Simplylife Bread and Wine

I had breakfast here and it's a quiet sanctuary amidst the buzz and rush near the financial heartbeat of Hong Kong. Maybe it's overpriced. But maybe, you are paying more for the harbour view and comfort. 

Yay or Nay? Yay

But? it's an upmarket Western cafe and I heard sprouts from the same parent company of Maxim (can anyone confirm this?) so an average Hong Konger thinks it's not worth it.

To try? I was there for breakfast so anything hearty.

Address? Shop 1081, IFC Mall

Nearest MTR? Hong Kong station

Azure at Hotel LKF

The decor of Azure is nice and bourgeois and the selling point is supposed to be an open balcony that gives you a breathtaking night view of Hong Kong island. Unfortunately, the reality of the matter is people are crowded there smoking and taking photos so it becomes less of a calm view but a quick! snap a picture and scoot! kinda experience. The balcony is quite small too. It was just quite a squeeze outside.

Yay or Nay? Nay

But? Nice decor indoors. Comfortable and cozy too.

To try? Any cocktail I guess.

Address? 29/F Hotel LKF, 33 Wyndham Street, Central

Nearest MTR? Central Exit D2. Go past the Lan Kwai Fong stretch.

Four Seasons Pot Rice 四季煲仔飯

Hong Kongers say any stall along Temple Street has good claypot rice but I wouldn't know because I've only tried Four Seasons. I personally think the taste is nothing to shout about but this place's charred rice (the layer of rice stuck to the pot) is really yummy. The one with preserved wax sausage seems more fragrant but I cannot understand why they don't cut it into smaller pieces because it is too hard to be bitten off.

The claypot with lid is served to you and you are suppose to add however much soy sauce and/or fish sauce, cover it back and let the sauces permeate the whole pot of rice before tucking in. Be careful when lifting the lid though, because they obviously don't provide you with a cloth or napkin even when it is scalding hot.

Yay or Nay? Yay

But? Be prepared to wait about 15 mins because they are slow cooked using charcoal.

To try? Generally anything with 臘腸 (wax sausage). Their side dishes (like the oyster egg) is pretty famous too.

Address? 46 Arthur Street

Nearest MTR? Yau Ma Tei Exit C

Barn II

Cheap drinks yeah hey! Looking for a place with cheap beers that come in TOWERS? Barn II is the place to go to and it is conveniently located in CWB. Refilling of peanuts are fast and furious, together with the beer. This place is old-school bar with neon lights and all.

Yay or Nay? Yay to cheap beers

But? Bear with irresponsible (to me) people who smoke indoors. Or the noisy, poor students who can't afford swankier places.

To try? San Miguel beer? It's weirdly famous in HK and it even has a brewery onshore. Though it's a Filipino brand.

Address? 482 Jaffe Road, Cigna Road, Causeway Bay

Nearest MTR? CWB Exit D1

Face-off: 楊枝甘露

Here comes the second installation of face-off. 楊枝甘露 is a very common and popular dessert and it's essentially mango pieces, sago and pomelo in mango puree/sauce. It is sweet, sourish (depending on the mango) and bitter (depending on the pomelo).

Our two contenders are:
1) 許留山 Hui Lau Shan is a ubiquitous dessert stall in HK. It is almost impossible that anybody who has set foot on HK has not heard of it.
2) 發記甜品 Lucky Dessert is a slowly but surely expanding dessert chain store, originally from 深井 (Sham Tseng).

My verdict on both's 楊枝甘露 is that Lucky Dessert wins, hands down. In fact, I'm gonna brave all flak and declare that Hui Lau Shan is a severely overrated dessert stall.

Pros: The mango puree/sauce is thick and not diluted/icy like Hui Lau Shan's. There is also more ingredients and a generally more mango-y taste.

Cons: The pomelo was a little too bitter. Which probably just means that they didn't artificially sweeten it, I guess.

This face-off is slightly different from the first because I actually have not done a proper review and introduction of both places. In any case, find out where the branches of Lucky Dessert are. I know they have a branch in Mongkok and Causeway Bay.