Grove, Sandwich and pasta shop, Quarry Bay, HK

The original shop is on the intersection of O'Brien Road and Jaffee Road in Wanchai and still there. The shop was first opened in the mid. year of 2003, right after the SARS devastation. Back then, it served only sandwiches and salad at moderate prices (from HK$10-15). The good thing of their sandwich is that they use wheat bread and quite some veggie. That's an attraction for people to care about health, especially after SARS. Last year, I was happy to see it opened its 6th branch in Quarry Bay. I was also amazed at their keeping at the moderate prices and even with more choices for half and full portion (from HK$10-28). Just pay a few dollars, you can get a freshly brewed coffee (Movenpick). So a full portion of a tuna sandwich and a asparagus mushroom pasta with 2 coffee at just HK$72. Later on, I ordered one chicken panini grilled (HK$30). Health wise and money wise, this is a good alternate choice than the other fast food chain.

Shopping and walking from Tsimshatsui to Causeway Bay

Rip-off breakfast at Chu's Cafe, True Fitness tower, Asoke, Sukhumvit BKK

So after the interesting one-kitchen-two-system breakfast at Minibar Royale, I was frustrated in finding another place for breakfast but simply checked the one nearer to Park Plaza soi 18. Chinese saying - don't care if it's good or bad, convenience matters 唔理好醜，只要就手.

So I was given a breakfast with a panini set at around THB260-320. Then I ordered an iced mocha together with a roast beef panini. The bill came and showed a separate charge of the iced mocha of THB130. As I checked with the waitress, then she pointed at the small square box on the menu "add THB100 for a hot coffee/tea and a brownie". I decided not to argue with them about why Panini set is titled on the menu, since the waitress didn't respond with a word.

The iced mocha is not bad, but the panini is awful - too hard to chew. The filling is not bad but just over-cooked. Waste of food. On photo 2, one thing caught my attention. Choose from dark chocolate 58%, milk chocolate 35% and white chocolate 28%. It has been known to most people that dark and milk chocolate are one type of chocolate with varying cocoa solids, but white chocolate is another type of chocolate without cocoa solids.

On photo 3, check on a note on right top. do not bring food and drink from outside, esp. Starbucks and Cha Lee. So by now we know who the owner of this shop is.

In conclusion, the lesson learned from here tells us not to take the most of convenience. So the next morning I walked across the street and got a very nice breakfast of a 6 inch sub-sandwich with a hot coffee from Subway at just THB69. At least the bread of Subway is far much better than this place.

My annual Khao Chae at Tea Room by Grand Hyatt BKK

April is a lovely month for the fall of Spring and the coming of Summer in HK, but already a heat summer in Thailand. The season for Khao Chae (rice in chilled jasmine water with condiments) (photo 6/9) is there again. I prefer the way Tea Room makes the chilled jasmine water - not too overwhelming but not too light. This time we had other dishes, as deep fried chicken pieces (photo 4), pomelo salad (5), stir fried bitter gourd leaves (7), steamed fish mousse (8) and Pad Thai (9/10). All are pretty nice and at some reasonable prices from THB160-280. *BTW, their Thai iced tea is pretty good too. Most of all, they serve the syrup on the side. So the Thai iced tea is just only slightly sweetened with the condensed milk.

6-11am, Minibar Royale aka Citadines cafe, Sukhumvit soi 23, BKK

Tried several times booking Citadines soi 23 simply for getting closer to Minibar Royale, but it was full. So as I booked Park Plaza soi 18 (on the other side of Sukhumvit, about 10-15 minutes on foot), I intentionally booked the room only (without breakfast). Then I was in a sunny morning mood to walk to Minibar Royale for my assumed "to-die-for" breakfast. Turned out it was "to-die-of". Wow... if I didn't visit Minibar Royale several times for lunch, I would have definitely sealed this place with "5 skeleton heads".
So naive of me to go in the place without checking what's inside on the breakfast table. I was asked if I had any breakfast coupon by a robotic voice. I expressed that I didn't stay there but would like to have breakfast. Then the robotic voice replied "THB200 per person". I even didn't notice the waitresses changed to a serving attitude level to THB200. Actually their serving attitude is a warning sign that I was overwhelmed with my joyful mood.
So as I went to the breakfast table. 2 choices of breads, 1 tray of CP sausage, papaya and watermelon and a basket of green and carrot. Then some very lousy orange juice and apple juice. The most interesting thing is the orange red noodle (photo 4) and they even have 2 big ones. I then asked the waitress "do you serve ala carte for breakfast?". Then she subtly gave a bitter smile "only from 11am". I couldn't help it but gave her my bitter smile. Suggest Minibar should cover their restaurant's name with a board showing "Citadines Cafe in business from 6 - 11am".

2012 Spring review: Cucina, Italian restaurant, JW Marriott Mai Khao, Phuket, Thailand

Apart from the serene environment of Mai Khao beach, the restaurants of the various resorts here are my important considerations in staying here. After quite many phone calls, finally I could fill up someone's cancelled booking on the last night that I was in Mai Khao. The restaurant did really have a good business. Glad to see it do so well in these 3 years. The first time I was here it wasn't that busy and they still had those semi-buffet of antipasti/dessert bar and a selection of main course from the menu.

I do miss their wild mushroom soup (photo 6) and beef carpaccio (photo 5) a lot. So we had these 2 again. Then I had the seafood salad, pizza with Phuket lobster and risotto of baby asparagus and blue crab meat. Among all these, the risotto deserves a 2 thumbs up. Some very fine sun-dried tomatoes were put in it to bring up the freshness of the blue crab meat and balance the slightly cream sauce.

On the dessert, we tried the panna cotta with mixed berries and chocolate vanilla Napoleon cake. Apparently these 2 were made in a very classic way that some sponge cake was blended into the panna cotta. The chocolate vanilla cake tasted also very classic that we miss in the old days. The only flaw of the whole meal is the pizza. Actually I shouldn't order it as I know Phuket lobster isn't that appealing. Should order something like parma ham or simply a mushroom pizza.