Hong Kong - Hayashi

Hokkaido hairy crab salad 

Shirako (cod milt) sautéed with herbs and butter

Hamburg in red wine sauce

Deep fried Hokkaido oysters

Sakura shrimp clay pot rice

Review: Simple Japanese cuisine using fresh ingredients and cooked with care - This quiet Japanese restaurant is situated in Macau Yat Yeun Centre in near SOGO in Causeway Bay, which houses a lot of other Japanese restaurants. The a la carte menu offers a large variation of Japanese dishes, from sushi to yakitori to shabu shabu. There are also special seasonal items and two choices of omakase. We opted for the a la carte. We began our meal with a mixed green salad topped with chunks of sweet Japanese hairy crab and tossed in a light citrusy dressing. The shirako was creamy, almost custard-like, and had a delicious butter and herb crust. My bf thought it was some sort of tofu thing and he quite liked it until I told him what it was. Naturally, he refused to take another bite. More for me then! We also liked the deep fried Hokkaido oysters, which had a light and crispy batter. The oysters were sweet and briny. Bf liked the hamburg the most. It’s pretty much a ground beef patty that had soaked up all the intense and flavourful red wine sauce. We ended the meal with a healthy portion of clay pot rice topped with sakura shrimp and fresh edamame. The rice was light and fluffy, and the crunchy edamame contrasted well with the sweet umami sakura shrimp.

I recommend: Hamburg in red wine sauce, Deep fried Hokkaido oysters, Shirako in herbs and butter 

Hayashi
Address: 21/F Macau Yat Yuen Centre, 525 Hennessy Road, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong
Phone: 2836-3800
Hours: Mon-Sat 12pm-1pm, 6pm-11pm


                                

Hong Kong - Kaya Korean Restaurant

Double-size Marinated Beef Short Ribs

 Spring Onion Salad (came with the short ribs)

Ox Tongue

Marinated Chicken

Cucumber Soju

Seafood and Spring Onion Pancake

Sliced Pork with Lettuce Wrap

Pan-fried Rice Cake in Spicy Sauce

Beef and Homemade Noodles Hot Pot

Review: Kaya’s new location is in Midtown Plaza II, half a block away from its original location. The decor remains similar – bright lights, wooden furniture and sizzling grills. The new location is undoubtedly more spacious and comfortable though. The marinated short ribs were delicious. The sweet soy marinade was spot on and the meat was juicy and tender. I loved the short ribs wrapped in lettuce leaves and smothered with gojuchang spicy bean paste and raw garlic. I had to brush my teeth extra hard and use a lot of mouthwash that night, but it was worth it! I usually stick to beef at Korean BBQ, but my brother ordered the marinated chicken and it turned out to be delicious and flavourful. Definitely a great alternative to beef. I also enjoyed the beef and noodle hot pot. The bowl of warm peppery broth with chewy noodles and sliced beef was the perfect ending to the meal. For drinks, I liked their cucumber soju. It was light and refreshing yet strong enough to give you a buzz. The service was spotty at times. We ordered lettuce for our beef and had to remind them three times before it finally arrived. That aside, Kaya serves decent Korean BBQ in a comfortable setting, and I look forward to my next visit.

I recommend: Marinated Beef Short Ribs, Marinated Chicken, Beef and Homemade Noodles Hot Pot

Kaya Korean Restaurant
Address: 9/F Midtown Soundwill Plaza II, 1 Tang Lung Street, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong
Phone: 2838-9550
Hours: Mon-Sun 11:30am-3pm, 5:30pm-11:30pm

Hong Kong - Mango Tree

Mango Tree (Elements location) is nestled between Miu Miu and Mikimoto at the far end of the mall, near ICC. We went there on a Saturday around noon without a booking and were seated immediately. The restaurant had a beautiful high ceiling and floor length windows which allowed a lot of natural light in. The furniture was mostly wood with silk accents, and the servers were dressed in traditional Thai clothing. For a moment I felt like I was in a resort restaurant in Phuket! That being said, Mango Tree is definitely more posh and pricier than most Thai restaurants in Hong Kong, but I think it is worth visiting for the quality of food, service and dining environment.

Thai Glass Noodle with Seafood: This dish was perfect to begin the meal with. The thin glass noodles were tossed with squid, shrimp, minced pork, onions, Thai celery and chili in a garlic-lime sauce. The combination of all the sharp and tangy flavours really opened up my taste buds. I loved the heat from the chilis and sweetness from the tomatoes. I only wish they gave us more glass noodles to mop up the delicious sauce.

Chicken in Pandan Leaves: I loved this dish. The chicken was marinated in garlic and herbs, wrapped in fresh pandan leaves then deep fried. The chicken was so moist and tender, and had absorbed all the lovely flavours from the marinade and pandan. The sweet sesame dipping sauce rounded out the smoky and slightly charred flavour of the chicken.

Crab Meat Yellow Curry in Crispy Bread: This hollowed bread was filled to the brim with succulent crab meat drowning in a rich yellow curry. The curry was divine. It was thick and creamy with a hint of umami from the crab and sweetened by coconut milk. It tasted almost buttery. There's probably a better way to eat this but when I tore into the bread for a piece, all the curry oozed out of the bread. It was quite messy to eat, but totally worth it! 

Verdict: There's something on the menu for everyone, whether you are a spice lover or not. The portions are great for sharing, so come with a group to make the most out of your meal. Service was attentive and the dishes arrived at an appropriate pace. I am definitely going back again for some gourmet Thai food.

I recommend: Chicken in Pandan Leaves, Crab Meat Yellow Curry in Crispy Bread

Mango Tree
Address: Shop 2032, 2/F, Elements, 1 Austin Road West, Tsim Sha Tsui
Phone: 2668-4884
Website: www.mangotree.com.hk

Hong Kong - Morihachi Yakiniku

Once I stepped out of the elevator, I was instantly greeted by the familiar aroma of delicious sizzling beef. I’ve been to Morihachi a few times before and I keep going back because of their good quality food and great value-for-money. The environment is super casual and you are pretty much left alone to grill your own food at your own pace which really works for me. Morihachi is known for beef and seafood, but they also offer an array of different items such as ramen, fried rice and sushi. Drinks are also cheap here. A glass of white will only set you back $38. We decided on the 4-person dinner set between the five of us, with an extra order of marinated beef short ribs.

Starters: Black Truffle Smoked Salmon and Cucumber Yogurt Salad and Deep-Fried Soft Shell Crab and Avocado Rolls (not pictured)

 Wagyu Beef Salad

 Starting from bottom left, clockwise: Selected Morihachi Style Short Ribs (嚴選汁燒和牛肋骨), Rock Oysters in Italian Herbs and Butter (意式香草牛油青殻岩蠔), Shrimps in Rock Salt (鹽燒花竹蝦), Ox Tongue in French Dijon Sauce (法式芥茉籽牛舌), Agu Black Pork (Thick Slice) with Rock Salt (厚切沖繩Agu 岩鹽燒)

Center: Hokkaido Matsuba Crab Legs (特上松葉蟹腳), Pot Marinated Chicken in Salt Lime Sauce (海鹽青檬壺漬雞腿肉)

A4 Saga Wagyu Beef Rib Eye (佐賀A4 極上和牛肉眼)

Extra order of Morihachi Style Short Ribs

 Vegetable Platter with Herbs and Butter

Japanese Wagyu Beef Fried Rice

Dessert: Strawberry Milk Pudding (not pictured)

Verdict: The bill came to around $250 each including one drink each and service. Solid meal with attractive prices, for both food and drink. Come with a date (they have booths) or book the private room for a large party to enjoy the casual grill-it-yourself environment without having to shout over your food to talk. It can get quite hectic in the main dining area. I think the quality of beef is quite decent at Morihachi, but serious beef fans can find higher quality beef and a larger variety of cuts at Futago. You can read my review here.

Extra info: Morihachi (Central location) has two seatings: 7-9 and 9-late. They also offer all-you-can-eat on more than 100 items and free-flow sake, wine and beer on weekends for $288 per person. 

I recommend: Morihachi Style Short Ribs, Hokkaido Matsuba Crab Legs, A4 Saga Wagyu Beef Rib Eye

Morihachi Yakiniku
Address: 3/F, 8 Lyndhurst Terrace, Central, Hong Kong
Phone: 2581-1933 / 2591-1816
Website: www.morihachi.com.hk

Hong Kong - Brew Bros Coffee

One of the (few) perks of being unemployed is being able to enjoy a late breakfast out on a weekday. Recently, I visited Brew Bros which opened recently in Sheung Wan. It's a cute small cafe on Hillier Street across from La Rotisserie. They serve breakfast food items like bagels and eggs all day, and they source their coffee beans from Melbourne.

Their latte was pretty good

Smoked Salmon Bagel with Cream Cheese: The bagel came with rosemary potatoes and a side of salad. Generous portion of smoked salmon, but the bagel was a bit too hard. The potatoes had good flavour, but were cold. The salad was dressed with a splash of balsamic.

Brew Bros Brekkie: This breakfast platter consisted of eggs on toast, smoked salmon, rosemary potatoes, a side of salad and baked beans. The scrambled eggs were very creamy and the bit of truffle on top was a delicious touch. The baked beans were not bad. Again, the potatoes were cold, but overall a hearty breakfast. 

Verdict: Not my first choice to go for breakfast, but if you are working in the Sheung Wan area, it's a decent place to get your coffee fix. Avoid the bagels.

I recommend: Eggs, Coffee

Brew Bros

Address: Shop F2, LG/F, 33 Hillier Street, Sheung Wan

Phone: 2572-0238

Website: https://www.facebook.com/brewbroscoffee

Hong Kong - Yakiniku Futago

Futago is a yakiniku (Japanese grilled meat) chain from Osaka, Japan. It was opened by twins in 2010, hence the name "Futago", which means twins in Japanese. According to their Facebook page, their concept is to provide "selected fresh beef at half price and half volume, so you can enjoy many kinds of meat". I first learnt about this restaurant from Dre’s mouthwatering Instagram feed (follow her @ledre). She has been more than once and has raved about it. Laubaby, twins Big and Small (haha twins at "twins"! Me so funny) and I made reservations for 7:30pm and we arrived on the dot. We were seated about 10 minutes later at a table near the automatic sliding door, but before we ordered they switched us to a table further inside the restaurant. That was a nice gesture as it was too warm to sit near the entrance with the door opening and closing constantly. Each table had its own little gas grill and a powerful smoke suction device. 

Salted Sesame Cabbage Salad (芝麻鹽醬椰菜）

Thick Prime Beef Tongue (厚切特上牛舌）

Roasted Beef Sushi (火焰牛壽司)

Special: Roasted Wagyu Beef Sushi (火焰和牛壽司)

Can't remember what this cut of meat was, but it was delicious!

They add garlic, wasabi and grated daikon for extra flavour.

Hamideru Karubi (大得驚人牛小排）

They divide this huge slice of beef into 3 different cuts, to be enjoyed separately.

Wagyu Prime Karubi (汁燒黑毛和牛肋骨）

Korean Style Karubi (韓式汁牛肋肉）

Beef with Sea Urchin (海膽牛肉) - watch the clip below to see how this dish was made

Verdict: We loved it. We had to order some of the dishes twice (beef tongue, wagyu karubi)! Great to go with friends who have big appetites! Most of the beef dishes were flavourful enough and didn't need the dipping sauce provided. I can't wait to go again. Futago not only offers delicious food at reasonable prices, but also friendly service and a fun environment. I liked how we were able to cook our own food but also sit back and relax while our server cooked the specialty dishes. FYI you receive a stamp for each visit, and when you get 10, you receive your very own gold tongs for use at Futago.

Yakiniku Futago HK
Address: Shop B, G/F, 1-5 Irving Street, Hong Kong
Phone: 2898 7707
Website: http://www.yakiniku-futago.com/ or go to their Facebook page for an online English/Chinese menu