Weekend Brunch at Upper Modern Bistro (Sheung Wan, Hong Kong)

I have always wanted to have brunch alone in a beautiful/ casual restaurant for ages, and finally, I found a time to make this happen. I decided to have it at Upper Modern Bistro, located in Sheung Wan. I chose to sit in their coffee table because it is relaxing and it is suitable for single diners (like me).

I picked their Weekend Brunch menu, which costs HK$398 with Starters, Main Course, Dessert, one glass of Champagne and Tea or Coffee included. Although UMB requires a minimum of 2 persons typically to take their brunch menu, the Chef is kind enough to give me an exception and allows me to have the brunch menu. 

HOW TO GET THERE

It is in Upper Station Street (end of Hollywood road) in Sheung Wan. It is a 10-minute walk from Sheung Wan MTR station. Take note that it is required to walk upstairs the high slopes to get to the restaurant. Alternatively, you may take a taxi or grab an Uber to get there conveniently.

Making a reservation is highly recommended, especially during the weekends and festive dates.

Upper Brunch Starters

Oyster, Foie Gras Creme Brulee, Crab Meat Bruschetta, Burratina with cherry tomatoes & balsamic white dressing, Salmon Gravlax and Marinated Beef Carpaccio

Main Course

Salmon Teriyaki with beetroot puree, roasted beetroots & raspberry

Dessert

Upper Pastries Selection - Mango Mousse, Fruits (strawberries, blackberries & raspberries) and Pineapple Tart

FOOD

The starters were overwhelming in terms of the taste, portions and various food selections. From the starters, I can already say that I am already satisfied. For the main course, I have picked the Salmon Teriyaki. I would highly recommend this dish as the texture of the fish is cooked perfectly (not too soft and not too hard) and the beetroot puree fits with the salmon as well. The dessert selection is pretty lovely too, most notably the pineapple tart!

SERVICE

The service was very efficient and attentive.

AMBIENCE

The interior and concept of the restaurant are relaxing, and their coffee tables are perfect for having a lovely brunch and suitable for single diners too!

SPENDING

HK$398 (Brunch set) + 10% service charge

= HK$438 per person

Overall, my brunch experience was great and unforgettable. I would highly recommend you to have brunch at UMB as their food were delicious and the service is also exceptional. I can't wait to come back to UMB and have another excellent dining experience.

CONTACT

UPPER MODERN BISTRO

Address: 6-14 G/F Elegance Court, Upper Station Street, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong

Tel no: +852 2517 0977

Website: www.upper-bistro.com

Email: info@upper-bistro

Yours Truly, 

Michelle Chan

The Dining Room (Hong Kong)

The Dining Room is a Shanghai Dim Sum restaurant with a wide range of innovative menu inspired by Shanghai cuisine. It has four branches here in Hong Kong (Causeway Bay, Tsim Sha Tsui, Mong Kok and Kowloon Bay).

Its main dishes are the dim sum, chicken in Shanghainese style, noodles and their Hot & Sour soup, also in Shanghainese style.

From Left: Minced Prawn, Pork and Vegetables Wontons in Sesame Dressing

From Right: Shao Lung Bao Dimsum (5 pieces)

From Left: Hot & Sour Soup in Shanghai Style

Wok Fried Spicy String Beans

Noodles with Eight Treasures

Chicken in Chili Sesame Sauce

Deep Fried Chicken with Sichuan Spices

FOOD

The food is very delicious. The prices are quite reasonable, and the portion is just right.

I would highly recommend the Hot & Sour Soup as it is delicious and the spices were incredible, the Noodles with Eight Treasures. I ordered that because I was curious about the name of the dish. It is super tasty and something unique, and lastly, their dumpling dish Shao Lung Bao, this will always be my favourite dim sum, and The Dining Room offers a delicious Shao Lung Bao. 

AMBIENCE

The restaurant looks quite relaxing with a unique interior, and the place looks lively as there are a lot of diners, which supposes a good sign.

SERVICE

The service is quite efficient. The wait staff pour us some tea from time to time and clears out the empty plates in our table. Although the service could have been a bit better by telling us what the dish is when it was served on our table.  

SPENDING

Our total spending was HK$456 (divided by three people). Total spending per person is HK$152 each.

LOCATION AND BRANCHES

1. CAUSEWAY BAY

Shop 1201, 12/F Hysan Place, 500 Hennessy Road, Causeway Bay

2. TSIM SHA TSUI

The One mall, 100 Nathan Road, Tsim Sha Tsui

3. MONG KOK

Shop 7, 4A/F Langham Place, 8 Argyle Street, Mong Kok

4. KOWLOON BAY

G73, Telford Plaza, Kowloon Bay

Overall, the experience was great. I have found another good dim sum place to eat, and I will not hesitate to come back to The Dining Room for another dining experience. 

Yours Truly, 

Michelle Chan

Discover "No. 9" (To Kwa Wan, Hong Kong)

NO. 9 

No. 9 restaurant is in To Kwa Wan, Kowloon. It is reachable by bus or through taxi/ uber/ private cars. How did I discover this restaurant? Since I live in To Kwa Wan and one day I happen to walk by Ma Tau Kok area and saw this unique looking restaurant. It is rare to find a western cuisine around To Kwa Wan area, and this has caught my attention.

No. 9 has a relaxing vibe with modern wooden type interior style with posters on the wall. It serves western styled burgers, pasta, salads, steak, soups, lamb rack, lobster and many more others.

LOCATION

NO. 9

Shop 9, G/F Metropolitan Rise, 28 Ma Tau Kok Road, To Kwa Wan, Kowloon

Opening hours: Monday-Sunday (12:00pm-11:00pm)

They have outdoor seating as well. This place is super relaxing!

This is their food menu, they also have burger selections (not in the picture)

From Left - Sliced Wild Scottish Smoked Salmon HK$88

From Right - Pan-fried Scallops and Porcini Risotto HK$98

Angus Rib Eye Steak (12 oz) HK$248

Fruit Beer - Wittekerke Rose HK$68

FOOD

The food is cooked very well and up to standard. It is perfect to go for an excellent burger and pasta. I would recommend the dishes, Pan Fried Scallops Risotto, Linguine Carbonara and Devil's Beef Burger.

SERVICE

The service is quite excellent. The staff are attentive.

AMBIENCE

I love the interior of this restaurant. It has a relaxing and homey vibe.

SPENDING

Approximately HK$200-HK$300 per person

Overall, the dining experience was excellent. I am so happy that this restaurant is very near to my home. I don't have to go to Hong Kong Island side to get a nice piece of burger. I will come back for more good food.

Yours Truly,

Michelle Chan

Steak Night at Meat Depot

Are you looking for a nice steak restaurant that allows you to pick your meat somewhere in Metro Manila in the Philippines? Well, then Meat Depot is what you're looking for in town. Meat Depot has two branches in Metro Manila (Banawe and Paranaque). Meat Depot is an affordable steakhouse, where you can pick your meat and choose which meat temperature you prefer to have.

MEAT DEPOT SHOP IN BANAWE

Top - Meat Production

Bottom - Frozen meat for you to take away

Meat Depot offers a lot of meat selections such as Wagyu Beef, Angus Beef Tenderloin, Striploin & Ribeye, Dry Aged Ribeye, Ribeye Grass Fed, Angus Beef T-Bone, Prime Tapa, Pork Salpicao, Roast Beef and Lamb Rib Rack.

All of their meat has different weight, and it is charged per weight. This is very good especially for those who are not a heavy steak eater, they may choose smaller meat so it wouldn't be too much or if you are a steak lover, then you may select much bigger meat for you to dig in and enjoy. There is a cooking fee of P100 per meat, which is quite reasonable, in my opinion. They also have a bunch of different frozen meat for you to buy and take it home if you fancy.

Ribeyeeeeeeeee Yum!

MEAT DEPOT LOCATIONS

Branch in Banawe

815 Banawe Street, Quezon City, Metro Manila

Branch in Paranaque

283 Aguirre Avenue,, Paranaque, 1720 Metro Manila

Website - www.meatdepot.ph

Step by step in pictures

There are 5 steps for you to customise your own steak:

STEP 1 - CHOOSE YOUR MEAT

There is plenty of meat for you to choose from the big fridges. The advantage for this is that you can see the actual meat that you're having, how big it is, and how much it cost.

STEP 2 - FILL OUT YOUR ORDER SLIP

After selecting your meat, you may fill up your order form. You may choose which meat temperature you prefer, and you may also add to your drink selection. The restaurant serves white or red white from Yellow Tail brand and any other add ons such as Soup or dessert (subject to availability) can be added in the order sheet. Please note that there is a cooking fee of P100 per meat.

STEP 3 - BRING YOUR ORDER SLIP & PAY AT THE COUNTER

Yes! That's right. You have to pay as you order, which I think is smart as you can leave anytime and there is no need to wait for your bill after you finish your meal.

STEP 4 - FIND A SEAT, GET YOUR UTENSILS AND CONDIMENTS

After paying, find a seat immediately, and while you're finding one, you may get your utensils and your condiments such as Black Pepper, Salt, Tabasco and Ketchup. 

STEP 5 - CLAIM YOUR ORDER AND DIG IN

Typically, they will bring your steak to your table with the tag number provided by the staff when you pay. Once you receive your steak, remember to take a picture of your steak before digging in and then share it to your family and friends. ENJOY!

And here it is, Angus Beef Ribeye (medium rare) with mushroom sauce and rice

MY OVERALL RATINGS

FOOD

The steak was delicious and was up to my expectation. I would highly recommend the Ribeye Steak or the Lamb Rib Rack for you to try. If you prefer a juicier and not-so-hard to bite meat, then you should ask for a medium rare for your steak. 

SERVICE

Meat Depot has a self-service station for picking your meat, filling up your order form for your meta descriptions and other add-ons, placing your order in the counter, getting and finding your table and prepping your condiments for your steak. 

AMBIENCE

The restaurant looks pretty lively as many hungry people are visiting it. Don't be surprised as you will be surrounded by meat everywhere. So if you are allergic to the smell of fresh meat, then you should pick a table far from the fridge.

SPENDING

On top of everything, it will be around P800-P1000 per person, depending on the meat weight, drinks selections and add ons. The price range is quite affordable, in my opinion. After all, you're eating steak and steak are not cheap.

Overall, the experience was great, and the concept was unique to me. I like the idea that you can pick your meat and how you want it to be cooked. I will come back here for steak night.

Yours Truly,

Michelle Chan

Kettle (Eastwood, Philippines)

Kettle is in Eastwood Mall in Quezon City. Kettle was opened in June 2016 by Chef Chiloy Santos. Kettle is American and European cuisine, and it is famous for its Fried Chicken butter cooking style. Since my friend, Iris and I were looking for places to have a quick dinner before our Painting session with Sip & Gogh (check blog: http://www.michellesochan.com/blogs/2016/9/24/painting-with-sip-gogh-eastwood-philippines ) we decided to check out Kettle as we read such nice feedback about this restaurant.

We start off with a glass of Sangria for my friend Iris and a glass of Mojito for me. The drinks were both delicious.

Sangria and Mojito

For starters, we had the US Angus Brisket Sisig Tacos with Pickled Slaw, Cilantro and Chipotle Pepper Coulis. The Sisig Tacos was superb! The taste is something unique, and the meat temperature was just right.

US Angus Brisket Sisig Tacos - P379

For the main course, we had a Nori Chicken and Matcha Waffle. The Chicken was cooked with butter, and the flavouring was deliciously prepared. The Waffle is best to combine with the maple syrup sauce.

Nori Chicken and Matcha Waffle - P399

We did not have any dessert as we were running out of time as we need to catch our painting session with Sip & Gogh. I will come back to dine in Kettle very soon and try their other dishes.

FOOD AND DRINKS

The food and drinks were satisfying, and the taste of the Sisig Tacos is unforgettable. This is probably the best Sisig Tacos I ever had.

SERVICE

The service was very efficient, and the staff were friendly.

AMBIENCE

The ambience of the restaurant is quite relaxing. However, the air conditioner needs to be improved as it is slightly hot.

SPENDING

P400-500 per head

Yours Truly,

Michelle Chan