A decent quality Japanese restaurant located in Langham Place. Since I was a hotel guest at Langham…read morePlace, I got 15% discount. This is a nice place to have a quiet relaxing meal when you are craving for a comfort food. After weeks of eating out everyday during my business trip, I lost appetite and all I wanted to eat was zaru soba, which Tokoro happened to have on the menu even though their specialty is robatayaki. Their robatayaki is good too!

The beef trio with Australian, American and Wagyu beef was pretty good, though a little rare and…read morefatty for my liking, but likely would be good for those who are into that. The spicey tuna roll was excellent and the ginger- fresh as it gets. However, the real notable part of this experience was the service. We've spent the last two weeks in multiple Asian countries, eating out most nights and the attentiveness and courteous of the service here was the best on our entire trip.

I remembered when Cafe Deadend first opened its doors it generated so much media hype it was…read moreimpossible to get a table without waiting in line for hours. That's enough to push a lot of people away and/or make any decent food lost its taste. Luckily they are located in a "deadend" so unless you are a determined foodie, regular people don't come here :P The media hype has since died down and there is no longer the ridiculous queue. In fact, I am glad this place is still around (as many don't). The food and coffee is still as good I remembered and it is still a cash business. However, without the grumpy (and hungry) eaters staring at you waiting eagerly for your table, I found my experience very enjoyable. I should come back more frequent now :)

For a cafe in the SoHo vicinity, I expect nothing less than 100% hipster--and that exactly…read moredescribes every component of my visit to Cafe Deadend: brunch items with liberal use of runny eggs, crafty photogenic pastries, a posh ambiance that looks like a Tumblr photoset in real life, a whimsically obscure location, limited seating that gets crowded easily, Instagramable latte art, a paper menu that looks seasonal, coffee campers with shiny Macbooks, and unfortunately, a slightly marked-up pricing for the complete hipster dining experience. [THE GOOD] The highlight was definitely the apple tart--somehow they came up with the ingenious idea of taking a whole apple and building the tart around it. It comes out horizontally sliced (and thankfully de-seeded) in a unique presentation and a nice, strong apple taste that goes great with the caramel sauce, pistachio topping, and vanilla ice cream. [THE MEDIOCRE] I got the steak salad because I always find myself vegetable-deficient and craving salads when I'm in HK. It was quite good and the portion size was okay. My friends got a BLT and a ham sandwich with which they were generally satisfied. However there was nothing particularly special about the food and it was wayyyyy pricey. At first it seemed rather normal to me coming from the exalted San Franciscan standard of living, but for this price in SF at least I would get local/organic/fair trade/etc etc and mind-blowing quality, but Cafe Deadend turned out to be rather mediocre. My friends also reminded me of how expensive HK$80+ sandos and sandwiches are when there is in all the yummy and cost-effective glory of HK food. [THE BAD] A bunch of my friends developed mosquito bites after our lunch here :/ Not sure if it's something in the cafe or from the semi-wilderness of the Mid-Levels neighborhood. [THE VERDICT] If you are into hipster things, this is your natural habitat. If you are looking for good food, try the apple tart. If you are looking for cost-effective food, Cafe Deadend might be a bit of a dead end.

Finally, a coffeehouse serving legit coffee in the Happy Valley neighborhood!…read more Before Happy Alley Coffee Bar's arrival, our choices included Starbucks and Pacific Coffee... not great, as both have a decidedly corporate feel. So obviously, HACB is the breath of fresh air we've been awaiting 'round here. My usual order is the flat white, which always has that signature delicate flavor and the perfect amount of microfoam. They use Julius Meinl beans, an Austrian brand I first got into when I was living in Chicago! Very good stuff. In addition to coffee drinks, HACB also serves wine, Steigl draft and grapefruit and lemon radlers, and even basic cocktails. And because they allow our furry friends to join us on the small patio, it's quickly becoming a favorite after-work spot for indulging in adult beverages as well. My only gripe is that it appears all of their food is sourced from local chain Classified. I really, really detest Classfied's subpar, overpriced grub, so hopefully HACB has future plans to get access to better food options. It would be the smart move, and would match their local spirit and perceived premise of being the lone independent option in a sea of neighborhood corporate coffeehouses. I genuinely hope that HACB shall prosper and stick around for the long haul! I've heard that businesses in this odd alley location tend not to survive, so drop by next time you're in the area and give HACB a try.

Happy Alley is a wonderful addition to the neighborhood. It is a small coffee bar with draft beer,…read morea good wine selection and a full cocktail menu -- and most importantly, delicious coffee! Tucked away alongside the ramp leading from Yik Yam Street down to Wong Nai Chung Road and the tram terminus area, right next to Subway. It may be easy to miss, but you shouldn't pass it by. The iced coffees are excellent, bold without being bitter and refreshing on a hot summer day. The specialty hot coffees are also equally delicious. The bar menu and reasonably-priced draft beer (Steigl only) are a welcome option that makes Happy Alley an excellent spot to hit on your way to AND from work. The interior is small with some counter seating, but there are also a few tables outside and around the side in the alley that make it a relaxing place to hang out. There is also plenty of open outdoor space to stand and hang out if the tables are occupied. This is precisely the type of establishment I was hoping would open in this space and plan to make myself a regular visitor.

If it wasn't for their bizarre policy I would have given them a 4…read more 1. They don't accept credit. 2. You cannot dine in if you don't spend a certain amount per person. My girlfriend and I came in one night to get dessert. We wanted to share a regular size bon bon (which is more than enough for two and very often shared between people). However, we were told we couldn't dine in unless we ordered something per person over a certain amount. This particular visit we didn't have enough HK cash, and they also don't take credit. So we ended up canceling our order and walking out empty handed. Before this incident we had come in during the afternoon for a pick me up sugar rush and had no problem. And we only ordered a bon bon (mini) and a juice which is less than what we would have paid for the larger size bon bon. Other than service, everything we have had is good. Watermelon Juice - So fresh, light and not too sweet. Mango Bon Bon - So delicious! The mango puree is really fresh and not too sweet. Blueberry Bon Bon - The blueberries are nice and tart just like I like them. But the puree is super sweet. You can tell they over sweeten it. It has a artificial chemical like taste. The whip they use is super light and fluffy. Pricey but great for a sugar pick me up without being too heavy. They offer free Wi-Fi and have plenty of seating.

Negatives Poor…read moreseating options, wasn't very accommodating Portion size was very small for starters Positives Water and bread came fast. Butter was spreadable Good quality soup and fresh salad Good portion sizes for mains

The Butterfly Room is inside of the Rosewood Hotel. It's classy and beautiful inside. Everything…read morelooks clean and the staff is great. While all of the cakes and treats are beautiful, they are also pricey. It's hard to say this is a good value but I also did not feel that ripped off. The popular Hokkaido Flan, known by many as Hong Kong's most expensive egg tart, was great. It doesn't seem that they put them out on display anymore. If you would like to try one, I recommend ordering online. Otherwise, your chance of randomly dropping by and finding them for sale is pretty low. I think this would be a great place to celebrate a special occasion or even to treat yourself after a good/bad day.

The thought of such an expensive dan tat hurts my brain. But after a friend convinced me to try…read moreButterfly Patisserie's Hokkaido custard flan... well... It's both ridiculous and amazing. It's technically a dan tat and is still a dan tat, yet is so rich and decadent that it's mind-bending (not blowing, just bending). It's literally still a proper egg custard tart, but so rich and luxurious it almost feels worth seven times the price of a normal one. But at seven times the price it still gives me pause, even as such a memorable experience. Rest of menu is good, high quality, but not as memorable.

Somewhat of a touristy rendition of a HK Cafe, Kai Kee gets kudos for being open later than most…read moreand offering a far more substantial menu than a majority of its competitors. Aside from the fact the place is spacious and clean (with solid bathroom action to boot!), a huge bonus is they actually bake their own egg tarts and pineapple buns, which are often sold out as soon as they become available. The only drag? The food itself. Not that the expectations are high but for the price (which is higher than average for Kowloon HK cafes) it ought to be on a slightly different level. Its not terrible, but there is a lot of room for improvement. Not sure if I'd make this part of any active rotation, but this is worth a look when nothing else is open and when HK Cafe cravings are rampant.

nicely/newly decorated interior giving it a modern look…read more service remains typical Hong Kong nonsense attitude; could seem rude to outsiders. food is on par with Hong Kong standard, along with pricing. offers an array of food from local specialties to some westernized favorites. but i would suggest to stick with the local speciality stuff. we don't go in rush hours so it wasn't difficult to find seats, but can see peak time being packed. some seating area in the back is a bit weird to get in and out, but we managed. cleaniness is alright, not spotless but not gross either. don't know if there's a restroom; never in need of it but assuming it'll be good to have. would go back for the convenience and price.

What is that smell? Wait, hold on. Stop walking. Can you smell that? It is the smell of freshly…read morebaked bread. Somewhere. Nearby. Almost there. We followed the aroma to this place - Simply Life. Oh. I have heard about this place before and I wonder if this is good or not. Given it was lunch time. Everywhere was packed with hungry customers. Including this place. Fortunate enough, this place is rather spacious and it can easily fit a large group of people. Within minutes, we got our table and the server informed us we had only 90 minutes for our meal. So let's not waste any time and ordered straight away. I love the fact that it has wide range of choices in both Asian and Western cuisine, fully catering the needs of all kind of customers and definitely a perfect place to have a gathering with friends when you do not need to worry about whether they like Asian or Western food. I absolutely loved the pumpkin soup. It is very creamy and with nice texture. You can easily smell the scent of it from afar. The price range here is around HKD$100 to HKD$200 but I find that really worthwhile. If anything, just the smell of freshly baked bread makes me very relaxed already. The pastry and the bakery here are too of fine quality. I strongly recommend getting some to take away and enjoy them during the break in the hectic afternoon. And the best part is this restaurant can fit in lots of people. Minimal waiting time.

Simply Life gets a bad rap from foodies. They (the foodies including myself) say that the…read morerestaurant suffers an identity crisis by having a full Western and Asian menu. They say that the food can be safe and boring. They say that the food has no soul, being part of the Maxim's food empire that supplies a good % of the population of Hong Kong with lowest-common-denominator-race-to-the-bottom meats and carbs. I can't disagree with any of those points but the mediocrity, un-pretentiousness and middle-of-the-road position makes Simplylife a simple choice when it comes to work lunches, large group dining, and casual dinners. It can please most food preferences (including vegetarian) while not a massive burden on the wallet. The portions are generous and staff are generally pleasant. But what I really love about Simplylife is the complimentary fresh bread that you're presented when ordering the Western soup or salad starters. They cut off a massive slab of good crusty bread from their utility boule or baguette and serve it with plenty of butter or olive oil upon request. In my experience the bread is always perfectly crusty/crisp on the outside with a crumb that is both pleasantly chewy without being overly soft or spongy. It is acceptable bread considering the city's serious lack of elite bakeries. In principle, I hate Simplylife because it represents Hong Kong's sustained support of mediocre food and pathetic baked goods. In reality, it's a fine place for a quality fill up and makes eating relatively simple.

Talk about food bringing people together! I went to Brickhouse with a girl who found my blog a…read morecouple of weeks back.  It was so nice to meet someone who loves food as much as I do, who looked up the menu in advance and knew exactly what to order. I do that all the time!  Brickhouse restored some faith that Hong Kong has some decent Mexican food to offer. New York is my yardstick for comparison.  The place is quite lively, more to hangout with friends than family. Tucked in an alley in Lan Kwai Fung or LKF, it's open for dinners through later in the nights. Loud music, colourful yet rustic decor.  I was disappointed with my drinks that were very watered down. I don't know what's with these places charging generously for measly spiked drinks.   I'd gotten the Carlito's Mezcal which had passionfruit, lime and smoked grapefruit. I did enjoy that smokiness. The Diabla 2.0 with vodka, raspberry, tamarind and habanero failed on the taste as well as the liquor content. It might as well have been a bland mocktail.  We got the Mexican street-style corn and nachos to share. The corn was good - your usual Mexican corn on the cob with anejo butter, spiced mayo and parmesan.  The nachos were corn chips topped with vegetarian chili con carne (the carrots caught my attention) and the usual fixings of guac, sour cream, cheese, onions and cilantro. While they were good, I'm not sure if that HKD 165 price tag was justified. It could've done with more toppings and bigger portion size? I don't know.  I'm still to come to terms with the HK prices. Beet fries on the menu caught our attention but we saved it for another day.  Photos on the blog - thevegetarianvoyager

Very nice "hole in the wall" location in Central. Couple buddies and I hit it up for a round of…read moredrinks and the vibes were pretty chill - it wasn't super crowded although it might've been because France was thrashing Argentina and folks were watching at another joint. Drinks were OK and the DJ honestly pretty great. Any DJ that spams Drake is OK in my book. Art on the walls in the place is gorgeous as well. A complaint, if any, is that the music was a bit loud. Would definitely come again - and I'm a fan of their salt rims!