Salisterra at The Upper House (Hong Kong, CHINA) ★★★☆☆

It was sad to see the closure of Cafe Gray Deluxe at The Upper House earlier this year. The once-iconic modern European restaurant on top of the skyscraper boutique hotel in Admiralty used to be a favorite of mine but like many other landmark eateries in the city, it failed to stand the test of time (during the pandemic). In comes Salisterra, a Mediterranean restaurant in collaboration with celebrity Chef Jun Tanaka of one-Michelin-starred French-Mediterranean restaurant The Ninth London.

After the three month-long renovation, we finally heard whispers about Salisterra soft-opening this weekend. So, we decided to book ourselves a table for a late brunch on a lazy Sunday.

Other than a few touch-ups, Salisterra looks every bit the same as its predecessor. The incredible and for the most part, unobstructed harbour view remains intact from some of the tables by the window.

Our brunch started off brightly with some homemade bread. 

Burrata, Green Gazpacho ($185) - We wanted something refreshing (and healthy) to start off the meal and this was the perfect choice. 

The thick slab of burrata served on a crispy sourdough toast was topped with sorrel and baby spinach. The dish was finished off with our server pouring the green gazpacho (watercress?) all over it.

I have to admit, I didn't like the dish at first glance. It lacks the sharp and attractive color but this proved to be just a perception. There was nothing but a symphony of interesting flavors. Really clean, fresh and aromatic with a lovely hint of mint. 

Crab Eggs Benedict ($175) - A brunch isn't complete without an egg benedict in play.

These were topped with loads of crab meat (almost like a crab cake!) but unfortunately, a little heavy handed with the seasoning.   

Grilled Urgasa Poussin ($285) - The two main dishes were both better than the benedict. 

The young French chicken, roasted to perfection, was matched with some lovely acidity from  the preserved lemon and radish salad.

Pan-fried Sea Bream ($265) - The beautifully cooked sea bream was served on a bed of 

pesto minestrone with clams, cherry tomatoes and watercress. Interestingly, it was finished off with a broth similar to the one served with the burrata earlier.

As expected, service was a little spotty in their opening week. The brunch menu was a short one that reminded me a little of the lunch menu from Cafe Gray Deluxe's good old days thanks to the organic and healthy dishes but without the Asian twist. But if you're looking for a fine-dining experience, this won't be your cup of tea (tables too close, place too noisy...).

Food Rating: 6/10

Price: $$$$

Address: 49/F, The Upper House, Pacific Place, 88 Queensway, Admiralty, Hong Kong

Closest Metro Station: Admiralty

Tel: +852 3968-1106

Opening Hours: 6:30am - 10:00pm daily

Lan Fong Yuen WK Square 蘭芳園 WK廣場 (Hong Kong, CHINA) ★★★★☆

It's been at least a few years since I last visited Lan Fong Yuen (蘭芳園) at WK Square. So when J pinged me asking me to suggest a place to meet up and blow water, I immediately proposed it without hesitation.

J ended up bringing another friend of ours whom I haven't met in almost a decade. It was great fun talking about the past. Of course we had to bring up our painful stories about kids growing up and schooling in Hong Kong.  

Established in 1952, Lan Fong Yuen is best known for its pantyhose milk tea, "piggy buns" with butter and condense milk, and stir-fried instant noodles. I wasn't particularly hungry following my ramen lunch but I couldn't possibly resist their iced pantyhose milk tea. Not in a million years!~ This was so gooood! 



I forgot to take a picture of it but we ended up sharing an order of French toast together. It's always nice to see peanut butter slathered in the middle of a sizzling hot French toast.

Food Rating: 6/10

Price: $$

Address: Shop 26, WK Square, Basement, Chungking Mansions, 36-44 Nathan Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong

Closest Metro Station: Tsim Sha Tsui

Tel: +852 2316-2311

Opening Hours: 10:30am - 6:00pm daily

Ramen House Konjiki Hototogisu 金色不如帰 Festival Walk (Hong Kong, CHINA) ★★★☆☆

My ramen-loving son has been hounding me to bring him to Ramen House Konjiki Hototogisu (金色不如帰) for months. Not that I don't want to go there myself but we haven't had plans to go to IFC.....but wait, I heard they've opened their second shop at Festival Walk in Kowloon Tong.

While little nugget was in the neighborhood for his recital competition, I thought let's have an early celebration (for his gold medal!) by having Ramen House Konjiki Hototogis's signature ramen this afternoon!

Shoyu Hamaguri Soup Ramen (貝汁醬油拉麵) – First up, the house specialty soy sauce based broth infused with their signature "triple soup" made with clams, pork and fish. The rich and flavorful broth worked brilliantly with the homemade noodles, leeks and spring onion. Both the pork belly cha shu and slow-cooked cha shu weren't bad (though I love my barbecued pork with a bit more smoky flavors); but just one complaint from my little nugget - he didn't like the porcini flakes with porcini oil.

But for the most part, he enjoyed it very much.

Shio Hamaguri Soup Ramen (貝汁鹽味拉麵) – The same signature triple soup blended with their salt-based broth but the supporting cast was more or less the same. White leeks, spring onion and cha shu. I thought I saw the same porcini flakes too, but no black truffle. 

But sadly, the sweetness of the triple soup (clam in particular) didn't really mesh as well with the salt like it did with the soy sauce.

Tonkotsu Spicy Ramen (豚骨辛拉麵) – I asked my server if the broth was any different from the previous two. Disappointingly, she said it's "the same" (but the menu said tonkotsu, or pork bone based wtf?). I also asked her about the spiciness of the broth and she insisted that the only thing spicy about the broth was the shredded pork with chili oil. I am afraid that's not what I wanted to hear.

As usual, soft-boiled egg is extra here. Where's my runny yolk?

After we finished slurping our noodles, we still had another 15-20 minutes before little nugget's Mandarin class. I hope he won't mind that we spend it at Toy R Us. 😆

Food Rating: 5.7/10

Price: $$$

Address: Shop 25, LG2/F, Festival Walk, 80 Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong

Closest Metro Station: Kowloon Tong

Tel: +852 6333-8156

Opening Hours: 11:00am - 10:00pm daily