HK – Dinner at The Drunken Pot

Their signature 5 in 1 soup base: papaya with baby shrimps soup, seafood soup, squid ink seafood soup, spicy sichuan soup, satay soup.

Premium sliced Angus Beef Chuck. Very good quality beef.

Seven Flavor Cuttlefish Balls. Looks good and taste good, real chewy texture.

The Drunken Pot opened to raving reviews as a hip hot pot spot in Tsim Sha Tsui. Great chill ambiance which is rare to find as hot pot places are usually quite traditionally designed and decorated. Their signature dishes are worth trying, especially the 5 in 1 soup base. We tried a lot of their other dishes which tasted great and we were not disappointed with any dishes. Though the price is a little steep, this place uses quality ingredients and you won’t find another hot pot place like it in Hong Kong.

The beef hanging on a rack with ice beneath it is to be honest, gimmicky. But the fact that the cut of beef is well selected, they redeemed themselves. Service was attentive, only negative we found was their inhouse drinks are on the sweet side. We highly recommend this place as a hot pot date night place and also for all those that love hot pot, this one is definitely worth a try.

JETSET SCORE: 4/5

www.thedrunkenpot.com

The Drunken Pot

Shop 1, 2/F, 8 Observatory Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong

Tel: 2321 9038

HK – Dinner at A Side / B Side

The menu written on the wall. Simple.

The veggies selection.

Kale Salad with Gorgonzola and Nuts. You could honestly taste the freshness.

Chicken. This was surprisingly good, cooked to perfection. No rubber chicken here.

Steak. Medium rare. Nice thick juicy hunk of meat.

A nice medium rare.

A Side / B Side is a new restaurant in Sheung Wan near Upper Modern Bistro. What a gem this place is. The ambiance is great and you sit around the counter watching the team work on your dishes. The menu is straight forward and written on the wall, and the choices are minimal. We opted for the Kale salad, which was absolutely divine. All their vegetables are locally grown and organic, how amazing is that. We would come back just for the Kale salad cause it was that fresh and delicious. The chicken was very tender and well cooked as was the steak. This restaurant is in no way considered cheap, but for the quality of products you’re getting, it is not considered expensive either.

This is definitely a value for money place and we look forward to trying the remaining veggie dishes available. We still have dream about that Kale salad with the Gorgonzola, it was THAT good. Service was attentive and water was always refilled almost instantaneously, impressive considering they didn’t have many staff. We hope this restaurant will encourage more chefs to use local and organic ingredients for more farm to table experiences in Hong Kong. We have very nice produce, we don’t always have to import!

JETSET SCORE: 4/5

www.a-side-b-side.com/

A Side / B Side

53 Sai Street, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong

Tel: 2857 5055

 

HK – Coffee Break at Omotesando Koffee

We love the minimalism.

Canele, Canele, Canele, Canele.

The coffee lab.

Coffee Beans

Iced Mochacchino.

Green Tea Latte with the Canele.

Matcha Brownie

Omotesando Koffee has been opened for a little while on the new Lee Tung Avenue in Wanchai. With its minimalistic design, you may have walked past this shop a few times before noticing it. We went for a coffee break during the weekend and it was quite full. We opted for the Iced Mochacchino, which is on the sweeter side as advised by the cashier. I do like sweets, so this was a hit for me, though if you don’t like your coffee milky, this coffee shop is not for you. The green tea latte was very milky and full of tea flavor, not as sweet as other green tea lattes you normally find at other coffee shops.

The canele and matcha brownie were quite delicious, we loved the chewy texture of the matcha brownie. The seating space is quite brightly lit and this place would be a great place to get some work done while enjoying a nice coffee. I would definitely come back, but at $63 a mochacchino, it’s definitely on the expensive side. We still think it’s worth it though.

JETSET SCORE: 4/5

http://ooo-koffee.com/hongkong.html

Omotesando Koffee

Shop 24-25, G/F, Lee Tung Avenue, 200 Queen’s Road East, Wanchai, Hong Kong

 

Bali – Dinner at Metis

Wasn’t expecting to find a nice French Fine Dining restaurant in Bali, but it happened.

Pan Seared

Impressive restaurant entrance.

<Our Legendary Pan Seared Hot Foie Gras> – This WAS indeed legendary. Foie on Foie on Foie action.

Les Escargots – Classic French affair, not nearly as attractive looking as the foie gras but just as tasty.

Appetizers of the night. Legendary Pan Seared Hot Foie Gras and Les Escargots.

The Lounge and Garden At METIS. We went for a stroll before our appetizers came out and took in the romance.

Great dining area surrounding the garden, so peaceful, so Bali.

Our Ribeye medium rare to perfection. Juicy goodness.

Frites with our steak. These hand cut frites were hard to put down.

MÉTIS is probably the best French restaurant in Bali. What a romantic place. The dining area surrounding the garden was genius, this is definitely a place to pop the question. The food was fantastic, classic French done right. The foie gras WAS legendary, probably our second favorite of all time after the one at restaurant Akrame.

This ambiance was chill and there was a DJ that night to top the experience off. This will be a regular place for us to visit whether we are in Bali. We would definitely like to go back next time to try more items on the menu. Their T-Bone sounded very attractive, but there was only two of us this time. Definitely need to gather more people for a trip back to Bali asap. Service was top notch, there was a bug on the floor near our table and they sweeped it up in seconds. Attentive, perfect.

JETSET SCORE: 4/5

http://www.metisbali.com/

MÉTIS Bali

Jl. Petitenget No. 6 Kerobokan Kelod, Kuta, Bali

Tel: +62 361 4737 888

 

 

 

HK – Lunch at Ted’s Lookout

What a gem hidden in Wanchai. Great decor in and out.

Cute decorations like this throughout the restaurant.

We opted for a Burger and Buffalo Wing Lollipops. Yum.

Buffalo Wing Lollipops. We don’t know where you will find better Buffalo Wings than here. And the blue cheese sauce is on point.

Stack Your Own Burger: What a burger! Complete DIY, you can even choose bunless.

Ted’s Lookout is definitely a gem in Wanchai, this place has been opened for awhile but this was our first visit. It definitely did not disappoint. We had a light lunch and only chose two items, it was a good amount of food for two person. I would highly recommend this place for a relaxing weekend lunch place, good vibes only indeed.

The Buffalo Wing Lollipops were absolutely divine. We have had our fair share of buffalo wings in Hong Kong and they normally do not resemble buffalo wings from North America. We were pleasantly surprised and pleased with these ones, especially the blue cheese sauce on the side. Wow. As for the burger, everything was DIY and we opted for a beef with the usual lettuce and tomato and a truffle sauce. The burger was good, but not the best in Hong Kong with the huge competition. The price was also quite high too as you had to pay per topping and even sauce was extra money. All in all, the wings are highly recommended and we would recommend this place to friends looking to chill. A great place for tourists too as it is definitely a photogenic place.

JETSET SCORE: 3.5/5

https://www.facebook.com/TEDs-Lookout-344402725647941/

Ted’s Lookout

G/F, Moonful Court, 17A Moon Street, Wanchai, Hong Kong

Tel: 5533 9369

HK – Tasting Dinner at VEA Restaurant & Lounge

Starter: Everything on the table is fair game. Edible.

Amuse Bouche 1: Crispy fried chicken skin.

Amuse Bouche 2: Clams and Black Bean in Shell. Asian style.

Amuse Bouche 3: Smoked Quail Egg. This was our favorite. Great presentation & flavors.

 

Tuna, Hokkaido Uni, Espelette, Burnt Cucumber Jelly. Beautiful.

Abalone, Goji Berry, Risotto, Shirako. For those that don’t know, Shirako is Cod’s Sperm. I do like Shirako but this was not one of my favorites of the night.

Langoustine, Salsify, Fennel, Custard Apple. Mmmmmm, this hit the spot.

Egg, Truffle, Parmesan, Caviar. Chef Vicky’s signature. I enjoyed this dish back at Liberty Private Works, it’s just rich & delish.

Black Truffle Fried Dough Stick to go with the Egg dish. Please give me more.

Guinea Fowl, Celeriac, Black Truffle, Hazelnut.

Baby Lamb, Fuyu, Bamboo, Water Chestnut. Interesting take on the lamb hot pot in Chinese restaurants.

Strawberry, Beetroot, Rosemary, Yogurt.

Huge props to the pastry section, We saw them work on this for half an hour minimum. Hard work pays off.

Milk Jam, Salted Duck Egg, Quinoa. I was a huge fan of this back in Liberty Private Works, seems like it’s changed a little though. Still good, but definitely was better before. Off night?

Petit Fours: Condensed Milk Mochi, Salted Kamquat Macaron, Chocolate Caramel Truffle, Orange Earl Grey Madeleines. What a great way to end the meal. Satisfied.

Orange Earl Grey Madeleines. Oh yum.

Condensed Milk Mochi, Salted Kamquat Macaron, Chocolate Caramel Truffle. All good, bravo.

Chef Vicky himself. Thanks for the great meal, we will be back!

Compared to the tasting menu, we felt that the cocktail pairing fell a little short.My favorite was probably the last one, served in a tea cup stem glass. Cute. It was Rosehip Hibiscus, Apple, Dehydrated Citrus, Basil Gin.

 

VEA Restaurant & Lounge did not disappoint, I had high hopes since we frequented Liberty Private Works a few times when Chef Vicky was still working there. Some of our favorites from Liberty Private Works are still on the menu here, which we were excited about. Priced at $1,280 for the tasting menu, I would say it is well worth the money. The extra $680 for the cocktail pairing can be spared though, we were just not that intrigued by it. We have to say, we were very excited for the cocktail pairing going in, but it was underwhelming.

The ambiance is fantastic and we enjoyed the music. Scrolling through VEA’s instagram feed, we love how Chef Vicky puts his heart into everything about the restaurant. You can tell how passionate he is and how much effort he has put into this project. Extra props for that, it definitely shows. Everything was on point. Three favorites for the night: Tuna, Egg, Milk Jam. Thank you Chef Vicky and see you next time.

We would really like to go back to try the Lounge as we’ve heard great things, and have actually heard good comments regarding the cocktails! VEA is definitely a must try for all that love a good gastronomic journey. They deserve a Michelin Star!

JETSET SCORE: 4.5/5

http://www.vea.hk/

VEA Restaurant & Lounge

29/F & 30/F, The Wellington, 198 Wellington Street, Central, Hong Kong

Tel: 2711 8639

 

HK – Hotpot Dinner at Budaoweng

Sashimi – Sea Urchin & Salmon

Hotpot Ying Yang Soup Base – Clear Soup and Tom Yum Soup (Had to pay a surcharge to have these together, the normal duo is clear soup base and satay soup base)

Botan Shrimp Sashimi, Shrimp Dumplings, Taiwanese Pork Balls, “King’s” Vegetable

Large Order of the Signature Hand Cut Beef ($228) – This photo does not do the beef here justice.

Countless visits to Budaoweng in both Times Square and iSquare branches and the quality of the food is still top notch. For i-Square, I would suggest booking early for a chance to nab the seats by the window for an amazing view of Victoria Harbour. On special nights with fireworks, these seats are sold at a higher price for the 180 view. I would consider this place to be middle to high end dependent on how much food you order. But of course, the more the merrier for hotpot. For those looking for a deal, come after 9:30pm and all the food except for seafood and sashimi is discounted up to 40% off, which is an amazing deal!

My favorite soup base here is definitely the tom yum soup, with satay being a close second. I normally prefer sichuan spicy, but the tom yum is just so addictive. My must order items include the hand cut beef, the enoki mushrooms, and the “king’s” vegetable (I have no idea what it is called in English but it is delicious!). The ambiance is great as they have sofa seats if you reserve ahead of time, but the service is slightly lacking. Especially at the Times Square branch, it can definitely be improved.

To end the meal, they also treat you to 2 slices of watermelon with an osmanthus flower pudding (my favorite). All in all, this is one of my go to hot pot places for the consistent quality.

JETSET SCORE: 4/5

http://www.bdw.com.hk/

Budaoweng Hotpot Cuisine (不倒翁中日火鍋料理) (Times Square Branch)

Tel: 3102 9363

Shop 1101, 11/F, Times Square, 1 Matheson Street, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong

Budaoweng Hotpot Cuisine (不倒翁中日火鍋料理) (iSquare Branch)

Tel: 2152 1166

23/F, iSquare, 63 Nathan Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong

 

HK – Sushi Lunch Set at Sushi Ta-Ke

Starter: Few pieces of sashimi, quality is fresh.

Starter: Fresh salad with an appetising sauce.

Starter: Chawanmushi

Sides: Pickled Radish & Burdock Dipped in Sesame, refillable.

Sushi – Scallop

Sushi – Shrimp

Sushi – Toro, nice piece, one of my favourites this time.

Sushi – Uni, fresh, very nice piece, great quality.

Negitoro Roll to finish, instructed to dip into soy sauce, quite nice.

Dessert – Yuzu Sorbet

 

Sushi Ta-Ke has been one of the lunch spots I have revisited time and time again. I always enjoy sitting at the counter and ordering the 8 pcs sushi set and watching the sushi chefs at work. For Causeway Bay, the price for the 8 pcs sushi set is cheaper than other sushi restaurants of this caliber (ie. Kishoku and Sushi Mori), priced at $348 + 10% for this Deluxe Sushi Set, it is definitely a great deal considering you get 3 starters, 8 pcs plus a roll and a dessert. You also have the option to swap your dessert for tea/coffee but I love the Yuzu Sorbet and I always end up ordering it to finish off my meal here.

The ambiance is great and the service is attentive, recommended for a nice sushi lunch. I rarely frequent the Cubus building even though it is loaded with restaurants, but it is worth the trek there for this lunch deal. My favourite pieces: Toro and Uni, hands down.

JETSET SCORE: 4/5

http://www.sushitake.com.hk

Sushi Ta-Ke

12/F, Cubus, 1 Hoi Ping Road, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong

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