The Lot on Possession

My search for a decent hamburger in Hong Kong has always been somewhat frustrating.  I’ve always thought that it should be easy to find a quality burger at a reasonable price, but it has proved to be a trying task.  Lately, it seems that there are more restaurants catering to the carnivorous crowd, so let’s resume the search.

The Lot on Possession recently opened in Sheung Wan, and their menu prominently features burgers.  I visited recently with a friend, and we both ordered the “No. 1” burger, which I recall is made with Australian Wagyu and served on a reasonably substantial bun with a tiny side salad.

I ordered the burger rare and it arrived suitably red in the center.  My friend ordered a side of fries, which were shoestring-cut and crispy on arrival.

I like to eat my burger and fries with ketchup, so I asked our server for some, as there is no ketchup bottle on the table.  She brought me a tiny saucer with a correspondingly meagre squirt of ketchup.  While it was tasty, I used all of it in two minutes and asked for more.  She brought me another tiny saucer and noticed the quizzical look on my face.

“Is there a ketchup shortage?” I asked, in a not-very-joking way.  “No, no,” she laughed.

Two minutes later, I asked for more ketchup, which she brought on another tiny saucer.

Four minutes later, I asked for a fourth portion of ketchup, with increasing irritation visible on my face.

Five minutes after that, I asked for a fifth and final portion of ketchup, while vowing never to return.

The burger was quite good – cooked to the correct temperature, moist and juicy inside, and served on a substantial bun.  In fact, it’s probably the best burger I’ve had in Hong Kong in a few years.  The fries were not terrible, either.

But if you charge HKD 120 for a burger, and make me ask for ketchup five times, I will never come back.

Food: B
Environment: B
Service: F
Value: C

The Lot on Possession (OpenRice link)
22 Possession Street
Sheung Wan, Hong Kong [map]
+852 2576 7700

Teakha

One of the things I like most about Hong Kong is the energy, excitement, and near-frantic pace of life.  The city is almost offensively vibrant, teeming with people who are On Their Way Up or simply scratching to survive.  Young and old alike are in constant motion, even on the many trails that course through the green spaces far away from 7-Elevens and HSBC ATMs.

The downside of this intensity is the lack of spaces that are calm.  Most cafes are frenetic, exemplified by the local cha chaan tengs who generally want you to order, eat, and pay as quickly as possible.  Understandable, certainly, but not conducive to working your way through the NYT Sunday Edition or the FT Weekend crossword.

Enter Teakha with its tranquil space just off Tai Ping Shan Street in Sheung Wan.  It’s a beautiful shop, with canisters of tea stacked on shelves and the delightful scent of fresh pastries wafting through the air.  On weekends, you might find a couple musicians out back, singing to the patrons on street.  It’s a lovely scene in a quiet setting.

Teakha serve food, but I’ve never eaten any – the gravitational force of their tea and pastry is simply too strong.  Among many options, they serve authentic Hong Kong milk tea, and it’s made on demand – freshly boiled, richly flavored, and not too sweet.

The Thai iced tea is also classic and spectacular.  I highly recommend it for hot days, especially if you’re sitting outside.

The pastries are numerous and quite innovative.  On my last visit I sampled the yuzu financier, and the slight tartness of the yuzu was a nice balance to the the richness of the financier.

Nana, the founder of Teakha, carriers herself with a preternatural grace, even when the shop is bursting with patrons, which happens regularly on weekend afternoons.  She’ll often ask you what you think of the flavors as they are continually tuning the recipes.  I will admit that I am a little intimidated to give any opinion, seeing as how she exists on an astral tea plane far above any I will ever glimpse.  That, and the tea and pastries are already perfect.

The shop is quite small, seating perhaps ten people inside, and another 10-15 outside.  If it’s crowded, don’t panic, just order a tea to go and take a walk around the neighborhood, which is filled with interesting galleries and lifestyle stores.

Teakha has a certain magic around its tea, snacks, and location that makes it an experience unlike any other in Hong Kong today.  They take their tea very seriously, and the care and precision that goes into each cup shines through in every sip.

Teakha
18 Tai Ping Shan Street
Sheung Wan, Hong Kong [map]
2858 9185

 

Heirloom

The gentrification of Sheung Wan continues with Heirloom, a new restaurant on Hollywood Road, a stone’s throw west of 208 and directly across from the brightly painted entrance gate of Hollywood Road Park.

Pisco and K dropped by as we heard that they had tacos on the menu, and if there is something that Hong Kong desperately needs, it’s more tacos.  We arrived around dusk and sat at a table adjacent to the sidewalk.  The space on the ground level was completely open and the opportunity to dine al fresco on this mild evening was wonderful.  More tables are located upstairs on the first floor, where bookings are accommodated.

The menu is relatively compact, with sections listing tacos, appetizers, sandwiches, mains/larger plates, and desserts.  Sandwiches were not available at dinner, although it was not clear if that was standard policy or a one-off on this evening.

Heirloom offers four kinds of taco: carnitas, fish, black bean, and chicken mole.  We chose two fish tacos, one carnitas, and one chicken mole.  The salads look interesting, so we ordered a Balinese salad, with red cabbage, chopped long beans, kaffir lime leaf, and chicken, with a lime/lemongrass dressing.

The server informed me that the chicken in the salad would be 30 dollars extra, even though the description on the menu included chicken and had no mention of a surcharge.  Note to management: make sure your menu clearly communicates pricing.  While the dollar value of the charge is not large, it left a bad taste in my mouth (figuratively) and felt unprofessional, as it wasn’t clear if it was a menu printing error or if they had just changed the price in the few weeks they had been open.

I declined the chicken upsell.

The salad arrived first, and it is a colorful explosion of a dish, with a few slices of avocado lying on a Jackson Pollock mess of shredded purple cabbage.  Small bits of long beans are scattered throughout.  The texture and taste were quite good, with the rich avocado serving as a counterpoint to the crisp cabbage.  The taste of kaffir lime leaf is quite strong; some may feel it’s overpowering but I quite liked it.  Overall the salad has a refreshing taste and something I would order again on a humid summer night.

It is an absolutely monstrous portion, and I find it unlikely that one person would be able to finish it.  Our party of two barely finished it.

Of course, when the tacos arrived, I realized why we would need to finish the salad.  There is no diplomatic way to say this, so let’s just state that the tacos are small.  Diminutive.  Larger than microscopic, as they are visible with the naked eye; a crestfallen eye undoubtedly moistened with sadness and disappointment.

The tacos are served on small corn tortillas, but they use one per taco, where most tacos I’ve eaten are served on two (long internet debate; TL;DR – it depends).  It did not help that they were a little greasy, either, so some of the tacos ended up being greasy globs of goodness (look at the carnitas, front left in photo) wrapped in a greasy tortilla that was practically falling apart.  Not exactly what I wanted in my taco.

The taco fillings are generally delicious, if limited in quantity due to the single-tortilla policy.  The whitefish tacos were perfect, with the chunks of fish meat cooked just right so they were done but not falling apart.  The carnitas was competent if not spectacular.  The chicken mole was a little tough and forgettable, but as nothing can come close to the mole I regularly ate at La Carta de Oaxaca, you should probably order it and judge for yourself.

If the fish tacos were doubled in size, three would make a decent meal.  As it stands, you probably need to order eighteen to fill your belly.  Alternatively, order the Balinese salad and you will be fine.

The space at Heirloom is literally a breath of fresh air, and the actual food is promising; I am sure the execution will improve as they have just opened.  I salute the ambition of the menu to combine some traditional Mexican flavors with an Asian twist (eg, lemongrass and kaffir lime leaf).  Nobody else in town is exploring this palette of flavors and they deserve to be tried at least once.

The one aspect of the experience that prevents me from recommending repeat visits is the price.  One salad, four tacos, and a cup of tea ran 263 HKD with no service charge; I added a modest 10% gratuity, bringing the total for the meal to a frankly extortionate 290 HKD.

As expat incursions continue eastward, I am quite certain Heirloom will be successful, overrun with a stream of guests hopping out of taxis that were hailed in Mid-Levels.

But if I see any of them misbehaving at Mr Taco Truck in Quarry Bay, while I am eating the best tacos in Hong Kong and drowning in horchata, you will hear from me.

Food: B+
Ambiance: A
Service: C
Value: D
Overall: C+

Heirloom
226 Hollywood Road
Sheung Wan, Hong Kong
+852 2547 8008
[map]

Pizzeria Jacomax

While Hong Kong in general has amazing food, the landscape of available global cuisine does have several stadium-sized craters in it.  Italian food is one of those areas.  Yes, you can go to Va Bene, and it will taste good, but it’s not an everyday place for most folks.  Posto Pubblico is closer, but it doesn’t quite match my need for “everyday Italian”.  My hat is always tipped to the kind folks at ABC Kitchen, but they are so damn busy you can never go there on a whim.  And pizza… forget about it.

Until now.

Pizzeria Jacomax recently opened in Sheung Wan.  It’s a small pizza joint that actually feels relaxed and cozy, nestled near the entrance to the MTR station on Wing Lok St.  The menu claims authenticity from the fact that the proprietors lived IN NEW YORK CITY, which I suppose is reasonable.  Not everyone can claim to be from Napoli, after all.

On to the pizza.  We ordered the crudo, which has prosciutto, shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano, and rocket over a light tomato sauce sprinkled with mozzarella.  The crust was thin, flavorful, and had a crispness that I had never before tasted in Hong Kong (I’m looking at you, 208, with your soggy fare).  The toppings were just right – enough to provide a combination of flavors, but not enough to overload the slice.  Everything tasted fresh, but it was truly the crust that stole my heart.

We ordered a dinner set for two, which included a salad, pizza, and two drinks for around 200 HKD.

Finally, an everyday pizzeria in the neighborhood, with spectacular food!

Food: A
Service: A
Ambiance: A
Value: B
Overall: A-

Pizzeria Jacomax
38-42 Wing Lok St
Sheung Wan, Hong Kong [map]
+852 2851 4688

Cafe Loisl

Cafe Loisl, a new Viennese café, just opened in Sheung Wan on Tai On Terrace, about midway up the Pound Lane staircase between Hollywood Road and Hospital Road.  It is a surprisingly authentic rendition, and you will actually feel as if you are in Austria the moment you step onto the small front terrace.  Everything from the lights, counter, pastry selection, and the coffee will make you think that you are in Europe.  So much so that I was mildly disappointed to see a copy of the SCPM on the table – I expected Die Presse.

The barista, Franck Chan, is passionate about his coffee.  Seriously passionate.  He clearly knows his craft, having worked in several countries with top-notch purveyors, and he can expound at length on the various coffees available in the city (abbreviated summary: there is no other good coffee available in the city).  He knows who roasts the best blend, who pulls the best shot, and who is helping cultivate a coffee culture  in this tea-based town.  The memory of our conversation will, I am sure, haunt me every time I am forced to get a coffee at the multinational coffee empire’s kiosk in my building.  Franck would never be caught in one of those joints – it would be like finding Jacques Pépin at a McDonald’s.

The coffee itself was delightful.  Pisco ordered a macchiato, and Franck prepared it with the care and attention of a brain surgeon at work.  The current blend (Franck calls it the “E” blend) is somewhat light, a medium roast that is mellow on the palate and relatively low in caffeine.  The blends will rotate so be sure to ask which blend is available to match your desired flavor profile.

No decaffeinated coffee is served.

The café is not fully ready yet – they are waiting for Euro-spec furniture to arrive – but the coffee and atmosphere are unique to Hong Kong and well worth a visit in this gem of a neighborhood.  In time, there will be an art gallery in the adjoining space; a common setup in Vienna that would make it an even more attractive destination.

Cafe Loisl is a wonderful, unique find, and you should make a point to visit and savor an excellent coffee in a first-class setting.

Cafe Loisl
G/F, Shop A, 8 Tai On Terrace
Sheung Wan, Hong Kong
+852 9179 0209
[map]

Review: Serenade

Serenade, a new Italian restaurant, just opened in Sheung Wan.  It’s across from Hollywood Road Park, so you can see trees while you eat – a rare and pleasant sight in this town.

The interior has a somewhat severe aspect to it, having been decorated mostly in grey concrete and muted tones.  The lights are fantastic – plexiglass globes suspended from the ceiling with small light bulbs inside.   A wine rack runs along one wall, and there are seats for around 20 diners in the room.  Further in, a semi-open kitchen is visible, and there is a short bar with a few stools.  The music was relaxing and the overall environment was quite calm.

I can’t remember what the tables look like, but the chairs are bent plywood and comfortable enough for an hour, though probably not much more.

The menu is extensive with 50+ items on it.  I usually get nervous with such large selections (how can you really be good at such a wide variety of dishes?) but it will take a few return visits to learn the best choices.  Admittedly, Pisco is not an expert on Italian cuisine, but it was not apparent if there are any specific regions that inspired the menu (Tuscany, Emilia-Romagna, Piedmonte, etc).

Pisco and K shared a plate of mussels to start – the mussels were large, plump, and flavorful; hands down it’s the best plate of mussels I’ve had in HK, even beating out Frites due to the consistency of the large mussel size.  The broth was delicious and garlicky, without too much butter.  Yes, we mopped up the broth with the bread.  A clear A grade except for the bread, which, being spongy and flaccid, receives a D.

For mains, both of us ordered the crab linguine.  K originally wanted the linguine alle vongole but they were out of clams (helpful tip to server: the correct pronunciation of ‘vongole’ has three syllables, and does not rhyme with ‘Mongol’).  The linguine comes on a plate that is the size of a 12-inch

record, for those of you who are old enough to have ever seen one.  There is a large Asian pear-sized grapefruit-sized depression in the centre where they place the actual food – see photo.  The pasta was a little overcooked, but certainly edible, and the crab was rich and flavorful.  K remarked that it felt a little flat, and it was true that a shot of lemon juice could have brightened the flavor substantially.  Nonetheless it is a solid effort, adequate in quantity, and I would return to try it again.  Grade: B.

For dessert we split an orange soufflé.  It came out hot, fully inflated, and gently flavored of orange – a competent execution of a non-trivial item.

Orange soufflé

The service is reasonably competent and probably above the normal HK standard.  That said, I do not enjoy the constant requests of “Would you like to try our X dish which is amazing tonight?”  No, thank you, I don’t want another starter, I don’t want a glass of wine, and I don’t want the chocolate dessert.  How about you let me tell you what I want?  I appreciate the need to upsell but my tolerance in this area is quite limited as it detracts from my overall dining experience.

A plate of mussels, two plates of pasta, one soufflé, and a bottle of Pellegrino ran around 570 HKD.

Finally, one note on the name: searching for “serenade hong kong” brings up two other well-known entities of that name (one residential complex, one other restaurant company).  It’s not easy to find online, and the nonexistent website does not help matters at all.  Serenade should consider boosting their online presence as other customers who do not live so close may not bother with the effort to find it.

Ambiance: B+
Food: B
Service: B-
Value: B-
Overall: B

Serenade
Hollywood Road, across from Hollywood Road Park
Sheung Wan, Hong Kong
[map]

Kiyotaki

Pisco dropped into Kiyotaki on Gough Street for a late dinner, and arrived just as last orders were called.  The small room was nearly empty but the bar was full with four or five drunk locals enjoying their Friday evening.  It is a very loud and festive place when the bar is full, as it’s always been during my visits.

Here’s what we had:

• Large sushi plate – around seven pieces of fish, all excellent.  I wrapped the shiso leaf around a piece of albacore.  Delicious.
• Grilled chicken with basil – superb.  There was some umeboshi on the line of sauce on the skewer, which might have included red miso.  An excellent combination and the best dish of the evening.
• Cold vegetables – a few pieces of asparagus lounged over small rolls of vegetables.  The asparagus were delicious on this hot night, but the rolls were a little large for my taste – too large to fit in one’s mouth comfortably, but they would fall apart if you tried to divide them.
• Yaki-Onigiri – good size, crispy exterior
• Grilled squid – one whole squid, nicely grilled, some kind of dark, thick sauce on the plate, with shredded ginger on the side.  Very tasty.
• Soba noodles – a plate of cold noodles, with dipping sauce on the side.  It came with what appeared to be a tiny duck egg, open at the top, which we poured over the noodles.  Delicious!

The group at the bar drank all night, getting louder and louder – they were having such a good time that it really added to the ambiance.

The bill came to around HKD 480 for two people.

Bubble Tea

Pisco loves bubble tea.  It’s an acquired taste, perhaps, as the flavor and texture are completely alien to a non-local palate, but once you begin to like it, life suddenly becomes worth living again.  I’ve tried three local (Sheung Wan) tea shops and here are my recommendations.

Saint’s Alp Teahouse near Western Market serves a great bubble tea in their brightly coloured cafes (several HK locations). They claim to have introduced Taiwan-style bubble tea to Hong Kong when their Mong Kok location opened in 1994.  Their customization options are somewhat limited (or at least, it is not obvious to me how to customize your order), but they put the tea in a shaker machine so it arrives with a nice 2cm frothy head on it.  A great way to cool down on a hot day – I recommend enjoying your order in their heavily air-conditioned location.

Gong Cha is an actual Taiwanese chain that seems to be acquiring a devoted following in Hong Kong – note the long lines at most locations.  Their tiny stalls serve takeout-only drinks, and they have numerous customization options (tea flavor, tapioca/other additions, ice, sugar).  I’ve had teas from their Sheung Wan and Aberdeen locations, and they are indeed quite good.  However, the last bubble tea I ordered was not quite cold enough, and the tea had enough caffeine in it to set my heart aflutter for the remains of the day.  They may shake their tea but I didn’t notice any significant froth in the plastic cup.  Nonetheless, they are a solid shop that deserves a visit (or three).  12 HKD

Tea Bread just opened a location in Sheung Wan, on the corner of Jervois and Morrison.  They also have customization options for tea flavor, additions, ice, and sugar.  I found their tea to be mild (ie, not overly caffeinated), their tapioca firm, and the ice cold.  Tea Bread bubble tea is my favorite afternoon treat, and at 10 HKD it’s quite economical; I only hope they can stay in business!  The drinks are made behind a black curtain, but I once spotted the back room acolytes furiously shaking the tea, and the resulting frothy mix was all the more delicious.  Tea Bread also slips a paper cover around the plastic cup, so your tender hands are protected from the icy contents, and they stay dry even though the condensation will rain down onto your feet.  It’s a small detail but a very nice touch.  Highly recommended.

Yes, it’s now summer in Hong Kong, but with a hefty boba nai cha in hand, you will handle it with ease.

Classified

Dear Classified,

I stopped by for dinner last night, and now I’m feeling so emotional that I must write you a letter.

Let me say that I quite like your menu.  It’s short, well-curated, and generally well-executed.  So when I came across your chicken sandwich, I decided to venture outside my comfort zone and give it a try.

What came out on the plate was a rather large pile of food.  I hesitate to call it a sandwich, although I cannot deny that there were two pieces of bread, and lots of non-bread items in between them.  In some venues, the very heft of this dish would have made it a success; but here, I am not so sure.  I tried to pick up one-half of the “sandwich”, only to be awed by its height.  There was no way this monstrosity would fit into my mouth.

After a few exploratory nibbles, I decided to use the “squeeze” technique to take a proper bite.  While I was able to rip off a decent chunk of food, I immediately felt a wave of disgust as mayonnaise extruded itself through the bread and smeared all over my hands that were so carefully (yet firmly) grasping my dinner.  Anger would come later, but at that moment, I could only feel surprise and disappointment.  How could you treat me this way, Classified?  Most other upscale establishments would not grease my palms like this.  The sandwich can be interpreted in so many ways – why did you choose to go this route?  Why?

Don’t get me wrong – you do most things well.  Your olives – excellent.  Your pasta is firm, never overcooked; it’s the best in the neighborhood.  Your wine selection is broad and the overall atmosphere is very pleasant.  Everyone I see is smiling; how great is that?  It’s a rare and noteworthy sight.

Oh, and can we talk about your air conditioning?  It drips all over the small communal table just inside the entrance.  Where you put the food that I ordered.  It’s no big deal, I’ll just bring my umbrella next time.  But other patrons may not be so forgiving (unless they also come for the pasta).

All the best,
Pisco

ABC Kitchen

Every once in a while, you come across an establishment with a unique view on the eating experience.  A place where the combination of food, setting, and service is unique and special in some way.  It doesn’t happen often, but when it does, it make me sit up and take note.  ABC Kitchen is such a place.

The proprietors have carved out a niche in the “phenomenal food, crusty setting” zone of the restaurant space.  Trained at M at the Fringe, they’ve decided to serve superlative food out of the Queen Street Cooked Food Centre.  Upon entering the second-floor dining area, you’ll see seven-odd food stalls; the one with checked red tablecloths is the one you’re looking for. Some of them will have bottles of wine on them, a rare sight in an HK food centre.

Here’s what we ordered:

• Soft shell crab with aioli – superb.  Perfectly fried, and the aioli was a nice counterpoint to the rich, meaty crab
• Roast suckling pig – everyone was ordering this dish; we saw five or six orders go out while we were eating.  The skin crackles, the fat melts in your mouth, and the meat is tender.  A wonderful dish.
• Tuna steak – very good.  We asked for the steak to be rare, and it came out slightly overdone, but it was a well-executed dish, crusted with various crunchy bits to give it some texture.

We started with a basket of fresh, warm bread – a mixture of soft baguette pieces and chunky cubes of focaccia.  You will want to eat all of it; resist the temptation, as the upcoming food is worth it.

The pig is a very savory dish, and I advise ordering it as your last item.  I made the mistake of eating the suckling pig before the tuna, which it clearly overpowers.  Reverse the order and you will have a better experience.  In an ideal world, our server would have suggested the right order, but our world, sadly, is not ideal – though really, one shouldn’t quibble.

Wine is available by the glass and bottle.

Three plates and two glasses of serviceable red totaled around 400 HKD.  Booking in advance is advised – they appear to be busy.

Food: A-
Service: C
Setting: C+
Value: B

ABC Kitchen
Queen Street Cooked Food Centre
1 Queen St
Sheung Wan
+852 9278 8227
[map]