Belgos East

Beef & Beer Stew with frites was my lunch at Belgos East. A main course this time instead of a set lunch, they serve as well. On the menu it also showed typical Belgian dishes like Waterzooi, shrimp croquettes, endives salad and obviously cooked Mussels. The stew meat was tender and together with the stew sauce very tasteful. You could clearly tell the use of different spices, including cloves, and Belgian beer.
Belgos East is located in the lobby of one of the office buildings in Quarry Bay. Not a typical place to go for a lunch or dinner. However, the interior is quite relaxed and doesn’t give you the impression you are actually in an office building. As the place around 1PM was almost fully booked, it was quite noisy with echoes of voices through the lobby. For lunch time you seem to need a booking ahead or come early; the crowded place indicates it is a popular place in Quarry Bay (Oxford House, Taikoo Place).

Sushi Hiro

On the 10th floor of a building in the shopping district of Causeway Bay we had a delicious dining experience at Japanese sushi/sashimi restaurant Sushi Hiro. On a Sunday evening we ordered the special menu of ten dishes. Dishes included very fresh tuna, tasteful salmon, yummy fried eel and good flavored miso soup. Despite the fact that some dishes were not my favorites (i.e. snail, roe and octopus) their taste was not bad at all; I guess it is the mind rather than your mouth telling you the food experience. The menu was priced at about HK$ 450 per person and included an aperitif and ice dessert as well. Sushi Hiro is a very good choice if you go for the food and are looking for high quality sushi and sashimi. You should care less about a tasteful interior like you find at Zuma and Megu. Address: 10/F Henry House, 42 Yun Ping Road, Causeway Bay.

Pearl on the Peak

Pearl on the Peak is one of those restaurants which are known for its amazing views on Hong Kong Island and Kowloon. And it is true, the view is really breathtaking. However, to be honest we came for the food and wine, and that was not disappointing at all. The six course set menu was our choice with dishes like, crab, tuna and kangaroo. A mix of Asian and Australian specialties presented in a subtle way and tasted very good. The only comment we have is related to the dish with beef tartare which was completely different looking and tasting from what we expected.
We choose the selected wine menu which included Champagne, white wines and port. A good choice of wines. Unfortunately the sommelier was not around to learn us more on the different wines. Hopefully next time we will have more luck. The menu including wine pairing cost around HK$ 1100 per person including service charge.
More details on Pearl on the Peak.

Chez Patrick (Wan Chai)

Patrick Goubier has opened a new venue in Wan Chai, not far from the dining area near Star Street. A nice spot were you will find the same quality food and service as the one in Central . Again a stylish interior with black-white colored paper covering walls. My lunch included grilled sea bass with vegetables as the main and apple tart for dessert (HK$ 149) and was excellent. However, for those with a large appetite the three- or four-course lunch (HK$199 and HK$ 249) would be more suitable. Many business people were having lunch on that Wednesday afternoon there, and that is I believe the kind of guests they want to attract to their place.

3R

Despite its hidden away place in North Point most of the tables were occupied in restaurant 3R when I went there for lunch. The restaurant has a L-shaped interior with white walls, yellow curtains and a little bar giving access to the kitchen. The minimal style of the interior gave me the idea it was not finished yet.
I chose the two-course set lunch for HK$ 98: oxtail soup and tagliatelle with clams, mushrooms and pesto. As side dish some black colored buns were served. The waiter explained that the black color was created from black octopus ink. The looks of the bun were a bit odd, but the taste was good.
The oxtail soup was served in a nice shaped plate and tasted really subtle with fresh vegetables. The main course showed a large portion of pasta with many clams and a bit pesto. I ended the meal with a coffee which was included in the set lunch.
Actually the name of the restaurant was a true promotion for the nice lunch I had. Manager Edith of the restaurant told me that 3R stands for ‘good restaurant’. It is recommendable due to its good food and friendly service. I hope, however, the interior will get redesigned and radiate a warmer atmosphere. The food really deserves it.
3R can easily be reached in North Pont by tram, there is a stop in front of the beginning of Jupiter Street.
Make a reservation online.

Sergio Ristorante

We heard from friends about a good Italian restaurant in Causeway Bay named Sergio Ristorante. On a Tuesday evening we headed to this Italian restaurant. Simple but decent furniture, painting of flowers on the wall, some live music and very friendly waitresses. The menu showed pasta, pizza, fish and some meat dishes. The appetizer we shared was ‘Affettato Misto All’Italiana’, a plate with Parma ham, Tuscany neck ham, salami with fennel and salami with truffle. The slices of ham and salami tasted very good. We then ordered ‘Spagetti alla Buzara con crostacei’ spaghetti with shellfish of the day (scampi, king prawns, lobster .. ) as a main dish. We decided to take the king prawns which were personally shown by the manager at our table before preparation. They were fresh and made a great bite with the delicate sauce including fresh pieces of parsley. It was a long time ago we had such a good seafood pasta. The dessert, a truly home-made Tiramisu, was excellent (although a bit heavy) to end the dinner with. The total spending of HK$ 988 (including 2 glasses of wine and a few soft drinks) was more than reasonable for the food and friendly service at Sergio Ristorante . Sergio Ristorante, Catic Plaza, 8 Causeway Bay Road, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong.

Sabatini

Lately I had lunch at the Italian restaurant Sabatini in the Royal Garden Hotel on Tsim Sha Tsui. Being early for lunch just a few tables were occupied. But not for long. Within half an hour lots of guests showed up and seated almost all places available. The interior together with the music on the background made it a typical Italian place. Paintings on the sand colored walls, small colored glass windows and on every table a small vase with a some flowers. I ordered the home-made tagliatelle with Bolognese sauce and I didn’t regret the choice. What was it delicious, a tasteful meat sauce from juicy tomatoes and minced beef. The two-course set lunch I had, included a pasta, desert and a coffee or tea and cost HK$ 168. For HK$42 more you could also have chosen their appetizer buffet. The desserts (5 type of cakes and crème brulee) were shown on a trolley which was moved over to my table. All of them looked very attractive but I chose the only true Italian dessert Tiramisu. It was a bit creamy and there was no cake inside, but I couldn’t say that it was a real bad choice. If I need to recommend a restaurant in TST for good Italian food, excellent service and value for your money I would say ‘go to Sabatini’. Sabatini, 69 Mody Road, Tsim Sha Tsui East, Hong Kong.