Tsim Sha Tsui Archives

In Dim Sum

Din Tai Fung: Michelin Star Restaurant in Hong Kong

November 23, 2012

Din Tai Fung is an award winning restaurant from Taiwan. There are branches all over the world. Din Tai Fung has been around since 1958 and then in the 1980s they began selling Xiao Long Bao, which made them very popular.

The location in Hong Kong is located in Tsim Tsa Tsui in Silvercord and has won a Michelin Star. Also, Open Rice has awarded them Best Restaurant Award of 2012.

It is popular amongst locals and tourists. I came here since I heard they had the best steamed pork buns. I actually came here about 4 times during my Summer vacation. I was crazy addicted to this place.

The interior is nice and has lots of seats. When we came around 11am, it was quite empty.

By 1:20pm, this place was PACKED. It’s best to come here around noon since there will be tables left.

Soy Sauce and Vinegar is at the table and you can use it to flavour your dishes.

I added the soy sauce and vinegar in my ginger for the Pork dumpling.

Juicy Pork Dumplings (Xiao Long Bao) are so good! We had to order a few baskets to satisfy our cravings.

Vegetarian Dumpling was another one of my favorites. I know it doesn’t have meat, but it really enjoyed the minced vegetables inside.

Shrimp and Pork Sui Mai was OK. I really didn’t take a liking to it that much because of the overcooked shrimp.

Drunken Chicken was good. There was a good amount of meat between the skin and bone.

Shanghai Smoked Fish wasn’t our favorite item. It had bones inside.

Drunken Chicken Feet with marinated vegetables is not for everyone. It has a bit of alcoholic wine taste to it, but some people love it.

Shredded Vegetable and Tofu has a touch of sesame oil. I really like this dish since I have a bit of an addiction to sesame oil.

Hollow Spinach in Garlic

Marinated Jelly Fish

Pork Jelly

Shrimp Fried Rice is yummy too but it is a bit small, so you may need to order more. It was a little bit oily, but I really liked it since there is so much filling in it.

Braised tripe was good, but its not for everyone. Some people may get scared of the look.

Large Hot & Sour Soup was my favorite soup! Yum!

Pork Slices with garlic sauce

Wonton Soup

Noodle with Minced Pork Sauce

Braised Beef Noodle Soup

Fried Beancurd Puff with Vermicelli Soup

Overall, all the dishes were pretty good. One of my favorite restaurants when visiting Hong Kong. When you come here, you must have the Steamed Pork Buns! Its the one thing that everyone orders.

We Rate Din Tai Fung:

Address:
Shop 130, 3/F, Silvercord,
30 Canton Road, Tsim Sha Tsui

Website:
http://www.dintaifung.com.hk/

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://maps.google.ca/maps?q=30+Canton+Road,+Tsim+Sha+Tsui&hnear=30+Canton+Rd,+Hong+Kong&gl=ca&t=m&z=16″]

In Cafe

Charlie Brown Cafe 查理布朗咖啡專門店: Novelty Cafe in Hong Kong

October 20, 2012

Charlie Brown Cafe is every child’s dream! Or at least my dream since I grew up watching the cartoon and reading the comics. This location is their flagship store. When I passed by, I had to stop and go here. It wasn’t our plan to go here, but my sister and I couldn’t resist.

We walked up the stairs and everything is Charlie Brown!!

It’s a great place to chill with friends too. Lots of seats!

When you walk to the counter, there are so many cakes!

So many cute things!

There are even cakes shaped like their heads!

3D Lucy ($500 HKD or $70 CDN) Crazy expensive cake, but I am sure someone bought it.

Soy matcha Frappe tasted OK. It was a bit thick and icy.

Latte was so cute! You get to choose what character on top. I just chose Charlie Brown because its iconic. It also tasted great!

Tiramisu was way too cute to eat.

But, I knew I couldn’t stare at it all day, so I eventually ate it. Really good!

Woodstock Mango Mousse was also super cute. Trust me, I took a lot of pictures!

But, we also had to eat it! The mango mousse is on the outside and there is a gelatine puree inside. It tasted good too.

Their lights are very cute on the ceiling! Don’t you love Linus?

Overall, the desserts are good and its a great place to go to if you are a Charlie Brown fan. Theres lots of merchandise to purchase and lots of food to eat. They also have sandwiches and set meals, so you aren’t just limited to drinks and desserts.

Have you been here before?

We Rate Charlie Brown Cafe:

Address:
G/F-1/F, Kok Pah Mansion, 58-60 Cameron Road, Tsim Sha Tsui

Website:
http://www.charliebrowncafe.com/

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://maps.google.ca/maps?q=Kok+Pah+Mansion,+58-60+Cameron+Road,+Tsim+Sha+Tsui&hl=en&hnear=Kok+Pah+Mansion,+58-60+Cameron+Rd,+Hong+Kong&t=m&z=16″]

In Chinese

Super Star Seafood Restaurant: Graduation Buns & Elephant Dumplings

September 26, 2012

Super Star Seafood Restaurant (or some called it Red Star Seafood Restaurant) is located on Nathan Road in Tsim Sha Tsui. They have various locations in Hong Kong and even one location in Richmond, BC. My grandfather took us to this location for some afternoon tea as it is one of the older location where all the celebrities dine.

As you walk upstairs, there are various awards and photos displayed.

There are lots of seats and can accommodate huge parties. We ordered a lot of dishes since we had a party of 7.

Crispy Whitebait and Peanuts come complementary at the table. It is very crispy and delicious! It’s quite famous and can be purchased in packages to take home.

Salted Peanuts came to the table too. It’s something to nibble on when you are waiting to order.

Graduation Buns (Steamed Oats and Milk Bun) was a special item in the Summer since everyone was graduating in the city. It was very cute!

We realized that after you take the top off of the hat, it looks like old grandmother buns.

This inside was a nice and creamy. It was not too sweet and was a lovely dessert.

Deep-fried BBQ Pork and Vegetable Dumpling in Elephant Shape.

It was very very cute and great for little kids to devour.

Congee with assorted items. You can design your own congee and add anything you want.

Roasted Chicken with Shrimp Chips

Hainanese Chicken

Braised Vegetables and Geoduck.

Jellyfish and Ham

Assorted Mushrooms and Bok Choy

Pineapple Buns were very unique here.

If you look inside, there is BBQ pork and bits of pineapples!

Steamed Rice Rolls

Steamed Shrimp Dumplings

Steamed Spare Ribs

Steamed Meat Balls

Steamed Fish

Rice and minced meat patty

Sui Mai

Sweet Fungus Soup

Daily Soup

Red Bean Dessert

Overall, the food is pretty solid with great service. I would definitely come here again. The prices are a bit higher, but its a good place to go for a large meal with the family.

We Rate Super Star Seafood Restaurant:

Address:
1/F, Tsimshatsui Mansion, 83-97 Nathan Road,
Tsim Sha Tsui

Website:
http://www.superstargroup.com.hk/

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://maps.google.ca/maps?q=Tsim+Sha+Tsui+Mansion,+83-97+Nathan+Road,+Tsim+Sha+Tsui&ll=22.297792,114.172239&spn=0.010701,0.019269&hnear=Tsim+Sha+Tsui+Mansion,+83-97+Nathan+Rd,+Hong+Kong&gl=ca&t=m&z=16″]

In Bakery

Paul Lafayet: French Patisserie in Hong Kong

September 24, 2012

Paul Lafayet is a 3 Michelin starred pastry chef who bring the citizens of Hong Kong authentic French pastries and desserts. This location is in K11 in Tsim Sha Tsui. They are best known for their yummy macarons and delicate cakes. The price is quite expensive compared to other food items in Hong Kong.

When you walk in, you will see their large display case of macarons on top with various different flavours.

Then below that are the variety of cakes. I bought a few different items about bought them home to eat after dinner.

I ordered 10 macaroons in total and they put them all neatly in a box so it doesn’t get crushed during the ride home.

Oolong Macaron was a unique flavour! The taste was very subtle, but well put together.

Chocolate Macaron was another delicious choice and great for everyone.

I loved the chocolate one because it was very chewy and rich with chocolate mousse in the middle.

Matcha Macaron also has a nice subtle flavour

Caramel Macaron was a bit more sweet than the others, but still has a good taste.

Pistachio macaron tasted good as well, but they could have done a but more to enhance the pistachio taste.

Raspberry macaron has a lot of color to it, so when you eat it, your lips and tongue turn a bit red.

Sesame macaron was one of my favorites. It’s not a common flavour to see around. Plus, they make this one look pretty.

Earl Grey Macaron is another tea flavoured macaron. I really do love tea infused macarons because it suits very well with a cup of tea. I found this particular macaron interesting because the 2 side of it are different colors!

Chocolate Mousse was what my little sister ordered. It comes in a cup and can be reused for other uses like making other desserts or drinking from it. The mousse was rich, smooth, and had a great flavour.

Cheese Cake with fresh blueberries on top was ok. It wasn’t as amazing as I thought it was, plus it was very small and quite expensive.

Overall the macarons had a nice flavours, but the texture of the macaron was not perfect. Since the weather of Hong Kong is quite humid, it made the macarons fall apart easily. You could twist the 2 side off like an oreo cookie. None of the items were disappointing, they all had great flavours.

We Rate Paul Lafayet:

Address:
Shop G23, K11, 18 Hanoi Road, Tsim Sha Tsui

Website:
http://www.paullafayet.com/

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://maps.google.ca/maps?q=18+Hanoi+Road,+Tsim+Sha+Tsui&hnear=18+Hanoi+Rd,+Hong+Kong&gl=ca&t=m&z=16 “]

In Bubble Tea

Gong Cha: Bubble Tea in Hong Kong

September 7, 2012

Gong Cha first launched in Taiwan in 2006 and soon opened locations in Hong Kong, Singapore, Macau, China, Malaysia, and Philippines. There are a lot of locations all over Hong Kong and attracts locals and tourists. They are best known for their signature milk tea with a dollop of cream on top.

The location in East Tsim Sha Tsui was very busy and had lots of tourists ordering drinks. The menu had some english and the cashiers knew a little bit of english too. It’s not great english, but at least it will make your ordering experience go smoothly.

On top of each drink are instructions on how to consume it:

Open the lid and drink, letting the tea pass through the foamy layer.
Insert the straw and enjoy the flavour of the tea.
Use the straw to stir and enjoy the combined flavour of the tea and milk.

Milk Tea ($10) has the tea on the bottom with the dollop of cream on top. It was delicious and different than usual bubble teas. The cream does change the taste a lot and not everyone will love it. My sister liked the drink at first, but eventually started hating the cream on top.

Gong Cha Milk Green Tea ($12) needed a good mixing in order to incorporate the layers together. I tried mixing it together very well, but it was a bit hard to do that. The cream itself was salty.

Afterwards, my sister and I headed to Kowloon Park to walk around and enjoy the fountains and trees.

Overall, Gong Cha was ok, but not the best bubble tea I’ve ever had. We were not a fan of the cream on top.

Words of Wisdom:

Lots of locations in Hong Kong
Most locations have no seats, just take out

We Rate Gong Cha:

Address:
Shop A2, G/F, 41C Granville Road ,
Tsim Sha Tsui

Website:
www.gong-cha.com

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In Bakery

Maxim’s Cakes: Angry Bird Cakes at the MTR Stations

July 24, 2012

Maxim’s Cakes can be found everywhere in Hong Kong. Most MTR stations with have one inside. Even if you look along the streets of popular areas, you are bound to run into this bakery. It was founded in the 1960’s and has grown into the largest cake store in Hong Kong.

We came here after a long day of shopping and decided to get a few cakes for my sister. We always see her eyeing the cakes and I think it was time to get her some. Plus, there was a sale. We love sales.

There are lots of bread and little pastries.

In the glass case are all the cakes!

People in Hong Kong really love Angry Birds for some reason. They even have Angry Birds jello cups available.

Angry Bird cakes can be seen too! They also have then in Vancouver T&T too. They look too good to eat, plus who knows how good or bad they taste.

We grabbed a bunch of smaller cakes to bring back home. There was a buy 3 get 1 free deal, so we bought 6 cakes to get 2 free. We really didn’t need so many slices of cakes, but discounts make asian people buy more. It’s in our genes to find good deals.

Blueberry Cake had a nice strong blueberry flavour, but it wasn’t too sweet. It has layers of blueberry mousse and cake. Then, it’s topped with blueberries and a jelly. If you are a blueberry fan, you must get this.

Cheesecake was not too sweet as well, it had a very smooth texture that went eaten.

Chestnut tart was my favorite! It is topped with a mound of chestnut paste, whipped cream, chocolate on top of a crispy tart. Very delicious!

Chocolate Mousse Cake has layers upon layers of chocolate with a douse of coco powder on top. Remember not to inhale when eating this since you don’t want to start coughing due to the coco powder up your nose.

Mango tart has huge chunks of mango on top of whipped cream, chocolate and the tart. It’s very good and the mangos don’t fall off as easily as you think. Highly recommended for those mango lovers.

We definitely enjoyed all our cakes. Pretty decent for a chain store. I would return if I really have a craving for a quick slice of cake. There are numerous other cake shops in Hong Kong, so don’t think this is your only option.

Words of Wisdom:

Ask if there are discounts
All cakes are pretty good

We Rate Maxim’s Cakes:

Address:
Shop 10-12 at Paid Concourse,
MTR Tin Shui Wai Station, Hong Kong

Website:
http://www.maxims.com.hk/en/main.asp

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In Four Beakers

Ippudo HK: Killer Ramen Across the World

July 23, 2012

Ippudo is a world famous chain ramen store. It was started by Shigemi Kawahara over 20 years ago in a small restaurant with only 10 seats in Fukuoka. Since 1985, it has expanded to New York, Hong Kong, Singapore and even Korea. What makes their ramen so delicious is their slow-cooked pork bone soup with the combination of toppings.

As my parents had something to do at Tsim Sha Tsui, so I suggested we try this place for lunch. It wasn’t too long of a line up, but they do have a digital ticketing machine for people to put down their name, telephone and # in their party. If there is a long line up, you can just stroll around the 2 malls as you wait.

The kitchen has an open concept, so you can see the chefs at work creating your noodles. The interior isn’t too large, but the turnover should be quite fast.

You get chopsticks, a spoon and a spoon holder. Pretty cool stuff.

Ippudo Gyoza Dumplings comes in five pieces and is very popular item in Ippudo Japan. the dumplings were quite small, but it has a good amount of flavour! It wasn’t the best dimpling I’ve had, but it was decent.

Ippudo BBQ Pork Bun just comes with one bun. It is cut in half and contains slices of BBQ Pork and lettuce. The bun is very popular at Ippudo NY and thus they offer it at Ippudo HK.

I did not particularly love this bun. It was ok, but nothing special.

Akamaru Shinaji has a rich tonkotsu flavour with slices of pork, egg, green onions with fragrant oil and miso. A majority of the family at the table ordered this item. They enjoyed it but felt it was a tad salty.

Ippudo Karaka has a tonkotsu soup, miso, minced pork and spicy oil. I loved it, it wasn’t too spicy but it was enough to tickle your taste buds. I would recommend this if you like spicy.

Shiomaru Motoaji has lean slices of pork with thin Hakata-style noodles. It looks very simple, but the broth really speaks for itself. It’s very delicious and my little sister gobbled this all up!

I’ve been to the Ippudo NY in a few months ago, but I feel like this location was much more delicious. No matter where you are in the world, if there is an Ippudo in your city, go check it out. You might be pleasantly pleased by their taste.

Words of Wisdom: