Shiki Zen 四季禅 in its Causeway Bay location sort of sprang a surprise for me. Before coming to here, I had little idea that they do make their own Udon noodles, and 2ndly for just around $480 with a Main Course, you also get to enjoy the Semi-Buffet table at night. We are talking about unlimited servings of Sea Urchin, Sashimi, plenty of Salads and Tempura, even Goose Foie Gras cooked on the Teppan griddle.

.Hijiki Vegetables Salad -
Seasoned right and with grated Carrots.

.
Goose Foie Gras d'Oie -
Unlimited at the Buffet counter.

.
All You can Eat Tempura Prawns and Veggies -
Hey I think I am starting to like here!

.Unlimited Sushi - with Sea Urchin Gunkan, Aburi Salmon, Scallops, Inari, Conch
You can also get plenty of Hamachi Yellowtail and Maguro Tuna as sashimi....

.Soba Noodles -
They specialize in Udon noodles here, but at the Buffet Counter even at night time, you can eat as much cold Soba as you like... I am a noodles freak so this suits me so well indeed.

.Mentaiko Spicy Cod Roe Udon made In-house, with Onsen Tamago egg -
This is part of the Main Course. So for roughly $480 you receive this and also all the Buffet Food. The Udon was quite gluten chewy with a wheaty taste, one of the best served in Hong Kong for sure.

.More Sushi, Gunkan, Maki rolls and Okra Salads -
I think this is such a good bargain of a meal.

.Australian Oysters -
Too good to be true for the pricing point, right?

.Chrysanthemum Cocktail -
They also have many Rice Sake options to pair with the Udon.

.Unlimited Grilled Scallops -
I think I should have eaten a few more of these with my Udons and Soba.

.Kagoshima Wagyu Beef - Shabu Shabu
Actually I really like Wagyu from Kyushu. The DNA of the steer or cows are usually very slightly different from the Hyogo/Tajima strands of breeding. Usually using the redder Wagyu breed, it has more beefiness taste. This was very good. I need to come back for this soon, it was rather impressive for a Wagyu indeed.

.Curry Udon -
I am usually more into the cleaner type of soup for my noodles. Even though this was well sophisticated in the base and almost chickeny, I guess I prefer the Bonito Konbu soup versions.

.Chili Udon with Pork Slices -
This was hotter than expected. With an almost Chinese spiciness base which is almost Sichuan like, with plenty of chili vegetables. Loved it better than I expected initially..

.Warabi Mochi with plenty of Kinako Powder -
Part of the Dessert Buffet counter again...

.
Yuzu Sorbet with Japanese Apricot Ume-shu Wine Jelly -
I call this Apricot because DNA wise, it is not really a plum but an apricot. For some reason there is some misnomer when it comes to the naming... Back in Japanese Historical times, the Hanami blossom was actually more about the Apricot tree blossoms than the current Sakura flower trend..

.More Cakes at the Buffet -
I think I am too full for these now. Overall I really enjoyed this dinner and it is superb value for money. I already have booked for another visit soon in Feb.

______________________________
Price: $480 to $580 + 10%
Food: ♕♕♕♕♕

Address: 銅鑼灣登龍街1-29號金朝陽中心2期Midtown 29樓29/F, Soundview Plaza 2 - Midtown, 1-29 Tang Lung Street, Causeway Bay, HK
Ph: 2970 3218

Frites mean potato fries in Belgian-French. But ask anyone living in the UK and they will inevitably tell you Chips and Fries are different. For me technically they are different, but why should we care so much then when they are close friends after all? Especially when a lot of the Potato Chips available are actually Fries. It is just a word play in the end and its not like I will order 'Crisps' in a restaurant. Frites are Fries and here we got plenty of it...

.Some White Wine to start the Evening-
The Camera isn't working too well tonight as the rain wetness was ruining the sensors. Looking forward to the appetizers. Been here several times over the years, since one of the largest owners is also from Melbourne, Australia. Same as me. They actually have really good Belgian food there even compared to Belgium itself.

.Chicken and Poached Egg Frisee Leaf Salad -
The dressing was correct. Somehow I expected a larger impact from a salad, Actually this was pretty balanced but perhaps I expected some crispy Chicken skin somehow? Just wishing hehe.. ~ 7/10

.Beef Tartare with Egg Yolk -
There are a lot of places doing this tartare concept right now, or Beef with Sea Urchin. Yawn. It gets personal too, I have had really good ones at Kowloon Shangri-la Angelini, Nicholini's and here it was diced well chunky and not too over seasoned. Pretty right. The best versions I have eaten remain in Italy because they just get it so right in all equations but here it was contextually good. ~ 7.5/10Overall Setting -
The new Frites at Causeway Bay, it somehow seems out of whack with the Scenery but actually they do have a lot of followers and fans and its pretty full here daily already.

.
Pork Knuckle -
Was told to try this knuckle dish. The Skin was crispy enough, the meat was cooked just right and almost nitrate red. If there is one small issue, I think the side condiments of potatoes can be crispier and carry more toasted herbs. ~ 7/10

.Mussels in Hoegaarden Beer and Fennel -
Actually I was more after the White Wine version since that's what I ate in Belgium, but this recipe sounded more enticing on the night. It was lovely and the mussels were plump and not over cooked rubbery. Great sauce too, in fact it was better than my previous visits ever. ~ 8.5/10

.Frites -
Back to the fries or chips. They were fried well although don't be surprised, needed more potato taste but this is expected in HK. The Mayo dip also could do with more eggs or olive oil taste. But it was still decent it's just me being hard to please... ~ 7/10

.Apple Tart Tartin -
This had loads of Apples. I prefer them more inverted sugary caramelized burnt. but the base pastry was decent enough. Definitely good value for money. ~ 7/10

______________________________
Price: Around $400 + 10% Per Person

Food: ♕♕♕♕ 1/2

Address: 銅鑼灣希雲街38號曦巒地下1號舖

38th, Ground Floor Haven Street, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong

Ph: 2142 5233 / 9828 2961

Been here quite a few times for their Steaks and Seafood, even covered them in some magazine and articles previously. Flint Grill & Bar upstairs is found inside JW Marriott Hotel in Wanchai, HK. After coming back to Hong Kong, one of the things that really struck my heart was how come so many Steak Houses are so unjustifiably expensive? Steakhouses are meant to be casual places for falling back on, kind of like seeing your lovely girlfriend at the end of the day, not always fine dining. Many places will cost me upwards of $700-800 or USD 90, or more than HKD $1200 - $2000 for a 900g to 1.2Kg Bone-in Porterhouse or Tomahawk cut in town. (Never mind no one has done the ultimate Tomahawk yet but that's again my IP). My steaks in Italy were one quarter the price and tasted 3 times better in most cases. No wonder places like La Vache are doing so well, customers just want a decent steak and some wines for a reasonable price. Here, I think they are also very good value for money for the quality!

.Hand-Crafted Burrata Cheese, Manuka Honey, Black Truffle. Figs with Country Bread - $180
It rather sounded exciting indeed!! The Truffles and Burrata cheese didn't have much expected nominal cheesy or truffled taste. But that's alright I am getting used to it in HK 90% of times. Actually the Figs and the Aromatic bread tasted more prominent indeed. ~ 5/10 I am glad this was only the 1st Course instead of the Last Course, Without her even saying, I am sure my Chef Friend was disappointed with described taste vs reality but glad the night improved gradually..

.Buttery Brioche to begin with -
Nicely warmed, although don't mention me. These seem so locally bakery like in feel. But they might have to suit everybody else so just pretend I didn't say anything about needing some proper Sourdough bread or a Bread Basket with many types, all warmed up, Actually these were good and addictive, I was only trying to pull your leg because the 'bread snobs' will keep telling you I want proper leavened bread, how much hydration in the dough, how many nipples it will need. It's not like I don't understand the principle, but Bread is just another food and its customisable to suit the crowd. ~ 8/10

.
Double-Boiled Oxtail Consomme. With Oxtail & Bone Marrow Dumplings - $120
This reminds me of Jewish style Kreplash dumplings too, even with the slightly different meat but the base concept was all about the same. Quite Herbly too ~ 9/10

.Grilled Boston Lobster half - $200
Done fairly well and crustacean burnt outside with aroma, but remained moist inside, with a herbal buttery taste. I have had this before too and this time it was better. Guess it depends on the Chef on the station on duty, and also whether they broiled it as whole or half, so many variables.. ~ 8.5/10

.Grilled Rib-eye Beef from US Lintz Heritage USDA Black Angus - $390
Nice Char-grilled flavour and Beef Taste. Not the most tenderest meat ever but as an analogy, probably better than 70% of others and plus I have an European preference when it comes to beef, I expect a bit of chew. If you want melt in your mouth steaks go buy some marbled beef without much beef taste instead. This had a nice flame grilling and beef taste factor. Great Price too.. Onion Ring had a hard batter though and even as garnish, can have 1 more piece perhaps ? ~ 8.5/10

.Crepe Souffle with Lemon Cream, Cream Cheese Ice-Cream and Berries Compote - $90
Very lovely indeed. My dining Chef companion said the flour taste was a bit too apparent within the Creme Patisserie layer filling in the middle though, which at least was flowing. She explained how this could be remedified using a simple technique. Okay, not arguing with her coz I know she made sense too but this was still good ~ 8.5/10

.S'more Soft Chocolate Tart with Graham Cracker, with Burnt Marshmallow Top - Espresso Ice Cream $80
This signature here was still good as a Camp fire style dessert but a little too sweet today and a bit dense. I remember my first few times having this, this was more balanced though!. I have even covered this unique S'More dessert in a magazine before from here.. but anyway, at least the cocoa nibs were still crispy on the side. ~6/10

______________________________
Price: Around $600 to $700 + 10% Per Person
Food: ♕♕♕♕ 1/2 to ♕♕♕♕♕

Address: 金鐘金鐘道88號太古廣場香港JW萬豪酒店5樓
5/F JW Marriott Hotel, Pacific Place, 88 Queensway Road, Admiralty, HK Island side

Ph: 2810 8366

MIC Kitchen is another arm of the famous Mitchelin 2-3* Bo Innovation, by a rather capable yet sometimes arrogant Devil Chef Team by Alvin Leung. I think he is an improver every year and this is one thing I admire about him and his kitchen, also his London ventures and concept. I remember last time I covered here officially was when they were still called MC Kitchen, but some International Corporation via none other than McDonald’s gave them a lawsuit with naming rights, which was inconvenient. May be it is just a corporate decision so I can’t decide. 鏞記酒家 Yung Kee Restaurant as many foodie might have heard news today is trying to closing down after 60+ years of history due to some lawsuit. My last review of there was just  recently: ( http://www.hkepicurus.com/2015/09/yung-kee-after-new-renovation-with-its.html ) You can’t help everyone in this world is my own experience. Lawsuits suck, even if it means killing off your own Family History sometimes… Sorry I have been eating at Yung Keen since I could barely walk and this issue really strikes to my heart. Anyway it is nothing compared to the Homo Sapiens or the different human evolution who have walked on this Earth since 200,000 years ago. Always said to see a family split up into disarray, and when people don’t treasure their ancestry. Over here the spirit remained intact as a concept..

..Some Very Well Baked Bread -
I swear even just 3 years ago, I could not find bread of this good quality anywhere in town. We all need to improve and I loved them here. No more Truffled or Kaffir Lime Leaf dip, this time it became a more normal cleanser starter. Thanks to FeedMeGuru App on iPhone and Android for organizing a wonderful meal again…

..A White German Dry Riesling -
A House designed Wine. The Rest of the review can be seen on www.hkepicurus.com website. Good luck uploading or migrating to here.   I don't even bother nowadays.  I know they did tried,  but I gave up after a few tries.  Obviously Openrice doesn't like me much and nor does its Software.  I am just still posting here before I want to protect the restaurant for good.

..Kimchi Panna Cotta, Hokkaido Sea Urchins, French Caviars. Fried Vermicelli. With Australian Coffin Bay oysters -
Which to me are slightly off season in theory, but Briny salty and with Modern Technology are maintained right.  The Spicy heat from within the kimchi was released over time and I appreciate this rather than hitting your palate upfront. The rest is history. Different regional ingredients, all packed together. It’s not too fusion in Food Concept though, just only fusion in Food Ingredients to me to strike a balance. Lovely! ~ 9/10

I don't know why which short circuit Openrice is having again this day but it is expected,  but for the full post just visit www.hkepicurus.com .  It took me about two hours to migrate 1/3rd of the post onto here.  If I didn't care,  I will just post on Instagram. 

太艮堡陳老太順德料理 is a restaurant with a strange ironic name sake. Apparently, the illiterate of mason builders accidentally dropped the “dot” from the top of the word 大良, but decided to be smart by themselves and somehow put it back on the other letter as a 太 instead 大良 via blind guessing. You can’t blame them at all, there are always idiots living amongst us who work in top jobs too and even they wouldn’t know this problem themselves, it is appalling but may be we all trained under different circumstances and grow at different rates. The owners of this super famous Restaurant from Shunde Region decided to keep the name just for fun in Macau. Just to Clarify, originally this shop is called 母米粥 in China and I have visited there before just last year in Shunde China. In Macau the Casino City, the original name sort of rhymes with “Not Winning Anything” in Cantonese language. Hence this was changed into 陳老太順德料理 in Macau instead, coz low EQ gamblers always find an excuse to blame someone else for losing a wager. It is a normal human trait but don’t depend on such..

.
At the Fishermen’s Wharf -
Opposite Sands Casino and 10 minutes close to the Macau Ferry Port. This location isn’t far from the city or anything, but somehow it is just not convenient. This restaurant totally deserves a better location for their authentic Shunde regional dishes to me..

.Lingzhi Mushrooms with Pork Jowl Meat - 靈芝八兩肉
The rare cut of the Pork Jowl meat nearer the neck is quite rare, it is also treasured in Spanish Cuisine. This soup was super sweet and apparently good for your body, if you believe in Chinese Medicine. Lingzhi mushroom pored are sldo said to cure even cancer and carry plenty of Anti-oxidants. ~ 8/10

.
Fish Maw and Free Range Fresh Chicken Soup -
The gelatinous fish maw are from East Africa. It is super huge and the Restaurant group is now selling them separately at retail shops and wholesale to external customers too. Very thick indeed, and to me it was obviously sourced from fresh water fish coz unknown to many people, I also deal in this business myself behind the background. Perks of being a foodie and often working in 3rd or 4th World countries. Want a commission? We will hook you up ~ 9/10

.
清湯羊腩煲, 椰子肉, 玉米 - Clear Lamb Soup with Coconut Water and Meat, Corn
There isn’t much Lamb Ribs, but the restaurant explained why… According to traditional Shunde Cuisine, meat was actually not the main component. It is suppose to build a base flavour, and then upon this, the condiments on the side are boiled into the soup to absorb the flavours. A little counter-intuitive but makes total sense, considering in the past some Communities were poorer and can’t afford to slaughter much meat daily. I really appreciate this restaurant to keep this traditional culture and not taking everything taken for granted. ~ 8/10

.
Chicken Feet, Fresh Duck Gizzards, Innards -
Added in to enhance the soup gradually stage by stage.

.
Pomelo Skin - 柚皮
Unlike general Cantonese cuisine, this is more chewy fibrous and there is no prawn roes added on top. It simply just absorbed in the sweet soup above. Super addictive and even for me, I didn’t realize a slightly more fibrous Pomelo Skin can be so tasty today. We all loved this so much for keeping the texture. Amazing stuff and can’t find it in HK at all. ~ 12/10

.
生菜芯 – Lettuce Heart
These were quite crunchy. The external leaves are trimmed off, I think it was a bit of a waste in theory. However, the restaurant wanted to only sell the precious core part of the plant. Dipped into fermented tofu sauce with chili, just like the lamb meat above. Very Cantonese ~ 9/10

.
瓦撑熘肥牛 – Claypot with Marbled Beef
Another signature here. This was just okay, I think it can be more tender, but I only ate one piece so perhaps the other pieces fared better or not? I prefer them more high heat seared if you ask me. But I am a wanker as usual when I told you regarding to heating up beef, not denying it at all damn. ~ 7/10

.
煎墨魚餅 – Fried Cuttlefish Cakes
Apparently this is a famous Signature recipe here. When I visited the original store in Shunde, I ordered the River Grass Carp fish version instead. But this was equally good and not greasy, for $90 this was good texturally indeed. ~ 9/10

.
大良炸水牛鮮奶 – Fried Buffalo Milk
This was soooo good, and exactly how I have eaten it in Shunde. Instead of the typical battered exterior, this was just wrapped around with a crispy layer and exposing the Buffalo milky layer in the centre. Almost impossible to find this accurate vesion on HK side, but here it is presented correctly in Macau side. A must order item, again and again.. If only I had an apartment in Macau to fall back to every week. Brilliant and accurate in Shunde spirit. ~ 10/10

.
炸春花卷 – Fried Chives, Water Chestnuts, Pork and Prawns Nuggets
Another Signature here. Non-Greasy and chunkily. We were simply fighting for more shares of this and wished there was more. For only $90 this was good value too. Personally I am not a big fan of the strong chives leaves, but this means I could fight back with resistance as an excuse before it was all devoured in time.. ~ 10/10

.
Rice from Southern China -
This rice is strange. It is a long grain but super sticky, which to me in DNA is quite unique within this world. Apparently we have to pre-book this rice dish but we were lucky to get some on the day, and it goes well with Cured Meat on top as another Signature Dish but we didn’t experience on the day. Can’t wait for the weather to turn colder still and come back to eat that too. This didn’t need any lard oil or soy sauce, it was good just as a plain rice. Amazing stuff. ~ 10/10

.
Sea Cucumber with Ginger and Water Buffalo Milk Dessert Soup - 海參薑奶糖水
Interestingly, I don’t think many of us have had Sea Cucumber as a dessert but it makes sense as a concept. Since just like Fish Maw, this is suppose to be good for the ladies’ skin with gelatin. ~ 9/10. I thought it could be less sweeter, but some girls on the table really liked this anyway, they say girls have more stomachs than a cow for desserts and over the years I have to agree. You can also add in Ginger soup and more Powdered sugar to fine tune it yourself. For me I’d rather like more traditional Buffalo Milk to dilute the super sweetness again and make another impact in another cowy stronger milk way. ~ 8/10

______________________________
Price: $400 + 10% per Person
Food: ♕♕♕♕ to ♕♕♕♕♕

Address: 新口岸孫逸仙大馬路澳門漁人碼頭意大利館地下
Macau Fisherman's Wharf Convention and Exhibition Center, Macau

Ph: 28813322
_____________________________

Portvgalia with the ‘v’ replacing the ‘u’, used to be a half a Century old Beer House in Portugal side. To Celebrate their 90th years of opening they decided to open a branch in ex-colonial state Macau side. Having walked passed here a few times and hearing good reviews, and they were also at the Macau Food Festival when I tried some separate dishes (Review: http://www.hkepicurus.com/2015/11/15th-macau-food-festival-macau-13th-to.html), here we decided to arrive for dinner to verify its authenticity.

.
Explaining the History behind Portugalia -
As the name Cervejaria suggests this was a beer house, its very similar to Spanish and Italian concepts.

Lenda Wine – MOP $175
Under the New World Wines section but also under Portuguese designation.

.
Home Baked Bread – MOP $10
This is quite Sour Dough like in aroma but harder than the norm dense. Baked in-house. I don’t think this type of bread appeals much to Asians, as it was quite heavy, but personally it was right up my alley. Only if I have enough quota to eat some heavy bread though..

.
Portuguese Bread Crab with Eggs and Mayo – $MOP 95
They said this is a Signature dish, so we ordered as a sucker. It was better than expected indeed with plenty of Crab and Prawn meat on top of the Mayo or Aole style sauce. Obviously not as encapsulating as the Spider Crab served at HK Casa Lisboa (Review: http://www.hkepicurus.com/2015/12/casa-lisboa-rare-mediterranean-seafood.html) But this was value for money for the taste indeed. ~ 8/10

.
USDA Steak Sirloin, served with a Secret Buttery Sauce, Fried Egg and French Fries – $190
This is their Signature dish here and the Shop name of ‘Portugalia’ is named after this indeed. Knowing me I am hard to please and many people hate me for being too particular, but see if I care haha. The Buttery sauce was good, but the steak was missing the grilling aroma or flavour.. ~ 7/10

.
The Fries -
They to me were fried very well and potato-y, probably better than the Steak itself. But for this price point not much complaint I guess. ~ 8/10

.
Prawn Rissols/Rissoles/Rissois – $10 Patacas MOP each. Beef Croquette with Mustard $10
The Prawn Rissois are cheap but the batter skin was a bit hard, and missing some prawns taste compared to the best rivals in Macau town. The Beef Croquettes with Mustard to me also fascinating as they appear to me more of a Belgian/Holland Flemish food, rather than Spanish influenced. But somehow it caught on separately in Portugal side. Of course, there might be other Influences I might not be aware of as to why this caught on as a trend there.. ~ 7/10

.Salted Caramel Creme Pudding with Port Wine-
Similar to a Creme Caramel, or Egg Flan. Served with Port Wine reduction. Hard to pinpoint to it’s origin as micro-regions serve similar but different. Here it was quite Burnt Caramel-ly and slightly Bitter, very eggy but not overly burnt. Correct Balance to me if there is such a subjective term. Or call it just the way I like it served ~ 8.5/10 Will be back to try other dishes soon.

*************************
Price: $350 + 10% Per Person with Wine Included
Food: ♕♕♕♕ 1/2
Address: G/F, 5 R. dos Negociantes, Vila de Taipa, Macau
Ph: +853 6280 3992
 

Been here quite a few times in Macau’s Grand Hyatt (Here is one of my ex-reviews: http://www.hkepicurus.com/2010/03/beijing-kitchen-macau-peking-duck.html) and always loved the Food Creativity here, it seems a certain range of Hyatt restaurants all prepare a Peking Duck and also share ingredients and recipe knowledge across China and Asia. On top of Shatin 18 in Hong Kong, I have also been to the Hyatt open kitchen restaurants in Canton, Shanghai, Beijing, also the Hong Kong and Macau branches and they operate one of my most respected Chinese restaurants concept. A gentle reminder before I forget, when you order the Peking Duck here for MOP $598, you can actually receive 2 dishes, usually a Duck Tofu Soup or Fried Duck Bones. It’s not written on the Menu so half the times I also forget for myself too.

.
Private Dining Kitchen Menu -
Today we are eating the $8,888 for 8-10 people 招財進寶宴. Only available in the Private Rooms in the back, this time we were celebrating with the release of the new Magazine by Skyscape 鳳凰天空.

.
Crunchy Jelly Fish Heads - 滿堂彩前菜拼盤
This recipe is often eaten in Northern-Chinese cuisine. Down further South we tend to eat the lower parts of the Jelly Fish as strips. It always baffled me as the Head part is treated as a high end product in HK and sold for a premium, but on China side it’s almost a given to only eat this part! Especially the Mexican variety which is all heads basically ~ 8/10

.
The Tofu and Scallops Appetizers - 滿堂彩前菜拼盤
The cold tofu was almost citrusy appetizing.

.
Buddha Jumps the Wall Soup with Abalone, Fish Maw - 功夫臻品滋補湯 佛跳牆
Individually this by itself already costs $788, so paying for the $8,888 shared between 8-10 people means you get your money back with this soup alone. Very nicely done and naturally sweet. I liked how this was not overly salted, so one can enjoy the natural taste. The abalone was so huge too ~ 9/10

.
Peking Duck 3 Ways – aka Beijing’s Hyatt Made in China style $598 老式果木烤填鴨
This is roasted using Date Wood. Some places use Lychee Wood or Apple Wood as combination too. I have eaten this many times and it has always been moist inside and crunchy outside, in fact I don’t know why but it tastes better than the original shop in Beijing for me. Same applies to Shatin 18 Hong Kong and Xin Tian Di in Shanghai Hyatt on the Bund. Don’t ask me why ~ 9.5/10

.
Salt and Pepper Fried Lamb Gigot - 椒鹽香酥羊棒
With a bit of cumin spice, quite Xinjiang in recipe! ~ 8/10

.
金華玉樹麒麟魚 – Steamed Garoupa Fish with Mushrooms and Jinhua Chinese Ham
Such a classic recipe, the ham seemed to be slightly honeyed in advance to take away the saltiness. Very good and smooth. ~ 9/10

.
川味燒麻婆豆腐 - Ma Po Tofu Sichuan Style with Prawns and Pork
This is done correctly. Unlike many versions which is only chili hot, this one also carried the Sichuan Pepper Numbness. It reminds me of the prawn dish we ate in Shanghai Hyatt on the Bund, that dish was so memorable too. ~ 8/10

.蔥香鵪鶉蛋海參 – Spring Onion and Quail Eggs, with Braised Sea Cucumber
A hearty dish. That’s a lot of Quail eggs. I personally think the braising sauce could be heavier and more like a gravy, especially when winter requires some viscous thick sauce! ~ 7/10

.金沙燜炒鮮涼瓜 – Salted Duck Egg Yolk with Sauteed Bitter Melon
This is always one of my favourite recipes. They say that as one gets older you appreciate more this bitterness. I think when I was younger, most bitter melon were super bitter compared to now, so I guess I quite liked this for balance nowadays. ~ 8/10

.滿堂彩油燜大蝦 – Braised King Prawn
A big prawn with a soy sauce coating. Always a perennial favourite, but don’t take it for granted. For some reason all the modern versions are served with a red tomato and a garlicky sauce. In the past, this was always made with soy sauce and darkened. ~ 8/10

.
滿堂彩包點薈萃 – Pork and Prawn Siu Mai, Beijing style Vegetarian Shui Gao Dumplings, Spring Rolls, also 肉夾饃.

.
Beijing style Vegetarian Dumplings -
I have had this so many times here and this is always a must order. The skin and the fillings are always so balanced, even better than eating in Beijing if you ask me! ~ 10/10

.肉夾饃 – Rou Jia Mo Pork Buns
This also I had a few times here before. Today’s version seemed more of a bite size smaller, and upon questioning, apparently this smaller version is made exclusively for the Private Room Diners so it won’t fill up the customers too quickly. Very thoughtful for a Chinese Arepa x Pulled Pork concept . ~7/10

.
炸醬麵 – ZhaJiangMian Noodles
This is the Beijing style noodles and apparently it was ordered just for me! Comes with pretty 心裡美 radish. ~ 8/10

.Duck being Roasted with Date Wood -
In an open wood and brick oven.

.
Lemon and Orange Chili Ice Cream -
The Chiliness within takes a few seconds to manifest itself. Quite fun as a dessert concept! Quite refreshing as well. ~ 9/10

.
Black Sesame Lava Fondant -
This was quite runny and full of toasty black sesame taste! ~ 9/10

.
More Mango Pudding with Lime Zest, Purple Rice, Ice Cream and Coconut Mochi Desserts -
I was so full by this stage. The Mango and Lime pudding was very refreshing but I could only fit in two bites by now! ~ 8/10

.
Hand Kneaded Noodles -
For some reason, someone asked if we could make this and the open kitchen let us play with it. Have to say the Noodles Master did a much better job hand slicing the noodles. It’s actually not easy and I have to practise more 1 day !

.
時令鮮生果 -
Fruit Platter is served in the end. Prettily sliced up. A healthy finish to the meal.  Don’t forget to order some Chinese Tea here. Although they don’t actively promote it, this whole line of Beijing style restaurants within the Hyatt Hotel Group alway have some of the best tea you can find in Asia!

***********************
Price: $8888 + 10% for 8-10 People

Food: ♕♕♕♕ 1/2 to ♕♕♕♕♕ 1/2 Address: 路氹城連貫公路新濠天地澳門君悅酒店1樓

G/F, Grand Hyatt Hotel, Cotai, Macau

Ph: 8868 1930

As mentioned before, Ginsai 吟彩 is the sister restaurant to Michelin 2* Wagyu Takumi next door and also Rozan Sushi. It is also related to 1* Wagyu Takumi and also the likes of Island Tang, Kowloon Tang and 3* 8 1/2 Otto e Mezzo. As always, I think Ginsai is the more under-rated restaurant within the Restaurant Group. Chef Ogawa 小川賢 is clearly very capable with his food and seasonality sense, and hence why Ginsai is one of my favourite Japanese Restaurants in town deserving much more accolades and recognition. At the below, we had the $1880 Crab Course for 2 persons, a bargain for the rarity of Crab offerings and execution.

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香箱蟹 Koubako Seiko Crab with 土佐酢 Tosazu Jelly -
Such a rare item per year, this is the much smaller sized female ズワイガニ Zuwai Crab which can only be caught during November of the year. It came with roes, tomalley, and crab meat. So lovely and with a vinegary jelly. ~ 9/10

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銀杏蟹 イチョウガニ - Cancer Japonicus. Similar to a Bread Crab in France or Scotland
Served with Seasonal Japanese Persimmon fruit. I liked the fruit but prefer more Crab Meat and the Caviar as proportion. The base Tofu Sesame Dressing was a nice touch.. ~ 7/10

.Abura Gani 油蟹酒蒸焼き 稲穂 -
Abura King Crab with a blue tinge and is a distant relative of Taraba Red King Crab is rare to source. Here it is steamed with Sake then Grilled afterwards, served with Fried Rice Puffs. Very rare to find not only in Hong Kong, but even in Japan itself. Although taste very similar to the normal Taraba King Crab despite a different physical look. ~ 8/10

.Tempura Dip with Oroshi, Lime, Curry Salt and Sea Salt -
Tempura is coming next..

.The 4 Items -
Part of the Overall Crab Course. Minced Prawns in Shiitake Mushroom, Grilled Baby Corn, Crab Claw with Kani Miso, also Crab Meat with Sea Urchin. ~ 9/10

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Baby Corn Tempura -
You least expect it when it does appear, but this was fried well..

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Fried Crab Meat with Sea Urchin -
Lovely as expected, almost cliched but excellently executed… ~ 9/10

.Fried Sweet Potato with Brandy and Sugar Dip -
Had this before and it takes 40 minutes to make. Encapsulating as always with the sweetness and sugary crunch, balanced by the brandy alcoholic input. A must order here. ~ 9/10

.蒸し毛蟹 Steamed Kegani Hairy Crab with Kani Miso Tomalley on the Side -
Even as a foodie I was not used to having so many different Crab types per night - but you can see how serious the restaurant is with regards to Crab varieties, even if they are very rare to source. ~ 8/10

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Gyu Tan 牛たん Beef Tongues -
Just to deviate from the pure Crabs course a little bit, we decided to order some grilled items. To me, it was always either about Kaiseki, Oden, Seiro Ryori or Tempura. But this time around we are not missing out on the Grilled items as a Litmus Test. Quite decent but could be cut thicker or else grilled more, 1 way or the other for me. ~ 7/10.  Bit Salty

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Sunagimo Chicken Gizzard -
This is crunchy. I expected more burnt edges but perhaps this is the healthier way to go. ~ 7/10

.The Minced Chicken Meatball Tsukune 月見 つくね with Chicken Cartilage was grilled well here -
The surface char looked accurate and the cartilage and meat crunch inside was as good as it could get. The Sauce was also spot-on in taste and viscous but not too salty. Will give Keyaki/Shiba or Torimen a run for its money ~ 8.5/10

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Crab Shabu-Shabu Nabe being Readied -
Truth be told, looking at how this was prepared I already knew this wouldn’t be Crustacean in flavor enough. You really have to boil down the Crustacean shells and claws for 1-2 hours minimum. Here it looked a little too clean in execution…

.A pile of Zuwai ズワイガニ or 津和井 Crab ready to be cooked into a Hotpot -
The rarer female version 香箱蟹 Koubako Gani we already ate above with the Tozasu Jelly cold, served with Roes and Tomalley. Here it was more about the legs. ~ 7/10

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Finished Zuwai Crab legs -
Sweet. Neatly trimmed. Just wished the soup had more Crab flavor.

.Vegetables and Udon, with a Ponzu sauce -
Quite healthy but accurate in Japanese spirit.

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Baked Cheese Cake -
Soft and Moist. Made by their young talented Japanese pastry chef.

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Price: $940 + 10% Per Person
Food: ♕♕♕♕ 1/2 to ♕♕♕♕♕

Address: 灣仔交加里32-38號
32-38 Cross Lane, Wan Chai, HK
Ph: 2574 1118
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I am acutely aware of the overseas publications which used to directly compare One Dim Sum vs Tim Ho Wan, since during the beginning inauguration of the HK Michelin Guide, both small hole in the wall shops were equal recipients of Michelin 1* status. Since then Tim Ho Wan standards have dropped majorly even before it started expanding overseas. As for One Dim Sum? It was never that good in the 1st place, to the point I didn’t even recall having eaten at the North Point outlet before that closed, leaving the sole original Prince Edward shop.

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Nowadays, Many Tourists line up -
Just like Tim Ho Wan. That’s the power of having overseas publications covering you with a sensationalized story. Many locals meanwhile don’t rate it much, some whom I talk to even dislike here..

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The Menu -
However not every item is available daily.

... ( Rest of Review not posted here )

There are two congee shops within this Cooked Food Centre in Chai Wan. 順利粥品 is the more famous of the two, although both shops are unique in their own sense. Their congee here will beat 90% of famous shops out there including over-hyped places like Sang Kee or Mui Kee, at least the white congee base here doesn’t use too much pork bones, seasoning or MSG. A congee should be able to taste the rice itself.

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Most Congee Shops in Hong Kong carry a Sponge-like Cake -
This is traditional from Cantonese influence.

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The Menu is mainly Chinese I believe -
You can always order first as really can’t go wrong, then translate it afterwards. At least the prices are so reasonable.

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涼瓜蛋炒腸粉 – Bittermelon and Scrambled Eggs Cheung Fan $15
The skin was smooth and translucent thin, the inside filling was aplenty and all tasted natural without MSG traces. This was better than my last 2 times here in fact… ~ 9/10

.皮蛋瘦肉粥 Century Year Old Eggs with Salted Pork Congee - $16
This also improved. Now it is pure rice flavour and no MSG, and the texture was silken soft, but without using artificial starch to thicken it. Very satisfying and as said better than many super famous shops. This together with the Cheung Fan entices me back so much. ~ 8/10

*It is worth noting that during Lunch Time, everybody else comes for their rice dishes instead.

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Price: $31
Food: ♕♕♕♕ 1/2

Address: 柴灣漁灣邨漁灣街市大廈1樓1號檔
Yue Wan Estate Wet Market, 1st Floor Shop 1, Chai Wan, HK

Ph: 2558 1971