3/22/2007...Memsahib's 20th birthday! I decided to take her somewhere nice (like I don't always), and choose the most high scale sushi restaurant in all of Hong Kong, Wasabisabi. Located on the top floor of Times Square in Causeway Bay, this place is all about show. When walking into the dining area, you walk in on a runway similar to those used in fashion shows. The setup is very nice indeed, and even Memsahib was impressed with the design and layout.
I had made sure to eat a little something before taking her out, and also insisted that we have the birthday cake (a nice 1/2lb. mango cake from a bakery in Kowloon City HK$45) before going to dinner. I wanted to make sure I wasn't too hungry because I knew the food would be expensive and likely small portions. I ordered a 12 piece cucumber-wrapped sushi sampler (cucumber takes the place of the seaweed), and a foie gras and Japanese cucumber appetizer. Memsahib ordered only 2 single pieces of sushi: one goose liver and one squid or octopus...I think. For drinks, I had a Passion Fruit Saketini, and she had a "luscious litchi" juice drink.
The foie gras appetizer was excellent, as foie gras usually is, but I wish I had more of it. We each had a small square of the foie gras along with one slice of cucumber. The sushi was pretty good, but definitely not worth the price. I didn't try her foie gras sushi, but it seemed that she really enjoyed it. The fruit saketini and her litchi juice were both very good, but I was quite disappointed with the martini glass not being filled anywhere near to the top. Overall, it was a good experience and a memorable night for both of us, but I don't imagine I would ever return.
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Sunday, March 18, 2007
BBQ in Sha Tin
Kim, the Korean exchange student living on my floor, invited me to join him, Ben, and some local students to have BBQ in Sha Tin in the New Territories on Saturday. I hate a date to watch Hannibal Rising with Memsahib at 1950, but I figured I could leave the BBQ early if needed to make it to the movie on time. After waiting with Kim and Ben at the library for about 30 minutes, we finally met the local students/ our guides. Awkwardly, we made our way as a group to the KCR station. It was awkward because all of the local students were girls, and with the exception of Michelle (Kim's friend) they were all very standoffish. Michelle said they were trying to wait for their boyfriends, or something like that. Anyways, they remained a considerable distance behind us while walking and made the walk to the KCR station much longer than usual.
When we finally reached the KCR station, we stood outside for about twenty minutes while the girls talked amongst themselves, I talked with Ben, and Kim was already inside the station wondering what was taking us so long. Finally they decided to get on the train, and we headed to Sha Tin. Upon exiting the KCR at Sha Tin, you are immediately inside of a nice sized shopping mall. I was unable to explore much, but it seems to have a nice assortment of shops and restaurants. Perhaps I will explore more and invite Memsahib to dinner there some time.
After walking for a time inside the mall, we stopped and the girls were talking amongst themselves once again. Michelle said that maybe the BBQ would be closed and the girls just wanted to have lunch at the mall. Ben, and to a lesser extent Kim and myself, were unwilling to accept this so easily. We insisted that we at least find out if the BBQ place was open. Kim and I had been looking forward to the BBQ, and Ben was really excited about the day and had brought a bottle of Korean wine to have with the meal. Thus, we wanted to make every effort to have the BBQ since we had already come so far. Finally, Michelle called the BBQ place and found out they were indeed open. Some of the girls decided to stay behind and eat at the mall, and the rest of us headed out for BBQ. We took a fifteen minute ride in a free minibus to reach the site. The place is like a country club of sorts, with a golf range and BBQ sites, all in a beautiful location adjacent to what seemed the local students called a lake.
The BBQ operation was quite efficient. You are assigned a pit and given a menu to tick whatever foods you would like. The menu is 100% Chinese, so I'm not sure of all the options, but we had: a variety of balls, franks, sausages, pork, garlic chicken, some sort of small fish, salmon steaks, chicken wings, clams, and marshmallows. For drinks they have a selection of beer, teas, and soda. The price wasn't bad; we paid $100 per person for a bountiful amount of food. Because we spent over $500, a woman built our fire and lit it for us. The fire was made of charcoal logs, and started by a propane tank with burner attached.
The food was nice, but we were all starving after waiting so long to get there and therefore quite impatient with the cooking at first. After having a few pieces of meat, we were all in a better mood. After a Heineken and some of Ben's wine, I was feeling quite jovial indeed. For about thirty minutes, the three of us were having a very good time. Unfortunately, the one bottle of wine went quickly and the time was approaching six o'clock.
I had planned to leave by five, so I was worried about being late for the movie. I sent Memsahib a text message to eat dinner without me, and then told everyone that I would need to leave soon. As with everything, this took time also. Michelle got a copy of the free bus schedule and when she returned I was informed I had just missed the six o'clock bus and would have to wait about thirty minutes for the six-thirty. Realizing I would never make it on time, I decided to take a taxi back to the KCR station. Fortunately, Kim and Ben saw this as a good chance for them to leave as well and shared the ride with me. We made it back to campus just in time, thanks to some fast walking.
Overall, it was a great day. Not only did I have a new experience with some nice people, but the food was good and I had the opportunity to take a few nice photos as well. Moreover, we were only eight minutes late to the movie and it wasn't all my fault as Memsahib had to call her parents on the way there and was therefore walking pretty slowly. We had a great night of movies and talking in the park during the early morning hours. The weather was a bit chilly and windy in the park, due to its elevated location, but I enjoyed the cold and it gave us more reason to embrace. It was a wonderful ending to another great Saturday.
CamBo Pho Vietnamese and Thai
Friday night! My roommate decided he should take me out for dinner as compensation for my having cooked a few meals for him over the past weeks. Also, I wanted to use this rare outing with him to get a haircut and have him translate for me. So, we headed to Kowloon City where I could get a haircut for $50 at a Japanese franchise. The shop strives for efficiency, as evidenced by the machine which takes your payment. You first insert a $50 bill and you get a plastic card valid for one haircut. Then, you simply sit in the next available waiting chair (they are numbered). The place claims a haircut in ten minutes, but last night it seemed like almost 30 minutes. I think it must have been dinner time for the employees, as there was only one stylist on duty at the time. Finally, I got my haircut-only a quick trim to clean it up-and we headed out to find a suitable Vietnamese restaurant.
Roommate had never had Viet food until I cooked Pho Bo for him, Memsahib, and some of the floormates this past Wednesday. He really loved it, and thus wanted to try more Viet food. When we came to CamBo Pho we noticed how crowded it was and decided to give it a try. The restaurant has three entrances, but from what I can see all of the dining areas are pretty much the same. The menu is very impressive, with a good selection of Chinese and Thai foods, and an ok selection of Vietnamese dishes. I was disappointed with the lack of Vietnamese grilled pork, however.
We had both been looking forward to this meal, so our eyes were much bigger than our stomachs. Roommate ordered 3 dishes: Thai style spicy mussels; a mix of squid, mussels, and some vegetables; and a sampler of Vietnamese appetizers such as banh cuon, a fried fish cake, and spring rolls (fried and soft). I opted for Pad Thai! For drinks, he tried some sort of coconut and fruit mix that he said was too sweet. I had a Heineken, as they were only $15 per can. None of the dishes were great, but overall it was a wonderful meal. I will definitely be heading back to this establishment to try some of the numerous other tempting menu items.
Roommate had never had Viet food until I cooked Pho Bo for him, Memsahib, and some of the floormates this past Wednesday. He really loved it, and thus wanted to try more Viet food. When we came to CamBo Pho we noticed how crowded it was and decided to give it a try. The restaurant has three entrances, but from what I can see all of the dining areas are pretty much the same. The menu is very impressive, with a good selection of Chinese and Thai foods, and an ok selection of Vietnamese dishes. I was disappointed with the lack of Vietnamese grilled pork, however.
We had both been looking forward to this meal, so our eyes were much bigger than our stomachs. Roommate ordered 3 dishes: Thai style spicy mussels; a mix of squid, mussels, and some vegetables; and a sampler of Vietnamese appetizers such as banh cuon, a fried fish cake, and spring rolls (fried and soft). I opted for Pad Thai! For drinks, he tried some sort of coconut and fruit mix that he said was too sweet. I had a Heineken, as they were only $15 per can. None of the dishes were great, but overall it was a wonderful meal. I will definitely be heading back to this establishment to try some of the numerous other tempting menu items.
Friday, March 16, 2007
Merhaba Turkish Restaurant
After spending an inordinate sum of money for my multi-entry China visa and express shipping a work contract back to the states, I decided I might as well splurge for a nice dinner. Thus, I invited Memsahib to accompany me to our favourite eating spot; Knutsford Terrace in TST. For anyone in HK who hasn't discovered this place, it's great for dining. There are dozens of trendy restaurants with a nice variety of cuisines available. To get there, simply take MTR to TST and use exit B2. Follow Carnaravon Rd. to the end and you're there.
I was in the mood for something different, so I chose Merhaba, a Turkish restaurant. The decoration was very nice, and Memsahib especially enjoyed the seating, complete with throw pillows. Her favourite part however, was the seductive belly dancer who moved around the restaurant performing a three minute dance about every thirty minutes.
As to the food, we ordered an appetizer of asparagus, eggplant, lemon juice, and olive oil. This dish was simple and tasty but a small portion. For drinks, her apricot and pineapple smoothie was lacking in flavour. My "Mediterranean Iced-Tea", a long-island iced tea made with melon liqueur in place of the splash of coke, was refreshing but also a bit weak.
After about twenty minutes, the main course arrived. Interestingly, the head waiter made a big deal of having his trainee serve "the lady" first. It was nice to see such a rare display of chivalry here in HK, awkward as it was. My roasted lamb with mint yogurt sauce was very tasty, and a good portion. The mint sauce was excellent, although one dish of sauce was not nearly enough for the amount of lamb given. Memsahib's roasted eggplant stuffed with mushroom, lamb, cheese, and tomato was equally tasty. The mushrooms were especially nice, but the meat was very sparse.
Because I was enjoying the atmosphere and also felt like splurging, we ordered a dessert of Turkish crepes with cream, nuts, and chocolate sauce. This dish had a generous amount of walnuts, stuffed inside two good sized crepes. The only complaint is that the cream would have been much better if cold. Overall, this was a great experience and I would recommend it to anyone looking for something different. Also, on the way out I noticed a lot of tables had elaborate hookahs, with many local guys seeming to enjoy this method of smoking. Fortunately, the devices do not create a smoky atmosphere in the restaurant but you'll want to be sure to get a non-smoking section to be safe.
I was in the mood for something different, so I chose Merhaba, a Turkish restaurant. The decoration was very nice, and Memsahib especially enjoyed the seating, complete with throw pillows. Her favourite part however, was the seductive belly dancer who moved around the restaurant performing a three minute dance about every thirty minutes.
As to the food, we ordered an appetizer of asparagus, eggplant, lemon juice, and olive oil. This dish was simple and tasty but a small portion. For drinks, her apricot and pineapple smoothie was lacking in flavour. My "Mediterranean Iced-Tea", a long-island iced tea made with melon liqueur in place of the splash of coke, was refreshing but also a bit weak.
After about twenty minutes, the main course arrived. Interestingly, the head waiter made a big deal of having his trainee serve "the lady" first. It was nice to see such a rare display of chivalry here in HK, awkward as it was. My roasted lamb with mint yogurt sauce was very tasty, and a good portion. The mint sauce was excellent, although one dish of sauce was not nearly enough for the amount of lamb given. Memsahib's roasted eggplant stuffed with mushroom, lamb, cheese, and tomato was equally tasty. The mushrooms were especially nice, but the meat was very sparse.
Because I was enjoying the atmosphere and also felt like splurging, we ordered a dessert of Turkish crepes with cream, nuts, and chocolate sauce. This dish had a generous amount of walnuts, stuffed inside two good sized crepes. The only complaint is that the cream would have been much better if cold. Overall, this was a great experience and I would recommend it to anyone looking for something different. Also, on the way out I noticed a lot of tables had elaborate hookahs, with many local guys seeming to enjoy this method of smoking. Fortunately, the devices do not create a smoky atmosphere in the restaurant but you'll want to be sure to get a non-smoking section to be safe.
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