If you are into authentic no-frills yakiniku joint, the newly opened Yakiniku Tanaka that has taken over the space of Foolsmate Yakiniku at St Francis Street is for you. Literally a hole in the wall operation, Tanaka San serves only fresh cuts of premium wagyu beef that he personally sourced from Japan. The night of our visit we ordered a mixed platter of sirloin, rump and galbi and a side of ox tongue. Meat was tender and flavourful. We also loved the salad in mayo and mustard dressing. Very refreshing and pungent. Will definitely revisit to try other cuts of beef!

Enishi Another one commended by the Incredibly Judgmental Food Critic. To be honest, going forward I will read his critic with a pinch of salt. All I can say is fair execution. Nothing particularly memorable. The only dish that D praised was the firefly squid and watercress dumplings, which I agree was something that slightly stood out that evening. Items that should have been the star of the evening (like the awabi and the A5 Wagyu Tenderloin) were bland. Given the price point, I would only revisit it if it is absolutely necessary.

Sick! Burger Another one commended by the Incredibly Judgmental Food Critic. Opened by the very experienced former Head Chef of The Hong Kong Club. Chef Lai leveraged his culinary skills gained from Robuchon au Dome, Frantzen, Tom Aikens, Alinea and La Vie to make quality burgers with flavours not available elsewhere in Hong Kong. I have tried their 招牌牛肉漢堡 (Sick! Burger) that comprises Angus Beef Patty, Plum Jam, Lettuce, House Sauce, Cheddar, Yuzu, Onion Relish and Carmelized Onion with scramble eggs as add-on.The flavour was right but I found the beef patty rather thin. The usual satisfaction that comes from biting into a big fat juicy burger is lacking. It might be better had I ordered a double decker. I have also tried their 雞肉漢堡 (Sick! chicken Burger), the composition of which is rather interesting, which comprises Masala and Buttermilk Marinated chicken, Coleslaw, Shiso Leave, Lemon Zest, Red Onion Relish, and Caesar sauce. Loved the unique flavour profile. The sides were well thought out too. I have tried their 金沙黃紫菜薯條 (Salty Egg F.F.) and their regular fries. I would suggest ordering the latter to balance out the flavourful burgers, as the salty egg French fries are indeed salty! Milkshakes are must-order. I have tried their 香芋維他奶Sick! Loved it!! Not only it has the right amount of sweetness and density, it even has taro balls and bits of honeycomb added on top 😻 Devilish treat!

福晉薈 The location is interesting - tucked away inside a commercial building at San Po Kong. An inconspicuous spot that one would not pay much attention to but for friend’s referrals. Interior is akin to a 屋邨茶樓。No-frills and unpretentious. Food-wise, fair execution. Particularly memorable items for me were the 金箔欖角一字骨 and 拔絲咕嚕黑豚肉, both of which were perfectly cooked with a nice crispy exterior. The preordered 星洲胡椒炒肉蟹 was very meaty and pretty pungent. Those who are into spicy food said it was finger-licking good. Overall, nice venue for family gatherings.

The Mussels As the food quality of certain Belgium restaurant chain has gotten worse by the day, The Mussels has been my go-to for a proper mussel fix. Their mussels are meaty and plump. And they have a range of base to choose from. Particularly love their Japanese Style Yuzu Kosho Mussels (Yuzu Pepper, Cream, Kaffir Lime Leaves, shallot and garlic), so very fresh and tangy - perfect for a summer lunch overlooking the Victoria Harbour.

城中小閣 A meal that gained a lot of traction lately. Many queried whether it was good and how long was the wait. The wait wasn’t long, approximately 1-month advance booking would suffice. The question we should be asking instead is was it worth the wait? I’d say there were hits-and-misses along the way. Memorable items include appetiser braised pork tendon (白灼鮮豬蹄筋), lobster (one served in lettuce wraps, one served with steamed egg) (龍騰四海), Leopard coral grouper in seafood broth with rice crispies (海鮮湯脆米蒸海東星 ) and the Fried Pork Ribs with Chinese Black Olives (欖角脆口金沙腩). The pork tendon was meaty and tender. The lobster was done just right and delightfully complemented by the silky smooth steamed egg. The grouper was definitely the showstopper of the evening-a lot of oohhs and aahhs when server poured the umami packed seafood broth over the grouper and rice crispies. The pork ribs had a light crispy battered exterior and juicy interior. The major let downs for me was the Steamed Flowery Crab with Aged Shaoxing Wine. The crab was thin and there was hardly any Shaoxing wine in the dish. It would have been better had the kitchen added an additional splash of Shaoxing wine over the crab before service. Otherwise the fragrance from the alcohol content of the wine would have been evaporated when the crab was being steamed. The mapo tofu fish maw rice at the end was also a disappointment. The fish maw was not thoroughly cooked and it was not as gelatinous as one would expect. Overall, I’d say it was worth giving it a try.

Throwback lunch at Cristal in late March. This is a restaurant that I was hesitant to visit after the underwhelming experience at P late last year - so much so that I didn’t even bother to write about it (and P is just 2 blocks away from Cristal and was said to be the most anticipated opening in 2023 🤔). Perhaps because of this mindset, the complete lack of expectation plus the company of J and E, the meal at Cristal was enjoyable. Decor was top notch. Loved the open kitchen that patrons get to see the Chef in action and the Baccarat crystal glassware. In terms of the meal, perfect execution from start to finish. Standouts for me include the Chinese peas from Yunnan, geranium rosat leaves and Gyokuro with Kaviari Oscietra caviar. Aesthetically pleasing and a harmonious symphony of spring flavours. Their interpretation of St Marcellin cheese in an iced mochi with smoked Madagascar vanilla was intriguingly delicious - especially for a mochi lover like me, it was heaven sent. The usual heaviness of cheese was removed yet its tantalising flavours were retained. I do not have a sweet tooth but their signature Le Millefeuille blanc (Tahitian vanilla, jasmine jelly with Voatsiperifery pepper cloud) was sublime. Not overpoweringly sweet and it was, as Cristal aptly described it, light and fluffy like a bite of cloud. It would be better had its flavour profile been more diverse, perhaps a smidge of yuzu might had it altogether elevated. Currently the flavour profile is rather singular and monotonousThat said, it was an overall delightful meal and an opulent affair. A well deserved Michelin ⭐️earner!

While sukiyaki might be available everywhere, quality sukiyakis are hard to come by, especially ones that are as sophisticated as Sukiyaki Nakagawa. Taking over the space of Sushi Houzan, Sukiyaki Nakagawa is now opened adjacent to Teppanyaki Mihara Goten at Cubus, serving authentic Kansai-style sukiyaki. Having been a Kaiseki chef for over 25 years (6 of which spent at The Okura’s outpost in Amsterdam), the menu curated by Chef Kazuyuki Itagaki San is refined and meticulous. I particularly liked the effort that he and his team put into items such as marinating toro in a rare unfiltered soy sauce that they source from Wakayama from 1 of the 2 oldest soy sauce refineries in Japan. The same soy sauce is fine tuned by Chef Itagaki San for their sukiyaki base, giving the base a distinctive depth and a significant reduction in sweetness that the usual sukiyaki sauce has, which I liked a lot. I also loved the seared foie gras served atop a velvety french toast that was dipped in soy milk and egg yolk before frying. Even for someone like me who isn’t into foie gras found it delectable. Wagyu lovers would like know that they only serve prized Matsusaka beef, rare Oita beef from the Fuji Farm and carefully curated Hokkaido beef. The meal ended with a bang, serving wagyu beef and sea urchin claypot cooked ゆめぴりか 夢美人米 😻 Addictive!

Sage & Salt Another newish addition to the QB culinary scene. Serving Asian cuisine. Good vibe and full house during lunch hour. Giving it a go as it is conveniently located at the ground floor of the building right next to my office. N and I ordered Thai Beef Fajitas and Thai Chicken Green Curry. The salad that came before the main was bland. The greens were not fresh. The curry was watery. Chicken was a tad overcooked. Instead of tiny eggplants, they added cabbage into the mix 🧐 Had a bite of the beef that N ordered. Flavour was alright but the texture of the meat was a bit off. Properly put too much baking soda for tenderising the meat. Overall, I would not return unless strictly necessary.

Kamosu About 2 weeks ago, the Incredibly Judgmental IG Food Critic mentioned on story that it is a shame that quality Japanese restaurants like Kamosu are closing down. I haven’t been to Kamosu before but having heard him commending it (which he rarely does), I immediately made a lunch reservation. Upon arrival, I was surprised that we were the only patrons. Head Chef Nishimura Yukou served us himself. Foodie circle would be familiar with Chef Nishimura san’s late father, who used to run Nishimura Restaurant and Fukumura Japanese Restaurant at TST. Chef Nishimura San is incredibly young, skilled and friendly. Conversant in Cantonese, English and Japanese, he told us that he started his culinary journey with his late father. He then went to hone his skills at a restaurant in Ginza, Tokyo. Lunch was nicely done. My favourite was the hanasanshou, Sakuradai fish roe ball and takenoko - An elegant symphony of seasonal spring flavours. My other favourite was the tonkatsu that was served at the end. The exterior was crispy and light. The interior was tender and succulent. It would be perfect had the fat and protein proportion were slightly more balanced. A couple of days later, I brought a bigger group over for dinner. It was full house that evening. The meal that evening, to be honest, was a bit of a let down comparing to the lunch that I had earlier. That said, the firefly squid claypot rice was sublime. I asked for a second even though I was very much full to the brim. Wishing Chef Nishimura San the very best in his next chapter!