Shane Osborn’s Netflix star turn not only means getting recognized by strangers on the streets, it also helps to speed up the Australian chef and restaurateur’s plan to add a second restaurant to his name. Situated on Hollywood Road just across the street from Kung Lee Sugarcane Drink (公利), Cornerstone presents casual Australian fare in a modern bistro-like setting.
Cornerstone’s kitchen is helmed by head chef Neal Ledesma who has been working with Chef Osborn at Arcane for over 5 years. Together with his mentor, Chef Ledesma will aim to offer something far more sophisticated (and delicious) than what a casual neighborhood eatery could offer.
The food menu here is short but covers a lot of ground (Normally comprising of 6 starters, 6 main and 3 desserts). It changes regularly based on availability of ingredients from the market.
Smoked salmon ($138) - I was going to start with the red prawn tartare but suddenly remembered reading about Chef Osborn’s smoked salmon. Touted as one of best smoked salmon in the market, Forman & Son’s Scottish salmon is the only choice he would consider for this dish.
I thought the smoked salmon was very tender. It does look a little more pink than orange but other than that, I couldn’t really tell the difference from any other smoked salmon I’ve had in the past.
A simple but tried and true combination here by serving the smoked salmon with herbed cream cheese and cornichons on malt bread. Not bad at all.
Tagliatelle ($148) - Tossed with cream and cheese, along with ingredients like fresh spring peas, chives, smoked sausage and button mushrooms, the pasta was nicely done, creamy and al dente.
The sauce did surprised me for being a little more cheesy than I expected but it was all good.
I have been trying to cut down on desserts so as much as I love to try their chocolate mousse, I decided to pass and went straight to the bill instead.
It was exactly what it was advertised as - a contemporary Australian bistro serving hearty Australian fare with a modern twist (no avocado toast!). You just can't go wrong with the combination of honest cooking and quality ingredients (and great prices too!).
Food Rating: 5.5/10
Price: $$$
Address: G/F, Hilltop Plaza, 49 Hollywood, Soho, Central, Hong Kong
Closest Metro Station: Central
Website: www.facebook.com/cornerstonerestauranthk
When I first heard about Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong naming new Executive Pastry Chef Christophe Sapy to their award-winning culinary team this May, I didn't know what to think of it. In Chef's Sapy's new role, he will oversee a team of 40 involving The Mandarin Cake Shop, a job previously held by long-time executive pastry chef Yves Matthey (by long, I meant almost 40 years at that role). Is this just the first of many changes to come at MO Hong Kong?
Since I was in Central this morning, I decided to come and check out Chef Sapy's new creations. It's been almost 3 months since he's taken over so I'm sure there's going to be something new that he has planned for all of us.
I have never really spent much time sitting at their tea salon before so I didn't realize they have a sea theme decoration here. My little nugget is going to love it if he gets the chance to see it himself.
This is my kind of breakfast! No ham and egg. Only things for my sweet tooth!~
Matcha Mango Cake ($58) - Chef Sapy has very extensive experience in the industry including time at one of my favorite afternoon tea spots in Bangkok - Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok. Before coming to Asia to join MO Bangkok in 2016, he held similar roles in United Arab Emirates at some of the leading luxury hotels for more than a decade (St. Regis, Shangri-la and Le Meridien).
Enough said about Chef Sapy's background. I can't wait to check out one of the team's newest creation, Matcha Mango cake.
I have been one of the strongest critics on The Mandarin Cake Shop's uninspiring creations over the years (I think I label them as one of the most overrated pastry shops in Hong Kong on a number of occasions) but I'm going to take my words back after this visit.
A very impressive dessert. It all starts with the silky, pillowy matcha green tea mousse in the middle. Very delicate on the palate thanks to the deeply rich and slightly bitter matcha flavor with a hint of refreshing sweetness, which was beautifully matched with the acidity of mango gel and fresh mango salsa. It was finished off superbly with the filling of crunchy feuilletine and a small matcha sponge for some textural contrast.
I only had enough time to check out one dessert and it was already a signal that they are trending in the right direction. Changes are definitely coming at The Mandarin Cake Shop and Mandarin Oriental in general (with Amber, SOMM and Sushi Shikon). I'm really excited to see what's being unfolded in the next few months.
But back to The Mandarin Cake Shop for a moment. With Chef Sapy settling in his role, it will be interesting to see what happens to some of the cake shop's famous holdovers, including their timeless cheesecake. Will we see a new version of it coming out soon? Let's find out in a couple of months...
Food Rating: 7.3/10
Price: $$$
Address: M/F, Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong, 5 Connaught Road, Central, Hong Kong
Closest Metro Station: Central
Tel: +852 2825-4008
Website: www.mandarinoriental.com.hk/hongkong/fine-dining/the-mandarin-cake-shop
My little nugget turns 3 and a half today and as a small celebration, we decided to take him out for dinner at Amaroni's.
I knew Amaroni's has been around for a long time but 1998, that's three decades and counting. I really don't think many restaurants in Hong Kong can survive that long these days.
As one of the pioneers in bringing Italian-American cuisine to Hong Kong, Amaroni's is really one of the few ones left (and Dan Ryan who acquired Amaroni's from another group a few years back) but they are still going strong.
The birthday boy finally got himself a balloon and he's so happy about it!
Calamari ($123) - The crispy batter made with herbed bread crumbs, wasn't as herby as I first feared. They have the calamari all dusted with a spicy dried basil salt and served
with red bell pepper aioli on the side. Not bad.
Penne Rustica ($168) - Something for the birthday boy who really loves his chicken pasta.
The penne was tossed with a white sauce made with Parmesan cheese, cream sauce and Prosciutto ham. And we all know creamy pasta usually works well with grilled shrimps and chicken.
Seafood Risotto ($172) - The risotto was cooked in Amaroni's signature Marinara sauce but the flavors were way too light for everybody's liking. The fact that they chopped all the seafood (shrimp, mussels, clams and fresh fish) into these really tiny pieces made this dish even less appealing.
Pomegranate and balsamic glazed grilled baby back ribs ($208) - Always a crowd pleaser here. The spare ribs were rubbed with sweet and tangy pomegranate and balsamic sauce before they hit the char-grill resulting in this nice and juicy texture. The zucchini, marinated butter beans and roasted cherry tomatoes all did well to offset the rich flavors of the ribs.
Tiramisu ($78) - One of my favorite tiramisu in town and despite the shrink in size, the flavors didn't disappoint. The marsala scented mascarpone mousse combining well with Espresso and Kahlua soaked ladyfinger biscuits, toppings of cocoa powder and fresh grated dark chocolate. Heavenly!
Of course, we had to bring on our little one to do the honor of blowing off the candles.
It was a pretty hearty Italian fare and most importantly, it didn't cost an arm and a leg (or either one). That's really no easy feat these days.
Food Rating: 5/10
Price: $$$
Address: Shop 32, LG1, Festival Walk, 80 Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong
Closest Metro Station: Kowloon Tong
Tel: +852 2265-8818
Website: www.amaronis.com
