le Relais de l' Entrecote in HK

One of the best steaks that my brother and I have eaten was at a place called Le Relais de L' Entrecote located on Queen's road in Wanchai, Hong Kong.

I was told that this  Relais de L' Entrecote restaurant is the original Entrecote restaurant and this is the one which has branches in France and New York.

Our meal included a nice salad, French fries and the tender steak with yummy gravy that other steak restaurants have not been able to copy.

Salad greens with walnuts

Steak with French fries

The price of the meal is  at HKD288 per person which is a good deal since the food portion is quite generous and the quality of the food is really very good.

The restaurant is comfy and nice. You will see a lot of French posters placed on the walls which is reminiscent of  the restaurants in Paris.

We will definitely be back to Relais de L' Entrecote next time we want to have a good steak in Hong Kong.

LE SALON DE THE de Joel Robuchon

Afternoon tea  or high tea is common in Hong Kong. It is something that was influenced by the Bristish to Hong Kong locals since it was was once a colony of Great Britain.

After spending sometime shopping in the busy TST(Tsim Sha Tsui) area in Hong Kong last week, I decided to try LE SALON DE THE de Joel Robuchon.

Joel Robuchon is a well-known French chef and is one of the top chefs in the world. He owns and runs several restaurants in key cities like Hong Kong, Bangkok, London, etc. He also got 25 Michelin stars and has the most stars among chefs worldwide.

I had tried his fine dining restaurants years ago when my brother treated me to one fine lunch and I still remember that my brother even took a half day off from work so that we do not end up rushing our lunch at Robuchon's fine restaurant in Hong Kong.

It is good to know that apart from the fine dining restaurant, Robuchon also has a casual cafe that attracts both locals and travelers.

The Robuchon cafe cannot be missed when you pass by since the colours used are predominantly red and black.

They have a take-out counter which has a colourful display of  cakes, pastries and chocolates.

Take-out counter at Joel Robuchon's cafe

Various macaron flavours on display

Chinese New Year themed gift boxes at the cafe

Pretty cakes  

Chocolates in red & black gift boxes

I tried the tea set with a variety of savoury and sweet mini items and a choice of hot tea. It is presented nicely complete with Joel Robuchon cafe branding.

The  afternoon tea set for 1 person is almost HK300. It is not cheap but it is worth a try since the items are made with high quality ingredients and the service in the cafe is excellent as the servers are attentive and honest too.

Since I tend to be forgetful sometimes, it was not a surprise that one of their waitresses ended up running after me outside the cafe since I left one of my shopping bags in the chair... ha ha ha. Some things never change.  

Will definitely be back for snacks at Robuchon next time I visit HK.

Zara Home HK

During my recent trip to Hong Kong, I was able to visit the Zara Home store in Harbour City mall at TST(Tsim Sha Tsui).

Zara Home carries a varieity of home stuff such as bedroom and bathroom items, tableware, accessories, lamps, loungewear, fragrance, etc.

White and brown beddings go well with an earth toned bedroom

Colourful bed duvet cover and pilllows ideal for a girl's room

Blue and white bed covers

Selection of white and brown coloured bed covers and pillow cases

Dainty and colourful prints 

They also sell cute and artsy pieces that can spruce up drawers and cabinets.

Zara home also sells a range of fragrance for the home and liquid handwash products.

 They also sell accessories that can be placed in the living room and bedrooms.

Zara Home is a good place to visit if you are looking for some nice and affordable items that you can place in your home.

I just could not resist buying some stuff that I was able to buy a set of beddings and their black vanilla liquid handwash for my home.

To know more about Zara Home, you may visit their website: Zara Home.

Seasons by Olivier E.

I visited my brother last week in Hong Kong since he had a couple of days off from work due to the Chinese New Year celebration. It was a good time to catch up and have nice meals together.

I am certainly blessed to have a generous brother who always brings me to the best restaurants in Hong Kong.

One of the restaurants we went to was Seasons by Olivier E. in Causeway Bay area. As a foodie, I always feel happy trying out fine restaurants whenever I travel. Not only is it interesting to see the beautiful plating in fancy restaurants but it is also a way for me to try new dishes and  add it to my happy dining experience memories.

Seasons is a restaurant that is simply wonderful. It has a cozy, nice and smart-casual type ambience. Plus, their dishes are certainly pretty and delicious.

The restaurant's chef is Olivier Elzer, a young Michelin-starred chef. He was mentored by culinary greats such as Joel Robuchon and Pierre Gagnaire. In his quest to popularize fine French cuisine, Olivier ventured into his own restaurant which he dubbed as Seasons by Olivier E.

Chef Olivier Elzer of Seasons restaurant Hong Kong.
Photo sourced from Seasons restaurant website.

The restaurant gives its customers a choice to dine al fresco or indoor. The indoor dining areas have 2 different looks. One is a bright area where natural light comes in and one has dim lights and a bar which serves as the open kitchen area.

Al fresco dining area

Lounge type set-up at the al fresco dining area

The al fresco dining area is a  perfect venue for dinner and drinks with friends 

Entrance to the indoor dining area

 

The indoor dining with natural light coming in

Cozy and warm indoor dining 

Simple but bright painting in the dining area

My brother and I had a 4-course lunch at Seasons by Olivier E.

For starters, we had some fresh salad dishes. I tried the chicken with avocado and parmesan salad while my brother tried the mix salad.

Marinated chicken breast with avocado salad and parmesan

Fresh mix salad,  endive butter lettuce and brocciu cheese with honey dressing

Complimentary bread to go with starters

For our second course, I had the French onion soup while my brother tried the duck foie gras custard.

Onion soup with emmental cheese

Duck foie gras custard

For our main course, we both had seafood. I tried the sea bass while my brother had the stuffed squid.

Poached sea bass with cauliflower puree and pomegranate jelly

Squid stuffed with Ratatouille, black ink sauce and fennel

Of course the meal was not complete without having dessert. We had the lightly sweetened chocolate ganache and raspberry marmalade and coffee.

Chocolate ganache  and raspberry marmalade

After our lunch we were so full that we decided to walk in the malls nearby. We will definitely go back to Seasons by Olivier E. since their dishes are simply delicious and their service is excellent.

For more information about Seasons by Olivier E. you may check out their website:  Seasons by Olivier E restaurant.

A-11 Home Store

I go to home stores to see nice things that I can possibly get for my home and sometimes it also gives you some inspiration on how you can spruce up your place.

I was able to visit the A-11 Store in Pasay City. It is located in the same compound as The Henry Hotel, a boutique hotel that is managed by the same group that manages Picasso boutique hotel in Makati City.

Drop off area near Henry Hotel

Once you enter the store you will surely like the wall decor filled with colourful plates.

Various items such  as bowls, plates, food containers,kitchen utensils, books, home accent pieces, etc. can be bought from the store.

Candles and home scent stuff 

Interesting chandelier that has been dipped with candle wax

They also have show rooms featuring cozy living room set-up that one can get inspiration and ideas from.

They also have artworks that can add character to one's living space.

The staff at A-11 are helpful and they also provide customers drinks as they shop in the store.

I will definitely go back to this cozy and cool home store.

For more information about A-11 home store, visit their facebook page: A-11 facebook page.