Isola (Hong Kong)

Isola is an 'open concept' Italian restaurant located in Central's IFC Mall. This fine dining restaurant, complete with a spacious terrace overlooking the ferry piers, attracts a hip and stylish crowd. Michael Kors was even spotted here during a trip to Hong Kong. In the daytime Isola, with its bright and open interior design, is perfect for lunches with family and friends, whilst in the evening it is transformed into an intimate restaurant suitable for drinks after work or a romantic date.

However, although Isola checks all the boxes for location, design, and service, what it truly lacks is the impressive food to match. I have been there a couple of different times and sampled their various choices, always expecting something to finally convince me of what I've been missing as this place is a favourite for Hong Kong'ers. Sadly, after going there for a belated Christmas meal and finding not only my choice particularly bland and uninspiring, but also hearing the same critique from everyone else about their dishes, I can safely say that Isola has run out of chances to prove their food merit and that I will no longer be recommending the restaurant or returning there.

There are just so many amazing places to eat in Hong Kong that I'd give this place, and the hefty price tag that comes along with it, a miss.

Nicely presented but under-seasoned, pork and mash.

Food: C

Ambience/Deco: A

Service: A

Price: $$$$

Waterfront (London)

Waterfront is actually a restaurant/bar that is owned by King's College London (shout-out to my uni, woo) and located within the Student Union building. It was recently refurbished to give it a cleaner, more modern style. It also boasts wonderful views of the River Thames and the London Eye.

The food served here is classic, American bistro-style choices including burgers and hot dogs. They do have some healthier meal options including salad and jacket potatoes for those trying to avoid 'fast food' type dishes. They also offer a yummy vegetarian burger (mozzarella and pesto, pictured below), which is my usual choice here. The food is definitely not incredible, but the prices (£5.50 will get you a burger and a MASSIVE side of curly chips, which you must not miss while here by the way) and the views are, which makes this place worth going to. Waterfront has a friendly, sociable atmosphere, especially in the evening when students gather to hang out and have a drink. Or two. Or many, actually.

Food: B-

Ambience/Deco: B
Service: A 
Price: £

Balthazar (London)

I recently had the pleasure of sampling the French-brasserie inspired restaurant Balthazar, situated in Covent Garden. This is one of those restaurants where I can safely say that absolutely everything on the menu sounded enticing. It was so hard to choose between the dishes that even though our party was small and admittedly we were not too hungry, we ended up ordering an array of appetisers, including fresh scallop, oysters, escargot, steak tartare and onion soup. Each of these dishes arrived together promptly (a major plus for me in restaurants is always when food arrives at the same time), and were wonderfully presented - simple yet appealing. For mains, I ordered the grilled salmon, whilst the others had beef stroganoff and duck shepherd's pie. Again, the presentation was simple but the food itself spoke volumes. Everything was fresh, well-seasoned and generally delicious.

Balthazar is a more upscale restaurant. It has an intimate setting and wonderful interiors, with a luxurious, deep red colour scheme and dark furnishings. The wait staff are not only attentive, but sociable and friendly. My one complaint would be that the mains took a while to come; but ultimately they were well worth the wait. I would recommend this restaurant if you want to go somewhere for a special occasion and overall nice dining experience.

Scallops and oyster platter.

Grilled salmon on spinach with lentils and walnuts.

Beef stroganoff and duck shepherd's pie.

Sorry that these photos all have a yellow hue, the lighting in the restaurant was quite dim.

Food: A

Ambience/Deco: A
Service: A
Price: $$$$ (It is slightly expensive, but worth it)

Peyton and Byrne (London)

Covent Garden is full of cosy little cafes with an array of delicious desserts. Peyton and Byrne on Wellington Street is another one of these places. Although there are various Peyton and Byrne bakeries around London, and the company also has several restaurants under its belt, it still retains an intimate, cafe atmosphere that does not feel overly commercial. When you look upon it from the outside, it looks like a cute Parisian coffee shop. The decor inside also matches this description.

When my friends and I went, we all decided to order a different cake/pastry so we could sample a variety of their delicious-looking offerings. We ended up ordering lemon drizzle cake, carrot cake, and a chocolate cupcake (they had a different name, but that was essentially what it was). I have to say, every single one of these items were incredible. The lemon cake was fluffy and light with a strong, fresh taste of lemon - don't you hate when sometimes it seems like places have used bottled lemon juice rather than fresh lemons in their 'lemon' cakes? The carrot cake also lived up to its name, in the sense that the carrot taste wasn't overwhelmed by the creamy topping, as can usually be the case with lower quality versions of this dessert. Finally, the chocolate cupcake had an rich, intense flavour. Overall, I'd highly recommend this place for their dessert.

Food: A

Ambience/Deco: A
Service: B (Nothing spectacular)
Price: $ (Slightly expensive, but worth it)

Jamie's Union Jacks (London)

First of all, apologies that this is being published late!

I normally write incredibly positive restaurant reviews or the opposite. Generally, I need to have intense feelings of like/dislike towards a place for it to merit a review on this blog. As I mentioned in my previous post, however, I do not have as much time and money to try out loads of places in London and then be choosey about my reviews. Therefore sometimes I have to review places that fall somewhere in the middle category. I believe this could still be helpful though; I mean you might not want to settle for 'average' and this could serve to save you some money and encourage you to find a better meal elsewhere.

So, the restaurant I am reviewing today is Jamie's Union Jacks, particularly the Covent Garden branch. I went there with a couple of friends for a light lunch. We ordered from the 'cold' menu, having quiches and salads. The proportions of the salad were rather disappointing and it was not filling enough for the price that they charged. The quiches tasted good, but again at £7 for a slice, it was not entirely worth it.

Union Jacks is situated in the middle of Covent Garden square, surrounded by shops and people walking around. It is somewhere I'd imagine would be better for a quick, informal lunch rather than a nice, intimate meal as the setting is a casual, cafe style. All in all, the food was quite average so unless you're quite intent on sampling one of super-chef Jamie Oliver's restaurants, I'd say to give this a miss.

Spinach and cheese quiche.

Photo credit: www.andythornton.com

Food: C+

Ambience/Deco: A-
Service: B+
Price: $-$$

Canadian Thanksgiving (Home)

In my second year of university, I moved in with someone from Canada and she introduced me and the rest of our housemates to the concept of Canadian Thanksgiving. I always thought Thanksgiving was limited to America, but nope the Canadians celebrate it too. Anyway, last year we prepared a nice meal altogether and we decided to keep that tradition alive.

Although I don't have the prettiest photos to show you, I decided to do a spontaneous blogpost anyway (I say spontaneous as I have now otherwise decided on a fixed schedule on my blog - I will be updating Wednesdays and Sundays). Our meal was pretty healthy, consisting of some garlic bread for appetisers, followed by roast vegetables (parsnips, eggplant, zucchini, and sweet carrots), grilled corn on the cob, sweet potato mash, and of course, roast chicken. I stayed away from the last one as I am a self-proclaimed pescetarian at the moment, however. And of course we weren't entirely healthy, topping off the meal with an indulgent chocolate cake from Tesco. This is obviously not the greatest cake I've had (you'll have to go to Hummingbird Bakery or Patisserie Valerie for that), but it can instantly be transformed by adding some froyo or icecream on the side, to give it more moisture and richness.

Pre-cooked chicken.

Garlic bread to start.

Turkey hands!

Sorry for the presentation - we're students after all.

Expertly carved roast chicken.

Wahaca (London)

First of all, I know it's been a long time since I last posted and I apologise for my inconsistency. I am back in London and in university now, which means I generally eat out less because a) I have actually developed a fondness for cooking during my time at uni, and b) London can be pricey for uni students, and it's harder to maintain the same lifestyle as in Hong Kong and Manila. But in any case, I have been visiting one particular restaurant consistently this past month. I've been there three times, and I feel like when you're in London and there's so much variety,  that many times a month would make this place worthy of being dubbed a regular haunt.

The restaurant I speak of now is Wahaca. It's a Mexican chain restaurant with locations in Waterloo, Southbank, and more. I particularly like the Waterloo location as you don't have to wait as long for a table, unlike say in Covent Garden. Wahaca's decor is fun and slightly mismatched, befitting the restaurant's chilled vice. It is the kind of place you'd want to go with your friends, with food portions that are perfect for sharing and a great atmosphere for casual drinks.

The Wahaca menu will look familiar for those who enjoy Mexican food - they have the usual tacos, burritos, nachos etc. They do place their own spin on these dishes, however, by introducing new and interesting flavours. For instance, their plantain taco is not only unique, but actually incredibly tasty also. Whilst most of the dishes I've sampled on their menu are pretty good, I do have to warn you against some misses. For instance the cactus taco that I ordered featured 'grilled cheese', which in my case was really burnt cheese that added a strange flavour to the taco overall. I couldn't finish it. I would like to end this review on a sweet note though. You have to try the churros with chocolate sauce. The churros were delicate and crispy, the chocolate bitter, rich, and creamy. I know the food options here aren't particularly healthy, but most were a definite hit!

Pork taco (front) and cactus taco (back).

Thanks to my friend Alison for these photos!

Food: B+

Ambience/Deco: A
Service: B+
Price: $$

Sen Ryo (Hong Kong)

Most Hong Kong-ers will already know Sen Ryo. The Japanese sushi bar has chains littered all across the island. And for good reason. A slightly higher-end version of Genki, Sen Ryo offers a wide array of good quality sushi. It remains traditional enough that it doesn't become one of those annoying Americanised Japanese restaurants, but it also puts its own spin on popular options like the California roll.

All in all, I have only good things to say about this restaurant. It is a place I have visited numerous times in the past and I know it will always be somewhere I frequent. The tasty sushi is accompanied by fast, no-fuss service (well, with Sen Ryo being a sushi bar you do most things yourself) and a clean, modern setting. Not to mention the prices are ridiculously good so you won't leave feeling unsatisfied, as what can happen at more expensive sushi restaurants.

Quick tip - Sen Ryo is usually packed so try to go during off-peak hours or in more hidden branches. For example, the one in Lan Kwai Fong rather than IFC if you're in Central. Do not attempt Sen Ryo at IFC on a Friday night unless you're willing to wait an hour and a half, even more, for a table.

Soft shell crab hand roll. Perhaps the greatest thing on the menu.

Peak Cafe (Hong Kong)

It's not often that I get incredibly excited about one dish from a particular restaurant. Which is why, when I'm dedicating an entire blog post to the tandoori chicken salad from the Peak Cafe in Soho, you better believe that it is THAT good.

The Peak Cafe is one of those restaurants that you know will serve good quality food, even if it's not the most memorable. The exception on their menu is, of course, the tandoori chicken. It was oozing with flavour and my knife cut through it like butter. Without a doubt, it was one of the softest, juiciest, most well-cooked piece of chicken that I've had in a long, long time.

Food: A+ (for the salad)

Ambience/Deco: A
Service: B- (took more than half an hour for said salad to come)
Price: $$

Nha Trang (Hong Kong)

Nha Trang has to got to be one of my favourite restaurants in Hong Kong. Everything - and I do mean everything - on their menu excites me and is something that I would order. This is why I would recommend visiting this yummy Vietnamese place with a large group of people - so you can sample a variety of their wonderful dishes. 

My love for Nha Trang seems to be shared by the majority of Hong Kong-ers. New branches are popping up in a variety of locations, including one of the most coveted restaurant spaces - Timesquare. This new branch is more spacious and (finally) offers reservations.

While, as I said, everything on their menu is absolutely divine, my top picks from this restaurant would definitely be their specialty pho with sliced beef and the soft shell crab rice paper roll. Amazing, amazing, amazing. What's more - the prices here are still decent despite the chain's increasing popularity. $50 will get you a massive bowl of pho!

Newly opened Nha Trang in Timesquare. A more pleasant eating environment than at other branches.

To start: Cucumber & Mint with Squid Salad, Prawn Toast

Soft Shell Crab Rice Paper Roll - the stuffing is well proportioned and the crab has the perfect crisp. 

Pho Thai (Pho with thin slices of medium-rare beef). The beef is tender, and I would be satisfied even drinking the broth alone.

Food: A+

Ambience/Deco: B (Timesquare branch)

Service: B- (Sadly, food was slow to come and we had to repeatedly ask for follow-ups)

Price: $

Zelo (Hong Kong)

As a mall, Pacific Place seems to be on the downturn. It's lights have dimmed and the crowds have dwindled. However, it is still home to oldies but goodies like Dan Ryan's and Peking Garden. I also recently discovered Spanish/Mediterranean restaurant Zelo. This is a pretty restaurant - tables covered in crisp, white cloth lie beneath domes that look like they are constructed from branches (this is the best description I can muster, unfortunately). The look of the restaurant and its exciting menu consisting of tapas, paellas, and delicious sounding desserts gave me incredibly high hopes.

We ended up ordering calamari with squid aioli (in the words of Masterchef, this was the dish of the day), clams, fish cakes (pretty yum, too), and garlic prawns. I had scallop and mushroom paella for mains, while the others had salmon and steak. We ended with chocolate cake and panna cotta. Before I go on, I must say Zelo has amazing deals. The mains on special were all priced at around $150HKD, and glasses of wine went for about $30. Needless to say, plenty of wine went around.

However, despite the good prices and beautiful interior, the food itself was a let down. The paella was bland and overpowered by mushroom. It lacked the colour and texture that other ingredients, like peas or peppers, could have added. Considering paella should be their specialty, I was sorely disappointed with this. No one else was particularly raving about their mains either. When we expressed our disappointment to the waiter at the end of the meal, he reacted defensively and was downright rude. It ended the meal on a sour note.

To conclude, perhaps the cheap price was too good to be true and simply reflected the quality of the restaurant's food.

Appetizers: Calamari, Clams, and Prawns

Fish cakes

Paella

Dessert

Food: C

Ambience/Deco: A
Service: C (Waiters were rude, even obnoxious. Sigh, 'fancy' places)
Price: $$$ (The offers are good but the food would not be worth it full price)

Soho Spice (Hong Kong)

Soho Spice is a good old Thai/Vietnamese restaurant in Soho. The food I've had there, while not the most amaaazing, has never been a miss. The prices are well worth it, especially if you go during lunch hour when they serve lunch sets at a great value. The restaurant is nicely decorated and unlike most places in Hong Kong, it is never too crowded or noisy. On top of this, Soho Spice has a nice outdoor area, making this place a gem in the busy, bustling city.

Pad Thai. I would definitely recommend ordering this.

Food: A-

Ambience/Deco: A
Service: B
Price: $$

Pino Resto Bar (Manila)

Sorry for the lack of updates! I promise this will all change when I return to Hong Kong (next week!) for my summer holiday. After all, I will be spending a vast majority of my time there eating. I've missed HK food and HK restaurants so much. Anyway, let's get straight onto the review.

Pino is a very small, hole-in-the-wall type restaurant that is not striking from the outside, even on the inside, by any means. Upon opening the menu, however, I was pleasantly surprised. The choices are not the typical fried, oily, meat-heavy dishes that you would find in most small, Filipino restaurants. Instead, they offered an array of healthy and vegetarian options.

I ended up ordering calamari to start and the pancit (a common Filipino noodle dish) with tofu. The former was average, but the pancit was delicious! The dessert here also really stood out. I had leche flan and turon (deep fried banana wrapped in spring roll paper), and oh my goodness, if I wasn't supposed to be 'eating healthy' I would be back for this over and over. Another plus? This place is really cheap for the quality offered.


Pancit with tofu.

Leche flan.


Turon.

Food: A-
Ambience/Deco: C
Service: B
Price: A

Pino Resto Bar
39 Malingap, Quezon City 1101, Philippines

Local Snacks (Hong Kong)

With Easter holidays coming up, my Facebook newsfeed has been flooded with statuses declaring everyone's excitement at being able to go home (Hong Kong) soon. Since I'm not going back this Easter, I thought I could instead reminisce some of my favourite local HK snacks on this blog.

I sorely, sorely miss bubble tea and curry fish balls.

(Pictured here at one of the local snack stands in the Mong Kok district.)

Coast (Hong Kong)

Bit of a throwback blog post for you today, as I'll be talking about a restaurant that I normally frequent whenever I'm in Hong Kong - Coast. Coast serves hearty, Australian food - there's calamari, burgers, steak, and of course kangaroo. Although this is quite typical comfort food, the dishes are always well presented and well cooked - I can't say that I've come across a dish at Coast that I haven't enjoyed (but that might be because I'm partial towards carbs and seafood).

Risotto balls.

Mon-Thurs is $100 steak night at Coast.

They also have friendly, attentive staff. Last time I went they gave us tequila shots on the house with our steaks!

If you're looking for somewhere nice for post-work happy hour drinks and nibbles, or a fun, casual dinner with friends (I've been to many a birthday parties/reunion gatherings here) for a decent price and  chill environment, I'd recommend Coast.

Food: A-

Ambience/Deco: B+

Service: B

Price: B+

Coast

1/F Kinwick Centre, 32 Hollywood Road, Soho

Laduree (London)

I usually love, love, love Laduree. But maybe that's because I've only ever tried their famous macarons. The other day, I visited the Laduree shop in Covent Garden and ordered the Covent Garden breakfast set. Hate to say, I was terribly disappointed. The bread was hard, the hot chocolate was too thick I had to use it as a dip rather than a drink, and the pan au chocolat was nothing special. The best part of the meal might have been the lemon cake, but our waiter had accidentally served us this - it is not actually part of the set. Therefore, I'd say forego the breakfast and just go for a cake or macaron.

I do have to comment on the ambience though. The seats are plush and comfortable, and the pastel green colour scheme makes you feel as though you were in Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette set.

(Sorry for the image quality, have had to resort to using my iPhone since I have left my DSLR back home)

Food: C

Ambience/Deco: A

Service: B

Price: C

Laduree

1, The Market, London, WC2E 8RA