foodie guide's Profile
Princi, Soho, London
And thank you for the report on all the sweet things, which I usually never have time for, because I can't stop eating the savoury. We'd make a good team!
[London] Best Chinese, Indian, Japanese restaurants?
Phil D, you're so right! I was barely awake when I wrote this. Thanks for pointing it out to me. So the recs will be perfect!
Best Chinese Restaurant (including DimSum) in Leicester Square?
Yikes. That's a tough question. In Chinatown proper, I'd only have dim sum (not dinner) at Imperial China on Lisle St, and even then, it's not that great anymore. Haozhan was interesting (on Gerrard St) but I don't what it's like now as it's been a year since I last ate there. But they don't do dim sum. I've reviewed a lot of dim sum places and tend to avoid Chinatown to eat at places like Yauatcha on Broadwick St and Pearl Liang in Paddington (these are my two favourites). Royal China seems to have gone downhill in recent years. I'm going to visit Yi-Ban in a couple of weeks and see what it's like.
Helen Yuet Ling Pang
http://www.worldfoodieguide.com
[London] Golden Hind, Assaggi, Konstam and Maze report
Konstam is one of my favourites and it's a great local, always busy in the evenings. The fish and seafood comes from Mersea Island and is super fresh.
Golden Hind has been a regular haunt for nearly 8 years now, as we used to live round the corner. I went again last week and found the chips lacking in colour, but the haddock was superb as always (so fresh it was hard to eat as the flakes just fall off your fork) - their fish is delivered daily from up north somewhere (can't remember exactly where), and the tartare sauce is made fresh too. And I love the history about the first owner (just before 1914 he killed a man in his town in Italy and ran away to London, where he started his business frying up discarded scraps of fish (left by the fishmongers). The previous owner told me the story...
Helen Yuet Ling Pang
http://www.worldfoodieguide.com
St. John's, Archway
I haven't eaten there for a couple of years now, but it was still great back then. Fantastic steak and chips (I'm very fussy about my steaks)...
Helen Yuet Ling Pang
http://www.worldfoodieguide.com
[London] Best Chinese, Indian, Japanese restaurants?
Hunan is meant to be excellent - no menus - the chef chats to you and you discuss what your dietary requirements are. Last time friends went, it was £40 a head. I can't wait to go.
Yauatcha (and Hakkasan) but it won't be £25 a head unless you're very careful with the ordering and only have dim sum for lunch. I personally really like Pearl Liang for both dim sum and dinner.
Japanese - well Roka is great (one of my favourites) but you'll again struggle to eat for £25 a head. If you want down to earth, I like Jinkichi in Hampstead.
I haven't eaten at any good Indian places for a while, so can't help you there! I've reviewed all the restaurants I've mentioned, with photos, apart from Hunan, so have a look if you need to make decisions. Enjoy your foodie trip!
Helen Yuet Ling Pang
http://www.worldfoodieguide.com
Princi, Soho, London
I knew you'd make it there! I had the courgette pizza (delicious), ham and cresenza pizza (also good), passionfruit cheesecake (heavenly), lemon cheesecake (not quite as nice and a bit soft in texture). Others ordered the courgette fritters, cauliflower in bechamel sauce, four cheeses pizzas, buffalo mozzarella salad - all very good. Looking forward to trying the meatballs with olives and the raspberrry and pistachio cake (not sure if cheesecake or just cake)...
I've reviewed the place, with plenty of food photos. There was even an Alan Yau lookalike when I was there!
Helen Yuet Ling Pang
http://www.worldfoodieguide.com
HK foodie trip in October
Thank you for the Wu Kong tip. There are two dinner slots that I've left open until I get there on Thursday, so that I can have a look at the menus before I decide. It's very convenient for me to get to the Causeway Bay branch too, as I'm staying there! But perhaps I'll avoid the hairy crab this time round, otherwise I might as well drink milk during the entire trip...
Thank you again everyone for all your advice and comments. I'm very much looking forward to it now.
HK foodie trip in October
JiMaWu - thanks for these tips, much appreciated! I'll be going up the escalator anyway, so will look out for Treasure Lake. The lo baak gou sounds particularly delicious, not had it like that before. As does the omelette cake! Off in a few days. Obviously will report back on my eating adventures...
Dried Beans in London?
Welcome to London. We (as in husband & I, not all Londoners!) just buy our dried beans from the supermarket. In Waitrose, we go to the Wholesome section, which features dried beans, pulses, rice, pasta, nuts, fruit etc. It's not expensive either. Sometimes I go to Planet Organic, but the quality of the beans can vary, bizarrely enough.
Helen Yuet Ling Pang
http://www.worldfoodieguide.com
HK foodie trip in October
Thanks all for the comments! Just waiting to hear if Chiu Chow uncle can go for dinner and give us tourists a helping hand. If he goes, I know we'll have a great dinner. And don't worry about the vegetarian husband. It's complicated, as he'll occasionally eat a bit of fish (no seafood and no meat). I don't want to go any vegetarian restaurants (with the exceptions of Kung Tak Lam and Lock Cha Tea Shop). I've waited a long time for this foodie trip and I want to eat properly!
HK foodie trip in October
FourSeasons - thanks for these tips, they're much appreciated! I was planning take my mother along to Sheung Hing with us, so that she can help me read the menu (and so that I can buy her dinner of course). But I'll see if my uncle can meet us there too, good idea! My mother hasn't lived in HK since 1969 so she's quite a tourist as well. And I came across Pak Loh today, so I might go there too with just my husband, as we're staying in Causeway Bay.
I think I would be more relaxed if I knew that there would be enough options for the vegetarian husband in each place that I've chosen. He's not even that bothered, but I can't tuck into my meat and seafood if he's sitting there hungry!
Am looking forward to the trip even more now that I've had so many tips and recommendations from everyone. Thanks!
HK foodie trip in October
Wow, thanks again for all your opinions! Much appreciated. I've narrowed the list down even more (I realised even I couldn't possibly eat 4 meals a day), and have dropped some (including Hutong, Xiao Nan Guo & Fu Sing & some of the wonton places) and added others (Sheung Hing, Kau Kee and possibly Sang Kee once I've had a chance to research it a bit more). Of course I'll be spending the next 2 weeks finalising it...
HK foodie trip in October
Thanks everyone for your comments. No Chiu Chow restaurants on the list yet simply because I haven't had a chance to consult my Chiu Chow gourmet uncle in HK, and there are also a couple of restaurants that relatives will be taking us to. And I'm going to be in Beijing for 6 days as well, hence the focus on Southern Chinese. The list will be refined by the time I arrive in HK in two weeks! Many thanks...
HK foodie trip in October
Hi Peech! Thanks for these tips. I've read many opinions on Mak vs Chim Chai Kee, but put them both on the list as I'm headed to Wellington St anyway. I'm most definitely prioritising Mak's over CCK, and will try to fit Kau Kee in. I think Hutong is dropping further down the list too...
Thanks again!
HK foodie trip in October
siuyeh - great blog, thanks for the tip! going to be spending ages going through all your posts now. and i'm going to do the peak walk as you suggested. how come I've never come across you on wordpress?? I've been on it for the last year...
Nibbs - I'm so divided on Hutong! I keep reading good and then bad reviews. Thanks for your opinion though, it's good to hear from someone who actually dreads going back!
HK foodie trip in October
It's time to be brave and reveal my shortlist of HK restaurants, after having done a lot of research on Chowhound. I don't have that many lunch and dinner slots in HK, so please let me know your opinions! I've also had to take into consideration the husband, who's vegetarian, so if you're wondering why I've left certain places off my list, that's why. Plus, I have 6 days in Beijing plus a trip to Macau, so that's 16 days of eating, which means I have to keep an eye on the wallet (and waistline!). I speak Cantonese, but can't read Chinese menus.
Breakfasts, Lunches & Snacks:
Mak's Noodles (Wellington St) & possibly pop in to try Tsim Chai Kee afterwards, if I'm still hungry - for wonton noodles
Lor Fu Kei, 144 Queens Rd Central - for congee
Tai Cheong for egg tarts
Lock Cha Tea Shop - Admiralty, for vegetarian dim sum
Mak's (the other one) on Wing Kut St - for wonton noodles
Lei Yuen Noodle & Congee Restaurant - for beef brisket noodles & congee
Ho Hung Kee - for wonton noodles
Freedom Noodles - for wonton noodles
Lung King Heen - for dim sum
Fu Sing - for dim sum
T'ang Court - for dim sum
Dinners:
Yung Kee
Kung Tak Lam
Wing Hop Shing
Spring Deer
Xiao Nan Guo
Chung's Cuisine, Times Square
King Crab, Causeway Bay
Star of Canton, Lee Theatre Plaza, Causeway Bay
Hutong - I really would like to know if it's really worth the experience (heard about the HK$300 minimum spend per person in the evenings too)
Many thanks in advance!
Helen Yuet Ling Pang
http://www.worldfoodieguide.com
Macau - A Lorcha or Fernando's?
Sorry, I wasn't trying to keep this a secret. Courtesy of my friend and fellow blogger tasty treats:
Tai Lei Loi Kei (300 pork buns from 3pm. Get there early to queue)
Largo Governador Tamagnini Barbosa 18, Taipa. Tel: 853 827 150
Near Cunha bus station, but best to take a taxi if you're travelling from the main island, it costs around 40MOP (approx 3 pounds) for the journey.
Helen Yuet Ling Pang
http://www.worldfoodieguide.com
Macau - A Lorcha or Fernando's?
Thanks FourSeasons and Peech, I have all the addresses for the pork buns place and the two egg tarts places already. Am armed and ready for a foodie day out! Except that my mother has decided to join us, so I've had to cut the day short and forego dinner at A Lorcha...
Helen Yuet Ling Pang
http://www.worldfoodieguide.com
Churrascuria outside catering - UK
Hi Jennie
Wow, for a wedding! It would be amazing. I can't think of anyone else really. I think the equipment is the trickiest part for them to arrange, as their grill is huge, and fixed.
Let me know if you get a positive answer, and good luck!
Macau - A Lorcha or Fernando's?
Also doing a day trip to Macau from HK! I did a lot of research on where to eat, and finally decided on Litoral for lunch and A Lorcha for dinner, after receiving feedback from readers on my blog post on where to eat in Macau. Also going to try to fit in a pork bun and some Portuguese egg tarts in between! Not having been for over 20 years, I had to rely on other people's recommendations! It seems Fernando's isn't that great now...
Helen Yuet Ling Pang
http://www.worldfoodieguide.com
Shin Yeh
Thanks, that's on the list already, recommended by Beijing friends. It's my only vegetarian place. All the rest are places I'd like to go to, hoping that there'll be enough vegetarian things!
Churrascuria outside catering - UK
Have you tried calling Rodizio Rico to see if they would do this for you? They're on Upper St and on Westbourne Grove. They might cater for parties and events. Churrascaria would be great for a party!
Helen Yuet Ling Pang
http://www.worldfoodieguide.com
[London] Korean restaurants and markets
My favourite is Koba, but I've also been to Han Kang on Hanway St (which used to be a bit grubby but has been recently renovated), and Ran on Gt Marlborough St. And I second themags' recommendations, as those are the places I go to for Korean bits and pieces.
Helen Yuet Ling Pang
http://www.worldfoodieguide.com
Shin Yeh
e ting - thanks so much for this, but i'm actually going to beijing, not taipei (which i loved last time i was there)! but thanks for that tip on Du Xiao Yue. i've made a note of it for my next trip...
Shin Yeh
Thanks for this! I don't think I want high end banquet dining on this trip, not for 2 people anyway. I'll keep on looking. My problem is that I have to consider my husband who is vegetarian but eats fish, so I would be the only one eating meat and seafood! So every restaurant on my shortlist has been selected to accommodate both our tastes. I've got one vegetarian restaurant (Pure Lotus), but that's it, as I'm sure we'll be able to find things for him in non-vegetarian restaurants.
Shin Yeh
I usually post on the UK/Ireland board, but am planning a 2 week trip to HK, Macau and Beijing next month. I was wondering if anyone has been to Shin Yeh and has positive feedback (or any feedback) about it? I have a shortlist of restaurants for 10 lunch and dinner slots, and would like to know if it's worth reserving a slot for!
Many thanks
Helen Yuet Ling Pang
http://www.worldfoodieguide.com
Sake no hana - worth 50% off?
I've been twice, once during opening week and once in Jan. I wrote about it in another thread (just do a search on this board). I had to pay the first time but not the second time, which is when I felt more relaxed about what I ordered. It is expensive, but if you know the menu, it is possible to have a good meal there without hurting the wallet (not my own!). If you go with too many people though, ordering will get out of hand, and drinks are very expensive!
Thinking back on the two dinners, I probably wouldn't go back again. Why not try Soseki instead? It's right next to the Gherkin, and I really liked some of the dishes.
Helen Yuet Ling Pang
http://www.worldfoodieguide.com
Flat White, Soho, London
In the end, I went to Milk Bar as it's only a minute away from my office. Had a lovely smoked chicken salad and left feeling all buzzy from my latte and hot chocolate (which comes with mini marshmallows on the plate). My friend had the bacon and halloumi bagel, which he highly recommends. I realised I used to have coffee at that location before it became Milk Bar, but it's much nicer now and the staff are really friendly. ALSO, I shouldn't really reveal this, as I want to keep it to myself, but it was really quiet at lunchtime!
Helen Yuet Ling Pang
http://www.worldfoodieguide.com
Restaurant Recommendations for Novello Theatre area
L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon have a pre-theatre menu, £19 for 2 courses, £25 for 3 courses (you can see the options on their website). If you order the lamb, confirm in advance that it won't be salty!
Hazuki on Chandos Street is a nice little Japanese restaurant. The food would fall within your budget.
Helen Yuet Ling Pang
http://www.worldfoodieguide.com
