Bistro Manchu

G/F 33 Elgin Street, Central  (Soho)
tel. 2536 9218

It's highly recommended that you book (even on the same day), as it tends to fill up by around 8pm on Fridays and Saturdays.  The alternative, if you are a walk-up and there is no seating, is to go across the street to the Cutty Sark and have some beers or crappy wine (it is an English pub, after all) and have them deliver!  Sometimes that can be even more fun.

I've been here several times now, and it has never disappointed.  The staff are wonderful and friendly, and very helpful in dish selection.  Primarily because the dishes have names like:

Potato noodles with mustard, shredded pork and shredded vegetables
Potato noodles with sauce, shredded pork and shredded vegetables
Dumplings
Pork Dumplings
Pork Dumplings
Steamed Pork Dumplings
Vegetable Dumplings
Vegetable Dumplings
Vegetable and Pork Dumplings
Roasted Lamb
Beef with Chili and Pepper

Confusing, no?  I'm sure the Chinese version is more descriptive, but I generally wing it when I order.  The good thing is, you can't really go wrong here.  As long as you like the meat/ingredients, you will surely like the dish that appears on the table.

Manchurian Roasted Lamb:

This doesn't look it, but it is HUGE.  I ordered the large version because previous visits (with big eaters) meant an empty dish long before I was done with the lamb.  However, the large is more than twice as large as the small.  It's really for a table of 8.

Beef with Chili and Pepper (they actually meant Peppers - I was expecting Pepper):

Not rated by Michelin or Toasty (this could be a good thing for me!)
Rating:  4

Rainbow Seafood Restaurant

23-24 First St, Lamma Island
tel. 2982 8100

This is one of HK's most famous seafood restaurants.  You can either take a ferry to Lamma or book with Rainbow to take their junk over.  If you have access to your own junk, even better.


The ride over can be iffy.  Coming out of the Piers in Central can be a bit choppy, but once you are out of the harbour, it is generally fine.  Make sure to bring a jacket, even when it doesn't seem that cold.


The food is wonderful.  The squid is cooked perfectly (slightly undercooked).  The sweet and sour pork is tender and crispy at the same time.  The cheesy lobster is not something I ever would have chosen on my own (cheese? lobster? what?!?!) but it really works.


The service is friendly and efficient, and everyone has a wonderful time.  Go in a big group to make the most of the party atmosphere.


Rating:  4

Hang Heung's Kitchen

No. 110, The Arcade, Cyberport, Pok Fu Lam
tel. 2989 6028

This is one of a chain, including one at the airport and two in Beijing.  It's local to us, and we love going there for some good Chinese eats.  The noodles are fabulous, dry, soupy or braised.  I always order the braised beef noodles and ask for a couple of wonton thrown in.  I can't help it.  I know I should branch out, and I've tried everyone else's dishes - the roasted goose and pork are great favourites of the kids (as well as the wonton noodle soup - it's a family thing!), but the braised beef noodles are so good I am compelled to order it every time.

My dining partner's congee, which was also lovely...

Rating:  4

Charlie's Place

Shop 8, G/F Rialto Building, 2 Landale Street, Wan Chai
tel. 2866 9118

One of those hole-in-the-wall noodle shops where you share tables.

I ordered the noodle soup with pork, and it was well worth the HK$32!  I would have paid double!

A great quickie place, with good, down-home Chinese food.

Rating:  3

Sam Wo Handbags Company

Room 502, 5/F, 41-47 Queen's Road, Central
tel. 2524 0970

A really great handbag shop.

I happened upon it when I was walking in the Lanes in Central.  A bag in one of the stalls caught my eye.  The lady there said there were more bags in the shop upstairs, so I took a chance and followed her up.

Wow.  Bags galore.  I ended up buying three!

The leather is nice and soft, and gets even softer as you use the bags.  They are well-made and the styles are really cute.  They are not name bags, but who needs a label!  These bags are beautiful and hold their own against mid-range labels.  And the price is right:  between HK$300 and HK$600 will get you a fabulous bag.

Rating:  4

Lian

Shop 2004, Podium Level 2, IFC Mall, Central
tel. 2521 1117

This was the second time  I have been there, and it did not disappoint.  This is Thai/Vietnamese fusion food at its best.  I always over-order, and then I always over-eat.  It can't be helped.  The flavours are so lovely, I keep putting the food in my mouth, even though I am long full.

Pomelo salad to start

Tangy, flavourful and gone in about 50 seconds.

The avocado and soft-shell crab wraps are lovely.  These are also made at Nahm, where I think they are slightly better, only because the sauce is better.  And it's all about the sauce.

The grilled pork neck is the best of the dishes.  Tender and melt-in-your-mouth.

And, finally, the seafood curry. 

At first glance, I was a bit doubtful.  The presentation is not really there, and it just looks like a big pile of gloop.  But it tastes great.  We ate the whole thing.

The first time I went to Lian, we sat at one of the big tables, where diners all sit together.  This time, we had our own little table.  I think I prefer sitting at the big table, as there is a nice little pond-thing with lotus plants.  It's all very Zen and fusion-y.

Rating:  3

Nino's Cozinha

5/F, QRE Plaza, 202 Queen's Road East, Wan Chai
tel.  2866 1868

This place started out on the wrong foot.  First thing - bread was served: the lovely, unleavened, crispy type.  But the strange thing was:

.....but no butter.  Hmmmm.

Service started off very slow.  I was thirsty and it took ages for the water to get to the table.

Everything seemed to be out - no clams, no octopus....and those seemed to be the basis for about half the menu.

Finally, some dishes were chosen that were available.  But I was starting to lose confidence.

Then a looooong time passed.

Then, a dish.

Perfectly done squid, lovely and tangy-spicy.

Then fish croquettes

It came with four pieces, actually, but they were so good, one went quickly.

Then Portugese fried rice.  I don't know what they put in it, but it was delicious.

And finally, Feijoada

The best EVER dish.  Melt-in-your mouth meat.  I could have had this all to myself.

For dessert, Serradura, which was described in the menu as some kind of frozen milk with crumbled biscuits.  I was a little doubtful, but the waiter said it was very Portugese, so I went for it.

It doesn't look like much, but boy, was it yummy.

By the end of the meal, Nino's totally redeemed itself.  I need to go back when they have the octupus and clams - if they were out of them, they must be good!

Rating:  4

Nathan Congee & Noodle

11 Saigon Street, Kowloon
tel. 2384 7355

Another one on my cousin's list of places to eat when in HK.

Basic food - congee any way you want it, perfectly made.  Crispy long donut with soft centre.

Rating:  3

The Sweet Dynasty

G/F, 100 Canton Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon
tel. 2199 7799

My cousins were here visiting, so I ventured OFF THE ISLAND.  To Kowloon.  The other side.

And my cousins, who don't even live here, know all the key places to go.

First off, The Sweet Dynasty.  Great Chinese food, but mainly known for their desserts.  The most famous is the tofu.  I had a different dessert, which was yummy (mango and tofu pudding), but should have gone with the famous one.

Tofu dessert...

We got there at 7pm, which was the ideal time to go.  After that, check out the queue...

Rating:  3

Pierre

25F, Mandarin Oriental Hotel, 5 Connaught Road, Central
tel. 2825 4001

.....Interesting.

The dishes are all presented in separate little bowls and plates.  For example, my king prawn starter:

I'm not sure what the reasoning was (presentation?  keeping the sauces from running together?), but the king prawns were incredible.  The other bits, not so much.  I did steal the beetroot and spinach mousse from one of my dining companions, who wasn't so keen on beetroot.  Or spinach.  But I thought they were fantastic.  Each on its own, and a bit of each on my fork.

The lamb

was nice, too.  Again presented in separate little plates and bowls.  I'm one of those people who like to have a little bit of each thing on my fork (not like children who like to eat things separately!).  So this made it a bit difficult.  But I managed, without spilling things all over the table, and it tasted great.

However.  I am still in love with Petrus.

Michelin Rating:  One star
Rating: 3

Shui Hu Ju

G/F, 68 Peel Street, Central
tel. 2869 6927

Some lovely food here.

Clams...

Duck salad - the hit of the evening.  We ordered a second one, even!

BUT.
Black Chicken...

What I don't get is why some restaurants feel the need to serve something that 95% of their patrons cannot actually eat.  And the other 5% are only showing off.  This stuff was so spicy that our mouths were in pain.  Lips were burning for ages.  I actually had a spice headache.  This dish really let the place down.  All the other food was so good, but this dish is what I remember.  And the worse part is that the waitress recommended it to us.  Without mentioning that it was pretty much inedible.

Mentioned in the Michelin Guide
Rating: 2