Alfie's by Kee (Hong Kong)

You know how I said in my most recent post that I might just  take it easy and not blog while in Hong Kong? Well well... look what we have here. Three days in and I'm already posting! But you know what, I just can't help it. I see food in front of me and the first thing I want to do is take pictures of it. And since I have pictures, might as well do a post...right? O_o Although I am blogging, I'm going to keep my Hong Kong posts short with mostly pictures and minimal text.


My friends and I went to Alfie's by Kee for lunch on Saturday. Alfie's is the result of a partnership between Alfred Dunhill and KEE private members club. It is located in the Hong Kong Home of Alfred Dunhill at Prince’s Building. The decor is really warm and rich and very British with the leather, dark woods, warm red, copper and brown hues, complemented with rich fabrics and carpets. 

Bloody Alfie's - Belvedere Vodka infused with pure British black pepper, Taylor's 10yrs Tawny Port, tomato juice, freshly squeezed lemon juice, salt, pepper, worcestershire sauce and Tobasco

AMUSE-BOUCHE

Salmon Mousse with Crispy Quail Egg

Prawn Cocktail - Avocado mousse, prawn cracker

MAINS

Weekend Roast - Pork Belly, Vegetables, Yorkshire Pudding and Gravy

Hong Kong for the Holidays

Hi, everyone ^_^ I will be Hong Kong bound tomorrow morning!!! Super excited as I haven't been back in ages; I was born there and immigrated to Toronto with my family when I was eight, went back to visit in 1993 and haven't been back since! I know, crazy right? 18 years! Hong Kong will be a whole new world to me =) I'm absolutely thrilled though! I will be spending a bit more than two weeks there where I will be visiting friends and family, doing lots of shopping and eating! The only thing I'm not looking forward to is the 15-hour flight there >_<

I'm sure a lot of you have seen this generic picture of Hong Kong I found online =D

My friends have been asking me where I plan to eat because I tend to research and plan all the restaurants I want to hit up before every single trip. But you know, all that can be quite stressful and tiring sometimes so I figured that for this trip, I'm going to go against my natural tendency to plan (eek!) and be spontaneous, and just wing it (eeeek!). I know a lot of you will have tons of restaurant suggestions for me, which I of course, welcome =) but honestly I'm just gonna roam around Hong Kong like nobody's business. 

Having said that, I do know that street food is a must (hopefully I don't get sick).

Photo credit: CW's Food & Travel

Or if I suddenly feel super high-end, here's the 2012 Michelin Guide for Hong Kong & Macau:

However, an absolute "must" for me is to go to Yardbird, where a friend of mine is working at right now (sorry guys, that's not her LOL). 

Photo credit: Sassy Hong Kong

Yardbird was recently named "Best New Restaurant of 2011" by Time Out Hong Kong. As per Time Out:

"2011 was the first year Time Out gave any restaurant a full-star review, so it only makes sense for that restaurant to be crowned our best newcomer of the year. Former Zuma chef Matt Abergel’s pad is almost too cool for school, a bi-level building that peddles perfectly cooked yakitori. That means Japanese-style skewered ‘n’ grilled chicken by the way, and Yardbird’s menu goes from shichimi-dusted wings to fatty chicken butts. We also give the restaurant credit for making cauliflower cool (order the ‘KFC’ if you want to see why) and for getting one of the most attractive and enthusiastic service crew we’ve seen in a long while. A hands-down sure-fire winner."

Photo credit: Sassy Hong Kong

That's it folks, I don't have anything else planned. I feel a bit ashamed of this but I honestly cannot be bothered this time around; I just want to relax and take it easy, for once in my life!

I still haven't decided whether or not I will blog in Hong Kong.  If I end up getting lazy I probably won't see(?) you guys till 2012! So just in case that happens, I sincerely wish all of you a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! 

Eat lots! Indulge! And most importantly, don't miss me too much =)

V^_^

F'Amelia - Revisited

Ahhh my second visit to F'Amelia (@FAmeliaRisto)! After my dinner there the first time around a month ago I knew I wanted to go back and try more of their pizzas and pastas. Not only did the food make a lasting impression, I also love F'Amelia's quaint and cozy ambiance. This time, my friend Adrienne and I were seated in the room with the bar and the pizza oven. We sat at a table against the wall (funny how the last time I was seated against the wall as well but directly opposite in the other room). Anyway, this was our view that night.

For more pictures of the restaurant, please click here for my first post.

Bastianich Rosato - a lovely Italian rose wine.

APPETIZER


Roasted Warm Ontario Vegetable Salad with Mustard Greens - Adrienne and I both really enjoyed the salad as everything was extremely fresh; roasting the vegetables also really brought out their natural sweetness. It was a nice change to have a warm salad on a cold night. Oh and I  ♥ artichokes!

MAINS

Braised Rabbit Pappardelle - Juicy and soft, the braised rabbit was very very tender. The pappardelle was done al dente...perfect.

3 Funghi Pizza: Crushed San Marzano tomato, fior di latte, mixed sauteed mushrooms, Parmigiano Reggiano D.O.P., basil, extra virgin olive oil - MmMMmm mushrooms! Great veggie pizza if you're looking for something light as it had a really thin crust. Loved the random dollops of Mozzarella.

Enoteca Sociale

Finally, my dear followers and readers, I finally made my way to Enoteca Sociale (@EnoSociale) for dinner. I honestly don't know what took me so long but I was there two weeks ago Sunday and that's all that matters right now =D


I tried getting a dinner reservation the day of (I know, not the smartest move on my part). I went online and there was nothing available until 10PM. Knowing that Enoteca Sociale leave tables for walk-ins, I tried my luck and went to the resto around 6pm. The only available table was indeed still at 10PM but I was told by the hostess that there was plenty of room at the bar. I took that offer up without hesitation as they had a very spacious bar with comfy stools.

I sat at the end of the bar.

I ordered a glass of Sauvignon blanc 2009 IGT, Bastianich, Friuli, while waiting for my friend to arrive. 

My friend Mike arrived shortly after. It didn't take us long to decide what we wanted due to the fact that we were both hungry and Mike's allergy to nuts gave us little choice on what appetizers we could have; if you check out Enoteca Sociale's menu a lot of their appetizers has nuts - hazelnuts, pine nuts, pistachio, almond etc.

Bread and olive oil.

APPETIZERS

Grilled Octopus, Pepper Tuffo & Potato ($19) - Extremely tender octopus. We both really enjoyed all the different flavours and textures from the octopus, potatoes, beans, and sauce.

Arancini Con Stracciatella ($13) 

Deep fried risotto balls? Even if this had nuts I was going to order it anyway and just have it all by myself. Super crispy shell and I loved the al dente texture of the risotto. Mike thought they tasted a bit bland but the caramelized onions helped. I do agree with him to some extent on this.

Grand Electric

Grand Electric opened exactly a week ago today. Located in Parkdale at 1330 Queen Street W., its owners are former Black Hoof chef de cuisine Colin Tooke (@ctooke) and former Black Hoof front of house manager, Ian McGrenaghan. With The Black Hoof being one of my favourite restaurants in the city and my love for Mexican food, it is hard not to be excited about Grand Electric (@grandelectricTO).


With my trusty food friends (i.e. people that can eat a lot) Gizelle and Richard from If Looks Could Fill (read Richard's Grand Electric post here) we went to Grand Electric last Friday for dinner. We arrived around 6PM to ensure that we get a table. Thank goodness for that as it would've been a two-hour wait later on.

Beer, cocktails and wine list (left), liquor list (right)

Grand Electric's menu. Churros =(

Michelada ($7) - This was Gizelle's drink. It kinda resembles a Caesar to me. Tecate is a Mexican beer. 

Grand Electric Sour: 1.5 oz vanilla bourbon, agave, egg white, lemon ($8) - This was very refreshing and went down super smooth =) 

Salsa on the table.

It was a unanimous decision between the three of us to order everything on the menu. Yah that's how we rollllllllll.

Guacamole + Chips ($8) - I loved the corn chips since they were made fresh in-house so they were so crispy and light. The guac was tasty too. That's a piece of chicharron in the middle (pork rind), it was so light and crunchy.

Pork Belly Al Pastor, Spicy Arbol Chicken, Baja Fish, and Beef Cheek Tacos ($3.50 each or 3 for $10) 

Arisu Korean & Japanese Restaurant

Arisu is a Korean & Japanese Restaurant, Bar, and Event Venue, all in one. Located at the corner of Bloor and Markham St., Arisu's brightly lit sign will surely capture the attention of anyone walking by. I was invited by Arisu to have dinner at the restaurant last week. I invited my friends Carla and Cindy along too.


Arisu offers a wide range of dishes, from Korean noodles, rice, stews, to Japanese rice, noodles, teriyaki, sashimi, sushi, to table BBQ (see Arisu's online menu here). When we first looked at the menu, we were really overwhelmed by the vast array of dishes, combos, and prix fixe options. Unless you walk in Arisu knowing exactly what you want (i.e. to satisfy a certain craving) you may need more than a few minutes to decide on exactly what combination of food you want, the amount to order, and what to order, especially if you're going with friends and want to share dishes. I've always been a fan of small and condensed menus so when I saw Arisu's menu I immediately told Cindy to make the call - I was too lazy to use my brain after a long day of work. I know I'm sooo lazy O_o


While Cindy and Carla were busy looking over the menu, I walked around to take some pictures. Arisu is a very spacious restaurant...

...With a lot of colourful and traditional decor.

Downstairs is Arisu's "Event Venue" as it is where all their private rooms are. I was shown this private dining room first, one of several there. This particular one holds 12 people for either Korean BBQ or regular dining. 

They were getting set up for a big party that night in their largest party room. I took the opportunity to snap some pictures of all the delicious food on the table.

Afterwards I went back upstairs to join Cindy and Carla. Here is Arisu's featured menu...

....as well as their winter / seasonal menu. These were in addition to their regular menu.

Sayuri Nigori ($14.99) - My favourite. Food orders can wait =)

Sashimi + Sushi + Roll: Triple Combo C - 8 pc sashimi, 5 pcs sushi, 6 pcs spicy salmon roll ($17.99)

Fresh sashimi with a good fish-to-rice ratio. 

Hae Mool Pa Juhn - Pizza-style seafood & green onion pancake ($16.99) - My favourite dish of the night. With various types of seafood such as squid / mussels / clams mixed in with green onions, battered and pan-fried, this was great.

Earl's Kitchen & Bar (King Street)

I was invited by Jacqueline, Regional Marketing Leader of Earl's King St (@earlskingst), to try their seasonal menu a couple of weeks ago. I dragged my partner-in-crime Cindy along for the dinner and headed over to Earl's one night after work. I've been to this Earl's location before but only for drinks; it is a pretty "happening" place especially for happy-hour as it is right in the middle of the financial district (their patio is also stunning in the summer). I've been to Earl's in Mississauga a couple of times and trust me, the vibe in the 'burbs is very different, to say the least. Hm....more family-oriented? Yeah definitely more family-oriented =)


Waiting for Cindy to show up = picture taking time!

The kitchen at the back. Chef Dorian King is the chef at this location.

Jacqueline came over and asked whether Cindy and I have any food allergies; we both responded "no". Well, this only means one thing: tasting menu! Awesomeeeee~

We started off with some drinks:

The Skinny Martini (left) - the low calorie lemon drop, Smirnoff raspberry vodka, sugar free house made vanilla syrup, white cranberry juice, fresh squeezed lemon juice ($8.75)

Whatchamacallit (right) - Cabernet Merlot, Italy ($10)

Potato Leek Soup (Featured Soup) - Al dente potatoes, sweet tender leeks and smoky bacon suspended in a light cream based broth garnished with fresh scallions.

Hmmm such a warm and hearty soup. I especially enjoyed the abundance of leeks and also the savoury flavour of the smoky bacon (who doesn't like bacon?!).

Albacore Tuna Poke Nachos - Crisp togarashi wontons, tuna, cucumber, avocado and tomato poke, spicy mango coulis, sliced serranos, crushed macadamia nuts ($12).

My favourite dish of the night, hands down. I ordered this again as a main last Saturday when I was at Earl's again for my friend's birthday dinner. I love everything here, from the crispy wonton chips to the buttery avocado chunks to the fresh tuna, and of course, the slight kick from the mango coulis and serrano peppers. 

Gnocchi with Italian Rose Sauce - Hand made potato gnocchi, San Marzano tomato cream, burrata cheese, fresh basil ($11)

Cindy and I thought the gnocchi was a bit too hard for us. Not that we like super soft gnocchi, we do like texture, but we both thought it could have been cooked just a tad longer. We enjoyed everything else on the plate though, including the smooth tomato cream sauce and the burrata.