Gum "Jeng" X! 御前上茶

Hi guys! I know it's been more than a month since I've updated, but August has been a really busy month and I apologise for that! With registration, orientation days and camps, it's been really hectic! 

Anyway, I'm back with a new post! (yay) The tofu ice cream has hit Hong Kong about a month ago and I'm finally going to give a detailed review on it (I'll try my best)! :) 

Situated in Causeway Bay, this place is actually quite hidden. You'd think that all of the best foods are snuggled tightly in the womb of Causeway Bay, but this isn't the case. You have to walk past Fashion Walk, and then walk about two more streets down, and turn left if I'm not mistaken. Walk to the very end of the street, until you see a park, and there you have it. Gum "Jeng" is on your right, and it's shared with a store called GUMGUMGUM which sells pretty cool stuff. 

Review:

I have to say, the portion is large! For HKD $32, it's not a bad price, but of course I can get cheaper ones in Taiwan. The ice cream had a good balance between icy and creamy - which made it rather refreshing! 

The tofu flavour was very pronounced, and it tasted more like fresh soya mixed with tofu! It's basically a tofu tornado in your mouth once you bite into this ice cream. 

Tofu Ice Cream 豆腐雪糕

Price: 
HKD $32 for cone.

Ratings:
Taste: ★★★☆☆
Value for Money: ★★★★☆
Presentation: ★★★★☆
Environment: ★★★★☆
Overall: ★★★★☆

Address:
中文: 銅鑼灣名店坊加寧街8-10號地下
English: G/F, 8-10 Cleveland Street, Causeway Bay 

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Tamashii 魂

Yay! I'm back with another new post!!! :)

Hi guys! Might as well write another post since I have so much time on my hands right now. Really trying to stick to the "post once a week" schedule - I think I'm succeeding this time! :P 

Tamashii, probably one of the BEST Japanese ramen in Hong Kong! I have tried many ramen chains in Hong Kong, but this one is simply delectable - the BEST of the best. I thought Butao was great too, but Tamashii beats it by about 1 point! (Butao: 8/10, Tamashii: 9/10)

Getting to this place is a little bit annoying. You have to get to the other side of Causeway Bay by walking through the bus terminus! Otherwise, you can just take the bus to South Pacific Hotel and walk for about a minute before getting there. I definitely prefer the latter form of transportation, instead of getting off at the Times Square MTR because that's just annoying as hell! :(

Anyway, I hope you will enjoy my review on Tamashii! I think there's another branch in Jordan, but the one in Causeway Bay is the original branch, and I do think original is better! 

Review:

Tamashii has about 4 different kinds of ramen: original, spicy, squid ink and spinach! Since this is my first time trying Tamashii's ramen, I've decided to go for the original. The original ramen (Tamashii) came with a half-boiled egg, fish cake, a huge piece of char siu, large seaweed and spring onions! Really impressed with the ingredients used because in other restaurant chains, you have to pay EXTRA for the half-boiled egg. :/

For the noodles, they were AMAZING. Springy, bouncy, al dente ramen noodles! We're talking about REAL RAMEN, not those Hakata style ramen that's super thin! Moreover, the tonkotsu broth was so thick and flavourful, and it was just a great asset to this ramen dish! I really love thick ramen soups, especially those bursting with flavour! Some people like thin and light soups, but of course, personal preference! :)

Tamashii (original) Ramen

Price: 
HKD $89 for Tamashii (original)

Ratings:
Taste: ★★★★★
Value for Money: ★★★★☆
Presentation: ★★★★★
Environment: ★★★☆☆
Overall: ★★★★☆

Address:
中文: 銅鑼灣霎西街18C號地下
English: G/F, 18C Sharp Street West, Causeway Bay

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À La Umai

Hi everyone!

It's almost been a month since I've posted... I always say I'll post more often but it's quite hard when you're posting on BOTH Instagram and Blogger... You just don't know what to post on here. Nevertheless, I am back with a long review!

So recently, I was invited by a friend to join her at À La Umai, a fancy restaurant in Tin Hau overlooking Victoria Harbour! She got an invitation to try out the dinner sets; I'm very lucky she invited me to go with her! 

I was not disappointed with À La Umai. The view, the food, the ambience... It was all amazing! I loved it so much! Pity it's a bit pricey, I would definitely go back. This restaurant would be a nice place for a birthday or romantic dinner, maybe you could bring your significant other here on your anniversary! All in all, REALLY LOVED THIS PLACE - I hope you'll enjoy it too when you do visit. 

Review:

This Starter is quite simple. It's just melon with Iberico ham. Melons were sweet and juicy, and the ham was quite thin and salty. However, they balanced each other out in terms of taste! 

Starter: Iberico Ham with Sweet Melon Rocket

Next we have the Appetizer. the Appetizer changes daily I'm guessing, since on the menu, it says "Daily Appetizer". Nonetheless, it was a delicious appetizer! Can't exactly pinpoint what it is, but I know it's a bunch of vegetables and crabmeat put together, with a huge and peeled cherry tomato at the top! I wish I knew what ingredients were in this thing, but it was quite hard to tell... It tasted delicious though! I certainly enjoyed this more than the starter!

Appetizer: Daily Appetizer

TIME FOR SOME SOUP. You can choose between Crab-Meat Lobser Bisque or Ginger & Pumpkin Creamy Soup. I went with the Lobster Bisque! It was very flavourful, with lots of strayed crab meat and very thick lobster soup. The soup was simply bursting with flavour! Love it very much! It is a pity that the portion is quite small though. 

Soup: Crab-Meat Lobster Bisque

Finally, the Main Course! My friend and I ordered two different main courses and sampled them both. This is the ribeye with red wine sauce. It was delectable - bursting with flavour! Ribeye was cooked medium-well, very juicy and tender! It also wasn't very oily, which is a great bonus. The sauce that they provided was great for dipping, really adds on the flavour as well. Moreover, the ribeye was quite thick compared to what you can get outside, so I was quite pleased. 

Main Course: Roasted U.S. Angus Rib Eye 200g Served with Red Wine Sauce

The second Main Course we chose was the lamb rack. I personally enjoyed this one better because I'm a sucker for lamb, and also because of other reasons which I shall mention soon. The lamb rack came with French mustard creamy sauce, with a little pot of mint jelly. The lamb was very juicy, very easy to cut aka tender, and it was so delicious with the sauce! The most decadent lamb chop/rack I've had in my life! I recommend you to add the mint jelly and spread it on top of your lamb, it makes a great difference - for the better! Really really really enjoyed this! 

Main Course: Roasted Australian Lamb Rack with French Mustard Seed Creamy Sauce

Who has the tummy for Dessert?! DEFINITELY ME!!! Dessert was chocolate lava cake, with strawberries and vanilla ice cream! I love chocolate, so this lava cake was a surprise and a great ending for dinner. I've eaten many chocolate lava cakes throughout my years, but I think this is the BEST chocolate lava cake I've tasted in Hong Kong! The lava flowed out yes, but it wasn't too runny or watery - it was quite thick! Moreover, the lava and cake did not taste too sweet or bitter, and was a right balance between the two! Absolutely delicious and decadent. 

Dessert: Chocolate Lava Cake with Strawberries & Vanilla Ice Cream

So that's the end of my fancy and lovely meal at À La Umai! I'm really glad I got the chance to try and sample the dishes. The quality of the dishes is outstanding, really worth the money! Perhaps one day, I'll be able to bring my friends and family here when I have saved up enough money! 

Price: 
HKD $488 for Rib Eye Steak Set Dinner
HKD $498 for Lamb Rack Set Dinner

Ratings:
Taste: ★★★★★
Value for Money: ★★★★☆
Presentation: ★★★★★
Environment: ★★★★★
Overall: ★★★★★

Address:
中文: 天后電氣道108號冠貿商業大廈25樓
English: 25/F, Morecrown Comm. Bldg, 108 Electric Road, Tin Hau 

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Via Tokyo

Hi guys! I know I haven't been too consistent with my postings! With the end of the semester, and starting a full-time job, I haven't really gotten much time to breathe! But now it's the weekend and I figured I should post something, and I will definitely try my best to post more often, because I have a ton of food photos and reviews in store!

After what seems like forever, I have FINALLY visited Via Tokyo! When I reached there, a long queue has already formed, and mind you, it was raining that day! The queue was actually for people who wanted to sit in the tiny shop and consume their matcha goodies. However, my friends and I shoved past the crowd so we could order take away. 

We had a hard time picking. Should we try the Uji Matcha cone? Or should we try the Matcha sundaes with mochi balls? With so many choices, and the staff waiting for us to pick our desserts, it was a very tough time for us, as we were placed under the heat and pressure! Finally, we decided to go for the Uji Matcha Smoothie, a summer favourite of many Hong Kongers. Also, this smoothie is only released during the summer, so why not try it before it's gone for the winter right?

Review:

The Uji Matcha Smoothie looked good. It's aesthetic, it looks like a bundle of goodness piled together in a cup. For those matcha monsters out there, I can already see your eyes forming hearts, I mean this is heaven for your eyes right?! 

However, the taste... My expectations were set a bit too high. I have to admit, the smoothie itself was good. With rich matcha taste, very prominent and strong, I really did enjoy the smoothie. Although it was icy, and quite difficult to suck from the straw, you just had to dig your straw really deep, almost to the bottom of the cup, before you can suck anything out. The smoothie was great, and I will reiterate that a million times if I had to.

The soft serve plunked on top of the smoothie, was a bit of a disappointment. Maybe it was our fault for not eating the ice cream first before enjoying the smoothie, or maybe the ice cream just didn't taste that great already. We all ignored the ice cream and just dove right into the smoothie, trying to suck the life out of it. However, by the time we have finished about three quarters of the smoothie, the ice cream melted, and it looked... Disgusting with the smoothie. Most of us didn't have the appetite to finish it because it just looked THAT bad. 

I took a bite of the soft serve, and it was bitter. I expected it to be more rich, creamy and sweeter but turns out it wasn't the case. I have heard people say that the Houjicha flavoured ice cream was better, and perhaps they're right. Maybe the Via Tokyo Matcha soft serve was a bit too overhyped, and my bar was set way too high since often, people had raving reviews about this soft serve. 

I would definitely come back to Via Tokyo. Perhaps, I should try the matcha soft serve on its own and see how that tastes. The Uji Matcha Smoothie was great, just better off without the ice cream. If they could scrape off the ice cream, it would be perfect! 

So from my experience, here is one tip for you if you decide to try the Uji Matcha Smoothie:
1) EAT THE ICE CREAM/SOFT SERVE FIRST.

Yup, that's my only tip. Hope to see some of you guys around various food joints in the future, I'm always down to trying out new foods around Hong Kong! 

Uji Matcha Smoothie

Close up of Uji Matcha Smoothie

Price:
$42 for Uji Matcha Smoothie

Ratings:
Taste: ★★★☆☆
Value for Money: ★★★☆☆
Presentation: ★★★★★
Environment: ★★★☆☆
Overall: ★★★☆☆

Address:
中文: 銅鑼灣禮頓道106-126號禮信大廈地下1A-1B號舖
English: Shop nos. 1A-1B, G/F., Leishun Court, 106-126 Leighton Road, Causeway Bay 

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Frites Belgium On Tap

Sooo, hello again! I know it's been a super long while since I've posted. Since classes today were cancelled, that means more time for me to blog (while catching up on unfinished assignments and studying for the upcoming exams)! 

Recently, I visited this restaurant called "Frites" in Wan Chai. It's a Belgian restaurant, and I only know Belgium is famous for their chocolates... 

But nevertheless, this place is actually quite nice! The interior design of this restaurant is so cute, making me feel like I've stepped into the 1800s, or the early 1900s! Also, as "frites" is fries in French, that means that their fries must be famous as well!

Anyways, if you're ever in Wan Chai and wondering where to eat, do find your way to this restaurant - the lunch menu is quite cheap and you won't be disappointed!

Review:

First up is the starter aka soup or salad. I decided to go for the soup, which was lentil and bacon soup. Okay, so the soup was more like a puree, or blended lentil and bacon. Not a huge fan of it, because I prefer more of a broth compared to a puree. The taste isn't bad, but it's was weird to my taste buds because I've never tried this kind of soup before! 

Lentil & Bacon Soup

Close up of Lentil & Bacon Soup

Next up, we have the Belgian fries! This wasn't part of the lunch menu, so we ordered it as a-la-carte. The fries in my opinion, ARE BOMB. They're not too oily, and they are really well seasoned. I know I know, they look like normal fries - they don't look very appealing right? Guess what, looks can be deceiving! I have to say that these fries are better than McDonald's and Burger King's fries! The mayo sauce that's included with these fries, is not like the mayo you find in Fillet-O-Fish or the ones served with your deep fried sole fillet. The mayo is much thicker, and it doesn't have much of the mayo taste and smell. Really nice combination - the fries and the mayo sauce. I really wouldn't mind coming here again just for the yummy fries!

Belgian Fries with Mayo Sauce

Close up of Belgian Fries

Main course! There were several choices to choose from, but I settled with the sea bass because it was the most healthy out of them. The sea bass was served with crispy potatoes, asparagus and a generous amount of chopped vegetables, such as tomatoes and onions. The sea bass was fresh catch, and very easy to cut. However, in my opinion, I did not like the texture of the sea bass. I personally prefer fillet because it's softer and more tender, but the sea bass' texture was basically "divided", so that when I cut the fish, it sort of disintegrated into its own mini parts... If that even makes sense. 

Nevertheless, the taste was quite good, but I didn't enjoy the sea bass as much as I had wanted to... Oh I love fish so much and this was quite disappointing because I did not like the texture of the sea bass. 

Sea Bass with Crispy Potatoes and Chopped Vegetables

Last but not least, we have dessert! You can choose either a drink or dessert, but obviously a foodie like me will go for dessert. :) This dessert is healthily unhealthy because although there's raspberry and granola, theres lots of whipped cream inside! Also, the raspberry seeds were so sour and they hurt my teeth a lot, giving me a temporary toothache! I should have chosen the drink instead because the coffee came with a cute milk mug that was shaped like a milk bottle, and well, coffee sounds a lot better than having a toothache.

Raspberry Cup

Price:

$120-$200 for lunch set, depending on main course.

Belgium Frites were $55. 

There's an Early Bird Lunch Special, if you finish your lunch by 12:45, there will be a 20% discount off your total bill. 

Ratings:

Taste: ★★★★☆
Value for Money: ★★★★☆
Presentation: ★★★★★
Environment: ★★★★★
Overall: ★★★★☆

Address:
中文: 灣仔港灣道28號Brim 28灣景中心1樓6號舖

English: Shop 6, Brim 28, 1/F, Causeway Centre, 28 Harbour Road, Wan Chai

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Noodle Lah!

So I'm back again with another post, this time on an actual restaurant instead of just snacks and dessert!

I'm quite excited to talk about this because as a Singaporean living in Hong Kong, it is extremely difficult to find a place that offers authentic Singaporean or Malaysian cuisine. However, this restaurant serves food that I deem as 70% authentic. If you thought Toast Box was authentic enough, let me tell you, you're wrong - very wrong. 

Nevertheless, if you're up for some Singaporean/Malaysian food, then try here! The environment is very nice and cozy, except if you go at night, they dim the lights and it looks very dark. Don't really know what the point of doing that was, but really, quite authentic Singaporean food! I was a very happy girl with a satisfied belly. 

Review:

Okay, Thai fish cakes. I am a huge fan of fish cakes, I'll probably cry if someone gave me a huge plate of fish cakes on Valentine's Day! All jokes aside, I do think that the fish cakes are quite oily, but nevertheless, the taste really did resemble the Thai fish cakes you can get in Thailand. The fish sauce (was it even fish sauce) that accompanied it, really complimented the fish cakes and made it even tastier! 

Thai Fish Cakes

PRAWN MEE! Oh goodness, my absolute favourite in Singapore!!! Although the colour of the soup isn't exactly accurate, the taste was quite similar to the one in Singapore. The soup base in Singapore's prawn mee is more towards a clear-yellowish colour, but in Noodle Lah! it's a dark red colour. There was a succulent amount of prawns and fish cakes, which made me really happy since fish cakes are LIFE. The noodles could be improved though; they used egg noodles but Singapore uses "oil noodles", otherwise known as 油麵. Overall, I do think this dish can be improved but other than that, it is quite accurate and resembles that of Singapore's prawn mee. Yuuuum.

Prawn Mee

Close up of Prawn Mee

Pictures of the restaurant since I thought the environment and decoration was quite nice! 

Glass bottle to hold chopsticks.

Noodle Lah!'s menu.

Reception area.

Facing the entrance/exit of the restaurant.

Sitting by the window is definitely a good choice, beautiful view!

Price:

$60 - $80 for main course.

Ratings:

Taste: ★★★★☆
Value for Money: ★★★★☆
Presentation: ★★★★☆
Environment: ★★★★☆
Overall: ★★★★☆

Address:
中文: 金鐘夏愨道16號遠東金融中心閣樓A6-2舖

English: Shop A6-2, UG/F, Far East Finance Centre, 16 Harcourt Road, Admiralty

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