Little Burro + Via Tokyo

Given the hype that surrounds Chipotle (for many people I know, it's the first stop on any American food tour) I was surprised to hit up Little Burro, the Chipotle-inspired pop-up on the Tin Hau side of Leighton Road, on a Saturday night and find it virtually empty. Maybe it's more of a Monday night takeaway thing. The concept is virtually identical to Chipotle, and the pricing is pretty reasonable too ($58-$68 per burrito/bowl/salad/two tacos), sans extras like extra sour cream or guac. And while the place hasn't seen the best of reviews, it certainly ain't bad, and for that price is an excellent alternative to your average Tsui Wah night. We had a pork taco and a chicken bowl, and were pleased to find both were chock full of meat giving you pretty good bang for buck. Where it all fell down was in the generosity with the sour cream, and on principle, paying $10 for an extra dollop seemed wrong. Better is to take it all home, where for $15 you can have an entire tub of sour cream and add to your heart's desire. While Little Burro's not all that and a bag of jellybeans, it's certainly a place I'd go back to, even if only to grasp a small taste of its Tex-Mex aspirations.

Via Tokyo, on the other hand, has been getting pretty good reviews as far as the internets is concerned, and the line outside the cafe proves the hype. We got the regular soft-serve... and while it's thick and creamy and there's nothing wrong with it, it certainly can't compete with the milky goodness that's Sweets Cha Cha House, the stupidly named but stupidly delicious soft-serve counter at City'Super in Times Square (and I think Harbour City too?). I might return if I was in the area, but certainly wouldn't intentionally seek it out, the way I'll RUN from my home to Times Square at 9.45pm to get there before the shop closes at 10pm for my midnight snack fix.

PS. Sorry for the shit photos.