San Lung Beef Brisket

San Lung (生龍清湯腩餐廳)
G/F, 148 Sai Yeung Choi Street, Mong Kok
Hong Kong

The pungent aroma was deceptive: the Pakistani curry was watery and no
character. Sure, there were hints of ginger and coriander, but they
were by and large overpowered by an unknown, capsicum-infested powder
whose only purpose was to induce heat and sweat. The beef brisket was
soft and tender, but lacked any aromatic indication of its animal
origin.

TWG

TWG
IFC Mall, Central
Hong Kong

Tea set, with buttery English scones.

Nha Trang

Nha Trang Vietnamese Restaurant
Shop G51, G/F, Ocean Terminal, Harbour City
17 Canton Road, Tsim Sha Tsui
Hong Kong

Cha lua platter, stuffed grilled squid, and Vietnamese roast pork.

Pasta Mio

Pasta Mio
27-29 Hollywood Road, Central
Hong Kong

Pasta to go. In a Chinese doggy bag. A pretty good concept, though the
long waiting time (more than 10 minutes for only one customer--me)
could be a turn-off.

Panda Japanese Homestyle Curry

Panda Japanese Homestyle Curry
G/F, 94 Tung Lo Wan Road, Tai Hang
Hong Kong

Pork chop carried the dreaded smell of aged oil. Curry was ok but
slightly watery. The rice was slightly too dry for my taste. The salad
was the star of the meal, only because the rest did not measure up.

Bonheur

Bonheur
6/F, The Pemberton
22-26 Bonham Strand, Sheung Wan
Hong Kong

Tuna sashimi salad, and roast spring chicken.

Ben & Jerry's

Ben & Jerry's
Central, Hong Kong

Yup, they are here. Finally. Or, have I missed it completely all these years?

Mutekiya

Mutekiya
G/F, 9 Mercer Street, Sheung Wan
Hong Kong

I had high expectation for this place not least because it arrived in
Hong Kong amidst an explosion of new, high-quality ramen joints, but
because the name sounded eerily familiar: it carries the same name, if
not also same vibe, as the highly-rated ramen joint in Ikebukuro,
which I've written about back in 2009. Unfortunately, the shop manager
said that this one had no connection with the one in Ikebukuro (in
fact, she said that she had almost never heard of it -- it's like a
steakhouse manager not having heard of Morton's or Ruth's Chris...but
I digressed). The bowl here was a disappointment: the noodles were too
overcooked and soft, the chashu was too thinly cut and imparted
neither character nor flavor. The side veggies: wood ear mushrooms,
spring onions, sprouts and Chinese water spinach seemed to be thrown
into the bowl without any thoughts of how these flavors would blend
together (they didn't). Its only redeeming light was its price: at
under HKD 60 including tips, it wasn't on the surface a horrible deal
in this expensive part of town. But given its quality amongst its
peers, it needed to seriously up the ante. For a start, perhaps a
visit to the Ikebukuro temple of ramen ecstasy wouldn't be a bad idea.

La Kaffa

La Kaffa
G/F, Olympian City 3
1 Hoi Wan Road, Tai Kok Tsui
Hong Kong

HKD98 worth of potential cardiac arrest: 5 links, hash, not one but
two eggs benedict, strips of thick-cut bacon, and some veggies so that
one can pretend that this is not entirely a hazard to decent health.

Mensa Organica

Mensa Organica
Shop B&C, G/F Bright Star Mansion
95-97 Leighton Road, Causeway Bay
Hong Kong

This roast spring chicken demonstrated how this cliched menu item
could be so simple yet so good. The organic chicken was succulent and
juicy, while the crispy skin was lightly suffused with a whispering
tinge of fresh thyme. The dark jus, reduced from the natural juices of
the roast, added a velvety warmth to the meat. The potatoes, lightly
sauteed with freshly ground pepper, anchored with substance, while the
organic roasted cherry tomato provided acidity to balance out the
chicken fat. Alice Waters couldn't have been more proud.

Rating: 1 star to the roast spring chicken.

KFC (Guangzhou)

KFC
Guangzhou, China.

Congee with pork and thousand-year egg, fried dough, and hot soy milk.
This is localization at its finest!

Hayaca de pollo

On the streets of Guayaquil: hayaca de pollo, with chopped chicken
chunks, red peppers, olives, raisins, and nuts.

Club Premium

Club Premium, a fine pale lager from Ecuador.

Ceviche

Ceviche, a South American favorite.

Flan cake

Ecuadorian flan cake.

Caña Manabita

Caña Manabita is a distilled liquor from Ecuador made with sugar cane.

Los Motes de la Magdalena (Ecuador)

Avenida de la Prensa y Av. Antonio José de Sucre. Esquina
Centro Comercial Condado Shopping
Quito, Ecuador

A fantastic plate of fritada de cerdo: deep fried pork chop with starches.