Australia Dairy Company 澳洲牛奶公司

After talking about going to Australian Dairy Company for years and years, I FINALLY went! It's insane how long it took me to drag my butt out to Jordan to try this cha chan teng known for its legendary scrambled eggs. I love love love eating eggs so it really was a crime that I didn't indulge in these glorious eggs earlier (perhaps it's a good thing I didn't because now I want to eat it all the time!). My colleagues also have never tried Australian Dairy Company and have been wanting to go and so we decided to finally put our plans into action one day and ventured out to Jordan after work.

Australian Dairy Company usually boasts a very long line but since it was not at peak hours we strolled in around 6:30 with no wait at all. The waiters here are notorious for being really rude but apart from being slightly obnoxious with the way we ordered the waiters were generally friendly and not rude. I think this may be because it was not too crowded so the waiters were not as pushy as usual.

Cha Siu (BBQ pork) macaroni
We all decided to get the 2nd set menu which came with macaroni, toast and eggs, and coffee or tea. The macaroni was a bit overcooked and although the soup was a bit richer than other cha chan tengs, this dish was not particularly memorable or well made. The amount of cha siu was generous too but I think I will simply get scrambled eggs and toast next time and skip on the set meal!

Buttered Thick Toast with Scrambled Eggs and Ham
WAHHHH finally the amazing eggs arrived! They looked HEAVENLY and tasted just as amazing! These eggs definitely lived up to every raving review. The eggs were incredibly smooth, creamy, and decadent. Apart from the lovely texture, the flavor was also very rich. Definitely the BEST scrambled eggs ever. The toast was also buttered generously and the thickness perfectly balanced out these indulgent scrambled eggs. 

LIFE CHANGING

Not at peak hours but still a good amount of customers

Hong Kong Style Milk Tea
The milk tea was strong and smooth, yum!

Steamed Milk Pudding
The milk pudding had a lovely strong milk flavor and was soft and creamy. It was obvious that the milk used was of high quality and that it was steamed very well to produce such a smooth texture. It came piping hot and was quickly scooped up by V and I.

We were greedy and ordered another egg sandwich to share between the 3 of us. After this sandwich we were all positively stuffed. The egg was delicious but I am sure there is a lot of cream or butter in them therefore I felt rather sick after. Lesson learnt: DON'T BE TOO GREEDY :(

Australian Dairy Company was delicious and I will definitely be back for more!

Australian Dairy Company

47-49 Parkes Street

Jordan

Hong Kong

Boozey Brunch Series: French Window

Unlimited food and free flow booze all before 6 pm (well in our case we stayed til 8), how can anyone not love boozey brunch?! I've tried Zuma and Blue Butcher and while both of those were excellent (watch out for these reviews!), I am always willing to try out new options. I recently found this excellent list of boozey brunches in HK and S and I decided to try them all and make the reviews into a Brunch Series on this blog.

French Window has had mixed reviews and while I thought the brunch was decent, I don't think I would be returning. The entrance was abnormally long and when I finally reached the hostess, I found out that they made a mistake with my booking and booked next week instead of the day I actually requested! Thankfully some people flaked on us last minute so it was just S and I therefore they were able to give us a table right away albeit the mistake. Service overall was polite but not attentive enough, I had to ask the waiter to refill my glass of champagne almost every single time which made me feel like a raging alcoholic. I believe that keeping a guest's glass full at all times is a very important aspect of good service and this should definitely be a point to keep in mind when training wait staff.

Food quality was decent. The brunch was set up so that there was a all you can eat cheese station, appetizers, seafood spread, and dessert buffet. You can then select your main course ala carte style.

One of many many glasses

So so Amuse Bouche, the scallop was slathered with this thick gloopy sauce which resulted in a less than appealing presentation as you can see

Decent selection of cheeses. Would be nice if there were more condiments such as dried fruit and different types of crackers

Raclette Potatoes
S and I LOVED these raclette potatoes. The flavor of raclette was perfect with the crispy potatoes and they came out fresh and bubbling in generous pots.

Riso au tourteaux crabe et sauce mariniere
S actually forgot that we had a main course and was shoving her face with appetizers and raclette potatoes haha! I usually would gravitate towards the sirloin but I was also getting rather stuffed at this point. This dish was made quite well, it was al dente and the amount of crab was just right. The cream sauce was not too heavy and complemented the sweetness of the crab. If it was not so full I would probably eat more of it.

These were a little sneaky as they were actually dunked in alcohol!

The appetizer selection could be slightly more vast, there were mostly cold cuts, pate/spreads, and smoked salmon. The quality of the seafood could be improved, the oysters were not very fresh and one actually was very fishy. The size of the crab claws was quite impressive and the flavor was fine but bits of it were a tad mushy.

The main courses were made well therefore I may come back for lunch someday!

Another extra note is that the booze isn't champagne but lucien albrecht cremant d'alsace brut, which is supposedly the best sparkling wine in France outside of Champagne.

Overall, the experience was enjoyable but I have definitely had better boozey buffets in Hong Kong. On to the next!

French Window

Shop 3101

Podium Level 3

IFC Mall

Central

Hong Kong

Sushi Porn

I am so upset that Sensyu, the favorite go to sushi restaurant of my parents and I, is closing due to increase in rent. I feel that this is a increasing problem in Hong Kong with another one of my favorites "Ngua Kee" relocating due to rent issues. I understand that while space is extremely precious in a tiny dense city like Hong Kong, it is such a shame to see quality restaurants close down due to the absurd rent. I went to lunch with my mom and dinner again with C to maximize my sushi intake before its closing. Now I need to find a new sushi haunt!

This was suppose to only contain 3 items but I made it into a 4 item bowl since I am greedy. SO good. 

Stone Nullah Tavern

It's always so exciting when you find a new favorite spot for food! Stone Nullah Tavern is located in the historical Stone Nullah Lane in Wanchai and is brought to you by the same team behind Posto Pubblico, Linguini Fini, and Pizzeria Pubblico. The restaurant is led by executive chef Vinny Lauria and he describes the food as "new american fare" in which world cuisines are fused based on seasonal ingredients. I've had great dining experiences in two of the locations mentioned above and therefore had high hopes for this visit. I am happy to say that I LOVED the food here and this may actually be the best out of all the other ventures (regardless of the difference in cuisine etc).

Service was impeccable and friendly, our server allowed me to try 3 different types of wine before I made my choice. He was also very knowledgeable with his recommendations and was very social and a pleasure to talk to. The restaurant is designed with a rustic and vintage theme and the restaurant had a great laid back yet sophisticated atmosphere.

Tater Tots - Lardo Aioli, Sriracha Ketchup
I LOVE TATER TOTS! These little indulgent nuggets were wonderfully crispy and fluffy on the inside. Aioli is also one of my favorite condiments and its garlicky creaminess went so well with these yummy tater tots. Regular ol' ketchup was also pimped up with a dash of spicy sriracha sauce. If you order these with a group you better grab them quick before they get all gobbled up!

"Chicken Fried" Tenderloin - Sausage Gravy
The reason the "chicken fried" is in quotation marks is because it's not really chicken but beef! Chicken fried tenderloin, or more commonly chicken fried steak, is a piece of steak that is breaded and deep fried. The name is attributed to its similar preparation method to fried chicken. This dish was very tasty and just made you feel so fat but in a good way (if that's ever possible). The steak was very tender and the breading maintained a decent amount of crispiness around the edges. The sausage gravy was thick and creamy and the sliced scallions added the perfect amount of kick to the dish. This is so Asian of me but I would totally eat a bowl of rice to this dish! 

Liver and Onion Dip - Chicken liver, Smoked Onion, Crispy Potato
This was the ULTIMATE star of the entire dinner, and this is saying a lot as every dish was good! The dip was rich, creamy, and smooth. The flavor of the liver was also strong and the onion also shone through without neither of the ingredients overpowering one another. The potato crisps were cut to just the right thickness and was the ideal accompaniment to the dip as it was firm enough for such a decadent paste but also not too heavy to make one too full from this dish. We actually ordered two of this dish because we loved it so much! 

Brussells Sprouts - Lardo, Malt Vinaigrette
The brussels sprouts were beautifully caramelized on the outside and maintained the perfect amount of crunch. Although these were cooked well, my attention was more focused on the other dishes.  

Pig's Foot and Ear Sizzlin' Sisig - Calamansi, Pickled Chilies, Fried Egg 
C was adamant that she ordered this dish as she loves eating the random bits and pieces of animals. I thought that this dish was tasty, but it would not be something that I would specifically want to order again. The dish was sufficiently flavored but I felt that the overall flavor profile was not specifically interesting and the pieces of meat was also cut too small and a bit dry for my liking (it could be that the ingredients called for this type of cutting but it just not to my personal preference).

Mac & Cheese - Egg Yolk, Sharp Cheddar
I really liked how the pasta shells were a bit larger than the ones usually used for mac and cheese. The pasta was al dente and each shell was coated with the luscious cream sauce. The addition of egg yolks made the sauce richer and also resulted in a very visually appealing dish. Another simple and delicious dish!

Chicken Wings - Chili, Garlic, Honey, Ranch
Being the greedy girls that we were, we decided to order one more dish (after ordering seconds on the liver dip hehe). The chicken wings were doused in a sauce that tickled your taste buds with an array of flavors: garlicky, sweet, then a kick of spice! The coating of the wings was crispy and not too thick and the meat was still juicy. The robust wings were paired with a generous cup of ranch dressing which I happily dunked my wings.

Although I liked some dishes more than others, every dish was good at Stone Nullah Tavern. This was definitely one of the highlights of my dining ventures and I am really excited to go back again! The chef also came outside to talk to our table a few times and was very amicable and showed that he cared about his food and his customers. The chef actually gave me his card as he was interested in seeing my food review but I unfortunately lost it! Hopefully he will be able to see my review and read about how much my friends and I enjoyed it. I already have a few other dishes that I spotted on the menu that I want to try so it will not be long before I step food into this exciting new restaurant again!

Stone Nullah Tavern

69 Stone Nullah Lane

Wanchai

Hong Kong

Rainbow Seafood Restaurant

T came back to Hong Kong for her spring break and her sister organized a fun junk party to welcome T home :) For lunch we stopped off at Lamma Island and had a seafood feast at Rainbow Seafood Restaurant. The food was very decent and the price was also reasonable, making Rainbow Seafood Restaurant a very popular and reliable choice.

Rainbow Seafood Restaurant

First Street

Sok Kwu Wan

Lamma Island

Hong Kong

Choi's Kitchen

Claypot rice is one of the best options for a chilly winter's night. The only other better choice that I can think of is hot pot :) We decided to visit Choi's kitchen for a girls dinner where they have many famous dishes apart from their hot pot rice. Although the name of the shop in Chinese means "private kitchen" the restaurant isn't actually a private kitchen. Reservations are definitely recommended though as this place is always full!

Ghetto and delicious mm mmm mm

Pork Stomach and Pepper Soup
This soup was very flavorful and had a lip smacking kick from the pepper. It was hot, spicy, and a perfect start to the meal. Some people who can't take spicy may find this a bit overwhelming but I loved it. 

Gotta have some veggies

Salt and Pepper Squid
This dish was quite hearty and I enjoyed the crispiness of the squid but it was nothing compared to the version served at Ngau Kee (FAVORITE!). The batter was a bit thick and the flavors could be a little bit more robust.

Sweet and Sour Pork
This pork pieces were cut into generous chunks and the quality of the meat was also decent. There were not huge globs of fat and the meat was tender. The outside was also fried well with the batter being just the right thickness. The sauce was also not too gloopy and had a nice tangy flavor. A very solid dish. 

Chicken and Preserved Sausage Claypot Rice
The chicken was very tender (maybe a bit TOO tender?) and went perfectly with the skillfully cooked rice. Each grain of rice was cooked well and had just the right amount of bite to it. The bottom of the pot had the glorious crackling that claypot rice is famous for and was smothered in the rich soy provided.

Eel Claypot Rice
The eel had a great bouncy texture and the black bean sauce complemented it perfectly. I think this dish was made very well and is one of their most famous claypot choices but since I am abysmal at eating anything with small bones I only took a small bite of this.

Yeahhh buddy 

Pork Belly Claypot Rice
Mmmm the pork belly was braised until melt in your mouth tender and was a lovely contrast to the crispy rice. Even though I scrapped off most of the fat I kept a little in my rice which provides yet another layer of texture and flavor. 

YUMMMAYYY

Beef Brisket in Clear Soup 
This dish was heavily recommended by friends and it did not disappoint! Although the brisket itself was not mind-blowing as I prefer the brisket cooked in "Chu Jau Jeung", the soup base was incredibly flavorsome and we all enjoyed it very much. 

Overall the meal was very enjoyable and the prices were also very reasonable. The servers were very friendly and down to earth. Although this is not something I will eat all the time, I will definitely keep Choi's Kitchen in mind when I have my next claypot rice craving.

Choi's Kitchen

Shop A1

9-11 Shepherd Street

Tai Hang

Hong Kong