Tag Archives: Central

Abercrombie & Fitch hits Hong Kong – I like girls that wear Abercrombie & Fitch…

Posted on August 13, 2012 | 10 Comments

So, in case you live under not just one rock but ten tonnes of them, Abercrombie & Fitch finally opened its first Hong Kong store in the iconic Pedder Building in Central.

At 11am, August 11, 2012, the doors finally opened (signature Fierce cologne filling the air). People queued overnight, lines of not just hundreds but thousands swarmed all the way around Pedder, an MTR exit was closed and police barricades were in effect. Don’t believe me? See the video above!

Living in Nottingham, all I knew of Abercrombie was the LFO song quoted in this blog’s title! Later, I visited the London store – and still didn’t ‘get it’. So dark you could barely see the stock, pumping music, suffocating smell, dancing staff, random half-naked man at the door… whatever. Next, outcry over those pesky Yanks strong-arming the quintessentially HK Shangtai Tang from the quintessentially HK Pedder Building by throwing insane amounts of money at the rent. Then… for ages… nothing. And then the hype machine started.

Kudos to the A&F Marketing Team, for masterminding what will probably be the greatest marketing campaign the HK retail scene ever sees. After months and months of no-one even knowing when Abercrombie would even open, the date was announced alongside the news that they would be flying in 100 #HotGuys (yes, it got its own Twitter hashtag!) from Abercrombie stores all over the world.

Top photo by Sabrina Sikora Photography

I was still blasé about the whole thing. I’m too old for Abercrombie, too old to be affected by topless guys… right? The guys arrived in HK (staying in the W hotel, lucky things), along with dozens of extremely well-made salivating teaser videos and buzz-building media visits, bearing gifts in the form of super toned abs and the 18+ A&F Quarterly. The first official photo-call with the #HotGuys was total carnage, people spilling into the roads, screaming, nearly in tears.

They got their own tour bus, waving, pointing, whooping and partying to the general public. They scattered themselves around HK (Tsim Sha Tsui, Causeway Bay, Elements, even Disneyland) and spread chaos wherever they went (they were eventually banned from Times Square). Twitter became one long Abercrombie-Watch and everywhere I went, conversations always came back to Abercrombie. Meanwhile, I rolled my eyes.

As the Editor of Sassy Hong Kong, I was lucky enough to be invited to the store’s media preview. I’ll be honest, I didn’t even really want to go. But I did – and I am now a total convert. The store is standard Abercrombie – dark, suffocating (but sexy) smell, dancing staff and all – but it’s the whole Abercrombie ethos that I now, finally, understand.

Photo thanks to Erica Fong

Having a huge four-floor store to share with only 20 other journos was an unreal experience. Intense, overwhelming and kind of awesome. We got to saunter past the masses still snapping pics of the #HotGuys on Pedder’s steps and entered the hallowed doors. First sight – four topless men on the stairs, dancing, smiling and shouting ‘Hey! How’s it going!’

The sense of fun, youth and exuberance is infectious… because the staff ARE all genuinely fun, young and exuberant (as exemplified by their masterly piece of viral marketing, the Call Me Maybe video below). Scouted on the streets, underground, unis and bars for having the Abercrombie look, they wave and smile and dance and are lovely sunny people all day long, and they don’t make it seem like hard work but like the best job in the world. Talking to the mostly teenage A&F Hot Guys, flown over from around the world, in Hong Kong for the first time, being treated like celebs and loving it, it probably is.

As for the clothes… Abercrombie is and always will be preppy classics, popped collars, all American casual-cool. There’s a little too much logo-ing for my liking, but dammit, their jeans are ridonkulously soft and flattering (why didn’t I snap up a pair there and then?!) and the clothes are classic, easy, accessible and unmistakable. Price points are reasonable enough (around $340 for tees, $640 jumpers, $840 jeans and dresses), especially when compared with Jack Wills here, and the jumper I picked up (soft, slouchy, so me) teamed with denim shorts is certain to become my autumn uniform (I put it on in this blazing hot summer just for you for the photo below!).

There were still teething troubles (staff were unable to explain sizing, no-one knew where a jumper I wanted on a mannequin was, so A&F’s PR from America had to find it!) but I’m now fully signed up to the Abercrombie cause. Although the 100 #HotGuys are gone (*sob*), A&F will still be flying in international topless guys for the photo opps in-store – because the brand is these beautiful clean-cut unthreatening but super-hot buff beachy boys and let’s face it, the HK equivalent isn’t quite the same. This PR campaign was utter genius and it is fantastic that a company as big as Abercrombie has finally treated HK with the respect it deserves and rolled out some mega-watt star treatment.

The teaser videos made teenage heartbeats flutter worldwide. Flying 100 #HotGuys into HK has made worldwide news (at least amongst the A&F demographic) – and the best bit about sending in 100? There’s one for everyone! So whilst the brash Americans trying to grab my hand and dance with me down the stairs didn’t really do it for me, the lovely Sam above certainly did. Boasting my much-missed English accent and the cutest smile ever (argh! Tiny gap in teeth! Charlie from Busted memories arise…), he was just so genuinely lovely and charming and personable to talk to that he made me feel special… and that is clearly what all the teenage girls professing love to them on Twitter, writing cards and letters to them, making their photo with them their profile pic, baking cakes to take to their hotel rooms (yes really!) and already mourning their departure feel too.

In a land of the ‘Welcome to ZARA’ ‘Welcome to SAAASAAA’ bot, where staff routinely ignore you, offer only the most cursory help and practically laugh you out the store if you don’t adhere to Asian sizing, then long may Abercrombie’s all American hospitality and warm welcome continue to rule the roost. I wish them every success.

The tagline for the launch was ‘The Hottest A&F Guys Make History In Hong Kong’ – and make history they did. Can you think of any other store that could generate this level of hype, orchestrate a campaign of such scale… and execute it so successfully and effortlessly? I feel a little sad it’s all over and that we’re unlikely to see anything of its like again… but I can also say I was here for THE most exciting marketing campaign to hit HK, probably ever. Pretty cool, eh?

Abercrombie & Fitch, Pedder Building, 12 Pedder Street, Central, Hong Kong

Catch up on all the Abercrombie HK madness on their Facebook Page (and make sure you check the ‘Posts By Others’ to see all the fans’ pictures), see all their HK teaser videos here and also, read my favourite blog about the HK opening from my friend JJ, The Wanderlister.

Some photos from Abercrombie’s Facebook Page.

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Heirloom Eatery restaurant review – Smores, Smores, Smores! (how do you like it…)

Posted on June 4, 2012 | 6 Comments

Hong Kong is all about the hype. Be it Hello Kitty toys, Lady Gaga tickets or the latest ‘it-restaurant’, there’s always buzz around something.

One of the coolest, most talked-about restaurants from a while back, is Heirloom Eatery in the also buzzing Sheung Wan side of Hollywood Road. In traditional Rach late to the party style, I didn’t get round to trying it out until a month or so ago – with foodie partner-in-crime Michelle of Chopstixfix and her friend Amy (not a blogger but just as game for taking loads of pics and eating loads of food!).

Heirloom is a quaint little eaterie with lots of quirky design touches. It’s definitely a world away from any of the flashy restaurant group behemoths in Hong Kong and, with its whimsical menus, floral crockery, mismatched furniture and homespun feel, is probably all the better for it. Although the restaurant is on the smaller side, it’s lovely to sit outside watching the world go by on a nice spring day.

The menu is casual and international, with a few key influences – Mexican and Asian (thanks to the heritage of the two founders) – and a few majorly hyped dishes… Dear reader, we tried all of them!

Hong Kong suffers from a dearth of good Mexican food… even a dearth of good Tex-Mex food, in fact… so everyone has clamoured on board Heirloom’s tacos like they’re the great white hope of the HK dining scene. There are four varieties and my favourite was the Carnitas of slow-braised pork with pickled onions – the pork was deliciously meaty, melt-in-mouth, and the seasoning absolutely perfectly judged, making it the most moreish mouthful of taco ever. And we really are talking mouthful… because these tacos are tiny!

The Balinese fish taco was complemented nicely with a fresh kaffir-lime dressing whilst a prawn one benefited from some heavenly dressing and chunks of avocado; however, I didn’t get on well at all with the Tree Hugger taco of hibiscus, black bean and salsa verde (a bitter floral flavour that reminded me more of a fancy tea brew than a main meal). Shared between the three of us to get a taste of each type, these tacos were literally rendered bite-size – and I do think $120 for a plate of these four tasty but tiny morsels is a little pricey.

I normally do my best to avoid too much greenery on my plate, but my friend Emma recommended the Balinese Chopped Chicken Salad ($115). This was a more generous serving of roasted chicken, piles of chopped purple cabbage, hearty chunks of avocado (YUM), runner beans, cherry tomatoes and a lemongrass-lime-sambal dressing. The real star of the show was the dressing – that delicious twist of fresh lemongrass, zinging lime and just a little heat from the sambal made for an intoxicating combination. More avocado, less cabbage though thanks, as we definitely had enough left to feed a few rabbits afterwards!

You can’t go wrong with sweet potato fries ($35) and these were exactly the crispy sweet finger-licking golden strips they should be – and that spicy mayo was utterly delish (I think my mayo to chip ratio was approximately 4:1).

We were excited about the Mexican street corn ($55) but the coriander-mayo-lime dressing was just a bite too wincingly sour that day (as our puckered up faces after taking a bite showed!)… although liberally rolling your corn in the addictive crumbled cheese does help matters significantly!

Finally, onto what we’ve all been waiting for, dessert! Beautiful tempting homemade cakes had been sitting on the counter throughout and I could practically hear their siren’s call all meal, whilst Heirloom’s signature make-your-own Smores (complete with mini gas burner, $120) had been the talk of the town practically as soon as the place opened.

The Smores were awesome. Of course they were. Cinnamon-crunchy Graham crackers, decadent dark Willie’s chocolate and sinful molten marshmallows… was there any doubt that these wouldn’t hit the heights of my axis of awesome? Plus there’s something about being given a mini flame and toasting forks that just transforms me into a gleeful child and the three of us spent faaaar too long melting, smearing and intensely photographing the entire gooey process. It’s exactly the kind of delightful charming fun with friends dining that I think Heirloom is all about and makes your meal an experience rather than just forking food down blindly. It is a little bit of work breaking up the slabs of chocolate and getting them on your fork long enough to melt them, but trust me, it’s totally worth it.

The other desserts were less great – the chocolate fudge cake that had been tempting us all lunch was (whisper it) not quite moist or chocolate-y enough; a berry crème brulee was bursting with fruity juicy summer flavours (nature’s equivalent of stuffing a pack of Skittles in your mouth all at once, $80) but the consistency was far too runny. However, there’s no denying the gorgeousness of that floral crockery (yes, I’m a girl and care about such things)!

Now that the worst of the hype has passed onto other restaurants in Hong Kong, Heirloom is definitely worth a visit. For me, it’s a little pricey for what it is (both in terms of portion size and overall quality, although there is no service charge); bar the Smores, which I would love to gang around with girlfriends, there’s nothing I’m absolutely desperate to come back for either. Yet the interior, the design and the menu have all been lovingly personably created and the whole place has bagfuls of quaint heart-warming charm. And that’s a concept I can definitely get on board with.

Heirloom Eatery, 226 Hollywood Road, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong, 2547 8008

Top photo credit: HK Magazine

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Le Salon de Thé de Joël Robuchon high tea set review: one sandwich short of a picnic?

Posted on October 7, 2011 | 12 Comments

One of life’s laziest pleasures has to be high tea. Being able to enjoy a mid-week afternoon tea set basically signals ‘Hey, I’m a jobless slacker!’ but that’s all part of the fun, right?

My BFF Mirander (studying so not a jobless slacker btw) and I (freelancer, so technically not a jobless slacker either) have a fondness for long afternoons spent shopping with occasional – and even longer! – dessert pit-stops, so we decided to check out the Le Salon de Thé de Joël Robuchon after I heard lots of good things about it on Twitter.

Braving the high-end, too-good-for-our-sorts designer label playground that is The Landmark in our quest for good cake, we quickly opted for the High Tea Set For Two ($315). We didn’t really pay much attention to the description, instead being won over by the pretty pictures, and so our meal mainly consisted of eating first and trying to identify the tastes later!

Even though the menu made the tea set look sizeable, all the pictures were printed practically to scale! They were all rather miniature, though definitely more of the ‘small and perfectly formed’ rather than ‘stingy Masterchef-y nonsense’ variety.

First up, the savouries. These were utterly delicious and we both wished there were more, as the sweet side rather overbalanced this tea set. Belated online consultation of the menu tells me this consisted of the following sandwiches (left to right): lobster flavoured with tarragon, tuna and poached egg, Norwegian smoked salmon and caviar and premium ham and mustard seed. Our universal favourite was the salmon, which was soft, smoky melt-in-mouth deliciousness, even if there was too little caviar to make any difference.

The filling of the lobster one was lovely (but we hated the intense sharp sweetness of whatever those little red cubes were on the top), the tuna was pleasantly un-fishy though the egg pieces felt a little cumbersome for such a dinky morsel and the ham was blandly unmemorable but probably the best a ham sandwich could be. All-round, the bread was delightfully light, fresh and made swallowing these whole an easy and all-too-enticing prospect!

The scones were also great. Served with PROPER Devonshire clotted cream (not the nasty straight-out-of-a-can stuff many places here serve), these were warm, heavy, buttery globes straight out a (posh) English teashop. The real star was the homemade strawberry jam, which despite looking initially thin and watery, was actually wonderful. Just the right amount of sweetness, neither too tart nor too sugary, with lashings of luscious homely fruitiness.

Finally, the pastries, which were almost too delicately artistically pretty to eat! Alas, consulting the menu online hasn’t really helped me to decide which sweet was which! Apparently there was a Paris-brest, L’exotique, Mont Blanc, macaroon ganache and blueberry cheesecake; well, I don’t even know what three of those things are (don’t Mont Blanc make pens?!) and there’s clearly no blueberry going on in my photo!

Let’s start with the obvious – the macaroon ganache (far left). The most visually stunning – and the most difficult to divvy up! The macaroons themselves were light sweet confections of airy nothingness, as the best macaroons are, and they were given a hit of rich creamy chocolate thanks to the ganache. As a high tea pastry, it was pretty perfect.

Second from the left is what I think may be the Mont Blanc, which Wikipedia tells me is a dessert of chestnut and whipped cream. For me, the cream topping and mousse base was just too much of one texture – super soft, super creamy and way too rich for my palette.

In the middle is what I reckon was a mango cheesecake. That sounds so ordinary, yet this was a whole different level of mango cheesecake! I found it utterly more-ishly wonderful. The cheese part was blended just right to be such a wonderfully creamy, non-heavy, non-lumpy consistency that it just slunk down my throat with a seductive sweet shiver. The mango was fresh, fruity, juicy and exuberant, the perfect counterpoint to the cheese. We just wished the base had been a bit more crumbly and biscuity, in the traditional cheesecake way, but the whole thing was feather-light enough to not register you’d swallowed anything at all!

Second from the right and here’s where I start losing my way. I reckon this might be L’exotique, with Wikipedia coming to the rescue to say it’s a pastry of white chocolate and passion fruit (no mention of raspberries though!). I distinctly remember tasting pineapple at some stage… and I guess my mistaken pineapple could easily be passion fruit… so L’exotique it is! Honestly, this was a bit nothing-y – just small squidges of some chocolatey creamy fruity substance on a fairly flavourless cardboard pastry bottom. It looks better than it tasted.

Finally, on the far right, is what I’m guessing is the Paris-brest – a choux pastry with praline-flavoured cream (thanks again Wikipedia!) – and also not a favourite at our table. Although the dessert itself gave me profiterole vibes in its composition, it simply wasn’t as tasty as one. The choux pastry was dry, bland and there was far too much of it, compared with the filling, which I can’t even remember.

On the extreme left are the Petit-fours… basically yet more sweets. These were bigger and more filling than most of the pastries proper! There was a slice of banana cake/bread, which you’ll either love or loathe depending on quite how much you like banana. My friend Mirander is a banana fiend and was all over this; I’m not such a fan and found it’s full-on BANANA-ness and intense sticky moistness a bit much. Even after one bite, I felt full! (Incidentally, I love the banana bread at Applegreen, which Mirander hates because it’s too dry and not banana-y enough, telling you everything you need to about our banana scale, so you can see who you side with!).

There was also a dark-chocolate covered nut stack and some tiny blackberry pastilles. The former was extremely gorgeous – I’m a sucker for chocolate covered nuts (keep your dirty jokes to yourself thanks!) and the pastilles packed way more tangy intensity than we could ever expected from such a little cube! Imagine a whole pack of blackberry Fruitips (Fruit Pastilles to British readers) distilled into one miniature square and you’re almost there.

All in all, I could have done with the Petit-fours counting towards the sweet portion, sparing us a few of the less memorable pastries and giving us an extra sandwich for good luck!

Tea was served in chunky metal super-stylish Chinoiserie-inspired pots, which totally fitted into the restaurant’s red-and-black décor but were a heavy pain to lift! Note to anyone picking the orange tea: don’t bother. The free glasses of water which had a lemon swirled around in them had more of a citrus taste!

A final word on the place itself. The restaurant, L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon, is upstairs and continues the red and black theme, but to Edgar Allan Poe levels of Gothic intent. You have to go there to use the washrooms and, in the middle of the afternoon, it’s eerily quiet, creepy and deserted – and that’s before a door springs open soundlessly and automatically with no warning! I was searching for a headless horseman of a doorman (thankfully to no avail!) but luckily, Le Salon is open-plan in the mall itself, so has a much lighter and less oppressive feel!

Overall, Le Salon de Thé de Joël Robuchon delivers a premium high tea experience that looks fabulous on photos and is almost as fabulous to the taste. Saying that, I wouldn’t go for the tea set again (though I’ve heard good stuff about the sandwiches), simply because there is such an ocean of other high-end high teas to sample in Hong Kong and although this was great, I’m sure it wasn’t THE best. Suggestions in the comments box please!

Le Salon de Thé de Joël Robuchon, Shop 315, 3/F, The Landmark, 16 Des Voeux Road Central, Central, Hong Kong, 2166 9088

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Elemis Day Spa, Central: Modern Skin Facial treatment review

Posted on June 2, 2011 | 5 Comments

Following on from my first Elemis experience courtesy of their magical melting cleansing gel, I was lucky enough to be treated to one of their signature facials at the Elemis Day Spa in Central – and it was every bit as lovely as I’d hoped.

I was pleasantly surprised at how peaceful and relaxed the spa felt, even though it’s located in one of those anonymous commercial buildings right in the heart of bustling Central (the more hardcore among you could even pop to Lan Kwai Fong for drinks after, it’s that close). It’s luxuriously laid-out and spacious, the soft spa music soothing without being irritating and it felt so tranquil and ‘other’ that it was hard to believe the heat and hustle of HK was going on just a few floors below. Being in Central makes it extra convenient as well – it’s so easy to get to and perfect for slotting into and around your daily routine, especially if you’re working (or shopping!) nearby.

After a brief chat with my beauty therapist (and after the poor girl endured a detailed inspection of my face), she decided the Modern Skin Facial would be the best treatment for me, with a few modifications for my skin. It’s especially suited for young skin (relieved I still fit in that category), and by rebalancing sebum levels, regenerating skin cells and raising mineral levels, helps repair and replenish stressed-out smog-exposed complexions, a feeling most HKers can probably identify with! Given that my blackheads are visible from the moon, she also performed a thorough and relatively pain-free extraction session and my pores have never looked clearer or better.

The facial lasts around an hour of cleansing, toning, massaging and moisturising, though thanks to the extraction, mine took about ninety minutes – and even then, it just doesn’t feel long enough! I didn’t want to leave! Throughout your session, you’ll be treated to plenty of Elemis’ wonderful products – cleaners, toners, serums and creams galore – but in all honesty, it passes by in a blur of bliss. All of the products felt so soft, smooth and soothing and my therapist had the lightest and most calming of touches.

Be prepared for an amazing array of scents too; I felt I’d drifted off into the aroma equivalent of Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory. They were too many lovely ones to count, but they were all heavenly and invigorating without being overpowering.

I particularly enjoyed the Papaya Enzyme Peel (one of Elemis’ best sellers). Unlike so many exfoliators, it didn’t feel harsh or grainy; instead, it was more of a gentle wash, with an uplifting fresh citrus scent to boot.

The other highlight was the Mineral Rich Peel-Off Mask… or rather, the wonderful dry-scalp massage you get during it. Head massages normally set my teeth on edge but this was brilliant and weeks’ worth of headaches just melted away. While you’re enjoying that, the mask works deep in the skin to boost mineral levels (it contains zinc, copper, magnesium and Swiss Garden cress), combining with an earlier product, the Visible Brilliance serum, to deeply moisturise and clear your complexion. There’s also a lovely neck and shoulder massage later on too.

Overall, it’s a relatively straightforward facial – there are no fancy tricks or bizarre high-tech utensils – but for that reason, it’s basically the ultimate in straightforward facials, although at $1280  it may feel a little pricey (it’s worth checking out the many coupon websites in HK for some good discounts; I was lucky enough to be receiving a complimentary treatment). However, the products used are of the highest quality (acting as a good introduction to Elemis’ range of skincare) and the expertise and training of my therapist shone through in her confident and assured touch. I love that she didn’t provide a running commentary of the items she was using or give me the hard sell for any of them (a pitfall in many local salons). She also gave me some great tips about my beauty routine, for instance that I need to exfoliate closer to my lip area as I’m missing out some parts due to my eagerness not to eat products!

This is also one of those facials that leaves you looking great instantly. Unlike many that leave you looking a little oily, blotchy or with a breakout set to burst, I emerged from Elemis with glowing plump skin and a brighter more even complexion. A few days on my skin still looks remarkably radiant and with a definite noticable decrease in redness.

I finished things off with a final trip to the Zen Room, where there’s a small but perfectly formed buffet – and yes ladies, there are brownies! [Very tasty ones too]. But what’s even better than the brownies (and that’s a phrase I thought I’d never utter) is Elemis’ signature health drink, found in a teapot that should be labelled ‘Drink Me’! It’s a deeply soothing mixture of honey, ginger and lemon that’s absolutely greater than the sum of its parts; I often do a homemade version of this at home when I’m run-down and I can promise you, I’ve never managed to make it taste this good! Warming and sweet with a bracing little kick of ginger at the end – the perfect ending to a wonderful day.

I’d highly recommend the Elemis Day Spa for its convenience, its super-chilled atmosphere and most importantly, the quality of its treatments. Many thanks to Sarah at Communique for organising my day and all the lovely Elemis staff who made me feel so welcome. My skin is most grateful!

Elemis Day Spa, 9/F, Century Square, 1 D’Aguilar Street, Central, 2521 6660, http://www.elemisdayspa.com.hk

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The Globe pub review: out of this world!

Posted on April 10, 2011 | Leave a comment

I don’t miss many things about England, but Sunday Roast is definitely one thing I do!

Whether our small microwave/oven has the capacity to cook a proper joint of meat in anything less than 24 hours, never mind fitting in all the trimmings, remains to be seen – and that’s before we’ve covered trekking to City Super or Oliver’s to get a good quality cut of beef, paying through the nose for it and trying to polish off the whole meal on my own as I’m the only one in my house that eats beef. Basically, that’s a whole lot of issues for a humble roast and too many for me to worry my little head about. Especially since I’ve discovered that The Globe does a top-notch, home quality Sunday Roast all of its own.

Remember my bemoaning the lack of good gastropubs in HK in my post on 798 Unit & Co? Well, The Globe might not be a gastropub per se – it serves good honest British pub fare without a jus or foam in sight – but it has the gastropub atmosphere down pat. So that’s bright and airy rather than dark and dinghy, clean bleached wood rather than sticky surfaces and beer-mats, modern and slick rather than populated with hoary locals swilling pints while shooting daggers at any non-regulars. As you can tell, I’ve been to some great pubs in my time!

I went on a Sunday specifically to get my Sunday Carvery fill. For just $198, you not only get a choice of roasts (beef or lamb when I was there) but a starter as well – and as I discovered, The Globe don’t do things by halves! I opted for the soup and to say it was a generous portion would be an understatement. Enough for two people with leftovers to spare, this was a homely hearty delight, chock-a-block with broth-y goodness – the kind of thing mums across the world specialise in whipping up whenever you feel down in the dumps. The chicken was tender, richly-flavoured and plentiful, there was a veritable country garden full of vegetables chucked in too and the whole thing was appetising and wholesome enough to be a meal in itself.

If you thought the soup was something, just wait until you get a load of the roast – a huge slab of prime rib of beef plus all the trimmings… and then some! So that’s (take a deep breath) Yorkshire Pudding, roast tatties, roast parsnips, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower cheese, peas and lashings of gravy. I’m amazed they found a plate big enough.

This was great on so many levels. The gravy was proper gravy, a term that steakhouses here apparently struggle to understand – not garlic or black pepper sauce, not some insipid weird beef jus, just proper gravy. The Yorkshire Pudding was a proper Yorkshire Pudding, not the weird bread/cake/pudding hybrid that many hotels here dish up. The roast potatoes were proper roast potatoes, golden-brown crispy on the outside, fluffy and yummy on the inside, not the poncy, given-a-going-over-with-a-blowtorch piddling things that most restaurants serve; they’d had prolonged contact with the inside of an oven, prolonged contact with the fat that’s necessary to give them that beautiful roastie flavour and prolonged contact with being part of a bigger spud in the first place.

The beef was beautiful. Nothing can compare to that rich deep taste of good roast beef and this was thick juicy tender stuff. When I was little, I was given the nickname ‘Red Beef Girl’ by hotel staff freaked out at my propensity to put away slabs of rare beef downed with a boat of gravy at the grand old age of five and as you can see, I still like my beef pink enough to prove blood only recently stopped pumping through its veins. (Don’t worry if you’re not a complete vampire carnivore like me, you can specify how you’d like it cooked.) This beef brought out all my caveman tendencies and I practically got drunk on it.  Bloody gorgeous, if sliced a little too thick for my taste.

I also loved the sweet and nutty roast parsnips and the ridiculously addictive cauliflower cheese – both of which I haven’t had since my last pub Sunday Carvery back in Blighty. The Yorkshire Pudding was a little dry and I could have done with more gravy, yet I prefer gravy served by the jug rather than the spoonful. However the thing that was really wonderful about this was that it tasted just like home. No, it’s not a prettied-up, masterfully-sliced fancy roast that you can get from one of the many luxury hotels out here and it’s all the better because of it.

I bullied my boyfriend into getting the fish and chips ($125), basically because I wanted to try some. The fish was cod, smaller than I’m used to from the UK but without a doubt, the best battered cod I’ve had thus far in Hong Kong. It was creamy, moist and flaked away beautifully. The batter was a golden crispy delight with a faint heady hit of beer to it – once your knife plunges in and it’s met with a satisfying crunch, you know you’re onto a good thing. The mushy peas were sweet, minty and delicious (aren’t the best mushy peas the ones that fail to remind you they came from normal boring peas in the first place?!) but it was the chips that get the most gold stars on the report card. Defiantly home-made, they were well-seasoned, crunchy, soft, melt-in-mouth, thick, fluffy, golden gorgeousness. My boyfriend’s only complaint – not enough of them!

Desperate for a pudding but with no space left, my boyfriend and I instead just relaxed and digested for a good 20 minutes; The Globe is the perfect environment to do so. The smiling staff are friendly and don’t harry you on your way despite the lack of service charge, the whole place feels laidback and leisurely and for a pub that shows sports, it wasn’t too noisy either. In short, perfect Sunday afternoon stuff.

Amazing jet-propelled salt and pepper mills, plus rather snazzy map table-tops (it’s called The Globe… maps… geddit?)

Given that it looks, smells and tastes just like home, you won’t be surprised to learn that it’s gweilo central around here – drop a bomb and that probably half of HK’s expat population wiped out! Bigger and loftier than most restaurants around Central, there’s an extensive beer list (another reason for all those gweilos then!) and I thought that the contemporary artwork by a local artist displayed for sale on the walls was another of The Globe’s many nice touches.

Without wanting to sound like a Masterchef contestant with ideas above their station, The Globe does good honest pub food at good honest prices but without scrimping on quality or quantity. So not like most UK pubs after all! Better than Mum’s? I couldn’t possibly comment!

The Globe, Garley Building, 45-53 Graham Street, Central, Hong Kong, 2543 1941

Interior photo from The Globe’s website.

A version of this review also appears on Sassy Hong Kong.

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Life Café restaurant review: the perfect place to veg out!

Posted on March 23, 2011 | 3 Comments

Having just had another one of my increasingly-frequent 1 AM bacon fry-ups, I feel the need to make it up to my cholesterol-addled arteries. So here’s a write-up on what may be the healthiest place I’ve ever eaten at – Life Café Organic Restaurant & Bar.

Given that one of my childhood nicknames was ‘Red Beef Girl’, you can probably work out that a vegetarian and vegan joint would not be my first port of call. However, one of my friends (Ka Ming, known to me as Bob or Yeh Yeh for reasons too long to detail!) has recently converted, hence how I found myself chowing down on a meat-free meal at Life.  And, far from being the joyless experience I might have imagined, it was actually very lovely indeed.

Forget what you may have thought about vegetarian food being tasteless, worthy and chickpea-strewn. Life offers contemporary, healthy, fresh and most importantly, downright scrummy meals that don’t make vegetarianism seem like a chore. What’s more, there’s not a Birkenstock, straggly goatee or hemp shirt in sight!

Located along the mid-level escalators in Soho, Life makes the most of its location with a sun-streamed first-floor dining area with huge thrown-open windows that you feel you should be singing joyously out of, like some Disney heroine. Admittedly, the view is of people’s washing hanging out the windows of some rather tatty old flats but on a sunny day, it feels light, bright, airy and laid-back. Chunky wooden tables, comfy cushion-strewn banquettes and fully-stocked bookshelves give the place a homely but funky feel, even if it can get a bit cramped during Central’s invariably bustling lunch hour. The bottom floor houses a deli (more of which later), whilst they also offer rooftop dining in the evening.

My main of choice is the filo pastry filled with broccoli, herb-roasted potatoes, caramelised onions and feta cheese, served with mixed baby greens and lemon basil pesto (above, $98). I had it on my first visit and it’s proved too good for me to manage to look past ever since! It’s flavourful, seasoned to perfection and feta cheese, so tasty that even Zeus must have snacked on it in-between chucking thunder-bolts and chasing after nubile young nymphs, turns anything into a winner in my books. The star of the dish is the lemon basil pesto, so fresh, zingy and potently delicious that it practically explodes off the plate. The two slices provided might prove a little much for many; you definitely won’t be leaving Life with an empty stomach! [You can also buy them individually at the deli to takeaway, for around $40]

Life also offers a daily set menu for $105, which includes a soup and main, which change daily, a coffee or tea and an organic cookie. It’s undoubtedly good value but just too much for me – the one time I tried it, it was a kidney-bean filo pastry that was too filling on its own, never mind before you’ve had a generous bowl of soup and are trying to save room for the cookie! I’m not a massive fan of the cookie (a little dry and oaty) but the soups all have that wonderful unprocessed homemade quality and are all the better for it. Here’s my friend Bob chomping on the daily special – some sesame, cashew, tofu noodle concoction that he assured me was very good indeed. And yes, that really is how gloriously sunny it gets up there!

My other friend, Mirander (another non-veggie), went for a lighter option of the Italian roasted vegetable sandwiches, served on whole-wheat foccacia and filled with eggplant, Italian seitan sausage, mozzarella, marinated red peppers, caramelised onions and pesto (below, $98). Another thumbs-up verdict (though a thumbs-down for the strange soggy sausage stuff), with particular compliments paid to the summery Mediterranean flavours and how delightfully un-greasy it was. All Life’s sandwiches are served with mixed baby greens and sweet potato fries, which you can also order as a side for $55. These are another favourite, lighter and less oily than regular fries with a pleasantly sweet taste; ordered separately, they come with this heavenly vegan garlic tofu mayonnaise, which would be even better if they added even more garlic – though I say this as someone whose fingers nearly permanently smell of the stuff because I use so much of it!

I would also highly recommend the Life Burger ($105). I actually scoffed at the idea of a meat-free burger being worth bothering with but actually, this was far more flavourful than some of the dried-up efforts I’ve had, so tasteless that you feel as if the poor cow died in vain! The patty is made from some dull-sounding brown rice and vegetable combination, which gives absolutely no indication of how ‘wow’ the flavours really are. Immaculately-seasoned, it’s all the right kinds of spicy, soft and succulent – I’m not even sure if you can describe vegetables as succulent but trust me, when you eat it, it definitely feels as if you can!

The deli downstairs always looks far too delectable to pass by empty-handed, with prices competitive enough to hold up against the likes of Pret. Bob recommended the tofu wraps but of course, I made an immediate beeline towards the chocolaty stuff!

The organic chocolate biscuit slice (above, $20) is a gorgeous combination of crunchy digestive crumbs and soft melty chocolate. I’ve tried many times to not finish this in one go and never succeeded yet!

Meanwhile, the organic flourless chocolate cake ($45) is similarly scrumptious. It will probably be a bit too nutty for some, but I’m a sucker for the choc-nut combo and the overall texture is light, soft and crumbly. I just wish that the thick ganaché-like slab of chocolate on the top was even thicker!

Life is a pleasant, even shocking (though Life seem far too laidback to shock anyone), surprise to anyone who thinks vegetarian food begins with Quorn and ends with Linda McCartney, with some lentils thrown in along the way. If even ‘Red Beef Girl’ can leave satisfied and without a bacon craving in sight, it must count for something, right?!

Life Café Organic Restaurant & Bar, 10 Shelley Street, Soho, Central, Hong Kong, 28109777; open 12-10pm

Banner and bottom photos from Life Café’s website.

A version of this review also appears on Sassy Hong Kong.

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Frites restaurant review: a meal to moule over!

Posted on November 28, 2010 | 3 Comments

Concept Creations is definitely one of my favourite restaurant groups in Hong Kong. Whilst they’re somewhat dwarfed by dining behemoths like King Parrot, Igor’s and Dining Concepts, it’s quality not quantity, right? I’ve already banged on about how great Tapeo is here (and I was a big fan of their homely little Italian in Soho, Mrs Jones, that they sadly decided to shut down earlier in the year) so now it’s the turn of their other flagship restaurant, Frites.

Frites has bagged a prime location in Central (before all those steep slopes, perfect for lazy arses like me) and unlike many restaurants in the area, its premises are larger than a postage stamp. With a lofty, grand but relaxed ambience, it’s frankly nice to enjoy some high ceilings in this city for a change!

There’s a distinctly Bavarian feel to both the place and the menu – think lederhosen, bratwurst and beerhall and you’re not far off. Sturdy wood furniture, long wooden tables, dark green leather, chequered floors and, most importantly, a very big bar! Screw Hong Kong’s interminably long Oktoberfests, it’s like this at Frites all year round!

But the word Frites isn’t German, I hear you cry! So where’s the common ground between French for chips and Bavarian architecture… why, Belgium, of course.

Having been to Belgium, I can safely say the only thing remotely enjoyable about the place was the food. Never mind Belgian chocolate, it’s all about moules et frites, best enjoyed with a pale pint by your side. Almost every little local eaterie worth its salt serves the stuff so unsurprisingly, it’s Frites’ signature dish – and a very good signature dish it is too.

We opted for a kilogram of the most traditional of the six flavours on offer, the Moules Mariniere (somehow, I doubt Belgians are chowing down on Thai Curry steamed mussels just yet), which clocks in at a pricey $310. Served with a side of frites and mayo, plus a slab of bread, it’s just about enough for a meal for two, although you might be getting dinner pangs slightly earlier than usual later.

Dished up in a big steaming pot, the mussels were plump, tender and infused with flavour. The Mariniere broth, made from white wine, celery, garlic and mixed herbs, was a little too watery for my liking, but the delicate balance of flavours was spot-on. I’m all for liberal garlic use and it can be so awesome that it tends to overpower things, but here it played adeptly against the aromatic herbs, heady hit of wine and most interestingly, the flat, almost bitter, tang of the celery to produce a meal that had us smacking our lips from the smell alone!

Elsewhere, the frites were good but unexceptional, though they win marks for being obviously fresh, piping hot and nicely-seasoned. They come with mayonnaise, the most beloved of all condiments in Belgium and France, and though this was a nice touch, it didn’t really add much to the flavour (although I know it adds plenty to the hips!).

Just one slice of bread is a little stingy though, non? Everyone knows practically the best part of a mussel pot is mopping up the excess juices so only one slice for a whole kilogram was a little disappointing.

Lead us not into incarceration but deliver us from hangovers… Barmen! (click for enlargement)

But where Frites really comes into its own is with its beer selection – they have more beers than they do dishes! With a wide variety of Belgian beers both bottled and on draught that are far from your typical run-of-the-mill HK bar fare, it’s a booze aficionados paradise (beer-mat collectors will be in for a treat too!). It’s also the rationale behind Frites’ monk mascot (Belgium is famous for beer produced in monasteries) and there’s even a ‘Frites Prayer’ extolling the delights of booze, with riffs on the Lord’s Prayer that will doubtless have the vicar’s wife reaching for the smelling salts.

We went for a Leffe Blonde Draught ($55 for 330ml) – check out the head on that! What I know about beer you could write on a Borrowers’ Post-It note but I do know that this beer was delicious. Light, sweet, almost fruity and not wincingly dry, it was the perfect accompaniment.

Sunlight streaming through the massive windows, a huge pot of steaming mussels to pick over and a pint of Belgium’s finest to wash it all down, Frites is the perfect place to enjoy a leisurely lunch on a lazy Sunday. Or brunch. Or dinner. Or tea…

Frites: Belgium On Tap, Shop 1 & 2, 1/F, Queen’s Palace, 74 Queen’s Road, Central, Hong Kong, 2179 5179

P.S. Nowhere to really fit this in but I just wanted to applaud Concept Creations for continuing to think outside the box in choosing locations for their new restaurants. After unexpectedly picking Sai Wan Ho for their newest Tapeo (a particularly inspired decision, as you can see here), Frites has just opened their second branch in Quarry Bay. Nice to see Concept Creations showing some love to the neglected Island East side, rather than just carrying on the Central-TST appreciation society.

A version of this review also appears on Sassy Hong Kong.

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Isola restaurant review: that’s amore!

Posted on July 19, 2010 | Leave a comment

Isola is one of those restaurants that routinely crops up in magazines, reviews and forums as one of HK’s best – whether it’s for being the best Italian, the best pizza or the best view in town. Surely it can’t be all three?

Nevertheless, anyone with eyes and a functioning brain could cast an easy vote for ‘best view’, as seen above. Huge floor-to-ceiling windows not only give Isola a wonderfully light and airy atmosphere, but also allow you to soak up an unimpinged vista of HK’s harbour, beautiful both by day or night (save for HK’s never-ending construction sites). Isola also offers terrace dining for those of you courageous enough to brave potential downpours and bloodthirsty mosquitoes in order to enjoy the view. But a great view alone is not enough to make a great restaurant so onto the food.

Firstly, if your idea of ‘best Italian in town’ constitutes hearty dishes in ‘Mama’s favourite’ style portions served to you by jovial Italian gentlemen to the tune of That’s Amore (this idealised image may have spawned directly from The Lady & The Tramp, damn you Disney!), then Isola may not be your cup of tea, or indeed glass of vino. This is modern Italian dining in a refined setting (I loved the clean chic white décor and the beautiful lace-like woodcut details), with a menu stuffed with lots of fancy names, premium ingredients and nary a bolognaise in sight.

The bread was lovely and fresh, even if no-one bothered to explain to us the different varieties. No-one bothered to explain the sludge-coloured spread either; my boyfriend suggested it might be bread in paste form (!) and from the nondescript taste, his guess is as good as any. Answers on a postcard please.

Whenever I see scallops on a menu, I am powerless to resist so we kicked things off with scallops wrapped in pancetta on white polenta with black truffle ($208). These were as delicious as scallops should be – meaty, juicy and with that trademark hint of sweetness. Pairing scallops with some sort of cured pork product is a classic combination and justifiably so – the crispy salty pancetta complemented the sweet shellfish perfectly. Elsewhere, the black truffle dressing added an earthy little kick and the wisps of crispy onion on top were a decent addition. But the polenta, which I think was the white foam on the bottom, was one texture too far. I’d say it was one taste too far as well, but I can’t really say it tasted of anything. I don’t think it added anything to the dish.

For mains, I went for the strozapretti – hand twisted pasta with mixed seafood and fresh tomatoes ($188). This, again, was absolutely delicious. On first taste, you might think the sauce was a little bland but with each mouthful, it builds into something light yet really appetising. The pasta was gorgeous as well; you can definitely tell it’s fresh and hand-made, as it practically melts in the mouth (something I didn’t think pasta could do!). I was also pleasantly surprised by the amount and variety of seafood – and thankfully, it’s miles away from the pre-packed ‘fruits de mer’ other restaurants dish up. There were prawns, shrimp meat, scallops and squid, all in plentiful supply and all sweet, fresh, meaty and delicious.

The boyfriend opted for a stone-baked pizza and c’mon, even the photo is good enough to eat, right? It’s also far too big for one person! He went for the Piccante ($168), which was topped with spicy Italian salame (not a typo, that’s how the menu spells it!), mozzarella, tomato and black olive. It was good to see (and eat!) a salame that was not razor-thin slices of cured meat you can get from any old Park n’ Shop; this stuff felt like it had actually started life as a sausage and rather than just being salty, was robust and delightfully spicy. The pizza base was the thinner, crispier kind that I love and yes, it was possibly the best pizza I’ve had in HK. Admittedly, more the gourmet variety rather than comfort food designed for noshing whilst slobbed out on the sofa in front of America’s Next Top Model.

With no room (and no money!) left for pudding, we were served some complimentary petit-fours with the bill. I don’t really think this is an Italian tradition, more a signal of Isola’s high-end dining ethos and it was nice touch, albeit one nicer in conception than in digestion. They were a bit dry and the bow-shaped ones were utterly tasteless (the whirl-shaped ones were softer, sweeter and much nicer though).

A few more tips – have the strength of character to say no to mineral water, however snooty the waiter seems! We caved in to the suggestion of still water, hence adding a mighty $75 to our bill ($68 plus 10% service charge), enough for a whole meal down the cha cha deng! Others have commented that Isola is a little tricky to find – we cut through Lane Crawford to reach it, and following signs directing you to the roof verandah should lead you in the right direction (and provide that stunning view for free, which is actually where I took my photos). And if you’re hoping to do dinner before going to the cinema in the IFC (as we did), bear in mind Isola doesn’t open for the evening until 6.30pm.

So best view? Check. Best pizza? Check. Best Italian? For me, Isola doesn’t have enough range in its menu or offer enough traditional staples to make it the best Italian in town, per se. However, the combination of view, décor and quality of food do make it one of the best restaurants in HK, if a little overpriced. Save those pennies and share that pizza, next time!

Isola Bar + Grill, Shop 3071-75, Level 3, IFC Mall, Central, Hong Kong, 2383 8765.

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The Press Room restaurant review: Read all about it!

Posted on June 16, 2010 | Leave a comment

Many reviews of The Press Room seem to begin and end with their frites (chips to us Brits). Or should that be FRITES!!! And yes, they are delicious but there’s more to The Press Room than that.

Aiming for a modern European brasserie style, with menus on blackboards and pictures scattered at random on the walls (a random-ness I’m sure took hours to achieve!), it has a nice relaxed atmosphere. For dinner, the lights are dimmed and it’s a rather cosy kind of darkness, even when the place started to get packed around 8pm.

When the boyfriend and I arrived around 7pm, we were the first diners in, meaning our service was second to none. Bread (below right) was served almost immediately and our dishes (all hot, I should mention) arrived within 10 minutes of their being ordered, with mains rolling up almost as soon as we’d polished off our starter.

We both opted for the 2-course menu at $260, where you can choose any starter/soup/dessert from the regular menu, with a choice between lamb, sea bass, skate, pork belly or hanger steak as your main. Go with your significant other, with one of you opting for starter and one for dessert, and (as long as your partner isn’t a total gannet) you effectively get a 3-course menu that, given the quality of the food, is a bit of a bargain.

We started with escargots de bourguignon (snails to us Brits, normally $92; above left, click for enlargement ). At many HK restaurants, these are often cooked to the point of apocalypse and arrive at your table dried-up, shrivelled, rubbery imitations of their former sluggy selves, with some overpowering cheese sauce drenched on top attempting to disguise this fact. Here, they were cooked perfectly, allowing their unique texture and subtle taste to shine through. Garlic butter is the norm for escargots but there was an interesting addition of almonds here that was just as tasty – a shame that there wasn’t the usual bed of mashed potato to mop this scrummy juice up!

We tried to use our bread to soak it up and alas, this was the only disappointing aspect of our meal. My boyfriend (ever the comedian) commented that ‘this bread must have lost its absorbing properties a day ago’; I don’t think the bread was actually stale, just that fancy bread that was never soft to start off with. Not a fan – given that the menu is vaguely Gallic in its feel and the French practically orgasm over the breaking of the bread, I did expect better.

Anyway, onto the mains. Only one word: divine.

For those seeking a few more words, I had the roast pork belly with pomme purée (mash to us Brits), apple sauce and cider jus (sauce to us Brits, $202 ; shown left, click for enlargement). The pork belly was absolutely sublime – stupidly delicious, ridiculously soft and tender and dreamy, with fantastically crispy crackling on top. I hate restaurants that give you one artful drizzle of sauce that isn’t enough to wet your upper lip never mind your whole dish, so I was very pleased at the amount of cider jus, which had just the right amount of tang to bring out even more lush flavours from the pork. One of the best mains I’ve had in HK, no question.

The boyfriend (a chip connoisseur fyi) went for the hanger steak and frites (above right, $248). Again, there was a decent amount of sumptuously rich red wine sauce to complement the beautifully tender and juicy strips of steak. It came on a bed of spinach that my boyfriend, not being one for greenery, largely ignored so I have no idea how that tasted. And, of course, the frites…

They arrive in their own canister, they’re so special. What more can be said about them that hasn’t already been said? Crunchy on the outside, soft and fluffy on the inside, just the right side of salty and with the texture and taste of having come from a quality spud. Chips that have some skin on are always the best kind, aren’t they? You may remember me being similarly cock-a-hoop about the chips at SML – SML, The Press Room and The Pawn are all run by the same group, so I’ve only got to try the latter to confirm that their chips are uniformly good (edit: I have and they were!). What’s more, they’re incredibly more-ish; even though I couldn’t finish my mash, I found my fingers creeping to them far too often! The chip connoisseur was happy too (less happy that I munched my way through so many though!).

We rounded things off with the baked chocolate (above, $78) and quite frankly, I could have put away two of these on my own. I’m not entirely sure what it was – some hybrid between cake, sponge, brownie, fudge and warm chocolate – but it was definitely good. The consistency was wonderfully smooth and light but the hit of richness felt like pure chocolatey goodness and its soft creaminess contrasted well with the crunch of the tuile biscuits. The raspberry sauce was a little too tart for me but the waiter did offer to leave it on the side rather than pouring it over, so it’s my own fault (tbf, it did look prettier)!

A few hints for any prospective diners – the Hollywood Road address may fool you into getting off at Central MTR but it’s actually way closer to Sheung Wan (albeit uphill – work up that appetite!) and pretty easy to find as it’s just a stone’s throw along from Man Mo Temple (even if you have no idea what it looks like beforehand, you really can’t miss it). I also noticed an early-bird dinner offer, which looked amazing value, but even so, try and get there earlier if you want a quieter dinner as it clearly attracts a lot of custom from folk in Central getting straight off work.

I’m practically chomping at the bit to visit again, in case this review leaves you in any doubt. Don’t believe everything you read in the papers but do believe all the good stuff you’ve heard about The Press Room – it offers a quality dining experience. And the FRITES!!! aren’t bad either.

The Press Room, 108 Hollywood Road, Central, Hong Kong, 2525 3444


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