Sushi Kuu

Sushi Kuu is always a safe and delicious option for lunch! I also like it because it is close to my house :)

Sushi Kuu

1/F 

M88

2-8 Wellington Street

Central

Hong Kong

Green Waffle Diner

This is a WAY overdue post and was an extra glorious meal because it was right after my first marathon! Running the marathon was definitely one of the highlights of this year (if not my life!) and it is honestly hard to describe the feeling of accomplishment and exhilaration when you cross that finish line after running for over 4 hours. I met up with some lovely friends and decided to indulge in some good eats to reward myself.

Green Waffle Diner is a good choice for a casual and hearty meal.We were pretty disappointed that the fried chicken was sold out as I really wanted to try their chicken and waffles. The food was overall very good and I am not going to write a review on each dish. I highly recommend the skillets and the waffles are also good. Their spaghetti bolognese was also delicious, full of a rich meaty sauce and melted cheese! One complaint was that the poached eggs were very overcooked and therefore we were unable to enjoy the gooey creamy uncooked yolk The chicken wings are also sub-par therefore I would skip on those next time.

I definitely would want to return again to try their pandan waffle and their fried chicken!

Steak and Egg Hash Skillet

Eggs Benedict

Spaghetti Bolognese 

Spicy Tomato and Sausage Skillet

Chicken Wings Two Ways (Buffalo and Garlic Parmesan?)

Chocolate Chip Waffle with Strawberry Ice Cream and Fruits

Green Waffle Diner

35-39 Graham Street

Central

Hong Kong

Restoration

Ugh been on a hiatus again but thanks to the persistent T I promise that I will be churning out backlogged reviews in the upcoming days! I've been dying to try Restoration since a friend told me about the amazing Christmas meal that she had there. Southern Creole food is not something that I have very often and reviews have been incredibly favorable for Restoration. I was told that it was a good idea to go with a big group since servings are quite large and after scanning the menu I noticed that everything was quite heavy as well. I when I finally got a group together so I could order everything to my hearts content (anyone who knows me well would know how greedy I am and how much I love over-ordering). My mom always limits the amount of dishes I order which would cause me to very upset. I don't waste the food either I am always extremely keen on leftovers but she just feels that it is excessive, meh.

The atmosphere of the restaurant is quite charming and comfortable. The space is small and dimly lit and we were promptly given a nice warm loaf of bread and butter. The hostess was very friendly and made some helpful recommendations of wine. Service could be slightly more attentive in terms of the other waiters as there were multiple times where I had to search around for a server. One other small note was that at the end of our meal the we could hear the junior chefs talking amongst themselves and swearing and that was not very professional. 

Seafood Gumbo - Crab, Shrimp, Oysters, Popcorn Rice 
I think it may actually be my first time having gumbo! The gumbo had a strong and robust flavor and had generous amounts of seafood. The consistency was just thick enough without being too lumpy and it definitely piqued my appetite for the meal ahead! 

Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes - Lemon Aioli, Herb Salad, Basil Oil
The crab cakes were filled with lovely chunks of crab meat and the outside was fried very well. The flavor was also well done. I think it was a TAD too soft for my liking but overall this was a very solid crab cake. 

Stuffed Blackened Catfish - Jumbo Lump Crab Filling, Lemon Brown Butter
Bestie C told me that this was her favorite dish when she dined here so I made sure to order it. I think the dish was actually flavored well but when I cut into the middle segment I realized that my piece was completely raw! It was a bit nauseating but since the rest of the food was so good I did not want to make a big deal out of this. I told the waitress who apologized but this was a bit shocking as the fish was quite thin and should be cooked quite easily! Hopefully I will be able to enjoy a properly cooked version of this dish on my next visit since I have faith in C's taste.

Crispy Pork Belly, Slow-cooked, Molasses BBQ Sauce
This was another one of C's recommendations and it was absolutely glorious. Every fatty bite was worth the calories. The skin was deliciously crunchy and the meat did not turn dry even though it was deep fried. The fatty bits did not feel disgusting greasy and was decadent and flavorful. I would definitely spend an extra 30 minutes on the treadmill for this!

Jack's Fried Chicken - Tobasco Aioli, Watermelon Pickles
This dish is one of Restoration's most famous dishes and I can definitely see why! Fried chicken may seem like a simple food but as J and I discussed very GOOD fried chicken requires a lot of skill. The batter was just the perfect amount, not too thick not too thin. This crispy flavorful batter encased the juicy succulent chicken meat and although I was already quite full I could not stop nomming on a massive piece of this chicken. The tobasco aioli was also the perfect compliment to the chicken by providing a luscious creamy component with a spicy kick. 

Rosemary Fries
mmm these were very very good. Just order them! 

M7 Australian Wagyu Porterhouse
I usually don't swear too much on this blog but holy shit this steak just blew my mind. The fat was distributed meticulously throughout the meat and it just melted in my mouth. The flavor of the meat was also flawless and each bite resulted in another "omg" look from every one of us. My friend J claims that he usually is not a big fan of steak but even he was won over by this steak. The bone was such a treat and J, M, and I took turns nomming on it.

Ridiculousness - Chocolate Chip Cookie Ice Cream Sandwich
The cookie was thick and relatively chewy but the ice cream left much to the desired. It tasted like whipped cream and was not creamy or rich enough at all. We initially actually thought it was the whip cream and asked for an extra scoop of ice cream. It was only after this that we realized this whimpy glob was the ice cream. 

Bourbon Pecan Pie
This was not exactly the most photogenic dessert out there but it was quite rich and decadent. I haven't had a lot of pecan pies before so I can't be the biggest judge of how good this was but this overall was decent. The crust could be slightly more flaky and once again the horrendous ice cream was present.

Banana Fosters - Spiced Rum Sauce, Vanilla Ice Cream
UGH this ice cream just won't leave me alone! This was easily my favorite dessert but it also makes you wonder why you are paying such a premium price for a dish that can be easily recreated at home. Apart from this, this dish was a lovely sweet end to our meal that wasn't too heavy.

Spiced Pumpkin - Graham Cracker, Apple, Bleu Cheese, Vanilla Ice Cream
I swear this vanilla ice cream is in every single dessert... This dish was quite frankly disgusting. The bleu cheese did not go well with the pumpkin pie at all and presentation wise this was also rather ugly. 

Root Beer Float
I am not a huge fan of root beer and that blasted ice cream was also in this again but my friends thought this was good.

Overall I enjoyed my dining experience at Restoration very much. The food was really good apart from the catfish and the desserts. I think Restoration DEFINITELY needs to improve its ice cream quality along with its desserts but I would return again just for the appetizers and mains.

Restoration

1/F

No. 68 Wyndham Street

Central

Hong Kong

BCN

I've been wanting to go to BCN for ages but always never got around to calling and making a reservation. I've heard really good things about the food here from friends and online reviews have also been favorable. I emailed them on Monday to make a reservation for Wednesday night and no one replied me therefore I called them up on Tuesday and was surprised to find out that there was still availability. Unfortunately the 9 pm slot was full so we can to eat an early dinner at 6:30. The restaurant is a tiny space with only 12 chairs seated around an open kitchen. On the night of our visit, there were two menus to choose from, the smaller "Trip to Spain" and "Winter Chef Menu". H and I opted for the "Winter Chef Menu" even though the main course of the "Trip to Spain" menu was incredibly enticing (suckling pig). The head chef is Edgar Sanuy Barahona, he was trained at the prestigious Esuela de Hostelería Hofmann, from Barcelona, Spain and he has worked in Michelin Starred restaurant "estaurante El Rincón de Diego", Cambrils; and "Restaurante "El Torreó de l' Indià", Xerta. His experience and passion for food was evident in the meal and H and I were both very satisfied with our dining experience.

Mediterranean Flowerpot - Basil foam, sun-dried tomatoes, and black olive "sand"
This was such a cute start to our meal! All the elements came well together to result in a delightful little amuse bouche. The sand was very savory and its crunchiness went well with the delicate green foam. The little bits of sun-dried tomatoes also provided another nice flavor kick to the dish. I felt that it was a touch too salty but I still licked my spoon clean! 

Iberico Ham 100% Bellota, Tomato Foam and Homemade Crispy Bread
The iberico ham was of high quality and I happily savored each piece. The amount of fat was perfect and the ham had lovely complex savory flavors. The tomato foam was drizzled with high quality olive oil which had a lovely fruity and nutty flavor. The rich chewy iberico along with the fluffy foam and crispy bread was absolutely divine. 

"Escabeche" Mussels on Pumpkin and Herbs Cream with Beetroot Foam
Escabeche is a type that cuisine in which usually fish is poached or fried and then marinated in an acidic mixture before serving. This dish was not only a beauty to look at, but also tasted amazing! The mussels were fat and juicy and the pumpkin puree had lovely crisp sweet flavor and was also decadently smooth. The beetroot foam also provided a subtle burst of sweetness and the scallions added a nice crunch. 

Three Hot Tapas 

Black Trumpet and Codfish Croquette
This croquette was quite dense and savory. The outside was very crispy and this went well with the egg tapa below. It was not mind-blowing, but it was decent. 

Broken Egg with Spanish Red Prawn and Spring Onion Foam
In terms of taste, this tapa was not incredibly impressive. The flavors were not very distinct but I liked the concept of this dish. The yolk was still unbroken at the bottom and you had to reach in with your spoon to break open the yolk and scoop up the bits of prawn. This dish was fine, but not particularly memorable.

Octopus "Gallega"
"Gallega" refers to the preparation method of the octopus in which it is boiled and then sprinkled with paprika, salt, and olive oil. The octopus rests on top of a thin slice of potato and was incredibly tender and succulent. The flavor profile of this dish is quite subtle but this allows for the light sweetness of the potato and fruity flavor of the olive oil to shine through. Upon first bite I initially thought this was bland but soon learnt to appreciate this well executed dish. 

Sea Bream Tartar
Once again the presentation was very appealing, you can see the passion and attention of detail in every dish. The sea bream was flavored well and had a nice bit to it. The fish was cut into just the right size and was mixed with various other components to result in a vibrant tartar. The caviar provided nice little bursts of rich savory flavor and the crispy nest added a much needed level of texture to the dish. 

Boletus Edulis Cream, Egg, and Foie Gras
Ok first things first, Boletus Edulis = porcini mushrooms. This was a very decadent and rich dish, H and I were both in heaven with our first bite, but soon after we felt that it was a tad too heavy. The foie was of good quality and had that distinctive buttery flavor and the delicately cooked egg provided another level of creaminess to the dish. The porcini cream was velvety smooth and bursting with flavors. The almonds were a nice touch as well because without them the entire dish would be purely too mushy and creamy. Although the almonds did try to cut into this richness, we felt that we still needed a little something so we asked for those home made crispy breads that were provided with the iberico ham. 

Traditional "Canalon de Sant Esteve" with Iberico Pork, Idiazabal Smoked Cheese and Beef Sauce
This was unfortunately our least favorite dish of the meal. The meat filling was a quite rough and was wrapped with a soft pasta sheet. The cheese on top did not provide much of any flavor and the sauce was also too watery. Perhaps I am used to more Italian versions of pasta where the pasta is more al dente and the sauce is richer but this just was not too appetizing. As you can see, the sauce below the pasta is very water, almost like a light consomme. I felt that it would be better if it was a rich creamy sauce which would balance out the relatively bland meat sauce within the pasta. I would not say this dish was terrible, but with the quality of the other dishes this was a let down. We notified the chef of this dish and he was very gracious and seemed surprised that we did not enjoy this dish. We asked if we could have two of the suckling pig instead. We were charged for this change but we were glad that we were able to savor the other dish as we have been eyeing it longingly throughout the meal as it was being prepared in the open kitchen.

Suckling Pig Slow-Cooked with Vapor with Sweet Potato Cream and Spanish Meat Sauce
Yum yum yum!!! This is glorious. This scrumptious piece of pork is actually two pieces of suckling pig sandwiches together. The meat is first slow cooked for 10 hours until the meat is unbelievably tender and the skin is fried to crispy perfection. The meat melted in your mouth and although I usually pick out all the bits of fat in my food, this did not feel overly greasy and was distributed well within the entire piece of meat. The sweet potato cream was smooth, creamy, and complemented the suckling pig perfectly. Seeing as this was our extra second main course, H and I were completely stuffed but I still gorged myself with this dish. 

Such adorable details!! 

Sangria 2.0
This was their unique interpretation of sangria. I did not enjoy this too much as it was just a rough sorbet of strong sangria. It was an interesting take on the drink and quite refreshing but I thought it was a bit strong and not my cup of tea for dessert. 

Chocolate Truffle with Orange Peel
I think it is clever that the dessert is small because it would have been difficult to consume any more food at this point. The chocolate was a lovely sweet ending to our meal. 

Overall, BCN was a great dining experience and H and I both agreed that it was a successful foodie excursion. There were certain dishes that we did not enjoy as much as the others, but the talent of the chef is clearly there and the food is well thought out and executed. I thought that the suckling pig should be the main course of the larger menu instead of the smaller menu as it was truly excellent and I would assume that most people order the larger menu to have a larger variety so it would be a shame for these diners to be unable to try this dish! Service was polite and friendly but there were two times where the server almost took away H's food when he was not yet done with his course. Wine glasses were continuously filled and the chef was also very friendly. The wine we ordered was also very decent and went very well with the food. I would definitely like to return to BCN again when I am in the mood for a tapas feast!

BCN

37 Peel Street

Central

Hong Kong