Naozen

After having walked past this sober looking place a million times, we decided to venture in. Great Japanese, simply set out with private rooms at the back, we sat at the bar and had spicy tuna roll, my favourite and served at perfect temperature - sake maki, special sauteed beef and tempura, two rice sets with 4 delicious crisp Asahi - not too much for two, just hit the spot. Well presented with an eye for detail, the meal was very good, however the bill was over HK$700 - which was a little surprising, as it was hardly the most adventurous of orders.

Elgin Street Dai Pai Dong

Up there with Mak's Noodles for won ton min - plus with the added ambiance of street eating - perched on the side of a very steep hill with rickety plastic stools at fold away tables.

Super cheap with generous servings - the soup base is rich, fishy and smooth, won tons and min with lots of bite, served at super speed. A must for cheap quite eats and a cert for me tonight before I meet with my blonde friend for what will invariably be too many drinks.

Au Belge

To say the Restaurateur here has lost his passion for the work would be a bit of an understatement and perched on Old Bailey Street next to a ropey looking bar and a lovely looking Thai, is Au Belge.

The restaurant itself is not bad - what you would expect for a homely steak-frite/moule-frite joint - a little dated, a little chintzy. As for the food - again, not bad, but then, not good either.

First things first, the bread basket was dreary - warmed cheap bread, the sort which you buy half cooked in the freezer section of ParkNShop and the butter tasted of the fridge - most unpleasant.

I opted for the French onion soup - it was ok - nothing outstanding and the croutons which had obviously sat in it for a while before coming out where of a similar texture to old dish sponge - why they hadn't left them all crisp, with a topping of grilled Gruyere, on the side so I could add them at will? Or at least scattered them on as it left the kitchen.

For the main course E and I shared a Chateaubriand. We have a rule that you can only order steak at a steak restaurant (or the Press Room) as it's too easy an option and you might miss out on something excellent elsewhere on the menu. But, as we were in a place that specialises in it, we went all out. It was good - as one would expect - fine quality, done to medium-rare as requested, so why, oh why would they offer to spoil it by trying to get us to "pick a sauce" to go over it - surely a Bearnaise, blue cheese or pepper sauce would ruin it and detract from the texture and flavour we were supposed to be savouring? And, as for the frites - not great, and bearing in mind the fanfare they got, I was disappointed. Two of our party opted for stews (one beef and one chicken) and these were very good - nice base, good hearty food.

The puddings were ok - the kind of cliched fare you can find in any bistro, especially outside of France/Belguim. We skipped the cheese - they really weren't selling it well - for some reason no-one was clear/could be bothered about what cheese were available. My Crème Caramel was spot on, so it was a shame that one of our dining companions Crème Brûlée had separated and therefore not set properly, resembling a bowl of catsick once he had broken though the brûléed crust. We also thought we would indulge in a spot of dessert wine to accompany our last course, and as the list was limited (to one), we picked it. Unfortunately, they didn't have it, and, with a shrug of the shoulders, that was that. What anyone who wanted repeat trade would have said is that literately around the corner is a Watsons Wine shop and if we popped round there we could BYO, which is what we did as I had spotted it on the way in.

Really, it's the simple stuff that really makes a difference, which is what this place is trying to achieve but seriously lacking. Sort out the bread, be a better host, think about the presentation, do quality, basic traditional dishes that can be well executed easily and ditch the wipe down menus. A little (with no extra costs) could go a long way. So obviously I'm not going back, but if a hearty stew and a 70's style pud in homey surroundings takes your fancy then this might just fit the bill.

This Weekend

I am feeling like such a glutton at the moment, and as soon as C is dispatched to Vietnam tomorrow, E and I will resume business as usual on the eating front, and by that I mean salads all round until next weekend, but it has been lovely to have an excuse to indulge.

I was a bit disappointed with the places we ended up in this weekend - there was no amazing stand out meal, we only went to Shake 'em Buns (excellent but hardly the gourmet rush I was after), The Blue Duck Workshop (the less said about the food the better), The Peak Cafe (average, but a lovely garden when it's not chucking it down with rain - hello summer?) and Beirut for the best houmous in Hong Kong (honestly, I've tried them all).

Though we made up for this inviting the "the parents to be" over and having roasted welsh lamb marinated in beautiful olive oil with garlic and rosemary, accompanied by crunchy green beans in a minted wholegrain mustard vinaigrette, and smashed roasted potatoes (due to a tad too much par-boiling and a too vigorous shaking before putting them in the oven - though they worked). After this we had a steamed syrup sponge with a hint of lemon and lashings of custard coupled with five bottles of red and a bottle of pudding wine, followed by several games of cards, the "who am I?" game, the Game of Life, and a slump in front of the GP/Tennis with a cup of mint tea.

A lovely rainy Sunday.

Babek

Tucked away down Elgin Street is Babek, a small but bright and airy modern Indian restaurant. Much as I like to load up at The Tandoor on Lyndhusrt, this Saturday we wanted spicy marinated meats but without having to loosen our belts and waddle out afterwards.

The menu is small, which I love - it demonstrates the restaurants confidence - doing what they know best and doing it to perfection, and that's what we are paying for after all. You can either opt for the tasting menu - a ten course extravaganza of everything they do, or just choose any of the courses separately. Having had the full menu on the last two occasions, we just choose our favourite bits from last time (which by the time we had ordered, amounted to pretty much most of the menu anyway).

We had a couple of plates of Mutter Ki Tikki, little fried pea cakes accompanied by a dipping sauce with a good spicy hit. These were followed by fiery jumbo piri piri prawns, paneer cheese, tandoori chicken and peshawari lamb chops, completed by warm daal and excellent fluffy warm naan and sweet sheermal breads. The meats were marinated to perfection, and I'd certainly order it all over again next time.

Red Pepper

Yey for guests! It's the only time we ever go here, but that fact they know my name now shows how often we've been and as with lots of Chinese restaurants, it is best to go in a large groups.

Yes, the decor is a little dated, it's certainly not swish by any stretch of the imagination (especially if you get stuck in the upstairs room), and they always advertise in the SCMP and HK mag that they won the award for best Sichuan food (not pointing out the year or who it was awarded by) but it's always busy, and does exactly what you would expect it too - serves hearty spicy Sichuan fare perfect for out of town guests on their first night here. Go for their famous sizzling prawns, the chicken and cashew nuts, the fried string beans with pork, the aubergine with pork, the sauteed pak choy in garlic, and pots of the lychee tea.

Don't forget your friends, the more the merrier in this place, and the more spicy dishes to indulge in.

Mak's Noodles

Without a doubt, the best won ton min in town, and always features on my patented tour of Hong Kong, along with Red Pepper (the ultimate gweilo Chinese), Dim Sum, the mad pork place not for the feint hearted, duck overlooking the harbour at Peking Garden and a final meal, pre-airport, at Crystal Jade La Mian Xiao Long Bao. And, as C is in town, we're bound to be frequenting them over the next few weeks. Yey!

Super quick and very easy, the restaurant is small and clean and the staff are super friendly and speak English. Splash out and get a plate of spicy pork and a plate of steamed greens to share as well. The noodles are fresh and bitey, the won tons are made every morning by the gents who serve you (you can see this if you get there when they open at 11). The soup is divine - who knew a few tablespoons of liquid could taste SO good. It's a great hangover cure to boot.

Admittedly, it's not the cheapest bearing in mind it's hole in the wall food - a whole HK$36 for a small bowl of noodles with four won tons so if it's cheap you're after the place over the road does a bigger, less superior version for HK$16.

Note: There's no name in english on the outisde, though there's a few reviews in the window, next to the guy doing the cooking. It's number 77 Wellington Street.

Simpatico

With E being a super Italian food buff, I never thought we'd manage to find an Italian restaurant we could actually eat in, let alone return to on a regular basis. Only a quick stroll down to the Peak galleria, and we're at Simpatico, a relatively new Italian and dangerously close enough to entice us to throw caution to the wind and indulge in pasta and red wine booze on a rainy Tuesday....

Eating in a shopping mall never feels quite right (especially one as ugly as the Galleria), but once you step inside, you almost forget where you are as the huge sliding windows open out on to an airy terrace overlooking the south side and plenty of greenery.

The menu is not too big, with a good selection of dishes but not overwhelmingly so. And, from what we have sampled so far - it all has hit the spot. The carpaccio always makes for a great starter after you've wolfed down the warm bread selection. The pizzas were thin and crispy with a flour-dusty crust that you know has been freshly thrown and topped with good quality tomatoes and mozzarella. The pasta is just the right texture with a correct amount of sauce (we've had the pesto, bolognaise, broad bean and Parma ham and gnocchi - like I said, it’s just down the road..). I've yet to sample the carne part of the menu - the spring chicken always sounds tempting, but the lure of good pasta is just too strong.

As for the puddings – I’d skip them (the cheese plate would have left a wee mouse feeling peckish) and head over to Gino’s Gelato for an ice cream and a look at the view.

Shu Zhai

What better way to start a Sunday than Dim Sum and the papers, and if you can find somewhere to park, Shu Zhai in Stanley has some of the best.

The restaurant is classically fitted out with dark wooden furniture and panels with stark walls and floors - it makes for a cool retreat from the fierce seaside sun. We had large plump Har Gao, Crispy prawn wontons and some spring rolls, fluffy Char Sui Bao and flavoursome steamed dumplings stuffed with garlic, greens and crab. This was topped off with fried rice with ginger and lashings of tea.

Recommended - freshly made and well executed Dim Sum is in a different league to the mass produced trolley type - It's up there with my favourite Dim Sum joint. They also have a great looking full menu - I keep meaning to try it for dinner one weekend.

BeO

UPDATE: This restaurant has now closed.

So, we decided to check off another restaurant, BeO, on our list on Saturday night.

Despite the unfortunate name, the room itself is lovely - with large glass windows overlooking the greenery - I'd imagine it's a great spot for lunch.

The food was excellent - to start with, I had Black Cod with potato rostis and tomatoes - delicious, such simple flavours and the rostis where done to a tee with a perfect crunch. E had a New Zealand bleu cheesecake with leaves - again, excellent (though a little too cold - because they got the order wrong the first time, it had come straight of the fridge and hadn't had time to rest).

For our main course, I had lamb rack with mash and a sprout (brussel) salad and E plumped for the crab linguini - again absolutely superb - the lamb was cooked to perfection, pink and tender, and the sprouts (separated into leaves) was an interesting twist on the usual greens. E's linguine (rocket and beetroot) had been made on the premises that day and was cooked with just the right amount of bite with a beautiful combination of flavours.

The puddings too were delectable - the best steamed fig sponge with almonds (much like the Ivy's sticky toffee pudding) and a lovely chocolate plate, with an assortment of textures.

So - the food was very good - well thought out, great ingredients, well executed - one of the best meals, food wise, I've had in a long time, however - the rest, which is what truly makes for a great restaurant experience, needs a lot more work.

For example - if the human race has spent several millenia working out how to make perfect eating receptacle (such as a plate, a bowl, a cup) why try to change them? The dinner service came in all shapes and sizes - wavy edged, tear drop shaped, often exblazened with the logo, just in case we forgot where we were. The bowl for the pasta was boat shaped and way too deep to get the pasta out of with a fork - E looked like he was trying to perform key-hole surgery throughout the main course and due to the shape of the coffee cups, we finished our meal by drinking out of a mini toilet bowls. The result was that the table looked like it had been furnished with a trolley-dash through ceramic seconds shop and the feeling was one of eating in a Dali painting.

Minor gripes, which could be applied to pretty much every restaurant in Hong Kong:
Music - why is this necessary, especially when the speaker is about two feet away from our heads? Please write the order down so you don't get in wrong and please don't take away my finished plate when someone else at the table is still eating. The Martini's also need some work.

It honestly had the feeling that the chef (a very nice Australian who came over to ask how our meal was) had been in charge of the food - which was well executed, but maybe his wife/interior design company had done the rest of the restaurant and the two had never consulted on a united aim.

I think this was also demonstrated through the menu - the descriptions were overly detailed and wordy, to the point of confusion - nothing leapt out from the initial peruse through and I thought I was going to struggle to order something I really wanted. Although the food that came out met the description on the menu in terms of the items given, you really weren't sure what you were expecting - I couldn't remember the full description of ANY of the dishes we'd ordered once I'd closed the menu.

So, would I go back? I think I'd give it another try in the next six months (E says purely for the fig sponge) and see if anything has changed - though I doubt it will have.

Cenacolo, Yi Jiang Nan, Ragu Bolognese

Had probably the worst meal out in HK so far on Friday at Cenacolo on Graham Street, Central (fortunately with great company though). It was like eating in a Italian in Streatham circa. 1972 - complete with wooden cartwheels on the wall, because they look, you know, rustic.

Anyway, I had read a unfavourable review of this place first (sour milk Pannacotta anyone?) but as I hadn't booked it and am trying to rein in my Bossy Boots (or Little Miss Know-It-All as E says) tendencies, I didn't mention anything.

"Worst" makes it sound like it was so awful that we all spent the night being ill - it wasn't that at all - it was just a bit rubbishy - all the dishes came as the menu stated, but is was just so disappointing - the the menu was overly lengthy (pages and pages), the antipasto platter was exactly that only they had used the cheapest meats and accompaniments, the pasta was ok, but again, they had used the cheapest type of pasta, so the texture was poor, the calamari was rubbery (and a bit fishy), the main courses un-memorable and I don't think any of us finished them, and the medium-bodied red recommended wasn't. It wasn't that the food was bad (the service was good), it was just very poorly executed food - no passion or love or thought. In HK's fierce and excellent restaurant scene, I am amazed they can get away with it.

However, despite this we did have such a fun night due to the company - lots of chatting and wine (and cherry-topped drinks). We ladies had to be forced into in taxis at 2. Perfect.

All this was followed up by a lovely meal at Yi Jiang Nan on Staunton Street on Saturday, when we were both feeling a little sorry for ourselves and craving the comfort food of fluffy white rice and spicy chillies. The beef with scallions was excellent, as was the garlic sauteed Chinese broccoli. Also good was the fried chicken with chilies and the salt and pepper aubergine (though a little plentiful). It certainly hit the spot.

Yesterday we had impromptu lunch on our new dinning room table - square is the way forward, very sociable. I made fettuccine with ragu, whilst E brought some lovely Jambon Iberico (leg and loin) which we ate with Parmesan and honey for nibbles first, and a couple of lovely bottles of red and a pudding wine which we had with Friands - all very good. Followed by a few too many drinks down at the Peak Lookout, under the trees in the garden.

Ragu (Bolognese)

This takes awhile to make so I recommend making twice the recipe and freezing the rest – it’s very handy to have lots in the freezer, and you can also use it as a base for cottage pie and lasagne. It re-heats like a dream.

1 kg lean mince beef
50g Good butter
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 white onion, finely chopped
1 small carrot, finely chopped
1 small stick of celery, finely chopped
300ml dry white wine
200ml milk
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
400g tinned tomatoes (plum or Italian), chopped

Melt the butter and the oil in a heavy bottomed pan on a medium heat and add the carrot, celery and onion and cook until the onion is translucent. Add the beef and stir until all the raw red colour has gone (but it’s not fully cooked or brown). Turn the heat to medium-high and add the wine and stir occasionally until the wine has evaporated. Turn back to a medium heat and add the milk and nutmeg and stir until most of the milk has evaporated. Then add the tomato and stir until they bubble. Tune the heat down low and cook for at least and hour (if it reduces too much, add a little water)

Storage: Freeze in re-sealable bags. Make lots as it freezes really well.

Weather - as before. Really. Not good.