Monday, June 30, 2014

Review: Ho Lee Fook

I had been keen to try out Ho Lee Fook which has been making buzz around the foodie community, not only coz of the name but also for Chef Jowett Yu who counts a number of my friends as fans. The resto was supposed to open in April and after numerous attempts to check it out (well ok, three times but in HK that's a lot of effort when restaurants are opening every minute!) we finally got a chance to try it. Mental note to self, just go when photos of food start flooding my feed as opposed to actually venturing over to see if it had opened yet.

As for the food, if you are a fan of spice, you've come to the right place. The food is a lovely mixture of Chinese dishes with sharp bursts of flavours that requires an ice cold beer which unfortunately, ours just weren't cold enough. The Wagyu tartare Yunan style had a beautiful crunch and kick to it. One of the staff actually admonished us for not mixing it up before digging in so keep that in mind if you order it. The easiest solution, of course, would be for their staff to actually mention it as they lay down the dish but service is still obviously going through teething problems as we had a couple other issues throughout dinner such as having a waiter stare blankly at us with a dish in his hand and standing there unmoving until we made the initiative to help shuffle all the dishes in front of us to make room for his dish or checking the bill and finding that we were overcharged for something and when protesting, were told that the beer was a 'large' size which wasn't available in the menu and so the price we were looking at is incorrect. It was just the day after its opening so these things happen and hopefully in a few weeks, it will all be sorted.



Little quibbles aside, the food itself is worth coming back for. In addition to the tartare, we tried Mom’s mostly cabbage a little bit of pork dumplings (which was our least favourite and quota should be saved for other dishes), shredded chicken salad, lettuce heart, cucumber, Sichuan pepper and strange flavour dressing (awesomely spicy and the strange flavour dressing totally isn't strange at all and was a beautiful mixture of South East Asian flavours) and the highlight of our meal; the Roast Wagyu short ribs, jalapeño purée, green shallot kimchi with a soy glaze. Be forewarned that the portion of the short ribs are quite large and we would happily munch on it all if we weren't so full. The texture of the meat was just right while we loved the little crunchy bits which I think were the meat between the ribs. It created a lovely duality to the dish. We finished off with a passion fruit sorbet, lime and coconut marshmellow, pomelo and roasted rice dessert by which point we were ready to be rolled out of the resto.

Ho Lee Fook g/f - lg/f , 1 elgin street, Central District, Hong Kong

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Friday, June 27, 2014

Flashback Friday: Hard Candy


Who LOVED Hard Candy? Me. Even though I have always lacked the ability to apply nail polish well (thank you, soft gel!), and with those Hard Candy pastels it was even more finicky, I still coveted them like nobody's business. My favourite was Sky, the pastel blue. How come nail polishes today don't come with rubber rings anymore? Companies nowadays just have no idea how to market a product.

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Bag Lady: Alexander Wang Rockie in Acid Yellow

Loving the acid yellow with black textured lines. Loving the detachable strap option which my current Rockie doesn't have. Hating how heavy the bag is which renders my love moot as I'm an old lady and need light bags these days. However, even though your sister has been neglected in my closet, it doesn't mean I can't lust after you. Yes, Christina is likely to take a look at this and say it's basically the exact same bag I already own in gold with black textured lines without the strap. That just means I have consistent taste. Right?

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Thursday, June 26, 2014

SHOErotica: Adidas x Stella McCartney Adizero Sneakers


Not only am I obsessed with my new Adidas Stella kicks because of their awesome good looks, they're the lightest things ever and they match my shade of hair perfectly, now that it's faded from a Kylie Jenner-ish teal to a pale more mermaid-y dark mint. That's all you could ever want in a sneaker.

Now at Net-a-porter on sale!

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The story of diptyque Philosykos & Figuier


Maybe it's because I'm itching to travel. Unlike Christina, I've not taken a trip for leisure in a long time and so any and everything feels like a taunt that I'm at home typing up posts as opposed to lounging somewhere and posting fun photos or blogging in another country. Case in point, I just received the moodboard and concept of diptyque's Philosykos perfume and Figuier candle. It's all about how the founders travelled to Greece and fell in love and had this memory box of fig leaves that still retains its scent today. While I'm intrigued by the story, I'm more jealous by the photos and videos they posted. It's making me wonder if I should add Greece as a stop to my upcoming trip. Dilemma, dilemma. Limited time and funds plus I've already been to Greece. What to do?

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Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Eastern Europe Recommendations


This is more a plea for help dear readers than a normal post. In the midst of planning a three week vacation in Europe and want to know what your must visit destinations are. Leaning towards Eastern Europe at the moment such as Croatia, Prague etc. I've only been to Budapest in that region. Any suggestions for places to go, restaurants to visit etc? The plan so far is to have a base in London and fly out as necessary or travel by rail. Not looking for anything fancy smancy, just more for places that this geographically challenged Geek might not be aware of!

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Tuesday, June 24, 2014

The Burger Bomb

hkLifestyleGeek visits The Butchers Club Burgers in Wanchai

The burger scene in Hong Kong just got sizzling hotter with the entrance of The Butchers Club Burgers in Wan Chai. It's near the Burger King just off of Queen's Road East so the fast-food joint definitely has some competition, but you also have to shell out for the privilege. The burgers here start at HK$100, but it's well worth the price if you're a burger connoisseur.

Here the patties are made with 300-day grain-fed certified Australian Angus beef. They use equal parts chuck, rump and brisket and grind them together in house. They are then formed by hand and seasoned with kosher salt, spices and fresh ground pepper before they are fried on the griddle. And when you walk into this small place, you'll see some big hefty white guys wearing nothing but singlets, beards and trucker hats (and yes shorts) in the kitchen making these burgers.

They are not the most attractive aspect of this restaurant, but they know how to make damn good burgers that are topped with mature cheddar cheese, glazed bacon, tomatoes, pickles and onion spread. It takes a big mouth to be able to take a decent bite into this burger, but your tastebuds will thank you.

However, it can be a messy endeavour and when we suggested that perhaps the restaurant could distribute towelettes to wipe hands, one of the owners suggested (with a laugh) that wet wipes were for pussies... The duck fries that are triple deep-fried in duck fat aren't that impressive -- overcooked in fact. And the drinks selection is a bit slim, with the only beer available when we went was Pabst Blue Ribbon...nevertheless if you want to really spice things up, a shot of Jack Daniels Bourbon will set you back HK$50.

And if you're feeling especially adventurous, check out the special menu by scanning the QR code by the door. It's supposed to change regularly, but already two of the four are popular.

For those with big appetites -- and we mean starvation -- then try the Double Happiness, which is double of everything for HK$160, while Wu Tang Style is where the patty is fried in sriracha sauce, topped with cheese, kim chi, kewpie mayo and tempura sweet potato HK$120.

Hungry yet? Just remember to bring your own wet ones...

The Butchers Club Burgers
G/F, Rialto Building
2 Landale Street
Wan Chai
2528 2083
butchersclub.com.hk

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Monday, June 23, 2014

Givenchy Fall/Winter 14-15 Campaign


Thoughts on the new Givenchy Fall/Winter 14-15 Campaign? Features Isabelle Huppert, alongside Mariacarlo Boscono, Julia Nobis, Kendall Jenner, Jamie Bochert, Veroniek Gielkens and Peter Brant.

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Sunday, June 22, 2014

LOVESHACKFANCY



Has been disconcerting the last few days in Shanghai, with no access to Blogger, Facebook or GOOGLE. I'm back now and looking forward to one whole month in Hong Kong...before heading off to Phuket for a wedding/beach holiday. Cue diet.

My current aim is to stock up on this quite ignored category of clothing: resort wear. Mainly coverups. I want to emerge like a golden goddess from the sun and surf. Ha. And I'm feeling the very airy fairy ethereal boho It Girl-slash-festival-nymph things at LoveShackFancy...

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Friday, June 20, 2014

Mandarin Oriental Chloe Afternoon Tea


Looking for a slightly different afternoon tea experience? Check out Mandarin Oriental's latest afternoon tea experience at the Clipper Lounge held in collaboration with Chloe featuring an exhibition of works from the brand's archive entitled Chloe Moments. The exhibition will showcase unique sketches and photographs and of course the delectable items in the tea will also be inspired by these archive materials. Diners can also receive a special gift by visiting the Chloe boutique nearby.

The Chloé Moments Exhibition afternoon tea set is priced at HKD278 per person or HKD488 for two plus 10% service charge. Tea is available from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., Monday to Saturday, and from 3:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday. Guests can also enjoy the same tea set at Café Causette during the promotion period. Duration: 23 June to 31 August 2014.

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Thursday, June 19, 2014

SUPERGA x VERSUS VERSACE


Check out this new special edition collaboration from Superga with Versus Versace. Loving the colourful prints. Now if only I didn't have 6 pairs at home already. Hmmm.. maybe to put at my studio? The Superga x Versace Versus special edition is priced at HK$1,300 and will be available exclusively in Harbour City starting July 2014.

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Wednesday, June 18, 2014

LONGCHAMP Fashion X Art


Check out these larger than life LONGCHAMP Le Pliage bags created by Prof. Sui Jianguo for a sculptural series entitled Rainbow. Being showcased at Longchamp’s flagship store in Central, these art pieces supposedly represents the fact that "the Pliage bags are no longer merely a fashion accessory or a functional object; it becomes a form that represents exchanges of collective cultures and individual thinking between the West and China, an icon of French and European styles and tastes imported into Asia by Longchamp." Thoughts? Or does seeing them merely lure you into wanting to buy another bag?

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Tuesday, June 17, 2014

OMG


REMEMBER JNCOS??

And while we're at it... remember Can't Hardly Wait? Best throwback movie for 90s teenagers ever. I also recently relived Pump Up the Volume. Oh, Christian Slater, you rocked my world. Next mission: Empire Records. Who's with me?

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MAC's Alluring Aquatic

Loving this packaging from MAC! The waterdrops actually protrude out of the packaging. Very reminiscent of summertime showers here in HK. Needless to say, the colours are awesome as always. Photos of the entire collection after the cut. Available now at MAC counters.

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