Japanese Tapas at Tabibito

I seem to have serious issues pronouncing the name of this place- Tabibibi, Tabito, Tabibibito, TabEEbitto?! The name needs to be enunciated in small, staccato, mono-syllabic portions, much like how their food is served up as small, quick bites. The name Tabibito mean ‘traveller’ in Japanese, and boy did I travel to get there.

Tabibito

Situated in the land of I have no idea where I am, at the end of Po Hing Fong in Sheung Wan, just up from Po’s Atelier, is this compact establishment, specialising in Okazu, or ‘side dish’. The Asian tapas scene seems to be growing in Hong Kong and I actually quite like this trend. Leisurely grazing through a variety of little plates is appealing to those not content with just a couple of large dishes. One thing that is less attractive is probably the bill, which can quickly spiral out of control if you aren’t keeping a beady eye on things.

The restaurant is split into two sections- a long wooden bar space and a few small tables in the main area. The bar looks like a great spot for a private party as you can spill out onto the pavement with a drink in hand and mouthfuls of okazu. My friend and I had made a reservation for the second seating at 8.30pm and were settled in the main dining area.

The menu is divided into four sections- Raw, Sea, Land and Soil. Everything looked extremely tasty and we had trouble deciding what to go for so we got a few recommendations from the very friendly and enthusiastic manager who was more than happy to help.

We started with the Spicy Wagyu Tartar from the Raw section. The mixture of raw minced up tenderloin, spicy miso, egg yolk, white sesame and capers was quite good but it would have been better if the flavours were pared down a little. There was almost too much going on and too much spicy miso which overwhelmed the beef.

Spicy Wagyu Tartar

Next, were the Brussel Sprouts from the Soil section. These were served with chestnuts, black vinegar, bacon and hazelnut oil. I am not a Brussel sprout girl. In fact I avoid this particular vegetable as I dislike the bitter aftertaste. Every Christmas as a child, my mother would say I had to have at least one sprout, (I think she was hoping that I would eventually love them if she did this every year) . Needless to say, this tiny green nugget had to be dealt with quickly- buried in mashed potato and drowned in gravy. So when my friend suggested the Brussel Sprouts I did wrinkle my nose. But I was surprised. They were actually quite delicious. The bacon bits helped, and the flavours came together very nicely with the vinegar and chestnuts masking the bitter edge. The sprouts themselves were rather sweet. I think I might have been converted.

Brussel Sprouts

A Sloppy Joe isn’t what I would expect to find on the menu of a Japanese restaurant, but Tabibito’s mini-slider version naturally has a Japanese twist. The buns were soft and covered in poppy seeds and the pulled roast pork leg, BBQ sauce, pickled onions, slaw and the all important Japanese Kewpie mayo, which lent a bit of sweetness,  was a moreish combination.

Sloppy Joe

My favourite of the night was the Hitochino Fish and Chips. Hitochino pale ale is used in the batter for the fish which gave the batter a light, faintly citrus tang. The fish was fresh, the batter airy and I loved the accompanying curry aioli. If this was available on tap I could see myself quite easily eating this non-stop as the fish are snack-sized!

Hitochino Fish and Chips

Our last main was the stuffed Baby Squid with chorizo, gingko and mint. This was surprisingly heavy as the very tender squid were densely packed with chorizo (no complaints though!). I enjoyed the gingko nuts, but I wasn’t sure if they really added anything to the dish. The chorizo flavours gave the dish a lively kick and more of a Spanish taste than Japanese.

Stuffed Baby Squid

To end we had a rather unusual dessert- a creme brulee made with miso. We weren’t able to make up our minds about this one, but I appreciated the smooth texture of the pudding. The miso was perhaps a bit too much to actually make this a winning dessert.

Miso Creme Brulee

Overall, we had a fun, easy-going evening. The service was great, the staff friendly and accommodating and I truly enjoyed most of the dishes and would definitely go back. Ronin, as a similar Japanese tapas joint, is probably the more elegant and suave of the two with an edgier menu, but Tabibito holds its own as a more comfortable eatery and a crowd-pleaser. Most of their dishes hover between $98- 178 each, but I think the quality is there to justify those prices.

Chopstixfix rating: 4/5

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Tabibito 20 Po Hing Fong, Sheung Wan, 2547 2833 facebook.com/tabibitohk

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Aberdeen Street Ascension

It doesn’t take a genius to work out where this latest restaurant is. It does however, take some sturdy thigh muscles to trek up this street to reach it, a street which usually induces a wrinkling of my nose whenever I need to walk up it. However, for the love of a pretty outdoor terrace, cool decor, (think gigantic bottles of tequila- fake unfortunately, and contemporary art) and a chance to eat away from the madding crowd, Aberdeen Street could become a few people’s new favourite haunt.

Aberdeen Street

 By kind invitation, my friend and I went to check it out one evening a couple of weeks back and after sweating like a pig from our mini-hike, declined the offer to sit on the terrace for fear of ending up like a puddle, reminiscent of Senator Kelly in the first X-men film *geek moment*. After taking up a table near the front, we got a good look at the sweet, compact space decked out in sea blue and tan hues. A bar area and the giant tequila bottles are the decorative features and creates a pleasant, relaxed atmosphere.

The menu is quite extensive and has a good selection of starters, salads, meats and sharing plates. Croquettes are always so enticing, probably because they are so easy to eat and pop-in-your-mouth parcels of fun when done well, and their Vegetarian croquettes of rice balls with carrots and mushrooms were a tasty start. Up next were a dozen Australian oysters which were fresh, fleshy and filling but I would say go easy on the oysters and get a half dozen if you intend to eat more and there’s only two of you!

Vegetarian croquettes

Australian oysters

Aberdeen Street highly recommends their monster Soho salads which are all quaintly named after various streets in Soho. The Old Bailey Street salad intrigued us with its various ingredients- chilli prawn, red and green peppers, Feta cheese, cucumber, watermelon and lettuce. It was crisp, light and our chosen dressing, the ‘Aberdeen Street’ vinaigrette did not drown out the refreshing watermelon.

Old Bailey Street salad

The Meat Touch was quite the show-stopper and definitely encourages parties to embrace the ‘Sharing Spirit’ that it is labelled under on the menu. Grilled back ribs, mini beef burgers made with grilled steak tartare, foie gras rècme brûlée, cornichons, pate de campagne, cold cuts and sauteed potatoes fill the eyes before the stomach. The ribs were disappointing, overly grilled and so were tough to pull apart from the bone. The mini burgers were rather nice, but I wasn’t sure about the patties being made from steak tartare specifically, as I couldn’t tell the difference between that and a normal patty. The foie gras creme brulee was smooth and delicious with cornichons and the extremely moreish potatoes.

The Meat Touch

To end we had their vanilla Crème brûlée which would have been good if it weren’t for the too charred caramelised sugar on top which left half of my mouthfuls with a burnt aftertaste. The custard itself was pleasantly sweet but this could have been executed far better.

Crème brûlée

Aberdeen Street has good service, the manager Morgan, is attentive and helpful and as mentioned, the ambience is laid-back and chilled. There is also a good brunch offering on the weekends with free-flow booze from 12pm to 3pm ($348), eggs done any way you like and ‘Total Recovery’ dishes for those hangovers. The food was a bit hit and miss, but I do think that with time this could become something worth making a visit to, even with that bloody steep climb.

 Chopstixfix rating: 3/5

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Aberdeen Street, UG/F King Ho Building, 41-49 Aberdeen Street, Hong Kong. Tel: +852 2546 5833. contact@aberdeenstreet.com.hk

This was by kind invitation- thank you Aberdeen Street for having us!

Kyoto Joe Revisited

When you’re not clawing your way up Lan Kwai Fong in your heels to grab drinks in the evenings or weekends or if you’re a man, getting lairy with the lads(!), I do recommend occasionally taking your appetite before drinks to a couple of other establishments around that tiny area that tend to get overshadowed by the likes of Brickhouse down the road.

One is Kyoto Joe. The last time I visited this place was back in 2011 and after two years of making my way round all the other restaurants in HK, I finally found myself back there again by the kind invitation of LKF Entertainments which also owns Tokio Joe, Whiskey Priest and Lux Bar and Tapas. Being back in Kyoto Joe reminded me of actually how lovely it is. Considering its location, it is surprisingly quiet and the food, more importantly is good. When I previously reviewed it, it was just after the tsunami in Japan and everyone was wary of sushi and I mentioned that Kyoto Joe sources most of its produce from other countries, which is still the case. I thoroughly enjoyed my meal then and I had another fantastic lunch again, but this time I sampled some new dishes.

Kyoto Joe

The simplistic decor interwoven with Japanese art and the restaurant’s tranquil ambience are two elements that make dining at Kyoto Joe particularly pleasant. On weekdays, the seats are occupied by the work crowd and businessmen, but I imagine it being a great spot on the weekends to take a breather over a good meal. Their menu has something for everyone, with sushi, sashimi, tempura, hot dishes, robatayaki, rolls and cones, salads, rice and noodles and now a vegetarian menu, which I think is brilliant, as Japanese establishments so rarely have enough on their menus to cater to vegetarians.

Tea service was exemplary as before, you’ll never go thirsty here! My first dish was a special- the Tuna Egg White, a softly steamed egg white and tofu topped with shredded tuna with a touch of spicy sauce. The bite of the shredded tuna and the fluffy, light egg white was lovely and the spicy sauce really jazzed up the dish.

Tuna Egg White

The Ebi Nori roll with grilled king prawn was excellent. Plump, fresh prawn and well dressed in their homemade seaweed sauce.

Ebi Nori roll

Their Sweet and Spicy Vegetables of slightly fried cauliflower, asparagus and  mushrooms were served with sesame and sweet and spicy sauce. The vegetables were fried perfectly but I would have preferred the sauce to be served on the side rather than already coated on them as some may find the sauce a bit too sweet and piquant for their liking.

Sweet and Spicy Vegetables

Their next dish is a very new edition to their now quite expansive menu and my favourite of the meal. The Angel Salmon Tartar, chopped salmon with spicy mayonnaise served on seaweed rice crackers was lip-smackingly delicious. I love mayonnaise anyway, but the spicy mayo with salmon was just addictive. Seaweed crackers may make you think, ‘so what?’, but somehow Kyoto Joe’s made their crackers sexy especially in that combo. I will have to hog all 4 pieces to myself on my next lunch.

Angel Salmon Tartar

For mains I revisited their Karubi grilled beef ribs with teriyaki sauce, which was perfectly prepared, sizzling on their hot stones. After 2 years, I can definitely say that consistency is Kyoto Joe’s strongest point, a bit of rarity in HK!

Karubi

Dessert was the Trio of crème brulee (green tea, sesame and coffee) which I also had before, and again, nom nom nom. Yummy. They just needed a minute more of caramelisation on top to give that satisfying crack with your spoon.

Trio of crème brulee

So there it is, my second visit in a nutshell. I think Kyoto Joe is often overlooked outside of work hours and I think it needs to come out of its shadow more and showcase its dishes, because the food is really very good. The service is excellent, prices reasonable, the manager very knowledgeable and personable and that Angel Salmon Tartar..mmm, I’ll fight you for them.

Chopstixfix rating: 4/5 (It keeps its 4 chopsticks!)

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Kyoto Joe, 2/F-3/F, 1 Lan Kwai Fong, Central, HK. Tel: 2804 6800

This lunch was by invitation. Interior photo courtesy of Lan Kwai Fong Entertainments.

A Room full of News and Booze

If it wasn’t for what seems to me, a mile-long hike from the depths of Quarry Bay MTR station to the outside world, I’d be milling around there more often as there are a few restaurant gems to be found in that area. The latest addition is The News Room, the newest member of the Press Room Group and an apt reflection of the commercial surroundings.

As a frequenter of The Press Room on Hollywood Road and a fan of their mac n’ cheese, I was excited to find out if there was anything different about The News Room, and as it turns out, there is. Clearly designed for the cool media and smart-looking business-types, the interior is all wood and leather seating, walls and floors, with an air of 1940s laid-back sophistication. It is quite easy to picture a budding journalist scribbling away in the corner over a glass of whiskey or two.A bar flanked by a myriad of wines and liquors, greets you in the doorway and one of the first things you might notice are these brilliant Enomatic wine dispenser machines. Similar to what they have at Tastings wine bar, these machines are available for trigger happy corporate, advertising and IT people at happy hour after work. The glasses come in small, medium or large, and if you’re having a particularly bad day, you can help yourself as many times as you like, using their special News Room card.I settled into one of the booths at the back and managed to have a lovely chat with Kavita Faiella, the Press Room Group’s wine director and sommelier. I’m not big on wines so it was a great opportunity to learn a thing or two from Kavita.Boasting a selection of just under 200 wines, the News Room’s wine list comes in a moleskin journal notebook form on lined paper. There is a Global alphabetical list, (not by country), which has both Old world and New world wines of every kind. If, like me, you prefer cocktails, take a look at their signature cocktails which are created as a reflection of past journalists, writers and journalistic events, such as the Nixon sour and the Hemingway Daquiri.

I had the Love and War cocktail to taste, which is in homage to Martha Gellhorn, one of the greatest war correspondents of the 20^th century. The mixture of Pineau des Charentes, elderflower liqueur, apple juice and basil, was very refreshing and a good start to my wine studies!The food menu has a variety of New York style deli snacks and international comfort food, created by ‘Polish by-way of London-experienced’ Head Chef Kris Bandel, from The Press Room, who I discovered used to work at a couple of my favourite eateries in London!

My gorgeously fresh and meaty Louisiana chilli crab cakes (a signature dish served warm with pepper, Cajun spices and lemon dressing) went extremely well with the Hiedler Grüner Veltliner white wine from Austria, which I was told, is a nice alternative to Sauvignon Blanc. The other two white wines I sampled were the Old world Christian Moreau Chablis, made from Chardonnay and a New World wine from Australia’s Morning Peninsula- Yabby Lake, which, after several large sips, I could detect was earthier and more full-bodied.For mains, I was greedy. I had their black truffle mac & cheese and the braised oxtail and kidney pudding which I was so happy to see on the menu, that I was practically hyperventilating (I’m a massive steak and kidney pud fan).

Anything with black truffle makes me feel a) posh, and b) spoilt. Mac & cheese with parmesan, mozzarella, pecorino, white truffle oil on top and black truffle shavings? Whoah. I was in truffle heaven. Plain mac & cheese makes me smile with glee anyway, but this was quite decadent, and the smell was just sublime. Bits of burnt cheese on top, gooey cheesy macaroni mouthfuls and sips of wine were making me giddy.The next treat was the much anticipated oxtail and kidney pudding. I often look longingly at Fray Bentos’ tinned steak and kidney puddings in Taste, but having no oven, all I can do is pine away when I have cravings. This dish was enormous, a large suet dome sitting in a pool of gravy, hiding its meat, and what I loved was how generous Chef Bandel was with the kidneys! With this, I tried 3 red wines- a Portuguese wine called Howard’s Folly, a premium red- Unity from Napa Valley, and Epsilon, (a Shiraz), from Barossa valley. Chef told me how surprised he was at its popularity; obviously some secret pud-lovers out there in Quarry Bay, but I’m not surprised at all as the oxtail was beautifully cooked, though I could have done with less suet, but you don’t need to eat it all.To end a very boozy, heavy lunch, I had their crème brulee, which rather quaintly, came without its ceramic pot encasing. It was creamy and delicious and polished off with a glass of dessert wine, the New Zealand Wairau River, Botrytis Riesling 2009.The ambience I felt, is suited to those with a more serious or mature predisposition, and isn’t meant to be an establishment for the achingly hip or young. They have a private dining room for larger parties and an outdoor terrace, which is a great place to wind-down after work. The interior is a place for intimate conversation and enjoyment of simple but high-quality food at decent prices.

Chopstixfix rating: 3.5/5

The News Room, 33 Tong Chong Street, Quarry Bay, Hong Kong. Tel: 2562 3444

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(The more professional photos, courtesy of CatchOn & Company)

You can also read the review on Sassy HK!

Patisserie heaven

Dessert, pastry, chocolate. These words speak to me and many women of guilty pleasures, extra calories, the naughty but oh so good end to a meal or a sneaky sugar fix during the day. But it makes us happy, and Hong Kong females are going to be ecstatic to hear about a branch of the French patisserie Paul Lafayet, in Windsor House in Causeway Bay, which opened 6 months ago.The original branch has been in operation for over a year in Tsim Sha Tsui, but frankly having a Causeway Bay shop means we no longer have to trek over to the dark side to get our Macaron fix.

Toni Younes is the French entrepreneur behind Paul Lafayet, (the name inspired by his Great-grandfather I am told), and is a world traveler and a food lover. Such is his passion for French food, pastisserie in particular, that he was compelled to open Paul Lafayet in Hong Kong to share the art of artisanal French pastry.  Two French chefs act as consultants – Alexandre Brusquet who worked for seven years with 3 Michelin Star chef at Paul Bocuse restaurants in Lyon, France and Pascal Schwalm who was the Intercontinental Hong Kong pastry chef for four years until the end of 2009. There is a kitchen offsite that delivers the fresh pastries twice a day to both branches.Paul Lafayet clearly targets females. Everything is just so…pretty. The presentation of their pastries, cakes and macarons is exquisite. Each sweet beautifully created and nestled safely behind glass, gawked at by passing children, mothers, groups of women and the odd lone female caught unaware as she walks through the mall who then stops and looks longingly at the cakes. And drools.I myself end up taking a bazillion photos of the display cabinet; it’s like a cake gallery. It should have had a place in Art HK. All the pastries are made from premium ingredients with no preservatives and are all Artisinal French style desserts.

I don’t have a sweet tooth, more a savoury one, my first inclination is to hanker after a bacon buttie rather than chocolate, but my dinner of dessert was sublime, I almost cried when I ate my Macaron. So God help those of you who love sweet things. It will be like Christmas, all birthdays and festivals have come at once.

The creme brulee is reputed to the best in Hong Kong. I can’t say that I’ve had every creme brulee in Hong Kong to judge this but, it was certainly the best I’ve ever had. It is hand-caramelised on site, (you can watch the shop girl wield the blow torch), and you can even take the bowl it comes in, home. The texture and the taste was unbelievable. Trust me when I say that every morsel must be savored, because before you know it, it’s all in your tummy and you’ll mourn for a few minutes. I adored the crunch of the crystallized sugar and the smoothness of the vanilla egg custard within glides off your tongue. I love how you can actually see the vanilla pods in the custard.The next two cakes were both gorgeous. The Craquelin au chocolate, made from 70% single origin dark chocolate with a crisp base, will satisfy anyone’s chocolate craving and more. Very rich, the chocolate was intense and a little too much for me (but I’m not a chocolate fiend unlike some).The Cremoso craquelin- a maccha mousseline with crispy praline chocolate, was divine and so delicate in flavour. The green tea penetrated through the mousseline with none of the bitterness you sometimes get in green tea puddings and I loved the praline finish.Ah macarons. Little round parcels of food joy. I selected four- jasmine, pistachio, oolong and sesame.I started with the lightest in flavour, the jasmine macaron, which was subtly infused and fragrant. All four were ambrosial but my absolute favourite was the sesame. I smile thinking about it.

If you’re thirsty, Paul Lafayet serves a selection of the fine Kusmi teas which were founded in 1867 in Saint-Petersburg, Russia and then taken to Paris by the company after the Revolution. I had the Prince Vladimir, a blend of Ceylon and China teas with scents of orange, lemon, vanilla, grapefruit and spices. A refreshingly smooth and elegant accompaniment to dessert.

And after this tasting, a few weeks later I attended a Paul Lafayet grand tasting event. Check these gorgeous cakes out!Paul Lafayet, Shop G13, G/F, Windsor House, 311 Gloucester Road, Causeway Bay/ G23, G/F, K11,18 Hanoi Road, Tsim Sha Tsui.

(The super professional photos courtesy of Paul Lafayet- many thanks!)

Kyoto’s not your ordinary Joe

I think the situation has calmed down a fair bit since I wrote this for Sassy 🙂 If you love Kobe beef, this is something to check out.

In the aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami in March, there has been a lot of concern and panic in Hong Kong and other neighbouring countries over eating Japanese food, especially sashimi and other specialty produce that is normally imported from Japan.

Instead of shying away and avoiding Japanese meals at all cost (which I know is the case for many), I feel it is important that we show our support and continue to visit Japanese establishments. Many restaurants now obtain their produce from other countries, so we can all safely enjoy this wonderful cuisine.

I had the chance to hop over to the newly relocated Kyoto Joe in Lan Kwai Fong recently, and it is one such eatery that has taken the pains to select its supplies from other countries. Their salmon is from Norway, their tuna from Indonesia and their beef from Australia.

Relocating to 1 Lan Kwai Fong in January this year, Kyoto Joe has reinvented itself as a more sophisticated and finer dining establishment to its sister restaurant, Tokio Joe, round the corner on 16 Lan Kwai Fong.

Sprawling over two floors, with a connecting internal staircase, its design is minimalistic and zen. There are five zones, each with its own distinct features, and all creating an intimate atmosphere, such that you feel that you are in one of five smaller restaurants, rather than in one. The staff are friendly and attentive, my tea refilled regularly and with great care, (I tried once on my own without waiting and managed to spill it everywhere! I blame my ineptness on the design of the teapot).Their menu is new and improved with an injection of a fair number of new dishes. One notable change is the appearance of a set of Australian kobe beef dishes. I was told that Kyoto Joe’s speciality has shifted to more cooked food, in particular beef, and very soon I was sampling three different and amazingly melt-in-your-mouth kobe creations.

I sat in a booth by the sushi bar and had a good view of Lan Kwai Fong below. Before launching straight into the meat, I was served the delicious Kyoto salad to start, with fresh scallops, tuna and salmon on mixed salad with a drizzle of their house sesame dressing. I loved how the salad was topped with crunchy crisp pieces of deep fried wonton skin to create a punchy contrasting texture to the smoothness of the seafood.

Next, I had the Gyu sashimi, impressively presented on a block of ice. This is Prime beef deltoid sashimi with red wine balsamic vinegar sauce. The beautiful marbled meat was impossibly smooth and melted in my mouth. It did have a very rich flavor but the vinegar sauce paired with it, helped to dampen the fattiness slightly.The Gyu maki was wonderful- more of the marbled beef rolled with asparagus and golden mushrooms accompanied by a lovely seaweed sauce. This is a clever creation as it is cold on outside as you take the first bite, which then diffuses to the warm centre and the crunchiness from the vegetables- extremely satisfying to munch on.

As a palate cleanser, I had the Dobin mushi superior seafood broth quaintly served from a teapot into the world’s smallest teacup. I was probably meant to sip delicately from my teacup, but as I adore soup and my teacup was miniscule, I ended up having what felt like a few hundred servings!

Up next, was the Rock Shrimp Gyoza- dumplings filled with rock shrimp, porkloin and chives and then pan-fried and served with spicy balsamic vinegar. I liked the vinegar immensely, the tinge of spice complimenting the fairly heavily filled dumplings which were nicely pan fried and succulent on inside.

My last dish was the Karubi roasted prime beef spare rib with home-made teriyaki sauce. The presentation was fantastic, with the slices of the spare rib lying on top of hot stones to keep them sizzling hot, which in turn were lying on a bed of mashed potato. After heaving the stones to the side, (they are pretty heavy!), I was able to nosh on the gorgeous tender beef and the buttery mash. Definitely my favourite dish of the night.To end my evening of meat, I had the trio of crème brulee-  three small pots of green tea, coffee and sesame flavoured versions of this popular pudding. I loved the green tea which was moreish and gently infused with green tea. The sesame was heavier and more like a mousse with a very strong sesame flavour, in stark contrast to the green tea.

I hope that my review will encourage those of you who have been fearful of going back to Japanese restaurants, to think again and help in supporting them, and in so doing, carry on supporting the Japanese while they and their culture recover.

Chopstixfix rating: 4/5

Kyoto Joe, 2/F-3/F, 1 Lan Kwai Fong, Central, HK. Tel: 2804 6800

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7-Eleven is Pocky Heaven

A very quick note to say that I have discovered the best “Pockys” in the world.

It’s not the Pocky brand but it’s the same biscuit stick concept.

Japanese brand Lotte makes their own version called Toppo and I have just gotten myself hooked on their Creme Brulee sticks. Seriously,it’s a dessert in a stick,what more could you ask for- it’s not messy and you can carry it in your bag to satiate your sweet cravings.

Get down to your nearest 7-Eleven now!