Rohan – Australia
Where do you go when you need food ‘from home’?
Kangaroo Downunder (Bsmt, Broadway Building, 54 – 62, Lockhart Road, Wanchai). They have imported beer and meat pies from Australia – two essentials when watching a game of Australian Rules Football.
For authenticity, what should people look for?
As Australia is a young nation, we have a very small number of authentic dishes. Those that are considered Australian by Australians may often be a variation of an imported dish, such as the meat pie. However, actual Australian ingredients are easy to spot, such as kangaroo meat, which is very low in fat and therefore quite tough and chewy unless cooked right.
Any surprises?
Generally Australians are big meat eaters, and we usually enjoy our meat cooked outdoors on a barbeque. Vegemite is always an interesting anomaly from Oz. It is a yeast extract; very salty and most often used as a spread on toast, or as a flavour enhancer in casseroles. (Vegemite is not available at Kangaroo Downunder – grab some at your nearest Park’n’Shop).
In this restaurant, what dishes would you recommend?
Pie, chips and gravy, with a Tasmanian James Boags beer, or four!

Reporter’s Comment: The Australian meat pie is the biggest pie I have ever seen. It is very thick with lots of meat. If you go to the bar with a couple of friends, try a cocktail called Fish Bowl. The cocktail is served in a huge bowl, and four people can drink together. Raucous.

Fruity and Fabulous
Treating cavities is no fun, but getting them sure is. Now summer is in full sweaty swing, it’s time to take a break from the punishing heat to enjoy some moments of sweetness. Fruit has always offered instant refreshment, but here it loses out to all that is unhealthy – desserts created from heaps of sugar and other extra-indulgent ingredients from coffee to chocolate and cheese. Served in all kinds of weird, wonderful and intoxicating ways, some are to be savoured slowly, while others are a sugar smack on the run. These desserts are hard to resist, not to be missed and a little more exciting than your average fruit salad though, of course, suitably bad for you.

Those not minding a little toothache can wallow in two saccharine-drenched drinks at Kafa (8 Fleming Rd, Wanchai, 2258 7008), created especially to cool these summer days. The strawberry sherbet fred-do is a vivid red explosion of fruit flavour. The mouth-staining creation comes with a dollop of cream and rainbow sprinkles adding even more sweetness. For non-fruit fans, the Coke float, with its large blob of chocolate ice cream, fizzes and snaps and slowly melts into a creamy, bubbly concoction. Both drinks leave the lips sticky, the heart racing and the midriff bulging. And Kafa, with its scattered cushions and airy, summery space is great for a good gossip with friends.

For something less fluid and more Zen, stop by Xi Yan Sweets (G/F, 8 Wing Fung St, Wanchai, 2833 6299) for the banana dessert ($32). Break through its thick crispy shell of caramelized sugar for a thin layer of milky brown chocolate pudding over a thicker wedge of banana with tapioca. The texture is like a crème brulee though, with the chocolate and banana flavour at maximum strength, it is much richer. Sweet, sticky and indulgently squishy, the sizeable portion filling the china bowl should be way too big to finish, yet turns out dangerously more-ish. It is also worth sinking your molars into a lychee ice-cream crepe while enjoying the calming quiet surroundings of the café.

Unkai (20 Nathan Road, TST, 2369 1111) serves up gorgeous fresh Japanese cuisine in atranquil wood and slate setting. It is also home to possibly the most cutely presented sorbets in the city. Select a flavour and the sorbet comes tucked inside a frozen shell of fruit. Revel in soft scoops of smooth ice, bursting with tingling fruit flavour: apple and lemon make single servings, but to share order either whole pumpkin or pineapple.

A slice of lemon meringue pie ($80) at Main Street Deli (Langham Hotel, 8 Peking Rd, TST, 2375 1133) is pure pleasure, from the crowning soft springy egg-white through to the lively burst of lemon filling and satisfying crunch of the base. The wedges are monstrous enough to share and best enjoyed old school – with a traditional Dr. Brown soda.

If no individual dish is quite enough to satisfy your sweet-toothed craving, peep into Le Meridian Cyberport’s Angel/Devil strawberry tea buffet. It’s a taste-bud tour of all things sweet, red and berryish, with a selection including rich strawberry dipped chocolate, a creamy strawberry cheesecake, or, more upright and English, rose and strawberry jam shortbread. Available every weekend from 3pm – 5pm.

And talking of berries – Godiva chocolate has introduced a divine blend of creamy white chocolate whipped up with raspberry ($39) in what looks to be the most luxurious drink in a plastic cup ever invented. All it needs is a white leather sofa and a free foot massage! The drink is available at apm (418 Kwun Tong Rd, Kwun Tong) and Great (88 Queensway, Admiralty) – a good excuse to re-charge when bags of new purchases get too wearying.

Bulging Beefsteaks
Calling all beef lovers! The holy cow, in all its prime, forms the focus of many a menu around town. We investigated a few…

Les Celebrities (1/F Hotel Nikko, 72 Mody Road, TST, 2313 4221) hits the good grub factor with “utterly bovine” buffets and semi-buffets ($220 – $260 lunch, $480 dinner) pop-eyed with Canadian beefsteaks and red-blooded recipes. Appetisers and desserts are buffet style, but for the meat, peruse the a la carte and take your pick. Get in fast; this menu is only around until September.
If cooking your own over a steaming pot is more your kind of thing, the all-you-can-eat beef Shabu Shabu at Zenpaichi (6/F The Toy House, 100 Canton, TST, 3482 3615) might be just up your alley. Pile on as much beef and veggies as you can for $320 per person in a deal available any time from 6pm – 10pm, with no time limit. Zenpaichi uses bamboo baskets and paper instead of the usual steel hotpot, so it’s a unique and distinctive experience.

The wagyu just won’t go away. The king at the top of the beef chain sits resplendent on menus all over town. But if you are worried about missing it on foreign travels, make a last minute stop at the Regal Hotel (Regal Airport Hotel Meeting and Conference Centre, 9 Cheong Tat Rd, Hong Kong International Airport, Chek Lap Kok, 2286 6668) before you head for the terminal. A new set menu in the Japanese restaurant Airport Izakaya features Teppanyaki Wagyu and is served with taro and walnut salad, sushi, sashimi, a pork chop and a home-made sakekasu in jelly to finish, among other dishes, and costs $720 for two people.

Mo’ Pho
Vietnamese fare is a wonderful option on a summer’s evening. Bowlfuls of pho noodles, other lightly fried dishes and those ever-present spring rolls come infused with aromatic herbs and complex flavours rarely overpowering. Vietnamese restaurants often look simple and unfussy but, as everyone knows, looks can be deceiving. We found some wonderfully fulfilling meals, uplifting even on the most stifling of nights – beat the heat with a laid-back supper and a cooling lime soda.

Mini Paris Vietnamese (56 – 58 Yee Wo St, Causeway Bay) is a cute Hawaiian kitsch kind of joint, with formica tables, an easy-going attitude and some smart recipes. The menu holds pages and pages of tempting descriptions, starting with standard phos and veering to hatched duck egg and edible frog. We stayed safe and opted for a few staples – roast pork noodles ($26), tomato beef noodles ($26) and homemade spring rolls ($25). Both bowls of noodles were on our table within minutes of ordering, billowing steam and irresistible aromas. The pork was splendid – soft textured and swimming in a fine soup, delicate but with the tanginess typical of good Vietnamese cuisine. The tomato beef had a lot to live up to and, though the soup was good with a rich flavour, the meat was rather chewy. Six fingers of bulging spring rolls formed the pièce de résistance. After wrapping each rough-skinned package in a jacket of lettuce and mint leaves, biting through the crispy coating to the piping hot filling was exquisite. Fatty pork exuded a charming flavour through each parcel, making Mini Paris’s spring rolls a distinctive, wholly enjoyable taste experience. Fast, friendly and efficient, the service signs this place off as a superb stop for a quick, fuss-free and fulfilling bite.

The soup alone would sell Herb Vietnamese Restaurant (G/F, 83 – 85A, Chatham Road South, TST, 2736 5918), but it is also stacked with several other feel-good factors. The menu bulges with pictures and explanations of how dishes are served, where they come from and their ingredients. The range of prices is just as extensive; a lunch set of noodles with drinks comes in at a sprightly $39, but specialties like Mekong River Giant Prawn pan-roasted in garlic and butter sauce will set you back $118. The house recommendations are Bun Roi, stirred vermicelli ($29), Bun Riue, seafood vermicelli soup ($45), popular in South Vietnam, and the Jumbo Beef Noodle Pho ($39). As a beef lover, I had to have the Pho, which arrived with handfuls of every cut imaginable (raw, sliced, brisket, ball, tripe), bean sprouts, rice noodles all scattered with coriander and drenched in that wonderful soup. Every dribble was a Vietnamese fantasy – layers of fragrant flavours formed in a clear soup that still managed to be airy-light. Although the restaurant is a trek from TST MTR, its decor as bright orange as a Buddhist monk’s robes, and the background music all pan pipes and bird chirrups, that soup left us tranquil, satisfied and ready to face a mounting typhoon outside.

Chunky beef hides under slivers of juicy onion, smatterings of dried shrimp and an avalanche of lemongrass twizzles when the heaped dish of stir-fried beef and lemongrass ($59) arrives steaming from the kitchen at Wing Chun (16 Lion Rock Rd, Kowloon City, 2716 6122). Sumptuous, refreshing citrus scents melt into the sharp fish sauce for one mouthwatering harmony. A side of plain rice or chunky fresh bread backs those exotic flavours nicely. Kowloon City is known for its Thai-inspired delights (see our Locals Know Best feature), and Wing Chun covers its back with “Thai and Vietnamese style” on the menu, but really they needn’t be shy. The stir-fried beef, vat-like bowls of mustard yellow curry and loosely packed, delicious fried spring rolls are all a serving of Saigon heaven, well worth some undivided attention.

Pearl (G/F, 7 Wo On Lane, D’Aguilar St, Central, 2522 4223), just an alleyway away from the glittering strip on Lan Kwai Fong, is nevertheless far from a glamorous attraction. Walls are stark white, ceilings are low, and tables bare apart from the crowds of people crouched over them, for even late in the afternoon this haunt proves to be a popular little pit stop. Shredded salami pho arrived in a small delicate china bowl. The soup was on the salty side but the salami, with its strong smoky flavour was delicious. Prawn and pork wraps were good, the accompanying peanut sauce adding some extra verve to the delicate herb fusion (afternoon special: $43 with tea). Expect to find metal trays displaying newly prepared assortments of food, and cooks constantly chopping or wrapping little parcels – an unusual sight, and quite involving. Pearl is not the place for an extravagant family banquet but, a world away from LKF’s towering prices, it is not a bad consideration for cheap and wholesome lunches on the run.

What is bad about Pho Saigon (319 Hennessy Rd, Wanchai, 2833 6833)? Certainly not the menu, filled as it is with all kinds of mouthwatering options. Certainly not the service, as lively An guides you through choices, explaining ingredients and recommending complementary flavours. And certainly not the food – it dazzled. A special Beef Pho arrived first, exuding the lingering aroma of sweet basil and containing all manners of hearty beef. The soup, a potent blend of coriander and basil, was peppery at the back of the throat and seasoned superbly. Next up came shredded pork salad, a delicately flavoured noodle salad drizzled in snappy fish sauce dressing and fresh lime – a great summery dish. As are the hot and sour prawns – heaped on the dish with noodles, leaves and seaweed, they imparted a gentle but insistent spicy heat, interrupted with crispy prawn crackers. Finally, a bowl brimming with an orange-coloured beef stew was filled with fine, soft meat – a tasty wholesome treat. All this, with three beers and a combo starter, still came in at under $300; for value for money it was unbeatable. And so, the only bad thing about the authentic Vietnamese experience at Pho Saigon is that you cannot return every day. Or can you?

Mama Mia
Il Meglio (8 Knutsford Terrace, TST, 2316 2223) makes a grand entrance into the Knutsford Terrace family, with a focus on rustic homecooked fare mugged from the old country. Accordingly, all the favourite dishes are there: lasagne bolognaise ($128), ravioli ($128) and carbonara (from $78), in addition to some tasty new additions. The risotto primavera comes highly recommended, the pan-seared fillet mignon ($228) is worth a look, and the milk-fed veal ($218) sounds hard to refuse. Enjoy eating the meal, steeped in soft italian and jazz sounds amid the comfy surroundings.

Still with an Italian theme, Dish cafe and bar (2 Lan Kwai Fong, Central, 2523 3123) will be serving up platefuls of Italian cafe style food, in crisp, clean surroundings. The look of the place is breezy, green ferns and pot plants sit aside woodframed mirrors, bottles of wines are housed high up in spacious shelves above the bar area, and cream and soft brown decor is calming. As for the food? Well, as soon as the workmen finish up the tiling and the tables are in position, we’ll be able to give it a try.

Open Doors
Service should always come with a smile – and at Robot Kitchen (Park Central, 9 Tong Tak Street, Tseung Kwan O) that smile is guaranteed, courtesy of the trio of robots taking orders. The Robots haven’t quite passed probation yet – human waitresses still hover behind their electronic counterparts, with notepads and pens in hand, but the robots have proved a success and crowds fill the place each night. There is a certain comfort in the thought that no matter how many times an order is sent back, a robot will never see fit to spit in it.
The peak is on the rise again. The flame-grill has been revved up and flying again since Burger King opened last week (Restaurant 1, Level 1, The Peak Tower). The famous whopping Whopper never gave you a high like this before. But, if dripping meat patties are not your thing, the Suzuki Cafe (2 – 3, Level P2, The Peak Tower) offers snacking of a more refined nature, imbued with Japanese style. Green tea, comes hot, cold, shaken or... blended? Yep, that kurichio on the menu is a smoothie, or try sinking a specially blended Suzuki coffee while munching on green tea cheesecake or black sesame cream Eclairs. Savoury lovers are not forgotten – munch on a popcorn shrimp and seaweed-filled onigiri, or maybe a yakiniku beef sandwich. The cafe houses a long communal table and if you have trouble deciding what’s best on the menu, it offers the perfect opportunity for making new friends and swapping bites of each other’s choices. But then, that probably goes against elegant Japanese etiquette.

X.O. Expo
The Hong Kong Food Expo (HKCEC, 1 Expo Drive, Wanchai), thunders into town today(August 17) until Monday, August 21. The 16-year-old fair, organised by the Trade and Development Council, has more than 325 exhibitors detailing all things culinary. Pavilions will feature cuisine from the Chinese provinces of Heibei, Shaanxi, and Fujian among others. Koreans will be showingoff special sauces, aloe and citron tea, beer and fresh fruit; while Japanese stands offer Okinawan wine, coral salt and the curious-sounding black sugar candy. The Vietnamese bring snacks, coconut drinks and noodles. This is a fantastic opportunity to witness demonstrations by gourmet chefs – over 30 sessions are planned with games, competitions and discount coupons. Other areas of interest include baking, beverages, biscuits and snacks, dairy, organic, fruit and vegetables. Over 301,000 public visitors attended last year’s expo, and with more exhibitors for 2006, more demos, more discounts and more themes, this year is expected to attract bumper numbers. Tickets for the expo cost $20, or $10 after 6pm. The show opens 10am and runs until 10pm, except Monday August 21, when it closes at 6pm.