Words: James Soo

Studios are now chasing the grey dollar. Hence ‘The Expendables’. And hence ‘The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel’. Basically proving that while pensioners may have money, they have no taste. Based on the book ‘These Foolish Things’ by Deborah Moggach, this cliche-ridden train-wreck of a film follows a disparate group of British pensioners finding themselves implausibly in a retirement home in Jaipur, India.

Soon, they discover that the magic of the East charms their stony Western hearts, as each of the characters undergoes a massive life-change in the twilight of their lives. Vomit. It’s targeted at the older generation, who the producers assume have the sensibilities of an earlier more racist age. Hence, loads of hilarious jokes about curries giving you a bad belly, funny Indians who shake their heads when they speak and lots of WISDOM from gnomic sadhus who point out the error of their uptight ways.

That the cast is a roster of England’s finest (Dame Judi Dench, Dame Maggie Smith, Bill Nighy, Tom Wilkinson etc etc) is all the more shocking. How could they have thought making this film was a good idea? For a start there are too many stories, so there is no room for more than a superficial sketch of each character. Plot is shat out through Dame Judi’s voiceover exposition-blog (interspersed with Dame Judi looking pensive and uttering more WISDOM). And the hotelier at the centre of it all is Dev Patel (from Slumdog Millionaire) whose embarrassingly parodic Indian accent rarely makes it out of the Welsh borders.

If the film had been made in the 70s when chanting racist slogans was a perfectly acceptable way to spend a Saturday night, then it would probably pass muster. But thinking it funny in 2012 to see a woman refusing to be operated on by a non-white doctor because ‘he can’t wash the colour out of his hands’ is just insane.

Words: James Poon

Metropark hotel in Wanchai has got a new concept with a new logo aiming to be revamped into the direction of a lifestyle hotel rather than being known as a business hotel. With that, they introduced a new restaurant, Le Chef.

Le Chef offers fusion cuisine, simply east meets west and their attempt at it is evident on their ipad menu with signature dishes such as the the Pan Fried French Duck Breast, Apply Puree in Balsamic Reduction server with Foie Gras Terrine and Wood Ear Fungus Salad or the Braised Marinated Pork Belly with Creamy Cabbage in Lemon Grass and Mango Sauce.

We started with the duck breast salad with the wood ear fungus. While the concept sounded interesting, the dish, just like its name, seemed to be just a desperate attempt to make it “fusion” and to call it a salad. If it wasn’t pointed out, I would not have see the “oriental” fungus. While I wish there was more vegetables, the dish turned out quite pleasant. The duck breast was tender and the foie gras terrine was just right.

We moved on with the Pork Belly and this was another attempt of being fusion but this time it worked. While I wished the pork belly would have been a little lighter, the taste is as good as you’ll find in a chinese restaurant while the creamy cabbage in lemon grass and mango sauce unexpectedly gave the dish a good lift.

The most impressive dish of the whole experience would have to be the Lobster Bisque. No fusion here but with the lobster served separately from the bisque, it was not just a gimmick but a fairly smart idea for the sake of the lobster not being overly prepared. The taste was excellent and the chunks of lobsters was the most generous I have had in a bisque.

Time will tell whether Metropark hotel’s attempt at revamping will work but Le Chef might have even a longer way to go in establishing itself as a credible fusion restaurant. Though, its efforts at trying has to be applauded and while the journey is tough, I can see them getting there eventually.

Address: 41-49 Hennessy Road, Wanchai, Hong Kong

Words: James Soo

Post 97 has gone upmarket. Gone are the hangover breakfasts over a cavalcade of Blood Marys, and let’s be honest, we’ve all spent some quality time there. But it was time for a makeover and the guys have done a decent job. These days the venue is a fancy Italian brasserie and it’s really not bad. There are still a few minor issues to deal with, but it now stands out in LKF as a date restaurant, rather than a recovery place.

The food is of course pretty damn good, and their focus now is on the Raw Bar, which is pretty unusual for Hong Kong. Instead of the usual pre-frozen prawns and slightly toxic oysters, the Raw Bar offers a huge range of interesting surf and turf choices. So while there’s bresaola and oysters, you also have fascinating thin rounds of, for instance, salami made of octopus or scallops with ‘caviar’ made from specially imported Australian Finger Limes. Pastas and mains are uniformly good – one standout for me was the Osso Bucco – but it’s fairly standard Italian fare. This isn’t a complaint, but don’t come here expecting something out of the ordinary.

The day we went was quite quiet, and with the white linen tablecloths it felt quite bare. However, once the crowd starts coming, it will be packed as before no doubt. Prices are reasonable, especially for the overpriced Italian market in Hong Kong, so if you feel the need for some carbs done properly, the new Post 97 ﹣ iL Posto 97- should be high on your list.

Address: 1/F, 9-11 Lan Kwai Fong, Central
Tel: 2186 1817

Words: James Soo

Walking past Sakesan you could be forgiven for not being entirely sure if it’s a bar, a club or a restaurant. The high ceilings, bar stools and Japanese pop art lightboxes wouldn’t look out of place at a funky drinking-hole in Shibuya. However, if you peer inside, the huge open robatayaki (Japanese grill) gives the game away. This is first and foremost a restaurant. And although the menu has plenty of the usual Japanese bits and pieces, this place is all about grilling.

Chef André was at Roka in London and helped open Zuma here, so he’s a bit of a master of the robatayaki. Grilled miso cod, beef tenderloin, salmon and chicken are the focus here, and the evening à la carte menu reflects that. But the best deal has to be their set lunch. Prices start at $68 for a huge tonkatsu (fried pork cutlet) curry rice, and even their grilled miso cod is only $188. Of course, being the pigs we are, we all had a set and a bunch of sides to share. The tonkatsu curry is enormous – a giant bowl filled with rice and curry with a really superb tonkatsu on the side. The cod and the beef tenderloin sets were more human-sized, and both were excellent. As a side, we tried their grilled scallops topped with an apple & wasabi dressing – unusual but the sharpness of the apple really enhanced the flavour of the (giant) scallops.

Address: G/F, 18 Shelley Street, Soho, Central
Tel: 2525 1660

Words: James Soo
Play, that nightclub with massive queues of models and model-wannabes and modelizers every weekend, also serves food. And you know what? It’s actually pretty good. That’s not totally surprising since the restaurant is run by a Japanese cabal including Satoru of Sushi Kuu and Beco. Dinner is served between 6 and 10.30 every night in the main bar and the pool room, and is generally a much more relaxed deal than the frenetic madness on the weekends. They close off part of the vast space which makes it still feel clubby but more intimate. Blue neon still courses around the room, but with mellower music, the play of the lights is soothing rather than disorientating.

The menu is more snack than substance. Divided into three sections (Light, Medium and Heavy) the menu is about things like Fried Chicken, Tempura Calamari, Spider Rolls, Baked Oysters (really very good) and mini Wagyu Burgers (the ones that have rice patties rather than buns are excellent). Prices are around $75 – $125 per dish, but the portions are large and everything we had was superb. And best of all, if you spend $350 on food during happy hour (6 − 9pm) you get a free bottle of house wine. Which is probably one of the best bargains in town. If you’re not into wine, the bar staff are at your command to mix any cocktail you’d like – in fact, if it’s not too busy, you can even ask them to create one just for you if you tell them the sort of thing you’re in the mood for.

You probably wouldn’t consider going to a nightclub for food, and the menu at Play isn’t everyone’s idea of a full dinner. However, if you’re a Yardbird devotee (but want somewhere a bit more affordable) or frankly enjoy your dinners to be more liquid than lardy, Play should definitely be on your list to try out.

Address: 1st Floor, On Hing Building, 1 On Hing Terrace, 14 Wyndham Street, Central
Tel 電話: 2525 1318

Words: James Soo
“It’s called The Monogamous Chinese because once you’ve tasted our food, you’ll never want to cheat on us by going anywhere else,” declares owner Jamie Higgins (of tiny speakeasy JaaBar). Tall words indeed. The restaurant is in that funny little alleyway under the escalator opposite Soho Wines, a location that has the potential to be as louche as some underground Berlin cabaret in the 20s. The interior capitalizes on this atmosphere with specially commissioned modernist Chinese artwork – there’s a large portrait of Mao that’s a clever collage made up of business cards – and interesting period touches enhance the smallish area (there are only about 6 tables inside with a few more outside in the alley). In fact, it’s pretty much a miniature China Club.

Thankfully, the food is a damn sight better than at the China Club. The menu is principally Sichuanese, and is extensive. Their signature dish is the Deep-Fried Black Boned Chicken with Diced Sichuan Chili Peppers – a vast bowl of fragrant dried red peppers that you have to hunt around in for the morsels of chicken. It’s unusual to use black chicken in this dish – for a start it looks quite eerie – but it pays off since it takes on the flavours of the pepper well and remains tender. Our favourite dish was probably the Deep-Fried Tofu with Crispy Garlic and Spicy Salt because the batter used was thicker than usual, giving the tofu the chance to absorb even more of that heavenly fried garlic taste. The Poached Fish Fillets in Hot Chili Oil, another Sichuan classic, was also good.

All their dishes, including their dumplings and many of their sauces, are prepared in-house, with no MSG, and this is reflected in the price. But the portions are a decent size and presented with a certain elegance. In the end, would I cheat on them? It’s hard to say, but with its decadent vibe and spicy food, it feels more like a sultry night out with your mistress than an evening in with your wife.

Address: 59 Caine Road, Central
Tel: 2523 2872

Words: James Soo

I know it’s bad, but sometimes I just need meat. Thick, juicy meat. Luckily, Hong Kong doesn’t exactly have a shortage of places where I can get my fix. Of course, I’m talking about steakhouses… And Prime is a prime example of where you can get a great steak in a comfortable setting without breaking the bank.

Prime has been around for a while, but it’s in Civic Square at Elements so it suffers from the usual problem of people not being able to find it. But if you can get past this hurdle, you’ll find a cozy, candle-lit restaurant with great food and attentive service. When we went there was a table of quite loud corporate types, but this is Hong Kong, so what do you expect? That aside, the tables are well-spaced, with enough room to give everyone a sense of privacy without being so far apart as to destroy the atmosphere.

The speciality here is clearly steak, with a range of different USDA and Canadian cuts to choose from. Prices start from $198 for the sirloin to $688 for the 32oz two-person Canadian Bone-In Ribeye. The prices may be on the lower end for Hong Kong, but the quality certainly isn’t. My 14oz Prime Ribeye was just the meat fix I needed. Beautifully cooked (rare), it was probably enough for two small(ish) eaters, but that didn’t stop me pushing through and finishing the last delicious (and enormous) bite. If you’re not into steak, I’d recommend their Lobster & Scallop Bisque which is hearty enough on its own, heaped with plenty of lobster meat. There are certainly plenty of lighter options as well, but you’re at a steakhouse – why would you have a salad?

Address: Shop R008 3/F, Civic Square, Elements Mall, 1 Austin Rd West, West Kowloon
Tel: 2311 3108

Words: James Soo

Xia Fei Society is a pleasant new addition to the high-end Chinese, and specifically Shanghainese, restaurant scene. The decorations are sober and business-like, without the rococo fussiness that characterizes so much of what passes for interior design here. With a location in the heart of Central, it is perfect for business lunches – and its numerous private rooms make office functions easy to arrange.

The menu is vast and encompasses much of the gourmet Chinese repertoire, including (unfortunately) shark’s fin. However, it’s easy to skip that page. Being predominantly Shanghainese, seafood is a speciality, with crab and river shrimp featuring most prominently. However, Shanghai has plenty to offer meat-lovers – grilled pork belly, smoked duck with tea as well as of course the xiaolongbao (soup dumplings) – as well as some excellent vegetarian dishes.

We were only two for lunch, which meant that we couldn’t over-order in true Chinese fashion. In fact, we were virtually frugal, content with only a few dishes. Of course, we started with some xiaolongbao, which were truly excellent – plenty of soup and the dumpling-skin was the perfect thickness: thick enough to be handled without breaking but delicate enough not to overpower the dumpling. It was a toss-up between the deep-fried eel or the Shanghainese-style smoked fish, but we went for the crunchy, crispy eel to contrast with the softness of the other dishes. The sauteed river shrimp were tiny and delicious, as opposed to the large tasteless ones you normally get, and the stir-fried niangao (coin-sized slivers of rice dough) were well-flavoured. To make up for our frugality, we decided to have a dessert – the sweet Chinese herbal soup, perfumed with osmanthus flowers, wolfberries and citrus peel – perfect for a cold winter’s day.

Address: 4/F, Century Square, 1 – 13 D’Aguilar Street, Central
Tel: 2522 7611

Words: James Soo

Tucked into the stairs under the LKF Hotel where Sushi Qube used to be, Robata Zawazawa is a tiny 20-something seat Japanese robata grill restaurant. Most of the seats cluster round the bar, and a few tables fill the rest of the compact space. Of course, Zuma and Roka are probably the most well-known robata restaurants in town, but Zawazawa is a welcome addition (especially since they’re open most nights till 2am).

We went there for lunch and tried out their well-priced sets – I had the black cod while my companion had the chicken. We also tried their seasonal vegetable hot-pot. The sets all came with soup, rice, salad and we were offered a beautiful appetizer of 6 different types of Japanese pickle elegantly presented on artfully chosen ceramic dishes arranged in a special six-compartment laquer box. Of course everything was excellent, although we felt that the chicken was probably the better choice in the end, even though the hot-pot was perfect for that unusually chilly December day. We weren’t drinking, but I couldn’t help but notice the wide variety of Japanese malt whiskies, sakes and the large cocktail menu.

I imagine at night with the robata grill on full force, the spot will be toasty and cosy in the cold winter months ahead. And despite its location right on the stairwell up to Wyndham Street, it’s a space that manages to avoid the scrum of both LKF and the bars above it, a perfect sanctuary of Japanese barbecued goodness right in the thick of it all.

Address: LG/F, 41 Wyndham Street, Lan Kwai Fong, Central
Tel: 2536 9898

Words: James Soo

It’s always struck me as odd that Hong Kong doesn’t have more dim sum bars. For something so quintessentially Hong Kong, why is it that whenever I ask people for a good dim sum place, people mutter something about Maxim’s at City Hall or there’s that one in Mongkok with a Michelin star, but you have to wait all day etc. etc. So I was pretty pleased to hear about dim sum bar, a new no frills, but modern-look dim sum restaurant in Harbour City – perfect for some char siu bao action during a frenetic last minute Christmas shopping frenzy.

The decor is fresh and clean – a far cry from traditional dim sum houses – and you don’t have belligerent waitresses screaming at you as they wheel their trolleys round the bustle. Instead, you have a full range of classical dim sum (some with flavours quite unexpected from their more conventional counterparts) as well as a selection of modern approaches with interesting flavour fusions. Our steaming baskets of goodies arrived quickly and we were impressed by the taste. I can’t claim to know what Michelin-starred dim sum tastes like, but this place really isn’t bad. Their signature dishes include the luxuriantly rich King Prawn Dumplings in Lobster Bisque as well as the Baked Abalone and Chicken Pastry. Modern takes on traditional fare are Steamed Siu Mai with Truffles.

If you’re a dim sum fan, you’ll be excited to know you can get your fix from 11am till 11pm every day. And best of all, you won’t have to wait for hours outside till you can get your gnashers round a perfect char siu bao.

Address: Shop G103, Gateway Arcade, Harbour City, Canton Road., Tsim Sha Tsu
Tel: 2175 3100

Shop 119, 1/F, Nina Tower Shopping Mall, 8 Yeung Uk Road, Tsuen Wan, New Territories
Tel: 2400 9038