Frank's Library [Hong Kong] - A New Bar inside a Bar, Through a Hidden Doorway in Foxglove

  After Dinner,  we were headed to Foxglove, a British Bar in Central that has garnered some followers for their fine selection of Whiskies and Cocktails.  About 45 minutes after we were sat down,  one of the owners said let's come this way and we should take a look inside...  Without any prior knowledge of its existence, we were led to a Doorway which required pressing some right keys to get into Frank's Library..

Inside Foxglove and the Performance Stage -
Where we were initially seated,  and sipping on a Woodland Breeze cocktail made of Aperol, Apple & Lemon Juice, Kaffir Lime Leaf Syrup & Egg whites - HKD $110

We were then led into Frank's Library...
A bar inside a bar, inside Foxglove.  Of which I did not take a lot of pictures in the dark.  Now if you knew about the ownership behind Foxglove,  it is owned and run by the guys behind Dr Fern's Gin Parlour,  which was instantly well received and got recognized as a Top 50 Asia Best Bars in the 2017 list...   The naming of the businesses behind Dr Fern's,  Foxglove,  Mrs Pounds and now also Frank's Library,  are all related characters from a conjured story plotline.  And Frank's Library is Frank Minza's most secluded private space..  which is here

Drinks inside Frank's Library -

Consisting mostly of rarity Whiskies and Cocktail Drinks,  which are naturally more exclusive and priced higher than outside at Foxglove

Silk Road Sour $230 -
Made with Hibiki 17 Years Old & Plum Wine

Sultan's Spice Bazaar $220 -
Cocktail with Date Sweetened Milk

America's Manhattan - $220
Leather infused Rye Whisky, etc

An Amazing Bar inside a Bar Experience -

I was totally unprepared and only tagging along for the Journey into Frank's Library, so did not ask too many questions about how to access this private bar area which has recently just opened.  Yet I think next time upon discovering the way to return back to here,  it will be a whole experience in itself again,  and there seem to be some Secret codes involved that you need to press right ~ !  Now that the Bar scene is heating up in Hong Kong and Macau,  here is another space worth exploring and is shrouded in mystery and enveloping a bit of privacy

Price:  HKD $110 to $230 + 10% Service Charge
Drinks: ♕♕♕♕ 1/2 to ♕♕♕♕♕ 1/2

Address: Inside Foxglove,  6 Duddell Street, Central

Phone: 21168949

11 Westside [Hong Kong] - NEWS: LA's Taco King Esdras Ochoa opens Mexican in Kennedy Town, Hong Kong

  Chef Esdras Ochoa of the highly regarded Salazar and Mexicali Taco from Los Angeles,  was heard a couple of months ago to be opening up a Mexican joint in Hong Kong,  and naturally this got us all excited since this is long overdue as a missing piece of the jigsaw in our City...   11 Westside is due to open soon during early to mid September in Kennedy Town,  and luckily for me,  some visitors also flying in from LA to visit our city, as well as helping here to do some promotional work and photo shooting enlisted me to join. So I caught a quick preview of what is to follow here and what we could expect from future visits to this highly anticipated opening!

11 Westside,  on the 1st Floor of Kennedy Town Building in Hong Kong -

One of the most highly anticipated Mexican openings from L.A. in 2017,  I am not usually a foodie who tries to cover new openings,  since you have to be fair and give them leeway and time to develop as a proper kitchen team,  another reason simply because as of late I found too many of them priced out of reality's range compared to overseas restaurants but the food can still be ho hum...  yet for this special occasion I did carried for once an elevated interest to tag along with my connected friends,  since I always yearned for the day Hong Kong finally has access to a very decent Mexican joint of our own.   

Paloma Cocktail -

with Tequila, Grapefruit Juice, garnished with Lime and Salt. 

Friend's drink and it looks solid than overly fanciful.  A tick in my book. 

Ceviche of Prawns and Red Snapper cooked in Citrus -

Served with Avocado, Cucumber, Tomato, Olive Oil, Cilantro, and Chips.  When this arrived it looked simple,  but what distinguishes it already from other Mexican places in town lies beneath the surface,  as the treatment of the prawn chunks is almost more Asian technique inspired...  they are chopped as larger blocks and with cut slits to absorb in a well balanced citrusy marinade.  It's not as tangy sharp or citrus 'cooked' as many Latin American or Caribbean ceviches - retaining more raw prawn & fish texture and oceanic taste.

This Prawn and Red Snapper Ceviche is more on the raw side ..

For a City full of Sashimi lovers,  this approach could fare better than an overly cured acidic version

Tommy's Margarita -

With Tequila, Agave and Lime.  Ok this was a well balanced Margarita,  I was happy to begin on this cocktail for the preview night.  It's not zealously pretentious, despite being served slightly more bold yellow than most and in a shorter Tumbler or Old Fashioned glass. 

Pork & Beef Tacos -

Al Pastor Pork with Achiote & Pineapple,  a Central Mexican taco recipe based on Lebanese Shawarma spit roast and kebabs. Well cooked with bitey texture and flavoring,  there is no mistaken identity that this was going to be anything less than authentic Mexican spirit in it's seasoning.   Followed by a Taco of Carne Asada of grilled Prime USDA beef,  served finely chopped in this recipe instead of bladed like the usual steak version,  again it smelled and tasted proper Mexican.  No cloying sweetness or jarring store bought powder pungency,  the meat remain freshly moist from grilled to order service.  All were topped with Salsa Molcajete, Guacamole, Cilantro and Onions served on hand rolled Corn tortillas...

 

The Story:  Before "11 Westside" arrived...

I read somewhere Chef Esdras might re-invent part of the menu to be more toned down localized, asianized,  to suit locals taste buds.  I felt a chill crawling down my spine from reading that sentence,  because it was precisely what we didn't need anymore of in town - anything 'Confusionized' for customers.  We needed real,  regional Mexican food or at least West Coast style recipes...  Granted a Korean Galbi or a Korrito here and there is still something belonging to West Coast but at least traceable back in history and to its immigrants influence.  But as a foodie, and not necessarily a purist at that and I think I might also represent some of us in town,  there is no need to always create new food to suit locals, especially when we don't even have the original.  HK is one of the biggest International Dining Cities,  and we should be able to absorb in anything scarcer, traditional authentic even if it is an acquired taste to some!  By all means do adapt and change it later on for the larger crowd if that ultimately makes more business sense,  but there's no need to over react at the beginning. 

Echo Park Sweet Corn -

Baby sweet corn poached in Euro butter,  house Mayonessa,  Queso Anejo from Oaxaca, Cilantro, Lime and Tajin.  The recipe sounded like a typical grilled elote,  but using baby corns instead.  Whilst I really loved the smoky corns and the sauce coating,  my small worry is that some visitors to here could potentially view baby corns as a cheaper alternative to proper corn cobs.  At the end of the day it will depend on the selling price point,  which is yet to be finalized,  since this is part of the preview opening tasting menu for $600.

Hermosa Fish -

Red Snapper filet with Ancho Chile Aioli, Radish, Zesty Greens, Charred Lemon and served with Vegetables, Chilies and flour tortillas.  Wow this was gorgeous!!  The chili,  the marinade,  the seasoning were something you hardly experience in Hong Kong,  here you could smell the exotic flaky filet straight away with well penetrated flavors!   So far every dish that was coming out of the kitchen lived up to the promise and more,  and as an added bonus,  they were all cooked properly.  On the odd occasion another shop might finally nail the marination recipe right,  they might still fall short on the rough execution.  Not here,  despite being a newly trained kitchen which isn't even open yet!

Billiard Table room at the back -

I didn't had the opportunity to ask too many questions as we were eating within a squeezed time frame, before hurrying off to a plane,  but apparently there is a play area here, two separate bars,  and also outdoor and indoor dining spaces.  Will have to find out more next time when they finally open their doors to the public..

11 Westside is going to be Hot,  Literally.. 

We hear often far too many stories about promising New Openings,  and then when they finally open,  people fantasize upon the hype and rush in then walk out with their credit card limit 4 figures closer into the red, before they could even re-analyse the meal.  Quite often with hindsight, some meals could turn out as another "Are you even Serious, That was it..?" sort of experience.  And if imported under a chain restaurant group's umbrella,  sometimes we receive a dud or a compromised version of the real thing!  The hype sometimes subsides after a few months and in the height of things, you really wanted to tell your friends or speak out publicly that you actually thought the food was just mediocre anyway,  or when a venue finds another excuse to apportion blame on the high HK rental (then why opened it in the first place?),  therefore prices everything out of logical range for normal eaters to come back regularly and hence the business drops, especially once everyone has already posted that latest trendy dish pic on Instagram 3 months ago.   What we ate at 11 Westside was surprisingly flawless already despite being weeks before it's scheduled full fledged opening,  and we can't wait to return back.  If only we could secure a table when the phone finally welcomes public bookings!   Make a reservation soon people and remember to invite me to come along too..

Price:  TBA.  Above were some Individual Dishes from a Fixed Pre-Opening $600 Tasting Menu.  We had to leave before our Meal finished to catch a flight, unfortunately.

Food: ♕♕♕♕ 1/2 to ♕♕♕♕♕  (Pre-Opening)

Address:  1/F The Hudson, 11 Davis St, Kennedy Town 

Blue · Butcher & Meat Specialist [Hong Kong] - Steak & Butcher House, Hardcore Style

Blue Butcher changed its name slightly these days to reflect on its nature as both a dedicated Butcher Meat House and a Steakhouse,  especially when nowadays at downstairs they opened a new counter for customers to purchase their butchered Meats and Produce for take away.  Hong Kong has recently experienced a myriad of new steakhouse openings in town,  notably Beef Bar which instantly garnered 1 Michelin Star, as well as Wolfgang's Steakhouse arriving buttery hot from NYC.  There's also the other notable competitors in town from previously Michelin 1 Starred InterContinental's The Steak House and Sheraton's Morton Steakhouse,  Grand Hyatt Steakhouse, JW Marriott's Flint Grill & Bar, Atelier Vivanda, Ruth Chris, Butcher's Club, etc,  or La Vache if you just needed casual Steak Frites.  Blue Butcher still stands out amongst them,  since they have an in house Butcher Johnny Farrell from the UK, who cuts up the carcasses and then Dry Ages the meat inside a Himalayan Pink salt room,  and as my previous interview with Fergus Henderson also here ( http://foodofhongkong.blogspot.hk/2013/12/interview-with-chef-fergus-henderson.html ), Blue Butcher follows this concept through by doing responsible hardcore Head to Tail dining, the only one of its kind in HK..

The Neon Light setting is like a Night Club than a Butcher's Meat house -

The New Counter selling their In-house Butchered and Dry Aged Meats -
It's reasonable and at around wholesale retail prices

Burrata Cheese, Heirloom Tomatoes, Croutons and Kale Pesto - HKD $180

A new variation of a dish I have tried here a few times, this time it comes with kale pesto instead of basil as in a Caprese..

Rubia Gallega Smoked Beef Fat Candle, Sea Salt & Bruschetta - $135

The dish to come here for these days, reminiscent of the version served at Restaurant Story in London.  It's actually quite cowy and strong in the taste,  so you end up dipping a lot of bread into it to finish the melting candle

Crispy Veal Sweetbreads,  Chimichurri Aioli, Burnt Lemon - $220

It was either the Bone Marrow again or this,  and obviously I opted for the latter since it is rare to find these served as fried nuggets in Hong Kong!  The portion was much larger than I expected,  usually other places only serve 2 pieces or 1 larger one.

Blue Mussels, Clams, 'Nduja Sausage, Bacon, Chive Oil with Fregola Pasta - $175

A favorite on the table,  this was almost like a full on pasta dish as a Primi course.  Full of mussels and clam jus sweetness.

Irish 'John Stone' Dry Aged Grass Fed T-Bone,  22oz HKD $650

This is actually quite a bargain for Hong Kong.  They also sell the delectable 45 Days Dry Aged Rubia Gallega Steaks,  as well as other options and Australian Wagyu steaks at different price points.  I think this beef is more on the grass fed leaner, meaty side, which in theory suits Europeans than local Hong Kong customers,  who usually prefer marbled grain fed beef and melts in the mouth sensation.   

Cooked Accurate to Rare Plus -

If you have been following my posts, in Hong Kong customers order Medium-Rare,  but expect them to be still relatively pink inside.  By International Standards,  I call this Rare Plus myself.

Blue Beef Ribs, Bourbon Barbecue Glaze, Watermelon Slaw - $490

This portion was large and the taste was really awesome.  With a charred, sugary crust,  it was almost like Char Siu but made with Beef ribs, and it was spicy on the marinade surface too.  A must order and one of the best I have tried recently.  We mentioned that some people also like sister restaurant Limewood's version,  which is similar but somehow I prefer this in it's layered, penetrating marinade and external rub flavors.

Duck Confit Mac n Cheese, Slow Cooked Egg - $110

This is a lovely recipe, and on my Instagram this got way over 1,100 Likes easily.  The taste was thick gooey, and cheesy, I was saying that since they call themselves a Meat house and is considered more hardcore than most, and since they alreadyserve Duck Fat Fries and Beef Fat Candles here,  they might as well throw in some Crispy Duck Skins from the leg confit on top to finish off the project..

Inside Duck Confit Mac n Cheese ..

Triple Cooked Fries - Limited Servings Per Day $80

These were really great and fluffy, with a rough crispy edges, obviously taking lots of preparation for what are just fries and chips.  Probably one of the most memorable ones I tried in Hong Kong ever.  They were gone in no time on the table though!  A must order!

Roasted Pumpkin, Sweet Potatoes, Lentils & Yogurt - $70

Some veggies to balance the meal.  Not your typical veggies either,  this was thoughtful

Red Velvet Cake -

It's decent enough, at least not dry.  Truth be told,  it's very hard for someone to judge a Red Velvet cake,  although Carrot Cakes are even harder,  if you know what I mean. 

Bruleed Sourdough Pain Perdu French Toast,
with White Chocolate Butter & Blueberry Jam - $110

This reminds me of a Tartine open sandwich with a custardy spread, then blow torched, not the typical doused in milk and egg version.  Very lovely and you almost want to order extra ice cream to eat with it.  Speaking of which,  they should bring back the Salted Caramel ice cream which was the best in Hong Kong all these years,  and this would therefore be the last sentence of this write up for me.. !

Price: HKD $450 to $600 for Dinner Per Person + 10%   (Meal was Dined with Maximal Concepts)
Food: ♕♕♕♕ 1/2

Address: 上環蘇豪荷李活道108號108
Hollywood Road,  Sheung Wan,  Hong Kong
Ph:  2613 9286

Dr Fern's Gin Parlour [Hong Kong] - New Mad Hatter's Afternoon Tea at $498 for Two Persons

  Dr Fern's Gin Parlour is in a secluded spot underneath Landmark Central,  and it took me until recently to visit it for afternoon tea after bumping into some friends nearby.  Since I don't really go out of my way to have a drink these days,  yet the concept behind Dr Fern has always intrigued me,  it was a no brainer to crash the 'Tea Party' literally with other friends inside when I heard they are trying out the Mad Hatter's Afternoon Tea Party !

$498 for Two,  including Drinks -

You can switch to their Gin & Tonic drinks for $50 supplement

Mad Hatter's Tea Party -

The Top Layer has Lobster Rolls,  and the 3rd Layer has mostly Savory Items.  For girl fans,  they look straight at the middle tier of colourful desserts..

Lobster Rolls with Lobster Bisque Sauce and Chives -

These were decent with the roll and sauce.  I was commenting that indeed, if the lobster were sliced rather than diced finely,  perhaps the mouthfeel will be even more satisfying ..

There's a Chocolate Ganache & Raspberry Tart, Matcha Tart & Carrot Cake -

With plenty of berries.  Although predictable,  at the end I still enjoyed the almost floury Matcha tart the best here.

Neal's Yard Cheese Platter - $228

Surprisingly,  they also carry the proper UK sourced Neal's Yard Cheeses, which visitors to Borough Market will probably always go in to visit and then have a coffee next door at Monmouth..  Great to see this here and it really fitted in with the scheme of Dr Fern's Gin Parlour. 

Blind Tiger -
Predominantly Gin and infused Gin based Cocktails here,  almost like an elixir potion and prescribed by the Doctor.  I don't drink much lately but I did had some herbal teas with the Afternoon Tea Set, which were relaxing.  My friends had Coffees and mentioned they are actually very good,  also reasonably priced at around $40 only...  Will have to come back for those next time!

Price: HKD $498 + 10% Food: ♕♕♕♕ - ♕♕♕♕ 1/2

Address: Shop B31A, First Basement Floor, Landmark Atrium, 15 Queen’s Road, Central
Phone: +852 21119449

Deng G. 鄧記 [Hong Kong] - '南堂包席' Sichuanese Nan Tang Classic Banquet Cuisine, That Needs to be Ordered Correctly

 Deng G. specializes in Sichuan food but is not the typical Mala & Spicy fanfare that has proliferated over the world by storm. Opening up in late 2016 in Hong Kong, trickling down from its Shanghai main restaurant, Head Chef Mr Deng is a local from Chengdu in Sichuan and prides himself on his "南堂川菜" Sichuan food style. This more elegant style emphasizes on letting more natural ingredients and their flavors to manifest themselves, and thus relying less on red oil spiciness atypical of the global Sichuan food movement nowadays..

Lao Pu Paintings -

One of the Owners here is an Arts Collector

Sliced Pork with Garlic Chili 蒜泥白肉 - HKD $75A Signature here, this version uses the pork hind leg meat, and is slightly less garlicky but more sweeter than some versions. Very lovely and somehow less greasy in feel than the normal recipes.  ~ 8.5/10

Okra with Ginger Sauce - $70

A more refreshing starter that is soothing,  and probably less expected in a Sichuan restaurant setting.  But remember that here at Deng G. they specialize in more elegant style dishes and is quite unique in Hong Kong and Shanghai context.  

Ice Bathed Sichuan Pot Skewers 四川串串 -

One of the street foods in Sichuan and loved by most,  its like a Spicy Hotpot with individual Skewers of Seafood and Meat, Tripes & Vegetables.  This was interesting because instead of totally drowned in the red oily broth, this came cold with the sauce as a dip instead.  ~ 7.5/10

Kung Pao Prawns - $198

Served with Cashew nuts instead of Peanuts,  also Scallions, Chili,  this is crunchy and medium spicy.  Some people prefer them with more sweet & sour red sauce coating.  ~ 7.5/10

Deep Fried Fish in Mala Sauce 麻辣魚塊 - $168

This was done well without extra oiliness,  it has the Sichuan peppercorn 'mala' factor albeit there was some heat in the sauce coating,  for two chilies rating I think some people expected it to be slightly hotter exotic.  I thought this was a must order ~ 8.5/10

Braised Beef Ribs with Mild Red Oil - $398

This was excellent,  coming with an almost crispy Char Siu like caramelized coating and a subtle spiced marinade.  The beef was tender and juicy,  and I have to say despite so many places serving over-hyped Beef Rib dishes in town,  this was easily one of the best ones in town I have eaten.  ~ 9/10

Chengdu Zhong Shui Jiao 鐘水餃 - $30 for 2 pieces

The dumplings are thicker than wantons,  and comes with both a sweetish soy based sauce underneath and a gritty spicy chili sauce on top.  This version is more elegant and doesn't come drenched in chili oil as usual.  ~ 7.5/10

Lunch Only:  Spicy Beef Noodles with Eggs - $88

This was quite a large bowl and the beef pieces were coated with adequate spices with chili and cumin,  yet diced into cubes.  A good lunch option with beef bone marrow as soup base,  you can order extra chili if you want a real spicier version.  ~ 7.5/10

Fermented Glutinous Rice Powder  醪糟冰粉 - $30

Served with with Black Sugar syrup, Peanuts & Rice Lees,  this has elements of sweet, sour and textural contrast within.  A smooth dessert finish that smells like candy too  ~ 8/10

~ more dishes to come in review... ~

Price: Around HKD $350 to $450 + 10% Per Person

Food: ♕♕♕♕ to ♕♕♕♕♕  

Address: 2/F, Weswick Commercial Building, 147-149 Queen's Road East, Wan Chai

灣仔皇后大道東147-149號威利商業大廈2樓

Ph: +852 26092328