Dinning @ Hofbranhaus, Berlin Germany

During our days in Berlin and Munchen (Munich), we were literally having pork knuckle every single day! We just couldn't resist the tasty fatty crispy+juicy pork knuckle that is cooked to perfection each and every time. The quality of this German culinary staple is no where to be found in US and Asia, not even in Hong Kong!

On that note, I highly recommend Hofranhaus to experience this unique culinary delight. It is a chain restaurant in Germany, very much like PF Chang, Hard Rock Cafe or Morton's in the States. It is certainly a great choice for travelers who want to get a taste of the German culture and try out some reasonably priced traditional dishes.

Unlike many chain restaurants in the States, Hofranhaus actually has a long history that is dated all the way back in the 16th century when it was founded by a Bavarian duke. He had many demanding royal household to feed, so he ordered the royal court to build its own brewery/diner. Like many royal castles and treasures, Hofranhaus was eventually open to the public in the 19th century. It has since expanded all over Germany to serve the huge demand of hungry locals and tourists!

Dining @ Soren K at the Black Diamond (Danish Royal Library) - Copenhagen

A surprise lunch treat at Soren K, nestled inside the minimalistically designed “Black Diamond” Royal Library in Copenhagen.  I experienced the finest in Danish-French fusion cuisine while enjoying a stunning view of the Copenhagen harbor!   

Norway lobster bisque, peas and tortellini with Norway lobster.

One of the best lobster bisque I have had. The dish is garnished with special Nordic herb; which further accentuated the essence of the fresh lobster.

Ribeye, 250 gram, beans, new onions and olives.

Perfectly cooked medium-well (that's the way I like it =p) steak with so much flavor; served with some delicious home-made garlic mashed potato.

Cherries, vanilla ice cream, crispy olives and sweet cicely.
Yummy!

View outside of the restaurant. This posh looking architect is actually a library :) the locals like to call it the "Black Diamond".

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Soren K

Søren Kierkegaards Plads 1  1221 Copenhagen 33 47 49 49

(inside the library)

Bang & Jensen in Vesterbro Copenhagen (Danish Breakfast)

Right after Dyrehaven, we couldn't resist the temptation of trying another local favorite - Bang&Jensen.  The restaurant is just right across the street from Dyrehaven. We were not disappointed. The food is different from Dyrehavens', but also pretty good. I have never tasted a fruit yogurt that is so smooth and silky.  They mix maple syrup with the yogurt to give it a soup-like texture; which is surprisingly good. However, if I have to pick between Dyrehaven and Ben & Jensen, I would much prefer Dyrehaven. Both are very good, but Dyrehaven's food is just tastier imo...

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Bang & Jensen
130 Istedgade, Copenhagen, Denmark (Vesterbro - Kongens Enghave)

Dyrehaven in Vesterbro Copenhagen (Danish)

We got up early in the morning on our first day in Copenhagen, hungry for some authentic local Danish breakfast. We decided to try out the local favorite, Dyrehaven in Vesterbro, the so call trendy, up and coming neighborhood. After a short 30 minutes walk from our hotel, we finally arrived at the Southern tip of Vesterbro where Dyrehaven is.  There is a long wait, but we managed to find a table by the side walk right across from a cathedral.  When the food finally arrived, I must say it was definitely worth the wait.

cheese on the bread with apricot, soft boil egg with cottage cheese on the side

granulated granola and brown sugar with blueberry yogurt.

Danish eggs benedict

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Dyrehaven

S-tog to Klampenborg Station, Copenhagen, Denmark

Restoration (Creole and Cajun)

Chef Jack Carson created this New Orleans and creolo-inspired menu with a complementary twisted. The interior deco features post Hurricane Katrina salvaged window, corkscrew chair, and rustic table.

The Spinach salad with candied pecans, feta, spring onion and molasses pecan vinaigrette is rich in favors yet refreshing

The Crawfish Beignets is a must try.  It is cooked just right, very juicy, tender and savory

Jack's Fried chicken is the signature dish.  It is sauced with tabasco aioli. The watermelon pickles is a god complementary to the fried chicken

The dessert is comforting. Overall, it is Apple Crumble. You can't go wrong with apple crumble, can you?

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Restoration

No 63 Wyndham Street // 1st Floor

Causal dining @ Pasta Marche

Pasta Marche is another Italian inspired Japanese restaurant. They serve mainly pasta and spaghetti with an organic feel deco.

       

The food quality is very decent and the price is even better, it's about HKD 70 per pasta dish. I think Hong Kong is saturated with fine dining restaurants and have an appetite for more high end mass market restaurants.

Carbonara with Sweet Corn & Bacon

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Restaurant Info

Shop 1072-1074, 1/F, Phase 2, Metro City Plaza, 8 Mau Yip Road, Tseung Kwan O

Dining @ Catalunya

There must be plenty of blogs and articles about Catalunya already since this new Spanish restaurant, composed by rock stars chefs and designers, has created a huge buzz even before its opening in Wan Chai, Hong Kong.

No need for me to introduce or promote this brand further. I guess I'm going to share my dining experience here with you.

This Spanish restaurant offers a main menu and Tapas menu. Since we had a table of six, we ordered a bit from both. I've been here a few times, and have concluded the MUST try dishes are  the traditional suckling pig and the stuffed chicken catalan style. The suckling pig is done just right, the meat is so tender and juicy, it melts in your mouth; yet the skin is crispy and thin, very crunchy. And the stuffed chicken is aromatic, tasty and exquisite. It truly earns the "Catalan recipes" title. There are several layers of taste and texture mingling in one bite.

The Suckling pig, melts in your mouth. sorry piggie~ you are delicious!

The stuffed chicken with sauce. Chicken, you are so complicated! I can't dissect you.

We also ordered a few items from the Tapas menu, such as the lobster roll, cantabrian anchovies and ham cheese & truffle "Bikini"...etc.

Lobster Roll

The hidden gem of Catalunya is not its tapas nor the dishes from the main menu. In my opinion, Catalunya offers one of the best dessert menu in Hong Kong :) We ordered everything on the dessert menu, and here is my favorite in descending order: Almond sponge cake, rice pudding, Torrija, Cheese Flan....

A family photo of the desserts ;)

The bill, it's about HKD 500 per head which includes a big batch of Sangria served over dry ice, and enough for six to share. A very decent price for the quality of food, service and atmosphere. 

P.S the dessert plates are So beautiful. They are from Luzerne, a Singapore tableware company. They mainly provide fine ceramic and stone tableware for the world's leading hotels and restaurants. Please check out the company's website - gallery, if you are interested to learn more :)

http://www.luzerne.com/

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Restaurant Info

G/F Guardian House Morrison Hill

32 OI KWAN RD, Wan Chai, Hong Kong.

Tips - Catalunya serves Sunday brunch from 12-4pm