Zone D

Room 16, 4/F, 16 Matheson St, Causeway Bay
Visited 9th July 2010

Zone D was the scene of what become a rather boozy dinner with a group of my work colleagues. The tiny restaurant - located up some dodgy stairs near Times Square - styles itself as a private kitchen (though I’m not really sure what makes this a ‘private kitchen’ rather than a small restaurant?). Inside it's a dark, intimate space, with room for our group of eleven plus a couple of other tables (and I did feel a bit feel sorry for the bloke who had the serenity of his date shattered by certain of my friends).

Zone D styles itself as an Italian restaurant, though I can't see how as the food on our visit was pretty generic western fare with only one pasta dish remotely resembling Italian cooking. Dinners are offered a five course set menu with a choice of main and dessert. The bread basket to start I thought was pretty average; some of my mates got excited about the ‘pizza’ in it, though I felt it was all way too dry. I enjoyed the first course of seared tuna; crusted with black pepper and served with finely chopped tomatoes; it was well executed and tasty. Next up was my favourite dish; a mushroom cappuccino soup. The soup was thick, balanced and flavoursome and had a hint of truffle. The spaghetti with pawns that followed was pretty boring. Served it a scallop shell there was no hint of scallops, but just two average prawns and a gluggy wine flavoured sauce. For a main I selected the beef short-rib at an $80 surcharge. I wasn't asked how I wanted the meat cooked, but it arrived medium, served atop a pile of mash. I'm not normally one to order a steak, but I had cravings and was really looking forward to a hunk of beef; unfortunately I was disappointed by tough, flavourless meat and boring mash. The final dessert was a great looking crème brûlée accompanied by a couple of delicious marinated strawberries. While the custard was tasty, it was kind of difficult to eat because the toffee top was so hard and thick that actually getting into it was near impossible. So was Zone D in the zone? I actually had a really enjoyable and fun night; the company was great, the wine flowed and the cosy atmosphere perfect for our group. However we were at a restaurant and the food is what really matters and the food at Zone D just did nothing to inspire me. Some of the dishes were good, some not so good, but most of it just simply OK. The couple of staff working the floor were pretty good, though a bit frustrating with the wine service, there were times when I was rather parched and one bloke didn't quite seem to get the point of decanting. $300 a head for five courses isn't a terrible price; especially as we were able to save a packet by bring our own wine corkage fee free. The $80 supplement for a bit of average beef took things to $380 which starts to look a bit pricey for a meal of questionable quality. While it's obvious I didn't love the food, I didn't dislike the restaurant and enjoyed my evening at Zone D. Visit restaurant website.

Fook Yin

11/F, 488 Hennessy Road, Causeway Bay
Visited 7th July 2010
The theme for my tasting group's wine dinner this month was Riesling, and we headed across to Fook Yin to match it up with some Shanghainese food. I'm not a 100% certain about how I've translated the name, but the Chinese is '福宴'. Private Kitchens are all the rage at the moment, but many aren't really 'private’ kitchens at all, but just tiny, purpose built restaurants. This however is not the case with Fook Yin where you really feel like you're dinning in someone's home. The room we were ushered into had just enough room for a table, trinket filled side boards and the very homely touch of a TV.
There’s no choice at Fook Yin; just a list and a never-ending stream of Shanghainese dishes. First off we munched our way through an extensive selection of snacks. I loved the delicious, rich and earthy sautéed mushrooms, though I wasn't as impressed with the uninspiring mashed broad beans. The fillets of fried fish were pretty good; tasty, but dry. I'm a fan of flat noodles with cucumber and sesame and wasn't disappointed with the big pile we got. The pigs’ ear salad was also really good; crunchy slithers of pig ear contrasted with fresh herbs and crisp salad leaves. Rich, smoky and flavoursome the preserved chicken was tasty, but really intense. I was a bit uninspired by the plate of chicken feet and bowl of tofu topped with preserved egg, but these aren’t dishes I particularly get excited over. The table full of dishes I listed above was just the appetisers so when the mains started to arrive I was almost overwhelmed by variety and amount of food. The first of the main dishes was a plate of beautiful smoked eggs; these were magnificently cooked with delightfully runny yokes and plenty of flavour. Next was a bowl of noodles with prawns in a chilli based sauce. The dish was sweeter and milder than I expected but still pretty tasty. Then it was a couple of different types of handmade, tofu wrapped dumplings served in a tasty soup. The steamed Grouper atop tofu that followed was probably my favourite of the mains. The fish was beautifully cooked and the well complemented by the silky beancurd and mild sauce. Next where three massive 'lion head' meatballs with bok choy and a sweet and sour sauce. The huge balls of pork were pretty good and appropriately meaty, though the sauce seemed to lack richness needed to complement so much meat. I enjoyed the sea cucumber and fish soup that followed; it was fresh, clean and rather delicious. The final main was a smoky, roasted chicken that was OK, though nothing special.
I'm a big Riesling fan, but I was a little underwhelmed with the line-up of wines we tried. As a result my favourite was pretty easy to pick; the rich and complex Domaine Weinbach 'Cuvée Sainte Catherine' Alsace Grand Cru 2000; a truly lovely drop. I enjoyed my feed of authentic, fresh and tasty food at Fook Yin. A lot of the guys I was with thought that at $300 a head the meal was over-priced, but I thought it decent value considering the amount and variety of food. I was also impressed with how well the food worked with the Rieslings we tried. I’m sure people will argue that there’re better Shanghainese restaurants out there, but for me Fook Yin was perfect for our needs. The intimate ‘private’ environment worked well for our group and the wine, food and company all contributed to a lovely evening.

Butagumi Tonkatsu

7/F The Goldmark, 502 Hennessy Rd, Causeway Bay
Visited 17th April 2010
Causeway Bay on a Friday night; what was I thinking? Why was I here? I didn't want to go to Sogo or Uniglo or any-other-bloody-shopping-O. I wanted to breathe, then eat, then leave. We split from the crowds and headed up onto the 7th floor of the Goldmark Tower; a rather shabby building across Hennessy Rd from Sogo. Inside it's your typical Japanese style decor, though we were lucky enough to be seated in a kind of cool hanging booth (I of course got told of for swinging it too much). My first true tonkatsu experience was last year in Kyoto where my brother and I happened to be seated next to a couple of stunning girls who showed us the ropes; it's perhaps not that strange but ever since I've been a fan of this dish.

The menu at Butagumi Tonkatsu was obviously focused on breaded pork chops or tonkatsu, but they also had a selection of sushi and sashimi as well as a few different deep fried options. We went with a standard pork loin tonkatsu and a mixed set for which we selected scallops, wagyu beef and rolled chicken with cheese and asparagus. Both dishes came accompanied by surprisingly tasty miso soup, fresh shredded cabbage, rice and the 'crush-the-sesame-seeds-yourself sauce. The mixed plate came with four decent chunks of deliciously tender beef, two awesome fat and succulent scallops and a pair of rolled, stuffed chicken pieces. The chunky pork loin was delicious and I was impressed with how moist and juicy it was: actually all the ingredients were top-notch: the pork, scallops and beef were outstanding. For deep fried food it wasn't too oily either.
Tonkatsu is honestly pretty simple stuff, but it's tasty and when prepared to the standard of Butagumi Tonkatsu offers a satisfying and delicious meal. Our dining experience was pleasant; the staff were friendly and efficient and the restaurant itself was a tranquil oasis compared to the consumer chaos outside. Considering the quality I thought the prices were very fair; $128 for the pork loin and $155 for the mixed goodies. While you can certainly get cheaper Japanese food in Causeway Bay, Butagumi Tonkatsu gets my vote for quality.

Visit winery website.

Sushi One

29 Leighton Rd, Causeway Bay
Visited 10th October 2009 Saturday night and somehow I found myself shopping in Causeway Bay; this, it must be said, is the stuff of nightmares. Luckily though the only thing in Hong Kong that takes priority over shopping is eating and so dinner offered an escape from the crowded corners of the fourth level of hell. Sushi One has a few branches around splattered across Hong Kong and the one in Causeway Bay is a pretty large setup. A massive saltwater fish tank dominates one wall and a long sushi train the other. There's normally a line queuing out front, but we got a seat at the counter pretty quickly.

I’m always a bit suspect of ordering premade sushi, so we chose snacks off a pretty standard menu. We went with miso soup; fried chicken gristle; salmon, octopus, grilled squid, inari and seared beef sushi; a soft-shell crab hand roll and a shrimp tempura roll. The quality was generally pretty good and I enjoyed the shrimp roll, salmon sushi and miso soup, while the squid and octopus where meltingly tender and some of the best I've had in Hong Kong. On the other hand the seared beef sushi was touted as a house 'deluxe' special, but the tiny serve was certainly nothing special.

While Sushi One certainly isn’t the best Japanese food I’ve had in Hong Kong it does a pretty good job of dishing up decent food at fair prices. Apart from the single piece of beef sushi that was a rip-off at $35 the rest of the dishes ranged from $9 to $26. We were both stuffed at the end of our meal and paid a very reasonable $85 each. I was surprised with how efficient and friendly the staff were for such a busy place. In many ways Sushi One is just your standard Hong Kong style sushi joint, but it does a pretty good of offering some tasty food, and in my opinion it’s worth visiting just to look at the fish.

Outback Steakhouse

2/F, JP Plaza, 26 Patterson St, Causeway Bay
Visited 25th June 2009
A couple of Aussie mates decided we couldn't fight it any longer and had to try this Australian styled chain. Part of a massive global company the Outback Steakhouse has seven outlets in Hong Kong and is spread all over the globe; with fifty branches in Texas alone. Despite the name the Outback Steakhouse isn't Australian, but an American chain, founded in Florida. The Causeway Bay branch is in JP Plaza, above the cinema. While its big restaurant there was a line when we arrived and we were stuck waiting for ages; they did however offer us a little tasting serve of chips to curb our appetite.

This place is clearly aimed at carnivores and all the slabs of meat have quaint sounding Australian names. I couldn't pass up an 'Outback Sirloin', while my friend had "Alice Springs Chicken" and sample of fries we tried were "Aussie chips". "Topped with melted Monterey Jack, bits of bacon and a spicy ranch dressing" the chips were really tasty, though I'm not the slightest bit sure how American cheese and 'ranch' dressing makes them "Aussie". My 8oz steak was OK and despite being overcooked was still tasty enough. The 'Alice Springs Chicken' came smothered in mushrooms, bacon and cheese and was pretty sickly; again the relationship to 'Alice Springs' was fragile, especially as the ingredients made it more 'Swiss' style chicken. The biggest let down with the food was the sides and sauces - average wedges, a tub of terrible, ultra processed coleslaw, a tacky ice-cream scoop of starchy mash and thin sweet 'pepper' sauce. To drink we had some happy hour priced wine by the glass and I liked the fact that it was served in a mini-carafe.
So what did I think? The food was uninspiringly ordinary with mass produced sides and sauces. I was impressed that we were offered snacks while waiting to be seated; however it was obvious that there were lots of spare tables and the only reason we were stuck in line was inefficiency and poor coordination. The drinks were reasonably priced during happy and the mains weren't too bad; $134 for the chicken and $148 for my sirloin. Our bill was $920 for four; not cheap, but not terrible for steak and wine. My big problem with the Outback Steakhouse was that I just don't understand how it calls itself an Australian restaurant? I actually find it all a bit insulting when it's so obviously a soulless American Chain. Outback Steakhouse, I won't go back.

Visit restaurant website.

Chung's Cuisine

10/f, Times Square, Causeway Bay
Visited 29th March 2009

The Hong Kong 7s is hard work and after the festivities our group of strangely connected friends tumbled into Causeway Bay looking for nourishment. I tend to avoid the Food Forum at Times Square; spread over four floors it's a strange, surreal place that's all a bit too fake and abstract for me. Part of the Tao Hung group, the Chung's Cuisine at Times Square is, of course, one of three branches in Hong Kong. The restaurant is well laid out and spacious, while an open kitchen and wood panelling help to the give the place a sprinkle of class.

One of my friends ordered for the table from a menu that includes plenty of Cantonese favourites. We started with some delicate slices of beef and a serve of crisp roast pork; both were good though the pork could have maybe been a tad tenderer. The whole roast chook that came next was a highlight. Served with slithers of apple and guava and a pureed sauce made from the fruit I loved the contrast between the salty roast meat, crisp fruit and smooth sauce. Next was egg whites with crab roe and this magnificently presented dish was a matter subtle textures and flavours. Then it was onto tasty water spinach with whole roast garlic cloves and salt and pepper fried tofu that was ruined by a plastering of thick batter. We finished with sweet and sour pork and the fatty pork came with a well balanced sauce and cucumber slithers that added a refreshing texture. After the weekend we'd all had it was pretty easy to stick to drinking tea.

There's a lot to like about Chung's Cuisine. The menu states clearly that there's no MSG, no artificial colouring, no powdered chicken stock, no charge for tea and no service charge; that's a lot of positive nos. The staff were professional and polite, though a couple of times it did take a while to get their attention. The pleasant ambiance was complimented by well presented, tasty food and a bill that only came to $98 a head; something of a bargain I think. Causeway Bay is swamped with restaurants, but if you can handle a visit to the Food Forum then Chung's is certainly worth a visit.

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Stable Bend Terrace

3/F Happy Valley Stand, Happy Valley Racetrack
Visited 5th March 2008

Honk Kong loves horse racing and is pretty partial to a punt on the side. My parents and Aunt have arrived in town and for their first night out we all trucked across to the Wednesday races at Happy Valley. Run by the Hong Kong Jockey Club, Stable Bend Terrace is located on a third floor balcony at the end of the straight past the finishing line. The views of the races are spectacular and the outdoor seating helps to create a lively atmosphere. For those interested in a little flutter there's betting facilities manned by extremely helpful staff who are happy to assist the novice.

Centred around a huge barbeque Stable Bend Terrace is a buffet style restaurant that also includes all you can drink wine, beer and orange juice. The chiefs on the barbie cook up a range of grilled treats including sausages, satay sticks, corn cobs, deliciously sticky pork ribs, chicken drumsticks and fish fillets. There's also soup, a salad bar and a dessert selection of which the highlight are delectable designer chocolates. The beer's Grolsch and the red wine was a passable Chilean Cabernet. The food itself is OK, though rather basic and limited in variety and interest; serviceable, but uninspiring.

Stable Bend Terrace is an easy and fun way to soak up the races. A buffet is ideal to graze at while you cheer on horse four in race four, though for $390 a head I'd like to see more variety and more interesting dishes. The furniture is also pretty average with the wobbly plastic chairs and tables reminding me of something found abandoned in an Australian backyard. When all's said and done though, efficient staff, free flowing drinks and a little sparkle in the air all contribute to a fantastic atmosphere. While it probably wouldn't survive anywhere else Stable Bend Terrace is a great way to check out the Wednesday night action at Happy Valley.
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