Sushi of Good Value

I thought Sushi Ching has a slight resemblance of those hidden sushi-ya in Tokyo when we stepped out of the elevator in a random commercial building in a random neighborhood of Fortress Hill, with nothing but a small sign with the name hanging next to the non-descript wooden door entrance.

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. 

New and Old

I certainly didn’t mind coming back to Hoi King Heen at Intercontinental Grand Stanford twice in one week as I was able to check out some of the new dishes by Chef Leung during my second visit, which came in early May. The restaurant may be better known for some of the more classic-style Cantonese dishes and consistent execution, but veteran chef Leung Fai Hung and his team never stop innovating and come up with delightful new dishes every now and then to keep their menu interesting. 

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.  

Nostalgic Celebration

I felt like nothing at Luk Yu Tea House has changed since the last time we were here – it must have been years ago. That included the guard at the front door, the long stairs on the side that go into the second floor, and the old-school Canton teahouse décor that has become a rarity. Friend C was celebrating her “18th birthday” at the restaurant recently and we were happy to come along – we would take any excuse to eat and drink with the gang. 

Taste of Mediterranean

We made a short walk across the street to visit a new restaurant before we ended our staycation. A few months ago we said goodbye to Café Gray Deluxe after 10 or so years at The Upper House hotel, and taking up its spot is Salisterra, a contemporary casual restaurant specialized in Mediterranean cuisine helmed by the UK-based chef Jun Tanaka. 

Dim Sum and More

Honestly we didn’t do much for our staycation at Conrad except getting the much needed rest, but we did drop by their Golden Leaf restaurant for a decent lunch on the first day. We hopped down to the restaurant, which is located at the basement level of the hotel, after we checked in and dropped our stuff. 

Simple Staycation

Recently we decided to stay at The Conrad Hong Kong for a quick weekend staycation. A business hotel in the middle of the city is probably not our ideal getaway venue, but a room package that included breakfasts, executive lounge access and dining credits meant we paid (almost) next to nothing for the room itself. And being a hotel loyalty program junkie I thought it's a good way to rack up some program points for Hilton Honors for which I have been a member of. 

Two Month Wait

Batard is arguably the local restaurant with the longest waiting list right now. When I contacted the place back in February (as soon as the dining restriction was lifted) trying to get a booking, I was told the only available timeslot within the foreseeable future was a random Monday in April. I am cool with that, but then at the same time thinking, “it’d better be real good”, with all the fuss and hoopla that I need to go through. 

Ode to Soy

A table at Tate Dining Room has been hard to come by especially for their popular weekend lunch menu with the theme of focusing on a single ingredient at a time. We called two months ago and managed to get the booking on the last week for the Ode to Soy Sauce menu just as we began our Easter super long weekend. 

Dinner For the First Time

With all our previous visits came during day time, we thought it would be great to check out Ando’s dinner menu in early April. With this being our third meal at this restaurant this year and with higher expectation after each meal, I did secretly wonder whether Chef Agustin and his team could once again wow us in the same way they did previously.