CÉPAGE

Cépage has been one of those restaurants that I have wanted to try for a while. You can't miss it! Its contemporary exterior design is eye catching & most definitely worth a try. The dinner tasting menu's range from $890- $1320, so make sure you gather the right crowd before going! Fortunately, their lunch set menu's are much more affordable (approximately $350-$400/person) & still just as yummy!

4 course tasting menu included: Figs Wrapped With Jamon Iberico . Deep Fried Quail Egg With Green Asparagus Puree . Veal Carpaccio . Boston Lobster With Japanese Sweet Corn . Duck With Vegetables & Dessert .



Everything was absolutely delicious! I would not be able to choose a favorite dish, but my least favorite BY FAR was the dessert ( now that i think about it, i don't remember what it was even after looking back at my photographs). The figs were a great way to begin our meal, the sweetness along with the salty from the Jamon Iberico got my pallet going. The quail egg was crunchy on the outside but tender & soft on the inside. The veal, lobster & duck were all amazing - cooked to perfection! Even the olive bread was great & their selection of chocolates at the end - oh so good (remember to try the black sesame one).

I have absolutely no complaints about the food but the service could have been better. They are slightly strict about their dress code (even for lunch), so make sure you go dressed appropriately & be prepared for impatient waitresses (perhaps we were just unlucky). The atmosphere can seem a bit pretentious & uptight, but if you go with a fun group of friends, you will sure be leaving with a smile on your face!

23 Wing Fung Street
Wanchai, Hong Kong
Telephone: (852) 2861 3130

Ta Pantry

Hidden on Star Street, Ta Pantry is a "private kitchen"restaurant where diners can enjoy the utmost amount of privacy. Only serving one table a night (max of 10 & min of 6 guests) it is best to make an advanced reservation.

There are 3 separate menus to choose from - tonight, we've chosen to try the Shanghainese Menu. This particular tasting menu consists of 5 courses: Kor Fu Hand Roll , The "Not-So-Shanghainese" Foie Gras Shanghai Wontons , A5 Kobe Beef , Crispy Scallop Black Truffle Mian & Po Po's Red Bean Dumplings.

The best dish of the entire night was the Foie Gras Shanghai Wontons! The clear broth was refreshing, the skin of the dumpling had great texture & foie gras as the stuffing - who could resist?


Unfortunately all the other dishes were just OK - nothing spectacular. The A5 Kobe Beef was cooked nicely but it was way too salty. The Crispy Scallop Black Truffle Mian would have been better if the noodles were not so soft & there was barely any truffle. Lastly, the dessert was a disaster! Perhaps osmanthus honey is an acquired taste but even the red bean dumpling was not very enjoyable.

The Cost? $500/person - but they charge a 10% service charge, which is not usually the case at private kitchen restaurants! Also, BYOB is NOT allowed - they have a wide range of wines that diners can choose from.

If you're looking for an ultra private & intimate place to dine, then i would recommend coming to Ta Pantry. Otherwise for $500 i would rather eat somewhere else.

Block 1C, Moon Star Court
2D Star Street, Wanchai
Telephone: (852) 9403 - 6430

Wagyu Kaiseki

10 course tasting menu, costing $1700/person sounds like a hefty amount of money, but trust me it's worth every penny! Even going for the second time in the past 3 months, the food is still delicious & mouth watering.

Here were the courses that night (changes everyday): Tomato, Nama Yuba & Cucumber Somen and Oba . Grilled Wagyu Top Blade Muscle with Shishitou and Matsutake . Negi Toro Sushi & Abalone and Mitsuba with Sesame Sauce . Taraba Crab Shinjo Clear Soup . Chef's Selection . Grilled Lobster with Egg Yolk Sauce . Miyazaki Jitori & Eggplant with Lotus Root Mochi Mizore Ni . Charcoal Grilled Wagyu . Sea Urchin Truffle Rice . Dessert - Melon & Black Sugar Icecream.

Everything served that night was impeccable! 10 courses sounds like a lot of food, but everything here at Wagyu Kaiseki is proportioned correctly. Bite sized portions big enough so that you can get all the flavors and textures in your mouth.

Their signature & my most favored: Sea Urchin Truffle Rice! It comes to the diner's table, family style in a clay pot. Once the lid is opened, the entire room fills up with the aroma of uni & truffle. These smells are powerful on your senses and its highly likely you'll be going back from seconds. Don't forget to ask for the 'fan ziu' (rice banana) - crispy and flavorful - absolutely delicious!

Unfortunately they are only open for dinner. Unless of course you are one of the lucky few that can afford a 'Wagyu beef refrigerator', then you have the privilege of going at lunch time. Otherwise, diners will have to wait until dinner - reservations are a must, especially if you are planning to go with a large group! The restaurant is small but cozy, with only 2 private rooms , a bar area (approximately seats 6 - 8 people) and a 4 person table outside.

UG/F Central Park Hotel
263 Hollywood Road, Sheung Wan
Telephone : (852) 2851 2820

Simon's Kitchen (豪仔記)

Sunday night dinners at the Leung's residence, is a family affair. Simon, a man in his mid 40's, along with his wife & 3 children begin the day at 8:30am preparing for a 12 person dinner party. As the head cook, Simon delegates to his wife & children, who are each responsible for certain tasks. Every great cook, has a great team - great food can't be made by a single person, especially not a meal that consists of 7 courses, made in the comfort of ones kitchen. Here is a man who shares his joy and passion for cooking with his family, creating an energetic, intimate & cheerful ambiance for diners.

Before dinner, wine & champagne is being served along with home made bite sized pizza's - pesto tomato & goat cheese. Pizza's come straight out of the oven and served to guests while fresh & hot. Shortly after, guests are seated and the appetizers are served.

Fresh Crab Cakes










Chilled Carrot Soup










Timing is everything when it comes to serving a dinner party, kitchen needs to be organized and prep work needs to be executed perfectly. Appetizers (Crab Cake, Chilled Carrot Soup & Mixed Salad) are prepared and assembled in a timely manner, leaving Simon ample time to start cooking his other dishes.

For those who know Simon personally, he is famous for his pasta dishes. Diners compliment him on his ability to make "the perfect pasta", comparing his pasta to that of Da Domenico's. In my opinion, his goes beyond that! His pasta is cooked perfectly and combined with his home made sauces & fresh ingredients, it is absolutely to die for. Simon is creative when choosing what pasta ingredients & sauces to use, never wanting diners to be bored. Tonight? He has chosen Scampi Linguine With Tomato Sauce (Yummy)!


For the main course, diners had the opportunity to try both the Roast Spring Lamb Leg & the Pan Fried Sea Bass. The lamb was a tiny bit over cooked but the cranberry jelly coating made this dish great, adding a subtle sweetness that makes your mouth water.

Last but not least, Blueberry Panna Cotta With Truffle Honey. On the menu it simply says Blueberry Panna Cotta, so when the dessert arrives, diners are automatically over whelmed by the smell of truffle. Sounds a bit strange? Wait until you try it! The truffle honey adds its spunk to this dessert and is one of those dishes where you say: this is such a strange combination. However, once you put that first bite into your mouth, all preconceptions will diminish. It was absolutely delightful!

Simon has been cooking for over 10 years now and continues to love doing so. He enjoys cooking both Asian & Western meals, constantly challenging himself by making something new. Through cooking, he has found his passion in life and hopefully one day he will be able to share his food with many more people, but for now its invite only.

Manor Restaurant

Chinese cuisine is hard to be excited about if you've been eating it & have been surrounded by it all your life. However, Manor Restaurant offers some signature dishes that are definitely worth trying.


Suckling Pig
The skin of the pig was extremely crispy (texture and crunch like that of potato chips). Thinly sliced pieces of bread, eaten with the skin makes it less oily.






Black Pepper Shrimp With Vermicelli
This dish is served in a sizzling hot clay pot, oozing with aroma of pepper & fresh shrimp. Ground pepper is over powering but gives it that tangy - spiciness. Vermicelli is cooked perfectly - just the right texture.






Scramble Egg With Bitter Melon
This dish reminds me of a western style scrambled egg that I would order in the morning for breakfast (minus the bitter melon of course). When cooked like this, the melon is not really bitter and the egg is cooked to a light crisp on the outside, but still manages to stay a tiny bit runny on the inside. Delicious!


I'm usually a fan of trying anything, including Tripe & Beef Tongue. If cooked well, I usually don't mind eating more than a few pieces. Unfortunately, both the boiled tripe with soy sauce & beef tongue was disappointing - smelled funny (well funnier than normal) and the meat was tough. I've definitely had better.

Shop F-G, G/F Lockhart Hse
440 Jaffe Road, Hong Kong
Telephone: (852) 2836.9999
Hours: 11:00am - 4:00am (everyday)

Sushi Hiro

Sushi Hiro is conveniently located in Causeway Bay, which makes it one of my most visited Japanese restaurants, especially when craving sushi. Tonight's selection? Assorted sashimi (sweet shrimp, toro, tuna, squid, mackerel, scallop) , sushi (uni, toro, fish egg) and assorted vegetable tempura.









All selection of sashimi was fresh and to my liking. Surprisingly, the tuna was better than the toro tonight! A piece of toro sushi costs around 100+/piece depending on which "type" you get, was not worth it. The sushi was rather disappointing because the seaweed was soft & soggy.

Vegetable tempura was pretty good, although the selection was minimal - just the regular eggplant, pepper, mushroom and pumpkin. Their crab cake tempura is a must try & one of my more favorite tempura dishes here!

All in all, Sushi Hiro is worth trying. Quality and even service has slowly declined since the last couple visits but hopefully this will change! However, if you're craving for some seriously delicious sushi, head to Tsim Sha Tsui and indulge yourself at Kenjo - you won't be disappointed!

Sushi Hiro
11/F, Henry House. Causeway Bay
Telephone: (852)2808.4110

798 Unit & Co Bistro

Light lunch (costing only $78):

Soup of the day (Cream of Chicken & Corn) and a choice of salad (The Classic: Caesar with smoked trout, poached egg, crispy bacon, croutons and shaved parmesan). All set lunches come with a choice of coffee or tea and everyone gets a dessert.

What a great deal right? Unfortunately, no matter how good the deal, the food was disappointing. The soup was watery, containing no flavor (keep in mind it was suppose to be a CREAM of chicken & corn soup). The salad was bearable with a decently poached egg, however the portion was very small. The best part of the entire meal was the free dessert - chocolate mouse cake. The cake was soft, not too sweet and just the right size.


For your average speedy lunch, they have a wide selection valued at a cheap price. However, the a la carte menu is not available until dinner time. So if you're in no hurry, there are plenty of other places nearby where you can eat better food.

Shop 1203, Food Forum . Times Square. Causeway Bay. Hong Kong
Telephone: (852) 2506. 0611