texture was as expected either. However, I found that the salmon wasn't as fresh as it could have been and although it was decent sashimi, it isn't the best I've had. The portion was suitable for six people and if you’re in a party of two, it’s a great size.
California rolls were very nice. There was a good ratio of filling and rice. A couple of them had a prawn on top which was a nice decorative touch.
We ordered the charcoal-seared squid and while the texture was appropriate, and it looked great, I found that it tasted slightly bland. For the non-pescatarians, sirloin steak was ordered and it came with a hot stick to roast the steak more. I recommend the asparagus salad as it’s cooked so that it keeps its freshness. It’s a generous portion too more than enough for two people.
The beef hot rice and pork hot rice were alright. The beef hot rice was better than the pork which didn’t seem to have any pork at all. There was also a bit too much egg for the rice, but there was a lot of crunchy rice which was nice. The beef hot rice was preferable though.
The green tea tiramisu is decidedly not tiramisu. It is a very sweet mousse with a mild green tea flavour and a delicate sprinkling of green tea powder on top. There is no sponge or liquor inside and although it’s a small portion, if you can’t handle sweet things then I suggest sharing.
The bread with ice cream on the other hand was a winner with the table, although that portion is very big and I suggest sharing that too. It really appears to mostly be a loaf of bread with a couple of scoops of ice cream, the taste works. I found it a bit dry, and to combat this an extra scoop of ice cream would have been appreciated, but that’s where the green tea tiramisu comes in, I guess?
Overall, the food was pretty average, and I suppose the portions would have made up for it if there were less of us, but the value makes up for it anyway.

Harvey Nichols四樓餐廳 (中環)

My friend and I ordered the set lunch menu. I asked for the fish, and she asked for the steak.
The fish was slightly overcooked, and my friend described her steak as 'she's-had-better'. We both found the accompanying sauces too rich and overly creamy for the dishes. No complaints about the lovely presentation though!
The dessert was slightly better, although it was a little blander than expected.
The service was attentive and most certainly was what expected of a restaurant of this reputation. However, I was hoping for more from the decoration which- frankly- reminded me of a public bathroom? The chairs were comfortable, and the atmosphere fine. I can't help but feel that the service is the redeeming feature of the restaurant.
I think that if you come here expecting an amazing experience and set your expectations too high (this is supposed to be Harvey Nicholls, in all fairness) then you'll only be disappointed. However, if you're already a big spender and fancy lunch then Forth Floor isn't a bad place to be to sit down and relax.