We never exactly need an excuse for dessert… but when the mercury’s rising, nothing cools you down more deliciously than an ice-cream fix! We’ve got the scoop on Hong Kong’s top five ice cream and gelato joints to help make your summer sassier one ice cream at a time…

Trust me: if you’re ever in Sai Kung and in need of an icy treat, Bibini Nice Cream is the place to get your fix. With a selection of about 20 gelato flavours in the freezer, the continuous stream of people snaking out the door on to the footpath proves it’s worth working up a sweat and fending off the crowds for. Everything served is made by hand at the store and (we’re pleased to confirm) the scoops are a decent size! If you’re in the mood for something different, gelato flavours like mango nut, champagne, yuzu or durian might tickle your fancy. If not, rest assured you won’t be disappointed with standard faves like fresh mango, lemon, pistachio, strawberry yoghurt, stracciatella, and pistachio.

Bibini Nice Cream, Shop 11, G/F, Ko Fu House, 58-72 Fuk Man Rd, Sai Kung, Hong Kong, 6040 7278

If you thought Holly Brown was only good for a high quality caffeine hit, think again! The gelato freezer is packed to the brim and the flavour selection is sure to impress – and Team Sassy is already a noted fan (it made the list of our fave delicious desserts in HK!) Made with imported ingredients from Italy, Holly Brown claims its gelato contains 50% less fat than other premium ice creams. Delicious AND healthy?! We’ll take that!

If you’re craving something seriously indulgent, grab a friend and go halves on a honey toast gelato (it’s incredible) or a wafer cup with all the toppings! If you’re in the mood for something a little less intense, the blue vanilla gelato is a good option, otherwise grab some frozen yoghurt or a fresh fruit smoothie.

Holly Brown, 22 Stanley Street, Central, Hong Kong, 2869 9008
G19, K11, 18 Hanoi Rd, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong, 3122 4016
Shop 1026 1/F, Elements, 1 Austin Road West, Kowloon, Hong Kong, 2856 1201

If you find yourself wilting under the hot summer sun as you crawl along the pavement this summer, keep your eyes peeled for I-Scream. There is no disputing this gelato is the real deal and the proof is definitely in the pudding.  Made fresh each and every day under the watchful eye of who they claim to be Hong Kong’s only master gelataio, I-Scream has a legion of loyal dessert fans.

As well as rolling out gelato and sorbet by the scoop and tub, I-Scream’s authentic gelato cakes are world famous in Honkers. A cool dessert for birthdays or summer dinner parties, I’m guessing you’ll be pleased to know gelato cakes are a much lighter option than their standard counterparts (fat content of around 7% and sugar content of 17%).

I-Scream, Shop 1104, Podium Level One, ifc mall, Central, Hong Kong, 2234 7281
Unit A, UG/F, Shama Place, 30 Hollywood Road, Central, Hong Kong, 2605 3881
Great Food Hall, Pacific Place, 88 Queensway, Admiralty, Hong Kong, 2918 0362
Il Bel Paese, G31 & 32A, Block C, DB Plaza, Discovery Bay, Hong Kong

 Peace, love and ice cream… That pretty sums up what Ben & Jerry’s is all about. All I can really say is, if you haven’t tried one of the amazing B&J’s flavours yet, stop surfing Sassy and go buy a double scoop PRONTO! My top picks? Cherry Garcia and Chunky Monkey… I’m in ice cream heaven just thinking about them! If you’re not in the mood for a cone, try sipping one of their milkshakes instead – it’s like magic in a cup.

Ben & Jerry’s Scoop Shop, Shop 5A G/F, 45-47 Cochrane Street, Central, Hong Kong
7/F Times Square, 1 Matheson Street, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong
No. D Knutsford Steps, 1 Kimberly Road, Miramar Shopping Centre, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong
See all other Ben & Jerry’s locations in Hong Kong here.

If you’re in the mood to simultaneously titillate and confuse the heck out of your taste buds, look no further than the Ice Cream Gallery (a little shop with a stock standard name but a freezer full of CRAY-ZAY flavours). Nestled in a shadowy corner of the Repulse Bay Arcade, a variety of icy treats including French crème glacée, traditional Japanese ice cream, Italian gelato AND frozen yoghurt are on offer.

In terms of ice cream and gelato, flavours span from the likes of safe white chocolate cookies & cream through to adventurous options such as French Bacon & Egg (yes, you read that correctly)! Taking things to a completely different level, the deluxe range includes flavours like French foie gras, lobster, abalone, black truffle and ice wine.

Let me be straight up: this is gourmet ice cream at its finest (if you’re a vanilla kind of girl, steer clear). Although it’s pricier than most other joints, it’s worth the extra pennies.

Ice Cream Gallery, Shop G117, Repulse Bay Arcade, 109 Repulse Bay Rd, Hong Kong, 2838 8086

Keep cool and stay tuned for our top five fro-yos guide soon!

As I sit here and write this, it is pouring with rain, meaning the thought of being anywhere outside right now does not appeal in the slightest. However, when it isn’t raining, in Hong Kong we are blessed with the kind of weather where we can enjoy sitting outside for at least most of the year. Here are my top five picks for the best alfresco restos in HK:

The Stoep
Without going further afield deep into the New Territories, Cheung Sha beach on Lantau is one of the most beautiful beaches Hong Kong has to offer. But no trip to Cheung Sha is complete without a stop at The Stoep for a beach barbecue. Although service leaves a lot to be desired, The Stoep serves up some quality South African fare at affordable prices. Definitely start with a jug of Pimms and some seeded bread with hummus, before moving on to some boerewors and rainbow trout.  Make sure you eat enough to send you into a comfortable food coma so you can enjoy a peaceful nap on the beach afterwards.

The Stoep, 32 Lower Cheung Sha Village, Lantau Island, Hong Kong, 2980 2699

The Peak Lookout
Although this restaurant tends to be on every tourist’s hit list, that doesn’t mean to say that we Hong Kongers should neglect it. The view over the south side of the island is spectacular (on a good day at least) and the food is delicious, especially the Tandoori items. Taking you away from the hustle and bustle of central to a beautiful setting above the city, The Peak Lookout could be the perfect date place.

The Peak Lookout, 121 Peak Road, The Peak, Hong Kong, 2849 1000

Black Sheep
Although Shek O is full of delicious and cheap local restaurants, if you’re looking for something different, try Black Sheep. With its hippie and almost backpacker-esque vibe, Black Sheep is like something you would expect to find in Thailand or Bali, and for me that is part of what makes it so special here in Hong Kong (it won a place in Hester’s Perfect Summer too!). The other part that makes it special is, of course, the food; they won my heart with the whole baked garlic bulb and pesto dip for the freshly baked bread, but the pizzas are also delicious. Don’t expect to pay backpacker prices, however, as Black Sheep definitely isn’t cheap for what it is.

Black Sheep, G/F 330 Shek O Village, Shek O, Hong Kong, 2809 2021

One-thirtyone
This place is so beautiful that people often use it as a wedding venue. One-thirtyone, off the beaten track in Sai Kung, is a gorgeous three-storey terracotta-coloured house with spectacular views of the crystal clear sea beneath it (as seen in the picture at the top of this article!). The four-course lunch costs $600 and the six-course dinner is $1200 for beautifully presented and delicious French fare. One-thirtyone is perfect for any special occasion, or just because you feel like doing something special – just make sure you book far in advance as it understandably has a seriously long waiting list.

One-thirtyone, 131 Tseng Tau Village, Shap Sze Heung, New Territories, Hong Kong, 2791 2684

Lupa
While inside the restaurant, service may not be up to scratch and prices may soar, outside at La Terrazza it’s a whole different story. Having outdoor space in Central is always going to be something special, but wait till you see the terrace at Lupa and you’ll want to come as often as you can. The menu is much more limited than inside, but out here you can enjoy some delicious pizzas, cooked in the traditional pizza oven, which actually aren’t even available inside. Even if you’re just coming for a cocktail, definitely give La Terrazza a shot, and you won’t regret it. Check out our full review of Lupa here.

Lupa, 3/F LHT Tower, 31 Queen’s Road Central, Central, Hong Kong, 2796 6500

Check out more from Ale on her fab blog, The Dim Sum Diaries!

The hotly anticipated Italian restaurant Lupa, by Mario Batali and his partner Joe Bastianich, finally opened its doors a month ago, much to the excitement of the Hong Kong crowd who crammed themselves into the new LHT Tower in Central for the opening party (we’re told it was like a rave!).

Mario Batali, the internationally recognised Italian chef, has already built up a formidable portfolio of successful restaurants in New York, LA, Las Vegas and Singapore, but LUPA will be his first test of the Hong Kong climate and palate (with a further two restaurants, including a steakhouse upstairs and something in Causeway Bay, to open over the next year). Executive Chef Zach Allen heads the kitchen, bringing diners his and Mario’s version of New York Italian cuisine.

The space Lupa occupies is pretty fantastic. There’s La Terrazza, the wonderful open terrace which gives us a good view of the bustling Queen’s Road Central and the main dining area which sprawls over 5000 square feet and is all dark wood and dim lighting, with an open kitchen and a compact bar area which ends up becoming the cold-cuts section for the lunch buffet. The décor is rather reminiscent of that in restaurants used by the characters in the Godfather movies, which I found more austere than intimate or cosy. This feeling was compounded by the interesting statue of Romulus and Remus suckling at a Lupa (Latin for She-wolf) that appears to have been casually plonked in the middle of the restaurant (from eBay apparently!).

Lupa was already doing a roaring business when Rach and I went to sample the lunch in the first days of its official opening. The very reasonably priced lunch menu offers a Chef’s Buffet with a selection of vegetables, seafood, Italian Salumi, breads, salads and desserts for $168, with the option of adding a soup, a pizza or pasta dish, or a main course for an extra charge ($30, $50 and $90 respectively).

There isn’t a designated buffet area per se, so they set up two small tables plus the bar area on which to balance plates and bowls of food. It was madness with people trying to negotiate past the statue to the various sections, so bear in mind that going for lunch at peak times might not be the best idea for a relaxing meal!

There was a good selection of salads and vegetables on offer, which were wonderfully prepared and delicious. I’m a huge fan of Italian salads, so I would be quite happy to have the buffet selection on its own without any additional dishes. Rach pronounced herself a particular fan of the lentils and we really enjoyed a cucumber and mint salad too. There were less cold-cuts to choose from, but all were of an excellent quality, especially the salami which I wolfed down (pardon the pun) with gusto.

Rach and I were able to have a pasta, pizza and a main course to try, and we chose the garganelli with oxtail ragu, the funghi taleggio pizza and the braised pork shoulder.

The oxtail ragu sauce was rich and full of meaty tomato-ey flavor, but it wasn’t thick enough for my liking, nor was there nearly enough of it (lunch portion, perhaps?). The pasta itself was a little on the firm side but the chunks of oxtail in the sauce made up for it with its tender texture.

The pizza is only available at lunchtimes or out on La Terrazza in the evenings, which I find slightly annoying given how good it turned out to be. The funghi taleggio pizza was scrumptious, the base was chewy yet crisp, the dough had a lovely ‘give’ and I adored the generous gooey cheese and the amazing mushroom aroma.

The braised pork shoulder was an alarmingly dark colour, but once I cut into it, the succulent meat peeled away. The pork was dressed with a chili dressing, which packed a spicy punch and gave the dish some dimension and depth. I liked the addition of the cucumber, which was a fresh and crunchy contrast to the pork.

The desserts from the buffet were cute and dainty. There was an interesting chocolate banana bread pudding, which should have been served with custard; it was a tad dry, especially after it was left out for the duration of the lunch hour. Along with chewy chocolate chip cookies (which Rach attempted to stash in her bag for later!), a blueberry cheesecake, a delicious panna cotta and a rich chocolate cake, there was an utterly sublime lemon torte which impressed me with its amazing consistency, lovely sharp citrus flavour and a crumbly base.

Lupa has some room for improvement. As with most new restaurants, the improvement is usually to do with the overall efficiency in the running of the establishment and with the service. I can’t say that the service was stellar and the hostess didn’t seem to be overly concerned with welcoming diners, seeming more confused than we were! That aside, the lunch was very promising indeed and the food we had was of a high standard; however, a quick glance at the dinner menu tells me that Lupa isn’t the place for a budget-friendly foodie! Then again, with all the hype over Batali’s arrival, did we ever expect it to be?!

Lupa, 3/F, LHT Tower, 31 Queen’s Road Central, Hong Kong, 2796 6500; La Terrazza is open in the evenings only.

Check out more food-related writings from Michelle on her blog, Chopstixfix!

I’ll admit to not being the world’s artiest person, so the impending arrival of ART HK has sort of passed me by. However, I do love eating… so when I heard about the Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong’s special menu to celebrate ART HK, I was very excited indeed!

I was lucky enough to be invited to a tasting of the three-course lunch menu at Mandarin Grill + Bar (there are an additional two courses for dinner) and after having a quick look at photos of the dishes, I was already worried that this stuff would look just too exquisite to eat! Chef Uwe Opocensky has been beavering away on this menu for five to six months… and it shows. With each dish based around a different aspect of art (Sculpture, Graffiti, Photography, Painting and Music), this is food fit to display in any gallery.

We started off with Graffiti, which was based on the Berlin Wall. Beneath the beautifully-decorated sugar icing was brioche and foie gras (essentially a very pretty, very posh pate on toast) an appetizer rather too decadently rich for me. I’m not the world’s biggest fan of foie gras and found the portion far too big for a starter, but there was no denying the creativity behind this dish.

Next up was the main course of beef – Painting. This was presented in a picture frame and looked absolutely sensational, with strips of colour running across the portrait, a succulent juicy slab of beef sitting proudly in the corner and a glowing golden ‘sun’ of poached egg up top. As if that wasn’t enough, delicious truffle gravy was then poured on.

Sadly, the best way to taste this dish was not to pick at it delicately but to smush everything up together and load a bit of everything on your fork! I felt pretty sad about demolishing the artistry of Painting but it was SO worth it. The flavours were wonderful and expertly matched, each vegetable puree delicately balancing against the rich meltingly tender beef and that addictive truffle gravy (I particularly liked the earthy mushroom and tangy sweet pepper purees). Early versions of Chef Uwe’s Painting did not include the poached egg sun… but that was truly the dish’s crowning glory. Just seeing it, I couldn’t wait to jab my fork in and let the golden goo run all over my plate; it was poached perfectly and, slathered all over my beef, made the whole thing taste even more lush.

But if you thought Painting was spectacular, then dessert really was something else. The MO’s discreetly efficient staff started clearing our table, placing silicon sheets over the cloth; things then started to go all Heston Blumenthal as we were presented with some headphones nestled in a chocolate-filled tin. The music was just one instrumental on a loop (guessing whoever set this up hadn’t worked out the iPod Nano’s Playlist function!) but it did help you zone out and concentrate on the show – your dessert being prepared right in front of you on the table!

When I was younger, there was a tv programme called Art Attack, where a presenter (Neil Buchanan, god) would create a huge amazing picture made up of various everyday objects… well, this was the culinary equivalent!

For lunch, dessert is called Colour and is served sans music but we were treated to the dinner version, Music, which was even bigger, better and more brilliant. It was truly a treat to watch Chef Uwe at work, dribbling drizzling smearing slathering and scattering various entirely edible elements onto the table in front of us. The best bit was when he picked up a small chocolate globe with dried ice smoke gushing out of it and then smashed it into the middle of your table. Be cleverer than me and video it please!

The final result was stunning – both to look at and to eat! All of us were transformed into children, playing with our food, nibbling at this, breaking off that, dipping one thing into another. Everything was edible – from the photo frame in the middle, to the paintbrushes, crayons (I took one home to show my boyfriend, much to his dismay) and pencil shavings to the piles of rubble, dust and the pots that further nuggets spilled out of (super-yummy chocolate-covered nuts, since you asked)! This was a chocoholic’s dream, accented with delicious scoops of creamy vanilla ice cream and raspberry sorbet, gooey marshmallow and smears of coconut milk.

To finish off with our teas or coffees, we were presented with a bowl of baby donuts and chocolate sauce to dip them into; I thought I was fit to burst but the donuts were surprisingly light and filled with cool cream, making them the perfect end to the meal.

Included with the cost of the ART menu are tickets to ART HK itself, whilst there are also numerous other tie-ins to the event, including some special art cocktails in the M Bar, an exhibition in The Clipper Lounge and an ‘artistic food’ competition too. Yet the ART menu has to be the true masterpiece amongst the lot, an unforgettable experience backed up with top-end ingredients, great flavours and lots of clever chef-ing skill. ART HK itself will have a lot to live up to!

Mandarin Grill + Bar’s ART menu costs $688 for the three-course lunch and $1488 for the five-course dinner, including tickets to ART HK. It runs until 20 May, 2012.

Mandarin Grill + Bar, Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong, 5 Connaught Road, Central, Hong Kong, 2825 4004

www.mandarinoriental.com/hongkong

As Sassy girls we certainly don’t shy away from a chilled glass of wine or two, but when someone says LKF, immediate thoughts turn to jello shots, bustling bars and street parties. In order to quash these preconceptions, I Love LKF invites us to sample A Taste of LKF on Saturday May 12^th and celebrate the array of wonderfully intimate, top quality eateries and sophisticated wine bars dotted above the wild party streets!

Casa Lisboa’s fruity Portuguese red and deliciously rich Carne de Porco dish is just one example of what this extravaganza has in store for you. Unlike the numerous wine walks and beer festivals offered throughout the city, A Taste of LKF is about finding the perfect food and wine pairing, with ten of the area’s finest restaurants (including Indochine, The Flying Winemaker, LUX and Wooloomooloo) joining forces to tantalise your taste buds.

It’s that million-dollar question though – which food goes with which wine? The art of food and wine pairing is not to be sniffed at, which is why the restaurant’s connoisseurs at A Taste of LKF have combined wine regions and culinary traditions to enhance our dining experience. A match made in heaven!

For an island that boasts such an array of international fare, it is no surprise that Italian, Vietnamese, French, Australian and Portuguese are just some of the gastronomic delights on offer. We were lucky enough to be let in on a few secrets on what is in store for May 12^th.

It was only right that our first port of call was the newly renovated Di Vino, LKF’s longest standing member. The proudly Italian chefs paired their beautifully rich traditional cuisine with crisp whites and spicy reds to compliment our experience. A lightly breaded ball stuffed with warmed mozzarella and anchovies is guaranteed to send you to foodie heaven and back!

Next stop was Casa Lisboa, a European classic, where their resident wino talked us through the history of Portuguese blends before we made our way to Robata Zawazawa. This Japanese gem is crammed with authentic style and charm, a wonderful contrast to the bustling streets below. Their signature mochi dessert, freshly prepared before your eyes, and the most incredible array of colourful and flavoursome cocktails, are just two of the dishes waiting to seduce your senses.

So if you’re a curious foodie or an inquisitive wino, treat your taste buds, explore the area and be wined and dined to your heart’s content!

SASSY GIVEAWAY: We have a pair of tickets (worth $800) to A Taste Of LKF on Saturday 12 May to give away to one lucky Sassy reader! All you have to do is fill out the form below and we will notify the lucky winner on 8 May – good luck!

All the details…

When: Saturday 12th May, 2-7pm
Where: All around Lan Kwai Fong, Central, Hong Kong!
How much: $350 for payment by American Express Cards or $400 for other payment methods; each ticket includes sixteen tokens for use on food and wine pairings, each with a face value of $25.
More info: www.ilovelkf.hk/atasteoflkf

Café Deco Group’s newest baby comes in the form of Eivissa, the newly opened trendy bar on Wyndham Street. As Eivissa is the Catalan name for the beautiful island of Ibiza, it appears that Café Deco are trying to bring a slice of the Spanish island to liven up Wyndham Street’s already buzzing throng of bars. I’m not sure I see the resemblance but it’s still a nice little bar!

With high leather chairs and funky blue lighting, the small space occupied by Eivissa is intimate yet fun – though I’m not sure that’s what makes it stand out amongst its neighbours.

What sets Eivissa aside is the menu, and the fact that said menu is not just a piece of card, but an iPad. Scroll through the lists of classic and not-so-classic drinks, ogling at beautiful images of each, as well as very tempting little tapas-like bites from the bar snacks menu.

Whilst deciding on your tipple for the evening, order the house chips with truffle oil and aged Manchego. These crisps (for I am English and will never succumb to silly Americanisms!) are made in Eivissa’s diddy little kitchen and are dangerously more-ish. They’re perhaps a little on the oily side, but when the oil is of the truffle variety, I daresay you can hardly complain!

Eivissa’s martinis are far from ordinary with options such as tiramisu, mango, kiwi (or Kee-Wee in Eivissa speak) and elderflower. The Kee-Wee Martini was wonderfully refreshing and fruity, masking the strength of the alcohol underneath; one of those drinks you could easily mistake for fruit juice… until you stand up and realise there was definitely something stronger in there!

The Mango Martini was even stronger, though balanced with the sweetness of the mango. I’m not big on my overly sweet drinks, so I much preferred the sharpness present in the Kee-Wee Martini.

The Old Cuban – a mix of aged rum, lime, mint, angostura bitters and Champagne – I loved. Perhaps due to the many Cuba Libres I have enjoyed over time on the beach in Venezuela, there is something about good quality rum blended with lime that I always find hard to compete with.

To accompany our drinks and crisps, we tried the beef cubes with foie gras and red onion jam. The beef was admittedly a little on the chewy side, but the smooth foie gras and sweet red onions offered a welcome distraction.

My favourite of the snacks were the wild mushroom croquettes with truffle aioli. Crispy on the outside, creamy on the inside and paired with the most delicious aioli infused with truffle, without being overpowering; I actually constantly find myself daydreaming about these croquettes!

Cocktails at Eivissa hover around the $100 mark and the snacks range from $45-$75. However, Happy Hour runs from 5-9pm every day with 30% off regular drinks prices and some complimentary nibbles. There are also exciting drink promotions Monday-Thursday, including, most importantly of course, free-flow bubbles for ladies every Thursday! It’s tough being a girl.

Eivissa, 77 Wyndham Street, Central, Hong Kong, 2520 5818

Check out more from Ale on her fab blog, The Dim Sum Diaries!

When I heard that my favourite dessert kitchen, Riquiqui, in Wellington Street, was closing and its chef abandoning us for greener pastures, I was quite depressed and wasn’t sure that anything that took over the space could be as good or as fun. However, I had the privilege of being introduced to Peter Franklin, chef and owner of new eaterie Chôm Chôm pho bar, before its opening – and things didn’t seem too bad anymore!

Chef Peter was born and raised in Vietnam and from my two visits so far, (lunch and dinner) he certainly seems to know what he’s doing. The cuisine is modern Vietnamese, but you’ll recognise most of the usual suspects on the menu, which is small but showcases Chef Peter’s flair in the kitchen and his knowledge of traditional dishes and their ingredients. The contemporary aspect is more in the presentation and the slight twist in certain dishes, and that is more noticeable in the newly launched set dinner menu. At the moment the set dinner menu is available Friday and Saturday evenings for $480 (+10% service charge) per person, but from Sundays to Thursdays, you can book dinner in advance if you have a party of ten minimum.

The inside of Chôm Chôm is fresh and minimalistic, leaving the eyes to focus on the work going on in the open kitchen. Peter and his staff are friendly, attentive and show a lot of love to the dishes being prepared.

To start, Rach and I quenched our thirst with a delicious Virgin Parisian Mojito while we waited for the Appetiser Sampler, Vietnamese rolls 3 ways (fried, steamed and fresh) – crispy spring rolls with pork, vegetable and cilantro; steamed rice paper rolls with mixed mushroom, pork, shallots and spring onion; and fresh rice paper rolls with mango, shrimps and herbs.

All were excellent, but the fresh rice paper roll had the edge, with the mango really giving the roll a refreshing burst of sweet citrus, which nicely complimented the shrimps and herbs. For me, it’s all about the Nuoc Cham (Vietnamese dipping sauce), which I have a tendency to drench everything with, and this was homemade to saucy perfection.

I was looking forward to the Lemongrass Seafood Pho (Pho Bien) as I’d already sampled their Beef Pho at a previous lunch and thought the broth divine. The pho was so aromatic when it arrived, that I took a moment to breathe in the lovely lemongrass bouquet before gazing at the shrimps, crab, clams and the quail egg bobbing up and down in my bowl (note from Rach: quail egg was divine!). This may seem an odd thing to comment on, but the bowl was a good size. I say this because sometimes, the bowls of pho I’ve had in some restaurants are so humungous that my noodles bloat before I can finish, and I don’t enjoy bloated noodles. So it’s great that Chôm Chôm has worked out that one doesn’t need to fill the bowl to the brim with noodles and instead, let’s the broth do the talking.

The palate cleanser, albeit small and one might say insignificant in the grand scheme of the things, has to be mentioned, as this cucumber lime sorbet was so refreshing and zesty. I loved the crunch of the sea salt that was sprinkled on top, and the cleanser was a demonstration of Chef Peter’s strength in sorbets and ice-creams, which I will come to later!

The next two main dishes were the razor clam with spring onion oil and peanuts, and the Shaking Beef (Bo Luc Lac) with crunchy egg noodles and watercress salad. I liked the spring onion oil and peanut combination with the razor clam, but I felt there was a tad too much oil, and the clam unfortunately ended up being on the greasy side and the taste overwhelmed.

The Shaking Beef was an interesting dish, a slight twist to the traditional dish, where the beef is normally cubed and served with rice; at Chôm Chôm, Chef Peter sliced the beef into thin strips and served it over crunchy egg noodles. The beef was tender and the sauce was meaty and of a nice consistency, enough to soften the noodles, which, I have to confess, I had a hard time eating in an elegant fashion. I ended up giving up on the noodles as I ran out of gravy, but Rach soldiered on and did us proud (with gravy all over the surrounding area to prove it)! Overall, a great dish… I loved the beef and the watercress salad, but personally, a difficult one to tackle when the noodles aren’t cooperating!

To end, we had their home-made ice-cream. And boy, oh boy, how I wish Chef Peter would open an ice-cream parlour. The coconut ice-cream was to die for; full of fresh coconut flavour, creamy and rich, I could have eaten a whole tub full. The mango sorbet was a fantastic sharp and fruity contrast (and Peter even treated us to a special scoop of cinnamon too), but its coconut counterpart was definitely the cool winner and we loved that the ice cream was presented in coconut shells.

Chôm Chôm is an exciting addition to the Central scene, and I feel that Chef Peter has ensured its longevity with his attention to detail and evident passion for the Vietnamese cuisine, as well as the culture. Watch this space.

Chôm Chôm, 2/F, 12 Wellington Street, Central, Hong Kong, 2868 3302

Open Monday – Saturday: 11.00am – 2.00pm. Five-course chef tasting menu dinner is available on request.

www.chomchom.hk, chomchomhk@gmail.com

Check out more food-related writings from Michelle on her blog, Chopstixfix!

An oft-heard lament of recent expatriates to Hong Kong is the dearth of quality Western-style bread. Wholemeal options in supermarket bakery sections are still light years away from their equivalents back home, with no comparison on depth of flavour or fullness of texture. Take a step away from the flabby, anaemic supermarket loafs and take a step towards some of Quintessentially’s top bakery picks instead!

Levain
G/F, 39 Arberdeen Street, Central, Hong Kong, 2559 0889
This Aberdeen street opening brings artisan bread to Hong Kongers craving that distinctive sourdough character. Adding to the basic theme of big pillowy loaf, Levain also offers a range of more creative breads to whet your appetite, from an apricot and fig bread, to lychee and tea. Located just next to the SoHo dining district, Levain is in a perfect spot to bring some of that Sunday brunch vibe home. Their sourdough loaves start at around HKD$40.

Le Salon de Thé de Robuchon
Shop 315, 3/F, The Landmark, 16 Des Voeux Road Central, Hong Kong, 2166 9088
Hong Kong’s only boulangerie serving 3 Michelin-star worthy bread, Robuchon’s La Salon de Thé is known for the high quality and consistency of its product. Chef Boulanger Norihiko Takei has worked in conjunction with other Robuchon bakers in Paris, Tokyo and Vegas to develop the best recipes, with 70% of his ingredients sourced from France and Japan. Try the hearty pain de champagne (from just HKD$8 for a roll) that comes out fresh at 8am every morning, or their supremely popular baguette (HKD$25), which is baked no fewer than 11 times daily and still can’t keep up with customers clamouring for more!

Classified

108 Hollywood Road, Central, Hong Kong, 2525 3454
While Classified might be more famous for their gloriously smelly Gallic cheeses, they have also created an addictive range of accompanying breads to help you scoop in the goodness and really get the serotonin running. The handmade breads are fabulous on their own, or served with some of their delectable quince paste (about HKD$39 per 100g). Start with the basic baguette at HKD$18, or dive into a sourdough round loaf at HKD$20, a white farmhouse tin loaf at HK$22, a bloomer at HKD$25, or a healthy wholemeal bread sliced loaf for HKD$35.

Ali Oli
G/F, 11 Sha Tsui Path, Sai Kung, Hong Kong, 2792 2655
It’s not just Central dwellers who can enjoy the pleasures of a fresh baked quality loaf – Sai Kung boasts its very own home-grown bakery, bringing country-baked goodness to country living. Established in 1986, Ali Oli bakes wholesome bread, starting from basic French at HKD$20, HKD$28 for crusty white, whole wheat and sultana loaves, to organic wholegrains at HKD$35, and the rustic country grain brick at HKD$42. Adding an urbane note to the menu are the range of bagels at HKD$10, including cinnamon & raisin, poppy seed and sesame seed. City slickers looking for a taste of the good life can order Ali Oli breads via their hotline, with a delivery charge of HKD$60 to HK Island, and free delivery for orders over HKD$400 (fee waivers for The Peak or Shek O are charged at a minimum order of HKD$500) – place orders one day ahead before 4pm.

Mandarin Cake Shop
M/F, Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong, 5 Connaught Road, Central, Hong Kong, 2825 4008
No mention of Hong Kong bakeries is complete without a mention of the Mandarin Cake Shop, producing superb loaves for in-house guests and hungry bread aficionados since the 1970s. Though the location within the hotel has changed, it continues a strong tradition of baking, with a comprehensive range of products, from delicious dinner rolls at just HKD$15 (including butter, granary, mixed sesame bread and raisin rolls, plus plain brioches),  to the swathes of French baguettes, cheese twists, raisin-walnut loaves, rye and whole-wheat offerings from HKD$45. If that isn’t enough to establish the Mandarin Cake Shop as a must-do for carbaholics, the last time we visited, we shared the queue with Anthony Bourdain.

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Having already reviewed Spring Moon at The Peninsula and been totally wowed by it, you can imagine my excitement at the thought of reviewing Felix. Felix utters the same class and sophistication as the rest of The Peninsula, but this time the sophistication reaches another level – both literally and metaphorically.

It sits on the 28^th floor of the hotel, showing off the incredible view of the harbour, a view that is always better from the dark side, and is even better from Felix; you can even admire the view from the toilets! Having heard how amazing the men’s loos are and obviously unable to experience them myself, a gentleman on a neighbouring table who knew I was writing a review, kindly sent me some photos he took of the urinals overlooking the view… the things people do for the sake of Sassy!

Designed by Philippe Starck, Felix is modern and chic, to the extent that the menus are in fact iPads. As you scroll through the menu, selecting dishes you like the sound of, beautiful high-res images of the dishes appear before you. Although you can’t actually order from the iPad (as otherwise the dishes wouldn’t arrive at the same time), you make your selections and add them to a shopping list to show your waiter.

The restaurant is decorated as a tribute to employees of the hotel who have either reached a managerial level or have worked at the hotel for over 30 years. On each and every seat is a black and white photo of a Peninsula employee to thank them for their hard work – such a lovely touch I think.

We tasted Chef Kaji’s Signature Menu, with a few gluten-free substitutes. The friendly waiters were more than accommodating to my last minute decision to go gluten-free, something that a lot of restaurants in Hong Kong aren’t able to do. I was still very sneaky and tried the dishes I wasn’t supposed to eat however!

The signature menu kicks off with pan-fried French duck liver with caramelised strawberries. This beautiful combination of flavours and textures is divine, the foie gras so smooth and the crunchy caramelised strawberries offering a slight tanginess to balance the rich duck liver. A separate little bowl of frozen French duck liver parfait with gingerbread complements this perfectly. The liver here is marinated in Grand Marnier to give a distinct orange flavour and topped with roasted almonds to create a super sweet flavour that goes with the sharp strawberry and liver dish.

The gluten-free option was Japanese hamachi sashimi with quail egg in a tomato ceviche sauce. Although a slight food envy kicked in and I must say I preferred the foie gras, this was nevertheless a lovely dish. It was very light and refreshing and I particularly liked the differing textures yet again.

To follow, a fennel consommé with yoghurt-lemon verbena mousse and Canadian shrimp dumpling with fennel-orange purée was the normal option, whilst a lobster consommé was the gluten-free option. Again, I preferred the non gluten-free dish as the dumpling and the purée were incredible, but I could not fault the tenderness of the lobster and the freshness of the consommé as a whole, lightly fragranced with lemongrass.

A delightful dish of pan-seared Canadian cod and black olive brandade was thankfully already gluten-free! The cod was perfectly flaky and fresh, the mashed potato with olives and fresh salt-cod deliciously creamy – all in all a perfect dish.

Even better, however, was the roasted Japanese beef tenderloin. The meat was so incredibly tender and full of flavour, and I loved the mini gratin potatoes. 100 percent my favourite dish of the night!

A rather bizarre parmesan crème brûlée and a strawberry soda arrived to cleanse the palate. I couldn’t quite decide whether or not I liked the crème brûlée as it was like nothing I have ever tasted! For me, the determining feature of any crème brûlée is the crispy top layer. This one was unfortunately rather thin and didn’t crack the way I like it. Had it been thicker, perhaps the contrast between the sweet caramel and the salty Parmesan would have won me over. What did succeed in winning my love, however, were the caramelised strawberries atop the soda, possibly because they reminded me of the strawberry fruit roll-ups I so loved in my childhood!

The standard dessert was a thyme-marinated grapefruit tart with citrus sorbet, grapefruit whipped cream and lemon jelly. What shone for me here was the sorbet, as I adore all things citrus. Paired with the crystallised thyme leaves, the citrus sorbet was even better.

For the first time in the meal, however, the gluten-free dessert won hands down. It was Piña Colada in dessert form, with amazing textures to match: coconut meringue, chunks of pineapple, coconut panna cotta, whipped coconut cream – all lovingly sprinkled with cinnamon.

As if we hadn’t eaten enough, delicious little strawberry macaroons and fig cookies appeared before us, just begging to be eaten. It would have been rude not to!

The Chef’s Signature Menu, which changes periodically, costs $1,388 per person. Obviously not the cheapest meal in the world but when you’re being served incredible food looking over one of the world’s most spectacular views in a leading hotel, you can’t expect much less. Come between 6 and 7pm, however, and you can enjoy the Early Dining Menu for only $458.

Felix, 28/F, The Peninsula, 19-21 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong, 2696 6778

Check out more from Ale on her fab blog, The Dim Sum Diaries!

Guest blogger Laurie (and founder of AmeriCraft Imports) tells us about her love for craft beers and why Beertopia is the place to be this weekend. 

I moved to Hong Kong last summer from Los Angeles.  I love food and drink, and I was excited on arrival to find an established food and wine culture here with many fantastic restaurant and bar options.  Still, I was more than a little disappointed to find virtually none of the local, unique beers that I enjoyed while living in the United States.

While I enjoy a glass of wine as much as the next girl, sometimes you just want a beer!  Nothing is better on a hot summer day or with a spicy meal or a burger.  And I’m not talking about the bland lagers you see in almost every bar in Hong Kong.  I am talking about beers with flavors as varied, rich, and complex as wine: hoppy IPAs, refreshing wheat beers with just a hint of citrus or spice, and chocolate porters and coffee stouts that are great with (or instead of) dessert.

“Craft beer” (which just means beer from small, independent producers) is incredibly popular in the U.S.  Bars devoted entirely to craft beer are common, many restaurants offer special beer pairings with their menus, and beer-related festivals and events often sell out.  Brewers from traditional beer-centric countries like England and Germany have even started coming to the U.S. to study how we are doing things.  So I wondered on getting here: Why has Hong Kong yet to catch on?

I started AmeriCraft Imports to bring the best American craft beer to Hong Kong.  I’d also like to get more ladies in Hong Kong interested in and knowledgeable about beer.  (Notably, Lost Coast Brewery, whose beers I am importing, was started by two women.)  To that end, I plan to host some fun beer tasting events just for the girls.

If you are interested in trying some new and exciting beers, check out the AmeriCraft booth at Beertopia Hong Kong on April 28, 2012 at the Western Market in Sheung Wan.  Beertopia Hong Kong is Hong Kong’s first real beer festival and will showcase over 90 beers from around the world.  Attendees will be able to sample beers, play beer games, enjoy live music, and even attend beer-related lectures.

All the details…
When: Saturday 28 April
Time: Noon-11pm
Where: Western Market, 2nd Floor, Sheung Wan
How much: $250-$300 (includes drink, token and tasting glass)
Tickets: Online (suggested) & On the day at the door (Limited Available)
More Information: Visit www.beertopiahk.com