Grand Hyatt Hong Kong - Lunch Buffet

This was where I celebrated my birthday this year and every time we visit, the menu never fails to surprise and delight us.
Being restricted to a vegetarian diet, it was sad that I had to miss out on my favorite foie gras, mussels, crabs and roast beef, but the buffet still had lots in store for us i.e. Truffle pasta, potato cream soup with truffle, roast potatoes, sautéed broccoli, delicious fresh strawberries, melon, kiwis, apples, mandarins and oranges, variety of salads... They even help to make you a vegetarian version of the open faced sandwiches if you request it! The bread sticks and cheese also makes for a good snack in between mains, and goes well with the live beautiful piano serenade throughout lunchtime.
The dessert line up is also amazing. I'm always torn and spoilt for choice at their ice cream section, and today I only had time for a baked Alaska, ice tiramisu, and 4 flavors of ice-cream: Cognac egg noc with raspberry, Hazelnut, Rum & raisin, and blood orange.

Sweet Garden @ Windsor House Causeway Bay

What do I do when my baby is fast asleep during afternoon tea time? I go hunting for a sweet treat and Sweet Garden at Windsor House Causeway Bay gives my sweet tooth a sugar rush!
My Wafu Soybean pudding was great value for money - mix of shiratama, matcha coconut jelly and azuki with a generous topping of kuromitsu - only hkd26!!!
Felt a bit thirsty after eating the pudding so ordered my favorite pearl milk tea only to be surprised by this classic favorite being a cross between hong kong milk tea and shaved milk ice! Very tantalizing on the tastebuds! For those who like to drink yuan yang (a mix of tea and coffee), you'll be happy to know that they do the yuan yang with milk shaved ice too + pearls!

Vegetarian series - Hong Kong Suzuki Cafe

If you like Japanese wafu style pasta and menu that's Japanese high tea cafe styled, you'll definitely like Suzuki cafe!
The service is so-so, but I love the creativity and menu choices! The drinks are also great especially if you love matcha and kuromitsu (black sugar) flavored drinks.
I tried the DIY salad this time and it was refreshing! My choice of toppings were mentaiko, tofu and kinoko with Yuzu jelly sauce. Yummy!!! Topped it off with a honey matcha latte where we could customize some latte art as well. Chose a cute little rabbit since it was my baby's 17th month birthday.
My hubby had a vegetable pasta and purple sweet potato croquettes, topped off with a sinful mango blend. All in all a light and refreshing early vegetarian dinner~

La Maison Du Chocolat - Hong Kong

Where do you go for an unforgettable chocolate experience on a HOT HOT summer's day in Hong Kong??
Try La Maison Du Chocolat, located on basement one of The Lee Gardens in Causeway Bay (Shop B03A - +852 2907 2002), open 10am-830pm everyday. I love this particular cafe as it is situated right in the middle of a classy building and you either look at Hermes furniture, Louis Vuittom showcase or Dior models whilst you enjoy your chocolate. The big brown carpet and sofas are also perfect for my cruising baby who loves a good crawl or climb...
To cool off I ordered le petite pot de glace (small pot of ice-cream) dark chocolate flavor, and a William's Pear Nectar. Both were delicious, but pity there was no ice provided for the fruit nectar for a even cooler effect.
The ice-cream is hkd58 per pot (almost sgd10) but for chocolate connossiers, it is worth every dollar.
La Maison Du Chocolat's cakes are also to die for. Their signature Delice cake is so good you have to place a preorder if you want it in a decent size (4-6 people portion). I bought an andalousie entremet off the counter for my girl friend's birthday and she loved it! Nothing beats a good chocolate cake for a lady's birthday!
Whilst buying my friend's cake, I conveniently got a red fruits chocolate tube and a chocolate eclair for me and hubby to pig out after dinner this evening.
Of course the last item that never fails to impress is La Maison Du Chocolat's chocolate truffles!!! My good friend from Paris used to get them for me everytime he visited Singapore and the truffles are to die for!
Chocolates are known to make people happy and I have tested and proven that La Maison Du Chocolat's chocolates definitely give me a Happiness High!

Restaurants/Cafes to Avoid in Hong Kong

There are always bad experiences that you hope others will be spared the same agony. Here is my list of Do Not Go To restaurants/cafes in Hong Kong. Will add to the list periodically so do bookmark this page!
1. Heichinrou Causeway Bay Times Square - service is bad and they put a saucer of XO sauce on your table together with the tea and napkins and will charge u for it irregardless of whether you use the XO sauce or not.
2. Budaoweng Hot Pot Causeway Bay Times Square - they will coax u to overorder even if it is just 1 adult + 1 baby and service feedback is ignored by the supervisors or dismissed as "white noise".
3. Pacific Coffee Windsor House Causeway Bay - Soy Babycinno was not professionally prepared and had milk traces, resulting in my daughter having a bad reaction after drinking it (due to intolerance to milk).

Hong Kong - list of Loves about this destination

This is probably my 20th trip to Hong Kong in my lifetime and I thought it would be interesting to map out what keeps me coming back despite the irks and the quirks.

LOVES...
1. My favorite people are living in Hong Kong. They are such wonderful people I would love to see them everytime I set foot on the Pearl of the Orient.
2. The Dim Sum is the best! My favorites include char siew bao, xo carrot cake, pig stomach and roast pork.
3. I love to Shop Shop Shop... With the hong kong dollar weaker than singapore dollar currently and the summer sales in full swing, most things are cheaper in hong kong. It especially makes a difference when you have pet peeves of buying designer wear for your baby, and when your favorite brands are Burberry Blue, Burberry Black and Jacadi, which is not available in Singapore. Also if u enjoy shopping for knickknacks like mobile phone cases, camera accessories, gadgets and cute Japanese toys - hong kong is a shopping haven for these things!
4. The Gongcha bubble tea is available in large size and they have ChaTime at the Hong Kong international airport. Yups, this is important for bubble tea junkies like me!
5. There are nice cafes with delicious drinks, muffins, cupcakes and desserts to indulge in some "sweet" times. I'm talking about L'Atelier de Robuchon, La Maison Du Chocolat, Agnes B Cafe, Pret A Manger and Hui Lau Shan.
Since I became a mother, I've also come to appreciate baby/child friendly cafes with free Babycinnos like Tree Cafe at Ap Lei Chau & Starbucks.
6. Most taxi drivers are considerate towards mums with tots in tow and will always help u with your stroller and ask u to take your time to embark or disembark the taxi.
7. The supermarkets like Park & Shop, Jasons and City Super have lots of imports from Japan, especially fresh fruit and milk and snacks, to satisfy my cravings for a taste of Japan.
8. I can watch the most up to date TVB dramas on TV.
9. There are baby snacks you can't find in Singapore like the organic Korean rice crackers from Eugenebaby my baby is addicted to!
10. It has theme parks like Disneyland and Ocean Park which make for great day trips with baby, as well as lots of urban playrooms i.e WISEKIDS (cyberport) and Play-town.

Lobster Italian lunch buffet at Domani Pacific Place

We had the chance to enjoy a leisurely lunch with our close friends during one of the weekends in Hong Kong back in March2012. Domani at Pacific Place was decided as the venue and they were having a lavish lobster buffet for the afternoon.
I chose a main dish of lobster spaghetti and my hubby chose a pizza. With all you can eat starters and lobster plus a dessert buffet, needless to say we were all stuffed by the end of lunchtime! My hubby couldn't finish his humongous pizza so we asked to take away and were pleasantly surprised at the pizza box. In fact, the very good quality pizza box stole the show (as the pizza was only average tasting), and from the pictures you can tell how fashionable it looks, being the perfect accessory both to a young man and to a lovely cute child.
Prices for the lobster buffet start from HKD500+ per person, but for lobster lovers with a big stomach, a sweet tooth who appreciate wine with their food, this is a good place to go as the dessert buffet is delicious and the buffet comes with unlimited house wine as well. 
N.B: the lobster buffet was a seasonal buffet. After lobster season, Domani serves a cheaper Italian buffet at HKD300+ per head.

Smile Yogurt & Dessert Bar- Best frozen yogurt in Hong Kong at K11 mall

My vote for best frozen yogurt in 2012 goes to the yogurt creations from Smile Yogurt & Dessert Bar at K11 mall, Tsim Sha Tsui. http://www.smile-yogurt.com/
The shop is located on ground level right in the middle of the mall and does not look like a yogurt place until further scrutiny.
I tried the Very Healthy Mix and it tasted as good as it looks! Visit their website to take a look at their other flavors! This yogurt definitely brought a smile to my face. Highly recommended if you need a delicious afternoon distraction. There are also some seats and high chairs for up to 6 people if you like to chit chat whilst sharing some yogurt.  I'm looking forward to trying all the other flavors when I'm in Hong Kong again this summer~

More Pret goodness!!!

After my one month stay in Hong Kong, I must vote Pret A Manger as my favourite cafe with the healthiest food & beverage options. 
A drink I will miss is the yoga bunny detox, which is a mixture of grape juice and other good stuff like ginseng and echinacea, but still sparkling and tasting wonderful! 
I also like their company policy of "Made Today, Gone Today" which gives away the leftover sandwiches to charity. It serves a great cause and also ensures the sandwiches & wraps are always fresh and never go to waste! 

Nha Trang at TST Harborcity

Have always heard rave reviews about Nha Trang at SOHO on Hong Kong island side, hence was surprised to see a branch at Harborcity, which was bigger and cleaner, with a great view and no crowd! My friend shared that the SOHO one is always synonymous with long queues, so of course we had to try the Harborcity branch since there was no queue at tea time and there was even a special teatime set!
I had Pho with chicken wings and a plum soda and it was yummy yummy!!! And less than HKD100 for the teatime set!
For Vietnamese food lovers who miss a good authentic pho, but wanna beat the queues, do visit this Nha Trang at Harborcity TST and you won't be disappointed. It is located at Ocean Terminal side on level 1 where all the kids boutiques are located.

My friend who accompanied me to Nha Trang shared that they have a really cool container for fish sauce. (refer to pic enclosed with this post) We asked the restaurant if they would sell the fish sauce container to us but they declined, claiming it was a special order from Hario glassware and not available for sale. We have since been trying to find this glass sauce holder everywhere but no luck finding it yet. My dear readers, do let me know if you happen to come across it!

Azabu Sabo at Fashion Walk, Causeway Bay Hong Kong

If you are a dessert junkie like me, and love a dessert that looks and taste good, you'll appreciate these wonderful Japanese parfaits - soft cream creations that are delicious to look at and to taste.
Where to find them? Try Azabu Sabo at Fashion Walk Causeway Bay. The extensive menu will take any dessert freak's breath away!!!

The crowd is also interesting, for those who like a little eavesdropping & harmless gossip (chuckle)
I overheard a rich tai tai talking loudly over her mobile phone to her husband, boasting about the number of shirts she bought for him (she was very well dressed and made up and had a great figure, but I guess she was still insecure and needed to let the whole restaurant know how well off she is or how much she loved her husband?!)
Also overheard some man proclaiming to be some rich businessman in China and "sharing" his accolades with 2 other female companions who seemed to be lapping it all up...

Itacho Sushi TST Hong Kong - value for money freshness!!!

If you are craving for fresh, delicious sushi at value for money price tags, Hong Kong Itacho sushi outlets is where your tastebuds can be satisfied at a fraction of the price.
My visit to Itacho was made all the merrier by their spring promotion of HKD9 sushi, which included seasonal Hiroshima hitokuchi oyster and tako (octopus). Each piece tasted so fresh, it was not unlike the fresh from port sushi I've tried at Tsukiji fish market. And at HKD9, that's like less than SGD1.50 a piece!!! They also had good salads and chawanmushi, at equally value for money prices.
The service at Itacho was also great, and dinner starts as early as 5pm.
The Itacho outlets at causeway bay are normally very busy so if you want an Itacho experience without too much queuing involved, pop over to the TST side. I went to the outlet at Ashley road, but I know there's one outlet at ocean terminal and Granville road as well.

High Tea at The Parlour, Hullett House, 1881 Heritage TST

Caught up with a good friend over high tea at The Parlour, Hullett House, 1881 Heritage at TST. This is actually my second time to the Parlour at Hullett House. The first time was for casual drinks with an ex-colleague during my vsit to HK for Grasshopper concert back in 2010.
My friend shared that 1881 Heritage used to be the headquarters of the hong kong marine police (visit http://www.1881heritage.com/ for more details). Now it is a mall, hotel, exhibition hall and a hotspot for wedding photo taking. During my 2 hour plus high tea, I spotted more than 5 couples with their wedding entourage taking wedding pictures!!!
We ordered the high tea 3 tier set which came with 3 tiers of savories, sweets, scones and a beverage for each of us. We were given the best seats on the patio overlooking the whole 1881 compound, so high tea was part alfresco with a great view.
Service was not bad too although the staff were not too aware of the ingredients in the pastries and sandwiches.
Some Ang moh accidentally smashed his camera when attempting to jump off the cannon stand near our patio and that created a minor commotion as he was cursing away. Apart from that happening, the rest of high tea was relatively laid back and pleasant.
I will recommend this place for anyone looking for momentary peace & quiet away from the hustle & bustle of the city. Only drawback is their selection of iced tea is limited to Lipton iced lemon tea, although there is more choice for the hot teas.

Din Tai Fung at Tsim Sha Tsui - the one Michelin Star experience

Finally had a chance to try out the Din Tai Fung at Tsim Sha Tsui, the only DTF which was awarded a 1 michelin star, but I must say the experience was not much different from the DTF experience back in Singapore NEX or Paragon outlet, service or cleanliness wise.
The food also tasted more of less the same. I've tried DTF in Shanghai, Singapore, Taipei and Hong Kong, and I must say the Xiao Long Bao tastes the best at the original DTF in Taipei. Of course I had to queue the longest at the Taipei DTF, but when you taste that original taste which started the franchise, you'll know the reason why DTF has become such a successful franchise the world over.
In terms of variety of menu options, shanghai has the most starters and desserts, and Singapore has the best cooling longan red date iced drink (which is my hubby's all time favourite).
I love the chicken soup and we always order the zhajiang mian and sesame buns.
In Hong Kong, as it was 1 day before my birthday that we went to DTF, I also ordered the longevity buns to take away (frozen) and they tasted wonderful after they were freshly steamed. Even my baby loved them! (of course she only gets to eat the skin) plus they looked so cute & petite in pink!
We also ordered the most expensive truffle Xiao long bao at the Hong Kong TST DTF, but unfortunately it was too strong tasting and did not taste as good as the ones we had tried at DTF Paragon Singapore. Could also be me & hubby's tastebuds have been spoilt by Tetsuya's truffle butter, (which we had during our wedding anniversary celebrations in Sydney back in Jan), which just makes any other truffle creation pale in taste-comparison.
Tsim Sha Tsui Din Tai Fung is located at Silvercord, exit Kowloon Park at TST MTR. Queues for lunch start as early as 1030am and be there at 530pm if you want to be seated within half an hour.

Ippudo Hong Kong

Couldn't resist checking out the latest most famous ramen place at TST Silvercord - Ippudo Hong Kong. It's founder wanted to created a ramen restaurant that women could comfortably stroll into and feel safe to eat ramen without being judged. Well, I think he achieved his goal as I strolled in with baby and we were seated and served quite quickly.
There was a good selection of starters but I chose my Japanese Kyuri (cucumber) which was chopped neatly and mixed with a slightly spicy wafu dressing and sprinkled with katsuo flakes (bonito).
It turned out to be a good choice as I had chosen the Aka miso soup base, which was supposed to be the most flavorful and spicy of the soup bases available. It was delicious!!! The waitress asked me how I would like my noodles - hard, soft or medium - I just told them to do it the "osusume" style ( what they would recommend) so my noodles were not too soggy and very chewy. I added an Onsen tamago (runny egg) and my ramen was plain heaven!!!
The restaurant was also very helpful as they offered to help me cut the strawberries I was feeding Kyo into smaller pieces and were also quick to offer me hot water and plate & utensils for Kyo's carrots & buns I had brought on my own.
To round off the meal, I ordered a fancy miso pudding, but it just tasted like a good creme brûlée and I could not detect any miso taste 
All in all, a good experience, and go during off peak hours as it makes the experience even more pleasant if you don't mind a late lunch or early dinner as the staff are more attentive and you still get the same good service!

Hong Kong International Airport HKIA surprises us with ChaTime

We were surprised to find our favourite bubble tea ChaTime at HKIA, especially at our favourite corner where Kee Wah and Popeyes is located.
Result: We had bubble tea with Popeyes - nice Combination!
Note: this is before you enter customs, at central part of departure hall.

许留山 - Hui Lau Shan - non mango snacks are equally good!

This dessert shop is synonymous with mango desserts but for people like me who are allergic to mango, you will be happy to know that there are other dessert options which are equally delicious.
Try my favorite watermelon aloe jelly drink next time and you'll know exactly what I mean. It is my favorite drink and I have to have it at least once a week whenever I'm in HK. Pair it off with the signature XO carrot cake - you will love the spicy fragrant delight, especially if you like tasty scallop shreds in your crispy pan fried carrot cake!

Revisiting Yung Kee roast goose Hong Kong

Since my first visit to Hong Kong, Yung Kee at Lan Kwai Fong has always been my favorite place for roast goose. With baby in tow this time, I visited Yung Kee again just after lunch time peak hour but unlike my other fond memories of the place, this experience was disappointing.
1. Service was bad - there were lots of empty tables on the first floor but they told me to wait with baby and even suggested I go upstairs... Just because I was a foreigner!!! 
2. After 10mins I got a table, and they shoved me a menu. Was rude asking what tea I wanted, and slow in taking my order although there were lots of staff around.
3. Not baby friendly with no offer of baby chair 
4. Menu is a rip off. My favorite roast goose rice is HK$48 a bowl and HK$20 more for a plate. What happened to the wonderfully generous 双拼they used to serve?? I opted for HK$48 bowl as I was alone but that did not satisfy my craving. 
5. Staff did not offer dim sum menu even when I asked about char siew bao. I ordered anyway. Thank goodness char siew bao was delicious.

Morale of the story: another good example of how an old name suffers with tourism and misplaced priorities (focusing on and profit over everything else, including maintaining good service & taste)

On a lighter note, next day at Tsim Sha Tsui mall - iSquare - I found a nice Cantonese restaurant (Praise House Congee & Noodle) on the 7th floor with roast pork + char siew with soup & tea lunch set at HK$32 only!!! I even added a roast goose Cheong fun and bill was HK$48 in total = 1 roast goose rice bowl at Yung Kee!!! The roast tasted just as good if not better! More friendly staff and good service as well

Birthday Sunday - Wooloomooloo Prime @TST

For my birthday dinner, we decided to just take things easy and take a stroll over to The One, a new mall at TST just 2 blocks away from our service apartment.
My hubby, being Aussie, suggested Wooloomooloo Prime, so we took the lift up over 20 storeys. Surprisingly we could easily get a table and even had some time to hang out at the sofa area to enjoy the nice nightscape of the Hong Kong island side.
After we were seated at our table, I looked around and realized the restaurant was quite baby/child friendly, and there were many families around us with kids too.
I ordered a tuna steak and lobster bisque and my hubby ordered a Wooloomooloo steak and mushroom soup. We also ordered extra sides of fries and boiled asparagus. The food was great and we were even entertained by the hong kong laser show (which included participation of buildings on both Hong Kong and Kowloon island) which came with accompanying music & commentary.
Kyo even had bread for the first time and she loved it!
What a lovely way to wrap up a birthday evening! The most amazing thing was how we didn't have to bother with long queues or stress out about eating within time limits etc, and still managed to get good food, great view and superb entertainment & service. 

My First Birthday A.K. - Surprise!!!

My hubby was once again successful in tricking me into thinking that we were going to spend my birthday having a quiet brunch at Grand Hyatt, just him, me & baby.
I did not suspect anything and was getting annoyed at my husband for dily- dalying and nearly risk losing our table booked at the Grand Hyatt.
Once we got to Grand Hyatt Tiffin Room, the staff mentioned "please come this way, the rest are already here" and I smugly told my hubby that they must have gotten his name wrong and was going to show us to a wrong table. I was about to feel embarrassed for the staff when I noticed some very familiar faces at the table near the ice-cream & cold cakes buffet line...
My friends Honghanh, George and their baby Elizabeth as well as Julie and her daughter Olivia!!! I was just thinking what a coincidence when... wait a minute... they are here to celebrate my birthday!!! My sneaky husband had invited the 2 of my favorite families in HK to surprise me!!!
It has been a long time since I've felt so genuinely surprised. I was really not expecting this. I was so happy to see all of them! 
Not only did my friends grace my birthday brunch with their presence, they also prepared really lovely gifts which made me feel so special to all of them. We took polaroids together and stuffed our faces with the great buffet at Tiffin. I even had a lovely Maison Du Chocolat birthday cake to take home with me!
I'm really glad my hubby took lengths to keep this surprise from me. It really made it so special and I just love how he understands me so well and always goes out of his way to plan these things.
My first birthday after Kyo - Part One = Big Surprise Birthday Brunch!