Le Salon De Thé de Joël Robuchon (中環)

"High Tea" continues to be the trend.   This visit with my 2 buddies would be my second high tea experience. Environment & Hygiene:
Most tables are located outside the restaurant or in the hallway half in the restaurant. Not for people who need a lot of privacy. Hygiene was okay. 

Taste & value:
There were 3 of us, and since we could not add a person to the tea set, we ordered some other items on the side along with the tea set.   This set ($380 for 2) was presented nicely and neatly over 3 layers. Top layer:
Plain & Raisin Scones Both these scones were good.   They were soft, crumbly in a good way and not too dry or hard. 
Clotted Cream & Strawberry Jam Both of these homemade condiments were fresh and delicilous. 
Mini Croissants These bite-size croissants were soso. They were quite soft, buttery and greasy; not as flaky as I was expecting.  Middle:
Lobster & Mango Sandwich I would have thought that I was eating salmon actually. I'm not one for fruit with other food items, but this sandwich was really tasty.   The taste of the mango was sharp; I would have never thought that lobster could pair so nicely with mango. 
Smoked Salmon & Salmon Egg Sandwich This was another great sandwich. The salmon was delicious and didn't have that fishy taste. 
Vegetarian Eggplant This was a rather plain sandwich with bread that was quite hard. This didn't compare to the 2 above. 
Black truffle Sandwich The black truffle was mild, but nonetheless you could taste it. I wish they would have used a bit more. 
Goat Cheese with Salmon Sandwich This sandwich was a bit weird, and didn't really taste like anything. This was our least favourite sandwich. Bottom:
What we got didn't actually match the names on the menu, so I'm just gonna start fro mthe left. 
Brown Loaf This loaf was moist, but a little too sweet. My buddies didn't like it.  
Raspberry Cake This cake was light, not too sweet nor acidic. It was good. 
Chocolate Balls These balls were empty inside.  I thought that they were truffles, but they weren't. Anyways, the chocolate was not bad. 
Raspberry Macarons These macarons were sweet as usual, but flavourwise not bad. 
Chocolate Cake There were some nuts in the base of the cake, but even with the nuts and chocolate, I felt that this didn't have much taste. 
Cream Puffs These tiny cream puffs were filled with fluffy cream with a very light shell. Not bad. 
Chocolate Sticks These were disgusting. They were chewy dried fruit dipped in chocolate that stuck to your teeth. Side Order: 
Goose Liver Pate Sandwich ($45?) The goose liver pate was quite strong, and I liked the nuts that topped the sandwich. Drinks:
Hot Chocolate Rich, not heavy, and not too sweet , but not strong enough. However, not bad. Peach & Passionfruit Tea The aroma was amazing, but like all other teas, I find that that is all there is to all these different kinds of teas. It smelt nice, but didn't have much taste. The secret of this heavy pot: 3 teabags. Haha. Service:
A staff asked us nicely if we could move from our original table to another accomodate a bigger party, and being the nice people we are, we agreed.   The staff were quite easy going in general. However, we were overcharged and we didn't find out until the next day. For some reason, our bill came to $515. We had originally ordered another pastry on the side, but since it was sold out, it never came, but it looks like we were charged for it. 

Final Verdict:
The tea set was quite nice, but the fact that we were overcharged hurt my impression of the place. 

Mix & Rice (尖沙咀)

After work today, 12 of us decided to go for Korean Fried Chicken, but seeing the crazy long line ups at some other chicken places nearby, we came here since there was no waiting involved. 

Environment & Hygiene:
This place was hard to notice as it is hidden by the construction that is going on around that building. Luckily, my smart colleagues found it.  It had simple decor with very bright lighting; there were still about 6 smaller tables, but us 12 took up half of the restaurant!   Hygiene was okay. Service:
Since 3 of my colleagues were late, it was very nice of the staff to still offer us a table because most places were require the whole party to be present before letting us in, so thank you. However, there was some pressure for us to leave asap as they kept looking and asking.

Taste & Value:
We basically tried almost every signature Korean dish.   After ordering, 2 plates of 3 sides was brought to us. All was good, but our favourite was the sweetened potatoes. Below is what we got:
1. Instant Noodles with Cheese 
I'm not one that would order instant noodles at a restaurant, but my colleagues were very interested in this dish, so we got it. It wasn't bad. I liked that the noodles didn't get soft and mushy even though they were sitting in the pan. Also, the cheese complimented the noodles quite well after it melted. The broth was okay and not too spicy. There was also an egg inside. My colleagues liked it a lot and we ended up getting 1 more when the 3 late comers arrived. 2. Seafood Pancake
This is a must order at a Korean restaurant I think.   This was quite small, but it was also half the price of what most resturants sell it for. It didn't quite look like a usual pancake as you can see the egg is quite visible. The amount of seafood was decent, and although I thought that it would taste like an omlette, it had the regular pancake taste so I was glad. Also, the sauce was very nice too! It was the way I liked it!  3. Rice Cake
This was quite plain. The sauce was a little too watery for my taste. Nothing too special. 4. Jajangmyun
I've had really good ones in Canada, so I was a bit disappointed in the taste of these.  Not that they weren't good, but they could have been better. The sauce was a bit too heavy on the blackbean paste and the flavour was not balanced somehow. However, the texture of the noodles were nice and chewy. 5. Fried Chicken (Original, Sweet & Spicy and Green Onions)
My mouth dropped when I saw how small the pieces were.   I was not expecting chicken wings and tiny drumsticks for $200. The ones who had the chicken with green onions really liked the sauce. As for me, I had the Sweet and Spicy piece. The sweetness balanced out the spiciness, and we all thought that the sauce was very tasty. The chicken was tender and juicy. Although the pieces were small, they did have some meat to them, which made it a little bit better. On the side, there was a strawberry salad, which was not bad. Also, there were a few deep-fried rice cakes on the side, which were a tasty and creative idea I think.   6. Sweet & Spicy Chicken 
After them 3  arrived, we ordered an extra order of Sweet and Spicy chicken. 7. Japchae
The noodles were kinda all stucked together. However, they had amazing flavours and we had to order another dish afterwards.  8. Cold Noodles
This was my first time eating this kind of cold noodles. The sauce was a bit sour; making these noodles very refreshing to eat. I liked them.  9. Beef Bulgogi
This was okay. It was lacking that grill/flame taste to it, but the seasoning and flavours were good, and the beef wasn't tough. 10. Beef Short Rib
This was hands down the best dish of the night!~!  The staff cut the meat off the bones for us when it was served. It wasn't really cutting, as the meat actually just came right off.   You can't go wrong with beef, radish and carrots together! This dish reminded me of how my mom used to cook ox tails! The beef was so so so tender.   Man, was it ever good! I would say this dish is a must get! Final Verdict:
Everything was decent. 

Cedele (上環)

After having dim sum with my family, my cousin suggested to visit Cedele for their cakes.  I was surprised to find out that this place is a Singaporean franchise. 

Environment & Hygiene:
The environment was okay, but somehow it didn't give off a grand feeling that I felt it was trying to portray. I liked the long table that the 6 of us were seated at. The height was just right. Hygiene could improve, as I saw a manager type person wiping his nose with his hand, which made me a bit uncomfortable seeing.Service:
The staff who served us was patient, friendly and helpful. She explained to us the sets they had and the different drinks that came with the sets. 

Taste & Value:
The staff suggested that we get the Tea set for 2, which was a daily selection of cakes with 2 drinks for $105. We got two of them. To be honest, I was disappointed when the sets arrived, since there was no cake. There was no sign of their famous Pandan cake or any other sorts of cakes.   I felt misleaded by their wording of "selection of cakes", as the only cake there was was the cupcake in the centre. What we got:
1st set:

 

Pandan Cupcake The best tasting thing out of the 2 sets. The texture of the cake was nice and moist, and the pandan icing was protrudent.  Oh man, how I wanted to try the cake after eating this! 

Chocolate Brownie This was so so. It didn't have the gooey brownie texture.  It didn't have much taste. 

Bar This was surprisingly good. I liked the dry crumbs on the outer layer. I was very happy that there were nuts, and pumpkin seeds in it.  They did it for me! Chocolate Cupcake Like the pandan cupcake, this one also had a moist texture.

Chocolate Biscuit Cake I think of the Royal Wedding when I see this cake, because if Prince William didn't choose it as his wedding cake, I wouldn't have known that this is a very traditional British cake.  This was not bad. Bites with the berries were quite sour and the rum taste was very strong, which I enjoyed. Flat White It had a mellow taste, but the beans didn't stand out to me.Roasted Hazelnut Latte This drink smelt very good, and the syrup didn't give it an artificial taste. 
The other 2 drinks that I didn't get to try were a Caramel Latte and a Hot Chocolate. 

Final Verdict:
I think if we would have stuck with their signature cakes, I would have been more satisfy. I will have to try them next time, along with their food. 

Cafe Gray Deluxe (金鐘)

Can you believe it, at 49 storeys high, I had my first High Tea experience!   

Service:
My friend had made a reservation 2 days ahead and requested a table with a view, which was really given to us!   We were welcomed and greeted by a gentelman, brought to our table by a hostess, and given a menu by a server. The whole flow was very smooth. Overall, everyone had a postivie attitude, which is expected at such an environment.  

Environment & Hygiene: 
With a view from the 49th floor, the whole environment was very free and relaxing. The high ceiling also contributed to this "free" feeling.   Hygiene was good. Taste & Value:
Cafe Gray collaborates with NET-A-PORTER the online luxury fashion shop in offering Afternoon tea sets, and this time, the collaboration is with the British organic skin care brand Dr. Jackson's Natural Products from 27 Feb- 26 Mar.   The tea set is $530 for 2 or $290 for 1 +10%. Also, a little sample gift is given to you at the end of the experience.  Let me dissect the tea set for you:
Top:

Top

 

Blackcurrant Scones Decent. I couldn't really taste the blackcurrant, and they were a bit dry, but they were okay with the 3 fresh and delicious condiments, which were honey, strawberry jam, and clotted cream.  
Dense English Tea Cake  This reminded me of a Christmas fruit cake, which I don't like at all. However, this was a good tasting cake. It had some grapes inside and was not as dense as the name suggests. 

Middle:Watercress Egg Salad Sandwich This was one boring sandwich that was tasteless. I make better egg salad sandwiches. 
Whole Wheat Tuna Sandwich This sandwich was better. It actually had taste, but still nothing too exciting. 

Organic Tomato Rosemary Focaccia Basil Oil This was like a pizza bite. I like balsamic vinegar and basil, but not so much the rosemary, so I thought this was soso.

Smoked Salmon Dome on Pumpernickel Caper Cream Cheese This was awful because it had a very "fishy" taste. 

Bottom:Chocolate and Pistachio Opera This was okay. It was moist and not too sweet. I liked the sponge layers, but not the crust as the taste of egg yolk was very strong.

Baobab and Passion Fruit Cheesecake This cake was light, smooth and fruity. However, it had that same yolk crust.   Besides the crust though, I enjoyed this cake. Also, it had baobab, which is supposed to be good for our digestive system and high in antioxidants and vitamin C, so I felt less guilty eating it. 

Black and White Chocolate Cookie This cookie was the same yolk crust base, but coated in Chocolate. The white side tasted better, as it covered the taste of the cookie more. 

Milk Chocolate and Champagne Ganache Truffle This was my favourite sweet thing to eat.   The alcohol taste was faint, but just enough to complement the chocolate. I think I would have liked it more if dark chocolate was used. 

Roasted Coconut and Palm Sugar Macaron This was my second favourite dessert.   Of course it was very sweet, but I don't think I have ever had one that was not overly sweet. The roasted coconut was lovely in the macaron, and took some of my focus off from the sweetness. 

Mixed Berry Tartlet, Lemon Curd, Dried Canlendura Petals Again, the crust for this tart was the same crust I dislike. Also, although Canlendura petals are supposed to be good for the skin and fights inflammation, I didn't like the smell and taste of it. I didn't like this tart. 

Coffee
It was an acidic blend of coffee that my friend couldn't stand, and not one that I would prefer. However, I still enjoyed my coffee with the desserts.  Final Verdict:
I was disappointed in this tea set.   For $300 per head, we were paying for the environment and gift, because not one item stood out to me. Out of the 12 items, I enjoyed only less than half of them. Even with such an amazing environment, it will not make up for the disappointment I have for their food.  

Dabyida Restaurant and Bar (尖沙咀)

After watching American Hustle, my friends and I came here for lunch. On weekends, they have a brunch buffet that offers appetizers, dessert and drink along with 1 of 6 main courses of your choice ranging from $168 to $288. You could also add $150 for free flow Champange for 2 hours. Environment & Hygiene:
With big wide tables and chairs, we sat quite comfortably.  There was one TV beside the bar wall showing sports, and in front of the bar was the brunch selection. The restaurant had a very relaxing atmosphere to it. Hygiene was okay. Taste & Value:
The brunch buffet was quite pathetic, but what could I expect for the price of it.  For the appetizer part, tt had cold cuts, salads, and cheese. Pasta Salad- The salad was loaded with thousand Island and the pasta was way too hard. It was quite awful to eat.
Tomato and Mozzarella Salad- Very watery and tasteless.
Apple Salad- Okay, but again it was loaded with dressing.
Cheese and Cracker- The only thing worth eating item that was kinda dried up from sitting.

Now for the mains, the 4 of us shared 3 of the 6 options. 
1. Char-Grilled Prime-Cut Rib Eye Beef's Steak with Red Wine Butter ($198) X 2 ( One Medium, One Medium Well)- I ate the Med- Well one, which tasted okay, but it was not a good cut of meat, since 1/3 of it was not meat. I could barely taste the red wine butter, so I wish there would have been more to add flavours to the tough tasting steak. The potatoes and veggies on the side were good, but loaded with butter. Comparing the 2 pieces of steak, the size and cut were not consistent at all. 2. Classic Oven Baked Thin-Crusted Pizza topped with Pepperoni and Mushrooms ($168)
This was not a good tasting pizza at all. The pepperoni made it very greasy, and there was not enough cheese. It tasted like a store bought frozen pizza.  It was quite awful. 3. Spaghetti sauteed with Ocean Prawns, Pancetta & Spicy Tomamto Sauce ($178)
I was glad for this pasta, because it was the only thing that tasted decent. The spicy tomato sauce was nice and not spicy actually. Luckily, the spaghetti was not undercooked like the pasta salad. To finish up, we each ordered a coffee to go along with our desserts. When we arrived, we saw different kinds of cakes, but when we went to grab some, there was only tiramisu left, so my friend asked about the chocolate cake and they generoulsy gave us each a slice. Coffee-  It was not good because it tasted burnt.
Tiramisu- It looked like tiramisu, but tasted nothing like a tiramisu. I could taste nothing but cream. 
Chocolate Cake- This mousse cake was the edible dessert, even though it just tasted store bought. 
Macaroon- There was just one selection, which was raspberry. It was very sweet, but okay.
Fruit Tart- Okay, because it was probably not housemade. 
Cheesecake- It didn't taste fresh and it was way too sweet.

Service:
Service was okay. I like that they offered us the chocolate cake, but at the same time they didn't really bother to replenish the buffet selection.

Final Verdict:
It is always disappointing to go to a restaurant and not being able to enjoy the food. I would have been happier at a fast food joint. I feel ripped off having paid $200 for food like this.