Ode to Celebration

It’s this time of the year for a little celebration and this year it was at Tate Dining Room. We haven’t been back for a while so I figure this is the perfect excuse to check out some of the new dishes by Chef Vicky Lau and her fine team at this venue known for its fancy décor and elegant vibe. 

Fine Old School

I am excited when my friend and birthday girl C managed to get a dinner booking at the legendary (and somewhat secretive) SBI Canteen a few weeks ago and asked us to join as part of the celebration. I haven't been back for more than a year so I was eager to try some of the signature dishes by Chef Tak which many considered as some of the finest in town based on traditional old-school recipes.   

Springtime on the table

We had the pleasure of joining our friends P and G for a dinner at Godenya during the Easter long weekend. There’s no better place to enjoy the dinner served in traditional Kappo style with unique sake pairing by Chef Goshima Shinya. P called this his favorite season to visit the place, and I can understand why with the menu filled with seasonal sansho flowers and sansai, both known for its distinct, season-defining flavor and aroma. 

More Mora

I had a lovely lunch at Mora a few months ago soon after their opening, and I certainly came with a heightened expectation when I visited the restaurant again in late September, for dinner this time around on a quiet night. 

Italian-influenced Kappo

I am almost ashamed to say I have never been to Trattoria Queen Hollywood – I sometimes forgot there’s such a place though it’s been around for almost 10 years and checked all the boxes of the kind of place I would love to visit regularly. And glad I have finally tried when friend B asked me to join her with a couple other friends for a cozy dinner on another night. 

Ode to Seaweed

Complications due to COVID restrictions meant our February booking at Tate Dining Room got pushed not once but twice, first to April and then to June. We were supposed to try their "Ode to Seaweed" menu when the menu was first launched and turned out we were there on the last weekend before they moved onto the next theme for the summer. 

Ramato

Our host G assured us that there are more than subtle changes at Ramato other than the name change when we came for a visit a few weeks ago. What used to be called “208 Duecento Otto” on Hollywood Road has been relaunched as Ramato in late April with a “completely new” menu and décor, we were told. 

The Most Anticipated

The month of May has been a month of feasting with several high-end meals lined up. Among them, dinner at Wing restaurant was perhaps one that I anticipated the most. We were here twice since Chef Vicky and his team opened its door some 12 months ago, and we have witnessed quite a transformation and progress within such a short period of time, not to mention the Asia's Best 50 Restaurant mention bestowed upon them a few months ago, a rarity for a restaurant so young but a validation of how far they have gone. 

Mora

Opening a new restaurant in Hong Kong during this challenging time required certain level of confidence, something Chef Vicky Lau has no lack of, first with her Michelin-starred, over a decade old Tate Dining Room and now Mora, her first venture with focus on Chinese x French cooking. 

Winter Treats

I do miss coming to "SBI Canteen" (a.k.a. Softbank Kitchen") every now and then, especially during the winter season when Chef Tak prepared his famous Snake Soup in this cozy, referral-only speakeasy. And in my last visit a couple months ago, we were lucky to get a dose of double whammy with the seasonal soup course plus another one serving in succession. 

Modern Singaporean (and It Ain't Hawker Food)

Whey was one of those new restaurants in town now with a 2 month waiting list. So our dinner booking in early October was actually made back in August, something that has become sort of a norm these days. But with its young Singaporean chef Barry Quek having quite a reputation for solid execution with his now-closed restaurant Beet, I figured it’s worth the wait. 

Clubhouse Dinner Ep 2 - Private Chiuchow Kitchen

"The Hong Kong Chinese Importers and Exporters Association" was not exactly the type of sign you expect outside a restaurant, but that's where we were eating the other night at the clubhouse of this old trade union (still in operation, by the way). There were actually a few similar places around the area, with the clubhouse restaurants serving decent food to members and guests alike, and for this, their specialty is Chiuchow cuisine. 

Cha Cha Cha

In Hong Kong's standard where restaurants were short-lived and culinary scene keep changing by the minute, it's not far-fetched to call Chachawan an "institution", having been around for quite a few years and being one of the first trendy, finer Southeast Asian restaurants in town . This cozy eatery on Hollywood Road has attracted quite a following with its focus on Isaan cuisine from the northern part of the country known for its spicy, rich flavor. 

Two-o-eight

I loved my meal at 208 Duecento Otto when I ate there late last year so I didn't mind "trekking" there for another dinner a couple of weeks ago. I am still amazed why it took 10 years since they first opened before my first visit but I am glad it didn't take me that long to return. 

Dinner #36

Ten of us were more than happy to take up the table at Mesa Private Kitchen on Sunday evening, made available because someone cancelled at the last minute. We haven't heard about the place but we are always up for good food when C asked whether we were interested to join for the meal.  

Spreading His Wing

It took a bit of guts to open a new restaurant in this time of uncertainty; more so for someone without formal Chinese cuisine training to start one focusing on Chinese fine dining, in the city where there’s no lack of top-notch culinary talents. But that’s the hill chef Vicky intended to climb with his new venture Wing being the first step of that quest. 

Three Hour Sharp

We made the dinner reservation at VEA as soon as the local dining restriction was lifted, but that still meant we need to wait for almost a month for the earliest possible timeslot (in early March). That showed how popular the restaurant has been despite the challenging COVID situation. 

The Freshly Minted

Call it a stroke of luck when we managed to get a table at The Chairman on the weekend right after they have regained the Michelin star after almost 10 years. A table to eat there was already hard to get by these days given they couldn’t open at night, and the newly minted accolade won’t help on that front either. 

Chicken Lunch

I have not been back to Yardbird for years – not since they moved from their original location up near Soho to their much expanded space in Sheung Wan. Not that we didn’t like their food but waiting for 60 minutes plus for a table have never been our thing and there’s always choices elsewhere, but with them now accepting reservations in advance, we didn’t hesitate to make one to eat there this past weekend. 

Quick Weekend Sushi

I will be lying if I say the food quality and variety has not been taken a hit since the start of the pandemic, and the most noticeable were the dishes served at sushi restaurants in town, where they relied heavily on fresh ingredients shipping frequently from mostly Japan. But that didn’t stop us from trying to find one that were still decent especially travelling to Japan (or anywhere for that matter) became next to impossible these days.