So Linguini Fini is back in town, relocated to Elgin Street in Soho, where Nico’s Spuntino used to be, and before that, Fat Angelo’s. Wow, now come to think of it, that spot is sure popular for Italian restaurants. I wonder why?
Anyway, I disgressed. Chef Vinny Lauria – one of the earliest advocates of western-style nose-to-tail dining in Hong Kong – is back with a splash with Linguini Fini, creating some new trends with the opening of their new location.
Recently we went to Spasso for brunch at its new location at Tsim Sha Tsui East. It was Maureen’s choice and honestly there can only be that many weekends one can spend at bar & grill, good as they may be.
It was proven to be an excellent choice. It was a sunny morning, and the place was already buzzing with large groups and families. Spasso’s brunch is served from 11:30am through 3:30pm and is priced according to the choice of main course.
But first off, let’s look at their buffet line first, which comprises of Italian selections and international favorites. The seafood counter was the best of all the buffet sections, in my opinion – a fresh pile of shucked oysters, Boston lobster, yabbies, mussels, shrimps, and sushi and sashimi.
Great Greek dinner at a restaurant named after our favorite island! The food at Santorini Hong Kong was amazing, especially the moussaka (pictured below) with the light-as-air mozzarella top and intense minced meat. The chef is Greek and the place a great reminder of what we left behind at the end of that amazing summer holiday (of which I have yet to blog about!)
Now I wish I had taken more notes of my great dinner that night. Definitely worth a visit, even if you are new to Greek food. Check out their online gallery to see for yourself the beautiful restaurant.
Those of you whom have been following my blog would know that I love Secret Ingredient. I tried a couple of their meals, and they always deliver to my expectations without fail.
But it has been months since my last Secret Ingredient meal, so for new year’s eve, I decided to splash it out for a premium range meal – Armani | Aqua’s US black angus steak with cabernet & salish salt seasoning, panzanella salad & sherry vinaigrette. Secret Ingredient partnered with Chef Andrea of Armani / Aqua for this particular dish.
I am blogging this right after my meal at Masala. This is considerably surprising, since I have a whole string of unblogged gastronomical encounters over the past few weeks. Those, and not this, should take priority.
I blame the lingering curry smell on my fingers. That, and of course the very lack of blog posts of recent days put me in a mild panic that I have lost my blogging mojo for good.
But no matter. You are here to read about my dinner experience at Masala.
Char chan teng is but a culture that is somewhat inherent to Hong Kong. Everywhere you go, if you are craving for a simple local meal, just look out for any cafe-like but Chinese-run eateries around you. The culture is so pervasive that you can hardly distinguish one from another. A good one, a bad one, and everything in between melt into one big dizzying array of food to choose from.
That is until you come across Lan Fong Yuen (蘭芳園) located at Central.
It was late one Sunday afternoon when my friends called me up for a spot of afternoon tea. I have heard of Lan Fong Yuen mainly from my friends’ Foursquare check-ins. Since it was a mild autumnal afternoon, the day was perfect for me to take a stroll from my house to Gage Street where Lan Fong Yuen is located at.
Needless to say, I was late. So we ordered in a haste what the locals would typically order. You won’t go wrong with that rule of thumb!
Dessert shops are a dime a dozen in Hong Kong. Even though I have been living here for more than a year, I never ventured to more than a handful all this time, because:
1) I am counting my calories; and
2) My favourite, Honeymoon Dessert is 5 mins from my place
Maybe it was the delicious dinner, or perhaps a pint too many beer after the birthday dinner, we decided on a whim to have some dessert before calling it a night. And we chanced upon a dessert shop which I passed by every morning on the way to work but never went in.
I am a creature of habit. My daily routine hardly varied, and that includes my dining out choices. If you are foolish enough to ask me to plan for eating out, invariably you will end up at some place you and I have been to before.
But that changed, for once, when the birthday boy said, “I am sick of thinking of where to eat.” Only then I realised, gosh, that sounded exactly like me every time I attempted a dinner out.
So, as a treat for the birthday boy (whom, incidentally, I last met a year ago and was amongst my first few friends in Hong Kong), we took the road less traveled to… the Champs Bar & Restaurant in Wan Chai.
I have been to this place once for drinks with colleagues, and it was kind of a love at first sight. Well, probably love is too strong a word, but I do like how uncrowded it was, and the sofa seats were very comfortable and cozy. The phrase “American Bistro” came to mind.
Update: Fat Angelo’s at Elgin Street is now no longer in operation
I am a creature of habit. My first impulse, when asked to choose for a dinner venue, would always be either Fat Angelo’s at Central, or New Star Hotpot in Mongkok. It doesn’t matter whether it is a gathering of friends or even dates. These places are tested-and-proven for me.
And because Fat Angelo’s are a mere HKD18 cab ride away from my place, I frequent them more than I care to admit.
It was the famous restaurant.
Countless tourists and locals alike sang praises for their famed roast goose and century eggs. Yung Kee Restaurant featured so prominently on my many friends’ to-do lists that it was a wonder how I have never stepped into the place before.
So when my friend and I were brainstorming (over WhatsApps, no less) on a place to go for dinner during his last night in Hong Kong, the choice is obvious. Yung Kee it was.