Causeway Gets Cooking
Great soup starts with great stock – at Pho Hoa (28 Tang Lung St, CWB, 2574 1777) it simmers for five hours and is served fragrant with green mint and sweet basil. Pho Hoa is one of North America’s most visible franchise chains of Asian-style restaurants. Originating with Vietnamese immigrants to the States, the chain’s specialty is pho, the noodle soup that made it famous. Owner Ivan Hui wasn’t planning on opening Hong Kong’s sunny looking outlet at all, but found no other way to learn the secrets of that distinctive Vietnamese broth – he tried five places with no success. A convert now, he is quick to recommend no-fat rice noodles and rice paper rolls filled with shrimp. Pho can be ordered with all manner of mix-and-match meat, poultry and fish, and comes threatening to overflow the bowl. Finish with a shot of sweet Vietnamese coffee

Tony and Heather Oi Ka Yau set out to prove that Japanese dining wasn’t all about darkwood interiors, pomp and circumstance. The bright white dining room is not the only pointer to modernity; the kitchen produces a refreshing blend of old and new. Agedashi tofu matches freshly made tofu with mozzarella, a drizzle of honey and a smattering of almonds, in a half-sweet, half-savoury and wholly original delicacy. Kim chi udon features chunky noodles cooked lightly in butter, spiked with salty fish and blanketed with homemade Kimchi-style dressing. Of course, purists can stick to some expertly sliced Norwegian salmon sashimi or a slab of succulent mackerel, but shouldn’t miss out on Ta-ke sake – rice wine is poured from a chilled bamboo which infuses the crisp drink with floral woody notes. At Moeh (R2 – 7/F, Island Beverly 1, Great George St, CWB), Japanese dining becomes ice-cool fresh and trendy.

Starters
Bubba Gump (Level 3, The Peak Tower, 128 Peak Rd, 2849 2867) is what Bubba Gump does, and what Bubba Gump does is some mighty fine shrimp. Take the Bourbon Street Mahi Mahi and shrimp ($168), for instance. Underlying Cajun spices prickle the tangy bourbon dressing, playing against clean soft flakes of white fish and chunky robust shrimp. Or try the coconut shrimp ($152) where Cajun peppers play havoc in the butter sauce coating the plump curling shellfish before subtle sweet coconut creeps in at the last moment and builds with every bite. This is not to say sizzling New York steaks should be ignored, but in the world of Forrest (and, oh, how the movie photos, Southern-styled dining room, and comforting homey feel remind you that this is the world of Forrest), shrimps rule. Unashamedly American, each dish is a cut above usual tired chain food and, from the rich shrimpin’ dipping broth ($148) to Frankie’s baked seafood, dishes are alive and zinging with flavour. Added to this is a stunning location – the lower dining deck allows uninterrupted views of the Peak – perfect for slinging back a house specialty; the 70 oz hand-shaken raspberry ‘Delta’ margarita ($70). Which just leaves you wishing for a cloud- free day.

Dishes such as grain-fed beef carpaccio with tuna dressing, white anchovies and capers ($90), baby spinach salad with Gorgonzola, pear and candied pecans ($95), and Prosciutto-wrapped lamb shank with white bean puree and Merlot essence ($205), show an adventurous flair combining flavours at Zest (57 Wyndham St, Central, 2526 7993). It’s interior shows the same ambitious spirit. The place is thrown open at dusk, leaving the white walls, light décor and high tables exposed to the view of Wyndham. With serious streetside appeal, Zest makes a good place to soak up some wine and enjoy watching passers-by. Drinking is made all the easier with a unique ‘Toss the Boss’ deal; drinks are free if you win that toss from 5 – 7pm, Mondays to Fridays, giving a nice ride into a great menu.

Middle Eats
They say SoHo is the Middle East of Hong Kong. Well, okay, no-one actually says that. And, really, it’s more like the South-South-East. But, it’s certainly turning into a hot-bed for good Middle Eastern cuisine. Three new eateries have opened in the area of late, providing the finest in falafel, kebabs, and shawarma.

Lebanon is well represented by Marouche (G/F, 48 Cochrane St, 2541 8282), which opened in early September and boasts two accomplished chefs from Beirut: Charbel and Nadim. The restaurant specialises in traditional authentic cuisine, freshly prepared and good for your health. The smoky moutabal baba ghanouj ($60) makes for a lip-smacking starter, and we recommend following it up with the shawarma lamb ($155) – succulent marinated meat done simply. A wide range of other dishes are on offer, from grilled Lebanese goat cheese ($70) to grilled king prawns ($195) and, for dessert, those tempting baklava pastries ($45). Open till 2am Sunday to Thursday, and 5am Friday and Saturday, this place is popular late-night to relax after a busy night on the dance floor.

Up and around the corner, the Meze Café (G/F, 34 Staunton St, 2525 5786) is taking aim at the grab-and-go market, providing a slew of affordable and nourishing dishes, with generous portions. All the food is made fresh daily on site, and most of it is baked, so you don’t have to worry about packing on the pounds. Try the specialty Moroccan chicken with couscous ($60) and the spanokopita ($45), a treat of baked filo pastry stuffed with spinach, pine nuts, and feta cheese. Best of the lot, however, is the zatra pita bread, made with a secret selection of herbs and spices – delicious, more-ish, and perfect with olive oil. Open 11am to 1am weekdays, and until 2am in the weekends.

Creeping into Sahara (11 Elgin St, SoHo, 2291 6060) is like creeping into a desert den, all orange walls, twinkly lights and soft cushiony seating. So what better place to enjoy North African cuisine, served traditional style. The meze platter with aubergine, hummus and liver is a good place to start – and a good start to share – but the pieces de resistance are several tajine recipes. Tajines are the prism-shaped clay pots that lined coal ovens in ancient Morocco, slow-cooking meat and vegetables for hours. Tajine is also the name of the dish that is served from the oven. Hunks of aubergine and potato are layered up inside the bowl in the Mousakka recipe, while the lamb tajine come with cubes of tender meat covering slices of potato in a truly hearty dish. But be warned, sizes are deceiving, and lead to serious stuffing. Sahara’s owner Dodi suggests a cup of mint tea for digestion, and one other imperative – a suck or two on the shisha pipe to complete a night of Arabian dreams.

Prestigious Proposals
How much would you pay for a mooncake this mid-autumn? $100? $500? Or push the boat out a little bit further to $280,000? That’s right, nip down to Harbour Plaza Resort City (18 Tin Yan Rd, Tin Shui Wai, NT, 2180 6688) and snap up the hulking 12lb beauty – it has 18 egg yolks, after all. Oh, and did we forget to mention a 2.08-carat diamond platinum ring? The mound of mooncake comes heart-shaped and accompanied by a 200 person champagne wedding ceremony within the resort’s tranquil grounds making it possibly the most extravagant way to propose to your sweetie this autumn. For a slice of the king-size pie, get down to the bank quick-smart – chefs will only create eight special lovers’ mooncakes this season. For those mooncaking on a smaller scale, regular-sized boxes cost are available for a slightly more bargainous $138.