蘭芳園 or Lan Fong Yuen might be famous in Hong Kong,
but one often hears mixed reviews about them.
Some people hate the brand, some hate particular branches.
Especially considering how that they now have 4 outlets, I believe, and 2 of these are virtually next door to each other.

From the Customers point of view, however, not only do the food quality varies between the stores, but the items being sold at the various outlets might be different. All this randomness is making me go crazy, and it took me a long time to work it out. So

Char Siu Rice with Salted Egg Yolk 叉燒飯, 鹹蛋黃-
The Shun Tak Centre outlet, is as covered by a famous local magazine, the only shop which sells self roasted and indeed pretty good Char Siu especially. The meat roaster originally worked at the famous Michelin 1 Starred 'DYNASTY', retired, then came out of retirement to head the roasting section here.

The Char Siu definitely carries shadows of the Dynasty Char Siu. The marinade is sophisticated, tender, and even though this was served as Take-Away for my lunch, the quality managed to still impress. Even the salted egg yolk was of very good quality. $4X. 3.5/5

*INFORMANTS tell me not to order anything else here, other than the roast items.

2 Types of Pizza's available - So called Roman style and Napoletana. 　Both are NOT entirely 100% authentic, to be honest. I was a little shocked to see this written by an Italian and cooked by an Italian!

- The so called Roman style is said to be thin and crisp on the wall, but that normally only applies to Round Shaped Roman Pizza.... On the printed menu however, it is described correctly as thick and and juicy. Weird! Jacomax here is in fact serving the fast-food type rectangular Roman Pizza A Taglio style, which would be thicker and more softer. (Eg. Rome Pizza A Taglio: http://foodofhongkong.blogspot.com/2011/05/garden-pizza-rome-italy.html)

- Their Napoletana pizza, is not very Napoletana either. It should have a slightly wider and more bubbly burnt cornicone side and slightly chewy. The one served here reminds me of New York style Italian pizza, plus the fact it is huge like Paisano's. Napoletana Styled Margherita, with free Prosciutto Topping $35 -
When this arrived I was a bit shocked as there is no Basil on it. And despite advertising that their Mozzarella comes from Puglia, the cheese on my pizza was not even mozzarella. Apparently, they have some suppliers issue, but when u get a Margherita pizza which is missing the herbs, the white mozzarella, but only having the right tomato paste, it is not very correct, right? But the shop said they will look into this matter in the future, which is a good thing!

******************************
Opened by the Italian boss of Bibini Gelato in Sai Kung, and helmed at the pizza oven by an Italian Chef from Puglia, this sounded promising indeed. Initially, this looked more like a take-away style pizzeria. But calculating the fact that each slice is $35/piece, a whole pizza isn't very economical - in fact, making it more expensive than eating at 208 Duecento Otto, which makes the ONLY proper Napoletana pizza in town!

I think they are still trying to improve their shop bit by bit, so let's not condemn it in anyway right now. We, the customers, will just have to monitor and see !

12-3-2011

收工到中環食 lunch, 2 人喺 Soho 行了一轉無乜心水, 嚟到玉葉 (http://www.openrice.com/restaurant/commentdetail.htm?commentid=2120512) 附近卻見到呢間新店供應 set lunch, 仲好似有 crepes 食, 又上嚟試試. 本來想叫 3-course 及 2-course 各一份, 再散叫一份 crepe 做甜品, 不過店員又話是日無 crepes 供應, 唯有叫一人一份 3-course ($138)吧.

麵包係小型 baguette, 唔熱, 邊位脆口但有少少硬, 中間則幾軟熟, 食落就麵粉香強勁 牛油唔似係 salted, 但好香奶味, 不過實在凍了 d, 可惜.

Starter 揀了 marinated sardines with potato salad: 中間一 scoop 薯仔沙律, 再用漬 sardine fillets 圍邊, presentation 十分精緻 Sardine fillets 比預期中無咁鹹, 少少酸, 味道濃鮮 (其實亦可形容為「少少腥」, 視乎你鍾唔鍾意沙甸魚吧), olive oil 味亦香, 配上質地較粗糙, 但薯味香又帶點洋蔥香味的 potato salad 同吃, 開胃又惹味, 正

朋友的 starter 係 goat cheese salad with honey: 疑似 Antonio (http://www.openrice.com/restaurant/commentdetail.htm?commentid=2127834) 名物? Goat cheese 賣相不及 Antonio 的金黃, 食落則無咁鹹, 但羊味強勁, 質地極軟滑, 配上甜甜的蜜糖汁及墊底的脆卜卜多士, 我覺得比 Antonio's 的更好食 沙律菜就夠新鮮, 拌以酸香的 vinaigrette, 都不錯.

主食揀了 duck leg confit: 以前食過的 duck confit 都係無汁的「鹹」及「乾身」一類, 呢度的就有酸而不嗆的 tomato-based 醬汁, 不過淋了醬汁後層皮仍然薄脆, 鴨肉鬆化軟腍又 juicy, 好好食喎 旁邊的 mashed potatoes 質感細滑 (似 puree 多一點?), 薯味香又帶點牛油及奶味, 但食落又唔覺得飽膩, 正 仲有西蘭花, 紅蘿蔔 etc 的 veggies, 味道普通, 用嚟清清味蕾不錯的.

朋友食 Angus striploin: 叫了 medium rare, 切開的確 medium rare, 仲有唔少血水滲出 試了少少覺得唔算好腍, 但質地鬆化, 肉味香, 亦好香炭烤味, 好食喎

Dessert 揀了 floating island: 蛋白 "faak" 得輕巧, 面頭則灑了杏仁片增添 nut 氣及脆卜卜, 食落「一陣風」, 唔太甜, 配上充滿 vanilla seeds 又甜而不膩的 vanilla caramel sauce, 最後當然輕易清碟.

亦試了少少朋友的 dark chocolate mousse, 朱古力味夠香濃又夠 "dark", 唔太甜, 質地軟滑, 正

食物好, 配套亦好, 是日環境清靜舒服, 店員亦 nice 得很, 絕對係由頭滿意到尾的一餐 lunch.

連加一埋單每人約 $152, 絕對值得試試.

>> 本文另記載於 http://locusttunghok.blogspot.com/2011/03/entourage.html

22-1-2011

第一次食中環 Bo-lo'-gne 的麵包, 感覺可以話係「驚為天人」(http://www.openrice.com/restaurant/commentdetail.htm?commentid=2049259), 知道佢開了分店喺極就腳的尖沙咀 LCX 內, 本來係幾開心的; 但是日 lunch 嚟食麵包, 卻十分失望 -- 食物無中環咁好都算, 乜招呼差得咁?

先來朋友的蛋沙律三文治 set: 麵包繼續微甜, 輕輕烘過, 不過太濕了, 咬落只覺韌韌實實, 配上超級冰凍 egg mayo, 食落係溫溫吞吞. 同中環店鬆軟煙韌的 Danish bread 比, 係 9 條街的差別, xyz 佢吖

朋友的跟 set 飲品叫了奶茶: 係 pot 上的 Lipton, 無試, 不過我哋茶都未斟, 就發現壺嘴沾滿疑似上手的「口水尾」, 都幾噁心...

主食叫了 spicy chicken basket set (set 好似 $86), 有炸雞 + 薯條 + toast: 炸雞扒唔 spicy, 不過炸得皮脆唔油膩, 肉則熱辣嫩腍又 juicy, 蘸點 mayo, 正 薯條亦熱辣脆口, 不過竟然係茶記 style 的波浪薯條, 有點哭笑不得; 而 toast 就又係太濕又太韌實, 同 egg sandwich 的麵包一樣咁衰, xyz 佢吖

餐飲就叫了咖啡, 聞落唔覺香, 齋飲又苦又澀, 落糖落奶後仍然好澀, 仲衰過中環店的 caffe latte

食物令人失望, 不過都唔夠招呼咁「堅」, 店員們一係愛理不理, 一係無禮貌, 一係唔識廣東話又唔太識英文, 仲話自己係日式 cafe?

每人丟低約 $80, 感覺就似用鮨いわ的價錢食了一餐「板記」迴轉壽司 (http://www.openrice.com/restaurant/commentdetail.htm?commentid=2104443) 一樣, 幾大鑊的.

絕不再訪尖沙咀呢間店!

P.S. 味道 3 分, 因為 fried chicken 4 分, 麵包 2 分, 整體印象攞個中位數俾佢吧; 不過喊面絕對走唔甩!

16-10-2010

重陽都要返公司做嘢 , lunch 當然要食好一點為自己打打氣. 記得朋友 J 提過中環有間 "Wagyu" 幾好食, 應該係指呢度吧, 又難得公眾假期有開門, 又試試. 上到嚟先知原來係日式西餐廳? 然而覺得 lunch menu 的 Wagyu flank steak 及 Wagyu Hamburg 幾吸引, 結果就叫了各一 set 方便 share 食.

沙律係普通 green salad, rockets, 生菜, 車厘茄 etc 全都夠新鮮, dressing (mustard seed dressing?) 份量剛好, 味道酸而不嗆喉, 不過面頭的芝士粉就有點畫蛇添足, 味道 "Kraft" 又一撻撻的, 感覺一般.

湯係蕃茄湯, 飲落則似走辣版羅宋湯, 不過幾喜歡入面勁多的洋蔥, 腍腍的又幾香, 幾滿意.

Wagyu flank steak: 中間呈粉紅色, 賣相吸引, 食落少少韌, 不過肉味實在香 醬汁係 gravy? 唔算濃, 又好似帶少少 garlic 味, 配牛肉不錯, 送飯亦好.

Wagyu Hamburg: 漢堡扒外帶點香脆, 中間就仍生生哋, 質地軟綿鬆化, 帶點 herbs 及黑胡椒味, 亦食到粒粒肥及筋位, 好食喎 醬汁係陳醋 based, 酸香十足, 亦減低了漢堡扒的油膩感, 配搭不錯的. 配角除了面頭的大根茸之外, 仲有 mashed potatoes, 燒過的蕃茄, 洋蔥及疑似係虎皮尖椒的青椒, 其中特別喜歡 mashed potatoes, 質地有點粗糙, 但薯味好香, 仲帶點甜及牛油香, 諗起人氣豚丼店的薯仔沙律 (http://www.openrice.com/restaurant/commentdetail.htm?commentid=2119935)

兩款牛肉都偏濃味, 送飯就最好, 更好的係呢度用日本米, 米香強勁帶少少甜, 亦煮得偏乾身及硬身, 啱晒我

嚟到日式西餐廳, 飲品當然叫了熱咖啡, 一貫日式咖啡的唔算好濃但夠香, 齋飲唔苦, 落糖落 cream 就當然香滑不少, 穩穩陣陣的.

食物不錯, 環境及配套亦十分好, 每人埋單 $120 有找, 值得試試的.

9-10-2010

星期六最喜歡到靜中帶旺的地區搵食, 上星期去了西環尾 (食乜嘢: http://www.openrice.com/restaurant/commentdetail.htm?commentid=2121315), 是日就去大坑吧; 不過嚟到又無乜心水, 見呢間未食過又好似幾地道 (起碼餐牌有泰文字), 又試試. 2 人叫了一人一飲品, 另 share 一碟炒飯, 一客沙爹串燒及一份小食, 整體無樣好食之餘, 仲感受到佢幾無誠意, 真 xyz

龍眼冰: 初時覺得幾清甜, 味道仲唔知點解有點台式「冬瓜茶」的影子 (!?), 但愈飲又愈覺得太甜... 不過好在 d 冰夠多, 加埋「溶冰」就甜度剛好.

串燒沙爹豬 (半打): 只係用長牙籤串住無醃過的切條豬扒, 咬落好韌又無味; 醬汁帶點椰味, 少少辣, 唔算惹味, 但既然豬肉本身無味, 蘸嚟食較好都唔出奇吧.

炸海鮮扎: 賣相有點似「貴庚」(即係乜: http://www.openrice.com/restaurant/commentdetail.htm?commentid=1955314), 食落原來係腐皮包住疑似魚肉膠, 帶少少五香味, 不過質地粉粉腍腍, 乜咁似(麵粉)魚肉燒賣? 夾多兩件亦發現碟底油漬勁多, 唯有放棄吧.

「蝦長炒飯」: 英文寫 "shrimp paste", 應該係蝦醬炒飯吧? 嚟到卻變了一堆濕濕腍腍又無蝦醬味的飯, 旁邊則圍滿配料 (醬油豬肉, 泰式臘腸, 鹹蛋, 生洋蔥, 生豆角粒, 辣椒粒及青蘋果絲), 零「炒」過的痕跡喎, 未 ready 就拎出來 serve? 好啦, 自己將配料撈飯吧, 食落又唔係太難食, 但呢味同小朋友將未做完的勞作求其拎去當美術功課交一樣, 誠意負分, 100 個 thumbs down!

「泰式凍茶」: 朋友快飲晒佢杯龍眼冰了, 我 order 的「泰式凍茶」就食晒成餐飯都未嚟, 朋友就幫我追單, 而得到嘅回覆係店員死撐「嚟緊0架喇, d 茶啱啱得咋嘛」, 跟住半分鐘內「啪」一聲「擲」杯茶俾我, 再踩朋友一腳又唔講 sorry -- 想點? 味道就同天后嗰間的 (http://www.openrice.com/restaurant/commentdetail.htm?commentid=2065056) 差不多, 一樣帶點「涼粉」及不知名 spices 的味道, 不過 aftertaste 怪怪的, 睇嚟泰式奶茶都係唔啱我的了.

另送了是日糖水: 係椰汁黑糯米, 雖然質地好稀, 黑糯米奇少又硬硬的, 不過起碼味道係正正常常的椰汁味, 成餐飯最好食睇怕係佢了.

食物唔得, 招呼就唔使講啦, 每人丟低 $65 立即要轉場溝貨, 呢度真係請我都唔想再來.

都好耐無試過食泰國嘢食得咁唔滿意, 莫非被自己地頭的泰菜館寵得太壞了?

2-10-2010

朋友話佢的西環尾地膽同事 G 介紹呢間意大利餐廳「好好食」,「除咗 pizza 之外好食過 Zig Zag」("Zig Zag" 即係邊度: http://www.openrice.com/restaurant/commentdetail.htm?commentid=2106500) 是日 dinner 帶了我嚟試試. 2 人叫了 starter, pasta, pizza, dessert 及咖啡各一, 食到勁飽:-

先來一籃 3 款 table bread... 圓形包同長條形包味道近乎一樣, 三角形芝麻 + poppy seed 包就幾香芝麻味, 而 3 款都熱辣辣, 外鬆脆內軟熟, 蘸點 olive oil 及陳醋, 滿意的.

店員一句「試唔試吓我哋 d mussels? 蘇格蘭嚟嘅, 啱啱落飛機」, 當然二話不說叫呢個做 starter 試試. Mussels d 肉細細粒, 煮得剛好, 食落嫩滑鮮甜, 正 醬汁好似叫「芥末子忌廉汁」, 但竟然帶好重 fennel seeds 味!? 不過實在香濃, 配上熱烘烘的麵包, 正

Pizza 叫了有 Emmental cheese, crispy bacon 及 onion 嗰款: toppings 加加埋埋都幾香的, 不過我覺得 Emmental cheese 似乎唔太適合用來做 pizza, 味道太淡了; crispy bacon 就好脆又夠鹹香; 稍厚的底就絕對大煞風景, 雖然邊位帶脆, 但中間「有餡」部分就幾軟撻撻, 幾唔喜歡. 佢唔係有個巨形 oven 0架咩, 乜整到咁腍呀

Pasta 揀了 spaghetti alla vongole: spaghetti 油光滿「麵」, 食落帶少少黏, 質地極 al dente, 蒜味香濃, 正! 蜆份量不少, 煮得少少過火, 不過食落鮮味無沙又帶點香口, 好食 仲有蒜粒, 食落粉粉的, 香濃帶少少甜 , 食到個口勁臭, 哈哈.

食完呢度已 9 成飽, 甜品只好放棄 apple filo / creme brulee / 心太軟, 叫了較酸較開胃的 crepe suzette... caramelised 過的熱辣辣橙汁幾杰, 亦有點太甜, 不過落了唔少橙皮屑, 甘苦味叫做「中和」一下又黏又膩的感覺; crepe 皮索滿甜汁, 變得「發水」, 唔算十分喜歡; 面頭一 scoop 呍呢嗱雪糕就幾「牛奶公司」的味道, 叫好過無吧.

最後飲杯 caffe latte: 面頭奶泡望落幾鬆散, 飲落亦然, 咖啡 base 香濃但幾澀, 結果還是要落半包糖飲. 當佢普通咖啡飲, 味道絕對無問題的, 不過作為 caffe latte, 我覺得奶味唔夠又唔夠滑, 可以更好的.

食物的確如 G 所講,「除咗 pizza 之外好食過 Zig Zag」; 環境就夠晒 casual 舒服, 可惜 open kitchen 的食物味「湧現」得比較澎湃, 離開時成身 pizza 味 店員們雖然無乜笑容, 但有禮貌又 helpful, 招呼都不錯的.

埋單每人約 $250, 比預期貴少少, 但食物不錯, 會再來的. 下次試試其他 pasta 及甜品吧, 仲有炸蠔 burger!

8-8-2010

本來想去 17 樓食 pasta, 點知佢星期日 lunch 無開 , 結果嚟到 8 樓食燒牛舌. 2 人叫了一份「燒牛舌芯」定食 ($128) 及一份「燒牛舌」定食 ($98), 跟沙律, 飯, 山芋蓉, 牛尾湯及飲品; 另加一份冷豆腐 (唔記得加 $20 定 $10):-

沙律以車厘茄及切到勁幼細的生菜為主, 醋汁份量不少, 食落有點 "coleslaw" feel, 酸香開胃, 幾好的開始.

一齊 serve 的兩份牛舌睇落一模一樣, 食落亦無乜分別, 都唔知邊份先係「牛舌芯」 兩碟的都食了, 燒得乾身唔油膩, 但咬落肉汁不少, 爽口鹹香, 正

白飯黏韌飽滿, 仲混了唔少麥粒 (?), 正 , 加點攪勻了的山芋蓉及鵪鶉蛋 (亦當然要落埋豉油及 wasabi 啦) 同吃, 食落多一份冰涼, 滑潺潺及飽滯 , 但感覺更「消熱氣」, 幾喜歡 -- 不過山芋蓉始終同納豆一樣, 滑潺潺又黐笠笠, 唔係個個啱食, 朋友就係一例.

冷豆腐夠晒滑亦夠豆味, 不過面頭的木魚絲無味的? 整體味道我覺得清得滯, 還是較喜歡「胡麻醬」版的.

牛尾湯賣相勁清, 面頭鋪滿大蔥, 飲落黑胡椒味好重亦幾刺喉, 麻麻哋喜歡; 反而碎濕濕的「牛尾」湯渣十分香軟, 又幾好食.

食物不錯, 服務亦好, 環境其實亦 ok, 不過是日其中一個冷氣壞咗 , 我哋又坐了炭爐 open kitchen 旁的 bar 檯, 離開時搞到成把頭髮都係炭燒味, 都咪話唔黑仔.

每人約 $135 埋單, 值得一試的.

4-8-2010

是日 lunch 忽然勁想食飯又好想食燒味, 記得阿爸介紹過呢度的叉燒「幾好食」, 就過嚟試試吧.

簡單叫了叉燒飯 (碗裝 $33)... 吩咐了叉燒要「半肥瘦」, end up 亦果然係半肥瘦部位 (係咪叫「梅頭肉」?), 瘦肉食落鬆軟嫩滑, 甜甜的又有肉汁, 肥的部分不多, 同份量剛好的叉燒汁撈飯同吃, 味道甘香帶甜, 好食 無要求「扣底」, 但「畢」吓「畢」吓, 呢大碗叉燒飯俾我食到碗底朝天 不過見搭檯嗰兩個男人食剩唔少白飯, 睇嚟雙併唔多掂? (還是我胃口太嚇人?)

放低 $33 飯氣攻心的離開, 真滿足 下次食燒鴨 / 鵝瀨!

25-7-2010

好耐無食 proper 的壽司 lunch , 知道呢度開了新店, 又捉了朋友訂定檯上嚟試試.

叫了「精選壽司定食」($180), 有 10 件由師傅揀的壽司, 跟前菜, 沙律, 茶碗蒸, 味噌湯及甜品:-

前菜有一件唔知乜湯啫喱, 及酸漬唔知乜 shellfish (唔好意思, 我未見過亦無問, 搞到唔清唔楚 ), 前者凍凍的, 味道帶點「木魚清湯」feel, 又有冬菇的清香, 食落滑喉又清新, 幾喜歡; 漬 shellfish 較韌, 味道好酸又帶點薑味 , 幾開胃的餐前小食.

沙律有一 scoop 南瓜茸, 少量 croutons, 菜就有紅 / 黃椒 , 洋蔥, 生菜, 車厘茄 etc... 南瓜茸內混了青瓜, 食落軟腍清甜得來又帶點爽脆, 幾喜歡; 沙律菜夠爽脆, 不過味道有點太酸及嗆喉, vinaigrette 太啃了; croutons 就係腍的...

茶碗蒸面頭有一 pat 有蟹肉及豌豆的無色「湯汁」, 味道唔算清鮮, 食落亦有點糊口, 唔太喜歡; 下面的蒸蛋夠滑口的, 味道清甜, 配料 (雞肉, 白果, 冬菇 etc) 亦足, 不過整體太「水 deh deh」了.

10 件壽司有大 toro, 甜蝦, 油甘魚 (?), 池魚 (捽了薑茸), 蟹腳, 帶子, 赤身, 鰻魚, 海膽及唔知乜嘢魚 (捽了蒜蓉的)... 壽司飯握得緊緻, 飯粒食落軟熟, 醋味適宜, 幾喜歡 咁多件以油甘魚及鰻魚最好食, 油香勁到呢 , 但又有疑似梅子的酸酸甜甜 (來自面頭的調味); 赤身亦好好食, 食完成口濃鮮味; 甜蝦面頭放了蝦籽, 雖然食落對味道幫助不大 (...: o), 不過係幾有心思的; 平日最喜歡的海膽食落有點滑潺潺, 但算幾甘甜, 新鮮度其實都 ok; 大 toro 不論賣相及味道一樣「肥騰騰」, 不過切得有點「甩頭甩髻」 帶子離奇地爽身, 不過食落無乜味, 麻麻哋.

味噌湯就一般, 飲咗都唔記得 不過食完壽司有碗熱湯暖暖胃, 感覺當然好.

最後係一件 pear 味的甜點, 味道清甜得很 , 質地就似 pudding 又似 jello, 其實係咩嚟?

食物環境配套大致滿意, 連加一每人 $200 有找, 值得試試的.