Cocktails With a Healthy Asian Twist | Little LAB Central

After dinner at Ho Lee Fook on Friday, us girls decided to explore westbound of Soho to this new vibe little hub surrounding Aberdeen Street and landed in Little Lab Central. Although the bar looks just like any other bars in the area, the drinks on their menu definitely are not the usual ones you get outside.

The Newborn ($120) – premium spiced rum combined with a traditional Chinese ginger stew taste, you know the reddish-black collagen-loaded vinegar soup with pork knuckle – is a must try, despite of course, the absence of the collagen loading element. Rum, while lightly infused with homemade vinaigrette, made this a very refreshing drink after a heavy meal.

Spice rum with traditional Chinese ginger stew

Missy Leona ordered the L.A.B.’s Iced Tea ($120). The specialty iced tea cocktail was a refreshing gold rum based long drink with hints of botanical and tea tannic mixed with home blended dai-pai-dong tea syrup, though somewhat just another name for Long Island I thought. Missy Mastermind ordered the Ginseng in Black ($135), a manly blood-boosting drink which totally suited her style.

Poor Missy hr didn’t get off work till 10 so we ordered her some nibbles and an Orienated Romas ($120), another Chinese fusion alcoholic drink which tasted like cream soda + milk.

Apologies for the lack of info due to the fact that I was already half tipsy at this point. smile And hey look, at least I remember us getting freebie sweets from the bartender!

Little LAB Central, G/F 48-50 Staunton Street, Central
District:  Soho, Central
Overall Rating:  4 / 5
Cost:  $150 ph


*REPOSTED on OpenRice

Chic Décor but Average Food | Upper Modern Bistro

Following an oh-so-very-healthy "extreme sport" session of jogging on Bowen Road on Saturday, my girls and I thought we'd reward ourselves with a nice brunch. We called 30min before going and still managed to get ourselves a table, lucky us we thought. It was also definitely a good idea by me to at least have a shower before we headed there despite no make-up cuz first thing I saw after sitting down was a table across from us with a whole bunch of friends I know. The oversized Ksubi shades were definitely my lifesaver.

Having sat down we were a hungry bunch hogging the bag of warm crunchy baguette and sparkling water ($65), while not losing our etiquette of course.

Warm crunchy baguette

The girls all opted for the healthy option – fresh juice ($65), Roseberry-Apple ($65) and T-Fizz ($65) - while I was the only one to order a tiramisu martini ($128). What’s a meal without a drink, right? Right.

Roseberry-Apple – cranberry juice, apple juice, rose and soda

Cranberry juice, apple juice, rose and soda

T-Fizz – English breakfast tea, apple juice, elderflower, lemon juice and ginger ale

English breakfast tea, apple juice, elderflower, lemon juice, ginger ale

Tiramisu martini - pretty self-explanatory

Kahlua, Frangelico, baileys, milk, cream

Half satisfied already from the bread and drink, we can now take a look around and appreciate at the restaurant’s décor – bright, modern and chic with a mural ceiling made out of white and grey petals. Being a fan of modern art, I was automatically drawn to the attention of an oriental woman painting hung on the wall. The chairs here were the female-unfriendly kinds with huge openings at the back so there’s nowhere to put the purse except for on the lap…but then, you gotta use the napkin too, so yes in summary = annoying.

Modern interior

To be honest, food on the menu didn’t look too attractive and neither did the price, given it was only lunchtime. Thought I didn’t wanna waste my 7k of fat-burning jog, I went for the fish du jour ($188), which I already forgot what kind it was. Missy hr went for the egg benedict ($138), Missy Leona for the sandwich jambon-comté ($98) and Missy Mastermind for the 63º egg ($148), all of which were very average I would say. We shared the artichoke macaroni side ($128) which was at least slightly better with all the cheese. Like, how could it not? And hey, I didn’t even realize the side was actually even more expensive than a main until now??

Although the fish was cooked just right, the texture and the taste were not very overwhelming. The egg benedict, was an egg benedict. The bread for Missy Leona’s sandwich seemed to be from the same family as the basket of baguette we got which made her entire meal very dry, AND chewy. The 63º egg was the best dish. Well, that WAS their signature after all.
Overall, not very wow food but the ambiance was there, given the chic décor and location which was artfully tucked in a quiet street in Poho. Hmm, another been-there-done-that.


Upper Modern Bistro, 6-14 Upper Station Street, Sheung Wan, +852 2517 0977
District:  Poho, Sheung Wan
Overall Rating:  3.5 / 5
Cost:  $300 ph - Lunch


*REPOSTED on OpenRice

Holy Eff! Truly A "Blessing" In The Mouth? | Ho Lee Fook (口利福)

Located in the basement of lower Elgin Street, this Chinese fusion restaurant welcomes you with a whole wall of golden fortune cats and mah-jong, both of which in the Chinese culture are believed to bring one with prosperity and luck.  What a good start on a Friday evening after a hell's day at work with the Wicked 2-faced Devil.

You can be sure to get a peace of mind from bombarding group messages in your Whatsapp and work emails from your BB because mobile signal here was very weak, especially towards the back where we were sitting.  The industrial, rustic and slightly orientally artsy décor of this Chinese restaurant was what made the ambience different from the usual noisy and bright family-friendly Chinese cuisines.

And...cheers to TGIF and a break from the Wicked 2-faced Devil, we had the mule, lemongrass mix and some kinda cold tea mix.

Apparently Missy Leona and I were still pretty stuffed from the lunch at Bread St Kitchen so we went easy on the ordering this time.  Many dishes here were spicy so if you're not a fan of it, you should confirm with the server while making your orders.  The two appetizers arrived first - Yunnan style wagyu steak tartare and shredded chicken salad.  Although I felt that having the wagyu beef completely raw defeated the purpose of having wagyu, I still highly recommend the dish which had a dynamic flavor from the sweet and sour marinate and herbs ($138).  The cracker was so crunchy and good that I could not resist from having more.  The shredded chicken salad was also a slight twist from the traditional dish.  Marinated with sesame sauce and slightly hot, lettuce heart was used as the base of this salad ($88).

Since we couldn't have the pork belly at Bread St Kitchen during lunch, I've ordered the grilled pork belly here to make up for it.  Thick-cut and tender, this dish was served with roasted chili and roasted almond ($128).  The soy chicken was another highly recommended dish.  Came in generous half chicken portion, this poultry dish was cooked to the right tenderness and flavor.  I don't usually go for the breast in Chinese chicken dishes but this was done so well that us three girls kept digging into it ($160).

A very satisfying dinner with good food and company at a good price - truly a "blessing."  Look, we even had fortune cookies.  Left the restaurant as a happy soul.

Ho Lee Fook, 1-5 Elgin Street, Soho, Central, +852 2810 0860
District:  Soho
Must-try:  Yunnan style wagyu steak tartare, soy chicken
Overall Rating:  4 / 5
Cost:  $320 ph - Dinner


*REPOSTED on OpenRice

A Privileged Private Lunch | Bread Street Kitchen & Bar

Uh oh no phone number listed on the OpenRice page?  To show my dedication for good food I actually rang up LKF Hotel for the number so in case any of you wishing to call them to make a booking, number is 2230 1800.  And...you're welcome smile

Well well well, so yet another celebrity chef restaurant opening in HK.  This time I booked a table for 7 pax for Friday lunch with my 604 girls to have a sneak peek at Gordon Ramsay's debut restaurant in Hong Kong.

Walking up LKF with Missy Chan we automatically went to take the lift up to LKF Tower only to realize that it could not go directly to the Mezzanine floor so we got out from the LKF Hotel lobby and walked down the stairs to where Balalaika used to be.  Somehow we got lucky that day and were being put in the private room at the back of the restaurant although I didn't request for any special table.  Or perhaps they just didn't want us to disturb other customers with our subwoofered gossips and laughter?  The private room sat behind two glass doors with a good number of wines shelved along the walls.  Here's a selfie of it:

We also had a Caucasian waiter to standby and serve at our request.  How privileged!  He mentioned that Mr. Gordon Ramsay will be flying in for the following Thursday's private opening event, and unfortunately even the restaurant manager could not have a say in putting us on the invitation list.

Workaholic Missy Chan had to grab a quick bite then head back to office to work so she ordered the short-rib burger first...and the dish arrived literally within 5 minutes.  How efficient, but the burger was not served hot for some reason.  The short-rib was cooked to medium and tasted very juicy - alot better than the ones from Butchers Club Burger (follow here for my review http://www.openrice.com/restaurant/commentdetail.htm?commentid=2384700).  The burger was seasoned just right with a slight chargrilled fragrance.

The rest of us decided to order a few appetiziers and main to share.  Missy Meow, my G11 foodie girl and drinking partner-in-crime, arrived very very disappointed knowing that the pork belly was sold out (even though the restaurant actually just opened?).  She did keep mentioning about wanting to try the pork belly since morning brekkie time.  Missy Leona the workout-a-holic then suggested that we leave an annonymous feedback form with 'eff eff eff eff eff eff eff...' written all over it. That was only a joke of course.  Let's start with the least amazing dish - tamarind spiced chicken wings - tasted like Asian style teriyaki sauce wings this dish came as a slight disappointment.  The Burford brown egg was a resemblance of the calorie-loading tomato sauce and cheese in a lasgna.  Sea bass carpaccio was finally a refreshing dish which was nicely marinated to a slight chewiness.  The runner-up goes to the roasted veal carpaccio.  The after-taste from the truffle essence and white and black truffle shavings lasted till night time.  No, I'm not exaggerating - definitely a must-try appetizer.  And finally, the winner goes to the grilled beef short rib.  Honey-glazed and grilled to a subtle crisp on the outside, the inside was braised to a soft tenderness loaded with a full beef flavor.  A must must-try.

Work-a-holic Missy Chan left early, and amongst the remaining 6 of us ordered 2 roasted ocean trouts, 2 pork and fennel sausages, 1 beer battered code and a shepherd's pie, all very Britsy.  The highly-recommended-by-oncall-waiter ocean trouts came in a fusion wannabe yet turned out to be weird composition side of Chinese pak choy.  The pan-seared fish skin was cripsy, and the inside was intentionally left medium rare to keep the fish texture soft.  Not a highly recommended dish by me though.  The sausages were relatively better, juicy, and the lentils were surprisingly good given I'm never a big fan of beans.  They were cooked just right not to lose the chewy texture, and I believe alot of butter were being put into it to make it taste so good.  The chips that came with the battered fried fish were good in a way that they were not soggy like the wedges you usually get outside but the chef got a little too excited with the sea salt, and each one of us thought they were too salty.  The lamb in the shepherd's pie was nicely baked and the melted cheese on the top along with the mash made the dish all that much better.

The bill came at about $300 per head, and given we ordered from the a la carte menu which was the same as for dinner, we thought this price was reasonable.  I paid for $250 for Jamie's Italian lunch last time, and food from this Gordon Ramsay's chain were definitely more delicate and tasty, not to mention our private room and on-call waiter at our service.  Overall the mains were not that pricey but the appetizers actually were not that much cheaper than the mains which in summary meant that the appetizers were expensive although I felt that they did taste much better.  Good for another go and will definitely go light on the mains so can try out their desserts next time.

Bread Street Kitchen, Level M, LKF Hotel, 33 Wyndham Street, Central, +852 2230 1800
District:  LKF
Must-try:  Short rib burger, roasted veal carpaccio with truffle, honey glazed beef short ribs
Overall Rating:  4 / 5
Cost:  $300 ph - Lunch




*REPOSTED on OpenRice

Top 5 Eye Candies Spotting Bars in Hong Kong (for Her) - #5

Men, women, grannies, the girl next door, MooMoo (my 6-years old female Shih Zhu) – who doesn’t like eye candies, right?  Even if you’re married and unavailable, it’s still legit to feel good being in a bar surrounded by hot people.  I always call this kind of visual activity a hormone-balancing healthy exercise for the body, mind and soul (and soothing for the eyes too, of course), especially after a long day at work.  So ladies, what are you waiting for?  Read on for the top 5 countdown eye candies spotting bars in Hong Kong.  *drum roll*

 ZUMA LOUNGE & BAR

 

Wooden floorings, dimmed warm lightings, leather stools and floor-to-ceiling glass windows overseeing the buzzing street are what you would be getting from Zuma Lounge & Bar, and of course, eye candies too during after work hours.  Getting up this award-winning Japanese restaurant and bar originated from London’s prestigious Knightsbridge district might be a little tricky though.  No, I don’t mean you need to be on the VIP guestlist or flirt with the bouncer in order to earn your entrance but the only elevator to go up to the 6^th floor of the Landmark in Central is somewhat secretly hidden across from miumiu near the mall entrance on Queen’s Road Central, so good luck finding your way up!

Renowned for its list of signature cocktails and sake, Zuma Lounge & Bar is a popular place for after-work pre-dinner drinks for the Central 30+ year-old crowd.  Its convenient location means you don’t have to hike up the hill to LKF in your stilettos under the summer heat.  Here’s a sneak peak of some signature drinks the bar serves –

[left to right]

1. Zuma Mai Tai – Zacapa 23 year old, shaken with plum sake, fresh pineapple puree and blood orange juice, with a touch of almond syrup, $130
2. South East Asian Cooler – Żubrówka Bison Grass vodka mixed with fresh passion fruit, mint, cinnamon and pressed apple juice, $130
3. Rubabu – Rhubarb infused sake shaken with Ketel One vodka and fresh passion fruit, served as a martini, $130

So how’s it to sip on an exotic booze under the sexy ambience with light trance music playing in the background and a good handful of eye candies?  The waitresses do seem rather unhelpful, rude and obnoxious though.  Head directly to the bartenders instead.

Zuma Lounge & Bar, The Landmark Level 6, 15 Queen’s Road Central Hong Kong, +852 3657 6388, http://www.zumarestaurant.com

10 Types of 30-Year-Old Single Guys

30-year-old guys are a curious bunch. Find me a group of 30-year-old men and I'll pick out one overgrown frat dude living with roommates, another guy who just dropped his two kids off at school, a few who are well into their careers and a couple soul-searchers looking for work. Some will tell you that they've finally figured it all out and some more will say they feel hopeless for the first time in their lives. It's a motley crew. But perhaps the motliest part of this crowd is the ever-growing group of 30-year-old single guys. If you want a case study in humanity, 30-year-old single guys have pretty much all the bases covered. Let's examine some of the common types:

1) The Total Package

The Total Package is smart -- he went to a top college. The Total Package is an athlete, a musician, and an avid traveler. The Total Package is handsome -- and you better believe he's well-groomed.
The Total Package has a hell of a career going, but don't you for a second suggest that The Total Package would be a workaholic -- The Total Package is a family man.
There's just one thing The Total Package seems to be having a hard time finding -- a girl worthy of his greatness.
Yes, the woman fit for The Total Package will be the ultimate icing on his cake of perfection. He imagines her often -- gorgeous as they come, she turns heads; bursting with charm and charisma, she lights up every room she enters; she's a brilliant rising star in her career and beloved by her many friends. And that's just her public persona -- at home, she's fantastic in bed, a spectacular cook, loving, selfless, and devoted. Oh and she also speaks French, plays tennis, sings beautifully, reads voraciously and she's a history buff. His Juliet.
Unsurprisingly, The Total Package is single. He's immersed in a fierce battle between his superhuman standards and his terror of being 40 and single -- because 40 and single is not supposed to be part of The Total Package's story.

2) The New Lease On Life Guy
As long as anyone can remember, The New Lease On Life Guy had been dating his longterm girlfriend. He never seemed that happy in the relationship, but everyone just assumed they would eventually get married. Now, after a long and difficult breakup, The New Lease On Life Guy has reemerged with a bang and is suddenly acting like he just got called down on The Price Is Right. He's not really sure how to be single but he's goddamn happy he is, and he's sure as hell going out tonight.
He's also the arch-nemesis of The Resigned Fiance, who's in an equally unhappy relationship but just kind of kept going with it, unable to resist the sweet, sweet inertia, and who most certainly does not want to hear about The New Lease On Life Guy's latest exploits.

3) The Guy Who Has To Marry Someone Of The Same Ethnicity Or His Parents Will Never Speak To Him Again
It's hard enough finding someone to be your life partner, and this guy's parents are really not making things any easier. He tried to rebel briefly, but after his last girlfriend was not allowed in his parents' house, causing her to cry, he gave up on that.
He'd also really appreciate it if his mother would stop setting him up on dates.

4) The Misogynist
The Misogynist hates women, and women hate The Misogynist. The Misogynist doesn't know a whole lot about the other gender, but he can tell you the exact number of them he's slept with -- 214.
He did quite well with girls back in his earlier days when many were in their attracted-to-assholes phase, but lately, only those with the lowest self-esteem seem to gravitate towards him.
The Misogynist's close cousin is The Perpetual Cheater. They're different but they understand each other.

5) The Guy Who Peaked Too Early
Back in the day, The Guy Who Peaked Too Early had everything a 17-year-old girl could ever dream of. His sky-high confidence carried him smoothly through college, and no one was surprised when he landed a smart, sweet, beautiful girlfriend in his early 20s. But The Guy Who Peaked Too Early was just getting started. There was a field that needed to be played, and he broke up with his girlfriend when he was 24.
Now it's seven years later, his hair got bored and left, and his high school lacrosse glory isn't part of the conversation that much these days. And he's noticing that girls like his ex-girlfriend don't seem to be all that into him anymore. Realizing this about five years after everyone else, he takes a deep sigh and cranks his standards down a few big notches.

6) The Guy Who's Finally a Good Catch
On the other side of the coin, after losing some weight, getting decent clothes, and having early career success, The Guy Who's Finally a Good Catch is getting more attention each week than he got in his first 25 years combined. Girls find it endearing that such an appealing guy has managed to maintain his humility, when it's actually just that he's assuming every girl is out of his league at all times.
Once his new situation starts to sink in, he enters an unfortunate new phase, stressing out his male friends out by doing things like winking at them over the shoulder of a girl he's dancing with and offering them a fist pound when an attractive girl walks by on the street.

7) The Normal Guy Who Just Hasn't Met The Right Girl Yet And He Really Wishes People Would Stop Looking At Him With Those Pitying Eyes
Ah, The NGWJHMTRGYAHRWPWSLAHWTPE. The NGWJHMTRGYAHRWPWSLAHWTPE is enjoying his life. He likes his job, he likes his friends, and he likes being single just fine. He's in no rush to be in a relationship and feels totally confident that at some point, he'll meet the right girl and get married.
He's also not quite sure why everyone who knows him is trying to figure out "what the problem is." His parents are worried, never wasting an opportunity to ask him if he's been dating anyone. His friends want to help, setting him up on dates every chance they get. He appreciates all the unsolicited support, but he also thinks it would be pretty great if everyone stopped thinking there was something wrong with him.

8) The Aggressively Online Dating Guy Who Can't Believe He's Not Married Yet
The opposite of the previous guy, The Aggressively Online Dating Guy Who Can't Believe He's Not Married Yet can't believe he's not married yet. Through high school, college and his twenties, he was always The Guy With A Girlfriend. He spent years enjoying pitying his single friends, and somehow, he's now 30 and single.
He has four online dating profiles, and when people ask him if he's dating anyone, he explains that he's just too busy with his career right now for a relationship.

9) The In-The-Closet Guy
The In-The-Closet Guy is so close to being the perfect catch -- he's handsome, he's well-dressed, and he has a great job. He's funny, articulate, and charming. The only tiny little inconvenience is that he's not attracted to females whatsoever.
His antithesis is The NGWJHMTRGYAHRWPWSLAHWTPE, who's had just enough of the theories about him being gay, since he's completely straight and, for the hundredth time, just hasn't met the right girl yet and is really very okay with being single right now.
10) The Guy Who Has Just Fully Quit At This Point
The Guy Who Has Just Fully Quit At This Point never tried that hard in the first place, but at least there used to be a semblance of effort. He doesn't like going to bars, refuses to try online dating, and both the bong and the X-Box are back in the living room following their brief stint in the closet after his friend gave him a pep talk one day four months ago.
Deep down, The Guy Who Has Just Fully Quit At This Point is pretty frightened about a lot of things, but his fear manifests itself in indifferent denial, and passivity usually prevails. There is only way that things change for The Guy Who Has Just Fully Quit At This Point, and that's to find himself squarely in the sights of The Girl Who Relentlessly Pursues. Until then, the whole thing isn't really his issue.

*REPOSTED from Huffington Post