OVOCAFE - Hong Kong

Date of visit: Sunday, 6 July 2014

If you're active on the foodie side of Instagram, you should have seen pictures of people slurping spaghetti, posing with their all day breakfasts in a garden / greenhouse setting. Yes, I'm talking about OVOCAFE. A new(-ish) vegetarian cafe located in OVO store, part of the redevelopment project of the Grade III Historic Building Wan Chai Market.

The menu is very simple. One page of food and one page of drinks. There is also a cake display with some cakes to choose from.

Truth to be told, when I first saw pictures of this place, I was worried about all the seemingly plastic faux plants... poking my skin whilst I was trying to eat or the dust deposited would trigger allergic reactions. But no, there wasn't too many plants, and most of them seemed real! They, along with the high ceiling, made the place pleasant and very colourful.

OVO teamed up with Felix Wong, the man behind two of my favourite coffee places (Cafe Corridor and Coffee Assembly) to develop OVOCAFE. So it's only natural that the drinks menu of OVO resembles that of Cafe Corridor. 8pm was too late for coffee, so we both ordered the Apple Passionfruit Smoothie ($45), a drink I had ordered and loved at Cafe Corridor. They looked exactly the same, except for the container they came in.

Linguine with King Oyster Mushroom with Miso Sauce ($68) - this dish took 洋食 to a whole new level. Thick slices of king oyster mushroom, seaweed, nutty miso... on linguine. While I wouldn't call myself a big fan, there's no denying this was innovative and special.

Mixed Vegetables with Goat Cheese Wrap ($50) (front) - by mixed vegetables did they mean mixed salad leaves? I'm not a vegetable-bashing 8 years old, but how could I not hate salad leaves in hot pressed wraps? They make great wraps/sandwiches soggy and so bitter. Other than the cooked lettuce problem, the wrap was crispy and stuffed with plenty of goat cheese. Bengali Sweet Potatoes ($48) (back) - a generous amount of yellow and purple sweet potato chunks covered in this curry syrupy sauce. This was extremely addictive, especially when hot. We couldn't stop even when we were full... It would be a crime to throw these away.

Rating: 4/5

In a nutshell: Great food in a pretty cafe. Perfect for any occasion - light work lunch, coffee and cake with yourself, dinner with a group of friends... Not only would you have a lovely meal, you would win plenty of likes on Instagram!


OVOCAFE
G/F, 1 Wan Chai Road
Wan Chai
Hong Kong

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Camper's - Hong Kong

Date of visit: Saturday, 5 July 2014

My mother and me are creatures of habit, frequenting the same restaurants even if the queues are only getting longer and the portions smaller. Though we live near the increasingly-happening Soho East, we have never dined at the many restaurants in the area. On a Saturday night we decided we should stop going to the same place (for a weekend at least) and headed to Camper's, a Japanese eatery tucked away in a street of garages. Our "curiosity" and "bravery" were well rewarded with some awesome hearty home-cooking!

Slow Cooked Pork Cartilage ($29) - in my head, pork cartilage is a chewy business. Think pork cartilage in noodle soup from Ajisen Ramen and Tsui Wah. Lots of people love that, I don't. I prefer this slow-cooked version from Camper's. There's just something magical about slow-cooked braised meat: succulent with a flaky texture and intense flavours, sitting in its own glaze... In this case, the tough cartilage had broken down into this gooey goodness. And it's only $29!

Beef Ribs in Black Sesame Curry with Mixed Rice ($63) - I eat plenty of curries, but black sesame curry is something I'd never heard of. Though lacking in a distinctive sesame flavour, it gave the curry a dark, almost blackish tone. As for the meat, it's my favourite - braised beef ribs! They could have been more generous with the rib pieces, but they were generous indeed with the vegetables. There was even sweet potato pieces in the rice. Reminder: don't eat this on a date! Unless your date is into black teeth and black bits inbetween teeth...

Hiroshima Oyster Curry with Mixed Rice ($66) - I had been craving oysters so my mother got this to share with me. From the photos it's clear that this, compared to the black sesame curry, was lighter and runnier. Personally I prefered the Beef Ribs in Black Sesame Curry, but this was tasty as well.

They charge $3 per person for tea. Sort of a strange practice... You could pay extra for juice instead but I'm not sure if refill is available.


Rating: 4.5/5

In a nutshell: Healthy and unpretentious Japanese home-cooking that your wallet will love. I especially appreciate the shop's motto of healthy eating. There's even a dish called 1-day Mixed Vegetables Curry to help you meet your 5-A-Day. I will be back!


Camper's 坐忘
13 Pan Hoi Street
Quarry Bay
Hong Kong

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85 South / Coco Espresso - Hong Kong

85 South

The amount of Discovery TLC I watch is embarrassing. While I no longer glue myself to the TV every Sunday from 12nn, sometimes I find myself watching TLC food shows on Youtube at 2am. You know what these shows are like - "Best Ribs in America", "Man Vs. Burgers"... And the worst part is, however much you crave juicy tender pulled pork or fall-off-the-bone ribs, you know you won't be eating that when you get up, chain restaurants' offerings simply won't do the job.

But times have changed. 85 South opened in Kau U Fong November last year. But can their stuff satisfy my carnivorous cravings?

Lemonade came in a Solo cup. It would be great to wash down my greasy meaty plate with a tall cool cup of acidic sweet lemonade, but this cup at 85 South was too watery and bland for my liking.

BBQ Tray Combo ($100) (front) - the difference between a BBQ Tray and a BBQ Sandwich is that there is 1/3 lb of meat and two dollops of red slaw in the BBQ Tray (as opposed to the BBQ Sandwich's 1/4 lb and a single dollop and it comes with a bun, duh). As someone who could happily finish 10 oz of steak on her own, I thought 1/3 lb, translating to roughly 5 oz of meat would be nothing. But that was a little mountain of pulled pork! I didn't regret my decision to order a Tray though, because that red slaw was glorious. I love coleslaw, even the bad supermarket kind, so I may be biased when I call this tomato-based slaw out of this world. But it really was something awesome. The chips, apart from the funny flat shape, were nothing special. And the layer of oil sitting at the bottom of the tray was rather unappetising. As for the BBQ Chicken Sandwich Combo ($85) (back), I did steal a piece of chicken from Lae. It was moist and tender and full of barbecue flavour.

Rating: 2.5/5

In a nutshell: Sorry, 85 South, I don't think you're good enough to compete with the contenders from my late night TLC food porn session. While I still about the sweet and tangy red slaw every now and then, I guess I have to look elsewhere for my protein cravings.


85 South
6-10 Kau U Fong
Central
Hong Kong

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Coco Espresso

Cold brew / cold drip coffee seems to be the beverage of the year (cold drip is a subset of cold brew). I have yet given BLACKSHOT Coffee a shot (pun intended), but I went to Coco Espresso, another brand offering this sweet and mellow liquid gold.

Cold Drip Coffee - Colombia Finca Santuario ($55, refill $48) - Classic was sold out so we got Colombia instead. According to the barista, Colombia Finca Santuario coffee is quite acidic and harsh. Scientifically, cold brew coffee is less acidic than hot brew: when you brew with hot water, acidic oils are released by the grounds (yay for chemistry). I noticed even if the cold brew coffee is still acidic, it is a mellower, fruitier kind of acidity, almost like alcohol. I would be happy to swap my beloved Taffy Apples cider for a bottle of this at happy hour.

With cold drip coffee becoming more and more popular, Coco now offers five kinds of cold drip - go check them out.


Coco Espresso
G/F, 197 Queen's Road Central
Sheung Wan
Hong Kong

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This Fortnight in Eating (30 Jun - 13 Jul)

When I first started this blog, I envisioned a place where I document my eating adventures with pictures and as few words as possible, aka "let pictures do the talking". This explains the tagline "an eating log". But rambling on and on is my second nature. I find it hard to not talk when there's so much to talk about! Each long-winded post leaves me with little time for others. And I have accumulated a long list of less memorable / less writable places.

Say hello to This Fortnight in Eating! A new feature to this ever-changing blog. It's a compilation of snapshots from my restaurant / bar visit, happening every two weeks.


Mori Sushi 森壽司

Hokkaido Kaisendon 北海道魚生飯 ($98) - possibly the best thing that can happen during lunch break. The sashimi tastes fresh and there is more of it than rice. It's true there is only a small bowlful of rice (you can ask for more but it isn't going to make a difference) but the oily fish and sticky rice (along with the zensai appetiser, miso soup and ice-cream mochi) will fill you up pretty nicely. I have been for more than five times and I still want to go back. Be warned though: service isn't the best and you're advised to book two days ahead.

Sanche Modern Korean

Bossam ($138) - this is my favourite among the three dishes we ordered that day. I love Korean food and I love how Sanche does it with a twist. And it's impressive they do it all in the tiny corner in the restaurant they call kitchen.

Sevva

This reminds me of something I have read in a rooftopping article - "the coolest views are often from lower buildings nestled in between the tall ones."

Forgot what I have ordered... but it's the first time I have eaten a passionfruit.

Posto Pubblico

Linguine Vongole ($145 set lunch) - my first time having linguine alle vongole in red sauce (rosso). Loved the sauce, the big clams and the generous portion.

Frey & Ford

A few years ago there was a budding artisan sandwich craze. There were shops selling mini hot dogs and sandwiches. Memorably, a tiny shop in Wan Chai, 'wich, shut their doors before I could pay a visit. Frey & Ford is the only shop that is still around. Mind you, it isn't a sandwich shop, it's a "sandwich boutique". They sell "petite sandwich creations" which are actually "a work of gastronomic art that pleases both the tastebuds and the eye". Yes, I'm stealing sentences directly off their website.

Set A ($58) - this included three petite sandwiches and soup/salad. I got the French Onion Soup, Salmon Sandwich Cake, Bruschetta of Tomato Salsa and Parmesan and Peking Chicken Pocket Rockets. There was a generous amount of onion in the soup, which made me happy. But the sandwiches failed me. Like jewellery in jewellery shop, the "work of gastronomic art" sat under the glass patiently waiting for your purchase. But unlike jewellery, bread would go stale and dry. And that's why these sandwiches were. It's a shame though, as I really like the concept of artisan sandwiches.

BO-LO'GNE

Deep Fried Pork Cutlet Sandwich ($?) - this place used to be pretty famous for their Danish bread. In recent years, with more bakeries selling Danish bread and "trendier" bread, BO-LO'GNE seems to have gone off the radar. Their bread was still good, but this sandwich was disappointing. The pork cutlet was too thin and dry, the breading was detaching...

BEP Vietnamese Kitchen

Pho Tai ($68) - BEP is Nha Trang group's latest concept, or you can refer it as it the hipster sister of Nha Trang. It's more expensive but in my opinion, it tastes better. The broth of my Pho Tai was distinctively clearer and more flavourful than that at Nha Trang... but MSG level was the same. Can I get some more water please?

Taco Chaca

Nachos (?) - it doesn't look like it would taste good does it? I may be biased because I had just had some world-class nachos over at Dicken Bar a few weeks before.

Baja Fish Taco ($58) - was there even fish? All I could taste was flour tortilla (weird because it said "corn" on my recipe) and guac and lemon juice.

Ping Pong 129

Who would have known under this unassuming door...

... it would be a gintonería? I know nothing about gin, but the long stairway and high ceiling and industrial hippiness of this place speak for itself.

La Terrazza bar & grill

La Terrazza is positively reviewed by the online community. So when we headed to Shatin one Sunday to run some errands (I hadn't been there for almost five years!), we decided we would go there for lunch. But disappointedly, bread was the best part of the meal...

The mussels were surprisingly not bad, but the spaghetti was soggy! I thought with the concept of "al dente" being more and more common, soggy pasta would only exist in cha chaan tengs nowadays. Apparently I was wrong.

La Terrazza operates under the Maxim's group. Its menu reminded me a lot of another Maxim's operation, Simplylife Bakery Cafe - salad, pasta, chicken burger, beef burger, roast chicken, steak... but Simplylife does it so well while La Terrazza does it so bad, it would surprise me they have the same parent if I hadn't known already. Simplylife's Beef Burger is my go-to choice when I'm feeling extremely hungry and want to play safe. This burger? It was awful. The bun was exactly the same as the oatmeal rolls I used to buy from the supermarket for school lunch. The burger patty was... wait, was it even a burger patty? Not meat-flavoured plastic? It was dry and dense from over-handling and over-compression.