Trimbach Riesling Cuvee Frederic Emile 2005

Date of Tasting: 27 June 2014

Wine Type: White

Grape Varieties: 100% Riesling

Alcohol: 13%

Origin: Alsace, France

Appellation: Alsace Controlee

Expect to Pay: ~ THB1,800

Web: http://www.trimbach.fr/
Chubby Score: 93/100
Value for money: 8/10

Professional Rating: WA - 93/100, WS - 90/100, ST - 94/100, JR - 17.5/20, CT - 91/100

Appearance: pale straw yellow

Aroma: peach, apricot, green apple, white flowers, powerful nose, and sea breeze

Palate: vibrant and energetic mouth feeling. stony clean and fresh with ripe acidity of citrus. juicy and zesty. medium on the body with long and dry finish.

Pretty nice riesling indeed which is enjoyable now and a decade to go. I had this with dry style riesling with mild Chinese food and it seemed to play its role well. At this price tag and the given satisfaction, I personally would not mind at all to stock up more. Fine personality indeed.

Roots Coffee Roaster @ Soi Ekkamai, Bangkok - รูทส์ คอฟฟี่ โรสเตอร์ @ ซอยเอกมัย กรุงเทพฯ

Cuisine: coffee and pastry

Map: Roots Coffee Roaster @ Soi Ekkamai, Bangkok - รูทส์ คอฟฟี่ โรสเตอร์ @ ซอยเอกมัย กรุงเทพฯ

Price: THB100 per person without alcohol (what we paid for)

Visited: 22 June 2014

Food: 7/10

Atmosphere: 8/10

Value for money: 9/10

Services: n.m.
Scale: [1=poor ---- 5=average/standard ---- 10=outstanding/exceptional]

Roots Coffee Roaster is a splendid corner for coffee lovers / caffeine addicts. It is just a block of commercial build in which the interior has been decorated to give such relaxing ambient. Let me recall Bar Storia del Caffe @ Eight Thonglor and Casa Lapin X49 @ Soi Sukhumvit 49 that I reviewed last year. Roots, Bar Storia del Caffe, and Casa Lapin do offer similar range of coffee products. However, I personally feel that Roots represent a more delicacy choice whilst the other two are more comfortable ones that could be good for chit-chatting with friends.

One thing you may have to keep in mind is that Roots is in the middle of Soi Ekkamai with no parking lots. Hence, you will need some skill to find parking space, else, you will need to rely on public transportation which is absolutely splendid (not) in Bangkok. In fact, it is built more for local dwellers and those who pass by from my sense. From what I noticed, visitors tend to me the regular type and the ones living nearby. People pop in and pop out pretty fast. Just a quick stop for a good glass of coffee and perhaps a piece of croissant really. If you are going to visit Roots, be sure that you really are here for coffee as there will be no other choices, except some range of baked goods to accompany your coffee. Expect none of those fancy cafe food. Also visit during weekends only from noon to 6pm, there is no weekdays operation.

Roots Coffee Roaster @ Soi Ekkamai, Bangkok

coffee counter corner

Roots also comes with a range of freshly baked goods in which largely are Viennoiseries. The kitchen is right there for you to observe. The selection may be kept limited but mostly are enjoyable. Remember that it is self serving. If you do like those pastry, you may also buy some back home.

baking room

baked goods for self service

This time, we popped by for a quick cup of nice coffee and without any pastry to accompany. I had Caffe Latte (8/10) and it was really good comparing to many other cafe around Bangkok. The coffee beans were Bruna blend which is 40% Thai from Prao district + 40% Brazil Carmo de Minas, Fazenda Serrado + 20% Guatemala Huehuetenango, Finca Injertal. This Bruna blend gives roasted almond aroma and dark chocolate on the palate with medium-full body. In addition, we also tried French Press (7/10) with Indonesia, Wahana Estate, Longberry. This was a rather nice black coffee. I like the acidity character and the smooth texture. This is a kind of coffee for sipping all day long for me.

caffe latte (Bruna)

Press Coffee (Indonesia Wahana Estate, Longberry)

For us, we do pop by the place occasionally. Each visit is kept short but with satisfaction. The best part is when you pay for your order. They use the system of "Honesty Box" which gives suggested price of THB100 for coffee and THB50 for baked goods. Reasonable price indeed for good coffee and pastry. This is sure a must visit small coffee shop if you do pass by.

products for takeaway

the Honesty Box

Roots Coffee Roaster @ Soi Ekkamai, Bangkok - รูทส์ คอฟฟี่ โรสเตอร์ @ ซอยเอกมัย กรุงเทพฯ
between Soi Ekkamai 15 and 17
Khlong Tan Nuea, Wattana
Bangkok 10110

Thailand

Open Hours: 12:00pm - 06:00pm for Saturday and Sunday only

Tel: +66 (0) 2658 5556
Web: http://www.rootsbkk.com/
FB: https://www.facebook.com/RootsBkk

Domaine Pavelot Savigny les Beaune 1er Cru La Dominode 2011

Date of Tasting: 1 July 2014

Wine Type: Red

Grape Varieties: 100% Pinot Noir

Alcohol: 13%

Origin: Burgundy, France

Appellation: Savigny les Beaune 1er Cru

Expect to Pay: ~ THB2,000

Web: http://www.domainepavelot.com/
Chubby Score: 92/100
Value for money: 8/10

Professional Rating: WA - 93/100, BH - 94/100, ST - 91/100, CT - 92/100

Appearance: bright ruby

Aroma: sour cherry and cassis with strawberry and minimum wood

Palate: good structure with sour cherry and mineral. hint of spices. fruit flavour still limited. silky and fine tannins. round with power in style. balance oakiness.

A pretty nice bottle from Pavelot but I personally would wait for a while. Those harmonious fruits bouquets have yet to reveal. Still sleeping now. But the overall structure is balance and is ready to support at the right moment. Perhaps a revisit in a few years and should go well with rich flavour food. Out of 2007, 2010, and 2011, I prefer 2010 the most and followed by 2011 and 2007. Can't wait to see how it develops. Cheers when the time comes.

Yat Lok Restaurant @ Stanley Street, Central, Hong Kong - 一樂燒鵝 @ 中環士丹利街香港

Cuisine: Chinese / Cantonese (roast meat)

Map: Yat Lok Restaurant @ Stanley Street, Central, Hong Kong - 一樂燒鵝 @ 中環士丹利街香港

Price: HKD105 per person without alcohol (what we paid for)

Visited: 12 July 2014

Food: 9/10

Atmosphere: 3/10

Value for money: 9/10

Services: 3/10
Scale: [1=poor ---- 5=average/standard ---- 10=outstanding/exceptional]

Thinking of having Cantonese style roasted goose with crisp skin and juicy tender meat, I can assure you that Yat Lok does offer one of the best in Hong Kong and perhaps in the world. It is just a blog of commercial build on Stanley Street, Central Hong Kong (only a few buildings from Luk Yu Tea House). A few minutes walk from MTR Central station in fact. Yat Lok offers really good roasted meat from early morning but the goose is usually ready around 11am just before lunch time. Make sure you do arrive early to avoid queue and in consequence to avoid disappointment from goose running out.

If you are going to visit Yat Lok, just bear in mind that you are there for food and nothing else. It is a kind of old style venue where you are there for a quick good meal. Forget about lovely service, nice friendly words, or those hygienic routine. One thing I noticed is that the floor was somewhat slippery and I was not so sure how long since their properly floor wiping (T_T). Anyway believe me, just looking at those hanging roasted meats and you would already drool so forget all other factors and enjoy your roasts.

Yat Lok @ Stanley Street, Central, Hong Kong

It was around 11am of Saturday lunch time when we were there and was lucky to be the first one to arrive around the period. So our food came pretty fast. We had only roasted goose (10/10), bbq pork and crispy belly pork (8/10), and vegetable with oyster sauce (5/10) which costed HKD22 (but forgot to take photo). These roasts went pretty well with both rice and noodle (both stewed and soup).

The roasted goose was the very best. So juicy, so sweet, so tender, and so flavourful. There is no need to make so hard effort at all to bite meat off the bone. It is hard to stop eating this and it is difficult not to fall in love with it. I personally love to have it with rice. A friend of mine also recommends to order a drum of goose and a drum of chicken to have with boiled rice for a satisfy combination. BBQ pork and crispy belly pork were as well delicious but not as spectacular as the roasted goose. It is worth an order but you may probably find this quality of bbq pork and crispy belly pork in other places in Hong Kong.

Anyway, have a go with this local style Yat Lok and you would probably forget the famous and well-known Yung Kee nearby. Bon appetit many more times.

roasted goose - half (HKD240)

wonderfully tender and juicy

bbq pork and crispy belly pork (HKD130)

stewed noodle (HKD25)

noodle in soup (HKD16)

Yat Lok Restaurant @ Stanley Street, Central, Hong Kong - 一樂燒鵝 @ 中環士丹利街香港
34-38 Stanley Street
Central
Hong Kong

Open Hours: Mon-Fri 07:30am - 09:00pm and Sat-Sun 09:00am - 05:30pm

Tel: +852 2524 3882

Champagne Philipponnat Royale Reserve Brut NV

Date of Tasting: 5 July 2014

Wine Type: Sparkling

Grape Varieties: 65% Pinot Noir, 30% Chardonnay, 5% Pinot Meunier

Alcohol: 12%

Origin: Mareuil-Sur-Ay, France

Appellation: Champagne

Expect to Pay: ~ THB2,000

Web: http://www.philipponnat.com/
Chubby Score: 92/100
Value for money: 8/10
Professional Rating: AG - 88/100, WS - 92/100, WE - 91/100, ST - 90/100, BH - 90/100, JR - 16/20, DC - 16/100, CT - 89/100

Appearance: pale golden yellow

Aroma: citrus and white fruits aroma

Palate: primary note of lemon and grapefruit with mild toasted almond and apple. fine effervescence with creamy texture. dry. lingering acidity possessed with energy.

Disgorged in May 2013 and base on 2010 vintage. In short, refreshing and pretty nice as an aperitif. It is also great with seafood like oyster or sushi. Love the energy and fine structure. More bottles should be popped up. Big cheers!!!!!!!!!!

Lung King Heen @ Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong - 龍景軒 @ 香港四季酒店

Cuisine: Chinese / Cantonese / Dim Sum

Map: Lung King Heen @ Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong - 龍景軒 @ 香港四季酒店

Price: HKD380 per person without alcohol (what we paid for)

Visited: 13 July 2014

Food: 9/10

Atmosphere: 7/10

Value for money: 7/10

Services: 8/10
Scale: [1=poor ---- 5=average/standard ---- 10=outstanding/exceptional]

First to be mentioned from Hong Kong trip in July 2014 is the most famous Cantonese restaurant on the islands, Lung King Heen @ Four Seasons Hotel. This is the only Cantonese restaurant to be awarded 3 Michelin Stars which was dated back to 2009. The location is absolutely spotted on which is right at IFC mall at Hong Kong station. At first instance, I did not quite impress with the interior which is kept simply contemporary. At least the good view of harbour is pleasurable. For me, I prefer the decoration and atmosphere of One Harbour Road at Grand Hyatt more.

What I really noticed here is the good and friendly service. For Chinese restaurants in Hong Kong, even at 5 stars hotels, you can expect rather rough service for instance Summer Palace at Island Shangri-la which was not bad but not the 2 Michelin stars standard. Anyway, given its 3 stars price tag, it is of course expensive but you will have to judge yourself for value. If you are going to visit, especially during weekends, make sure you do back well in advance.

Lung King Heen @ Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong

entrance passage

spacious dining with view of harbour

Chinaware by Narumi

There are quite a number of tea selection to accompany your meal which is ranged from HKD35 to HKD100+ per person. Anyhow, we were there at Lung King Heen for lunch so dishes were mainly dim sum. The range of steamed dim sum are as follows:

steamed chicken and Japanese tofu dumplings with superior pottage (7/10)
steamed lobster and scallop dumpling (8/10)
steamed rice rolls with lobster and water chestnut in fermented bean sauce (8/10)
steamed rice rolls with barbecued pork and mushroom (9/10)

To be honest, these all were pretty yummy and of great quality but not spectacular. The steamed lobster and scallop dumpling was sure lovely but the price tag of HKD 48 per piece was a bit excessive for dim sum in my opinion but yummy still. The one to be recognised was the classic steamed rice rolls with bbq pork and mushroom. It was delivered nicely. The filling was just at the right amount and the sauce had good balance of salty and sweetness.

steamed chicken and Japanese tofu dumplings with superior pottage (HKD66)

steamed lobster and scallop dumpling (HKD48)

steamed rice rolls with lobster and water chestnut in fermented bean sauce (HKD160)

steamed rice rolls with barbecued pork and mushroom (HKD88)

For the baked range, we had:

baked barbecued pork buns with pine nuts (9/10)
baked roast goose puffs with chestnuts in X.O. chilli sauce (7/10)
baked whole abalone puff with diced chicken (9/10)

Ones would not deny the bbq pork bun here, I suppose. I was fluffy and good texture and yummy bbq pork filling. HKD66 for three pieces was sure a dearly cost one but I would not mind ordering the second portion at all. The famous baked abalone puff was as well splendid. This is a must try dish if you love abalone. The puff was light and fluffy while holding the structure. Abalone was well prepared to great tenderness. The baked roast goose puffs, on the other hand, was a bit of disappointment. I don't think the natural taste of goose paired well with puff. But still well made.

baked barbecued pork buns with pine nuts (HKD66)

stuffing of bbq pork bun

baked roast goose puffs with chestnuts in X.O. chilli sauce (HKD66)

baked whole abalone puff with diced chicken (HKD58 each)

zooming up a bit on abalone

Here was the best of the meal: barbecued pork with honey (10/10). This was a perfect bbq honey pork for me. So tender and juicy and not overpowered. I could not really put down my chopsticks with this dish. Next was marinated duck tongue with preserved plum (8/10). This dish was in contrast with another dishes here. It was light and mild. When pairing a touch of chilli sauce, this was another yummy one. I think having both duck tongue and the cucumber together was the magic. Well, you may prefer to have them separately though.

barbecued pork with honey (HKD260)

another angle of bbq pork

marinated duck tongue with preserved plum (HKD180)

Before ending the meal, we had assorted vegetable, tofu sheets and vermicelli in casserole (8/10). This was a light and refreshing soup dish. The tofu sheets were absolutely delicious. It was really a good way to go before ending the meal with rice dish which was fried puntalette with minced beef in X.O. chilli sauce (9/10). Without mentioning, I would just think that this was a good fried rice dish. In fact, puntalette is a kind of pasta that is in rice shape (really first time to have tried puntalette). The matching of minced beef and X.O. sauce is always a classic combination. Love the way that no single flavour stand out but well balance. I did enjoy this dish a lot. 

The course ended with some Chinese petit fours which was enjoyable. In brief, dim sum at Lung King Heen was a good experience and is worth a return from time to time: nice food and friendly service but so-so atmosphere. Of course, these good things come at a high price tag for dim sum.

assorted vegetable, tofu sheets and vermicelli in casserole (HKD240)

bird eye view of vegetable casserole

fried puntalette with minced beef in X.O. chilli sauce (HKD240)

Chinese petit fours

Lung King Heen @ Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong - 龍景軒 @ 香港四季酒店
4th Floor, Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong
8 Finance Street
Central
Hong Kong

Open Hours: lunch 12:00pm - 02:30pm for Mon-Sat and 11:30am - 03:00pm for Sun, and dinner 06:00pm - 10:30pm daily

Tel: +852 3196 8880
Web: http://www.fourseasons.com/hongkong/
FB: https://www.facebook.com/FourSeasonsHotelHongKong