Tag: Hong Kong brunch

Best old-school dim sum ever at Three Minus One in Hong Kong

I rarely enjoyed a dim sum meal like this. And it was not in a luxury location like Mott 32, the Swan Hotel, or Yi Long Court. It was an old-school dim sum joint in West Hong Kong with a quirky name: Three Minus One (Saam Hui Yaat 叁去壹點心粉麵飯). A friend explained me the story. Initially the restaurant was planned to have three owners, then one stepped down and the name was adopted.

The visit

The storefront with a sing using only Chinese characters.

The owner let me take a picture. He was a very friendly individual Luckily they had an English menu, so ordering was not an issue.

The classic shrimp dumplings were full of meat and super fresh.

The Chiu Chow (or Teochew) dumplings came with a perfect crystal skin and I could taste the aromas of the different herbs used. It is a vegetarian dim sum from a cuisine distinct from the classic Cantonese dim sum.

I am not usually a fun of these big steamed dumplings, but I enjoyed this one with a chicken filling.

Finally I had a pair of tasty meatballs.

The check

In total I spent 76 HKD (around 10 USD) including a pot of tea. It was a hearty and satisfactory breakfast. All the food tasted very fresh and was coming straight from the steamers. If you read this review and are visiting Hong Kong, send me a thank you for sharing this little gem.

Where in Hong Kong:
11 Pok Fu Lam Road, Western District.
In Chinese: 西環薄扶林道11號.

Because brunch at Aqua restaurant in Hong Kong

I had had a dinner at Aqua restaurant 15 years ago. It may have had a different name, but the concept was the same as today: Italian and Japanese food under one roof. They are my favorite cuisines, so it seemed a good idea to go back at least once. I went for brunch on a Sunday in June 2019 that they call “Because”. Why I cannot say.

The visit

The restaurant is located on the 29th and 30th floor of One Peking, a skyscraper on 1 Peking street in Kowloon. It sports a beautiful view of Victoria harbor.

The brunch started with a dish of Italian cold cuts and roasted vegetables. Quite good.

There was also a bread basket with a nice hummus dip. It was not replenished during the meal though.

The second appetizer was a generous portion of burrata cheese. Also very good.

They had a station where the burrata was prepared on the spot.

One oyster.

More sashimi: botan ebi, salmon, hamachi, kampachi, a futomaki roll. Good quality. I am not sure that they also included the diced tuna with caviar that was included on the menu (I am noticing this only now that I am writing the review).

Then there was a truffle risotto with Grana Padano cheese. This tasted a bit weird, too sour. I am not sure if this was the expected taste.

The cheese was grated from a big cheese wheel.

Back to Japanese cuisine, with a pair of pan-fried gyoza. Quite forgettable.

Next was prawn tempura (really basic) and an acceptable lamb chop.

The dessert platter was quite nice, it included also a couple of ice cream scoops.

The check

Final check 647 HKD (82.50 USD). There were some good dishes, but most of them were actually pretty mediocre. So the check is not really justified if not for the view. At least water was included.

I was really hoping Aqua would challenge the law of heights in restaurants: the higher you go, the more expensive the check and worse the food. It is a pity because if they had invested just a little bit on one or two dishes, it could have been a good brunch overall.

Where in Hong Kong:
One Peking Road, TST.
Website: aqua.com.hk.

One of my favorite brunch spots in Hong Kong: the Blue Butcher (closed)

The Blue Butcher has in my opinion one of the best deals for brunch “semi-buffets” in Hong Kong. The idea of a semi-buffet is quite good: a nice spread of appetizers, desserts and other more or less substantial snacks and a menu from which to order one or two mains.

The Blue Butcher on weekends has a spread that is really difficult to beat in terms of quality. In addition to this, you get to choose a main dish from a list of five options and a cocktail.

Coincidentally, they are operated by the same company owning Mott 32.

The visit

In 2018 I have been to the Blue Butcher twice, the latest visit in December 2018. If I am staying in West Hong Kong it is a must. I usually book via phone or their website.

They have a bar/lounge area downstairs opening on Hollywood Road, while the brunch is served in the main dining room upstairs. It is a spacious and comfortable space.

The buffet is certainly their main selling point. They have a very good selection of cheese, tartines, cold cuts, seafood, not to mention the dessert station (I will mention it later).

The oyster station is alone worth the price of admission.

Seafood includes prawns, salmon, tuna and crawfish.

The choice of mains is quite limited, but they are all appealing. They have included in the basic price a burger, coal roasted Canadian pork (excellent), deep fried foie gras, pan-seared salmon, and a type of pasta (cavatelli) with mushrooms and Parmesan cheese. So far I only tried the pork and it was excellent.

On my last visit, I had one of their steaks that come at an additional price. It was a good 12 oz (340 grams) piece of Australian sirloin. Truffle and Parmesan fries are included.

Some of my choices: oysters!

Cold cuts and some good cheese (montasio and pecorino).

An avocado tartine, a piece of quiche, salmon and tuna.

My dessert panna cotta with strawberries, chocolate cake and a piece of authentic Italian panettone (it was mid December after all and that’s the season for this baked good).

The dessert station is pretty amazing and they can prepare you a real crepe.

The check

Normally the cost of the brunch is 495 HKD (63 USD). But I chose a steak and it was 220 HKD more, so the total check was 715 HKD (91 USD).

Honestly, with all the food available in the buffet, going for an upgraded main is not necessary, unless you really want a steak (but then go on a normal day when their steak menu is more extensive).

Overall, I found the Blue Butcher a very good alternative to more traditional hotel buffets.

Where in Hong Kong:
108 Hollywood Road.
Website: http://www.bluebutcher.com

Sadly, the restaurant closed on 19 May 2019 due to rent hike.