Ban Heung Lau

Last Saturday morning, I had a volleyball competition with my volleyball team at the Shek Kip Mei Sports Centre. After we won the match, we decided to have lunch together as a celebration.

For most Hong Kong people looking for a place to eat in Shek Kip Mei, the first restaurant they would think of is Ban Heung Lau (品香樓 ) :D
Ban Heung Lau is a Chinese and Western restaurant. It is the most popular and famous restaurant in Shek Kip Mei. I have had meals there hundreds of times, and I still love it <3

We had 12 people and we ordered 11 dishes! We cleared all the food within half an hour as we were so hungry after finished an exciting ball game.

If you love dishes with strong tastes and fried foods, this is a good place.

If you haven’t had a meal in Ban Heung Lau yet, just take action! 

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Restaurant name : 品香樓 Ban Heung Lau
Address : Shop 204-205, 210-213,Nam Fung House, Nan Shan Estate, Shek Kip Mei, Kowloon
Telephone : 852-2778 8791
Opening hours : Everyday 06:45 – 00:00
Cost range/person  : $41-$100

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Anna So @ Foodielicious

Goodshow 飯飯通 – A Free HD Video Dining Website

Previously, I read an article from the newspaper, saying that a new dining website www.goodshow.com.hk / www.飯飯通.com will be launched in July this year. The website is a free high-definition video dining web magazine with a huge searchable restaurant database, food & dining coupons and Jetso information, two series of dining variety shows: 食訊遊蹤 and 師傅駕到, and forums for video sharing and food-lovers.

An article about "Goodshow 飯飯通" posted in Hong Kong Economic Times dated July 21, 2011

The show of 師傅駕到 has even invited Master Chef Chow Chung 周中師傅 and some other young female models as its hosts to use an interesting and informative way to promote Hong Kong Delicacies.

Members can simply start using their accounts by logging-in to the website from any location, with provisions for mobile apps, and they can also make instant bookings anytime, anywhere.

Moreover, there is an official Facebook Page about Goodshow, which lures business partners to use this website for issuing dining information to foodies. Goodshow will offer some promotion packages, including Online Promotion TVC, Motion Banners and Sponsorships of the variety shows to attract the advertisers.

http://www.facebook.com/search.php?q=goodshow&init=quick&tas=0.3879907938183135&ref=ts#!/pages/GOODSHOW/101042006649013

Personally, I like the new website’s ideas to use HD video for production and to allow customers to book the tables instantly online. Yet, for the part of inviting some business partners for promoting the restaurants, again, credibility issues about its contents may arise in the end.

Johnny Lo

Herbal Drink Shop 涼茶舖

If I find myself not feeling well, I will go to the herbal drink shop and take a glass of “Twenty-four flavours” or “Tea for cold”. It works.

Tsang On Tong herbal teapot, 1930s to 1960s

From the 19th to the early 20th century, as medical service was not fully developed, traditional herbal drinks such as “Twenty-four flavours”, sugar-cane juice, “Five-flower Tea” and “Fo Ma Yan” (fried marijuana seed) were the medicated drinks consumed on a daily basis.

It was said that drinking herbal tea could prevent and treat various ailments. Following the broadcast of the “Rediffusion” radio and TV shows, many people liked to patronize herbal drink shops where they could listen to radio broadcast or watch television programmes while sipping their herbal tea. In those days, herbal drink shops served not only as a place for having herbal drinks, but also a place to relax and be entertained.

Samantha Leung

"Hit the Road" in Causeway Bay

After reading a recommendation on my friend’s blog, I decided to try the Café, Hit the Road, which is located in Causeway Bay. It was quite a surprise for me~~I think it is a good place for a date ~Let me share it with all of you.

The food tastes good and the price is acceptable.
 We not only enjoyed the food, but also the environment and decoration. I like it so much!
The decorations are one of the elements which lead me to recommend this restaurant.

When I entered the café, it made me feel relaxed and comfortable. The ambiance is fantastic, and it incorporates a fairy tales style with the use of self-painted thick lines on the walls. The staff is very friendly; it is a very comfortable place and big enough for gathering a party too!

If you want to enjoy a relaxing and quiet holiday, I suggest you visit Hit the Road. It has a surprise in store for you!

*Remarks for you*

Maybe you can visit the link below and read the comments.

Openrice.com

Hit the Road

15/F, Capital Commercial Building, 26 Leighton Road, Causeway Bay

Tel:  2882 9522

Kinki :)

Hong Kong-featured Starbucks in Central

Do you like coffee? Frappuccino? If you like to drink coffee, you must have visited Starbucks before. Starbucks is common in Hong Kong, where ther are over 100 Starbucks.

After I watched a program produced from HKBNnews on Youtube, I visited this “Bing Sutt” Starbucks, which is located at Central.

The decoration is different from others; as it is mixed with Hong Kong Culture. The foodie will not only enjoy the food, but also the decoration that is unique to Hong Kong culture. It attracts many tourists and teenage visitors to take photos!

 

  

This “Bing Sutt” Starbucks provides some local foods such as the pineapple bun with thick cut butter and egg tart, but the taste is not very goodL.

 Are you interested in this Special Starbucks?

*Remarks for you*

Below is an introduction to the “Bing Sutt” Starbucks.

http://www.coffeeconcepts.com.hk/bingsutt/cn/bingsutt.asp

Starbucks

Floor M2, Baskerville House, 13 Duddell Street, , Central

Tel: 2523 5685

kinki:)

於冰室角落享受中式甜品

Starbucks X G.O.D 型格懷舊冰室(Food news)

Mexican Food Part I

Mr. Taco Truck, Quarry Bay

In Los Angeles, California, where I lived for seven years, the Latino community (Spanish/Mexican/Hispanic) made up a high proportion of the population. It was then that I was introduced to their ever so popular ethnic foods, Burritos and Tacos, prepared inside an infamous motor vehicle they called Taco Trucks. You can always count on a mouth watering and hunger satisfying experience without having to pay more than USD$5. 

Here’s a video of what the Latino community is and an introduction of their ethnic foods:

As my passion grew for Mexican foods, I gave myself another challenge when I returned to HK. It was to find an authentic but casual Burrito and Taco shop. I’m not talking about a fancy, overpriced sit-down restaurant that has air-conditioning and a full-sized mariachi music band, but rather a hole-in-the-wall place where it would difficult to accommodate more than ten people.  And Mr. Taco Truck in Quarry Bay was exactly what I was looking for.

Its interior was built as a replica of a taco truck built within the storefront.

Their menu ranged from tacos, burritos, nachos, enchiladas, and quesadillas. A wide variety of the Mexican cultural foods were offered at a very reasonable price.

The customers were mostly expatriates and/or people like me, the CBCs and ABCs (Canadian born Chinese and American born Chinese).
 

Here are my overall ratings of this place: 

Food: 4/5

Atmosphere: 3/5

Hygiene: 4/5

Value for Money: 4/5

If you’ve never tried Mexican food before, this will be a good experience for you.  My recommendation is to try the Beef Taco, Chicken Burrito and the Super Nachos.  Enjoy!

Mr. Taco Truck
Shop E, G/F
Oceanic Building
22 Finnie St., Quarry Bay
Tel: 2590-6911

Bernice O. AKA "The Ultimate Eating Machine" 

Japanese pork rice at Tsim ShaTsui (北海道十勝豚丼)

I always pass by this restaurant, and finally got a chance to taste it last week :D

This restaurant is famous for its pork rice using different parts of the pig with different cooking methods, like grilling and deep-frying.
I ordered the grilled thiny sliced pork rice set.

It looked so delicious and it tasted soooo good as well!
I was so afraid it would be too dry as it was grilled, but then it just went out too well.
Loved it!

Look at this!

I will definitely come here again!








Ratings:
Atmosphere : ****

Food:*****

Staff: **

Overall ratings: ****

Rachel Hui

Try the Xinjiang cuisine!! (Part 2)

I tried Al Pasha yesterday.  It was a really good restaurant.  The food is very special and tastier that I expected.  The dish I liked most is the Xinjiang naan, with two different sauces.  It is very delicious. The sauces were a good match with the naan, and were provided for free. Also, I liked the lamb very much.  It is quite different from lamb I tried before at Chinese restaurants.  Al Pasha is using some special seasoning to cook it.  It is very yummy. Moreover, I enjoy the bellydance show very much. The dancers are very pretty and sexy. They attracted all of the customers.  With this wonderful experience, I think that I will return to Al Pasha again and again.

Here’s a kind reminder: if you are a non-smoker, you need to book an appointment for the in-door table.

• Address Shop 401, K11, 18 Hanoi Road, Tsim Sha Tsui

• Tel: 3122 4444

Pang Ho Ting, Kate

Dai Pai Dong 大牌檔

I like “Dai Pai Dong” very much. It’s unique to Hong Kong culture and represents the hard working spirit of Hong Kong people. 
 
In the early 20th century, food stalls on the streets were very popular and formed “food street”. In order to regulate the operation of such stalls, the government introduced a licensing system to allow stall operators to sell cooked food in the form of “Dai Pai Dong”.

 

1920s - 1950s

It is said that with their licences larger than any other hawker licences, and with the stalls being packed side by side forming a row of stalls along the streets, people called them “Dai Pai Dong”. The word “Pai” is a transliteration of two Chinese homophones meaning a “licence” or a “row”.

1950s -1960s

In 1956, the government stopped issuing new “Dai Pai Dong” licences and forbade licence transfer. In 2010, the Hong Kong Government resumed the transfer of “Dai Pai Dong” licences, however, it was allowed only for those in Central.

時事追擊 香港大牌檔 一牌兩制 Part 1

  

時事追擊 香港大牌檔 一牌兩制 Part 2

It's not fair to implement the licencing system selectively. If the Hong Kong Government really wants to conserve the unique culture of Hong Kong, why don't they continue to allow them to operate. Come on, there are only 28 "Dai Pai Dongs" left in Hong Kong.

Samantha Leung

Hunan dinner

My brother and I decided we would go out for dinner to celebrate our mother’s birthday every year, so that my mom wouldn't need to cook for us on her big day. =P

This year, we went to the Hunan restaurant to celebrate our mom’s birthday. 

The restaurant is near our home so I noticed it. 

As all my family members love spicy food so much, I had wanted to have a meal there with them for as long as it had started its business.

We all enjoyed the dishes so much. If you love spicy food, this is a good place.

Mind you, be careful that you may have your tears running when you eat. ;)

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Restaurant name : 湖南少奶 Mrs Hunan

Address : 354 Prince Edward Road West, Kowloon City, Kowloon

Telephone : 852-2718 8033

Opening hours : Everyday 11:00 – 23:00

Cost range/person : $41-$100

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Anna So @ Foodielicious

BO-LO’GNE Café & Bar (博洛尼亞) In Central

If you like eating bread so much, I really recommend you must go to BO-LO'GNE Café & Bar to taste their fresh toast. It is really delicious and special!

The most popular is the Fresh Toast!

It has loads of butter, layers, and is crispy outside and soft inside. Besides the toast, I like the comfortable environment as well. Although it is quite small, it provide an outdoor feeling.

BO-LO'GNE Café & Bar is from Kyoto. It became popular throughout Japan and is known there as the "magical bread". This restaurant is also staffed by Japanese immigrants, so they don't speak Cantonese very well. J

Recently, they created their own blog for their fans!! It shows their shop details and online shop. You can also comment on it. One of the online services allows you to order different fresh toasts via their blogJ it is good for the foodie!

BO-LO’GNE Café & Bar Blog

And BO-LO’GNE Café & Bar attracts the media to visit them too!

Utravel

*Remarks for you*

If you want to enjoy this delicious food and environment, you must try it!

BO-LO’GNE Café & Bar is a quite small. I recommend you reserve seats by phone early.J

Or you can go to the branch at Harbor City (Tsim Sha Tsui), it provides more seats than Central.

BO-LO’GNE Café & Bar   博洛尼亞

Shop 1, G/F, 41 Aberdeen Street, Central

Tel:         2950 0600

Kinki :)

Sue Korean Restaurant, Tsim Sha Tsui

This boutique restaurant is located in a small street in the heart of TST.  It’s small with an intimate seating, so if you want to have a private conversation over dinner, this might not be the place for you. But not to worry, you won't be spending your time talking, instead you'll be enjoying the delicious food.

Like any Korean restaurant, once you sit down, you'll be greeted with a variety of assorted appetizers. Kimchi, spicy radish, bean sprouts, and pickled cabbage.  If you'd like to order more, it'll be an additional charge of HKD$15, but I would save room for the menu items.

Although all of the dishes on the menu are worth exploring, there are a couple of dishes I would especially recommend. Start with the spicy tofu soup (Soondubuchigae) served in a hot stone pot, which traps  the heat and pungent flavors, and is topped off with a raw egg.  

The beef short ribs (Kalbi) satisfies the cravings of any meat lover.  It is marinated in bulgogi sauce and grilled to perfection with a tender and juicy taste. Mmm...

If carbs are what you need to finish off the meal, the stir fry vermicelli with chicken (Jobchae) will fill the lonely void in your stomach. Moist chicken is paired with soft glassy noodles and a touch of sweet marinade.

 

Sue Korean's is a true find for a homey and satisfying Korean meal.

Sue Korean Restaurant
G/F, 7 Kimberly Street
Tsim Sha Tsui, HK
Tel: 2311-0133

Bernice O. AKA "The Ultimate Eating Machine"

Try the Xinjiang cuisine!!

Tomorrow is my best friend's birthday, so I would like to find some special restaurant to celebrate her birthday!  Therefore, I did a lot of research via the Internet and I found that Hong Kong really has many many kinds of food, like Japanese food, Shanghainese food, and American food.  But I think that those kinds of foods are not special enough for me...

Then, I start to search every restaurant at Tsim Sha Tsui though Openrice.  Finally, I found that there is a restaurant called Al Pasha, which serves Xinjiang cuisine.  It looks very tasty and special.  Also, it provides a Bellydance Show every night.

So I will go try it tomorrow and I will tell you if it is good or not!!^^ Al Pasha, I am coming!!

Pang Ho Ting, Kate

Formosa Autumn (Taiwan & shanghai cuisine)

I went to this little Taiwanese food restaurant last weekend. The restaurant is kind of a hidden one situated in a back street in Quarry Bay. It claimed to offer the "local-est" Taiwanese food and Shanghainese food. Obviously, the term "local" sounded too tempting, and I went in. : D

I ordered three dishes in total. On the right hand side, you'll see the dish called "deep fried pork-chop". It is served with shanghai-style rice, i.e. mixed with vegetable.
Well, this one was only okay as there was no sauce at all and it felt a bit dry (I am kind of sauce-lover).

On the left is the Shanghainese dish "pork with garlic sauce". This one confused me at first when it was served, as it looked totally different from the usual ones I ate in other restaurants. It wasn't that fat, and it also wasn't served with cucumber. Most importantly, it had no garlic!!!!!!
Erm...the garlic was inside the sauce that came alongside.
WEIRD.

The last dish was the "crispy fried chicken with rice". This one is a local Taiwanese dish and I loved it a lot! The chicken was soooo crispy outside yet it was sooo unexpectedly juicy inside! (I finished it too fast and could't manage to take a "just-served" photo, sorry!!!)
Well, for your information, it's the plate on the right side in the photo ------>


Talking about the decoration, all of the restaurant furniture is wooden and they have plain white walls to allow customers put their own "graffiti" on the wall; well, as you might have noticed in the first picture, the wall was already full so I think that's why I couldn't see anyone doing that on that night.
Funny, though, how low cost-furnishing could be regarded as a special feature of this restaurant.

Ratings:
Atmosphere : ***

Food:***

Staff: **

Overall ratings: ***

Rachel Hui