源記茶餐廳, Yuen Kee Restaurant TST HK

Yuen Kee started its business on Hart Avenue in Tsimshatsui in the late 80's. The shop was pretty small at that time with only 7-8 tables, serving a simple menu of beef brisket/belly..etc. noodles as well as wonton and beef balls. The shop had a very strong ventilator fanning the strong aroma of its beef stew. That's how a 4D promotion of its beef stew. The shop is now a big local style tea restaurant re-located on Granville Road, serving not only beef noodle but also BBQ and stir fried dishes. I somehow still go for their beef noodle soup. Think of the old time how I took their beef noodle by myself on the quiet Hart Avenue of the 80's, out of the hustling crowded Tsimshatsui.

Tea Buffet, Hyatt Regency, TST HK

The Chinese restaurant and the cafe of Hyatt Regency were my most favourite place for business and leisure meals way back in the 90's. None of my clients felt disappointed with the food and services back then. Besides, its convenient location next to the subway made me so punctual for my business appointments. Quite a no. of my influential business deals were also concluded over those business meals. The most striking scene was on 1st April, 2003. I had a contract signing at the cafe where there was only one table occupied - my table. Why? It's the SARS time in HK. We made it but at a huge cost of thousands of lives. Their sacrifice taught us on personal hygiene like using a pair of common chopsticks, getting accustomed to wearing face mask when sick, washing hands often...etc. Unfortunately, some people from certain least affected countries take these as jokes, or I can say humiliating or discriminating jokes.

The below photos are taken on a recent visit at their tea buffet. The food quality is above average, but service so so.

醉瓊樓, Tsui King Lau, Wanchai HK

The name of this restaurant is not patented but it often reminds me of the first time my mother brought me to the one in Hong Kong Mansion (Causeway Bay). I still remember the deco. of that restaurant is like what's in photo 1, but so crowded and noisy. The first time I tried a chicken in such a aromatic salty flavour. I was so impressed with it even though I might be just around 5 years old.

On and off it's hard to find a nice chicken among the various Tsui King Lau. Until 2003, my best friend and I found this one in Wanchai. Their chicken is awesome and not even a single time I would be disappointed. At this latest visit, I tried their bitter bourd with pomfret. I was thrilled and even inspired to try this dish by myself. I like the way they used bitter gourd to shimmer the pan fried pomfret and the black bean sauce isn't too overwhelming. Everything goes so well with each other.

六國酒店, Gloucester Luk Kwok Hotel Wanchai HK

One of my best friends often studied where to find some fine cuisine. It was in the late 80's, I was brought to Canton Heen of Luk Kwok Hotel. That was a very impressive Cantonese meal. As my friend migrated out of HK, I seldom visited the Canton Heen.

In the early 00's, my another best friend and I came to Le Menu (the cafe) of Luk Kwok, after she talked about her old time of Wanchai. Le Menu was pretty quiet with only 8-10 tables but the buffet wasn't too bad. Most of all, they served Hagen Daz. That really made my friend and I put a 2 extra star remarks. What's more, they serve some very nice steamed chicken made by Canton Heen.

Later on, I brought my father and sisters' families to try the buffet of Le Menu. Back then, the deco. was still very 70's hotel style with those partition sitting couch and table. There my nieces and nephew found their own small happy world and for the first time they were so free to take any food they like. I still recall their happy faces, and also my father's happy face in seeing his grand kids eating and having fun. There he mentioned Luk Kwok was the boarding place for their sam pan rowing from Shaukiwan when Shaukiwan was isolated from the road transportation. Luk Kwok did mean something to him.

in 2004, Le Menu got renovated and became like this. It then became popular as a buffet hot spot due to its reasonable price at HK$168 net for dinner buffet. As it was getting more and more popular and crowded, we gradually passed it. To me, every few other months, I would come here for a lunch or dinner. The food is average now but the place still means something to me, just like how my father called it as a symbolic destination for getting ashore - Take a Rest...

越棧 - Viet's Choice Vietnamese restaurant, The One, Tsimshatsui HK

In the next few posts, I am going to post a no. of restaurants which I have seen them grow or have some good old memory with them. To begin with, here is Viet's Choice having their big shop in The One (shopping mall).

On a fall autumn evening of 2003, and it's just only 2 months I moved my office to Wanchai and that year was a tiring year (SARS). I felt a bit flu-like feeling with some headache and muscle ache after work. Then my best friend and I walked to Chung Yuen Street and passed by this restaurant which was just a small run shop with only 5-6 tabled packed each other. The strong and nice aroma of some ox bone soup came out from the door. There I went in for a very hearty beef noodle soup. This shop was then one of my favourite regular choices whenever I think of a noodle soup. So as a word-of-mouth, the shop got popular and even my another best friend who seldom visited a local restaurant at this grade (as he often only went to hotel outlets) came here once a week in 2004 and 2005. Unfortunately, the shop couldn't carry on in its origin place for some reason but then left for Shatin for continuing their business. Then Nga Trang came in Hopewell Center and so I forwent going to Shatin for a Vietnamese noodle soup.

On and off the name of this shop wasn't patented and quite many others used the same name, including one in Kornhill shopping mall (Taikooshing).

As I found out this shop's name again in The One, I thought it's another copy cat. Until one night a familiar aroma like an old friend around me, I decided to go in and what's even more a pleasant surprise is the same Viet's platter I could find on the same menu and same price - HK$88 (photo 4). The noodle soup and this platter were all my and my best friends' favourites. Wish I could bring them to this restaurant once again....

Chor Moung, Sky Dining, Siam Discovery Center BKK

When I searched the English romanized name of this Thai restaurant on google, I typed "Siam Discovery Center Sky Dining Thai restaurant". There it showed TC's post of this restaurant in top priority, not even could I find it on Siam Discovery own page.
Everything seems to be in a loop. A decade ago, friends and I came to Siam Discovery Center quite often for the first generation of Oishi's buffet and shopping at Loft. In the subsequent 6-7 years, we almost forgot this mall. Half year ago, the level 6 & 7 of this mall have been renovated and several restaurants came in, including this one. Fellows pointed at this restaurant out of curiosity. As TC arrived, we got a confident affirmative note that we came in a right restaurant. Not just confidence, but also my regular choices for some local Thai dishes further verify this restaurant is a nice one. What's more, its deco. and environment are so good for a sunny lunch.