I grew up a California boy, which means Mexican food was a part of my everyday life. In fact it's a…read moretop-3 favorite cuisine for me. Now I live in Boston where Mexican food is literally a joke. So imagine my surprise when I tried Mexican food at Caliente in HK (TST) and it's actually better than most of Boston's Mexican options?!? Let me get the negatives out of the way first. I was disappointed in the burrito. It was bland, beans were hard and undercooked (why were both refried beans and black beans in my burrito in the first place?), and many of the ingredients that should normally be standard inside the burrito were of extra cost as a side item (really, salsa is extra for a burrito?). That said - everything else was amazing! The high notes: The grilled corn on the cob! OMG Fantastic! The tacos were delicious. We ordered the 5-set, and picked one of each - pork, beef, chicken, shrimp, and fish. I can definitely say you can do without the seafood varieties, they were overcooked but edible since the flavors were incredible. Pork shined the brightest. I will say their soft taco shells (a true Mexican no-no) were likely not made in-house, they were a bit more chewy than one would hope... but it's easily forgivable. On the other hand, the free chips and salsa that started the meal were likely in-house made, and delicious top-to-bottom. I especially liked how fresh their salsa tasted. The margaritas were also sweet and tasty. I think I preferred the traditional lime over the guava, mango and wild fruit options. All could have used a bit more tequila (or maybe I'm just a lush), but then again it was happy hour so I can't complain. The best item on their menu might be... drumroll please... their nachos‽ Yes, the most non-Mexican item was also their most spectacular. How the heck did they manage to get a little of every topping onto every chip? That feat of perfection is a rarity in the USA, and it actually makes a big difference. Now keep in mind, nachos are a staple on every bar/pub menu across America, so one would more likely call it Tex-Mex than Mexican. But who cares, it was freakin' delicious at Caliente!!! I'll be back for sure. A class-act Mexican establishment in the heart of TST.

I've been searching a long time, but so far this is overall the best Mexican I've had in HK…read more Received the tip from another yelp review, but was a bit skeptical (as I always am when it comes to claims of good Mexican food in HK), but especially given the location in Knutsford terrace, which I usually associate with drink spots and mediocre-at-best Western food. The Nachos were definitely the highlight (I know, not the most authentic Mexican dish). But they really pay attention to the detail with the massive mound of nachos: every single chip was at least partially covered in melted cheese and had easy access to the other toppings. This means the cheese and toppings were not just sprinkled on top, but added layer by layer. I'm not sure if I found even a couple of naked chips. Not often over in this area, but will make it a point to visit for that next craving for Mexican food.

Post renovations, it looked more restaurant-esque, less fast food like. Chipotle was the only chain…read morethat I absolutely LOVED. And having not eaten Mexican food for a while, I had to give Cali Mex a shot. So while it was similar, there were a lot of differences. Price - much pricier here. Hong Kong! ~USD 16 equivalent here. It was about USD 9 in New York, the priciest in all of US. Guacamole - good, but not a default part of the vegetarian bowl, and hence the add-up cost. Fixings - you could choose either beans or vegetables, not both, unlike Chipotle where fajitas were always an option to be added along with the beans. I'm not sure if I could add them all. Same about salsas, not sure if I could've added them all. I went with the spiciest one, and it didn't taste that great. a bit bitter. The tomatoes didn't look the freshest. And onions - they should've known better to use red onions for the raw pico di gallo, than white ones? The topped it with sour cream. The rice was yellow, sans lemon and cilantro. The beans included black and refried. While not bad, it wasn't Chipotle! More photos and details on my blogs. Links also in profile. thevegetarianvoyager[dot]wordpress[dot]com nycbonviveur[dot]wordpress[dot]com

Huuuuuge burritos! Expect to pay over 100 for one person including drinks…read more We had two burritos, one angus steak and one pulled pork. Asked for very spicy and medium spicy, and the very spice was sort of spicy while the medium wasn't spicy at all. Drinks are authentic mexican pops and they're super good! Guava is awesome! Plenty of seating and friendly service. We missed having sauces at the table though.

dined 10/4/14 A little late in reviewing, but it was so…read morepositive and enjoyable, that I had to share the good news. We arrived early for dinner, so had a choice of tables. Staff wanted to seat us in the open air part, close to the very front of the restaurant. Since it was hot, we asked for, and were accommodated at a table in the middle of the restaurant, under the needed air conditioning!! We started off with two tapas; the Padron Peppers, $87, and the White Anchovies, $74. While the pepper dish was ample in size, it was incredibly boring in taste. However, the large sardines were expertly seasoned and enjoyable. For our main, we shared a non-meat version of the Seafood Paella, $338. This was delicioso y mui excellante! For dessert, we shared a Date Pudding, $70. This too was excellent. See photos. All in all a very comfortable place to dine. Service was adequate, as the staff had an attitude, yet food was impressive, thus the rating of 4 stars.

Need an all-day dining option? This is a good spot!…read more They have good happy hour deals on weekdays starting at 3 pm. Select cocktails and beer can go as low as $35HKD! They also have a good wine list that's affordable by the glass. We were a bit peckish one Sunday afternoon so we stopped by and ordered their tasting platter, which had 30 g each of serrano, lomo, chorizo, and salchichon iberico. It was served with some hearty bread slices and gherkins. I wish they could add some cheeses, but after all they are named "Iberico" so I guess I'll let it slide, haha. As it's along the escalators, it's a nice spot to chill over drinks and small plates while you people watch. If you're lucky, you might even witness some tourists who trip and fall at the end of the escalator because they were clearly not paying attention while taking selfies! (Yes, I've seen this happen before and it is schadenfreude at it's finest!)

Ok, first of all, I have to admit I was totally here for the HKD$38 happy hour deal. They have a…read morequite extended happy hours over weekdays, from 12pm to 9pm, and we were here at 6pm sharp. Branded as Korean American gastropub, surely I wanted to try both their drinks and food. The happy hours menu is off the chart - they had 27 different drinks including beer, wine, liquors, soju cocktails (and I'll explain why I know the count so precisely...). If you check in to Yelp you got a free popcorn chicken per table too, boom. Free stuff is always the best stuff, and the popcorn chicken was actually very good and we ended up ordering another dish. Now on a chill evening of the last day of the a long weekend, we shouldn't really be drinking too much. But then, when the first round of drinks arrived, we were kind of skeptical about the portion of soju actually added to the cocktails. We blamed that to the Appleju where the apple juice masking the taste of the alcohol. But when we ordered the Sparkling Citron and they were still kinda of more like mocktails than cocktails, we quite shamelessly asked the staff if they could put more soju/liquors in our next round of drinks. I know, it's only $38 after all... Back to the food. They were amazing. Kimichi fries was good, and from a person who actually doesn't like kimchi AT ALL, this compliment does carry a lot of weight. We tried also the spicy fried chicken wings (not spicy enough), the salt and pepper wings (VERY GOOD), cheesy kimchi sliders (good, and again from the mouth of someone who doesn't like kimchi). Three hours passed right in front of five of us, as if the time went quicker when you were sitting at the chillaxing front door table. The drinks got better (i.e. stronger) afterwards which was definitely a plus. One of our friends wanted to challenge to finish all the drinks on the happy hour menu but we only managed to go through the right half of it. But I wouldn't complain at all having 20 cocktails in total among five of us and still managed to get down to HKD$350 per person, including the food we had.

Finally! Respectable and tasty Korean inspired gastropub food in the heart of Central. Edition has…read moresome amazing grub that will satisfy anyone in the mood for some K food, but too lazy to travel on the other side of the city. The chef is a homegrown Hongkie however has studied food in both LA and Seoul, so the fusion food that is served here really hits the spot for me as I have a similar mix. The highlights of the evening: CHICKEN WINGS! The wings are smothered full of flavor, cripsy, juicy and overall deliciousness. I just wish they had more of it! Check out Wings Monday which is only $5HKD per wing with every drink purchase. Bulgogi Sliders- also delicious. High in flavor and raw garlic and jalapenos make this tasty slider packed with a punch. I perfer even more heat with more chili, but that is easily solved by just asking for some extra jalapeno. Kimchi Grilled Cheese- so easy yet so satisfying. Grilled with two types of cheese and layered with kim chi, this really sings comfort food for me. You can add an assortment of things to the sandwich, including fried egg- perfect. I also got to try some of the special homemade Korean spicy sauce and Siracha mayo- delicious. The drinks- they have Soju infused cocktails that are sure to please. Chili Mango, Yuzu, Milkis are all quite unique. Want the whole bottle straight up? No problem- very reasonable in price. Soju not your thing? They have a regular wine, beer and cocktails list too. Chef tells me they will be having some cool happy hour deals too so stay tuned. Overall, love this small cozy space. I am a huge fan!

One of the better Mexican places I've been to in Hong Kong. (Why is it so lacking!! TT_TT)…read more This store is very small and can probably at most fit 12 guests at most, but comfortably probably only 8. It can get quite hot as the kitchen is directly there and they have an open store front so the AC wasn't super strong. They have a good sized drinks and food menu. The skull theme of the restaurant was a nice touch on the walls and on their glasses. I got the pulled pork quesadillas and the chili con carne nachos. I loved how they had individual nachos, each sprinkled with equal amounts of cheese and meat. The employees were super friendly and shout out for the complimentary shots!

As a native Californian who is used to a 50% diet of Mexican food when I'm in the States, I have…read morebeen on a long search for a more authentic Mexican restaurant in Hong Kong. And El Macho comes REALLY close. The food is spicy - fajitas, burritos, quesadillas are all fantastic. I've tried the steak and pulled pork versions and love both. I don't recommend the tacos because if it's not deep fried, why is it served in a hard shell? Should be soft corn tortillas or not at all. They have different tortilla options, which is interesting - spinach, tomato, or flour. The jalapeno margarita set my mouth on fire in the best way. Things they're missing - salsa verde, free chips and salsa to start, an appetizer with just guac and chips. Things that are great - the decorations, the playlist, the glasses, the bartenders, the coziness, the spice, the margaritas. This just might become my new hangout.

The dining area is quite intimate in the evening, having dim lighting and having only a handful of…read moretables on this floor. This made the space quite comfortable yet elegant at the same time. Service was attentive without it being overbearing--helpful with the dish selection as well. We thought the dishes were great from start to finish. The burrata was creamy, complimented by the tart and sweet grilled peach while being cut by the savory cured meats. I ordered the lamb medium-rare and really enjoyed how it was prepared, and the pasta dishes similarly turned out delicious. We felt like the presentation of the dishes were very thoughtful on top of its great taste. Both desserts were a necessary closing of the meal--the creaminess of the tiramisu and panna cotta was not overbearing and helped highlight the respective flavors of coffee and fruit in these desserts!

It was my first time dining at Pirata and I enjoyed the vibrant and welcoming atmosphere…read more On this occasion, they were launching their weekly lunch buffet, which features a different selection of appetizers spread out beautifully. I am also big on dessert so the new tiramisu recipe was particularly noteworthy, standing out from others that I've tried. Kudos to Boris and Elle for their attentive service; they frequently checked in on us and ensured our comfort. Overall, my visit to Pirata was a delightful experience that I look forward to repeating. Thank you Pirata Group.

The Food: Exceptional Quality The highlight of the meal was…read moreeasily the food. We ordered the 14 oz. Ribeye Steak with a side of sweet potato, and it was cooked beautifully and full of flavor. We also added the Chili Fries (an $18 upgrade), which were a fantastic, hearty addition. The T-Bone Steak was equally impressive--juicy, tender, and perfectly prepared. If you are coming here for a quality steak dinner, the kitchen absolutely delivers. The Service: Disappointing and Unprofessional While the kitchen staff shined, the floor service left a lot to be desired. A worker named Amy was walking around passing out balloons to guests. When my daughter politely asked for one, the staff member Amy unfortunately chose to criticize her for being "older" before finally giving in and handing one over. It was an uncalled-for and uncomfortable interaction that cast a shadow over what should have been a fun family dinner. The Ambience: High Energy The atmosphere at Dan Ryan's is incredibly hyper and high-energy. It has a vibrant, bustling classic American restaurant buzz. While it might be a bit loud if you are looking for a quiet, intimate chat, it definitely keeps the energy levels high throughout the night.

This one of the other outlets of Dan Ryan's, conveniently located in the Ocean Terminal. And it is…read morefinally back! It was in the OT for a long time, then the mall management wanted them to try another concept which didn't work at all. So they changed back to Dan Ryan's. If you want American comfort food, this is the place to go. The setting is simple and rustic. Service is quick, friendly and efficient. The wine list short which is absolutely fine for this place. The selection of beer and other spirits is much better. The food selection is excellent and the portions generous. From my point of view the ribs are the best in town. My other favorites include chicken strips, Nachos, Caesar salad and the burger. Excellent value for money.

They treat people with lots of care. But one thing they need to change is the staff, whenever…read moresomeone leaves they think it's a restaurant so they think they don't need to clean for them selfs. They leave their cups on the table and empty trays!! Like girl I just wanna find a place to eat and every where I go trays, crumbs like clean do your job. Your getting paid not to do your job this is ridiculous!! We pay 116Hkd for drink, burger/hotdog/ beverage. I'm not sure how much you get paid but this is ridiculous. I'm taking away 2 stars. The food is amazingly good. The burger is like 5 star buffet meet like wagyu steak. The fries are super good especially the ones with cheese on them..

After seeing Shake Shacks in Korea, Thailand, Malaysia, and China on this trip, I just had to try…read moreit Hong Kong to see what it's all about. Looks like it's known for its Angus beef from "humanely fed" cows. I ordered the "steak" Burger which really a fresh Burger patty with the carbonara shake. Great Burger. Just wish it was a bit hotter and juicer. The shake was interesting with, of all things, bacon bits on top of the whipped cream. It's was far too sweet and I couldn't finish it, which is rare. The price is right. I also went to the one at Harbour Terminal which offered a window seat with the panoramic night harbour view. And for the same price, that's a deal.