Indonesian Delight at Indo 1968

Indo 1968

5/F, The L Place 

137-141 Queen's Road Central, Central, Hong Kong

Rating: 8.1/10 

Price: Around 200 HKD per person 

After growing up in Indonesia for 7 years, even though I can't remember the names of the dishes or even the food itself, I always find myself missing the distinct taste and smell of Indo food. Especially since my short trip to Bali and Jakarta last year, I've been having periodic cravings for Indo Food, and have made couple of trips down to Causeway Bay during the weekends to eat next to the over-flowing crowds of Indonesian Maids and helpers out to enjoy their weekends.

However, I had never been to an 'classier' Indo-food place in a while, and when felix who had never tried Indo food suggested it from his newly-acquired (from me!) michelin guide book I was eager to try it out! 

Apparently they had moved from Causeway Bay to Central not so long ago, and although I don't know how the interiror decoration had been prior to moving but I loved their interior decorations and the overall atmoosphere! .

Plus they had such cute and well designed menu and catchy logo that it was great to look through the menu! 

Although you can't see it in the photo they had a lovely open-bar and open-kitchen where you could see the cooking being done as well. Plus the seats were so comfortable with soft cushions everywhere! 

After going through the menu over and over again not knowing for sure what we should order or not we finally just trusted our instincts (plus the 'special menu' section and decided on the following choices :) )

Fresh Young Coconut (Kelapa Muda): 58 HKD

Although I was pretty tempted to order Bintang,  I love love Fresh Coconuts and I thought it would be a great way to start (drink the juice) and end (eat the white flesh) our dinner!

The coconut was lovely, and it was very fresh and cold which went well with the very strong flavors of our food.

Satay Babi (Pork Satay): 48 HKD

    Although some may argue that satay are just skewers  I have yet to find skewers as good as how the Indonesians do them! Although the thai skewers are good, and the vietnamese chicken skewers at Nha Trang were amazing too, the best ones have always been the chicken satay (Satay ayam) with peanut butter sauce. 

    However I had never tried Pork Satay before, and I'm really glad that I did so! It was amazing! :) The pork was so succulent and crispy and went well with the slightly sweet sauce! 

Bakmi Gajahmada (Indonesian Chicken Noodle): 108 HKD

     Although it was a hard decision between letting felix try Nasi Goreng (fried rice) which is one of my favorites, or something entirely new for both of us... we opted for a more adventurous choice, and went for this Indonesian Noodle! 

I hadn't tried one where it's not fried before, and this dish involved a soy-sauce based paste with chickens and lots of vegetables that we had to mix together! The sauce was not too salty, or too overpowering and went well the the firm egg-noodles and chicken! It had a very clean and simple taste that we both loved :)

Beef Rendang: 98 HKD
Along with the clean simple taste of our noodle, we also had the rich, heavy flavoured Beef Rendang. Although it was less spicy than those I had tried before it still had that lovely mixture of unknown spices, chili, garlic and coconut milk...

No wonder it got voted as one of the best dishes around the world by CNN, it's so much more interesting and richly flavored than normal curries as the flavours (by the the long hours of cooking) is so well incorporated into the soft yet still juicy beef!

Overall, we both loved the place! Even though it was expensive compared to the usual indonesian food, for the quality of the food and the overall dining experience it was worth every penny! :) 

Best Take-away Ever.... with La Rotisserie

La Rotisserie

255 Queens Road Central,

Sheung Wan 

+852 6901 5778

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Rating: 7.7/10 

Price: Around 70-80 HKD per person 

Roast Chicken will always be a family thing for me,

   I know that it's not very Korean of me (not to associate with beer and bars) but from the first-ever disastrous burnt roast chicken I ever made (and forced my family to eat) to the finally beautifully roasted and deliciously praised roast chicken I now can make on Christmas, all my memories of roast chicken was with my family.

Even when I went to Paris, and had the BEST roast chicken of my life, I was sitting in a cutest french bistro with the cutest french waiter recommending me wine.. in front of my family!

So it seemed like an obvious choice for dinner when you begin missing your beloved oven and home-cooked meals...

(Source: La Rotiseerie's FB page)

Although looking at their FB page, people are complaining about the long-queues that you have to wait in before getting their foods, I was rather lucky to stumble in on a time when there was no one in front of me! Ah, but look at the photo how can it not lure people to its door-steps when there's that smell and SIGHT of a chicken being roasted like below:

(Source: HK-Asia Magazine)

Plus the place is literally just minutes away from the subway station, which makes the whole taking away to home really easy and convenient!

Above is their new menu (from their website)! As i had planned for dinner with 4-5 people, I ended up getting the Set Meal Package for Four People (whole roast chicken + 4 side dishes) and an extra 1/4 roast chicken, to give a total of (290 HKD) which is a definite steal for a proper night's dinner!

They had a wide range of the side-dishes, but I opted for the choice of 2 portions each of Roast Vegetables and Roast Potatoes. Although the vegetables were delicious I would highly recommend the roast potatoes as a side dish! They were amaaaaazing! 

They quickly wrapped up my dinner in this cute little black box that couldnt quite keep the smell of the roast chicken in! I kept on getting such funny (and hungry) looks from the passengers on the MTR (sorry guys!)

Upon finally arriving home, my friends greeted with extra dishes of rice, chocolate and salads (and even a bottle of rose wine). Feeling rather giddy, i also baked some buns to have a proper feast as shown below! 

THE CHICKEN was AMAAAZING! 

It was not dry at all, and so juicy and rich in flavor! The seasoning was perfect too that we really didn't need any extra sauces to eat the chicken with..

Maybe it was because it was so delicious or the fact that we were starving that day but despite our extra dishes the chicken quickly disappeared!

SO if you're planning to JUST eat the side-dishes and the chicken maybe you should order extra chicken like we did just so you ALL of you can be fully satisfied and leave the dinner table with a big grin and bloated stomach like we did :)

A Hidden Gem: Thai Restaurant in Hang Hau Village

金葉軒- Grand Restaurant

No.25-26 Hang Hou Village, Tseung Kwan O

將軍澳坑口村25-26號 

Rating: 7.5/10 

Price: Around 100 HKD per person (4 dishes for 3)
It had been days since I started craving steak... not just any steak but blood-dripping, minimally cooked steak! So when my friend secretly confessed in a similar urge, to go 'knife' a proper steak we headed off to Lardos Steakhouse 'hidden' right next to our University.

However what I had thought would be a faultless plan (we even went at 5:30PM and waited for 30 min for the place to open) was that it was fully booked for the whoooole night. Apparently it's not as 'hidden' as I thought it would be.

Hugely disappointed  and  by now starving.... we quickly decided to go check out the Thai Restaurant that was right next door, and maybe it was because we were not expecting much.. it turned out to be great! (and even good for our wallet!)

Last time I went to Lardos and saw this place it was jammed packed and over-flowing to the streets with people! It did begin to fill up rather quickly towards the end of our dinner (around 7:30PM) but when we went it was really empty and quiet :)

The menu was actually quite extensive, and their specialty dishes involved lots of crabs and seafood but because we were fixated in getting meat that day... we mainly got meat-orientated dishes that turned out great!

Pad Thai (4.5/5) 
-This was my favorite dish out of what we ordered! Compared to Sawadee in Sai Kung, the poritions were also a lot bigger and a lot more shrimps, crab-meat, peanuts and just a lot more yummy and filling in general too! Plus because it was rather easy on the salt and seasoning, it paired greatly with the chili sauce!

Nasi Goreng (3.5/5)
I loved the side-dishes to the fried rice more than the rice it-self (the crackers, eggs and chicken skewer) but my friends loved this dish and finished it all up! The rice was a little bland for my liking, which gave me the perfect excuse to consume unhealthy amount of chili-sauce and ketchup!
But they had really yummy shrimps (they seem to be great in not sparing ingredients) and not just ONE or TWO like they do in some restaurants! :D

Chicken Breast in Pandan Leaves (4/5)
I never quite figured out the purpose of the Pandan Leaves... whether they were more for the flavoring or the just the method of cooking... but whatever purpose they serve, these chicken breasts were delicious! They were very succulent and not over-cooked and had a slight taste of curry and other seasonings! Plus they were cutely wrapped in these leaves which was so much fun to unravel!

Charcoal Grilled Beef (3.8/5)
As soon as these arrived, they reminded me of the LA Galbi! Even the taste was almost the same too (but sorry Thailand.. Korean bbq is still better :p). They were the closest substitute we could find on the menu to our beloved steak... and although it wasn't the steak we wanted it was still yummy :)

I'm not sure if it is very thai-ish dish, but the meat was well-cooked (although slightly too oily for my liking) and the side plate of french-fries was a nice addition as well :)
The portion was also quite big for the price (only 88HKD) and again the dish was not too heavily seasoned which I liked but I could see some people finding the dish too mild for their liking.

Overall the place was great! It wasn't the steakhouse we were looking for but for 100HKD we left the place utterly bloated, and greatly satisfied with what we had eaten! Plus I think we all agreed that it was the perfect place to go next time for a quick dinner off-campus (much better than Sawadee in Sai Kung)! 

Taking a Peak at Designer and Architecture's Homes...

Bathroom of  Waldo Fernandez's Sophisticated LA Home (Architectural Digest) 

It's not surprising by any means that a Hollywood renowned decorator has such a grandiose and exquisitely decorated house in LA.... Yet what I am most envious about is his Bathroom..From the wooden cabinets to the marbled wall and floor to the golden-frame of the glass doors.. it's simply an utter perfection..

Not to mention the  Kohler marbled Bathtub! ha. did you know on their website, their motto is: 

A Single level of Quality regardless of a Price

sorry to say it's a price you can't quite disregard that easily! :) But still look at the marbled bathtub! 

Although I had mainly been fixated on the bathroom for today, there were also some other living rooms of famous designers/ architects that were also mind-blowingly beautiful... I mean these people decorate and design other people's home for a living.... I wonder if they put in more or less effort with their own. (Check it out here:  INSPIRING LIVING ROOMS OF ARCHITECTS AND DESIGNERS)

AD100 designer David Easton and artist James Steinmeyer in  Tulsa, Oklahoma (AD)

Richard Shapiro’s Malibu, California, retreat 

AD100 interior designerAlberto Pinto’s lively Rio de Janeiro apartment

And on a completly unrelated yet slightly relevant note, check out these amazing yet maybe inefficient clothes-rack by+tongtong for Les Ailes Noires Collection

CRAZY right?!?!

On a more suitable interior inspiration, I loved this glass side-table found via Apartment 34 post "Live here, decorate with this post":

I mean the room it self is gorgeous too, but the side table is what stands out the most! Sadly, the post didn't say where the two side-tables were from... but one day it'll be mine!

Affordable Indian Dinner at Claypot Restaurant

Clay Pot Indian Restaraunt

CF5 2F, 229 Electric Road Market, North Point (google maps)

via MTR: Fortress Hill Station Exit B 

+852 2566 7012

Rating: 7.5/10 

Price: Around 100 HKD per person (incl. beer)
As much as I love the decadent and lavish Indian Buffet at Bombay Dreams (Central), there's also something inexplicably charming about a nitty-gritty and cheap indian food that makes it so authentic and delicious. (without destroying my monthly budget either) 

Plus it was rather close to where I live (Hang Hau),  so I grabbed a friend of mine who always loves cheap food to check the place out! AND it turned out to be a great find with much better portions and prices than JoJo in Saikung! 

The place was tucked away on the 2nd floor of a cooked food Center in Fortress Hill MTR! Despite the proximity, I had never been to Fortress Hill although when I did arrive it was bursting with local residents and small restaurants! There seems to be an abundance of cheap, local restaurants near-by that also had good ratings on Openrice..... I think for a while i should check out these places every time I have urges to go try new food with my easter-break trips lined up!

The restaurant was more of a 'joint' or a 'corner shop' amongst 5-6 restaurants lined up in the cooked food center, with plastic chairs and tables lying around. Although it was much cleaner than I had expected, if you're picky with hygiene and overall ambiance, this is not the place to go! 

Our Order:
    Following the recommendations by the waiter, we chose these dishes but the menu did have quite a range of curries, tikkas and naans! (menu)
           Lamb Tikka (79HKD)
           Butter Chiken (66HKD)
           Garlic Nan (20HKD) and Cheese Nan (15HKD)
   and what was more amazing was there CHEAP and BIG (640ml) bottle of Tsing Tao for only 20HKD!

The Lamb Tikka was actually really good, not too over-powering flavors and the lamb didn't have any funny taste or smell that I hate! My friend thought it was a little too chewy, but apart from that we both loved it! We had it medium spciy (as my friend claimed he was horrible with spicy food) but it wasn't spicy at all for both of us! Unless you REALLY can't eat spicy food, I think medium is suitable for all... (next time i'll go for spicy for sure!)

The butter chicken was also really delicious and mild! The portions were actually much larger than JoJo in Saikung and for a way better price as well! 

I loved both the cheese nan and the Garlic nan! IT reminded me of tortillas... which made me grave mexican food whilst eating indian food but overall, it was not too oily or over-cooked! Plus it came steaming hot and freshly made! :)

Overall, we left the place quite pleased with the price-value and the overall experience! It was not bustling with foreigners and bankers and really down to earth! 

A great place to go on a regular basis without destroying your budget (or even dress up for the occasion  and you can even head out to Central afterwards on the Tram like we did, after pre-drinking session (with the CHEAP BEER!) 

Italian Night at Divino Patio

Divino Patio

Shop 11, 1/F, Causeway Centre, No. 28 Harbour Road, Wanchai
+852 2877 3552

Rating: 8.3/10 

Price: Around 300-350 HKD per person (incl. glass of wine)

No matter which country, city, region I visit or live, there seems to be an excessive abundance of Italian Restaurants. Even in remotest village of China if there's one 'western' restaurant it is either a hamburger shop or a pizza parlor claiming to be Italian.

Maybe it's due to this abundance, that I'm usually reluctant and dubious to find 'real' and satisfying dish of Pasta or Pizza (even in Italy itself)..

Despite my lack of belief in finidng a proper italian restaurant, I've been dying for a slice of pizza (not thsoe icky buttery pizza-hut pizzas... but those over-flowing with ruccola, Parma ham and mozarella)

Anyhow, after doing some combined reserach in both Openrice and numerous food-blogs and magazines, I narrowed my choice down to Divino Patio.

It was more than a success, as we both agreed it was one of the nicest dinners we had in Hong Kong so far :) 

They have a lovely menu, thankfully not over-flowing with endless lists of pizzas and pastas but limited to 4-5 choices for each! The wine menu was also well designed and selected with lots of affordable Italian white and red wines to choose from!  

Our Order for Two:

Complimentary Bread Basket/Bag:

   This was amazing, they had a cute paper bag with selection of warm bread sticks, wheat bread and rolls to go with home-made dip or extra-virgin olive oil with balsamic vinegar! 

Italian Cherry Tomatoes Bruschetta with fresh basil and Garlic (88 HKD)

   Although it was nothing spectacular, the bread was lightly toasted and the tomato salsa was perfectly seasoned to be fresh and light!

12'' inch Hand Tossed Parma Pizza (195 HKD)

   This was heavenly! I mean look at how much parma and ruccola is on the pizza! Apart from the amazing toppings, the pizza-dough was just as impressive with its crispy and chewy texture and rich hearty taste :)

Penne "Jerome" style with Gorgonzola and Black Truffle Sauce (188HKD) 

   I usually don't like cream-pastas as after few bites you stop apprecaiting the richness of the dish but is quite overwhelmed by it.... but this lovely and perfectly portioned pasta tasted like an upscale and revamped macaroni-and-cheese that I could eat every other day! 

The pasta it self was also very well-cooked to Al dente, leaving no room for complaint for this lovely dish! :)

Oh and check out this sleek interior!

IT really is a great place for both the food and the ambiance  If you're ever in Wanchai and in a mood for a proper Italian, this is definitely the place to go to! 

Although the price-range is not low, so maybe next time ill check out the lunch-set menu during my immigration runs! It'll be a nice reward after the hassle

Sweet Sweet Date at Laduree and Debauille

Laudree

(Harbor City, Tsim Tsa Tsui)

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Once in a while there are these inexplicable days when my soul, body and mind join forces in craving chocolate. That's literally the way it seems! It's as if i NEED chocolate as much as I need that gulp of water after running on the tracks.. or sometimes it's even worse!

Yet, I always find myself reluctant to indulge myself in a sweet-sweet-heaven, for the simple reason that I fear I will not be able to control myself. Those of you (especially boys) who do not have similar cravings will never truly understand how deep this lust for cakes, chocolates, macaroons, cupcakes lies.. but for those who "suffer" with similar symptoms  I think you'll get my point of how much will-power it took to go crazy and eat a whole box of chocolate.

Anyhow... that's why on occasion one must enjoy a day of indulgence. Pure Pure indulgence without thinking about calories, exercises, abs, sugars, butter, chocolate or WHATEVER. You just enjoy the company, the taste and the inexplicable magical taste of chocolate.

After trying out Laudree for the first time in Paris, I fell in LOVE with macaroons. I mean I always though they were these overly sugary and sweet 'candy' like things but... after having a proper macaroon (or dozens) I was mesmerized at how many flavors, sweetness and depth a cute little macaroon can bring! From there on I went to convince and bring many of my friends to show how we asians are missing out on these lovely little treats. 

For some bizarre reason, we only decided to buy ONE chocolate macaroon each... and although they were sublime (but..... the ones in Paris were just so much better) it was simply not enough for a proper dessert. It was probably not a good idea to be out with a friend who loved chocolate (possibly even more than me).. but after convincing ourselves that macaroon was not enough we marched off to the other end of the Harbor City.

Debailleul

I had never heard of this shop before but it had good reviews on open-rice AND us being disappointed at the limited cakes left at COVA, we decided to give it a try... We had arrived there around 8:30PM (the shop closes at 9:00PM), and the place was totally deserted. Although we had initally felt uncomfortable at the lack of customers, we were happy to know that there were no more minimum service charges and that we also had the waiter's full attention to provide was lengthy recommendations and explanations...

THey did have a very wide range of cakes (and cupcakes too) and after a very tough and heated discussion we finally settled on Black Forest Cake with Chocolate Mouse and Vanilla Cream as its filling.

Oh...man.. you thought this looks good? Wait till you crack the thin layer of crispy chocolate to find...

This gorgeous layer of chocolate mouse, vanilla cream and biscuit layer soaked in coffee.... I had originally thought it would be a little too sweet but there was none of that artifical sugary flavor but just the deep smooth richness of chocolate mouse with vanilla cream. 

We had originally planned to share one, but after finishing the black forest cake so quickly... we simply had to try a new one! Alas, here it is Rubico - dark chocolate mouse with pistachio cream and chocolate brittle covered with raspberry paste. IT was heavenly.

My weekly future Home inspiration... and some Funiture

Although one may argue that it is a sign of aging where one's interest whilst browsing through the internet switches from what was previously youtube, facebook and other silly things to blogs and websites dedicated to gorgeous homes, furnitures, new designs and ridiculously expensive yet beautiful clothes and jewelry ... I would like to think that it is just a preparation step and a motivation stage for what is to come. Yes, It's always nice to wish for big silly dreams because even that the ability to dream for a perfectly designed home for just its aesthetic sake seems to have an expiry date.

As much as I love red-brick houses, and old rustic cottages... I think I have a terrible weak spot for these modern homes with huge glass panes.. It looks so meticulously clean and open that its simplicity does not leave room for any other color, decoration or extension. It is in these simple environment that small details such as a red cushion, a beautiful leather chair really shines through....

Here's this week's favorite house: 

Villa F by DER Architects  (DER Architect)

Villa F, designed by DÉR Architects, is located in a lush, green neighborhood of Fótliget, a section of Budapest, Hungary. (Design Milk)

Although Design Milk raves about its indoor swimming pool, my favorite part of the house was the kitchen (above) and this beautiful metal patterned divider by the staircase!  I mean look how he intricate and ornate pattern works perfectly with the plain, simple furnitures in the background.... 

Although the pool is very...I mean VERY nice indeed... :) 

The pattern seems to repeat in small parts of the houses, such as this glass window. It's funny how these little yet significant details that brings the overall impact of the house together... and how it leaves the strongest impression.

Now indulging a little in decorating this beautiful home of mine..... (without the slightest consideration into the budget or the availability of these..)

This Leather Armchair

found in Jay Mcinerney and Anne Hears's Sunny Greenwich Apartment (Architecture Daily) 

Sadly the website doesn't list any info about the armchair... just on the vases and the paintings on the wall... Although I am not the biggest fan of the paintings, I do love the vase, rug and the coffeetable! 

COATBOARD (€ 479,00) by Dimitri Cassiers 

ASSEMBLAGE € 699,00

“Assemblage” is a portable shelving system allowing various custom configurations. It consists of ten modular storage units that can be assembled to fit your needs. The set is available in black or white lacquered MDF.

This product of Seletti is a "Friends of Mookum" product.  These are products by leading brands in the industry and selected by Mookum's design team for their unique qualities. (Mookum)