Wandering Fel

Showing posts with label Tsim Sha Tsui. Show all posts

There are so many good duck restaurants in Hong Kong up to the point we were pretty overwhelmed by the available choices on our third night in Hong Kong. YY tried to ask her friend who's currently working in Hong Kong for recommendation but unfortunately her friend is not really up-to-date on Hong Kong's duck restaurant industry. We were pretty torn between two famous duck restaurants in Hong Kong, M&C. Duck at Tsim Sha Tsui and Man Wah at Central. After voting, our choice fell on M&C. Duck because after all we were already at Tsim Sha Tsui area and we figured we could muster a bit of strength to walk to Harbour City.

4D Hong Kong Foodie Trip: M&C. Duck, Tsim Sha Tsui

Turns out M&C. Duck is very popular amongst tourists and locals and we were already intimidated by the long queue formed outside its entrance. However, if you don't mind the outdoor seats (which allows smoking, unfortunately), you may be able to get a table immediately. Especially since families will usually avoid smoking area. We have reached the stage whereby we just wanted to sit down and order our food fast so we agreed to sit outside. At first glance, M&C. Duck does not seem like your usual Chinese restaurant and it has its own range of utensils embossed with its quacking logo. The chopstick holder is so cute, btw.

M&C. Duck is apparently established by one of the famous F&B group in Hong Kong, Maxim. The concept for M&C. Duck is a modern Chinese restaurant which provides peking duck at an affordable price. The restaurant also offers other dishes such as vegetables, meat (poultry, fish, beef, pork, etc), rice/noodles and even dim sum. The waiter informed us that the peking duck requires 45 minutes waiting time. Since it would be a shame not to order the duck while we eat at a restaurant which has the word "duck" on its name, we decided to go for it anyway despite the waiting time. To make sure we were still alive and breathing by the time the duck arrives, we ordered one vegetable dish, Greenhouse Pea Sprouts with Tea Tree Mushrooms (HKD 98) because we figure it would not take the kitchen so long to cook veggie. I seldom eat this kind of vegetable dish but I have to say I quite enjoy the crunchy texture of pea sprouts. I could not really taste the mushroom though because the mushroom slices are so tiny.

One of M&C. Duck's recommended dishes other than the Peking Duck is its combination of meat and pungent sauce (which I suspect is the spicy mala sauce). We ordered chicken with pungent sauce (HKD 118) and yep it comes in a huge plate filled with chili. YY was so excited upon seeing this view because she has been complaining for a while on the lack of real spicy chili sauce in Hong Kong. The spicy level of the chicken is not that bad compared to the Indonesian level of chili but I think I prefer it this way because otherwise I would have shed tears while eating the dish. The dish is just right for three people so if there's only two of you, be mindful when you order any meat which comes in pungent sauce because I suspect this is the standard portion of serving for that kind of dishes in M&C. Duck.

Mala Chicken from M&C. Duck at Harbour City HK

Our order of barbecued peking duck (HKD 158 for half/ HKD 298 for whole) only came to our table 1 hour later despite the promise that it will be ready after 45 minutes. We were already 3/4 full when the peking duck arrived but who could resist what seems to be so-crispy-and-yet-juicy duck meat and the hoisin sauce. I like the fact that the duck is cooked perfectly and there's no ducky (if there's such a word) smell from the barbecued peking duck. It really tastes best when put inside the wrap and rolled together with the cucumber and the onion. I suppose it's comparable to the peking duck sold at Peach Garden back in Singapore.

Peking duck from M&C Duck at Harbour City HK

If you can take the risk of inhaling smoke while dining at the al fresco seating, the benefit of sitting at the smoking area is that you will be able to see the beautiful view of Hong Kong's central business district opposite Harbour City. It is really an amazing view and the trademark scenery of Hong Kong city skyline. Dining with a view, ain't bad eh? If only people can just stop smoking for good really.

M&C. Duck is located at:

Shop 3319, Level 3

Gateway Arcade, Harbour City

Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong

Opening hours:

Daily 11.30AM - 10.30PM

After a back to back consumption of instant noodles at two different cha chaan tengs (i.e. Local teahouses), I was thinking that it's time for us to chill down at a cafe since the weather outside is so hot and we probably could chill down somewhere comfortable and air-conditioned. Thankfully, other than the local teahouses, Hong Kong's cafe scene is something that is worth checking out as well. Most of the time we were too focused on trying out local cha chaan tengs, we ended up having no time to try out what the cafes in Hong Kong can offer. Since we were already seeking shelter from the heat at The One in Tsim Sha Tsui area, we decided to hang out at one of the pretty cafes inside the shopping mall, Caffe Habitu.

4D Hong Kong Foodie Trip: Habitu Cafe, Tsim Sha Tsui

Caffe Habitu is actually one of Habitu group of restaurant in Hong Kong. The same owner of Caffe Habitu has opened two other restaurants, Habitu All Day and Habitu Table at other shopping malls in Hong Kong. Caffe Habitu is apparently famous for its in-house blend, Classico no. 3 which consists of 5 different single-origins coffee beans - Huila (Columbia), Cerrado (Brazil), Sidamo (Ethiopia), Mbeya (Tanzania) and Mandheling (Indonesia). In addition to Classico no. 3, Caffe Habitu has 6 signatures latte which consist of Espresso Latte and Wellness Latte.

Menu from Habitu Cafe at Tsim Sha Tsui HK

While Caffe Rosa (HKD 49), Caffe Earl Grey (HKD 49) and Caffe Brulee (HKD 49) may have been a perfect companion for the Crespelle Cake, the selection of Wellness Latte from Caffe Habitu is equally interesting on its own. If you are into food and coffee photography, you may want to go for one of Caffe Habitu's signature latte from the Wellness range.

Cake display at Habitu Cafe Tsim Sha Tsui

Since YY and R5 are in charge of ordering, I was in charge of reserving seats. Caffe Habitu seems to have a very good business because the cafe is pretty much near full house at 3PM on weekdays afternoon. The cafe gives a very nice chill vibe for both leisure and business meetings. I wonder what kind of business that people do when they can meet up for coffee on weekday afternoon. Sales, maybe?

Habitu Cafe at The One Tsim Sha Tsui Hong Kong

My face literally lit up when YY came back with a slice of Caffe Habitu's trending cake, Crespelle Cake. The flavour for their signature Crespelle Cake changes from time to time depending on the season. Since it was summer, we decided to go for Rosemantic Summer (HKD 44) although turns out the Rose Crespelle Cake is available all season. Crespelle Cake from Caffe Habitu is basically a millefeuille cake which has 20 layers of delight, smooth and soft cream with a mix of crunchy and sweetness at every bite. Mmm. I cannot really appreciate rose flavour for a cake so I personally think other flavour such as chocolate will taste better for a crespelle cake.

Rose mille crepes from Habitu Cafe at Tsim Sha Tsui

Finally R5 came back with the much needed cuppa. If you are wondering what on earth were we drinking at Caffe Habitu, the un-ordinary mustard color and pink latte are actually two of Caffe Habitu's Signature Wellness Latte. YY did not really dare to venture into the Wellness Latte and decided to stick with her Espresso Habiccino (HKD 48), one of Caffe Habitu's ice blended beverages. I have to admire R5 for her guts to try out mustard color latte though. Her order of Turmeric Latte (HKD 48) really incorporates pungent turmeric in the concoction. This is the first time in my life I see a combination of turmeric and latte in a beautiful cup. Taste okay if you don't mind drinking turmeric which supposedly has healing benefit, I suppose. Meanwhile, my pink latte is actually Beetroot Latte (HKD 48) but it is mixed with a lot of milk foam and hence, the taste of beetroot is not as strong as the pungent turmeric. Fancy drinks which we don't mind to have once in a while. After all, not everyday you can see yellow and pink latte.

Coffee and cake from Habitu Cafe at Tsim Sha Tsui

Caffe Habitu is located at:

The ONE

Shop L608, 100 Nathan Road

Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong

Opening hours:

Monday to Thursday 11AM - 9.30PM

Friday 11AM - 11PM

Saturday 10.30AM - 11PM

Sunday 10.30AM - 10PM

I have heard before that Hong Kong has all kind of interesting and quirky food but this is the first time that I heard about cheese noodles. When Lonnsome, a friend who used to work in the same workplace as me, told me that I should really really go to this cheese noodle place, I thought she suggested me to eat instant noodle with a layer of cheese (think of Kraft cheese) on top of my noodles. Something like the Korean version of cheese ramyeon? Turns out Lonnsome was referring to an entirely different rendition of cheese noodle. In order to cross check her amazing review of Hong Kong version of cheese noodle, we have to first find out where Sun Kee is located. Just like Star Cafe, Sun Kee is also located inside a run-down shopping mall in Tsim Sha Tsui area but at least we only spent lesser time to trace the place because it's located at level 1 fo the shopping mall. Not like Star Cafe where we have to trace our way underground to basement level.

4D Hong Kong Foodie Trip: Sun Kee Cheese Noodle, Tsim Sha Tsui

Judging from the articles and pictures of what seems to be Hong Kong famous Canton celebrities, Sun Kee seems to have gained a lot of popularity. Too bad we could not really read the articles but logically speaking, if a restaurant bother to display those articles, these people who have eaten here must have said something good about Sun Kee.

Sun Kee Cheese Noodles at Tsim Sha Tsui HK

Since Sun Kee's speciality is cheese noodle, its menu consists of many meat + noodle + cheese combination such as pork chop cheese noodle (HKD 45), cheese ball cheese noodle (HKD 45), chicken chop and chicken wings cheese noodle (HKD 53). We followed Lonnsome's recommendation and ordered Charcoal Broiled Tender Pork Cheese Noodle (HKD 45) and the noodle does not seem to be suitable for the faint hearted. The cheese that Sun Kee serves on the noodle is melted cheese and they literally serve the cheese as the sauce to the noodle. So if you are not really a cheese lover, you probably should go for other non-cheese meal option. The non-cheese meal option is available for the same price of HKD 45.

Grilled pork cheek in cheese noodle from Sun Kee HK

Hong Kong people seems to like instant noodles very much and Sun Kee Cheese Noodles also use the similar yellow instant noodles that the cha chaan teng in Hong Kong tend to sell. I was kinda skeptical and think that the cheese sauce may be too much for the noodles but they turn out to be quite good pairing (although it may even taste better with the addition of chili sauce, Indon style). The pork meat is so tender and melt in your mouth while uhh, I don't know how someone is supposed to review instant noodle because they should taste the same no matter where you are.

Cheesy pork cheek noodle from Sun Kee at Tsim Sha Tsui

Once we our tummy is so full of instant noodle from Sun Kee and Star Cafe, we decided that it's a good time to give our tummy a break and go for a walk. We went to a shopping mall which finally does not look so run-down for a change, The One. The One is where the famous Dim Sum Icon (which serves dim sum dishes in character design such as Gudetama, Miffy, etc) is located. You can also find a lot of cosmetic and fashion boutiques which I have never seen in Singapore at The One. But the best thing about the One is that the shopping mall often have cute exhibition and this time around, Line Friends has opened businesses there. Welcome to Line Friends Theater.

Line Friends has also opened a small pop-up store beside the exhibition where you can shop for sale Line Friends merchandise such as clothes, stationeries, phone cases and bags.

Line Friends Store at The One Tsim Sha Tsui

Plus new range of Line Friends plush toys. Brown and Sally look so cute in their animal costumes.

Cute Line Friends plush toys at The One Tsim Sha Tsui

Don't forget to post with some of these characters while you are there. Now, let me get some DJ-ing done with Brown DJ here. Let's make some noise my dear Brown. Woots!~

Line Friends Brown DJ at The One Tsim Sha Tsui

Sun Kee is located at:

16 - 20 Kimberley Road, 13 - 14 Champagne Court

Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong

Opening hours:

Daily 12PM - 12.30AM

The ONE is located at:

100 Nathan Road

Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong

Opening hours:

Daily 11AM - 11PM

Since this is already day 3 of our foodie trip at Hong Kong, R5 proposed to go for another cha chaan teng adventure. Cha chaan teng is actually the local term for retro style teahouse in Hong Kong which has become part of daily lifestyle for Hong Kong urbanites. The cha chaan teng that R5 wanted to go is located in a pretty much hidden place in the bustling area of Tsim Sha Tsui. Even with the help of Google Map, it took us a while to find Star Cafe since it's really located at the basement level of some kind of old and run down shopping mall. Kinda reminded me of one of my clients back in my life as auditor few years back.

4D Hong Kong Foodie Trip: Star Cafe, Tsim Sha Tsui

Menu in Chinese is available on the white board but if you are at lost like the three of us...

...you can request for an English menu because Star Cafe is after all popular with international tourists. One thing that I like about restaurants in Hong Kong is that most of them provide menu in English which is not the case when you travel to let's say Taiwan.

English menu from Star Cafe at Tsim Sha Tsui

Star Cafe seems to be frequently visited by office crowd too because most of the patrons around lunch time wears formal office dresscode. The cafe really gives a retro vibe like those neighbourhood restaurant run by a middle-aged couple. After checking online about the history of Star Cafe, it turns out that the cafe has been around since 1966 and it was opened by a group of Cantonese movie stars back then. I suppose this place may have been a hang-out place for movie stars. It was then handed over from one owner to another once the previous owner has become too old to run the business.

I suppose sometimes there is an oomph value about being a nostalgic place to hang out. People will ultimately come back to the place where they have spent so many memories in their life at that particular place, right? However, since the building is so run-down, one may worry of whether the place will be eventually shut down due to safety reason (after all, HK is always visited by typhoon annually). Before that happens, let's order the classic cha chaan teng drinks, a glass of iced almond drink (HKD 16) and YY's all time favourite drink, iced yuan yang (HKD 16). Star Cafe also has other interesting drinks such as Red Bean Coffee (HKD 21) and Salt Lemon Coke (HKD 24).

Almond milk and yuan yang from Star Cafe at Tsim Sha Tsui

R5 specifically wanted to try out Star Cafe's famous tomato beef noodle soup. I am not really a fan of tomato and hence, this kind of instant noodle fully soaked in a soup of tomato does not really attract my tastebud. But, R5 seems to enjoy the dish just fine so I suppose this dish will go well with tomato lover?