bc magazine

Megabites: Hooters

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Launched in era when using sex to sell didn’t attract widespread social media scorn, for a generation of people Hooters name alone will conjure images of busty waitresses in their ubiquitous bright orange shorts. So what does Hooters bring to Hong Kong in 2016? In truth not much, the current marketing pitch is that it’s a family restaurant. But it’s just a sports bar, all-be-it one that appears stuck in the 80s. The walls of the downstairs bar area are festooned with TV screens, while beer taps protrude from a surfboard. The waitresses uniforms which used to raunchy are now positively tame compared some of the shorts, tops and yoga gear you’ll see girls wear on the streets today.

Social media’s invasion into every part of our lives, paired with quality camera lenses on mobile phones has seen an explosion in food porn. Especially locally where it seems impossible for people to eat a meal or enjoy a drink without taking multiple photos and sharing them with the world. Restaurants, bars and cafes have responded and regardless of the taste or flavour of the dish, outside of traditional local outlets, your food is likely to be presented to look great in a photo.

Hooters food just doesn’t generate that ‘ummm that looks tasty’ vibe when it arrives at the table – unlike many similarly priced and cheaper restaurants in the area. In fact for a restaurant famed for ‘American sized portions’ several of the dishes showcased at the media tasting looked more than a little lost on the big white plates.

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The 225gram Western BBQ burger ($178) might have cracked the mustard a decade ago but burgers in Hong Kong have moved on – which has been great news for burger lovers, even at the increased prices. I want to like it, it’s a big patty, has visible amounts of cheese and bacon but the patty isn’t freshly ground beef, lacks any flavour and is cooked to an even grey. And there the price $178!

It’s saddens me to say, because I like a good burger, that in the taste stakes a Butchers Club burger (one of the best local burgers around, and not quite half the price) is to a Hooters’ burger, what a Hooters burger is to basic $10 McDonalds hamburger. Really disappointing.

What will attract some is that you can choose the sauce that many of the main dishes – including prawns, wings, chicken – are cooked in. There are thirteen sauces and three dressings options. For each 5 pieces ordered you can choose a different sauce, so for example if you order 10 boneless chicken wings you could have 5 cooked in 911 and 5 in BBQ.

Hooters original buffalo shrimp (12/$170, 24/$330) are tangy and pretty good to enjoy with a beer while watching sport. Similarly the chicken wings are massive compared to many around town, but you pay for them. As you do with the 220gram ribeye at $388, which comes with 9 chips and half a cherry tomato.

The nachos are uninspiring and really pricey ($158-188) for what despite the large plate is a pretty small portion. There are far better nachos around.

So many of the dishes, prices excepted, would have been deemed pretty damn good a decade ago. And it’s easy to see why Hooters is popular in Thailand, Vietnam, China etc. But bar/pub food and customer expectations in Hong Kong are different today and what we were served at the media preview really doesn’t compare well with what’s currently available around Hong Kong.

There will be the usual voices bitching about exploitation but the ‘Hooters girls’ seem happy, whether their vibrant energy and effervescence will be enough to see most customers return more than once is questionable. There are no real sports bars in Central anymore, and beyond the name that will certainly attract a number of patrons but to succeed in today’s very competitive market as a restaurant, they’ll need to up their game.

This may sound overly negative as they’ll probably make million$, but for the price I want a little more from my bar/restaurant these days. However for those looking for an 80s style American Sports Bar there’s no need to power-up the DeLorean, Hooters is your place – have fun, but respect the ladies by keeping your hands to yourself.

Hooters
43-55 Wyndham Street, Central. Tel: 2399-7773
Opening hours: 11am-2am. www.hootershongkong.com
Opening Soon.

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Megabites: Ee Da Le

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When I first heard of Ee Da Le by Harlan Goldstein I hadn’t a clue it was Italian, all that came to my mind were musical notes and possibly opera.

The logo for Ee Da Le sees the name spelt as three words almost encouraging you pronounce them separately. It’s only when you merge them you realise the name Ee Da Le or rather Eedale is how many Chinese pronounce Italy!!

A bubbly Harlan Goldstein greeted guests invited to a lunchtime preview tasting a day before the public soft opening.

The decor is understated yet has this rich Italian operatic touch and feel to it with ruby red velvet curtains, extravagant light shades, a tile looking floor that isn’t and all the small details that you don’t really see unless you look closely. The 58 seat restaurant features a long open kitchen to observe and smell the chefs hard at work. There’s also a full bar where you can enjoy a cocktail while waiting for your table.

On arrival, we were served with a plate of cheese bread, which looked like cute mini loaves accompanied with a green salsa verde dip which was made with pickled onion, pesto, white vinegar and parsley. The bread was quite firm, with a nice cheesy taste. Dipping it in the salsa verde mellows the cheese out nicely.

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A selection of anti-pasti dishes arrived next including a tomato bruschetta, a scallop carpaccio and Mama’s Meatballs.

The Pomodoro, slices of tomato bruschetta $32/piece, were light and crispy and heaped with fresh tomato that had a tangy punch to it.

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Mama’s Meatballs ($108) are made with veal, beef and pork sausage smothered in Sunday gravy. These meatballs were amazing because they were lean and velvety yet soft and moist, while the delicious Sunday gravy made the meatball experience complete as it was meat juice mixed with tomatoes and fragrant herbs like bay leaves.

The Crudo di Mare ($168) was quite summery; the scallops were drizzled in citrus topped with sea urchin, sun-dried tomatoes and anchovy, which gave it some bolder flavours.

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Moving on, we had the Char-grilled Sicilian Octopus ($168) served on a bed of mash (potato crema) topped with olives and a baby gem lettuce heart. The octopus tentacle was infused with herbs yet it still tasted like it was straight from the sea with that firm springy texture.

The last dish, Madam Chu’s Signature Linguini with Red Prawns ($428) was stunning. A vibrant linguini in a thick orange sauce served on a black plate with an edge that looked like the surface of the moon replete with mini craters.

If you look closely, you can see generous pieces of small dried shrimps, which give the linguini such a strong salty prawn flavour. The prized red prawns add sweetness through the essence that comes from the prawn head. A truly rich linguini, which can get quite heavy for one so it is best shared.

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For dessert, we finished with Affogato ($68), which came with smoke coming off it, and then hot espresso was poured on top. The intense chocolate flavour, contrasted with these strong coffee bits, Amaretti crumble and Tahitian vanilla gelato.

Ee Da Le’s team are still finding their feet in the new kitchen as the workmen complete the finishing touches, yet the food is beautifully cooked and presented. We’ll be back for more of Mama’s meatballs and to explore further the extensive menu.

Ee Da Le
3/F, 8 Lyndhurst Terrace, Central. Tel: 2896 1838
Opening Hours: 12-3pm, 6-11pm
www.eedale.hk www.facebook.com/eedalehk

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Photos: Jayne Russell

Harlan Goldstein’s Back!

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After a year travelling and exploring new tastes and flavours Harlan Goldstein is back as Ee Da Le, the first of four new restaurants with new partners ZS Hospitality, opens today. Hong Kong’s own ‘celebrity’ chef is not to everyone’s cup of tea. Over the years though he’s built a strong personal brand and a solid coterie of loyal customers and staff because not only is he a good chef he’s also very good at genuinely ensuring that the people who matter feel needed, welcome, important… as required.

While not every restaurant he’s opened has been either a critical or commercial success, the menus have usually been solid and the decor interesting if not extravagant.

At our tasting lunch, a trailer to the launch of Harlan III (this is Harlan’s third group of partners) it’s difficult to tell if the man has mellowed. The passion, ambition and desire are clearly still there with solid thoughts and ideas for the future – it’s fascinating and invigorating to listen as Harlan talks through the concepts and themes of the upcoming outlets as well as the ideas behind Ee Da Le.

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Every now and then though, it was like an alarm went off inside to reminded him that he was chatting to journalists and ‘celebrity chef Harlan’ would make an appearance and the comments become more rote and filled with soundbite cliches voiced somewhat unconvincingly from a man who appears a little nervous, not that he’d ever admit it, about opening night.

To use a cliche there are lots of people around who like to talk the talk, but few who can walk the walk. Harlan is one of those who’s passionate about food and has walked that talk into a series of fine restaurants over the last 20 years. So with Harlan the three-quel opening into a fiercely competitive market, we’ll leave the final word to the man “I’m back baby”.

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Megabites: Mine @ Lan Kwai Fong

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Mine opened recently in Lan Kwai Fong, and is the latest by the team behind Ra, Zinc, and Port. The raw industrial look that characterised Port in TST is again in evidence with rough wooden plank walls reminiscent of a mine shaft while a mine truck rumbles above the fuel station (bar). The subterranean feel continues throughout with stones wrapped around protruding surfaces. The effect is of a mine tunnel but the bar is high ceilinged open and friendly with a dance floor at the rear. The outside tables, which include some cool saddle style stools, offer prime drinking and people watching opportunities.

The drinks menu and cocktail list feature a range of themed cocktails ($120/HH$80) martinis ($120/$80) and shooters ($85/$55). Draught beer is ($78/$45) while house / premium spirits are $80/ $90. Happy hour is 5-9pm daily.

The food menu is small with interesting takes on traditional pub dishes designed to be enjoyed or shared with a drink.

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Served in an iron skillet the Mac and Cheese Bullion ($78) is macaroni and cheese rolled into balls, breaded and deep fried and served with a sauce of mayonnaise, sour cream, ketchup and chilli flakes to give it a little bite. Very tasty.

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The Smoked Pork Quesadillas ($138) are filled with pulled pork, lashings of jack and cheddar cheese lightly grilled until the cheese melts and served with fresh guacamole and sour cream. Delicious.

The Bacon Chicken Fries ($98) are thin fries covered in melted cheese, bacon and grilled chicken. A lovely combination that just screams out for a topping of gravy to transform this into a delicious poutine. A touch choice here between these and the nachos.

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The Chicken Waffle ($148) is a homemade waffle cut into eight and topped with cubes of grilled chicken breast, chipotle jam, jalapeño sauce, maple syrup and ranch dressing. It looks awesome and the balance of sweet and spice is perfect. The only slight problem with this dish is as the waffle cools it becomes soggy and doesn’t support the chicken. The solution, don’t let it get cold.

Served on a cast iron spade the Cuban Sandwich ($98) is pulled pork, pickles, sweet ham, yellow mustard and swiss cheese in a long bun served with a basket of fries. If you order it with the other dishes it doesn’t look quite as attractive, but it’s very filling, tasty and goes well with a cold beer/cider.

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For those looking for a lighter option, the Asian Steak Salad ($128) features rib-eye steak, cubed mango, avocado, cherry tomatoes, spinach, red cabbage and a slightly sweet Thai sauce with peanuts served on the side. A tasty salad for those looking for something more healthy.

The dishes are perfect for sharing or eating alone, portion sizes are good and the food quality is well above your average pub grub fare. The option exists on most dishes to swap the main meat if for example you prefer a chicken salad / quesadilla. Mine is a fun bar for a drink that also happens to serve some nicely presented and tasty bar food.

Mine
31 D’Aguilar Road, Lan Kwai Fong. Tel: 2461 7888
Open: 16:00-04:00 daily
Mine’s food menu is also on offer at Zinc.

Megabites: Indian Curry Express

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Indian Curry Express which opened recently in Sai Ying Pun offers home style Indian cuisine from a small ‘hole in the wall’ style outlet on Water Street. Don’t let the looks deceive you this is local dining at it’s best, small tables a constant stream of customers including even after just a couple of weeks numerous regulars and good food, oh such lovely food and all msg free.

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According to the friendly owners Delhi couple Rajesh and Nanda Maindola good food is the key to any restaurant and concept is at the heart of Indian Curry Express’s kitchen. The menu is extensive offering all the traditional Indian vegetarian and meat dishes. bc started with perhaps the best mango lassi ($10) for the price in Hong Kong, not too sweet and with a well balanced flavour. The vegetarian samosas (3 for $30) were delicious with firm pastry a well cooked filling and not oily at all. The Khadai Paneer ($70) was full of texture and flavours but maybe a little light on paneer.

The Daal Makhni is superb, lovely texture and consistency and full of flavour – if you can’t eat it all, it tastes perhaps even better cold the next day! The Vegetable Biryani ($60) is a large portion of perfectly cooked and flavoured rice served with a slightly sweet curry. The Butter Chicken ($80) features a nicely balanced creamy textured lightly sweet sauce embracing tender soft chicken, while the Lamb Roganjosh ($80) just crumbles in the delicious sauce. All of these delightful light, tasty and filling dishes are best eaten and sopped up with soft freshly made Tawa roti.

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We’re always reticent to talk up a new restaurant too much especially a small one, as people then go with expanded expectations but bc visited with two Indian foodies and both enjoyed their dinner. Street side dining is not for everyone – so take your lunch/diner away or enjoy free local delivery.

Indian Curry Express currently offers some of the tastiest Indian food around and bc hopes as they invariably get busier they can keep up the quality, that ‘made at home’ style feel and the extra bit of tlc that all these dishes feel like they have. Delicious!

Indian Curry Express: 27 Water Street, Sai Ying Pun. Tel: 6744 6915
Opening Hours: noon-3:30pm; 6-10pm
www.facebook.com/indiancurryexpress.hk
[email protected]
(If you enjoy your Indian cuisine spicy then ask the kitchen when you order.)

Megabites: Gold Coast Prime Rib

Opened at the start of June, the Gold Coast Prime Rib is one of the least inspiring looking places you’ll dine at. It literally is a window area in the corner of the vast lobby at the Gold Coast Hotel over-looking the swimming pool and the marina. The only notable difference to the rest of the lobby is that the chairs are a different colour, but looks shouldn’t deter you.

The menu is sparse, but this is not a bad thing – doing a few things well, is better than a lot of things averagely. The signature US prime rib sets are offered in 3 ($288), 5 ($368) or 7 ($488) racks and carved from a full rack at the table. The set also includes a salad or soup or dessert and a side dish from a choice of garlic mushrooms, creamy spinach, garlic rice, truffle fries or mashed potatoes with black truffle jus.

The menu also offers a selection of grills sets pork fillet mignon (7oz, $348), New York strip (12oz, $428), double cut pork chop (14oz, $398), Australian lamb chop (8oz, $328), French spring chicken (14oz, $398) and Scottish salmon (7oz, $368). All come with the same choice of extras as the rib sets. There are also soups and salads for those looking for a lighter meal.

The Prime Rib is only open in the evening and our media visit was over lunch so bc chose the New York strip. The 12oz steak filled the plate unlike so many of today’s main courses where the meat looks lost among the artistic sauce dribbles. The inch or so thick cut steak was cooked medium rare just as we asked and was juicy, tender, flavourful and really rather good. For those who like a sauce with their steak there’s a choice of cafe de paris butter, bearnaise, black pepper with cognac, creamy five peppercorn or black truffle gravy.

The sides dishes which are served separately are generously portioned. The black truffle mash potato had a nice texture and flavour as did the creamy spinach.

Given its location the Gold Coast Prime Rib is not perhaps worth a special trip – although there’s a free hotel bus from Canton Road (30 mins each way) – unlike the Gold Coast Hotel’s creative afternoon teas (see below). But if you are in the area and fancy a good well portioned meal, then it’s definitely worth considering.

If you have kids perhaps it’s best not to show them pictures of the new fun teas sets at the Gold Coast Hotel they put those bird cage sets to shame with a series of wonderful themed tea sets. Someone had a lot of fun creating them, there are six available ‘Ding Ding’ Hong Kong tram, princess, dinosaur, outer space, pirate and safari with matching themed rooms for those who want to stay.

For visitors only the ‘Ding Ding’ and pirate are currently available a la carte. Full of prime New York steak, bc didn’t extensively sample the full offerings of each set but the bits that we did sample were uniformly good. And compared to some of the tea sets around town there’s a fair of food for hungry parents and kid. The impressive centrepieces are made of chocolate, and not supposed to be eaten, but quite how they’ll prevent kids breaking off a piece of I’m not sure… Each themed tea set is $680 and needs to be ordered a day in advance.

Gold Coast Prime Rib
Gold Coast Hotel, 1 Castle Peak Road (Castle Peak Bay), Tsuen Wan
www.sino-hotels.com/hk/gold-coast

Wanchai Wine Walk – 11 June, 2016

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Almost a thousand people ignored the rain to enjoy the inaugural Wanchai Wine Walk. 35 outlets were offering some lovely wine, whisky, local craft beers, cocktails and snacks. Great afternoon!
Click on any photo for the full gallery.

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Great Texas Laua @ Lantau – 8 June, 2016

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The first Great Texas Laua at Shek Pik Red Cross camp site was organised and hosted by the US Meat Export Federation and Texas Beef to showcase the quality of American beef, pork and chicken and how delicious they taste when smoked and BBQ’d Texas style. World Champion BBQ expert and chef Tim Broderick was in-charge of the pits and created a delicious meal – a big thank you to him and his team and everyone involved for a great night.
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