Craft Coffee Roaster

Checked: Craft Coffee Roaster (Tak Kok Tsui)

A random encounter during my two days onsite work in the quite remote Tai Kok Tsui.

This dainty new Aussi style coffeeshop stood out among the rather old and run down fruit stalls, barbershops and bakeries.

For a not so strong morning dose, I safely tried the latte. Foams quite smooth and milky, but the coffee not strong enough. I opt for a stronger cappuccino for an after lunch dose, and disappointingly as milky.

They serve award winning teas too, maybe another time.

Only a 5-minute walk from exit B of Olympics station.

Caffee Essenza

Checked: Caffe Essenza (Kwun Tong)

Opened by Cafe Corridor's boss Felix in the spacious lobby of an office building in Kwun Tong, a few street's walk behind apm mall.

To cater for the area, the price is extremely reasonable, hkd24 for a latte, hkd14 for expresso.

Aircon is very high here, my coffee turned cold quickly...I know latte's supposed to be milky but this was way too milky for me (prefer 18 grams' stronger version) and very slightly on the watery side. Milk foam's alright, could be thicker I suppose.

For the price and quality though, cannot complain. Opening hours like office hours so go on weekdays if you want a try.

Address ref: http://www.openrice.com/restaurant/sr2.htm?shopid=41477&region=0&s=3

Pineapple buns & French toasts

Checked: Kam Wah Cafe 金華冰廳 (Prince Edward station, exit B2, Bute Street)

Well acclaimed for its freshly baked pineapple bun with butter slice, I also tried their "award-winning French toast". 

Pineapple bun with fresh butter slice (hkd8)
It's Delicious... Freshly baked buns straight out of the oven with a slice of cold fresh butter, slowly melting in your mouth together with the sweet crumbly crunch of the top layer and hot fluffy texture of the bun... It's the best example of food that can be cheap simple yet tasty. One of the greatest local eats definitely. 

Be warned though, this is the only good pineapple bun I have tasted so far...unfortunately.

Address ref:  http://www.openrice.com/restaurant/sr2.htm?shopid=11293&tc=sr1

French toast (hkd14)
Done the traditional way, two breads sandwiched in peanut butter, deep fried to light golden with butter and lots of unhealthy corn syrup, gluttony at its best...and you can rarely find tea restarants giving you peanut butter these days!

Both are cheap eats so it's all about childhood nostalgia and guilty pleasures. Aside from wishing for even MORE BUTTER (they use the New Zealand Anchor brand), it's a must return.

Try the milk tea too, it's above average, quite strong and silky.

Piccolo Latte

Checked: Coco Espresso (Sheung Wan, station, exit E2, intersection of Jervois Street and Bonham Strand) 

Technicalities aside, from an amateurish perspective, a piccolo latte is small latte more condensed and strong fit in a 100ml glass, in between macchiato and latte by comparison, and often more expensive than a full blown glass of latte.

Coco Espresso is a tiny and warm little cafe with rather good coffee, well hkd34...but strong yet smooth and milky at the same time. Just slightly weak on the foam. Will return. There's another branch in Wanchai if Sheung Wan's too far for you.

Address ref: http://www.openrice.com/restaurant/sr2.htm?shopid=19001&tc=sr1

Cream Tea

Checked: Shortbread Teas (Wellington Street 55, Central)

Perhaps I came with too high of an expectation for this dainty British teahouse, or maybe it's just a matter of consistency.

Ordered the classic cream tea, charging a bit steep at hkd55 with a pot of tea and one tiny scone.

I added hkd5 for the stronger Scottish morning blend, not a tea specialist but it tasted ok.

The scone was somewhat disappointing, too dense, doughy and a serious lacking in butter. And personally whipped cream is not supposed to go with scones, traditional clotted cream is a way better match.

The white lighting also made the place less cozy for an afternoon read.

Address ref: http://www.openrice.com/restaurant/sr2.htm?shopid=139095&region=0&s=3

Searching for my tiramisu

Checked: Passion by Gerard Dubois (Wanchai)

When Foccacia in the Miramar plaza closed, I felt like I will no longer be able to find that perfect tiramisu I was once addicted to, the smooth yet rich and fresh mascarpone cream, those layers of lady fingers sogged up in rum. 

Then I was addicted to Fiat Caffe's new approach to tiramisu in glass, freshly made with firm mascarpone cheese and espresso poured into the layers of cheese and lady fingers. And then they stop making it.

Aggravated, I start a journey to explore my next perfect tiramisu, so I came to Passion by Gerard Dubois.

It was OK, probably above average in Hong Kong, mascarpone not fresh and rich enough for me, and though it was sogged in generous amount of kahlua and coffee maybe, it was a bit too sweet and the textural and flavor balance just didn't hit my mark.

Illy coffee is just disappointing as always.

Address ref: http://www.openrice.com/restaurant/sr2.htm?shopid=103374&region=0&s=3

Local style all-day-breakfast - Hokkaido Milk Farm

Checked: Hokkaido Dairy Milk Farm (Admiralty) 北海道牧場

Yet another recreation of the ever blooming  classic Hong Kong style "all-day-breakfast" from our close-to-heart Australia Dairy Milk Company, with more variations and using milk from Hokkaido, but on the pricey side.

The tomato soup based macaroni was a bit over-thickened, but of course with a bottle of Japanese sesame oil on each table, it makes everything taste better. Add hkd6 for waffles with condensed milk and peanut butter. But I mean, it's just those pre-made frozen waffles you can buy yourself in the supermarket and put it in the toaster. Milk tea has started to get watery. Only thing, scrambled eggs cooked just about right, silky smooth, but it's done right in so many local tea restaurants that it just doesn't worth going...

hkd38 local all-day-breakfast

又是一家拿澳洲牛奶公司的常餐概念演變出來的茶餐廳吧，以北海道3.6牛乳用材打響名堂。常餐種類多一點點。日本麻油隨意加。是次番茄湯過於濃稠，番茄味卻不重...窩夫嗎....加了奶醬的東西都不會太難吃吧。奶茶嗎，變稀變水了。唯獨是炒蛋，依然滑身

地址參考：http://www.openrice.com/restaurant/sr2.htm?shopid=74620&tc=sr1

Losing the wow factor with liquid nitrogen

Checked: Lab made (Tin Hau station, new branch in Tsim Sha Tsui)

Father's day special: chocolate whisky with crispy bacon. Disappointingly, it was just sweet milk chocolate icecream with whisky syrup and bacon bits on top. I was NOT expecting tasting everything in separate forms.

I was impressed with their initial inventions, a twist of local dim sums and afternoon tea staples to festive food in the form of icecream. They just need to push further and be more outside the box.

peanut butter condensed milk toast flavor　奶醬多味

Mooncake Flavor 月餅味

自稱亞洲首家分子冰淇淋。前段的創意的確是令人驚喜的，流沙包、奶醬多、月餅... -196 度的液化氮，不單能令冰淇淋漿立刻凝固而更新鮮幼滑，更增加口味質感上的創意空間。

時日父情節口味：男人味。見到脆培根，我是期待的，但卻只止于冰淇淋上的兩小片脆培根，冰淇淋還是普通不過加上有點過甜的巧克力味道，及另外加上偏甜的威士忌糖漿，完全沒有利用到-196 度的液化氮的優勢，售價港幣44，很是失望。要創新，就不能停留在將熱門普及性的經典西方甜點便成冰淇淋，這些國外很普及吧，什麽蘋果芝士餅、檸檬批、黑森林蛋糕等等，香港亞洲那麽多特色甜咸小吃，何不大膽一點？ 

Father's day special 男人味　

 

地址參考　http://www.openrice.com/restaurant/sr2.htm?shopid=106775&tc=sr1 

網站　http://labmade.com.hk/home.aspx

Those irresistable little gems.....Pierre Herme

Checked: Pierre Herme (Central)

10 adjectives for Pierre Herme's macarons:

1. sophisticated
2. exquisite
3. elegant
4. delicate
5. bold
6. balanced
7. unique
8. classy
9. innovative
10. DIVINE

Want to get some textural complexity, try: Olive oil with vanilla cream (the sweet and the savory), Matcha & black sesame (neither flavors overwhelms the other).

Personal favorite: Infiniment rose. strong yet natural. Unlike most, it doesn't border to perfume, soap or handcream.

I've had a fair try of macarons in Paris and Hong Kong, Pierre Herme is still by far the best, and leading miles ahead (Sorry, Laduree).

How I miss that long glassy cabinet of macaron flavors to pick from in Paris...lacking choices in HK.


嘗遍巴黎香港有名的餅店，還是Pierre Herme 家的馬卡龍最好吃。外表精致玲瓏是不在話下的，突出于別家的是，它有豐富的層次、深度的口感、創新的口味、飽滿的夾心。最愛其玫瑰味，市面上很難找到清淡卻幽香自然的玫瑰味，且不會過甜（一般的像吃玫瑰香水、肥皂或護手霜的感覺．．．難而下嚥）。要感受它的與衆不同，特推它的黑芝麻抹茶、香草橄欖油，一試你就會明白。

地址參考： http://www.openrice.com/restaurant/sr2.htm?shopid=135630&region=0&s=3