Late Night and Early Morning

There’s no better time to check out a few spots in Mongkok that open in odd hours – either late night or early morning – while “staycationing” in the neighborhood. In the area “that never sleeps”, there are plenty of those and here are two of my favorites. 

Annual Ritual

A visit to Sabatini is always a good idea especially during the white truffle season with their special tasting menu by Chef Claudio. And I was glad the restaurant (and hotel) was re-opened just in time before the end of the prime season for the treasured ingredient. 

What's Said In The Room

There’s never lack of interesting topics going round the table when this group of friends got together for a meal, this time at Duddell’s to check out Chef Li Man-lung’s new seasonal menu one evening. The private room right next to the dining area provided just the perfect setting, starting with a round of pre-meal drinks before moving onto the long, customized 10-course menu. 

The Gentrified Neighborhood

Just a few weeks ago we bemoaned the closure of TAP (The Ale Project in full), one of the pioneer gastro-pub specializing in local brews, when the original lease was not renewed but glad to know they re-opened shortly after at a shop just down the street from its original location on Hak Po Street, which has been gentrified to a somewhat hipster block thanks to a few restaurants and cafes opening in the last few years.  

Extended Staycay

Turned out it was a great idea that we extended our weekend staycation at Cordis at the last minute thanks to a new room package with steep discount. We thought Mongkok is a somewhat familiar neighborhood to us but still there were much to see and do plus the extra day gave us more time for a much-needed break from the hectic life.

The Smoky Bit

There were definitely times when I crave for the good old American family meal – you know, those with the likes of barbecue ribs, potatoes and Mac n Cheese spread across the whole table - but strangely restaurants specializing in such seems to be few and far between in this part of the world. So I was somewhat excited with the news about the arrival of Smoke and Barrel (one without the trailing s) which promises to deliver true old-school American BBQ (and “best in town”) and at the time when new restaurant opening has become somewhat of a rarity. 

Sans the Neon Light

“Cuz I heard you didn’t like the neon lights so we turned it off for you”… of course Chef May was joking when she said that at my recent visit to Happy Paradise, reopened at its original site a couple of weeks ago after a “brief” hiatus. Well it’s been a while since I last visited – no, not just because of the lights – but glad to see the place is back to business with a full house on a Monday night, sans the funky lighting and loud music that was almost like a signature at this restaurant at the fringe of Soho but I am not so much a fan of. It’s much toned down, but still kept its cool, I reckon. 

Tuesday Night, Tapas Night

Was looking forward to this tapas dinner at 22 Ships after a long day at work. Not a happy camper after coming back from the long weekend so really need something to cheer me up. It's my first time coming back after they re-opened, now with a new chef Antonio on board. A new menu and many new dishes were introduced, but the same lively vibe remained, along with their no-reservation policy. Thank God for friends who came early to save us the spot at the back of the open bar/kitchen, where we got the perfect view of the cooking. 

Birthday Treat

Coming here has always been a pleasure, even more so when we were here for a celebration of sorts a couple weeks back. We felt it’s long overdue for an occasional splurge at our favorite restaurant in town so we made our way to Caprice at the Four Seasons for dinner on a Friday evening. 

30th Anniversary Menu

"30 years, really?" I only realized Golden Leaf and Conrad Hong Kong is celebrating their 30th Anniversary this year when I was at the restaurant for a dinner tasting the other night. They even came up with a special tasting menu for the occasion, which was the one we tried this time.