Relish Noodle

184-186 Hennessy Road, Wan Chai
Visited 16th June 2010
I was talked into going to the Mika concert by a very excited Joey; surprisingly I enjoyed the flamboyant show and catchy pop tunes a lot more than expected. Before the gig started we strolled into Relish Noodle for an early dinner. Out choice was based upon the simple reason that it is conveniently opposite the 968 bus stop on Hennessy Road. Inside it was pretty basic setup with an open kitchen and single line of booths. For a 'local' style place it was pretty well decked out; simple, but clean and a touch of the funky with orange chopsticks matching the wall tiles.

The menu included a mix of different noodle dishes from places like Malaysia, Vietnam and regional China. As I hadn't had one in ages I went for a laksa with thinly sliced pork, while Joey chose la mian with chicken. We also snacked on honey glazed chicken wings and spring rolls. When my laksa arrived the first thing I noticed was that it stunk. The fish cakes floating in it were really strong and while tasting OK were just too pongy to be pleasant. The whole dish was really disappointing; the soup was watery and lacking spice and flavour, the meat was overly fatty pork-belly and the whole dish really needed some fresh herbs vegetables. Joey's soup noodles were better, but still just OK and she really wasn't impressed with the flavourless, shredded chicken they came with. The chicken wings were pretty tasty with an obvious honey flavour, though they were just too oily and the dripping fat was off putting. The couple of spring rolls we got were OK, but went soggy as dipping sauce was sloshed all over the plate. To drinks I enjoyed my coconut milk with jelly cubes, while Joey though her red been and coconut milk crush needed more than three red beans.

I obviously wasn't impressed with the food at Relish Noodles, but the service was just as bad. I can't speak Cantonese, but even I could pick up the rudeness in the manner and body language of the lady who served us. The only positive was that I didn't have to cough up too much coin to be served bad food by a surly woman; the total for both of us with drinks and snacks was $97. I had no preconceived ideas about Relish Noodles, but walked away disappointed; lucky Mika came through with the goods.

Sun Chuk Yuen Vietnamese Restaurant

2 Landale St, Wan Chai
Visited 30th January 2010 A mate and I decided we needed a little substance before heading to Chai Wan to watch the HK Senior Challenge Shield final. Meeting in Wan Chai he suggested we head to Sun Chuk Yuen Vietnamese Restaurant, a little place hidden away with all the other little places on Landale St. Inside it was all pretty basic and we grabbed a table squashed amongst all the others.
I enjoy really the freshness and vibrancy of Vietnamese food however the menu here seems to be all about plates of rice. We decided to share satay beef noodles, spring rolls and pork with mint. I know they're unadventurous, but I love Vietnamese style fried spring rolls. The ones we got were good - crisp, but not oily - the little nuggets of love went down a treat wrapped in lettuce and accompanied by tasty homemade dipping sauce. Next were the noodles with satay beef; the big serve of rice noodles came in a clump topped with the beef, capsicum and onions that had been tossed with a satay sauce. This dish was just OK as the sauce lacked flavour and whole thing was pretty bland. Next was a plate of stir-fried chicken with 'mint'. Fresh herbs are one of the things I love most about Vietnamese food and here they helped to add vibrancy to the dish, though it was basic it was pretty tasty. We were told that they didn't sell beer so made do with a can of soft drink. Our lunch at Sun Chuk Yuen Vietnamese Restaurant was pretty good. The food was certainly nothing special, but offered a pretty filling feed and I was only really unimpressed with the satay noodles. The service was efficient enough and $75 we each paid for lunch seemed fair, though not necessarily a bargain. Though everything about Sun Chuk Yuen Vietnamese Restaurant was kind of OK I can't really see the point of returning; there must be more interesting Vietnamese places around Wan Chai?

Tai Ji

4th Floor, 23 Luard Rd, Wanchai
Visited 24th June 2009
I'm becoming a big fan of Shanghai cuisine with when a couple of mates suggested Tai Ji as a good option for a feed after a few beers in Wan Chi. The large, open restaurant is on the fourth floor and is accessible via the same lift that one could possibly use to access such places as Bull Dogs. It's neatly laid out with old style wood furnishings and simple white tablecloths. Window tables have views of the chaotic circus unravelling on Luard Rd, while back in the restaurant the view is of chefs hand making dumplings in the open kitchen. The night we came it was basically empty of other punters; never a good sign...

From the Shanghai inspired menu we went for Sichuan style 'la mian' and off course a couple of serves of 'xiǎolóngbāo' or soup dumplings as well as sweet and sour fish, vegetables and beef with spring onions. I seem to have eaten a lot of la mian noodles recently and Tai Ji's version was OK, though un-inspirational, though on the other hand the tasty xiǎolóngbāo were enjoyable. For veg we were presented with a plate of celtuce - I've never had 'stem lettuce' before, but enjoyed these crisp hunks of crunchy green vegetable, though they did test the chopsticks skills. Things went downhill from here as fish was dry and the beef stringy and flavourless. To drink we ordered a bottle of the house red; something ghastly from Chile. We finished with a plate of tasty red bean filled puffed pastries for dessert.

Despite enjoying the soup dumplings we all left feeling a little disappointed. Tai Ji's a nice enough place and the staff are friendly it's just a shame that the food is pretty average. The prices are fair with dishes ranging from $34-$72; our bill came to $635 for the four of us. I do however resent getting ripped off on wine and having to pay $185 for disgusting house red. My mate who recommended Tai Ji was just as unhappy as me and claimed that the food's a lot better at lunch time, so if you want to give it a go this could be the time.
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il Bel Paese

25 Queens Rd East, Wanchai
Visited 25th June 2008

Wednesday was rather eventful: a typhoon signal 8 meant school was cancelled, I spent an eternity shopping in the never ending maze of frustration that is IKEA and my umbrella split in two and blew away down Leighton Rd in the middle of Causeway Bay. When I staggered into il Bel Paese I was tied, wet, frustrated and craving caffeine. This deli, come café, come produce store is one of my favourite places for lunch on Hong Kong Island. Downstairs there’s a takeaway counter and a fabulous selection of cheeses and cured meats, while upstairs there’s a few tables in the middle of tempting shelves of Italian wine and dry goods.

I ordered a coffee and a serve of spaghetti with meatballs and retired upstairs to dry out and refuel. The pasta was just what I needed on such a wet and raucous day; the tasty pork meatballs were smeared in a lush tomato sauce that was enhanced with generous amounts of olive oil and fresh oregano leaves. In Italian tradition everything at il Bel Paese is severed with bread and the slices of airy white loaf I was given worked a treat to soak up the left over sauce.

I go out of my way to eat at il Bel Pacese as the traditional food is honest, tasty and good value. The staff are friendly and knowledgeable, service is informal and relaxed, lacking any of the stiff formality and pretentiousness that dominates so many of Hong Kong’s western restaurants. The fantastic selection of Italian groceries are good value, especially compared with the piracy just up the road at the so called ‘Great’. The one problem is not walking with too many bottles of Italian wine.
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Amici

1/F, 83 Lockhart Rd, Wan Chai
Visited 14th October

The card for Amici says "Pizza, Vino, Sport" and that's a pretty good interpretation of this first floor sport's bar above Mes Amis on Lockhart Rd. The bar area has the mandatory giant TV screens blaring out sport as well as a pool table and cabinets filled with an impressive display of sporting trophies. The open interior is surprisingly light with windows looking over Luard Rd and Lockhart Rd. We visited for lunch with my parents who were "passing through" Hong Kong for the weekend.

The menu at Amici is pretty simple; pizza, pasta, burgers, salads and grills, the type of stuff that goes well with beer. Dad and I went for beef burgers, with extra bacon, Mum had a steak sandwich and Naomi chose a margherita pizza and everyone was happy. My burger was good; a big, fat meaty patty, fried onions, gherkins and a good side of chips. Naomi enjoyed her thin, crispy pizza that was flavoured with fresh tomato and basil. To drink I made the most of happy hour and enjoyed a couple of Perroni beers which probably wouldn't have been the best value at $48 if it wasn't two-for-one.

Amici isn't about a refined gourmet night out, but as a place to drink beer, eat burgers and watch football it's pretty good. The service was efficient and if you don't mind big TVs it's more than comfortable. The food was good and reasonable value; just make sure you make the most of happy hour specials for drinks. If you want to escape the streets of Wan Chai climbing up to Amici for a pizza, burger or even just beer is not a bad idea.

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